Finals blogging hiatus and “I wish I were here…”
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under united states
The view from Namchi
In between fevered bouts of studying for Environmental Economics and Environmental Science, I’ve been dreaming of the himalayas. Here’s an old favorite photo.
I’m officially powering down the blog for a while (possibly until after the new year, but I almost never succeed at leaving it alone). Happy holidays to all.
Tags: american university, economics, environment, grad school, himalaya, india, photography, science, united states
Awesome, tiny ocean creature
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
Tiny little buggers
Meet the nudibranch, about the size of the tip of my smallest finger. It’s an underwater sea creature whose exact scientific classification is still under some debate as new species are discovered regularly. Nudibranchs are known for their vibrant colors and are often referred to commonly though not quite accurately, as sea slugs.
The are shell-less and frequently tiny (though not all) and many of the common types breathe though unprotected “lungs,” hence the name: nudibranch means naked gills. They are typically carnivorous, eating sponges and other stationary creatures on the reef.
Most nudibranchs are also hermaphroditic, though they mate with others, with both parties producing egg strings.
The above nudibranch was shot off North Seymour. These are common throughout coastal Ecuador and particularly the Galapagos Islands.
Tags: ecuador, environment, galapagos, nudibranch, ocean, photography, science, scuba diving, species, tiny, wildlife
Darwin’s feathered friends?
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
A guidepost for Darwin?
Galapagos finches — more a dozen different species — with their specially adapted beaks and features were among the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theories on evolution and natural selection. The finches actually played a relatively minor part in all of Darwin’s research, but they are perhaps the most renown, simply because the Galapagos drew so much attention and provided such a mysterious location for science.
They’re all over the islands today, mostly unwary of humans. They are admittedly very cute and often curious enough that it’s easy to see why they attracted Darwin’s attention.
This one comes from Tortuga Bay, not far from the main tourist center and capital of Puerto Ayora.
Tags: biology, charles darwin, ecuador, environment, evolution, finch, galapagos, natural selection, photography, santa cruz, science, wildlife
Sad-looking, but thankfully conserved tortoises
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
Espanola tortoise
One of the main conservation programs of the beleaguered Galapagos tortoises is conducted at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz just outside Puerto Ayora. Scientists there have had success rescuing some species from the brink though the zoo-like nature of the breeder pens make the tortoises seem rather sad. Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: charles darwin research station, conservation, ecuador, environment, espanola, galapagos, photography, science, tortoise, wildlife
Hello gecko
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Caught (and released) by researchers from Croatia/Serbia
Presenting a native son of Wandoor, the Andaman Islands Day Gecko. (More on this adventure later.)
Tags: andaman and nicobar, andaman islands day gecko, beach, ecology, environment, india, photography, port blair, research, science, wandoor, wildlife
A stomp through the jungle
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Flighty little bastard
A few days ago, I went out hunting geckos and frogs and reptiles, oh my! with a team of researchers from Serbia/Croatia. The Andaman Islands, where I’ve been for a couple weeks, are relatively unexplored, scientifically. The researchers were doing initial scouting for a grant proposal. I was playing tag-along journalist.
I also managed to embed several spines from a random vine in my hand. Note to self: Don’t grab random plants in the jungle. They finally worked their way out today (four days later).
One key mission was to find the rare and largely unstudied Andaman Islands Day Gecko, but more about that later. In the meantime, enjoy this little guy, a common lizard.
Also, I was dark for four days, have one day near the Internet and will be mostly dark again (more scuba and remote beach time) for some time until January 8 or so. Happy New Year!
Tags: andaman and nicobar, environment, exploring, island, journalism, lizard, photography, science, wandoor, wildlife
