Latest news with #Bunce
Sydney Morning Herald
24-07-2025
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
How just two litres of water can uncover the mysteries of the sea
How do you detect the presence of a bony-eared assfish, lurking 3000 metres below the surface of the ocean? By testing for evidence of its urine, of course. Scientists have spent the past three years painstakingly mapping the DNA of Australia's oceans, filtering the waters to collect the DNA 'breadcrumbs' animals leave behind. From just two litres of water, they can identify the DNA of every creature that has passed through the environment over the previous hours and days, allowing them to collect evidence of the animals' presence without nets and ropes. A multiyear project run by Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia, spanning 13 dedicated voyages and several secondary voyages, has identified 257,497 marine vertebrates across Australian marine parks spanning 4000 kilometres north to south, and 6000 kilometres east to west. The environmental DNA (eDNA) project has not only spotlit where rare and threatened marine species are, but has also inadvertently discovered species previously unknown to science. 'Of course, we see more of them in places like deep-sea ecosystems, where people haven't gone before and surveyed the biodiversity down there,' said Professor Michael Bunce, the head of OceanOmics at Minderoo. 'What's going to be crucial is putting protections around some of these special places before they disappear.' Bony-eared assfish – a form of cusk-eel – are delicate creatures resembling a cross between a jellyfish and a tadpole, and are found in tropical and subtropical waters to depths of up to 4000 metres. Identifying them would usually involve extracting them from the depths of the ocean, thereby killing them. Other mid- and deep-sea creatures identified by the research teams include similarly intriguingly named rattails, slimeheads, pearlfish, slickheads and lanternfish. Despite rapid advances in scientific knowledge, oceans remain the great unknown, with estimates there could be up to 500,000 marine species in Australia's oceans, including corals, plankton and shellfish – of which just 33,000 have been identified. Work to sequence the DNA of marine life is slow and painstaking, but Bunce said Minderoo Foundation had set a goal to sequence the genetic 'barcodes' of all 5000 known marine fish, a task that is about halfway complete. A further 500 vertebrates call Australian waters home, including seabirds, whales, sealions and dolphins. The organisation is one of the partners of the national science agency CSIRO, which has set an ambitious target to create a national biodiversity DNA library for Australia, which it says would offer enormous fisheries, biosecurity and environmental benefits. The $11.8 million multiyear eDNA partnership between Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia took seawater samples from a range of ocean environments, from tropical reefs to 6000 metres below the surface of the water. Bunce said sea creatures shed DNA in various ways, but mostly from the waste they expel. 'They're defecating and urinating in the water columns, so we're literally swimming around in a whole pile of DNA ... and that's kind of cool and gross at the same time,' he said. After animals shed DNA, it can be detectable for between a few hours and a few days before it is broken down by water movements, temperatures, UV radiation and other factors. DNA is broken down more rapidly in shallow and warm waters, while in cold and dark deep-sea settings, it can persist for a week or more. While all animals contain those genetic breadcrumbs, which are scattered through our oceans, different species lose DNA in different ways. Bunce said turtles and sea snakes slough smaller amounts of DNA as they move through water, making them more difficult to detect, while baitfish were easily identified as they were eaten in great numbers and expelled out the back ends of larger species. Not that there is such a thing as a perfect science – Bunce said researchers joked about the cats, dogs and salmon apparently detected in remote oceans, their DNA deposited into pristine waters from boats above. Armed with more than a quarter of a million observations of sea creatures, the project's leaders then turned their sights to offering their science to the Australian public, and the world. Minderoo Foundation's new OceanOmics eDNA Dashboard, launched today, combines artificial intelligence with eDNA to allow users to explore the data by species or marine park, or to 'chat' with AI to interrogate the data. A Minderoo spokesman said the dashboard would be 'a game-changer for marine conservation as everyday Australians can now visualise the ocean in an entirely new way'. Dr Philipp Bayer, principal of computational biology at Minderoo Foundation, said scientists had recovered more than 1.2 billion DNA sequence readings from their surveys, with each two-litre eDNA seawater sample averaging 62 different marine species detections. Scientists made almost 258,000 marine vertebrate eDNA observations, including 2019 bony fish species and 95 cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays and chimaeras) species. 'This is a lot of data,' Bayer said. 'To make sense of it all, and enable people to interact with the data, we co-developed a dashboard that allows users to explore the living fabric of our oceans at scale. 'The dashboard focuses on making complex science accessible. While we can't see DNA, we can read it – and now we can visualise the output too.' Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt welcomed the innovation, describing it as a game-changer for marine conservation. 'We can now 'visualise' the ocean in an entirely new way – from threatened handfish to whale sharks, we're gaining insights that were unimaginable just a few years ago,' he said. 'By co-investing in world-leading science like this, we're better equipped to protect the incredible biodiversity in our marine parks and make evidence-based decisions for the future.'
The Age
24-07-2025
- Science
- The Age
How just two litres of water can uncover the mysteries of the sea
How do you detect the presence of a bony-eared assfish, lurking 3000 metres below the surface of the ocean? By testing for evidence of its urine, of course. Scientists have spent the past three years painstakingly mapping the DNA of Australia's oceans, filtering the waters to collect the DNA 'breadcrumbs' animals leave behind. From just two litres of water, they can identify the DNA of every creature that has passed through the environment over the previous hours and days, allowing them to collect evidence of the animals' presence without nets and ropes. A multiyear project run by Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia, spanning 13 dedicated voyages and several secondary voyages, has identified 257,497 marine vertebrates across Australian marine parks spanning 4000 kilometres north to south, and 6000 kilometres east to west. The environmental DNA (eDNA) project has not only spotlit where rare and threatened marine species are, but has also inadvertently discovered species previously unknown to science. 'Of course, we see more of them in places like deep-sea ecosystems, where people haven't gone before and surveyed the biodiversity down there,' said Professor Michael Bunce, the head of OceanOmics at Minderoo. 'What's going to be crucial is putting protections around some of these special places before they disappear.' Bony-eared assfish – a form of cusk-eel – are delicate creatures resembling a cross between a jellyfish and a tadpole, and are found in tropical and subtropical waters to depths of up to 4000 metres. Identifying them would usually involve extracting them from the depths of the ocean, thereby killing them. Other mid- and deep-sea creatures identified by the research teams include similarly intriguingly named rattails, slimeheads, pearlfish, slickheads and lanternfish. Despite rapid advances in scientific knowledge, oceans remain the great unknown, with estimates there could be up to 500,000 marine species in Australia's oceans, including corals, plankton and shellfish – of which just 33,000 have been identified. Work to sequence the DNA of marine life is slow and painstaking, but Bunce said Minderoo Foundation had set a goal to sequence the genetic 'barcodes' of all 5000 known marine fish, a task that is about halfway complete. A further 500 vertebrates call Australian waters home, including seabirds, whales, sealions and dolphins. The organisation is one of the partners of the national science agency CSIRO, which has set an ambitious target to create a national biodiversity DNA library for Australia, which it says would offer enormous fisheries, biosecurity and environmental benefits. The $11.8 million multiyear eDNA partnership between Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia took seawater samples from a range of ocean environments, from tropical reefs to 6000 metres below the surface of the water. Bunce said sea creatures shed DNA in various ways, but mostly from the waste they expel. 'They're defecating and urinating in the water columns, so we're literally swimming around in a whole pile of DNA ... and that's kind of cool and gross at the same time,' he said. After animals shed DNA, it can be detectable for between a few hours and a few days before it is broken down by water movements, temperatures, UV radiation and other factors. DNA is broken down more rapidly in shallow and warm waters, while in cold and dark deep-sea settings, it can persist for a week or more. While all animals contain those genetic breadcrumbs, which are scattered through our oceans, different species lose DNA in different ways. Bunce said turtles and sea snakes slough smaller amounts of DNA as they move through water, making them more difficult to detect, while baitfish were easily identified as they were eaten in great numbers and expelled out the back ends of larger species. Not that there is such a thing as a perfect science – Bunce said researchers joked about the cats, dogs and salmon apparently detected in remote oceans, their DNA deposited into pristine waters from boats above. Armed with more than a quarter of a million observations of sea creatures, the project's leaders then turned their sights to offering their science to the Australian public, and the world. Minderoo Foundation's new OceanOmics eDNA Dashboard, launched today, combines artificial intelligence with eDNA to allow users to explore the data by species or marine park, or to 'chat' with AI to interrogate the data. A Minderoo spokesman said the dashboard would be 'a game-changer for marine conservation as everyday Australians can now visualise the ocean in an entirely new way'. Dr Philipp Bayer, principal of computational biology at Minderoo Foundation, said scientists had recovered more than 1.2 billion DNA sequence readings from their surveys, with each two-litre eDNA seawater sample averaging 62 different marine species detections. Scientists made almost 258,000 marine vertebrate eDNA observations, including 2019 bony fish species and 95 cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays and chimaeras) species. 'This is a lot of data,' Bayer said. 'To make sense of it all, and enable people to interact with the data, we co-developed a dashboard that allows users to explore the living fabric of our oceans at scale. 'The dashboard focuses on making complex science accessible. While we can't see DNA, we can read it – and now we can visualise the output too.' Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt welcomed the innovation, describing it as a game-changer for marine conservation. 'We can now 'visualise' the ocean in an entirely new way – from threatened handfish to whale sharks, we're gaining insights that were unimaginable just a few years ago,' he said. 'By co-investing in world-leading science like this, we're better equipped to protect the incredible biodiversity in our marine parks and make evidence-based decisions for the future.'
BBC News
29-04-2025
- BBC News
Men behind Hull drugs ring jailed for total of 16 years
Drug dealers behind an operation making thousands of pounds a week have been jailed for a total of more than 16 Murray, 25, was responsible for suppling large amounts of drugs to dealers throughout Hull, while Rhys Bunce, 30, ran a drugs line in the city, Humberside Police Grimsby Crown Court, Murray, of Clairbrook Close, Hull, was jailed for 10 years and nine months after admitting supplying class A and B drugs, possession with intent to supply and possessing criminal of Lissett Grove, Hull, was sent to prison for five years and four months during the hearing on Friday, after pleading guilty to three counts of supplying class A drugs. PC Claire Dobson said the sentences would make a "dent in an organised crime group".Officers who went to arrest Bunce in November 2023 found him hiding in a hollowed-out bed were found on his phone relating to the supply of class A drugs including cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin. "He was the one running a drugs line, employing others on the streets of Hull to deal the drugs, and making thousands of pounds per week," PC Dobson was evidence of Bunce making crack cocaine and employing others to weigh and bag up the drugs for distribution, she found Bunce was in regular contact with who searched Murray's home in February 2024 found £38,000 in cash, cocaine with an estimated street value of £13,000, designer clothing and high-value items including a Rolex watch worth £17, and Murray pleaded guilty to the offences during a hearing at Grimsby Crown Court on 25 to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Press and Journal
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Connor Bunce eyes shot at SPFL with Brora Rangers as play-off bid gets under way
Connor Bunce would love to step up to the SPFL as he aims to help Brora Rangers make a good start to their promotion play-offs campaign. The Cattachs take on Lowland League champions East Kilbride at K Park on Saturday in the first leg of their pyramid play-off semi-final tie. Attacker Bunce signed for Brora from Clachnacuddin in November and helped them win the Breedon Highland League. Last weekend, he was cup-tied as the Sutherland club won the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup to complete a treble. The 23-year-old is hoping there's more success to come at the end of this season as the Cattachs attempt to become an Scottish league club. Bunce said: 'I think most people of my age want to try to play as high as they possibly can, and if you're in the Highland League, then that next step is trying to get into League Two or League One. 'Coming to Brora with the chance to win the Highland League and also potentially getting the chance to get promoted to the next level made it a bit of a no-brainer for me. 'In the past couple of years when I've been doing well and clubs like Brora have shown an interest, it has made me think: 'Do I have what it takes to play at a higher level?' 'I think I can do it. 'I'd like to hope my best years are still ahead of me and I feel at the stage I'm at in my career this would be a great time to make that step up. 'Having been at Brora for half-a-season, it would be incredible to have helped the club to win the treble and then get promoted to the SPFL. 'It would be a tremendous effort from everyone at the club if we can do it – it's something I didn't necessarily expect to happen so soon after joining Brora. 'This season couldn't have gone better for myself or Brora up to now, so hopefully that continues to be the case.' East Kilbride have also won a trio of trophies this term, and Bunce is expecting an entertaining tie, but believes for Brora it's crucial they keep themselves in the contest ahead of next weekend's return leg at Dudgeon Park. He added: 'Both teams have won trebles and have been very successful this season, so it should make for an exciting tie. 'Both clubs really want to go up and it should be a good tie, although I think the first leg will be a cagey affair. 'We've got the second leg at Dudgeon Park, which, if we can get through this game unscathed, should help our cause. 'It's really important we keep ourselves in the tie. We've spoken about making sure we don't take any unnecessary risks, because we want to make sure we're still in the tie next week.' Although Bunce would have liked to have been able to feature in last weekend's Highland League Cup final, he says he's firing on all cylinders as he gets ready to face East Kilbride. He said: 'It's good to be back involved this week – although it was gutting not to be able to help the boys win the cup, but my body may have appreciated the weekend off and I've felt really sharp in training this week. 'It's a good time to be feeling sharp given the games we've got coming up.' East Kilbride captain Jack Leitch says getting promoted to the SPFL would rank alongside anything he has achieved in his career. The Lowland League champions are preparing to face Breedon Highland League winners Brora Rangers on Saturday in the pyramid play-offs at K Park. Former Peterhead, Motherwell, Airdrieonians and Stirling Albion midfielder Leitch joined East Kilbride last summer. During his career, the 29-year-old has won the League Two title with the Blue Toon in 2019 and the Binos in 2023, and says if East Kilbride can get promoted, it would be another great achievement. Leitch said: 'For me I think if we managed to get promoted that would be right up there with anything in my career. 'I've won League Two twice, but it's very difficult with the pyramid system to win your league and then get promoted, so if we were to do that and get into League Two, it would rank very highly for me. 'We know Brora have got a lot of quality and we need to try to get past them and then either Forfar or Bonnyrigg. 'It's a difficult task to get up, as the club found out last year (losing to Stranraer in the play-offs), and anything can happen in these games.' Leitch revealed he could have remained in the SPFL after leaving Stirling last summer, but the challenge of trying to help East Kilbride climb the pyramid appealed to him. He added: 'Having played with Simon Ferry (East Kilbride assistant manager) at Peterhead, that was a big factor in me joining. 'I had a couple of options in the SPFL, but I fancied trying something different, so that was probably the main reason I signed.' Like Brora, East Kilbride have won a treble this season, lifting the Lowland League Cup and South Challenge Cup, as well as their league championship. However, Leitch is clear their main target for the campaign is to get promoted – but he knows it won't be straightforward to get past Brora. He said: 'We've won a treble this season, so it's been a successful campaign. 'But the main objective for the season is to try to get into League Two. I don't think anyone has shied away from the fact that the club's aim is to get promoted. 'However, we know Brora are a good side, so it will be a difficult. 'The manager and assistant manager have watched them. 'I've played with Shane Sutherland at Peterhead and I've played against guys like Tony Dingwall, so I know Brora have plenty of quality.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Single-wide Cheney home a total loss after fire erupts
Feb. 12—A single-wide home was engulfed in flames Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from Spokane County Fire District 3. Firefighters responded around 4:45 p.m. to a structure fire in the 33800 block of South Caramel Lane, near Badger Lake Estates RV Park. Residents of the home made it out safely, said the district's Public Affairs Director, Terri Bunce. The structure is a complete loss, however. Firefighters had to evacuate other people in RVs around the area out of caution, Bunce said. The blaze damaged the homes beside it. There was no other information available.
