Nature's Daily Scoop

Appetite for frogs' legs harming wild populations - environment - 19 January 2009 - New Scientist

2009-01-20T19:45:00.001+08:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16446-appetite-for-frogs-legs-harming-wild-populations.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news ---

Are frogs being eaten to extinction? We're used to hearing about how disease, climate change, and habitat degradation are endangering amphibians, but conservationists are warning that frogs could be going the same way as the cod. Gastronomic demand, they report, is depleting regional populations to the point of no return.

David Bickford of the National University of Singapore and colleagues have called for more regulation and monitoring in the global frog meat market in order to avoid species being "eaten to extinction".

Crown-of-thorns starfish actually four species | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

2008-11-14T10:52:00.001+08:00

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1879 ---
A study published in the latest issue of the journal Biology Letters
has identified the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), a
species thought to be widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific,
to consist of a species complex with as many as four species.

Fiddler Crabs Know How To Bluff | Scientific Blogging

2008-11-13T15:19:00.001+08:00

http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/fiddler_crabs_know_how_bluff
--- Dishonesty may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than
previously thought. A team of Australian ecologists has discovered
that some male fiddler crabs "lie" about their fighting ability by
growing claws that look strong and powerful but are in fact weak and
puny.

Gallery: Shortlisted pictures of unsustainable living - earth - 21 October 2008 - New Scientist Environment

2008-10-23T14:58:00.001+08:00

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn15002-gallery-shortlisted-pictures-of-unsustainable-living-.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 --- international photography award for images that focus on sustainability. It launched this year and is presided over by Kofi Annan, Nobel laureate and former secretary general of the United Nations. Shortlisted images will begin a global tour in November 2008.

Turf Wars: Sand And Corals Don't Mix

2008-10-20T11:06:00.001+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008095708.htm --- When reef fish get a mouthful of sand, coral reefs can drown.

That's the latest startling evidence to emerge from research into the likely fate of reefs under climate change and rising sea levels, at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS).

"We've known for a while that having a lot of sediment in the water is bad for corals and can smother them. What we didn't realize is how permanent this state of affairs can become, to the point where it may prevent the corals ever re-establishing," says Professor David Bellwood of CoECRS and James Cook University.

The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters. - By Rose George - Slate Magazine

2008-10-16T10:58:00.001+08:00

http://www.slate.com/id/2201466/entry/0/ --- Of all the peoples of the world, the Chinese are probably the most at home with their excrement. They know its value. For 4,000 years they have used raw human feces to fertilize fields. China's use of "night soil," as the Chinese rightly call a manure that is collected after dark, is probably the reason that its soils are still healthy after four millennia of intensive agriculture, while other great civilizations—the Maya, for one—floundered when their soils turned to dust.

Bumblebees left paranoid by disguised spiders - life - 05 September 2008 - New Scientist

2008-09-08T17:37:00.001+08:00

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn14672-bumblebees-left-paranoid-by-disguised-spiders.html --- Bumblebees that have been attacked by camouflaged spiders reduce their foraging speed and are wary even of safe areas. Crab spiders are one of the major predators of bumblebees. They lie in wait in flowers which the bees need to visit to collect nectar, and are difficult to spot because they can change colour to match their surroundings.

Fishing Technology Letting Turtles Off The Hook

2008-08-27T10:48:00.001+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825212118.htm --- The report demonstrates how changing from the classic J hook to circular hooks, providing adequate training and tools to release turtles accidentally hooked and enhancing sustainable fishing practices, can dramatically reduce incidental catch (bycatch) of marine turtles without impacting fishing activity.

Undergrads' Amazon Trip Yields A Treasure Trove Of Diversity

2008-08-26T17:59:00.000+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822215453.htm --- A group of Yale undergraduates have discovered dozens of potentially beneficial bioactive microorganisms within plants they collected in the Amazon rain forest, including several so genetically distinct that they may be the first members of new taxonomical genera.

Scale of all thngs living pic! EvoPhylo: Species numbers

2008-07-27T17:58:00.001+08:00

am alerted to this 'scale of things' pic about biodiversity by a post by Dave Lunt at the link below.
I just love funny biologists that have lines like
"In case you're wondering where the mammals are, we're represented by the reindeer cowering underneath the mushroom." in their blog posts!
---
"Christopher Taylor at the excellent Catalogue of Organisms has a thought provoking post on the taxonomic diversity of described species. He has a picture of animal groups, plants and fungi scaled by number of described species. I like these sorts of pictures; they are great for shocking undergraduates who have never really thought about the diversity of life in a quantitative way before. But.... I am very skeptical indeed that described species numbers are even a reasonable approximation of actual numbers. Christopher mentions the "true diversity of organisms". I am taking this a bit out of context, and he certainly mentions that this refers only to described species some of which will increase in future, but it reminded me of other summaries of life that I have seen and that in general biologists don't critique enough our taxonomic sampling when describing biodiversity."

How many species live in the sea? - earth - 25 June 2008 - New Scientist Environment

2008-06-26T18:38:00.001+08:00

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn14206-how-many-species-live-in-the-sea.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 --- How many species are there in the sea? Some 230,000 recorded so far, all of which will soon be available to anyone at the click of a mouse.

The World Register of Marine Species is launched today by the Census of Marine Life. Once complete, it will provide the first definitive list of all known species in the world's oceans.

Barrier Reef 'no-take' zones see leap in fish numbers - earth - 23 June 2008 - New Scientist Environment

2008-06-24T19:01:00.000+08:00

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn14188-barrier-reef-notake-zones-see-leap-in-fish-numbers.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 --- A controversial decision to halt commercial and recreational fishing across vast areas of the Great Barrier Reef has proven remarkably effective for reviving coral trout numbers.

Are plastic bags really that bad? - JUNE 13, 2008

2008-06-13T11:21:00.001+08:00

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,167380,00.html? --- Are plastic bags really that bad? # NO - S'pore rubbish burnt, so landfill issue not relevant, says newspaper letter writer # YES - Unnecessarily large number of bags burnt each year, says environment council

HIGH PER-PERSON USAGE

Singapore consumes 2.5 billion plastic bags a year, which is equivalent to 625 bags per person or an average of 2,500 bags per family annually.

This is high compared to a bigger country like Australia, which consumes 6.9 billion plastic bags annually or 326 bags per person.

Said NEA: 'Plastic bags are made from oil, a finite resource. By using reusable bags during our shopping trips, we will use fewer plastic bags and help to conserve earth's resources.'

The world's most successful bug hits dolphins - life - 02 June 2008 - New Scientist

2008-06-03T19:26:00.000+08:00

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn14037-the-worlds-most-successful-bug-hits-dolphins.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
--- How does a parasite found in kitty litter get into whales and
dolphins? By hitching a ride down the sewage pipe and into anchovy
guts, say researchers.

Captive cheetahs at risk from their own faeces

2008-05-13T20:04:00.001+08:00

Breeding endangered cheetahs in captivity has been fraught with difficulties, not least the high death rates suffered from an illness with nasty similarities to mad cow disease.

Now a team led by pathobiologist Keiichi Higuchi of Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Matsumoto, Japan, has identified a likely way the disease, called AA amyloidosis, is transmitted – via cheetah faeces.

Go to New Scientist for the full report

Journal of Biology | Abstract | Colugos: obscure mammals glide into the evolutionary limelight

2008-05-02T15:46:00.001+08:00

http://jbiol.com/content/7/4/13/abstract --- Substantial molecular evidence indicates that tree-shrews, colugos and primates cluster together on the mammalian phylogenetic tree. Previously, a sister-group relationship between colugos and primates seemed likely. A new study of colugo chromosomes indicates instead an affinity between colugos and tree-shrews.
http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/Miller10-2007.htm

Seahorses discovered in the River Thames - life - 07 April 2008 - New Scientist

2008-04-08T18:47:00.001+08:00

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn13610-seahorses-discovered-in-the-river-thames.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 --- Marine biologists believe seahorses could be breeding in the UK's River Thames as the water becomes cleaner. About five short-snouted seahorses (Hippocampus hippocampus) have been spotted during routine conservation surveys over the last year or so, leading scientists to think they have probably established a resident population.

Smelly sock treatment leaks silver nanoparticles - tech - 07 April 2008 - New Scientist Tech

2008-04-08T10:51:00.001+08:00

http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn13602-smelly-sock-treatment-leaks-silver-nanoparticles.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 --- Silver nanoparticles added to socks to kill the bacteria associated with smelly feet can easily leak into waste water during washing, a new study reveals. The release of these particles could potentially disrupt helpful bacteria used in waste-water treatment facilities, say some researchers, or endanger aquatic organisms in lakes and streams.

kevin comment: wow and socks and fabrics ain't the only ones with nano sliver there's washing machines as well. hmm good thing my intuition told me to avoid such stuff as its likely no one tested if they leaked sliver into the environment.

Bagged and boxed: it's a frog's life : Nature News

2008-04-02T16:54:00.001+08:00

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080326/full/452394a.html --- With bright orange freckles and tiny proportions, the Carrikeri harlequin frog population spotted earlier this month delighted its discoverers with more than its good looks. The creatures (Atelopus carrikeri ), found in the remote mountainous Paramo region of Colombia, had not been seen in 14 years and were feared extinct.

Earth Hour '08: Did It Matter? - TIME

2008-03-31T10:14:00.001+08:00

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1725947,00.html --- Earth Hour didn't suffer for a lack of gimmicks. Servers wearing glow-in-the-dark necklaces sold eco-tinis at bars and restaurants in Phoenix. A local yoga house in Michigan offered sessions by lamplight, and the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago arranged check-in by candlelight. All in all, the WWF estimated that tens of millions of people around the world participated in Earth Hour. Watching the lights wink off in major metropolitan areas now doubt looked impressive, but it's worth asking: What was the point? As Roberts himself noted, the energy saved by turning off the lights for an hour "won't make an enormous difference." So, if it won't cut carbon emissions, why bother then with Earth Hour, or Earth Day or Earth Live, last year's daylong concert for the

Extinct seal tells of once-teeming Caribbean reefs - Yahoo! Singapore News

2008-03-19T18:06:00.001+08:00

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080319/tts-environment-species-coral-c1b2fc3.html --- Towards the end of the 19th century, the seals were reduced to a final redoubt of a few atolls -- and their worst enemy became natural history museums and private collectors keen for monk seal skeletons. In one disastrous episode, a 1911 expedition to Mexico by natural-history enthusiasts killed 200 seals, leaving just a handful alive, and driving the depleted population further towards extinction. In a study published on Wednesday in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, oceanographers Loren McClenachan and Andrew Cooper perform a heroic act of biostatistics in recreating the life and sad demise of the seal. They calculate that, before the massacre, between 233,000 and 338,000 monk seals lived in the Caribbean. Such a huge population could only survive, of course, provided there was a huge supply of food.

GREEN TEMPLE - FEB 21, 2008

2008-02-21T11:23:00.000+08:00

http://tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,156867,00.html? --- FOR some, going green may mean recycling the occasional drink can or glass bottle. But for 69-year-old Lee Boon Siong, going green has become nothing less than a mission. The honorary president and director of the Poh Ern Shih temple along Chwee Chian Road (off Pasir Panjang Road) has turned the 54-year-old institution into an environmental beacon. Solar panels on the temple's roof generate electricity and heat water for temple use, and wind turbines power the temple's lamps. And soon, there'll even be a water-recycling system in place.

Bottled water bad for the earth - FEB 21, 2008

2008-02-21T11:21:00.001+08:00

Kevin:That's something I never thought would happen. Bottled water conjures the image of natural springs high in alps the very image of nature. I guess recent expose on the bottle water industry using tap or public works water changed the image of bottled water..
it also is tied to health issues though. plain water is better than fizzy sodas..
http://tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,156880,00.html? --- Launching his London on Tap blitz yesterday, Mr Livingstone urged Londoners not to be embarrassed in asking for tap. He said using fewer bottles would help climate change, adding that bottled water left a higher carbon footprint, with some imported brands travelling from as far as New Zealand. 'There is no need to buy the expensive bottled water that has become a bit of a fad in recent years,' he said.

Plankton Politics Are Unpredictable -- Pennisi 2008 (213): 1 -- ScienceNOW

2008-02-18T19:13:00.001+08:00

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/213/1 --- Chaos really is a fact of life, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Researchers analyzing the rise and fall of various plankton species have shown that even under constant conditions, the community never stabilizes, and no single species takes over for long. The results suggest that biodiversity might best be preserved not by keeping the number of particular species high but by preserving complex ecosystem dynamics.

Kevin: reminds me of a line from the movie 28 days later. It was roughly like this.
in the relative age of the planet, humans have only been here in a blink of an eyelid. So what makes you think that humans being gone isn't a return to normality.

there are valid criticisms of this experiment but it does point out that one needs to take note if the change in population are part of a dynamics of the eco system.

Natural resources knowledge shrinks as economies grow:ES&T Online News:

2008-01-17T17:37:00.001+08:00

Natural resources knowledge shrinks as economies grow
New research shows that Indonesians can identify 71% of local plants when asked, while the British can name only 24%.

Most people realize that as a society becomes more industrialized, individual knowledge about the natural world diminishes. New research published in ES&T (DOI: 10.1021/es070837v) analyzes interviews done with various age groups living in Indonesia, India, and the U.K. to find out how much ecological knowledge is lost, when it is lost, and how that loss affects society's ability to manage natural resources as industrialization occurs. The findings indicate that future efforts to conserve biodiversity on a global scale are at great risk.

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/jan/policy/cc_ecoknowledge.html ---

Coralline algae will suffer as oceans acidify | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

2008-01-09T18:40:00.001+08:00

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1521 --- Corals are not the only reef organisms to suffer directly from increased ocean acidification, according to a study to be published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Ilsa Kuffner, Andreas Andersson, Paul Jokiel, Ku'ulei Rodgers and Fred Mackenzie carried out a seven-week experiment examining the effects of increased ocean acidification on crustose coralline algae, a group of calcifying algae that is important in many shallow water habitats, including coral reefs. The authors constructed six fibreglass mesocosm tanks were supplied with flowing sea water pumped from the edge of a coral reef in Hawaii.

Scientist's Persistence Sheds Light On Marine Science Riddle

2007-12-28T17:44:00.001+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060911104122.htm --- ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2006) — When he started compiling an online database of seashells 15 years ago, Dr. Gary Rosenberg did not envision that his meticulous record-keeping would eventually shed light on a 40-year-old evolutionary debate.

Deep-sea Species' Loss Could Lead To Oceans' Collapse, Study Suggests

2007-12-28T17:42:00.001+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227184100.htm --- ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2007) — The loss of deep-sea species poses a severe threat to the future of the oceans, suggests a new report publishing early online on December 27th and in the January 8th issue of Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press. In a global-scale study, the researchers found some of the first evidence that the health of the deep sea, as measured by the rate of critical ecosystem processes, increases exponentially with the diversity of species living there.

Photo-monitoring Whale Sharks: Largest Fish In The Sea Appear To Thrive Under Regulated Ecotourism

2007-12-28T17:41:00.001+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003604.htm --- ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2007) — Up to 20 meters long and weighing as much as 20 tons, its enormous size gives the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) its name. Known as the 'gentle giant' for its non-predatory behavior, this fish, with its broad, flattened head and minute teeth, eats tiny zooplankton, sieving them through a fine mesh of gill-rakers. Listed as a rare species, relatively little is known about whale sharks, which live in tropical and warm seas, including the western Atlantic and southern Pacific.

How many species of giraffes are there? - Not 1 but 6, from genetic studies

2007-12-24T13:59:00.000+08:00

As much as we think we know a lot about the world, our all so familiar giraffe springs a small surprise on us. But soon, with lots of species dying out, once again, the cliche phrase is "we probably won't know what we have lost..." See BBC news link

Newfound Sea Anemones Really Get Around

2007-11-24T09:30:00.000+08:00

Ker Than, LiveScience Yahoo News 23 Nov 07

Sea anemones normally anchor themselves to the seafloor. But new species found lurking in the waters surrounding the windswept Aleutian Islands near Alaska swim and walk across the sea floor.

Scientists discovered the anemones, which could represent two species, as well as a new species of kelp as part of a two-year scientific survey of the waters around the Aleutians.

"Since the underwater world of the Aleutian Islands has been studied so little, new species are being discovered, even today," said Stephen Jewett, a marine biologist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and the dive expedition leader.

Overall, scientists say only about 10 percent of the species of life on this planet have been seen or catalogued.

The researchers are consulting experts to verify that the Aleutian anemones are in fact new species, but the consensus so far is that they are. Sea anemones are animals that typically use a foot to anchor to rocks. Some are known to detach when attacked or if their environment changes and food becomes scarce. The new species likely belong to a class of anemones that can detach and drift with ocean currents.

The kelp, dubbed Aureophycus aleuticus, is a type of brown algae that might represent a new genus, or even family (a larger biological classification that can include more than one genus), of the seaweed. Up to 10 feet long, the kelp was discovered near thermal vents in the region of the Islands of the Four Mountains.

Jewett and his team are studying the Aleutian waters to gauge the overall health of the islands and life there. Already, the team found evidence that the rugged and remote islands are not immune to human activity.

"Pollutants traveling through air and water pathways from temperate latitudes have been showing up in the area," Jewett said. "Debris and oil spills from World War II in the Aleutians have left their mark behind in unexploded ordinance and local sources of pollutants."

The team is analyzing water samples collected during dives for nutrient and oxygen levels, acidity, temperature and radioactive chemicals left over from underwater nuclear tests conducted at Amchitka Island between 1965 and 1971.

"Climate change, with changes in water temperature, wind patterns and currents, may impact the region's biological life," Jewett said. "It is important that we collect this information before any major changes occur."

The march of the ants holds clues for humans - International Herald Tribune

2007-11-15T18:16:00.001+08:00

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/12/healthscience/12ants.php --- If you have ever observed ants marching in and out of a nest, you might have been reminded of a highway buzzing with traffic. To Iain Couzin, such a comparison is a cruel insult - to the ants. Americans spend a total of 3.7 billion hours a year in congested traffic. But you will never see ants stuck in gridlock.

New freshwater stingray described from Myanmar | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

2007-11-15T16:40:00.001+08:00

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1452 --- A new genus and species of freshwater stingray has been described from Myanmar. The new stingray, named Makararaja chindwinensis, is described from the Chindwin River (a tributary of the Irrawaddy River in northern Myanmar) in a paper by Tyson Roberts published in a recent issue of the Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society. Makararaja chindwinensis is closely related to the flagtailed stingray genus Pastinachus, but differs from it and other stingray genera in the family Dasyatidae in having a nearly round disc, with the dorsal surface having pearl organs and denticles so small as to appear almost lacking, 105–107 pectoral-fin pterygiophores, and tail with a long, low-lying fin fold. Together with Pastinachus, Makararaja is considered to form a new subfamily Pastinachinae.

Patent round-up: Sea cucumber corneas - tech - 05 November 2007 - New Scientist Tech

2007-11-07T18:29:00.001+08:00

http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn12878-patent-roundup-sea-cucumber-corneas.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 --- The team's artificial cornea is made from tiny collagen fibres extracted from these sea cucumbers. When placed in a centrifuge, the fibres self assemble into layers in which the fibres are aligned vertically, a structure that is very similar to the tissue in mammalian corneas. The result is a thin layer of material that is transparent and biocompatible, as well as cheap and easy to make, says the team.

Parrotfishes a key to reef stability | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

2007-11-07T11:26:00.001+08:00

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1444 --- New research has revealed that parrotfish may be the key to maintaining the stability of coral reef habitats and preventing them from transforming into a stable macroalgal-dominated condition following disturbance. The results are published in the most recent issue of the journal Nature by Peter Mumby, Alan Hastings and Helen Edwards. The authors used a simulation model to predict the effects of various perturbations to the system, including the effects of hurricanes, as well as the removal of herbivorous sea urchin on coral cover and macroalgal abundance on the complex forereef habitats of the Caribbean. Macroalgae (seaweed) proliferate if dead coral is not sufficiently grazed and are capable of either arresting coral growth or overgrowing living coral. The authors found that the macroalgae-dominated community is an alternative stable state of the ecosystem and one that is not readily reversible.

Scientists Find Oldest Living Animal, Then Kill It - Evolution | Human | Theory | Man | Paleontology

2007-11-01T14:00:00.001+08:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306076,00.html?=rss --- British marine biologists have found what may be the oldest living animal — that is, until they killed it. The team from Bangor University in Wales was dredging the waters north of Iceland as part of routine research when the unfortunate specimen, belonging to the clam species Arctica islandica, commonly known as the ocean quahog, was hauled up from waters 250 feet deep.

African fishermen find way of conservation in the Koran | csmonitor.com

2007-10-31T17:40:00.001+08:00

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1031/p01s04-woaf.html --- Pemba, Zanzibar - For years, Salim Haji was told by government officials and international groups that his methods of fishing were destroying the coral and weren't sustainable. But few fishermen on this small island off Tanzania's coast paid much heed. Then, the local imam told him that using dragnets to fish and spears to catch octopuses was wrong. As a devout Muslim, he listened.

Arctic Foxes Put Eggs in "Cold Storage" for Lean Times

2007-10-31T17:36:00.001+08:00

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/10/071029-arctic-foxes.html --- Arctic foxes create "nest eggs" each year to prepare for leaner times, according to a new study. Like squirrels gathering nuts for the winter, the small foxes hoard bird eggs in case there's not enough of their favorite prey—the collard lemming—to go around in the spring.

New catfish lives near hot spring | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

2007-10-25T10:09:00.001+08:00

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1436 ---
A new species of trichomycterid catfish able to live in very warm waters has been described from Bolivia. The description of Trichomycterus therma new species, is published by Luis Fernández and Guillermina Miranda in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology.

ScienceDaily: Deep Sea Discoveries Off Canada's East Coast

2007-10-16T14:52:00.001+08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015214545.htm --- Deep Sea Discoveries Off Canada's East Coast Science Daily — Researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Memorial University of Newfoundland took part in an exciting survey of unexplored depths of the Atlantic Ocean during a three-week mission in July 2007. Deep water corals were a primary focus of the research.

Cane toad invaders suffer arthritis on the frontline - earth - 15 October 2007 - New Scientist Environment

2007-10-16T14:44:00.001+08:00

http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12789&feedId=online-news_rss20 --- Being a successful invader is a double-edged sword if you are a cane toad, say researchers. They have found that the front-line infantry of the invading waves of amphibian pests are showing signs of stress associated with their success: roughly one in ten suffer severe arthritis. Cane toads originate from South and Central America and were introduced to Australia in 1935. They owe their name to having been exported to over 40 countries to control crop pests, particularly - as was the case in Australia - pests to sugar cane. But their rapid dispersal across Australia meant they soon became pests in their own right.

Sea pipes may help planet 'heal itself' reuters news

2007-09-28T15:30:00.001+08:00

Sea pipes may help planet 'heal itself' LONDON - A SERIES of giant pipes in the oceans to mix surface and deeper water could be an emergency fix for the Earth's damaged climate system, the scientist behind the Gaia theory has said.

Dr James Lovelock, whose Gaia hypothesis that Planet Earth is a living entity has fuelled controversy for three decades, thinks the stakes are so high that radical solutions must be tried - even if they ultimately fail.

In a letter to the journal Nature, he proposes vertical pipes 100m to 200m long and 10m wide be placed in the sea, so that wave motion pumps up water and fertilises algae on the surface.

This algal bloom would push down carbon dioxide levels and also produce dimethyl sulphide, helping to seed sunlight-reflecting clouds.

'If we can't heal the planet directly, we may be able to help the planet heal itself,' said Dr Lovelock of the University of Oxford, and co-author Chris Rapley of London's Science Museum.

The two scientists argued it was unlikely any of the technical or social schemes for limiting carbon would restore the planet's status quo.

International climate experts have warned that global warming will bring more droughts, heatwaves and floods, and rising sea levels.

REUTERS

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_161995.html

Invasion Of New Beach Grass Could Weaken Shoreline Protection

2007-09-24T16:40:00.001+08:00

Invasion Of New Beach Grass Could Weaken Shoreline Protection

CITES Updates Wildlife Trade Rules

2007-06-18T09:33:00.001+08:00

A Ministerial debate on Wednesday, 13 June, enabled several dozen
Ministers to explore how the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) can best contribute
to the broader biodiversity and sustainable development agenda.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070617172639.htm

Warming will bring more rain

2007-06-03T12:17:00.001+08:00

It does seem a particularly rainy summer season here in Singapore. Wonder if its related. But is just my anecdoctal observation
link

Sharks can produce asexually!!

2007-05-23T20:37:00.001+08:00

wow imagine the consequences for biodiversity
link

Rare, Soft-Shelled Turtle Found in Cambodia

2007-05-17T22:31:00.001+08:00

"We thought it might be almost gone, but found it in abundance in this one pristine stretch of the Mekong, making the area the world's most important site for saving this particular species," David Emmett, a CI wildlife biologist, said in the statement."

link

Reproductive Speed Protects Large Animals From Being Hunted To Extinction

2007-05-17T16:31:00.001+08:00

Guess that's not good news for low reproductive animals like sharks and others...

link

Antarctic Waters Are Cold, Dark, Deep—And Teeming with Life

2007-05-17T12:48:00.001+08:00

Antarctic Waters Are Cold, Dark, Deep—And Teeming with Life

Initial forays into the deep waters on the Atlantic side of Antarctica reveal an astonishing array of new creatures

By David Biello

link

as reported in newscientist

the source at nature.com

Deep Ocean Biodiversity videos

West Nile virus kills surban birds

2007-05-17T11:10:00.001+08:00

"May 16, 2007 —Birds that once flourished in suburban skies, including robins, bluebirds and crows, have been devastated by West Nile virus, a study found..."
link

Dead fish found floating in Serangoon River and canal

2007-05-17T11:02:00.001+08:00

"Dead fish found floating in Serangoon River and canal
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 May 2007 2231 hrs
SINGAPORE: Thousands of dead fish were found floating in the Serangoon River and Punggol Park Canal on Wednesday. ..."
link

M'sia turns hot spot for stolen wildlife

2007-05-15T13:42:00.001+08:00

http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,130422,00.html?
from the new paper:

"THEY are getting bolder.
And the animals are at greater risk than ever of becoming 'extinct'.
Criminal gangs are using Malaysia as a hub for exporting millions of dollars worth of wildlife for the Chinese market, officials said yesterday
They added that trafficking of wildlife had hit alarming levels in Malaysia, which also plays the role of source and consumer....."

Overcrowding helps spread coral disease

2007-05-09T14:09:00.001+08:00

"Rising sea temperatures are helping to spread disease across coral reefs, a new study shows. And the healthiest parts of a reef are most vulnerable because the coral is more concentrated, allowing infection to transmit easily, researchers say."
link

Light Sticks May Inadvertently Lure Turtles To Fishing Lines

2007-05-05T18:41:00.001+08:00

"Science Daily — Thousands of loggerhead turtles die every year when they get tangled or hooked in commercial fishing longlines meant for tuna or swordfish. New research suggests a possible reason why turtles swim into the lines. The glowing light sticks that lure fish to longlines also attract turtles, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study."
link

Urban birds sing at night to be heard

2007-04-27T00:16:00.001+08:00

oh this is sooo sad
link

Genes versus heat – a reptile sex trigger

2007-04-20T11:26:00.001+08:00

"High temperatures can make an Australian lizard that is genetically male develop into a female. The finding throws new light on how sex is determined in reptiles...."
also see previous post about reptiles numbers dropping :) they might be related
link

New doradid(fish) placed in new genus

2007-04-18T17:19:00.001+08:00

link

Reptiles join amphibians in mysterious decline

2007-04-18T09:20:00.001+08:00

Well, it seems to me a possible reason might be warmer climates. As far as I know reptiles develop their gender according to ambient temperature. However, they are capable of asexual reproduction as well so that might not be the whole story... read the article and leave your comments about why you think this might happen! Ha some guy might have the same ideas and get you an authorship in a science journal!(will link that article when i find it)
link

Earth Day 22nd April Sunday @ SBG 2 to 6pm

2007-04-16T21:15:00.000+08:00

BWV webby

This is planet Earth: Japan exhibit warns about future

2007-04-14T23:09:00.001+08:00

"TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Hanging from delicate metal wires in the atrium of Tokyo's main science museum, a 15-tonne simulation of planet Earth offers a shocking warning about the effects of global warming."
link

Careful Where You Plant That Tree

2007-04-14T18:03:00.001+08:00

Seems like trees in tropics can reduce global warming but trees in temperate region don't. The irony of the matter is that its exactly at the tropics that massive deforestation is taking place. Maybe someday temperate countries will have to pay for tropical countries to keep their trees so that global warming is kept in check? Haha wild thoughts
link

Nations need to dramatically speed up the creation of marine protected areas

2007-04-13T21:53:00.001+08:00

"Nations need to dramatically speed up the creation of marine protected areas if they are to meet international goals for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, scientists said today at a meeting here of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), an international nongovernmental group ."
link

Firefly squid! Nice pics!

2007-04-12T14:10:00.001+08:00

tourists-bask-in-blue-glow-of-firefly-squid

One Of The World's Rarest Rabbits Spotted In Sumatra

2007-04-10T19:17:00.001+08:00

link

Coral Reef Collapse Spells Danger For Millions

2007-04-08T19:49:00.001+08:00

Science Daily — Island communities that depend on coral reef fisheries could face a hungry future, according to new research from the University of East Anglia, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), and Simon Fraser University in Canada, published in Current Biology.

The report on island coral reef fisheries reveals that over half (55%) of the 49 island countries reviewed were being exploited unsustainably. Fish landings are currently 64% higher than can be sustained. In order to support this level of exploitation, an additional 75,000 km2 of coral reef would be needed – an area 3.7 times greater than Australia's Great Barrier Reef. These figures will nearly triple by 2050, given current human population growth projections.

link

Warming climate creates mountains of mushrooms

2007-04-06T13:33:00.001+08:00

"It is perhaps the most striking example of how global warming is turning up the heat on the world's wildlife. Across the UK, wild mushrooms are reproducing twice a year instead of the usual once,....."
link

The bear necessities of climate change politics

2007-03-20T22:34:00.001+08:00

'They cling precariously to the top of what is left of the ice floe, their fragile grip the perfect symbol of the tragedy of global warming. Captured on film by Canadian environmentalists, the pair of polar bears look stranded on chunks of broken ice….'

That is how an article in Australia's Daily Telegraph, entitled 'A planet on the edge', chose to open a discussion of the latest climate report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (1).
link

kevin:Most eloquently put. summarises most of my personal feelings..

High on Speciation: latitudes and species diversity

2007-03-20T22:21:00.001+08:00

It seems like a no-brainer: To find out where most new species arise, see where most of them live. Take the tropics, home of more than half the known organisms on the planet. For nearly a century, researchers have assumed that new species are constantly popping up here, while speciation is far more stagnant at Earth's relatively deserted poles. But a new study claims the opposite: Species evolve much more readily at higher latitudes. It's just that the new arrivals die off so fast that most of them never get counted.
link

Malaysia pins hopes on herbal Viagra for biotech push

2007-03-20T09:50:00.001+08:00

By Clarence Fernandez

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's answer to Viagra is a traditional herb the country has picked to spearhead its push into biotechnology, but now it faces the challenge of convincing the world the remedy is both potent and safe.

link

Tonkat ali!

Mother nature still a rich source of new drugs

2007-03-20T09:49:00.001+08:00

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - At least 70 percent of all new drugs introduced in the United States in the past 25 years come from nature despite the use of sophisticated techniques to design products in the lab, researchers reported on Monday.

link

I am abit divided on this issue. The promise of undiscovered riches from our natural habitats hasn't stopped massive habitat destruction. Perhaps there is still no consumer pressure to get the companies to fork out more money to preservation.

New Species Declared: Clouded Leopard On Borneo And Sumatra

2007-03-15T23:29:00.001+08:00

New Species Declared: Clouded Leopard On Borneo And Sumatra
Island leopard revealed as unique species

Britain introduces sweeping climate-change bill

2007-03-14T22:46:00.001+08:00

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070312/full/070312-3.html

Live reef fish trade decimating fish populations

2007-03-06T21:15:00.001+08:00

"The live reef fish trade in northern Borneo has a severe impact on coral reef fish populations, according to the results of a new study.
Scientists from Cambridge University provided evidence to suggest that the live reef fish trade (LRFT) causes exponential declines in both the total catch and relative abundance of several coral reef fish species...."
sigh another study that points out that our seas are not the cornucopia (Latin Cornu Copiae), literally Horn of Plenty that everyone assumes it is
link

Australia plans thousands of miles of wildlife corridor

2007-03-06T09:43:00.001+08:00

Australia plans thousands of miles of wildlife corridor to allow plants and animals to move into new habitats as the continent's climate changes
link

How the Wood Moves

2007-03-06T09:25:00.001+08:00

"At first glance, an obvious difference between animals and plants is movement: Elephants move, trees don't. This is in part why Tolkien's ents (1), Wyndham's triffids ( 2), and the march of Birnam Wood in Shakespeare's Macbeth ( 3) elicit such a strong response. But in fact plants do move, although only...."
link

Losing Their Buzz

2007-03-04T16:18:00.001+08:00

"...But people from all demographic groups across the country are facing a much more frightening real-life situation: the disappearance of millions of bees. This winter, in more than 20 states, beekeepers have noticed that their honeybees have mysteriously vanished, leaving behind no clues as to their whereabouts. There are no tell-tale dead bodies either inside colonies or out in front of hives, where bees typically deposit corpses of dead nestmates...."
link @ NYTimes

WWF launches marine protection campaign in the Southern Ocean

2007-03-02T19:08:00.001+08:00

Southern Ocean, Antarctica – With the official launch of the International Polar Year today, WWF is looking to stop unsustainable fishing, marine pollution and climate change in the Southern Ocean.

In particular, the global conservation organization wants to create a network of marine protected areas in the southern waters by 2012, including the Ross Sea near Antarctica.
link

Scheme aims to stamp out sale of endangered species products in Singapore

2007-03-02T12:28:00.001+08:00

"By end March, the public will be able to tell if a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shop is selling endangered species products.
Under a new voluntary labelling scheme launched on Thursday, shops committed to not selling such products will place the red-coloured label (picture) at their entrance.
Organised by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the Singapore TCM Organisations Committee (STOC), the "Acres and STOC Endangered Species-Friendly TCM Label" will cover three endangered species, namely bears, rhinoceroses and tigers..."
link

Raining on theories of Amazonian rainforest populations

2007-03-01T14:21:00.001+08:00

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2007-02-25-amazonia_x.htm

Fish Mix-Up Complicates Conservation Efforts

2007-02-27T16:32:00.000+08:00

"By John Simpson ScienceNOW Daily News 26 February 2007
A case of mistaken identity may be bad news for a prized game fish. A new study that describes a striking resemblance between the roundscale spearfish and the white marlin could mean that the marlin--already a threatened species--might be closer to extinction than previously estimated...."

Fish Mix-Up Complicates Conservation Efforts

Colossal Squid Caught off Antarctica

2007-02-24T13:35:00.001+08:00

February 22, 2007—In Antarctica's Ross Sea, a fishing boat has caught what is likely the world's biggest known colossal squid (yes, that's the species' name), New Zealand officials announced today. Heavier than even giant squid, colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) have eyes as wide as dinner plates and sharp hooks on some of their suckers. The new specimen weighs in at an estimated 990 pounds (450 kilograms).
link

Monkeys hug it out after separation

2007-02-23T19:12:00.001+08:00

"We all do it: Give friends and family a peck on the cheek, a quick hug, or maybe even a nose rub to say hello. It's a way of assuring each other that we have no hostile intent, anthropologists say. Now, primatologists report that spider monkeys embrace intensely after a period of separation for exactly the same reason..."

hmm wonder if anyone spotted this for our local macques
link

Bright Nights Dim Survival Chances of wildlife

2007-02-23T19:08:00.001+08:00

At a conference here yesterday, researchers reported that even low levels of light from incandescent, fluorescent, or other humanmade sources can befuddle creatures that require a period of nighttime darkness. The findings add to the evidence that artificial lighting is interfering with the development, reproduction, and survival of species across the taxonomic spectrum.
link

New hagfish caught in hydrothermal vent

2007-02-23T18:13:00.001+08:00

" Scientists have caught a new species of hagfish by sucking it out of a hydrothermal vent using a slurp gun.

Peter Moller of the University of Copenhagen and Joe Jones of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute caught the new species at a hydrothermal vent on the East Pacific Rise about 2200m/7218 ft below the surface...."
link

'Bad' bird behaviour

2007-02-20T21:19:00.000+08:00

Woodpecker's car break in attempt, Thrush thrashing & Elusive singing bulbuls
Click!

Effects of Antarctic Warming

2007-02-17T02:05:00.000+08:00

More disturbing news about the warming
link

Survival Of The Cutest

2007-02-12T15:24:00.000+08:00

Haha funny title
link

Harnessing bats for reforestation?

2007-02-12T15:21:00.000+08:00

"Bats can be lured into large areas of destroyed rainforest with fake fruits, researchers have found. This, they say, could be the key to restoring patchy parts of the landscape."
link

Amazing!! -Kevin

Barrier Reef to die in decades

2007-01-31T09:36:00.000+08:00

things are looking so bad that they are actually considering using shade cloths on floating pontoons to cover the reef. if you ask me i think its much easier and elegant to really start restricting energy wastage and planting more trees
link

how does sexual dimorphism occur?

2007-01-30T20:24:00.000+08:00

"Why are males larger than females in some animal species (such as most mammals), females larger than males in others (such as most insects), and why are the sexes alike in yet other species (such as several birds)? Further, how is such sexual size dimorphism achieved when it exists? If males and females grow at the same rate, then the larger sex has to extend its growth period. Alternatively, the larger sex can grow faster......."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070129192339.htm

Snakes eat poisonous toads and steal their venom

2007-01-30T10:21:00.000+08:00

link

Human Preference For Other Species Could Determine Whether They Survive aka Bambi Syndrome

2007-01-30T10:13:00.000+08:00

These type of news is not exactly new to me but i hope that it starts ringing alarm bells in activists who try to conserve habitats using 'public appeal' species. A more worthwhile approach is habitat conservation but sometimes capturing public attention is the only way anything gets done.
link

Fancy having sperms with hooks? - An evolutionary advantage

2007-01-26T19:38:00.000+08:00

Rodent sperms are armed with hooks, allowing them to attach to each other and swim faster than individuals in "sperm trains"... link posted by ysf

Virgin lizard becomes new parent

2007-01-24T23:21:00.000+08:00

Wow... Didn't know Komodo dragons can reproduce via parthenogenesis too.. link

Heartbreak at Chek Jawa

2007-01-24T15:38:00.000+08:00

Heartbreak at Chek Jawa
as massive freshwater flow down the Johor River
and local rainfall takes its toll, on the ubin volunteers blog
http://uvp.blogspot.com/2007/01/18th-january.html
and on the teamseagrass blog
http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/2007/01/first-teamseagrass-field-orientation.html

excerpted from Ria's WildSiingapore

All you ever wanted to know about our very own Colugo

2007-01-17T10:14:00.000+08:00

The COLUGO book by Draco Publishing and NUS is finally out...

COLUGO: The Flying Lemur of South-east Asia. Norman Lim.

The book launch is on 3rd Feb (Sat) at Nature's Niche and it is now going for a special price of S$20 (without DVD) and S$30 (with DVD). After the launch, the book will be sold at Nature's Niche, Kinokuniya, etc. for S$25.20 (without DVD) and S$37.80 (with DVD). Keen to check out Colugo calling & gliding? Grab the version with DVD, which include a sound clip of the Colugo calling, video clips of its natural behaviour in the wild and of course, gliding sequences.

Bizarre New Form of Life Found in Arctic Ocean

2007-01-16T20:20:00.000+08:00

More bizarre deep sea giant squids? Turn out to the minuscule life forms often undetected by human eyes - the marine algae! More specifically, the picobiliphtyes! Indicated by genetic evidence, the group could be a high rank group in classification, hinting of even more vast marine biodiversity unknown to us... Read on...

Smithsonian Offers New Tropical Biodiversity Data And Tools On The Web

2007-01-11T18:43:00.000+08:00

Wow!
link

ESA Launches New Project To Protect Biodiversity

2007-01-11T18:40:00.000+08:00

ESA Launches New Project To Protect Biodiversity

It seems like biodiversity research in already in the informatics age. Never did i imagine this article to be in lockergnome..

Pesticides waft into pristine rainforests

2007-01-11T14:41:00.000+08:00

Pesticides waft into pristine rainforests
New research shows that pesticides are transported to remote mountain areas in Costa Rica. Link