Who is the invertebrate of the year?
An invertebrate is an animal that doesn't have a backbone. Many invertebrates, like insects and spiders, have a hard outer casing called an exoskeleton, which protects their body a bit like a suit of armour.The tardigrade, nicknamed the water bear, is incredibly tiny - the size of a speck of dust - but has an extraordinary ability to survive in difficult circumstances. They often live in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats such as lichen and damp moss. They are found throughout the world, including regions of extreme temperature, such as hot springs, and extreme pressure, such as deep underwaterExplaining why the tardigrade was a good choice to win, Patrick said: "We are drawn to tiny but resilient animals in times of global political turmoil. When we feel small and powerless, the mighty, microscopic tardigrades give us hope. "
Now a special team of scientists in Cambridge plan to study tardigrades to find out what we can learn from their unique "superpowers".For example they can survive radiation, by shrinking themselves and completely drying out their cells. Their DNA is then preserved. In this state they requires no food or water and when they wants to rehydrate again, they can get back to their original state in as little as 25 minutes. Understanding this process could help researchers make other materials that are resistant to very extreme conditions - maybe vaccines that don't need to be kept in the fridge, or astronauts that can better withstand the radiation in space. By researching the tardigrades scientists hope they can understand more about how the tiny animals have become so resilient.
The shortlist of the final 10 included: 1. The tongue-biting louse burrows in through a fish's gills, clings to its tongue and eats what the fish eats.2. The dark-edged bee-fly pretends to be a bee but is actually a fly that twerks.3. Multi-segmented micro-animal Milnesium tardigradum has survived five great extinction events.4. The flamboyant cuttlefish flashes a dazzling array of psychedelic colours to warn predators they are toxic.5. The giant Gippsland earthworm can grow up to 3 metres in length.6. The all-female microscopic common rotifer has thrived without males for millions of years.7. The fen raft spider walks on water and has been revived from near-extinction in Britain.8. The ultra-rare amber comet firefly emits a burning flash of light, following by a trailing glow.9. The Wētāpunga is a flightless grasshopper that's the heaviest insect in the world.10. The monarch butterfly migrates for 3,000 miles.
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The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Alarmingly high' levels of forever chemicals found at airports in England, investigation reveals
'Alarmingly high' levels of toxic forever chemicals have been detected at English airports – in some cases thousands of times higher than proposed EU safe levels – with experts raising concerns over the potential impact on drinking water sources. Seventeen airports recorded elevated levels of Pfas in the ground and surface water sample on their sites, according to unpublished Environment Agency documents, obtained exclusively by the Ends Report and the Guardian via an environmental information request. Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of about 10,000 chemicals which persist in the environment and have been linked to a range of serious illnesses. They are used in many consumer products, from frying pans to waterproof coats, but one of their most common uses is in firefighting foams. The largest Pfas total recorded was at London Luton airport, with total Pfas in one groundwater sample, taken at a location described as 'fire training lagoon two', of 36,084 nanograms per litre. There is no regulatory limit for Pfas in ground or surface water in the UK, but in the EU a proposed threshold is being considered of 4.4ng/l. While Luton tested for twice the number of Pfas than that included in the EU threshold, the airport's highest total Pfas level was 8,000 times higher than the draft limit. Among the specific Pfas detected at these 17 airports were PFOS and PFOA – two banned and toxic chemicals which, respectively, are suspected and known carcinogens. One sample taken from 'borehole four' at London Luton contained 2,555ng/l of Pfas, with 24ng/l of PFOS and 39ng/l of PFOA. This total Pfas level is more than 500 times higher than the EU's proposed threshold. A London Luton airport spokesperson said: 'Like many airports and other industries in the UK and around the world, we are investing in and working closely with relevant agencies to assess and monitor Pfas.' They added that the data obtained by this investigation was from preliminary screening and should not be considered statistically representative, as a long-term monitoring programme was still under way. Of the airports sampled, Ends Report's analysis has revealed that four of the 17 are located within protected drinking water safeguard zones. These are designated areas set up around public water supplies where additional pollution control measures are needed. One sample taken at Farnborough airport, Hampshire, located in a drinking water safeguard zone, contained 180ng/l of PFOS. The Drinking Water Inspectorate has set a guideline safe level of 100ng/l for the total levels of 48 named Pfas. If test results in drinking water come close to this threshold, then the inspectorate states that precautions should be taken. The presence of elevated Pfas in the sample does not necessarily mean that drinking water is being contaminated by the airport's Pfas pollution. Experts say that for this to happen, pathways would need to exist to enable Pfas to enter drinking water sources. Dr Patrick Byrne, a reader in hydrology and environmental pollution at Liverpool John Moores University, said: 'The risk, if any, to downstream receptors like drinking water sources and ecosystems is unclear. To understand the risk, we need to establish if there is a transport pathway between the source and the receptor. If there is no transport pathway, there is a very low risk.' However, for Dr Shubhi Sharma, from the charity Chem Trust, the high levels of Pfas detected at airports are 'extremely worrying as some of these Pfas have been established as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization'. Dr Rob Collins, director of policy and science at the Rivers Trust, described the Pfas concentrations at UK airports as 'alarmingly high'. While uncertainty remains over the potential risk these may pose, Pfas contamination of drinking water from airports has previously been confirmed close to home. In Jersey, residents have been recommended bloodletting to reduce high concentrations of Pfas in their blood after private drinking water supplies were polluted by the use of Pfas in firefighting foams at the island's airport. In France, one region had to take whole drinking water supplies out of use due to Pfas contamination from an airport. A spokesperson for the trade association AirportsUK said: 'This year UK airports are spending around £5m in investigating the sources and nature of Pfas issues on their sites – it is this industry work that this data comes from. 'This work is being done with a view to identifying specific source locations so that appropriate actions can be assessed. Airports are working closely with the Environment Agency and local communities to ensure that they do not make their way into watercourses and food chains.' A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: 'We are reshaping the UK Reach [chemicals regulation] work programme to deliver stronger protections and are currently considering the best approach to chemicals regulation in the UK, including the development of a restriction dossier on Pfas in firefighting foams'.
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Daily Mail
He'd need some LARGE SquarePants: Footage of a sea star with a 'big bottom' sparks hilarity as it's compared to SpongeBob's Patrick
The sea floor is home to all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures. But one in particular has become an online sensation, thanks to its impressive 'buttocks'. A big–bottomed sea star has been spotted more than 1,000 metres (3,280ft) below the waves. And it appears to have a backside that will make even the most avid gymgoer jealous. This has led many baffled viewers to compare the creature to Patrick from the animated series Spongebob Squarepants. Commenting on a YouTube live feed, one user wrote: 'Patrick's lost his pants!' while another demanded: 'We want the big–bottomed Patrick'. Other hilarious comments included: 'There's a gym at the bottom of the sea', 'Baby's got back', 'This butt looks better than most' and 'That *peach emoji* needs to be studied'. The orange creature was captured on camera as part of an Argentine–American scientific mission to explore the Mar del Plata canyon. This is one of Argentina's largest and deepest underwater canyons that plunges to 3,500 metres (11,482ft) deep. Researchers are using a remotely–operated vehicle (ROV) to explore its depths while transmitting a livestream of what they come across. So far they have broadcast a range of amazing animals including a bright red sea cucumber, octopus, king crab and incredible coral – but none have generated as much interest as the sea star. The creature features two symmetrical bumps on its back, bearing an uncanny resemblance to buttocks. Its vibrant colour also means it looks like Patrick, a naïve and overweight pink sea star that is best friends with a yellow sea sponge in the famous Nickelodeon series which first aired back in 1999. The sea star now even has its own account on X, with the username 'Starbutt', where users have been sharing memes about the creature. One person has even crocheted a version of the big–bottomed marine invertebrate. This is the first time that humans have been able to view this underwater oasis in real time. It is home to such an abundance of life because it is where a cold, nutrient–rich current converges with a warm, salty current. Together, they form 'one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean', according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute. The 20–day expedition, which will end on August 10, involves 25 scientists. Expedition leader Daniel Lauretta said: 'The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity. 'Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life.' Along with capturing images and providing a livestream the ROV, called SuBastian, has been collecting biological samples with its robotic arms. This is not the first time scientists have discovered a sea creature that resembles something from the Spongebob series. Back in 2021, marine scientists spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink sea star hanging out together in real life. Marine scientists have previously spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink sea star in 'real life'. The adorable duo were spotted on the side of an underwater mountain called Retriever seamount, around 200 miles east of New York City The adorable duo were spotted on the side of an underwater mountain called Retriever seamount, around 200 miles east of New York City. Christopher Mah, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shared his findings on X, joking: 'I normally avoid these refs... but WOW. REAL LIFE SpongeBob and Patrick!' Experts have previously explained the reason why starfish may sometimes appear to have a human–like bum. 'Sea stars sometimes relax their arms, such as when they are eating,' Nate Jaros, curator of fish and invertebrates at the Aquarium of the Pacific, said. He explained that sometimes gravity can 'cause internal components to slump'. Starfish or sea star? Scientists recently made the decision to change the name 'starfish' to 'sea star' because they're not actually fish. NOAA explained: 'Sea stars live underwater, but that is where their resemblance to fish ends. They do not have gills, scales, or fins. Sea stars live only in saltwater. Sea water, instead of blood, is actually used to pump nutrients through their bodies via a 'water vascular system.' 'Also, sea stars move by using tiny tube feet located on the underside of their bodies. Adult sunflower sea stars can move at the astonishing speed of one meter per minute using 15,000 tube feet. Tube feet also help sea stars hold their prey. 'Sea stars are related to sand dollars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, all of which are echinoderms, meaning that they have five–point radial symmetry. 'However, this does not mean that all sea stars have five arms and species with 10, 20, or even 40 arms exist! If one of these arms is lost, a sea star has the amazingly ability to regenerate it.'
The Guardian
05-08-2025
- The Guardian
Summer picks: what is ‘mirror life' and why are scientists sounding the alarm?
'Unprecedented risk' to life on Earth: scientists call for halt on 'mirror life' microbe research Support the Guardian:
