Free Post #8

     For todays free post I thought I would look into a little more about what my last post was about.  I wanted to look into the lives and stories of orca whales in captivity.  These huge creatures are often used in exhibits like SeaWorld for entertainment purposes.  In the documentary that I found, called Blackfish, it brings attention to some of the negatives of keeping animals like orcas in captivity.  The documentary stressed the idea that keeping animals like this in captivity can lead to serious frustration and aggressiveness from these creatures, leading to all of the attacks on trainers that were highlighted in the film.  This documentary shows many of the previously unclear orca attacks on humans.  It also features many interviews from people who were previously whale trainers, and scientists who have opinions on the reasons behind the attacks and emotions of these whales.  Below is the trailer to the documentary film:
 

     After watching this film, I was in a bit of shock.  I had always heard that keeping animals in captivity was a bad thing, but this documentary really opened my eyes to how bad it truly is.  It is important to keep in mind that this is a movie most likely overdramatized for viewer purposes.  however, these events and attacks told in the documentary did actually happen and there was a reason for them.  This is a very complicated and intense subject with many different sides and opinions to it.  When all the evidence is put together, it is easy to see why many think programs such as SeaWorld should be discontinues.  A topic with evidence and stories like this really makes you think about the morals of actions like these, and what the human race is really capable of doing to other living species.  I know I am putting some serious thought into this topic after seeing a documentary like this one.

     I did also want to make it clear that by going into the field of Zoology, this is not the kind of thing I condone.  Even though this is the kind of things that got me interested in marine mammals as a child ( I mean who didn't love Shamu as a kid), now I am more interested in the rescue and rehabilitation, along with the release, of these types of animals.  I do not believe it is right to keep a wild animal that is otherwise perfectly healthy, in captivity for its entire lifespan.  I believe that everything on the earth has the right to a free life.

Work Cited:

Magnolia Pictures, prod. Blackfish Official Trailer. YouTube, Jul. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.  

10/31 Post: Recognizing Significance (switched with 10/17)

     For todays post  I ended up having to switch a few around.  Instead of doing the post about a hands on experience, I will be doing the one about the importance of the Zoology field and the kind of things it has done for us.  

     The field of zoology has done some really amazing things for the world and us.  It has been especially helpful in medical and agricultural issues.  Zoology has helped with things such as new organ transplant techniques, to fighting against the war of yellow fever by studying the misquotes that have it, in the past. There is an even brighter future ahead because of what the field of zoology has been able to do for us.  Currently, zoologists are helping with the fight against cancer, countless other medical diseases, and genetics issues.  They have been able to help the commercial fishing industry with harvesting without destroying resources and even increasing crop producing.  

     It is very obvious that the field of zoology is very important to not only animals but also humans.  This field is often underestimated and overlooked as one that is not very important and only really concentrates on animals.  Everyday the members of this field are learning new things that are changing the lives of animals and humans.

Work Cited:

Interesting Facts About Zoologists. Bubblews, 20 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

Free Post #7

     For todays free post I wanted to talk, and bring notice, to something that I have been hearing about more and more lately.  I actually stumbled upon this while looking for "cool facts about zoology" on google to get ideas about other free posts, and I think that I did find something really cool.  For the last few years, Dawn, the dish soap, has become well know for collaborating with the Marine Mammal Center and the International Bird Rescue to help rehabilitate animal that are effected by the humans impact on the environment, specifically oil spills.  It was discovered a little while back that dawn soap is actually one of the only substances that can effectively remove oil covering animals without doing further damage.  I think it is so incredibly cool that something so ordinary can actually save the lives of hundreds of animals a year!!  Dawn and these organizations realize the importance of these animals on the environment, and just in life in general.  I also think it is so good of them to do the educating that thy do because they know how important it is to teach the young kids of the generation that they are responsible for these creatures and the success of the environment in the future.  Dawn is also making a series of short documentaries showcasing the work they have done and all of the incredible animal rescues that have been accomplished.  Over all, I think that what Dawn is doing is really incredible.  For more information on what they are doing, ways you can help, and to see the documentaries,  go to www.dawnsaveswildlife.com.

     Below is a one of the documentary episodes that does a really good job expressing the beliefs and accomplishments:

Work Cited: 

Dawn Saves Wildlife. Dawn 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

10/17 Post: Contemplating Controversy

     For todays blog I am going to talk about both sides of a controversy that is commonly brought up about animals in zoo like facilities and aquariums.  In the Pasadena Weekly online news site, this issue is focussed specifically on the captive orcas at Sea World.  Many believe that it is wrong for places such as Sea World to keep these animals captive.  They feel that their refined living spaces and unnatural lives are a hinderance to their proper physical and mental growth.  Many people are also appalled by some of the capturing techniques supposedly used to take young whales from their home to put them into captivity.  Animals treated like this are often believed to develop psychological issues, possibly leading to the recent orca attacks on the animal trainers.  Overall, this side of the issue has a serious issue with the way they feel that these marine animals are forced to live.  From their small unnatural habitats, to being forced to learn confusing routines for tourist show purposes, many think that whales in captivity is wrong.
     On the other side of the argument, from those who support institutions like Sea World, they feel that people do not know the true facts of what goes on with the animals and their life styles.  Sea World is one of the worlds most respected zoological institutions.  They feel that many people quickly judge such a complicated matter, and base their opinions from things like the film industries views of such institutions.  They also feel that the fact that they rescue, rehabilitate, and return to the wild hundreds of animals a year.
     This issue is a very common controversy in all aspects of contained animals.  there will always be those that argue both ways.  Hopefully, some time in the future, the zoology community will be able to come to a happy medium between people and animal happiness.

Work Cited

Monji, Jana. "Swimming in Controversy." Pasadena Weekly. 25 Jul. 2013. 23 Oct. 2013.

Free Post #6

     For todays free post I thought I would talk a little about how I did some exploring on the online library resource.  Last week, instead of meeting in the usual spot for my WRA 150 class, we went to the library and got a lesson on how great of a resource the library can be, the physical building and online.  I am very glad  that we learned about this resource because it gives great access to very reliable sources.  It is also really easy to use.  You just choose they type of resource you want to find, a book, or scholarly article or journal, and then put in a few key words of the kind of things you would like to get information on.  Another really cool aspect of using the online library resource is that they have the citations right there, so you don't have to formulate those on your own ( the worst part of any research project!).
    Just to test this resource and how easy it is, I went online to the MSU library, decided that I wanted to find some articles with information on the field and events of marine mammal zoology.  So I put in my information and I automatically got over 190,000 results!  If I had been looking for any information in particular I would have had to search through the titles for a little before I got what I wanted, but because I was just doing an experiment, I just looked at the first few.  They were all interesting articles about programs with marine mammals that might be good information for future posts!!!  I hope to be able to use this process again with future posts and even other assignments because it is so easy and convenient to use, and hopefully I will be able to learn even more about it as I go to make it even easier to use!
   
           

10/10 Post: Evaluation Sources

     For todays post I found a Journal that talks about the conservation of polar bears in Canada.  I know that so far my blog has been more focused on marine mammals because that is what I am really interested in working with in the future, but the field of zoology encompasses all animals.  the conservation of animals is a really important part of zoology, especially if that animal is on its way to extinction like the polar bear is thought to be.

     The main idea and argument of this article is that the conservation path for polar bears in Canada (where a great number of the worlds polar bears reside) needs to be redirected from focusing mostly on harvest management (the hunting of polar bears) to the effects of climate change.  It is shown scientifically that the polar bears habitat is starting to decrease as the sea ice is melting, which will eventually lead to the decrease of polar bears themselves.

     I believe that since conservation of animal species is such an important part of zoology, and just life itself, that it is important for Canada to work really hard, and revaluate the necessary acts it will take to help their species thrive again.  With this said, I think that it is a good idea for them to consider how the polar bears loss of habitat is affecting their population, but they should not totally discard harvest management.  If they do not control hunting on polar bears, it will not matter if they work on the conservation of their habitats, they will be hunted to death.  I believe that they need to find a way to combine these 2 issues the polar bears face if they want them to have success in increasing their population again.  Hunting of these creatures needs to be band and work for conserving their land needs to begin.

Work Cited:

Peacock, B. "conservation and Management of Canada's Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in a changing Arctic" Canadian Journal of Zoology 89.5 (2011): n. pag. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.

      

Free Post #5

     So for todays free post I thought I would do some research on some of the the types of jobs a zoologist can do and the estimated amount that they make in those jobs.  This topic is one of the most challenging to accept as a zoologist major.  The reality of the field is that in order to get a good job you have to go through a lot of schooling, and unless you are near the top 10% of zoologists or make it into the film industry some way, you do not make all that much money.  I know that money should not be a deciding factor as it is not the most important factor in choosing a career, but it is a factor none the less.
     One type of job that is common for a zoologist to have is a zoo curator.  This job consists of working at zoos caring for the health and welfare of the animals there.  The annual salary of a zoo curator is between $42,328 and $56,700.  Another job would be a marine mammal trainer.  These trainers work in zoos, aquariums, marine reserves, and game parks where they look after the welfare of species such as dolphins, whales, walruses, and sea lions.  Members of this profession make from $33,650 to $93,600 if they are able to make it int the film industry, which is very challenging.  Conservation is another type of job in this field where a lot of time is spent in the field collecting and researching habitats of threatened species.  this type of job can make between 52,180 and 70,590 annually.  One last type of job that a zoologist can do is wildlife rehabilitation.  In this profession people provide care to orphaned, injured, or sick wildlife and then return them back to the wild when they are ready.  The annual salary of this profession varies greatly but for the typical worker, it is pretty low, often a volunteer position. 
     There are many other types of jobs that a zoologist can get into.  These are just a few of the main types that someone in this field can get.  This information really just emphasized what I already know about this field, it just gave me some specific job ideas which was nice.  However like I said before, unless you are in the top percentage of zoologists, you do not make all that much money.  I was able to learn this information on the internet from a reliable news site.  This new information has me really thinking about this field and if it something I should enter into.  With something that requires so much schooling, likely between 8 and 10 years to acquire a decent job, and doesn't have such a profitable ending, it is a profession that I would have to be in love with.  I have a lot of thinking to do about it and will hopefully be able to make some sort of decision soon!

Wirk Cited:

Kielmas, Maria. What Jobs Could a Zoologist Get?. Chron Demand Media. Web. 7 October 2013.

10/3 Post: Defining Ethics

     Todays post is about the ethics in the community of my field.  Unfortunately, in the field of zoology, along with a lot of fields in sciences, there is no written or formal set of ethics to be followed.  Each scientist is kind of responsible for judging for themselves, along with a combination of morals and public guidance, whether their actions would be considered ethical, and follow those guidelines throughout the rest of their work.
    Although there are not solid guidelines for zoologists to follow, some common ethical questions in the zoology field relate the treatment of animals and scientific research and testing of them.  Many of the animals of zoology are caged or captured animals that are either being trained, rehabilitated, used for research, or for community entertainment purposes such as zoo's.  It is very important that all of the animals are treated with respect and are living in good conditions suitable for their species.  When the animals are involved in research, it should never be something that is physically or mentally harmful and should be for a good purpose.  The animals should always be treated with great care no matter where they are or what they are being used for.
     These beliefs are very much like my own when it comes to animals.  I feel that animals should be treated with the utmost respect.  We share the world with the animals and I think that it is important for people to realize that they have as much a right to life as we do.  I also believe that we have a responsibility to help those animals which were harmed because of us.
     In college, I plan on doing many things that will prepare me for a possible career in zoology while following the guidelines above.  The first thing is getting an overall degree in it so I am able to get a good job and learn all I can about the field and the important aspects of it.  I will also do some sort of research dealing with animals here so that I can learn the proper way to do it and keep the animal safe.  A third thing would be participation and finishing this blog because it has taught me so much about this field and the important ways of helping animals.

Works Cited:

Buckeridge, J. "Ethics and Zoology."Acta Zoologica Sinica (2004): vol. 50, n. 5, pag. Abstract. Web.  7 Oct. 2013     

Free Post #4

     For todays free post I wanted to talk about an internship that I found that I would really like to participate in over the summer.  The Internship is through the Institution for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) and is a marine mammal and sea turtle stranded response internship.  This internship incorporates rescue and rehabilitation opportunities along with chances to participate in research, education and animal care of marine mammals and sea turtles.  I was very excited to learn about this internship because it is the exact kind of job I would like to do in the future and it would be an incredible opportunity.

     While this internship sounds like a lot of fun, it also sounds like it is very intense.  The requirements include being available Monday through Fridays, holidays, and weekends, working around 40 hours a week.  Unfortunately, It is an unpaid internship, but because it would be such an incredible experience, I believe that all of this is worth it.  

     I learned about this internship through email and a bit of research from that email.  From the description of this internship, I learned that the position I want to have in my field, and getting there, will be a lot of work but will be worth it in the end!        

I am very excited to have been introduced to such an opportunity and will begin the application process very soon!  Wish me luck!      

9/26 Post: Observing Community

Hey again everyone!  todays post is supposed to be about a club on the MSU campus related to our field.  I would have liked to attended the Zoology Student Association club but unfortunately, I had a prior commitment.  So instead, I interviewed Morgan Herlevi, the secretary of the club over email.  She was very helpful in doing this interview for me, and it was very greatly appreciated.  Bellow are the questions I asked Morgan, along with her answers:

1) What is the purpose of the ZSA club?

• Our formal mission statement is along the lines of bringing students in zoology closer together and help them access internships and jobs with the speakers and professors we bring in.

2) What kinds of major things do you guys focus on in meetings?

• We generally talk about any events that we having going on and any general club business and then we have the speaker for that day talk for the rest of the meeting. 

3) What are the beliefs and values of the club?

• Um, I don't think we really have an defined ones. We believe in trying to get people to come together and we value having active members. 

4) What kinds of communications must be performed in the club? Like are there a lot of emails, or writing, or contacting of professionals, and how do you go about doing this?

• We mostly just inform everyone of events at the meetings and then send out emails and use the facebook group to remind people. E-Board both calls and emails people about coming in to speak.

5) What are your favorite parts of the ZSA club?

• My favorite parts are being able to hang out with all the other zoology nerds since we are all weird. I also really like the live animal presentations we have.

      After doing this interview it is easy to see that this club is all about the members.  They are very into the unity of the group and ways that they can help their members.  I really wish that I would be able to attend these meeting and be apart of this club.  Having professionals speak and getting to interact with animals would be some really good opportunities.  I hope to be able to be apart of some of these meetings n the future.

Works Cited:

Herlevi, Morgan. "Re: Possible Interview For a Student." 9 September 2013. E-mail.