Apr 19: What the dinos did, and more...
On this week's episode of Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald:
There's not a more vulnerable creature in nature than a baby bird. Tiny and immobile, they're easy pickings for predators. But the chicks of the white-necked jacobin hummingbird have evolved a unique defence. They disguise themselves as poisonous caterpillars to discourage those that might eat them. Jay Falk, an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado and Scott Taylor, director of the Mountain Research Station and associate professor at the University of Colorado, studied these birds in Panama. Their research was published in the journal Ecology.
Seals can dive at length to tremendous depth thanks to some remarkable adaptations, like the ability to collapse their lungs, and radically lower their heart rate. Chris McKnight, a senior research fellow at the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit in Scotland, led a study looking to see if tweaking oxygen and C02 levels changed the seals' dive times. The researchers discovered that the seals have the unique ability to measure the oxygen levels in their tissues, so they can anticipate when they need to return to the surface before they get into trouble. The research was published in the journal Science.
As the joke goes, time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. Researchers recently demonstrated that fruit flies enjoy more than just aged produce. Using a custom carousel built to fly scale, scientists found that some, but not all, of their fruit flies would play on it, enjoying an activity that had nothing to do with the necessities of life. This brings up the possibility of variability in personality for fruit flies. Wolf Hütteroth is an associate professor at Northumbria University, Newcastle and was part of the team, whose research was published in the journal Current Biology.
Krill, the small, shrimp-like creatures that swarm the world's oceans and are particularly abundant in southern oceans, play a big role in marine food webs, connecting microscopic organisms with many of the oceans' larger animal species. Researchers in Australia investigated how krill respond to predator cues, like the smell of their feces. Nicole Hellessey, from the University of Tasmania, said the mere whiff of penguin feces affects the Antarctic krills' feeding behaviour and causes them to take frantic evasive action. The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Dinosaur bones can tell amazing stories about these prehistoric beasts, but how do we piece together how they behaved? A new book dives into the many lines of evidence that can shed light on the behaviour of these extinct creatures. From fossils, to tracks they left behind, to their modern day descendents, paleontologist David Hone from Queen Mary University of London explores how scientists develop robust theories about how dinosaurs lived in his new book, Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know.
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Canada Standard
a day ago
- Canada Standard
Antarctic seafloor at risk as ship anchors crush unique marine life: study
WELLINGTON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Ship anchors are causing significant damage to the fragile Antarctic seafloor, crushing unique marine life and leaving long-lasting scars, a new study revealed on Monday. Video footage from 36 Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island sites shows that ship anchoring leaves areas nearly lifeless, with crushed sponges and scarred seafloor, while nearby undisturbed zones remain biodiverse, according to scientists from New Zealand, Canada and the United States. "Anchoring impacts are understudied and underestimated globally. It's so important to recognize and mitigate the impacts across all industries and limit planned anchoring," said the study's co-author Sally Watson, a marine geophysicist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Using underwater cameras, the research found that the problem is growing as shrinking sea ice opens up more of Antarctica to cruise, research, fishing, and private vessels, the scientists said, adding that anchor damage is almost entirely unregulated in Antarctica, despite strict conservation rules for other activities. During the 2022-2023 Antarctic summer, at least 195 ships anchored in Antarctic waters, likely underestimating the true number, said the study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science. Footage revealed crushed ancient sponges and a lack of benthic animals in disturbed areas, while undamaged sites were rich in unique, slow-growing species highly vulnerable to such impacts. While research on anchor impacts is increasing in tropical reefs, Watson highlighted a major knowledge gap in Antarctica. Each vessel anchoring in 30-40 meters of water could disturb at least 1,600 meters of seabed, not accounting for additional damage from chains dragging if ships move, she said. Scientists caution that recovery from seafloor damage in Antarctica could take decades or longer, as similar harm in warmer regions has persisted for over ten years. The loss of sponges and other seafloor life disrupts key ecosystem functions like water filtration, carbon storage, and habitat provision, threatening the broader Antarctic food web, including species such as penguins and seals that draw tourists, said the study's lead author, Matthew Mulrennan, who founded the California-based ocean exploration and conservation nonprofit KOLOSSAL. "Anchoring is likely the most overlooked ocean conservation issue in terms of global seafloor disruption; it is on par with the damages from bottom trawling," Mulrennan said.
Japan Forward
21-05-2025
- Japan Forward
Women in Antarctica: Breaking Barriers in Japanese Polar Exploration
このページを 日本語 で読む The wintering team of the 65th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition returned to Japan this spring. Among them was Manami Yamaoka, 31, a staff member in the Human Resources Division at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) in Ikoma, Nara Prefecture. Yamaoka spent one year and three months at Showa Station in Antarctica — an experience she describes as a continuous learning journey. As the number of women participating in polar expeditions grows, her role reflects a broader shift toward greater gender inclusion in this demanding field. She first laid eyes on the Antarctic continent in November 2023, just a month after departing Japan, more than 14,000 kilometers away. As one of 27 members of the wintering team, Yamaoka was in charge of general affairs, logistics, and supply transportation. She returned to Japan in February 2024. Manami Yamaoka joined the 65th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. (©Sankei by Eriko Ogawa) Life at Showa Station required self-sufficiency. Team members handled everything themselves, from cooking and hauling supplies to managing waste. "It felt like a small village just for us," Yamaoka recalled. "In Japan, there's always someone else to do these things, but not there." Despite the challenges of communal living in such an extreme environment, Yamaoka came to value the importance of clear communication and teamwork. Reflecting on her time in Antarctica, she shared a renewed sense of purpose: "I want to keep working in a way that lets me contribute to the organization in a meaningful role." Aurora observed over Amundsen Bay in Antarctica. Antarctica, a vast continent 36 times the size of Japan, isn't owned by any country. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty, signed by Japan and 11 other nations, banned military activity and set the foundation for international scientific cooperation. Today, 58 countries have signed the treaty, regularly sending research teams for scientific study. Japan began its Antarctic expeditions in 1956, carrying out ongoing research on auroras, oceans, ice, and other natural phenomena. According to the National Institute of Polar Research, the first woman joined an expedition in 1962. Since 2002, between one and 19 women have participated each year, contributing not only to research but also in roles such as doctors and meal preparation and public relations personnel. The role of women in these missions continues to expand. In December 2024, the 66th expedition departed with Professor Naomi Harada of the University of Tokyo appointed as the first female leader of a Japanese Antarctic research team. Of the 114 members, including support staff, 25 were women, the highest proportion to date at roughly 20%. "In the past, the idea of sending women wasn't even considered. There were no women's toilets or facilities," recalled a male member of the National Institute of Polar Research, who had participated in an earlier expedition. "But today, with more women in STEM fields, joining an expedition is just one of many options for women in science." While the summer team stays for about three months, the wintering team remains in Antarctica for a full year. To support women facing the challenges of this remote environment, the National Institute of Polar Research began holding pre-departure meetings for female members around six years ago. The next session is scheduled for June. Once in Antarctica, women can also consult with doctors in Japan through online medical services. Looking ahead, the 67th expedition, scheduled for dispatch this winter, will mark another first. Associate Professor Mitsumu Ejiri from the National Institute of Polar Research will become the first female leader of a wintering team. A staff member expressed optimism about the future: "If you have the motivation and interest, gender is no longer a barrier. I hope more women will take on the challenge and share their experiences with the next generation." This report was first published on J apan 2 Earth , a JAPAN Forward website featuring Japan's initiatives on the SDGs. Author: Eriko Ogawa, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
National Observer
15-05-2025
- National Observer
‘Astonishing journeys': online tool tracking migratory animals highlights challenge of protecting them
This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration Off the east coast of Florida, female loggerhead turtles swim more than 1,000km north, hugging the edge of the continental shelf to get to feeding grounds. Humpback whales move through Moreton Bay off the Brisbane coast in Australia, on their way to feed around the Balleny Islands more than 4,000km away off the Antarctic coastline, where wandering albatross circle above, travelling 1,000km a day. In the Netherlands, Arctic terns set off from breeding colonies on one of the bird kingdom's longest migrations – a 90,000km round trip, to east Antarctica and back again. It is hard for plodding, land-bound Homo sapiens to fathom the distances covered by these species, or their total disregard for the perils of the high seas, or the country boundaries humans have drawn. But all these journeys, and many hundreds more, have been brought together for the first time in a new online tool that reveals the movements of more than 100 species that migrate across the planet's oceans. 'They're absolutely astonishing journeys and they're far more common than we give them credit for. All sorts of species do this,' says Daniel Dunn, an associate professor and director of the University of Queensland's Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. 'Some of these birds spend less energy flying than they do standing on the ground. They can sleep while they're flying, somehow putting half their brain to sleep while the other half is paying attention.' Almost half of all species that migrate over or in the ocean are feared to be in decline – and they are presenting conservationists with a unique and confounding challenge. How can a country help save a species that spends its time feeding or breeding in one place, if that same species is put under threat when it leaves? One study, for example, found nine threatened migrating shorebird species that visit Australia each year are being hunted while they travel. Dunn and his colleagues have been working on the problem, reviewing more than 1,000 studies on the movements of migratory species and then loading the best of the data into a public web system known as Mico (Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean). The system, detailed in an article in the scientific journal Nature Communications, is the first attempt to give policymakers a clear idea of where species go, how they are connected and what it will take to save them. Dr Lily Bentley, a marine conservation ecologist specialising in migratory species and lead author of the article, said the Mico system was also useful for seeing what is not known about migratory species. What the system shows, rather than a comprehensive map of all migratory animals, is the first attempt to synthesise all the studies that have tracked species. For example, Mico shows the vast global distribution of blue whales – the places where the biggest animals on Earth are known to live. But the tool also shows there have been practically no tracking studies of the whales anywhere around the entire African continent. Bentley said it was 'very much the first step'. 'If you're at a big international meeting and someone wants to know what species goes where, now we can have an answer.' Conservationists and policymakers are working on two big global agreements that the Mico team hope will benefit from their work. Dunn says one example is the '30 x 30' target – a global plan backed by more than 120 countries to protect 30% of the planet's land and ocean by 2030. 'Part of that target requires that the [protected areas] are well connected, but we are still trying to work out how we determine that. 'We can't wait, because the stresses on the animals are not waiting. We need to provide that initial information.' A second global deal, adopted in 2023 after 20 years of negotiations, is a treaty looking to increase the number of protected areas in the high seas. 'These two things could be amazing for migratory species if we get the areas right,' said Bentley. 'Migratory species move between jurisdictions, so you have to bring more and more people to the table and that's a hard thing to do. '[Mico] takes us a step further to making sure we're telling policymakers which areas of the high seas are important to protect.' Rebecca Hubbard is the global director of the High Seas Alliance, a group of more than 60 non-governmental organisations working on the high seas treaty. Hubbard, who attended a presentation of the Mico system this week, said it would help, 'particularly on the high seas that are half of our planet and two-thirds of the ocean'. 'We're now having to conserve our species on a global scale. We always need more data, but we also need to be able to see patterns in that data. [Mico] is incredibly useful in translating a lot of individual bits of information into a broader signal.'
