And back to some science. I've got a short break from interview travel, so I can finally sit down for another science post.
The February 3rd issue of Science provides me two special opportunities to highlight exciting science: how the release of carbon dioxide from the Southern Ocean contributed to deglaciation and how signaling pathways and gene regulatory networks interact to specify endoderm and mesoderm in the sea urchin. They are special because they represent the well-deserved culmination of efforts by some of my friends. The two articles also demonstrate how very separate development and oceanography can be. Its no wonder why its can be a challenge and so exciting to bring them together.
Andrea Burke and Laura Robinson use the chemistry incorporated into now fossilized coral skeletons to understand deglaciation events in their article
The Southern Ocean's role in carbon exchange during the last deglaciation. (Admittedly, Laura is really a friend of a friend. However, my dear friend
Rhian Waller was instrumental in obtaining the samples... so I still count it. For the adventures of Laura and Rhian on their latest cruise adventures in the Southern Ocean check out their
blog.)
