8 June 2011
Thousands of fish have died after large amounts of storm sewage flooded into the River Thames.
More than 450,000 tonnes of sewage overflowed into the river in west London when heavy rain fell on Sunday.
The Environment Agency said oxygen had been added along a 1km (0.6m) stretch of water where dead fish and sewage debris has been spotted.
Thames Water is carrying out a clear-up operation along a 12km (7.5m) stretch between Kew and Albert Bridge.
The Environment Agency said more than 250,000 tonnes of storm sewage from sewer overflows, and at least 200,000 tonnes of storm sewage from the Mogden sewage treatment works in Isleworth, was released into the river at the weekend.
Oxygenation vessels
This, combined with the current warm, dry weather and low river flows, resulted in low oxygen levels and fish deaths along a 1km stretch of the river.
Fish, including flounder, bream, roach, eel, dace and other aquatic life such as water shrimps, have been found dead.
Thames Water has put hydrogen peroxide into the water at three different locations, to add oxygen, and the agency has sent its oxygenation vessels to the area.
According to the agency's director, Howard Davidson, discharges from combined sewers happen 50 to 60 times a year and can be caused by as little as 2mm of rainfall.
Mr Davidson said that on Sunday, more than 30mm had fallen over west London.
He said: "This is a major sewage pollution incident which has caused the death of a huge number of fish.
"We are currently monitoring Thames Water's clean up efforts and assessing the full impact but unfortunately we may never know the exact numbers of fish that have died."
'Totally unsatisfactory'
Storm sewage is waste diluted with rainwater and occurs where a combined sewage network operates - one which takes both sewage from homes and businesses and rainfall run-off from roads and other hard surfaces.
Martin Baggs, from Thames Water, said: "Incidents like this are clearly totally unsatisfactory in a modern capital city and we have a major programme of work under way to sort the problem out."
Thames Water is currently reviewing responses to the first round of consultation on plans for a 20-mile (32km) "super-sewer".
The proposed Thames Tunnel would run from west to east London, broadly following the route of the river, collecting storm sewage.
If approved, construction on the tunnel would begin in 2013 and be completed by 2020.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13693265
Showing posts with label environmental issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environmental issues. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Endangered gourmet sea snail could be doomed by increasing ocean acidity
Public release date: 25-May-2011
Increasing levels of ocean acidity could spell doom for British Columbia's already beleaguered northern abalone, according to the first study to provide direct experimental evidence that changing sea water chemistry is negatively affecting an endangered species.
The northern abalone--prized as a gourmet delicacy--has a range that extents along the North American west coast from Baja California to Alaska. Even though British Columbia's northern abalone commercial fisheries where closed in 1990 to protect dwindling populations, the species has continued to struggle, largely due to poaching.
To better understand the impact climate change — and specifically, increasing ocean acidity — has on this endangered species, UBC researchers exposed northern abalone larvae to water containing increased levels of CO2. Increases from 400 to 1,800 parts per million killed 40 per cent of larvae, decreased the size of larvae that did survive, and increased the rate of shell abnormalities.
"This is quite bad news, not only in terms of the endangered populations of abalone in the wild, but also the impact it might have on the prospects for aquaculture and coastal economics," says Christopher Harley, Associate Professor with the Department of Zoology and one of the authors of the study.
"And because the species is already thought to be limited by reproductive output and recruitment, these effects are likely to scale up to the population level, creating greater limits on population growth."
Average CO2 levels in the open ocean hover at 380 parts per million, a number which is excepted to increase slowly over the next century.
What concerns the researchers are the much higher spikes in dissolved CO2 that are already being observed along the BC coast, particularly in late spring and early summer when northern abalone populations are spawning.
The findings were published in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.
"While we're looking at a single species that is culturally important as a source of food and artistic inspiration for many coastal Pacific Northwest First Nations, this information may have implications for other abalone species in other parts of the world," says Ryan Crim, lead author on the paper who conducted the research while a graduate student with the UBC Department of Zoology.
Other species of abalone are farmed around the world, principally in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The black, white and pink abalone are also endangered on the west coast--red abalone are still an economically viable food species.
The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and conducted in collaboration with the Bamfield-Huu-ay-aht Community Abalone Project, a small abalone hatchery in Bamfield which has subsequently gone out of business. The dual mission of the hatchery was to produce cultured abalone for high end restaurants, and to restore endangered abalone by culturing and releasing larvae and juveniles to the wild.
Harley and Crim will continue to work with the aquaculture industry to study the effects of acidification on oysters and other shellfish.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/uobc-egs052511.php
Increasing levels of ocean acidity could spell doom for British Columbia's already beleaguered northern abalone, according to the first study to provide direct experimental evidence that changing sea water chemistry is negatively affecting an endangered species.
The northern abalone--prized as a gourmet delicacy--has a range that extents along the North American west coast from Baja California to Alaska. Even though British Columbia's northern abalone commercial fisheries where closed in 1990 to protect dwindling populations, the species has continued to struggle, largely due to poaching.
To better understand the impact climate change — and specifically, increasing ocean acidity — has on this endangered species, UBC researchers exposed northern abalone larvae to water containing increased levels of CO2. Increases from 400 to 1,800 parts per million killed 40 per cent of larvae, decreased the size of larvae that did survive, and increased the rate of shell abnormalities.
"This is quite bad news, not only in terms of the endangered populations of abalone in the wild, but also the impact it might have on the prospects for aquaculture and coastal economics," says Christopher Harley, Associate Professor with the Department of Zoology and one of the authors of the study.
"And because the species is already thought to be limited by reproductive output and recruitment, these effects are likely to scale up to the population level, creating greater limits on population growth."
Average CO2 levels in the open ocean hover at 380 parts per million, a number which is excepted to increase slowly over the next century.
What concerns the researchers are the much higher spikes in dissolved CO2 that are already being observed along the BC coast, particularly in late spring and early summer when northern abalone populations are spawning.
The findings were published in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.
"While we're looking at a single species that is culturally important as a source of food and artistic inspiration for many coastal Pacific Northwest First Nations, this information may have implications for other abalone species in other parts of the world," says Ryan Crim, lead author on the paper who conducted the research while a graduate student with the UBC Department of Zoology.
Other species of abalone are farmed around the world, principally in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The black, white and pink abalone are also endangered on the west coast--red abalone are still an economically viable food species.
The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and conducted in collaboration with the Bamfield-Huu-ay-aht Community Abalone Project, a small abalone hatchery in Bamfield which has subsequently gone out of business. The dual mission of the hatchery was to produce cultured abalone for high end restaurants, and to restore endangered abalone by culturing and releasing larvae and juveniles to the wild.
Harley and Crim will continue to work with the aquaculture industry to study the effects of acidification on oysters and other shellfish.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/uobc-egs052511.php
Friday, May 20, 2011
US publishes white-nose bat killer action plan
18 May 2011
By Mark Kinver
Science and environment reporter, BBC News
US experts have published an action plan that aims to halt the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), which has killed more than a million bats.
The document offers guidance on a range of issues, including how to identify the disease and improving bio-security.
WNS has spread rapidly since it was first found in 2006, and now affects 18 states and four Canadian provinces.
The action plan was unveiled at the fourth annual WNS conference in Arkansas, which runs until Thursday.
'Swift effort'
The US Fish and Wildlife Service, which led the formulation of the plan, said that the mobility of bats, the rapid spread of WNS, the potential for human-assisted transmission and the severity of the disease for infected animals meant that it was necessary for a "swift national effort to avoid irreversible losses to bat populations".
Jeremy Coleman, national white-nose syndrome co-ordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said it was vital to bring all the relevant groups - from government agencies to research institutions - together.
"Without a formal structure, it is very difficult for a lot of the agencies to be able to engage in a meaningful way," he told BBC News.
"It gives us all a common language, allowing us to compare information and come up with strategies that can be implemented throughout the continent, such as surveillance, monitoring bat populations and the collection of data."
While acknowledging that it was still early in the process, Dr Coleman said that such a structure was essential if there was any hope to tackle such a virulent disease that had spread so rapidly.
He also said that it was hoped that the plan would become an international blueprint in the not-too-distant future by including groups from Canada and Mexico.
Recent studies have painted a bleak picture for at least half of US bat species, which rely on hibernation for winter survival and are therefore potentially susceptible to the disease.
Writing in the journal Science in August 2010, a team of researchers warned some species' populations could become locally extinct within two decades.
And in April, another team estimated the loss of bat species, which help control pest populations, would cost US agriculture more than $3.7bn a year.
WNS has been described by some biologists as the worst wildlife health crisis in the US in living memory, is named after a white fungus that appears on the muzzle and/or wings of infected animals.
However, bats with WNS do not always have the characteristic visual symptoms, but may display abnormal behaviour around their hibernacula (caves and mines where bats hibernate during winter months).
These behaviours include flying outside during the day (when their insect prey is not available) in sub-zero temperatures, or clustering near the entrance to the hibernaculum.
Researchers say the fungus associated with the disease, Geomyces destructans, thrives in the dark, damp conditions - such as caves and mines.
It is believed that the fungus associated with WNS arrived in the US after it was somehow transported (probably via humans) from Europe or possibly Asia.
A team of European researchers followed up unconfirmed reports in Europe that bats had white fungal growths appearing to match the symptoms of WNS.
In a paper in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, they suggested that the Geomyces destructans fungus was present throughout Europe.
However, they added, it seemed as if species of bats in Europe were possibly more immunologically or behaviourally resistant to the fungus than North American species, as it did not increase mortality.
More than 150 of the world's leading bat experts are currently attending the fourth annual white-nose syndrome symposium, being held in Little Rock, Arkansas, until 19 May.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13438594
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
By Mark Kinver
Science and environment reporter, BBC News
US experts have published an action plan that aims to halt the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), which has killed more than a million bats.
The document offers guidance on a range of issues, including how to identify the disease and improving bio-security.
WNS has spread rapidly since it was first found in 2006, and now affects 18 states and four Canadian provinces.
The action plan was unveiled at the fourth annual WNS conference in Arkansas, which runs until Thursday.
'Swift effort'
The US Fish and Wildlife Service, which led the formulation of the plan, said that the mobility of bats, the rapid spread of WNS, the potential for human-assisted transmission and the severity of the disease for infected animals meant that it was necessary for a "swift national effort to avoid irreversible losses to bat populations".
Jeremy Coleman, national white-nose syndrome co-ordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said it was vital to bring all the relevant groups - from government agencies to research institutions - together.
"Without a formal structure, it is very difficult for a lot of the agencies to be able to engage in a meaningful way," he told BBC News.
"It gives us all a common language, allowing us to compare information and come up with strategies that can be implemented throughout the continent, such as surveillance, monitoring bat populations and the collection of data."
While acknowledging that it was still early in the process, Dr Coleman said that such a structure was essential if there was any hope to tackle such a virulent disease that had spread so rapidly.
He also said that it was hoped that the plan would become an international blueprint in the not-too-distant future by including groups from Canada and Mexico.
Recent studies have painted a bleak picture for at least half of US bat species, which rely on hibernation for winter survival and are therefore potentially susceptible to the disease.
Writing in the journal Science in August 2010, a team of researchers warned some species' populations could become locally extinct within two decades.
And in April, another team estimated the loss of bat species, which help control pest populations, would cost US agriculture more than $3.7bn a year.
WNS has been described by some biologists as the worst wildlife health crisis in the US in living memory, is named after a white fungus that appears on the muzzle and/or wings of infected animals.
However, bats with WNS do not always have the characteristic visual symptoms, but may display abnormal behaviour around their hibernacula (caves and mines where bats hibernate during winter months).
These behaviours include flying outside during the day (when their insect prey is not available) in sub-zero temperatures, or clustering near the entrance to the hibernaculum.
Researchers say the fungus associated with the disease, Geomyces destructans, thrives in the dark, damp conditions - such as caves and mines.
It is believed that the fungus associated with WNS arrived in the US after it was somehow transported (probably via humans) from Europe or possibly Asia.
A team of European researchers followed up unconfirmed reports in Europe that bats had white fungal growths appearing to match the symptoms of WNS.
In a paper in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, they suggested that the Geomyces destructans fungus was present throughout Europe.
However, they added, it seemed as if species of bats in Europe were possibly more immunologically or behaviourally resistant to the fungus than North American species, as it did not increase mortality.
More than 150 of the world's leading bat experts are currently attending the fourth annual white-nose syndrome symposium, being held in Little Rock, Arkansas, until 19 May.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13438594
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Animal protection statute threatened, says veterinarian
February 20, 2011
Veterinarian Yesenia Fernández Santos spoke out in favor of the newest animal welfare law Friday, saying it was a far reaching legislation which only needs to be understood better.
However, she said an animal registry is necessary to protect people and animals from the threat of rabies. The registry has been an unpopular measure which also must be explained before it can be effective, she said.
Law 154 — known as the Law for the Welfare and Protection of Animals — signed by Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá in August 2008, is considered the best animal protection law to date.
Fernández testified in a public hearing of the Senate Natural and Environmental Resources Committee which was considering eliminating the 2008 law and integrating it into yet another proposed law.
Senate Bill 1811, introduced by Sen. Melinda Romero, would eliminate Law 154 and two earlier ones. The bill would create the Welfare Code for Animal, Wildlife and Flora and supersede the laws of Regional Animal Refuge (Law 36 of 1984), the New Wildlife Law (Law 241 of 1999) as well as Law 154.
Fernández said that Law 154 should not be included in Bill 1811, because a law of such length would become diluted within the measure, she said at the hearing presided by Sen. Ramón Díaz Hernández substituting Chairwoman Luz M. Santiago González.
“The deficiencies of that statute have nothing to do with the content of the law, but rather with the limited knowledge of the law, on the part of the general public, the police as well as prosecutors and judges.”
The law covers a number of issues relating to domestic animals, including classing many actions of mistreatment, abuse or abandonment as felonies, with harsh penalties.
Despite her endorsement of Law 154, she suggested in her testimony that the government mount an anti-rabies campaign in the same way they did for dengue and flu.
“Since rabies is a deadly illness and endemic in our country, the veterinarians have been advocating an animal registry for years,” said Fernández. “I am happy to know that this piece of legislature is considering this action. However, I should mention that the way the animal registry has been developed, the people see it as just another tax and not a solution to the problem of rampant animal overpopulation. If we want to change that mentality, we must educate the people about rabies and its implications, as much for the sake of our health as for that of the animals.”
She noted that since the bill provides for the free registry of farm animals, it would be wise to begin with mandatory rabies vaccination for dogs, cats, cows and horses, which are the link between humans and our “principal carrier of rabies, the mongoose.”
The Health Department has long endorsed the need for mandatory rabies vaccines, but have consistently shown figures which indicate that only one or two cases of rabies have among humans have ever been reported in Puerto Rico.
http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Animal-protection-statute-threatened-says-veterinarian
Veterinarian Yesenia Fernández Santos spoke out in favor of the newest animal welfare law Friday, saying it was a far reaching legislation which only needs to be understood better.
However, she said an animal registry is necessary to protect people and animals from the threat of rabies. The registry has been an unpopular measure which also must be explained before it can be effective, she said.
Law 154 — known as the Law for the Welfare and Protection of Animals — signed by Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá in August 2008, is considered the best animal protection law to date.
Fernández testified in a public hearing of the Senate Natural and Environmental Resources Committee which was considering eliminating the 2008 law and integrating it into yet another proposed law.
Senate Bill 1811, introduced by Sen. Melinda Romero, would eliminate Law 154 and two earlier ones. The bill would create the Welfare Code for Animal, Wildlife and Flora and supersede the laws of Regional Animal Refuge (Law 36 of 1984), the New Wildlife Law (Law 241 of 1999) as well as Law 154.
Fernández said that Law 154 should not be included in Bill 1811, because a law of such length would become diluted within the measure, she said at the hearing presided by Sen. Ramón Díaz Hernández substituting Chairwoman Luz M. Santiago González.
“The deficiencies of that statute have nothing to do with the content of the law, but rather with the limited knowledge of the law, on the part of the general public, the police as well as prosecutors and judges.”
The law covers a number of issues relating to domestic animals, including classing many actions of mistreatment, abuse or abandonment as felonies, with harsh penalties.
Despite her endorsement of Law 154, she suggested in her testimony that the government mount an anti-rabies campaign in the same way they did for dengue and flu.
“Since rabies is a deadly illness and endemic in our country, the veterinarians have been advocating an animal registry for years,” said Fernández. “I am happy to know that this piece of legislature is considering this action. However, I should mention that the way the animal registry has been developed, the people see it as just another tax and not a solution to the problem of rampant animal overpopulation. If we want to change that mentality, we must educate the people about rabies and its implications, as much for the sake of our health as for that of the animals.”
She noted that since the bill provides for the free registry of farm animals, it would be wise to begin with mandatory rabies vaccination for dogs, cats, cows and horses, which are the link between humans and our “principal carrier of rabies, the mongoose.”
The Health Department has long endorsed the need for mandatory rabies vaccines, but have consistently shown figures which indicate that only one or two cases of rabies have among humans have ever been reported in Puerto Rico.
http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Animal-protection-statute-threatened-says-veterinarian
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Nearly 38 species of birds spotted at Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary
 |
| A variety of birds flocking at the bird sanctuary in Vaduvur near Mannargudi, Tiruvarur District. Photo: M. Srinath |
G. Srinivasan
Birds have extended their stay at the Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary near Mannargudi due to the availability of water in the lake. Thousands of birds can be seen chirping in the early hours and in the evenings. They are perched on the trees in the mounds created by the forest department in the sprawling lake abutting the beautiful Sri Kothandaramaswamy Temple at Vaduvur. A watch tower on the Thanjavur-Mannargudi roadside helps bird watchers to have a close look of the winged visitors.
According to K. Soundarapandiyan, Wild Life Warden and S. Chandrasekaran, Forest ranger, nearly 20,000 birds visited the lake this season i.e., from October to February. Nearly 38 species of birds have been spotted. The birds that visit the lake every year are the Open bill stork, Cattle egret, Little egret, Pelicans, Grey Pelicans, Darter, Little Cormorants, Common coots, Little tern, Pond heron, Night heron, Painted stork, Common keat, Kingfisher and so forth. The birds are best viewed between 5.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m., and between 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
The birds may leave the sanctuary by the second fortnight of March. Following this, the forest department will take up desilting of the lake at a cost of Rs. Two lakh. The Ipomea will be removed at a cost of Rs. 60,000 and a visitors road will be formed along the lake for three kms, Mr. Chandrasekaran said. Eco Development Committees have been formed in villages around Vaduvur for joint forest management. A six member committee will help the forest department in the management of the bird sanctuary and forest in the surrounding areas.
There is a forest guest house in Vaduvur.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/article1318355.ece
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mountain species at risk in climate change
by Staff Writers
Nairobi, Kenya (UPI) Jan 21, 2011
Changes both man-made and natural have sent populations of birds in Kenya's highlands plummeting, and many conservations say they fear some may not recover.
An increasing number of settlers who have moved to the country's highlands to farm in the last two decades have affected bird habitats and reduced bird populations by cutting down forests and turning grasslands into fields, The New York Times reported.
Climate change is adding to the problem, sending some populations into steep decline, researchers say.
Some scientists predict a 20 percent to 30 percent species loss if temperatures rise by 3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and if some of the more extreme warming predictions come to pass the loss rate could approach 50 percent, a United Nations climate change panel says.
Tens of thousands of species living on or near mountains are vulnerable, scientists say. These species, living in habitats from the high plateaus of Africa to the jungles of Australia to the Sierra Nevada in the United States, are already experiencing climate pressures, they say.
In response to warming, animals classically move to cooler ground, but mountain species face drastic limitations.
As they move upward they must compete for less and less space on the mountaintops, where they run into uninhabitable rocky terrain or a lack of their usual foods and have nowhere farther to go.
"It's a really simple story that at some point you can't go further north or higher up, so there's no doubt that species will go extinct," Walter Jetz, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, said.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mountain_species_at_risk_in_climate_change_999.html
Nairobi, Kenya (UPI) Jan 21, 2011
Changes both man-made and natural have sent populations of birds in Kenya's highlands plummeting, and many conservations say they fear some may not recover.
An increasing number of settlers who have moved to the country's highlands to farm in the last two decades have affected bird habitats and reduced bird populations by cutting down forests and turning grasslands into fields, The New York Times reported.
Climate change is adding to the problem, sending some populations into steep decline, researchers say.
Some scientists predict a 20 percent to 30 percent species loss if temperatures rise by 3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and if some of the more extreme warming predictions come to pass the loss rate could approach 50 percent, a United Nations climate change panel says.
Tens of thousands of species living on or near mountains are vulnerable, scientists say. These species, living in habitats from the high plateaus of Africa to the jungles of Australia to the Sierra Nevada in the United States, are already experiencing climate pressures, they say.
In response to warming, animals classically move to cooler ground, but mountain species face drastic limitations.
As they move upward they must compete for less and less space on the mountaintops, where they run into uninhabitable rocky terrain or a lack of their usual foods and have nowhere farther to go.
"It's a really simple story that at some point you can't go further north or higher up, so there's no doubt that species will go extinct," Walter Jetz, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, said.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mountain_species_at_risk_in_climate_change_999.html
Mountain species at risk in climate change
by Staff Writers
Nairobi, Kenya (UPI) Jan 21, 2011
Changes both man-made and natural have sent populations of birds in Kenya's highlands plummeting, and many conservations say they fear some may not recover.
An increasing number of settlers who have moved to the country's highlands to farm in the last two decades have affected bird habitats and reduced bird populations by cutting down forests and turning grasslands into fields, The New York Times reported.
Climate change is adding to the problem, sending some populations into steep decline, researchers say.
Some scientists predict a 20 percent to 30 percent species loss if temperatures rise by 3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and if some of the more extreme warming predictions come to pass the loss rate could approach 50 percent, a United Nations climate change panel says.
Tens of thousands of species living on or near mountains are vulnerable, scientists say. These species, living in habitats from the high plateaus of Africa to the jungles of Australia to the Sierra Nevada in the United States, are already experiencing climate pressures, they say.
In response to warming, animals classically move to cooler ground, but mountain species face drastic limitations.
As they move upward they must compete for less and less space on the mountaintops, where they run into uninhabitable rocky terrain or a lack of their usual foods and have nowhere farther to go.
"It's a really simple story that at some point you can't go further north or higher up, so there's no doubt that species will go extinct," Walter Jetz, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, said.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mountain_species_at_risk_in_climate_change_999.html
Nairobi, Kenya (UPI) Jan 21, 2011
Changes both man-made and natural have sent populations of birds in Kenya's highlands plummeting, and many conservations say they fear some may not recover.
An increasing number of settlers who have moved to the country's highlands to farm in the last two decades have affected bird habitats and reduced bird populations by cutting down forests and turning grasslands into fields, The New York Times reported.
Climate change is adding to the problem, sending some populations into steep decline, researchers say.
Some scientists predict a 20 percent to 30 percent species loss if temperatures rise by 3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and if some of the more extreme warming predictions come to pass the loss rate could approach 50 percent, a United Nations climate change panel says.
Tens of thousands of species living on or near mountains are vulnerable, scientists say. These species, living in habitats from the high plateaus of Africa to the jungles of Australia to the Sierra Nevada in the United States, are already experiencing climate pressures, they say.
In response to warming, animals classically move to cooler ground, but mountain species face drastic limitations.
As they move upward they must compete for less and less space on the mountaintops, where they run into uninhabitable rocky terrain or a lack of their usual foods and have nowhere farther to go.
"It's a really simple story that at some point you can't go further north or higher up, so there's no doubt that species will go extinct," Walter Jetz, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, said.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mountain_species_at_risk_in_climate_change_999.html
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Vast toxic tailing ponds in Canada threaten a huge swathe of Canadian wilderness.
Canada's wilderness endangered October 2010. As the mixture of red sludge and alkaline water from the breach of a waste dam at a Hungarian alumina plant reached the Danube, Canadian campaigners have pointed out that tar sands operations inside Canada's Boreal Forest threaten to destroy or fragment vast lakes, rivers, forests and wetlands that provide nesting grounds for millions of birds.
Area the size of Florida under threat
Roughly 14 million hectares of boreal bird habitat, an area more than 7 times the size of Wales, could eventually be developed for tar sand operations, including strip mining, deep drilling operations and toxic tailings ponds.
Vast toxic reservoirs
Nearly a dozen massive tailings ponds, some several kilometres across, line both sides of the Athabasca River. Filled with toxic waste, many ponds are already leaking and creating their own tainted wetlands. Fish, birds and other wildlife face death from swimming or drinking from the ponds.
1600 ducks killed
Two years ago, more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a pond filled with toxic waste. As more waterfowl and shorebirds begin migration journeys thousands of kilometres long, they face death from swimming in or drinking from the pond
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/toxic-tailings.html
Area the size of Florida under threat
Roughly 14 million hectares of boreal bird habitat, an area more than 7 times the size of Wales, could eventually be developed for tar sand operations, including strip mining, deep drilling operations and toxic tailings ponds.
Vast toxic reservoirs
Nearly a dozen massive tailings ponds, some several kilometres across, line both sides of the Athabasca River. Filled with toxic waste, many ponds are already leaking and creating their own tainted wetlands. Fish, birds and other wildlife face death from swimming or drinking from the ponds.
1600 ducks killed
Two years ago, more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a pond filled with toxic waste. As more waterfowl and shorebirds begin migration journeys thousands of kilometres long, they face death from swimming in or drinking from the pond
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/toxic-tailings.html
Vast toxic tailing ponds in Canada threaten a huge swathe of Canadian wilderness.
Canada's wilderness endangered October 2010. As the mixture of red sludge and alkaline water from the breach of a waste dam at a Hungarian alumina plant reached the Danube, Canadian campaigners have pointed out that tar sands operations inside Canada's Boreal Forest threaten to destroy or fragment vast lakes, rivers, forests and wetlands that provide nesting grounds for millions of birds.
Area the size of Florida under threat
Roughly 14 million hectares of boreal bird habitat, an area more than 7 times the size of Wales, could eventually be developed for tar sand operations, including strip mining, deep drilling operations and toxic tailings ponds.
Vast toxic reservoirs
Nearly a dozen massive tailings ponds, some several kilometres across, line both sides of the Athabasca River. Filled with toxic waste, many ponds are already leaking and creating their own tainted wetlands. Fish, birds and other wildlife face death from swimming or drinking from the ponds.
1600 ducks killed
Two years ago, more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a pond filled with toxic waste. As more waterfowl and shorebirds begin migration journeys thousands of kilometres long, they face death from swimming in or drinking from the pond
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/toxic-tailings.html
Area the size of Florida under threat
Roughly 14 million hectares of boreal bird habitat, an area more than 7 times the size of Wales, could eventually be developed for tar sand operations, including strip mining, deep drilling operations and toxic tailings ponds.
Vast toxic reservoirs
Nearly a dozen massive tailings ponds, some several kilometres across, line both sides of the Athabasca River. Filled with toxic waste, many ponds are already leaking and creating their own tainted wetlands. Fish, birds and other wildlife face death from swimming or drinking from the ponds.
1600 ducks killed
Two years ago, more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a pond filled with toxic waste. As more waterfowl and shorebirds begin migration journeys thousands of kilometres long, they face death from swimming in or drinking from the pond
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/toxic-tailings.html
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Salmon That Grew & Grew
30-Sep-2010
Sometimes science is wrong, and one example of this are Frankenfish: In order to grow bigger salmon that can feed more people, a genetically-modified Atlantic salmon has been created that grows twice as fast as wild ones. Its genes have been artificially augmented with DNA taken from two other fish in order to give it more growth hormone.
Researcher Craig Altier says, "The fisheries of the world are being rapidly depleted and so advances in aquaculture will be needed to meet the growing demand for protein. Genetically engineered animals might help to feed the world, but they must first meet the most stringent requirements for human and environmental safety.
"Is the introduced growth hormone gene safe for the fish itself? The studies designed to determine this were flawed, and so we don't know yet whether this is true. The burden of proof here is on the producer of this fish, Aquabounty, to perform further research to establish safety for the fish.
"Is the fish safe for human consumption? Exhaustive analysis by the FDA showed no difference from conventional salmon. The growth hormone itself presents no specific risk, as we consume growth hormone in all meats we eat (but SHOULD we?) The FDA also found no increase in allergens, which is important, as fish is already a food that causes allergic reactions in many people.
"We advised the FDA on the possible environmental impacts of this fish. Containment of the fish is essential, as the release of this fast-growing animal could have devastating effects on native fish populations. We need to treat these fish as we would a potentially dangerous medicine or pharmaceutical, and apply all of the same security measures to its production and transport."
http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=8606
Sometimes science is wrong, and one example of this are Frankenfish: In order to grow bigger salmon that can feed more people, a genetically-modified Atlantic salmon has been created that grows twice as fast as wild ones. Its genes have been artificially augmented with DNA taken from two other fish in order to give it more growth hormone.
Researcher Craig Altier says, "The fisheries of the world are being rapidly depleted and so advances in aquaculture will be needed to meet the growing demand for protein. Genetically engineered animals might help to feed the world, but they must first meet the most stringent requirements for human and environmental safety.
"Is the introduced growth hormone gene safe for the fish itself? The studies designed to determine this were flawed, and so we don't know yet whether this is true. The burden of proof here is on the producer of this fish, Aquabounty, to perform further research to establish safety for the fish.
"Is the fish safe for human consumption? Exhaustive analysis by the FDA showed no difference from conventional salmon. The growth hormone itself presents no specific risk, as we consume growth hormone in all meats we eat (but SHOULD we?) The FDA also found no increase in allergens, which is important, as fish is already a food that causes allergic reactions in many people.
"We advised the FDA on the possible environmental impacts of this fish. Containment of the fish is essential, as the release of this fast-growing animal could have devastating effects on native fish populations. We need to treat these fish as we would a potentially dangerous medicine or pharmaceutical, and apply all of the same security measures to its production and transport."
http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=8606
The Salmon That Grew & Grew
30-Sep-2010
Sometimes science is wrong, and one example of this are Frankenfish: In order to grow bigger salmon that can feed more people, a genetically-modified Atlantic salmon has been created that grows twice as fast as wild ones. Its genes have been artificially augmented with DNA taken from two other fish in order to give it more growth hormone.
Researcher Craig Altier says, "The fisheries of the world are being rapidly depleted and so advances in aquaculture will be needed to meet the growing demand for protein. Genetically engineered animals might help to feed the world, but they must first meet the most stringent requirements for human and environmental safety.
"Is the introduced growth hormone gene safe for the fish itself? The studies designed to determine this were flawed, and so we don't know yet whether this is true. The burden of proof here is on the producer of this fish, Aquabounty, to perform further research to establish safety for the fish.
"Is the fish safe for human consumption? Exhaustive analysis by the FDA showed no difference from conventional salmon. The growth hormone itself presents no specific risk, as we consume growth hormone in all meats we eat (but SHOULD we?) The FDA also found no increase in allergens, which is important, as fish is already a food that causes allergic reactions in many people.
"We advised the FDA on the possible environmental impacts of this fish. Containment of the fish is essential, as the release of this fast-growing animal could have devastating effects on native fish populations. We need to treat these fish as we would a potentially dangerous medicine or pharmaceutical, and apply all of the same security measures to its production and transport."
http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=8606
Sometimes science is wrong, and one example of this are Frankenfish: In order to grow bigger salmon that can feed more people, a genetically-modified Atlantic salmon has been created that grows twice as fast as wild ones. Its genes have been artificially augmented with DNA taken from two other fish in order to give it more growth hormone.
Researcher Craig Altier says, "The fisheries of the world are being rapidly depleted and so advances in aquaculture will be needed to meet the growing demand for protein. Genetically engineered animals might help to feed the world, but they must first meet the most stringent requirements for human and environmental safety.
"Is the introduced growth hormone gene safe for the fish itself? The studies designed to determine this were flawed, and so we don't know yet whether this is true. The burden of proof here is on the producer of this fish, Aquabounty, to perform further research to establish safety for the fish.
"Is the fish safe for human consumption? Exhaustive analysis by the FDA showed no difference from conventional salmon. The growth hormone itself presents no specific risk, as we consume growth hormone in all meats we eat (but SHOULD we?) The FDA also found no increase in allergens, which is important, as fish is already a food that causes allergic reactions in many people.
"We advised the FDA on the possible environmental impacts of this fish. Containment of the fish is essential, as the release of this fast-growing animal could have devastating effects on native fish populations. We need to treat these fish as we would a potentially dangerous medicine or pharmaceutical, and apply all of the same security measures to its production and transport."
http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=8606
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Ice sheet in Greenland melting at record rate
The Greenland ice sheet is melting at a record rate due to global warming, according to a British-led expedition currently taking measurements from the treacherous glaciers.
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 13 Aug 2010
The University of St Andrews team said 106 square miles broke away from the Petermann Glacier at the beginning of August.
The massive ice island is is the largest single area loss observed for Greenland and suggests the effect of rising temperatures is affecting the Arctic faster than anticipated.
The finding immediately raises fears about the long term effect on rising sea levels and ultimately ‘positive feedbacks’ as water absorbs more heat than ice, therefore speeding up the warming effect.
Dr Richard Bates, who is monitoring the ice alongside researchers from America, said the expedition had expected to find evidence of melting this year after “abnormally high” temperatures in the area. Climate change experts say that globally it has been the warmest six months globally since records began.
But he was “amazed to see an area of ice three times the size of Manhattan Island had broken off.
“It is not a freak event and is certainly a manifestation of warming. This year marks yet another record breaking melt year in Greenland; temperatures and melt across the entire ice sheet have exceeded those in 2007 and of historical records.”
The Petermann glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the northern hemisphere, has now retreated to a level not seen since 1962.
Dr Bates and his team are currently in Greenland trying to determine whether the breakup has led to a further acceleration and thinning of ice.
The geophysicists uses time-lapse cameras overlooking the glacier from the top of its towering 900m cliffs, as well as risking their lives trying to get as close as possible to the icebergs.
“It is very difficult logistically and expensive to get back,” he said. “The idea at present is to try and sail to close to the glacier with helicopter support on the passage up there and then for getting around when there. It could be a bit tricky doing this as it’s not only a long way but there will be ever increasing ice to negotiate on the way north,” he said.
The new research comes as scientists from Pennsylvania State University warned that temperature rise of between 2C and 7C would cause the entire ice mass of Greenland to melt, resulting in 23ft rise in sea level.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7941035/Ice-sheet-in-Greenland-melting-at-record-rate.html
(Submitted by Lawrie Williams)
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 13 Aug 2010
The University of St Andrews team said 106 square miles broke away from the Petermann Glacier at the beginning of August.
The massive ice island is is the largest single area loss observed for Greenland and suggests the effect of rising temperatures is affecting the Arctic faster than anticipated.
The finding immediately raises fears about the long term effect on rising sea levels and ultimately ‘positive feedbacks’ as water absorbs more heat than ice, therefore speeding up the warming effect.
Dr Richard Bates, who is monitoring the ice alongside researchers from America, said the expedition had expected to find evidence of melting this year after “abnormally high” temperatures in the area. Climate change experts say that globally it has been the warmest six months globally since records began.
But he was “amazed to see an area of ice three times the size of Manhattan Island had broken off.
“It is not a freak event and is certainly a manifestation of warming. This year marks yet another record breaking melt year in Greenland; temperatures and melt across the entire ice sheet have exceeded those in 2007 and of historical records.”
The Petermann glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the northern hemisphere, has now retreated to a level not seen since 1962.
Dr Bates and his team are currently in Greenland trying to determine whether the breakup has led to a further acceleration and thinning of ice.
The geophysicists uses time-lapse cameras overlooking the glacier from the top of its towering 900m cliffs, as well as risking their lives trying to get as close as possible to the icebergs.
“It is very difficult logistically and expensive to get back,” he said. “The idea at present is to try and sail to close to the glacier with helicopter support on the passage up there and then for getting around when there. It could be a bit tricky doing this as it’s not only a long way but there will be ever increasing ice to negotiate on the way north,” he said.
The new research comes as scientists from Pennsylvania State University warned that temperature rise of between 2C and 7C would cause the entire ice mass of Greenland to melt, resulting in 23ft rise in sea level.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7941035/Ice-sheet-in-Greenland-melting-at-record-rate.html
(Submitted by Lawrie Williams)
Ice sheet in Greenland melting at record rate
The Greenland ice sheet is melting at a record rate due to global warming, according to a British-led expedition currently taking measurements from the treacherous glaciers.
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 13 Aug 2010
The University of St Andrews team said 106 square miles broke away from the Petermann Glacier at the beginning of August.
The massive ice island is is the largest single area loss observed for Greenland and suggests the effect of rising temperatures is affecting the Arctic faster than anticipated.
The finding immediately raises fears about the long term effect on rising sea levels and ultimately ‘positive feedbacks’ as water absorbs more heat than ice, therefore speeding up the warming effect.
Dr Richard Bates, who is monitoring the ice alongside researchers from America, said the expedition had expected to find evidence of melting this year after “abnormally high” temperatures in the area. Climate change experts say that globally it has been the warmest six months globally since records began.
But he was “amazed to see an area of ice three times the size of Manhattan Island had broken off.
“It is not a freak event and is certainly a manifestation of warming. This year marks yet another record breaking melt year in Greenland; temperatures and melt across the entire ice sheet have exceeded those in 2007 and of historical records.”
The Petermann glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the northern hemisphere, has now retreated to a level not seen since 1962.
Dr Bates and his team are currently in Greenland trying to determine whether the breakup has led to a further acceleration and thinning of ice.
The geophysicists uses time-lapse cameras overlooking the glacier from the top of its towering 900m cliffs, as well as risking their lives trying to get as close as possible to the icebergs.
“It is very difficult logistically and expensive to get back,” he said. “The idea at present is to try and sail to close to the glacier with helicopter support on the passage up there and then for getting around when there. It could be a bit tricky doing this as it’s not only a long way but there will be ever increasing ice to negotiate on the way north,” he said.
The new research comes as scientists from Pennsylvania State University warned that temperature rise of between 2C and 7C would cause the entire ice mass of Greenland to melt, resulting in 23ft rise in sea level.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7941035/Ice-sheet-in-Greenland-melting-at-record-rate.html
(Submitted by Lawrie Williams)
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 13 Aug 2010
The University of St Andrews team said 106 square miles broke away from the Petermann Glacier at the beginning of August.
The massive ice island is is the largest single area loss observed for Greenland and suggests the effect of rising temperatures is affecting the Arctic faster than anticipated.
The finding immediately raises fears about the long term effect on rising sea levels and ultimately ‘positive feedbacks’ as water absorbs more heat than ice, therefore speeding up the warming effect.
Dr Richard Bates, who is monitoring the ice alongside researchers from America, said the expedition had expected to find evidence of melting this year after “abnormally high” temperatures in the area. Climate change experts say that globally it has been the warmest six months globally since records began.
But he was “amazed to see an area of ice three times the size of Manhattan Island had broken off.
“It is not a freak event and is certainly a manifestation of warming. This year marks yet another record breaking melt year in Greenland; temperatures and melt across the entire ice sheet have exceeded those in 2007 and of historical records.”
The Petermann glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the northern hemisphere, has now retreated to a level not seen since 1962.
Dr Bates and his team are currently in Greenland trying to determine whether the breakup has led to a further acceleration and thinning of ice.
The geophysicists uses time-lapse cameras overlooking the glacier from the top of its towering 900m cliffs, as well as risking their lives trying to get as close as possible to the icebergs.
“It is very difficult logistically and expensive to get back,” he said. “The idea at present is to try and sail to close to the glacier with helicopter support on the passage up there and then for getting around when there. It could be a bit tricky doing this as it’s not only a long way but there will be ever increasing ice to negotiate on the way north,” he said.
The new research comes as scientists from Pennsylvania State University warned that temperature rise of between 2C and 7C would cause the entire ice mass of Greenland to melt, resulting in 23ft rise in sea level.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7941035/Ice-sheet-in-Greenland-melting-at-record-rate.html
(Submitted by Lawrie Williams)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
NOAA designates the eastern North Pacific basking shark a 'species of concern'
IMAGE: A basking sharks feeds in the Irish Sea off the Isle of Man. Photo by Dr Greg Skomal.Docile filter-feeder is the second largest known shark species
NOAA's Fisheries Service has designated the eastern North Pacific basking shark, a "species of concern" because it has suffered a dramatic decline in population despite decreasing fishing pressure. The label "species of concern" may be given to a species when there are concerns regarding the population status.
The eastern Pacific basking shark is not being considered for listing pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, rather it is a species of concern because it has been over fished and its population has apparently not responded to conservation measures implemented to address fishing pressure. We expect that by identifying it as a species of concern we will raise public awareness of the species status, generate interest in additional research to identify factors that may be inhibiting its recovery and, with states and other partners, restore this population before listing under the ESA becomes necessary.
Basking sharks are filter feeders that exist throughout the world's oceans from the tropics to the Arctic, although they are most commonly found in temperate coastal waters where currents converge and plankton, their main food source, concentrate. The eastern North Pacific population of basking sharks is thought to be a single group that migrates seasonally along the West Coast from Canada to Central California.
Until the 1950s, commercial fishermen in California targeted the sharks primarily for fishmeal and fish oil, and Canadian fishermen targeted them until the 1970s, in response to an eradication program that sought to reduce interactions between the sharks and salmon fishing nets. Although there has been no commercial fishing pressure for decades, scientists are worried about the eastern North Pacific population of basking sharks, whose numbers have not rebounded. While hundreds, and even thousands, of fish were once observed together, no group larger than three has been reported seen since 1993.
The species is also still vulnerable to human impacts even though it is no longer actively targeted in the United States and Canada. Fishermen may inadvertently catch the shark while fishing for another species, or it may become entangled in commercial fishing gear or hit by vessels as it feeds near the surface.
In U.S. federal waters of the Pacific, sharks caught incidentally must be released immediately, and the state of California has likewise banned the retention of basking sharks. In Canada, the Species at Risk Act makes it illegal to take, harass, or destroy habitat for basking sharks there. The species is also listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as endangered. Basking sharks may still be caught in some countries where they command a high price for their fins in shark fin soup.
###
NOAA's Fisheries Service is working with researchers along the West Coast to tag and track basking sharks. NOAA is also working on a website, due to be launched in December 2010, which will allow scientists and the public to report basking shark sightings. In the meantime, members of the public who see basking sharks are asked to report sightings by calling (858) 334-2884 or send an email to Heidi.Dewar@noaa.gov.
More information on basking sharks may be found at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/baskingshark.htm
NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/nnmf-ndt090710.phpNOAA designates the eastern North Pacific basking shark a 'species of concern'
IMAGE: A basking sharks feeds in the Irish Sea off the Isle of Man. Photo by Dr Greg Skomal.Docile filter-feeder is the second largest known shark species
NOAA's Fisheries Service has designated the eastern North Pacific basking shark, a "species of concern" because it has suffered a dramatic decline in population despite decreasing fishing pressure. The label "species of concern" may be given to a species when there are concerns regarding the population status.
The eastern Pacific basking shark is not being considered for listing pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, rather it is a species of concern because it has been over fished and its population has apparently not responded to conservation measures implemented to address fishing pressure. We expect that by identifying it as a species of concern we will raise public awareness of the species status, generate interest in additional research to identify factors that may be inhibiting its recovery and, with states and other partners, restore this population before listing under the ESA becomes necessary.
Basking sharks are filter feeders that exist throughout the world's oceans from the tropics to the Arctic, although they are most commonly found in temperate coastal waters where currents converge and plankton, their main food source, concentrate. The eastern North Pacific population of basking sharks is thought to be a single group that migrates seasonally along the West Coast from Canada to Central California.
Until the 1950s, commercial fishermen in California targeted the sharks primarily for fishmeal and fish oil, and Canadian fishermen targeted them until the 1970s, in response to an eradication program that sought to reduce interactions between the sharks and salmon fishing nets. Although there has been no commercial fishing pressure for decades, scientists are worried about the eastern North Pacific population of basking sharks, whose numbers have not rebounded. While hundreds, and even thousands, of fish were once observed together, no group larger than three has been reported seen since 1993.
The species is also still vulnerable to human impacts even though it is no longer actively targeted in the United States and Canada. Fishermen may inadvertently catch the shark while fishing for another species, or it may become entangled in commercial fishing gear or hit by vessels as it feeds near the surface.
In U.S. federal waters of the Pacific, sharks caught incidentally must be released immediately, and the state of California has likewise banned the retention of basking sharks. In Canada, the Species at Risk Act makes it illegal to take, harass, or destroy habitat for basking sharks there. The species is also listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as endangered. Basking sharks may still be caught in some countries where they command a high price for their fins in shark fin soup.
###
NOAA's Fisheries Service is working with researchers along the West Coast to tag and track basking sharks. NOAA is also working on a website, due to be launched in December 2010, which will allow scientists and the public to report basking shark sightings. In the meantime, members of the public who see basking sharks are asked to report sightings by calling (858) 334-2884 or send an email to Heidi.Dewar@noaa.gov.
More information on basking sharks may be found at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/baskingshark.htm
NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/nnmf-ndt090710.phpSaturday, August 28, 2010
UN warns alien species are threatening biodiversity of Wadden Sea
27 August 2010 – A wide range of species not native to Europe’s Wadden Sea have invaded its ecosystem, threatening the biodiversity of the World Heritage Site, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a report unveiled today.
A diverse range of alien species are increasing at an alarming rate in the sea, which borders the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, according to the report, delivered at a conference in Bonn, Germany, to mark Wadden Sea Day. Many species have become abundant and several can be regarded as invasive with a significant impact on the recipient ecosystem.
The Wadden Sea includes mud and sand-flats, salt marshes, islands, dunes, estuaries, gullies and open waters that stretch over 500 kilometres along the North Sea coast. It is one of the last remaining natural inter-tidal ecosystems in Europe and supports a huge number of plant and animal species. Between 10 and 12 million birds visit the Wadden Sea during their migratory journeys every year.
The alien species could also become a serious problem to human health, according to the report. For example, the sharp shells of Pacific oysters can cause injuries to the feet of mud-flat walkers and oysters or other aliens may carry agents that cause infections. Oysters covering blue mussel beds reduce fishermen’s yield.
Grasses, mussels and jellyfish are among the most damaging invaders. The common cord-grass (Spartina) is the main invasive plant in the Wadden Sea as it facilitates the build-up of sediment, thus transforming the sea’s tidal flats into salt marshes. The plant was deliberately introduced into the Wadden Sea to enhance the development of such salt marshes. Efforts to eliminate the plant failed and the spreading of the species increased.
Pacific oysters were introduced from Asia in the 1990s. Since then, they have begun to invade native blue mussel beds and create their own oyster reefs throughout the Wadden Sea, causing a food shortage for birds that feed on blue mussels.
Although there has been an increase in blue mussel populations in the Dutch parts of the Wadden Sea, numbers in the Danish and German areas have dropped. There are major concerns that the Pacific oyster might displace domestic blue mussel beds.
An invading jellyfish species could also be threatening fish populations. The sea walnut is originally native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and was first recorded in the Wadden Sea in 2006. It is thought that the species was introduced via ballast water – water carried by a commercial ship for stability that is then discharged upon arrival at its destination.
The sea walnut consumes zooplankton, crustaceans, other jellyfish and the eggs and larvae of fish. Elsewhere, this species is being blamed for the striking decrease of anchovy in the Black and Caspian Seas. Conservationists are concerned that the same phenomenon might occur in the Wadden Sea if the numbers of sea walnut continue to rise.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35741
A diverse range of alien species are increasing at an alarming rate in the sea, which borders the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, according to the report, delivered at a conference in Bonn, Germany, to mark Wadden Sea Day. Many species have become abundant and several can be regarded as invasive with a significant impact on the recipient ecosystem.
The Wadden Sea includes mud and sand-flats, salt marshes, islands, dunes, estuaries, gullies and open waters that stretch over 500 kilometres along the North Sea coast. It is one of the last remaining natural inter-tidal ecosystems in Europe and supports a huge number of plant and animal species. Between 10 and 12 million birds visit the Wadden Sea during their migratory journeys every year.
The alien species could also become a serious problem to human health, according to the report. For example, the sharp shells of Pacific oysters can cause injuries to the feet of mud-flat walkers and oysters or other aliens may carry agents that cause infections. Oysters covering blue mussel beds reduce fishermen’s yield.
Grasses, mussels and jellyfish are among the most damaging invaders. The common cord-grass (Spartina) is the main invasive plant in the Wadden Sea as it facilitates the build-up of sediment, thus transforming the sea’s tidal flats into salt marshes. The plant was deliberately introduced into the Wadden Sea to enhance the development of such salt marshes. Efforts to eliminate the plant failed and the spreading of the species increased.
Pacific oysters were introduced from Asia in the 1990s. Since then, they have begun to invade native blue mussel beds and create their own oyster reefs throughout the Wadden Sea, causing a food shortage for birds that feed on blue mussels.
Although there has been an increase in blue mussel populations in the Dutch parts of the Wadden Sea, numbers in the Danish and German areas have dropped. There are major concerns that the Pacific oyster might displace domestic blue mussel beds.
An invading jellyfish species could also be threatening fish populations. The sea walnut is originally native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and was first recorded in the Wadden Sea in 2006. It is thought that the species was introduced via ballast water – water carried by a commercial ship for stability that is then discharged upon arrival at its destination.
The sea walnut consumes zooplankton, crustaceans, other jellyfish and the eggs and larvae of fish. Elsewhere, this species is being blamed for the striking decrease of anchovy in the Black and Caspian Seas. Conservationists are concerned that the same phenomenon might occur in the Wadden Sea if the numbers of sea walnut continue to rise.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35741
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Group seeks protection for 4 species
By The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 3 a.m.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An environmental group is seeking federal protections for four mountain top species that it says are being threatened by climate change.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed petitions Tuesday for the white-tailed ptarmigan, a bird found in New Mexico and other Rocky Mountain states; Bicknell's thrush, a songbird found in the northeastern U.S.; the San Bernardino flying squirrel and the 'I'iwi (E-e-vee), a native Hawaiian bird.
The group's endangered species program director, Noah Greenwald, says climate change will have disproportionate impacts on species that live at higher elevations because they will have no where to go.
He says mountain areas are already seeing reduced snowpack and earlier spring runoff.
The Associated Press
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/25/group-seeks-protection-for-4-species/
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 3 a.m.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An environmental group is seeking federal protections for four mountain top species that it says are being threatened by climate change.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed petitions Tuesday for the white-tailed ptarmigan, a bird found in New Mexico and other Rocky Mountain states; Bicknell's thrush, a songbird found in the northeastern U.S.; the San Bernardino flying squirrel and the 'I'iwi (E-e-vee), a native Hawaiian bird.
The group's endangered species program director, Noah Greenwald, says climate change will have disproportionate impacts on species that live at higher elevations because they will have no where to go.
He says mountain areas are already seeing reduced snowpack and earlier spring runoff.
The Associated Press
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/25/group-seeks-protection-for-4-species/
Monday, August 23, 2010
Government cuts ‘threaten wildlife’
7:00pm Sunday 22nd August 2010
By Diana Henderson
DORSET’S largest voluntary conservation organisation has warned that the county’s unique wildlife is under threat from government cuts.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is urging the government to put long-term environmental security ahead of short-term number crunching when making decisions on spending cuts.
The warning reiterates that of the Wildlife and Countryside Link, an umbrella organisation of 33 bodies, which has painted a grim picture of a countryside starved of funds, putting habitat such as Dorset heathland at risk.
The coalition government’s pledge to be the “greenest ever” is at variance with funding cuts of up to 40 per cent announced for Defra, says the trust, which represents 25,000 members.
“Defra accounts for just 0.5 per cent of total government spending,” said Imogen Davenport, the trust’s director of conservation.
And the UK was already set to fall short of the UN target to halt the decline in biodiversity by the end of 2010.
“The government has a crucial role in protecting and enhancing our most precious wildlife sites and species, and it is essential that this is maintained,” she said.
Among Dorset habitats at risk are some of the few remaining wildflower meadows, now restricted to less than one per cent of the county.
The trust has been working with the owners of these sites for more than 15 years and helped them get government funding for wildlife-friendly management.
Cuts to the stewardship grant scheme, administered by Natural England, could reverse the progress that farmers and landowners have made in managing wildlife habitats, says the charity.
“The landscape acts as a life support system and can, when managed sensitively, give us clean water, enable crop pollination, absorb greenhouse gases and provide places where we can take exercise and refresh our minds,” said Ms Davenport.
“Recent economic studies show that the costs of not conserving biodiversity now will be multiplied many times over for future generations to pay.”
The Wildlife Trusts and other conservation charities have suggested alternative cost savings, and the public can have their say on Defra’s future plans at engage.defra.gov.uk/reform-plan Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, who set out the “greenest government ever”, has said: “At Defra, we help to strengthen the economy and tackle the deficit.
“The environment is a crucial component of economic growth, and we work to ensure it is managed sustainably.”
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8345381.Government_cuts____threaten_wildlife___/
(Via The Natural Stuff)
By Diana Henderson
DORSET’S largest voluntary conservation organisation has warned that the county’s unique wildlife is under threat from government cuts.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is urging the government to put long-term environmental security ahead of short-term number crunching when making decisions on spending cuts.
The warning reiterates that of the Wildlife and Countryside Link, an umbrella organisation of 33 bodies, which has painted a grim picture of a countryside starved of funds, putting habitat such as Dorset heathland at risk.
The coalition government’s pledge to be the “greenest ever” is at variance with funding cuts of up to 40 per cent announced for Defra, says the trust, which represents 25,000 members.
“Defra accounts for just 0.5 per cent of total government spending,” said Imogen Davenport, the trust’s director of conservation.
And the UK was already set to fall short of the UN target to halt the decline in biodiversity by the end of 2010.
“The government has a crucial role in protecting and enhancing our most precious wildlife sites and species, and it is essential that this is maintained,” she said.
Among Dorset habitats at risk are some of the few remaining wildflower meadows, now restricted to less than one per cent of the county.
The trust has been working with the owners of these sites for more than 15 years and helped them get government funding for wildlife-friendly management.
Cuts to the stewardship grant scheme, administered by Natural England, could reverse the progress that farmers and landowners have made in managing wildlife habitats, says the charity.
“The landscape acts as a life support system and can, when managed sensitively, give us clean water, enable crop pollination, absorb greenhouse gases and provide places where we can take exercise and refresh our minds,” said Ms Davenport.
“Recent economic studies show that the costs of not conserving biodiversity now will be multiplied many times over for future generations to pay.”
The Wildlife Trusts and other conservation charities have suggested alternative cost savings, and the public can have their say on Defra’s future plans at engage.defra.gov.uk/reform-plan Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, who set out the “greenest government ever”, has said: “At Defra, we help to strengthen the economy and tackle the deficit.
“The environment is a crucial component of economic growth, and we work to ensure it is managed sustainably.”
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8345381.Government_cuts____threaten_wildlife___/
(Via The Natural Stuff)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
New batfish species found under U.S. Gulf oil spill
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have discovered two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish in the Gulf of Mexico, living right in the area affected by the BP oil spill.
Researchers identified new species of pancake batfishes, a flat fish rarely seen because of the dark depths they favour. They are named for the clumsy way they "walk" along the sea bottom, like a bat crawling.
"One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area," John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, said in a statement released on Thursday.
"If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Writing in the Journal of Fish Biology, Sparks and his colleagues named the species as Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species called H. aculeatus also only lives in waters affected by the spill, they said.
Pancake batfishes have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths they can thrust forward. They use arm-like fins to drag themselves along the bottom and a modified dorsal fin excretes fluid to lure prey.
Sparks said the three species had been considered just one species, but his team found distinct differences.
"These discoveries underscore the potential loss of undocumented biodiversity that a disaster of this scale may portend," he said.
BP aims to plug the well late this month or in August.
The well has pumped millions of gallons (litres) of oil into the Gulf, coating shorelines and animals and having as yet unknown effects on creatures living in deep waters.
It threatens to devastate the Gulf region's multibillion-dollar fishing and tourist industries.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Vicki Allen)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Curry fed to sheep could curb global warming
Jul 6th 2010 By Tom Cullen
Scientists have claimed that coriander and turmeric - spices traditionally used to flavour curries - can reduce the amount of methane produced by sheep by up to 40 per cent, thus significantly reducing global warming.
The findings are part of a study by Newcastle University research student Mohammad Mehedi Hasan and Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry who suggest that the two ingredients work like an antibiotic, the spices were found to kill the methane-producing ''bad'' bacteria in the animal's gut while allowing the ''good'' bacteria to flourish.
Mr Hasan told the Telegraph: ''Methane is a major contributor to global warming and the slow digestive system of ruminant animals such as cows and sheep makes them a key producer of the gas.
''What my research found was that certain spices contain properties which make this digestive process more efficient so producing less waste - in this case, methane.''
Odd, then, that last night's curry appears to have done the exact opposite to us.
http://www.asylum.co.uk/2010/07/06/curry-for-sheep-could-curb-global-warming/#ixzz0t0J3SipS
Scientists have claimed that coriander and turmeric - spices traditionally used to flavour curries - can reduce the amount of methane produced by sheep by up to 40 per cent, thus significantly reducing global warming.
The findings are part of a study by Newcastle University research student Mohammad Mehedi Hasan and Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry who suggest that the two ingredients work like an antibiotic, the spices were found to kill the methane-producing ''bad'' bacteria in the animal's gut while allowing the ''good'' bacteria to flourish.
Mr Hasan told the Telegraph: ''Methane is a major contributor to global warming and the slow digestive system of ruminant animals such as cows and sheep makes them a key producer of the gas.
''What my research found was that certain spices contain properties which make this digestive process more efficient so producing less waste - in this case, methane.''
Odd, then, that last night's curry appears to have done the exact opposite to us.
http://www.asylum.co.uk/2010/07/06/curry-for-sheep-could-curb-global-warming/#ixzz0t0J3SipS
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