A visit to the Garbage Vortex

One of the many footprints of human behaviour on this planet.

For more information:
CNN online

The Population Myth

People who claim that population growth is the big environmental issue are shifting the blame from the rich to the poor.

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2009/09/29/the-population-myth/

An nonconformist article by George Monbiot published in The Guardian. Worth reading it all.

No time? Then enjoy the short excerpt below:

While there’s a weak correlation between global warming and population growth, there’s a strong correlation between global warming and wealth. I’ve been taking a look at a few superyachts, as I’ll need somewhere to entertain Labour ministers in the style to which they’re accustomed. First I went through the plans for Royal Falcon Fleet’s RFF135, but when I discovered that it burns only 750 litres of fuel per hour I realised that it wasn’t going to impress Lord Mandelson. I might raise half an eyebrow in Brighton with the Overmarine Mangusta 105, which sucks up 850 l/hr. But the raft that’s really caught my eye is made by Wally Yachts in Monaco. The WallyPower 118 (which gives total wallies a sensation of power) consumes 3400 l/hr when travelling at 60 knots. That’s nearly one litre per second. Another way of putting it is 31 litres per kilometre.

Of course to make a real splash I’ll have to shell out on teak and mahogany fittings, carry a few jet skis and a mini-submarine, ferry my guests to the marina by private plane and helicopter, offer them bluefin tuna sushi and beluga caviar and drive the beast so fast that I mash up half the marine life of the Mediterranean. As the owner of one of these yachts I’ll do more damage to the biosphere in ten minutes than most Africans inflict in a lifetime. Now we’re burning, baby.

Act on CO2

Can small actions bring big results?

Apparently, they can -- as suggested by a recent article appeared on PNAS:

Thomas Dietz, Gerald T. Gardner, Jonathan Gilligan, Paul C. Stern and Michael P. Vandenbergh. 2009. Household actions can provide a behavioral wedge to rapidly reduce U.S. carbon emissions. PNAS 106(44):18452-18456.

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The following video conveys a consistent message:

http://tinyurl.com/ykvztfz

Carl Safina on science and morality

Simply noticing and recording the disturbing trends of a degraded world is a virtue of science and all those practicing it. The process reveals a lot of information about the world around us. But information alone is not enough to mobilize action on the scale required to make that world a healthier and more desirable place for our children. A set of political relationships with this, that, or the other political party is not enough. Nor are relationships in the marketplace. Nor a broad appeal to beauty. In this video clip, the writer Carl Safina speaks about the kind of relationship he believes is required.

From:
http://www.beholdtheearth.com/blog/1104/carl-safina-matters-of-morality/

Whale watching impact on humpback whales

Weinrich M., Corbelli C. 2009. Does whale watching in Southern New England impact humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf production or calf survival? Biological Conservation 142: 2931–2940.

ABSTRACT
There is growing concern about the effects of wildlife tourism on biologically important parameters in target species and/or populations. We tested whether whale watch vessel exposure affected either the calving rates or calf survival to age 2 in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on their feeding grounds off of southern New England, where individually identified whales have been studied intensively for decades and whale watch pressure is intense. Whale watch exposure did not correlate with either the calving rate (# of calves/# of years sighted) or calf production and survival of individual females, although a breakpoint analysis showed a slight negative trend up to 1649 min (or 20 boat interactions). In some comparisons, whales with more exposure were significantly more likely to produce calves and to have those calves survive. Logistic regressions including exposure and prey variables also failed to show negative effects of exposure in predicting calf productivity or survival. A limited comparison of calves seen only in an alternate habitat without whale watching showed similar return rates to those in the exposed area. Our data include limited suggestions that some animals (i.e., females alive when whale watching started) might be more susceptible to impacts than others. However, we found no direct evidence for negative effects of whale watch exposure, and suggest that short-term disturbance may not necessarily be indicative of more meaningful detrimental effects on either individuals or populations.

Video of the Month: November 2009

The Last Ocean

The Ross Sea – A Personal Journey

Follow John into the last pristine marine ecosystem in the world, the Ross Sea, Antarctica. A stunning emotional presentation.

http://www.pewmarinefellows.org/fellows/JWeller/presentation/index.html

2009

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View complete list of Tethys Videos of the Month

View complete list of Tethys Books of the Month

Illegal driftnetting still a plague in the Mediterranean Sea

OCEANA recently presented a comprehensive and convincing proof on the continued use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean and demanded their complete elimination.

Oceana documented 92 Italian vessels in 2008 with driftnets on board, of which 80% had already been identified in previous years.

The European Court of Justice is expected to sentence Italy for the continued use of this illegal fishing gear.

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Download the Oceana report on swordfish and driftnets in the Mediterranean (13.1 Mb)

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Action brought on 10 June 2008 — Commission of the European Communities vs Italian Republic

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Photo credit: Oceana / Juan Cuetos

Humpback whales fighting

For the first time, a BBC natural history crew has filmed male humpback whales fighting to get mating access to a female.

Watch the video at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Giorgio

Cinque anni fa, il 25 ottobre 2004, ci ha lasciati Giorgio Barbaccia, Comandante di Gemini e amico di Tethys.

Lo ricordiamo sempre con grande affetto.

http://www.tethys.org/giorgio.htm

Appello LAV contro la mattanza dei delfini a Taiji

La Lega Anti Vivisezione (LAV) ha rivolto un appello all’ambasciatore del Giappone in Italia - Hiroyasu Ando - per fermare le uccisioni di delfini che avvengono annualmente a Taiji, cittadina a sud-ovest di Tokyo. All’ambasciatore giapponese è stato inoltre chiesto di farsi portavoce presso il suo governo di quanto la popolazione italiana sia profondamente contraria a questa inutile strage.

"Riteniamo che la popolazione giapponese, se correttamente informata, disdegni assolutamente di nutrirsi di tali animali e, pertanto, non vi sia alcun motivo plausibile per continuare a permettere questo scempio" dichiara Nadia Masutti, responsabile LAV Animali Esotici, Circhi e Zoo.

La crudeltà di questa caccia è stata recentemente documentata dal film "The Cove", nel quale vengono mostrate immagini della cattura dei delfini e i metodi atroci utilizzati per ucciderli.

SB

Photo from: http://www.saltwatercollective.com/

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Per ulteriori informazioni:
http://www.ansa.it/

Ionian Dolphin Project: updated report 1991-2009

The Ionian Dolphin Project, a long-term research and conservation programme conducted by Tethys in the eastern Ionian Sea, has recently completed a report of the activities done in its three study areas in Greece: Gulf of Amvrakikos, Gulf of Corinth and Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago.

The online version of the report can be viewed at the link below:

http://www.tethys.org/projects/IDP/

(also see links on the Menu)

Enjoy!

SB

More than at risk

A new paper from the University of Adelaide and the Macquarie University, Australia, suggests that conservation biologists are making a big mistake.

They are setting too low the minimum number of individuals considered needed for a species to survive in the long term. This would underestimates the risk of extinction by not fully allowing for the dangers posed by the loss of genetic diversity.

The authors point out that, often, conservation biologists "aim to maintain tens or hundreds of individuals, when thousands are actually needed".

The article found that "populations smaller than about 5000 had unacceptably high extinction rates". According to the authors, this suggests that many targets for conservation recovery are simply too small to do much good in the long run.

SB

Image from: http://susty.com/iucn-red-list-threatened-endangered-species/

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Traill L.W., Brook B.W., Frankham R.R., Bradshaw C.J.A. 2009. Pragmatic population viability targets in a rapidly changing world. Biological Conservation. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2009.09.001

Abstract: To ensure both long-term persistence and evolutionary potential, the required number of individuals in a population often greatly exceeds the targets proposed by conservation management. We critically review minimum population size requirements for species based on empirical and theoretical estimates made over the past few decades. This literature collectively shows that thousands (not hundreds) of individuals are required for a population to have an acceptable probability of riding-out environmental fluctuation and catastrophic events, and ensuring the continuation of evolutionary processes. The evidence is clear, yet conservation policy does not appear to reflect these findings, with pragmatic concerns on feasibility over-riding biological risk assessment. As such, we argue that conservation biology faces a dilemma akin to those working on the physical basis of climate change, where scientific recommendations on carbon emission reductions are compromised by policy makers. There is no obvious resolution other than a more explicit acceptance of the trade-offs implied when population viability requirements are ignored. We recommend that conservation planners include demographic and genetic thresholds in their assessments, and recognise implicit triage where these are not met.

For more information:
http://www.newscientist.com
http://www.sciencedaily.com

4° edizione del Premio di Laurea "Rossana Majorca"

Si è tenuta venerdì 16 a Milano, presso la sala Wittman dell'Acquario Civico, la cerimonia per la 4° edizione del Premio di Laurea "Rossana Majorca". L'iniziativa è rivolta a giovani neolaureate e prevede la premiazione della migliore tesi di laurea attinente a temi sull'ecosistema marino o di ricerca ecologica nell'ambiente marino.

Il Premio, stato istituito nel 2005 a seguito della scomparsa di Rossana Majorca, recordista mondiale nell'immersione sportiva in apnea, nonché figlia del grande Enzo, permette alla vincitrice di poter partecipare ad un campi di ricerca dell'Istituto Tethys.

La vincitrice della 4° edizione del Premio è la Dott.ssa Zelia Zaccaro, laureata in Biologia Marina presso l'Università di Pisa con una tesi dal titolo: "Struttura genetica e microevoluzione di popolazioni di razza chiodata (Raja clavata, Linneo 1758)".

Zelia ha scelto di partecipare a un campo Tethys nel Santuaro Pelagos. Durante la sua crociera, che si è svolta nell'agosto del 2009, sono stati effettuati 22 avvistamenti di stenella striata, quattro di capodoglio e uno di zifio.

Alla cerimonia per l'Istituto Tethys era presente Elisa Remonato che ha illustrato al pubblico le attività di ricerca sui cetacei del Santuario.

Enzo Majorca ha consegnato alla prima e alla seconda classificata la targa ricordo e alcuni articoli sportivi offerti dagli sponsor dell'iniziativa. Majorca ha infine dato appuntamento a tutti per l'anno prossimo con la 5° edizione del Premio in ricordo della figlia Rossana.

Mauro Colla

Humpback whale genetics unveiled

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013201754.htm

And see the original article:

Howard C. Rosenbaum, Cristina Pomilla, Martin Mendez, Matthew S. Leslie, Peter B. Best, Ken P. Findlay, Gianna Minton, Peter J. Ersts, Timothy Collins, Marcia H. Engel, Sandro L. Bonatto, Deon P. G. H. Kotze, Mike Meÿer, Jaco Barendse, Meredith Thornton, Yvette Razafindrakoto, Solange Ngouessono, Michel Vely, Jeremy Kiszka. 2009. Population structure of humpback whales from their breeding grounds in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. PLoS ONE 4 (10): e7318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007318

Marine Protected Areas work !