Latest news with #CentreforEcologyandConservationatExeter
Perth Now
01-05-2025
- Science
- Perth Now
Ditching fish and chips could save the planet
Ditching fish and chips could help save the planet. Boffins are calling for people to stop scoffing down the British staple dish because Atlantic cod, skate, black seabream and red gurnard are key to maintaining the seabed. Findings from the Convex Seascape Survey - which looked into what fish do in bioturbation, which sees sediments or soils be altered of mixed by living organisms - showed that 120 of the 185 fish species that help maintain the seabed's good health were being taken out of the water. Mara Fischer, study lead and a University of Exeter PhD student, said: "Ocean sediments are the world's largest reservoir of organic carbon – so what happens on the seabed matters for our climate. 'Bioturbation is very important for how the seabed takes up and stores organic carbon, so the process is vital to our understanding of how the ocean absorbs greenhouse gases to slow the rate of climate change. "Bioturbation is also important for seabed and wider ocean ecosystems. We have a good understanding of how invertebrates contribute to global bioturbation – but until now, we have been missing half the story. "Our study is the first to attempt to quantify the bioturbation impact of fish, and it shows they play a significant, widespread role.' Professor Callum Roberts, co-author and from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, said: 'We also found that species with the highest bioturbation impacts are among the most vulnerable to threats such as commercial fishing. "Many of the largest and most powerful diggers and disturbers of seabed sediments, like giant skates, halibut and cod, have been so overfished they have all but vanished from our seas. "These losses translate into big, but still uncertain, changes in the way seabed ecosystems work.'
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Chip-shop fish among key seabed engineers, Exeter uni study finds
Many of the fish we eat play a key role in maintaining the seabed and therefore our climate, according to new research by the University of working on the Convex Seascape Survey focussed on the role of fish in bioturbation, the process of churning the seabed to keep it healthy and fertile, in shallow UK Atlantic cod, a staple in chip shops, jointly topped the list of these important "ecosystem engineers", along with Atlantic hagfish and European total, 185 fish species were found to play a role in bioturbation, and 120 of these are targeted by commercial fishing. "Ocean sediments are the world's largest reservoir of organic carbon, so what happens on the seabed matters for our climate," said Mara Fisher, a University of Exeter PhD student, who led the study."Bioturbation is very important for how the seabed takes up and stores organic carbon, so the process is vital to our understanding of how the ocean absorbs greenhouse gases to slow the rate of climate change."Our study is the first to attempt to quantify the bioturbation impact of fish, and it shows they play a significant, widespread role."Prof Callum Roberts, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, said: "We found that species with the highest bioturbation impacts are among the most vulnerable to threats like commercial fishing."Many of the largest and most powerful diggers and disturbers of seabed sediments, like giant skates, halibut and cod, have been so overfished they have all but vanished from our seas."These losses translate into big, but still uncertain, changes in the way seabed ecosystems work."The Convex Seascape Survey is a five-year partnership between Blue Marine Foundation, the University of Exeter and Convex Group Limited, and aims to build a greater understanding of the ocean in attempts to slow climate change.
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Wild chimpanzees filmed by scientists bonding over alcoholic fruit
Humans have gathered to feast and enjoy a tipple together for thousands of years, but research suggests chimpanzees may also bond over a boozy treat. Wild chimpanzees in west Africa have been observed sharing fruit containing alcohol – not in quantities to get roaring drunk but, possibly, enough for a fuzzy beer buzz feeling. The researchers, led by scientists from the University of Exeter in the UK, caught chimpanzees on film sharing fermented African breadfruit in Guinea-Bissau's Cantanhez national park. 'For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation,' said Anna Bowland, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter's Penryn campus in Cornwall. 'We also know that sharing alcohol, including through traditions such as feasting, helps to form and strengthen social bonds. 'Now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits, the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?' Using motion-activated cameras, the researchers filmed chimpanzees sharing the large, dense and fibrous fermented fruit on 10 occasions. The fruit shared was tested for alcohol content. The highest level found was the equivalent of 0.61% alcohol by volume (ABV). 'Chimps don't share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important,' said Kimberley Hockings, also from the University of Exeter. Though the alcohol level is relatively low, the chimpanzees ate a lot of fruit every day so might ingest a fair quantity of alcohol, she said. 'They can feed on kilograms of the stuff every day. It's probably analogous to us sipping on a light beer.' Hockings and her colleagues published a paper in 2015 describing how chimpanzees in west Africa stole and consumed palm sap alcohol created by humans. Some of them appeared to become troublesome, causing mischief such as not letting others build their night nests. The researchers behind the latest study, however, said chimpanzees were unlikely to get 'drunk' on the breadfruit because it would not improve their survival chances. The sharing seemed to take place between all ages and sexes. Two adult females, nicknamed Chip and Até, were seen ignoring a larger hunk of breadfruit in favour of a smaller but fermented piece. Two adult males, Mandjambé and Gary, were observed approaching ripe breadfruit with aggressive stances. Mandjambé claimed a piece and began to feed, while another adult male, Bobby, kept Gary at bay. They all had a taste of the ripe breadfruit in the vicinity in the end. The paper, which appears in the journal Current Biology with the title 'Wild chimpanzees share fermented fruits', asks the question: 'Do the origins of feasting behaviour derive from a shared common ancestor?' Hockings said: 'We need to find out more about whether the chimpanzees deliberately seek out ethanolic fruits and how they metabolise it, but this behaviour could be the early evolutionary stages of feasting. If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history.' She said the number of observations was small but they could lead to 'an explosion' of research into the topic.
