Latest news with #ScottAllen
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mosley's Hannah Ottley continues athletic career at Gulf Coast
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – 2025 Mosley High School graduate and volleyball all-star, Hannah Ottley experienced a full-circle moment after she returned to the Commodore youth camp as a rostered player and camp coach. Ottley, an incoming freshman at Gulf Coast State College, is set to join the Commodores volleyball team this fall. Her return to the Commodore youth camp served as a reminder of the journey that brought her from Emerald Coast Volleyball Club to being apart of the Gulf Coast State Commodores. 'I probably met Coach Allen when I was in seventh grade at Mowat Middle School,' Ottley said. 'I wasn't very good at the time but I came to camp and just kind of always stuck around the gym.' Ottley's sophomore year at Mosley marked a turning point in her career, when she made the varsity team. 'That year really helped me. I gained a lot of confidence and I was always getting more touches on the ball, and working out. That's when things started to shift.' Ottley became a key player that year for Mosley, finishing her sophomore season with a .652 hitting percentage and 16 kills. Her performance began to inspire her to pursue playing in college. The spring of 2025, Ottley officially committed to play volleyball for Gulf Coast State College. Her presence at the Commodore camp served as inspiration for the younger players in attendance, many of whom will follow a similar path through local clubs and school programs. Coach Scott Allen acknowledged her journey and growth throughout the years. 'Hannah Ottley, Mosley graduate, will also be a freshman this year. We've known her since she was 12 or 13. It's a pretty cool experience seeing them grow and eventually put on a Gulf Coast jersey.' Ottley, who plans to study business, said staying in Panama City was an easy choice. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists launch high-stakes experiment with endangered lizard species: 'We need a balance'
Australian biologists have bred and released genetically modified Guthega skinks — a type of small lizard — into an outdoor enclosure in hopes that their offspring will be better adapted to handle the changing climate. This type of lizard is only found in the country's Bogong High Plains in Victoria and on Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales, and they're currently on the endangered species list. The latter has better genetic health, and conservationists are bringing these two populations that have been separated for millions of years together to perform a type of "genetic rescue," as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. "What we've been trying to do in captivity is introduce those beneficial genes from NSW into the Victorian population," said Snowline Ecology conservation biologist Zak Atkins in the interview with ABC. "Those reproductive trials have been underway for multiple years now … and have been hugely successful in their breeding." The habitat for these skinks is a combination of rocky alpine fields and subalpine woodlands across mountainous areas, but the changing climate is impacting their numbers in these areas, prompting the researchers to take action. Guthega skinks have long held significance to the local Jaithmathang people, an Aboriginal people who see the creature as a sacred totem. "It goes to describing how we are represented in Dreamtime [and] it is sacred not only to our culture, but also sacred to the individual," said Jaithmathang Traditional Ancestral Bloodline Original Owners Corporation chief executive Scott Allen. The researchers developing the Healesville Sanctuary, as the outdoor enclosure is called, have been collecting genetic samples from the skinks' local habitat with the help of the Jaithmathang people. This will help them further understand where the lizards have previously lived and how they can help them survive in a changing landscape. While the skinks hold a sacred connection with local people, they're a food source for some, and as omnivorous creatures, they help maintain a balance in the ecosystem. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Human activities have helped to drive rising temperatures, extreme weather, droughts, and other environmental factors that are forcing some creatures to adapt or go extinct. To combat this, it's important to work toward securing biodiversity and wildlife habitats in order to maintain an ecological balance. "When we see the type of stuff that's going on in regard to the destruction of habitats, it's very personal for the Jaithmathang," said Allen. "We need a balance … and in 50 years' time when my little girl is on the top of a mountain, I still want her to ski as well as seeing a Guthega skink." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
