John Bruno, 44, is a marine ecologist and professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. He contributes regularly to the blog Climate Shifts, which covers climate change. View his author archive here: www.climateshifts.org/?author=4 . He also contributes to the Huffington Post. Questions and answers have been edited.
Q. Many of your posts draw on mainstream media news stories that you critique or comment upon. Which media outlets do you tend to read, or trust, the most?
I browse and draw material from a pretty large range of online sources including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and blogs that cover environmental science and issues like ClimateProgress and DotEarth. I spend a frightening amount of time reading blogs written by other scientists like Real Climate and SkepticalScience and I certainly keep tabs on what the many deniers of global climate change are saying.
Q. What do you think the role of a scientist ought to be in today's world, where many policy directives relate to scientific findings?
You can be sure art historians would speak out against threats to Michelangelo's David or other priceless works of art. Ecologists and other natural scientists working in every corner of the planet are documenting changes caused by carelessness and bad policy decisions. Explaining to the public what we are finding is part of our job, especially since the public funds much of our research. It always amazes me how often people simply are not aware of the negative effects of their choices and actions on natural ecosystems and even other people, sometimes halfway around the world. That said, although I think it is important that science and scientists inform public policy, I don't think scientists themselves should direct it. That is the job of democratically elected and appointed leaders.
Q. Have you seen any carbon dioxide induced changes in the marine ecosystems that you study?
Oh, yeah. Fish, corals and other marine critters are disappearing before our eyes. There are many causes, overfishing being a big one, but there isn't much doubt that climate change is beginning to play a bigger role. A sad example is the role of ocean warming in causing the loss of reef-building corals around the world.
