Rhinoceros Auklet
“Unicorn Puffin”
ABC’s Bird Library ›
Rhinoceros Auklet
“Unicorn Puffin”
Category: Animals / Insects / Water Life / Plants / Nature
True Facts: How Snakes Move
Talking climate doesn’t ruin Great Barrier Reef tourism
September 5, 2024 Ellen Phiddian
(Well, go figure!)
Telling tourists on the Great Barrier Reef about climate change doesn’t negatively affect their trip, according to a new study.
Instead, finds the research, it could be a good avenue to promote climate action for people who wouldn’t otherwise be engaged.
The study, done by a team of Queensland researchers, is published in People and Nature.
“Tourism operators are getting more engaged in learning how they can spread more awareness, given the state of the Reef and how urgent it’s getting,” says lead author Dr Yolanda Waters, an environmental social scientist at the University of Queensland.
“But they still have these concerns – what if it ruins people’s day? People pay a lot of money to go to the Reef.”
The team tested this concern by surveying 656 visitors on a variety of Reef tours that either did or didn’t mention climate change.
Waters tells Cosmos that her background working in Great Barrier Reef tourism provided the stimulus for the research.
“I used to work on the boats out of Cairns, and I went through these experiences of tourists asking questions and not really feeling equipped to answer them,” she says.
“There is this real feeling: how do we talk about this in a way that doesn’t negatively affect the industry?”
The researchers joined forces with 5 Reef tour operators in north Queensland to set up the experiment.
“We tried to get a range of different operators out of Cairns and Townsville, because we were also testing if it depends on the type of experience, the type of boat, if it’s 300 people or a smaller trip,” says Waters.
The researchers and tour staff developed control and experimental climate trips for each tour.
“It really depended on the boat and the type of trip,” says Waters.
“The operators let us work with their staff and design one trip that had no information about climate change specifically – they still had their regular information about marine life and regular day-to-day operations.
“And on other trips, they let us work with the staff to make sure climate change was very clearly incorporated throughout the day.”
This might include marine biologists’ presentations addressing climate change, videos, and posters.
“On the trip back, I went around and surveyed as many tourists as I could,” says Waters.
Visitors were asked to complete a 5-minute paper survey asking about their experience of the trip, and their engagement with climate change.
The researchers found that trips mentioning climate didn’t have a significant effect on visitors’ experiences.
“There was no overall effect on satisfaction,” says Waters.
People on both trips were interested in learning more about climate change.
“A lot of them wanted to have a chat about it, especially on days where there was no climate information on the boat – people noticed,” says Waters.
But people on trips with climate information weren’t any more likely to be spurred to action on climate change.
“We found that the climate information did increase people’s awareness about the threat, that information did get across to people, but we found that didn’t really translate to people’s willingness to do something when they went home,” says Waters.
This means that the information about climate change could be tweaked to be more solutions-focussed, according to the researchers.
“Our conclusion out of this, which aligns with some of the other research we’ve been doing, is that if tourism is to be this beacon of engaging people with climate change, it can’t just be talking about threats – people really want to know about solutions,” says Waters.
“Most people have no idea how they can help stop the ocean boiling. So that was the opportunity we identified.”
The research comes shortly after the release of the 2024 Great Barrier Reef Outlook report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which is compiled every 5 years.
The report found that, while parts of the Reef had declined and parts had improved, the overall state of the Reef remained “poor” and climate change was rapidly closing the window to preserve its health.
The researchers say in their paper that the tourism industry has an opportunity to promote action on climate change, provided it uses the right strategies.
“Two million people visit the Reef every year,” points out Waters. She adds that tourists often place a high amount of trust in the information given to them by guides.
“This is the right place and time to do it, but if tourism wants to really embrace the role, they need to start tailoring those talks and those education materials around solutions and actions that people can take home with them.”
Waters says the tourism operators the team worked with were “very receptive” to the study.
“I think tourism really does want to be on board,” she says.
“Tourism has to change, no matter what happens. And I think they’re starting to really recognise that.”
https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/climate-great-barrier-reef-tourism/
Monkeys give each other names too
This is so cool!
September 4, 2024 Evrim Yazgin
Marmosets do something that only humans, dolphins and elephants have been known to do: give each other names.
“Phee-calls” – a specific vocal call – used to identify and communicate between individual marmosets are described in new research published in the journal Science. Listen:
https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6361433757112
There are 22 species of marmoset native to South America and occasionally spotted in Central America. The generally live in small family groups of 2 to 8 individuals.
The common marmoset weighs just a few hundred grams and is about 19cm tall. They are easily recognised by their large, white ear tuffs.
Naming other individuals is a highly advanced cognitive skill in social animals. Interestingly, our closest evolutionary relatives, non-human primates, have until now appeared to lack this ability.
Researchers uncovered the phee-calls in marmosets by recording their conversations.
They found that, not only do the little monkeys use phee-calls to address specific individuals, they are also able to tell when a call was directed at them and responded more accurately when it was.
“This discovery highlights the complexity of social communication among marmosets,” explains study lead and senior author David Omer from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “These calls are not just used for self-localisation, as previously thought – marmosets use these specific calls to label and address specific individuals.”
The researchers also noticed marmosets within a family group used similar vocal labels to address different individuals. Adult marmosets were even able to learn the names of individuals they weren’t related to by blood.
Such vocalisations may help marmosets in dense rainforest habitats where visibility is limited.
Baby marmoset monkey named Bareket. Credit: David Omer’s Lab.
“Marmosets live in small monogamous family groups and take care of their young together, much like humans do,” says Omer. “These similarities suggest that they faced comparable evolutionary social challenges to our early pre-linguistic ancestors, which might have led them to develop similar communicating methods.”
Understanding how social communication developed in marmosets could help explain human language evolution.
In the Spring edition of Cosmos Magazine, Drew Rooke looks at the prospects of talking to whales, and Amalyah Hart looks at insect consciousness. Out September 26.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/marmoset-monkey-names/
ICONIC 9LIVES SPOKESCAT MORRIS LAUNCHES PRESIDENTIAL BID TO PROMOTE “PAWS-ITIVITY.” COULD YOUR PET BE HIS RUNNING MATE?
First, it is absolutely a promotion for 9Lives kitty stuff and the shelter charity to which they’re contributing. I’m mainly posting this for the video; the ad ran while a mahjong game was loading on Shockwave. I’d never seen it before, and it’s cool, even though it’s an ad. Scottie’s kitties might also like it, along with anyone else kitty- or not kitty-related. I always loved Morris! To skip the blahblahblah and see the video, just scroll down.
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If your cat or dog is chosen to be Morris’ Vice President, you’ll choose which animal shelter will receive a $35,000 donation, estimated to be worth half a million 9Lives meals
LAKEVILLE, Minn., Aug. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier today, Morris, the legendary 9Lives spokescat, announced he’s once again running for President of the United States of America. He has already run for President on three separate occasions in 1988, 1992 and 2012. Fourth time’s the charm! Morris believes that meow is the time to bring his presidential hopes back into the spotlight and put renewed focus on the importance of pet adoption.
As he spreads his message of paws-itivity, Morris is eagerly on the hunt for a running mate – any cat or dog who shares his belief in The Good Life is invited to apply! If you think your pet has what it takes, visit www.MorrisforPresident.com to submit your nomination.*
The winner will receive a $1,000 prize and the chance to choose which animal shelter will receive a $35,000 donation from 9Lives – estimated to be worth half a million 9Lives meals. Internet sensation Doug the Pug will be serving as Morris’ Campaign Manager to help with his VP search.
As a bona fide rescue cat success story himself, Morris is an advo-cat for pets in need. In fact, he’s conceived five paw-licies to help all pets live The Good Life:
- RIGHT TO PROSPURR
Every pet deserves a good home, good health and good food. “Meow’s the time” to find fur-ever families for all shelter pets. - BE PAW-SITIVE
Morris envisions a world where anything is paws-ible – even cats and dogs getting along. - DOMESTIC PAW-LICY
Morris promises to keep the “CAT” in DOMESTI-CAT-ED. How will he do it? By taking cat naps 24/7. - DECLAW RIDICULOUS CAT LAWS
Morris will declaw every law that stops cats from living their best nine lives. “No yowling after 9pm?” You gotta be kitten me. - THE RIGHT CATITUDE
Morris believes in fostering a world of purrrr-fect harmony for all pets.
“Since becoming the 9Lives spokescat in 1968, my true purrrrr-pose in life has been to promote cat adoption and make it easier for humans to give cats a comfortable life with plenty of tasty, nutritious food,” said Morris the Cat. “I was a shelter cat myself before my rise to stardom. As President, I won’t quit until every cat out there is living The Good Life!”
For more information about Morris the Cat and 9Lives, head to www.9Lives.com. (snip)
3 for Science on Labor Day
so I guess you may read them tomorrow, if you like. 😎
Biologists have studied an extreme gymnast of the animal kingdom, watching as it moves so quickly it appears to all but vanish.
The globular springtail (Dicyrtomina minuta) is a small but mighty bug that can backflip more than 60 times higher and 100 times longer than its own body length.
This tiny bug grows to only a couple of millimetres and can’t sting, bite, or fly its way out of danger. Instead, its preferred method of avoiding predators is to flip out so forcefully it seems to disappear! (snip-More on the page, with photos)
Next, a possible source of new antibiotics (and this brought Ten Bears to my mind, for some reason):
A study has found promising antibiotic candidates inside bacteria harvested from the deep Arctic Sea.
The research, by Finnish and Norwegian researchers, is published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
Antibiotic discovery has slowed in recent decades, which has exacerbated the risks of antibiotic resistance.
Most licensed antibiotics – about 70% – have been derived from a type of soil-dwelling bacteria called actinobacteria.
“For example, members of the Streptomyces genus produce several secondary metabolites, including clinically useful antibiotics such as tetracyclines, aminoglycocides and macrolides,” says corresponding author Dr Päivi Tammela, a professor at the University of Helsinki, Finland.
But soil isn’t the only place these bacteria can be found.
“Marine actinobacteria found in the sea, on the seafloor, or within the microbiome of marine organisms, have received far less attention as possible sources of antibiotics,” says Tammela. (snip-More on the page)
Then, an analysis for coal phase-out in Asia:
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region account for 76% of the world’s thermal coal power generation, and many of these plants will need to retire early to meet global emissions targets.
But according to a new analysis, it’s possible to phase these coal plants out and transition to renewable energy while investors still make money.
The study, done by Australian, Singaporean and Chinese researchers, is published in Energy Policy.
“There is a drive and interest from a number of different investors like the Asian Development Bank, but also private sector investors, to finance the early retirement coal fired power plants,” lead author Professor Christoph Nedopil Wang, director of Griffith University’s Asia Institute, tells Cosmos.
Nedopil and colleagues looked specifically at 6 Chinese-sponsored coal-fired power plants in Vietnam and Pakistan.
“With investors wanting to invest in, and ideally also providing lower cost financing for, green projects, refinancing of these coal fired power plants becomes possible at a lower cost,” says Nedopil.
The researchers modelled the future performance of these stations under a variety of financing and geoeconomic scenarios.
“That brought us to the conclusion that, depending on the age of the coal-fired power plant, we can retire these plants earlier than currently envisaged, while reducing the financing cost and therefore increasing enterprise value,” says Nedopil. (snip-More on the page)
I read about this young woman Saturday. You may be interested to read about her, too-
I do the free clicks on Free The Ocean, just to help make a dent in the amount of plastic in Earth’s oceans. The clicks are to answer trivia questions, and frequently I learn something, especially on days when I guess the answer. Yesterday’s (I had it up to post yesterday, too, but didn’t get it done until late) was about Autumn Peltier. I was interested, so I pulled up some more info on her, and she is post-worthy.
Here is some biographical info. “Autumn Peltier is the chief water commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation, and a water-rights advocate and environmental activist.
“Peltier was born on September 17, 2004, in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada, and is a member of the Aniishnabek Nation.” There is more on the page, too.
An article from 2017 on CBC News tells us, “Even at the tender age of 12, Autumn Peltier speaks with the wisdom of someone much older.
“’I’m going to be an ancestor one day,’ says Peltier, from her home in Wikwemikong First Nation in northern Ontario. ‘I’m still going to have great-grandchildren on this land and I hope they are still able to drink the water.’
“Despite her youth, Peltier is already a veteran activist when it comes to the issue of clean drinking water — not just in First Nations communities, but across the country.
“’I do what I do for the water because water is sacred,’ says Peltier, who was honoured by the Assembly of First Nations as a water protector.
“Since water doesn’t have a voice, Peltier says she wants to lend hers to the cause. Even if that means taking on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as she did last December at the AFN’s annual winter gathering.”
There is even more information here, on CIWEM , the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. This one is current, with some family history. This is a remarkable young woman!
How Salamanders Skydive From the Tallest Trees in the World | Deep Look
ABC’s Bird Library ›
Dovekie, “Little Auk”
- Scientific Name: Alle alle
- Population: Approximately 24 to 50 million
- Trend: Unknown, may be decreasing
- Habitat: Breeds on rocky coastlines and islands; spends the rest the year at sea, often at the edges of pack ice.
You can see and hear more of this bird on the page. Take a look!
News for people who pay attention to storms
Hailstone library improves predictions of damaging storms
August 19, 2024 Imma Perfetto
Scientists have compiled a library of hailstones to help fine-tune hailstorm simulations and make weather forecasts more accurate.
To make calculations more simple, conventional scientific hailstorm modelling assumes all hailstones are perfectly spherical. In reality, they’re a little more complicated than that.
“Hail can be all sorts of weird shapes, from oblong to a flat disc or have spikes coming out – no two pieces of hail are the same,” says Dr Joshua Soderholm, honorary senior research fellow at University of Queensland and research scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia.
In their new study in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Soderholm and collaborators explored whether compiling a reference library of non-spherical, natural hail shapes could change the outcomes of hailstorm modelling.
“Our study used data from 217 hail samples, which were 3-D scanned and then sliced in half, to tell us more about how the hailstone formed,” says Soderholm.
“This is effectively a dataset to represent the many and varied shapes of hailstones.”
According to lead researcher Yuzhu Lin, a PhD candidate at Pennsylvania State University in the US, the differences were dramatic.
“Modelling of the more naturally shaped hail showed it took different pathways through the storm, experienced different growth and landed in different places,” she says.
“It also affected the speed and impact the hail had on the ground. This way of modelling had never been done before, so it’s exciting science.”
While the modelling is currently only used by scientists studying storms, Soderholm says the end game is to be able to predict how big hail will be and where it will fall in real-time.
“More accurate forecasts would of course warn the public so they can stay safe during hailstorms and mitigate damage,” he says.
“But it could also significantly benefit industries such as insurance, agriculture and solar farming which are all sensitive to hail.”
Scottie's Playtime 