Alien ecosystems and the algae menace
An alien organism mesmerizes a scientist who crash-landed on an unexplored planet, in the Max series Scavengers Reign.
All of us live embedded in webs of life known as ecosystems, and that can get pretty creepy -- or astonishingly beautiful. Inspired by the mind-blowing new animated series Scavengers Reign, we're talking about some of the best examples of alien ecosystems in science fiction. Then we dive into some real-life ecosystems on Earth, and reveal two important ways that scientists study environmental changes. Along the way, you'll find out why algae is literally sucking the life out of coastal ecosystems. Plus, shouldn't salt marsh grass have rights?
Notes, citations, etc.
Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Dungeons & Dragons module by Gary Gygax
Dry Land, by B. Pladek
A Half-Built Garden, by Ruthanna Emrys
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
Origins of the term “ecosystem”
The International Biological Program
Research on the likely disappearance of Sippewissett and other saltwater marshes
Javier Lloret, who studies food webs at the Marine Biological Lab
Anne Giblin, who studies environmental chemistry at the Marine Biological Lab
Learn more about algae blooms in Waquoit Bay leading to oxygen depletion in the water, via Christopher Flavelle’s reporting in the New York Times