Tag: Erin Spencer

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The Incredible Octopus

Dr. Erin Spencer has done it again. Her recently released book “The Incredible Octopus: Meet the Eight-Armed Wonder of the Sea” is a beautiful book with lots to learn and colorful photos. Did you know that octopuses have three hearts? They can change color, are very smart, and play with toys. Would you like to take on an octopus at Jeopardy? They have 9 brains compared to your one. Each arm has an independent brain that can function on it’s own.

This is a great book for parents and teachers alike. Erin corrects the idea that the plural of octopus is not octopi, but actually is octopuses, “like how bus becomes buses”. This is Erin’s second book. If you read my blogs (I know I don’t post often) you know that her first book “The World of Coral Reefs” is equally as beautiful and filled with facts.

If you get a chance to watch the PBS special on hammerhead sharks, you will see her bravely swimming with the sharks. You wouldn’t catch me anywhere near a shark, let along studying them in the wild.

Erin has her PhD in marine ecology and is living in southern Florida where she can continue her research. She received her PhD from Florida International University. She also graduated from William and Mary as well as University of North Carolina. Congratulations, Erin, on your many successes.

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Erin Spencer on National Geographic

It was a big surprise when I turned on National Geographic station this week to see our cousin, Erin Spencer, swimming with the sharks on Shark Fest. If you have On Demand you might want to catch the show.

Erin is a PhD student, in marine ecology, at Florida International University, studying sharks, specifically hammer head sharks. I wouldn’t get in the water any place with a shark, let alone a hammer head. They are quite large. Erin and her research group actually spend many hours on the water looking for them.

She is a very courageous person to put herself in that kind of danger to help an apex predator to survive in the ocean. She bravely takes laser measurements while the shark swims around her, looking for a meal, hopefully, something a other than the researchers.

Author of award winning “Explore and Protect the Natural wonders of the Sea: The World of Coral Reefs”, Erin is also an accomplished writer. If you would like a very colorfully illustrated, down to earth, kids book (even adults can learn from it), I would suggest you order one of her books from www.storey.com.

It is wonderful to see what our next generation cousins are doing to impact the world. Catch her blog by googling her or go on her Facebook page.

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Erin Spencer and Asha deVos National Geographic Special

According to the National Geographic website, cousin Erin Spencer will be featured on February 24, 2021 at 4:00 pm on YouTube. Below is copied of the information from the Nat Geo site. For more information about this program go to www.nationalgeographic.org to sign up. If you are a teacher, this is a great place to find educational programs to be used in your classroom.

“Asha de Vos is a Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator, and blue whale expert. She founded the nonprofit Oceanswell to educate the next generation of ocean heroes and in 2019, Asha was named one of 12 Women Changemakers by the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Erin Spencer is a marine ecologist and science communicator focusing on fisheries conservation and management. Her recent work has focused on the mislabeling of seafood in the United States and innovative responses to invasive species management.

Asha and Erin are together onboard the OceanXplorer with scientists and technologists from around the world. They’re currently offshore in the Bahamas, which is their first stop on a mission to explore the most unreachable parts of the ocean! Join them to hear behind-the-scenes stories from the frontlines of ocean exploration.”