Author: Ian Markham

An ecologist by training and a naturalist by passion, I am interested in the application of these realms to conservation and communication. I am an avid wildlife photographer and aspiring videographer and use multimedia to promote conservation groups and issues. My heart, soul, and career will probably remain torn between the call of coral reefs and rainforests, but there will always be a special place in my heart for the cold kelp forests of my Californian home. At the Nicholas school I am pursuing a Master’s of Environmental Management in Ecosystem Science and Conservation while conducting research in central Africa and launching a new student organization called Stories for Nature and People (aka “S.N.A.P.”).
Ian Markham
alumni

Straight from the reels of Jumanji…

Straight from the reels of Jumanji (but shrunk considerably, thank heavens) this carnivorous Sun Dew makes up for the fact that it can’t get nutrients from the acid rich peat bog by trapping and eating insects! Peat bogs locally called “Muskeg” make up some 10% of Southeast Alaska and form in a process called “paludification” when sphagnum moss colonize the dense forests. Sphagnum acidifies the soil and attracts more water which leaches out the minerals till they sink below and form a hard pan that traps more water, collects more acid, which grows more sphagnum until a bog with its hardy bog plants replace the forests. Bizarrely this often happens even on slopes. Only the churning of soil by trees falling seems to be able to stop it!

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Ian Markham
alumni

Scrabbling a living scrambling…

Scrabbling a living scrambling along sheer cliffs and high mountains, mountain goats have a slightly different courtship than their flatland kin. Rather than the typical randy goat approach, males solicit females by following them submissively bowing or even laying prostrate lest they be disemboweled or cast from the cliffs by an unhappy female. #feminism #thewayitshouldbe #glacierbaynationalparks #nationalparks #Travel #TravelGram #TravelPhotography #NatureAddict #natgeo #WorldCaptures #EarthPhotos #Natureporn #picoftheday #natureGram #landscape_captures #FineArtPhotography #LonelyPlanet #instagoodmyphoto #justgoshoot #exploretocreate #peoplescreative #visualsoflife #passionpassport #my_365 #theoutbound #worldtravelbook #follow #followme#beautiful#summer @Canon @Canon_USA @canon_photos @natgeo @natgeotravel @usinterior

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Ian Markham
alumni

Spray off the lower Falls of the Yellowstone river

Spray off the lower Falls of the Yellowstone river striated by the shadows of trees on the canyon wall above. #naturephotography #natureonly #NationalParks #Yellowstone #WideAngle #nature #wyoming #landscape #landscapephotography #landscapelovers #ecology #science#Nature #naturelovers #naturephotography #landscape #landscape_lovers #Travel #TravelGram #TravelPhotography #NatureAddict #natgeo #WorldCaptures #EarthPhotos #Natureporn #picoftheday #natureGram #landscape_captures #FineArtPhotography #LonelyPlanet #Sunrise #Sunset @Canon @Canon_USA @canon_photos

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Ian Markham
alumni

Grand Prismatic spring in Yellowstone National Park

Grand Prismatic spring in Yellowstone National Park owes its absurd color palette to diverse bacterial mat communities in the shallows and refracted light off particulate matters in the deep blue pools. The mats create whole forest-like ecosystems with distinct canopy, midstory and floor communities! #naturephotography #natureonly #NationalParks #Yellowstone #WideAngle #nature #wyoming #landscape #landscapephotography #landscapelovers #ecology #science#Nature #naturelovers #naturephotography #landscape #landscape_lovers #Travel #TravelGram #TravelPhotography #NatureAddict #natgeo #WorldCaptures #EarthPhotos #Natureporn #picoftheday #natureGram #landscape_captures #FineArtPhotography #LonelyPlanet #Sunrise #Sunset @Canon @Canon_USA @canon_photos

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Ian Markham
alumni

A truly gentle giant…

A truly gentle giant (as long as you’re not planktonic), members of the species that can boast to be the biggest fish in the sea gather in the shallows near La Paz to the delight of a steady stream of tourists. #shark #whaleshark #mexico #baja #wildlife #nature #natureaddict #wildlifephotography #underwater #snorkeling #tourism #baja #giant #fish

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Ian Markham
alumni

Not far from the bustling city of Makassar Mars Incorporated…

Not far from the bustling city of Makassar Mars Incorporated as part of their marine sustainability program uses their innovative coral “spider” technique to restore coral reefs damaged by dynamite & cyanide fishing, cyclones and pollution. Coral “spiders” are specially coated metal frames to which coral fragments can be attached that can then be bound together to give reefs a massive boost forward in regenerating lost areas. #coral #reef #indonesia #restoration #conservation #savetheplanet #diving #underwater #nature

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Ian Markham
alumni

Schools of Predatory Fish

Large schools of predatory fish are not a common sight in today’s oceans but “Grand Central Station” as the dive site is called in Namena Marine Reserve has large schools of trevally as pictured here as well as groupers and barracuda thanks to years of protection. Fiji has an increasing number of success stories from its impressively large number of locally managed marine reserves

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