Welcome to Ecologist @ Large

Who am I?

I am Dr. Bradley Stevens, Professor Emeritus of Marine and Environmental Science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. At the age of four, I was bitten with marine biology when a crab pinched me on the toe. Ever since, I have studied the biology of crabs, and eaten as many as possible in search of justice. A life-long scuba diver, I used those skills to discover the 1860 wreck of the three-masted Russian ship Kad’yak, the oldest known shipwreck in Alaska, and the topic of my book “The Ship, the Saint, and the Sailor; the Long Search for the Legendary Kad’yak”. I have made over 60 dives in research submersibles including Alvin (the sub used to explore the Titanic), to depths over 2 miles deep. After working in Alaska for two decades, I moved to Maryland in 2009, where my graduate students and I studied the ecology of deep-sea crabs, conchs, black sea bass, corals, and the impacts of fishing on their habitats. When not sailing or kayaking, I can occasionally be found playing Irish music in local pubs. I tell all my students “Always study something you can eat”.

You can find my professional website here Crabman.

What is Ecologist @ Large?

Ecologist at Large is a collection of random musings on personal interactions with nature and other phenomena. I’ve published scientific papers for many years, along with a few books. Most of it was full of scientific jargon, and read by only a handful of specialists in whatever subject I was writing on (mostly the sex life of crabs). Having retired from being a full-time scientist, my goal now is to write about nature and ecology so that the average reader can understand it. But I’m not a reporter, expressing other people’s opinions. My writing is informed by my own personal experience, and in that way, I hope I can connect with my readers.

Although I’ve published dozens of articles in newspapers and magazines, all of that stuff was heavily filtered by reviewers and editors. This is the first time I’ve tried writing direct to YOU, the reader. So bear with me. My offerings may be irregular, disorganized, and inconsistent. But I hope you’ll find a viewpoint that resonates with you, and that will bring you back for more reading.

At present I am publishing posts approximately twice each month. The subject matter tends to alternate between topical commentary, in-depth articles on subjects of ecological concern, and stories about past or present eco-adventures.

Why subscribe?

Is it worth paying money for? Honestly, I don’t know. For the time being, anyone may read my posts for free. I only recently starting asking for donations to support my work.

I am a recent retiree, but despite not working a 9-5 job anymore, I now have three part-time jobs. Job #1 is being a part-time Celtic musician (mandolin, hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp), which brings in mostly beer money; Job #2 is maintaining and repairing a 25-year old sailboat, which is definitely a cash-negative undertaking; Job #3 is writing Ecologist@Large.

When I started writing E@L, I did not request donations as I built my readership. But now, I think it is time to see if my writing is worth something, and you can help answer that question by pledging your support (or not). It would also help to subsidize my other two jobs. And frankly, if E@L starts making money, I will be more inclined to put more effort into it, by spending more time researching and writing more in-depth articles.

So if you feel that my musings are of value to you, the reader, then I would greatly appreciate your support.

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