Dear all,
I have still haven’t from most of you. Send me anything interesting that you find, I think we need some more video clips.
In the news
- Severe coral bleaching occurred in 2005 as a result of unseasonably warm water
PLoS one article – research was a collaboration between 56 institutions
Short video of interview with Dr. Randi Rotjan of the New England Aquarium about coral bleaching from Nature
- Predator-prey arms race: The snail-eating snake Pareas iwasakii is adapted to eating right-coiled snails (dextral). In one snail genus, Satsuma, left-coiled snails have an advantage by avoiding predation, leading to a speciation event
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v1/n9/full/ncomms1133.html – original article
- A novel article has been published in Current Biology, investigating flower preference in bumblebees. As in all articles the study had not been performed before, so this is not the novel aspect. What makes the article different is that it was written by primary school children from Devon, with the help of a researcher from UCL. I like how the Abstract, when explaining the origins of the study, likens the creative process of scientific investigation to play. Worth a read.
- For the greater good – could assisting the extinction of one species help protect others? This is the new finding from an ecosystem model
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110125/full/news.2011.42.html – review with link to original article (but for some reason full-text access doesn’t seem to be working)
- Why do seahorses have morphological features that are so different from the closely related pipefish? The answer is that the features make them better predators
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/01/video-building-a-better-seahorse.html?ref=hp – review + video + link to original article
- A study published in Science reveals that inflow from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arctic has increased by at least 2C since the industrial revolution
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/331/6016/450.full – original article
- Rearranging the tree of life – a report in the current edition of Nature moves acoels from their position before the split between protostomes and deuterostomes, placing them with other deuterostomes. Read more here:
- Attraction and aggression – 2 recent studies show the link between attraction and aggression.
Firstly, when a squid male comes into contact with a female’s egg he becomes aggressive. The egg provides evidence to him that the female is fertile, and therefore worth fighting for. It is a pheromonal cue that alters the male’s behaviour
A study carried out might mice shows that aggressive and reproductive behaviours (sex and violence) are linked because they have the same neurological basis
- Handedness, is it because of an ancestor with eyes on the side of its head?
- Following an increase in salmon fisheries a once rare rat is now regarded as a pest in South America. Was it ever really rare? Is it still at risk?
- Where do turtles go once they leave their nests on land? One study has tracked 25 turtles in an attempt to answer this question
- Stopping the invasion – American mink are being removed from rivers in Scotland
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405853/description – original article
- Animal reproduction quiz –Â http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12409270
Careers
- A really interesting link sent in by Emma Tripp,
“Hi, I was wondering if I could post a link on the next SEEN issue:
This is a link to the website of a company whose Manta Ray project in Ecuador I have volunteered on in the last two year, it has been a fantastic opportunity for me I and thought I would share it with you. This past summer I was on the project for three weeks, whilst I was out there I got to help carrying out scientific plankton studies and dive with the Mantas whilst collecting information, there was also the opportunity to dive with the worlds leading expert on Manta Rays, Andrea Marshal. Andrea Marshal has had a BBC Natural World programme about her and the Manta’s and whilst I was out in Ecuador this year ITV filmed a segment for their programme of Man To Manta presented by Martin Clunes. This is a fantastic opportunity to dive with Mantas and gain experience of field research, there is very little known about Mantas so could open a window of opportunity for you too as there is no current leading scientist in Ecuador at this time.
Emma Tripp”
- The University of Southampton Biodiversity Research Exchange Network (as advertised here in SEEN 1.7) was a great success last week. I have had expressions of interest from several 3rd years about this year’s scheme, keep an eye on your emails for further details. Many 2nd years are also investigating 3rd year project options with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation. If you were unable to attend but would like more information please let me know.
- Current opportunities:
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – Butterfly transects at the Rotherfield Park Project: The Rotherfield Park Project is the latest in a series of demonstration projects run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to demonstrate the impact of management for gamebirds on wildlife. At Rotherfield Park we have taken two distinct areas of the estate, farmland and woodland, and begun a series of habitat improvements to increase the holding capacities of wild gamebirds, pheasants, grey partridge and red-legged partridge. Also a programme of predator control has been started to improve nesting success and chick survival. Alongside the game monitoring, wildlife counts are being carried out and so far songbirds, bats, brown hare and other birds (woodcock) are being surveyed but we would like to quantify changes to butterflies. We need weekly censuses carried out along fixed transects over woodland and farmland habitats using the standard transects or pollard walks. For further details please contact Dr Francis Buner, the Project’s Scientific Officer, fbuner@gmct.org.uk
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is also still advertising its year long placements. You could defer your study for a year.
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is advertising a summer placement
River Hamble Partnership Student Research Fund – The River Hamble Harbour Authority will fund up to £200 for research carried out on a number of topics listed on their website:
The Harbour Authority is not able to offer any supervision or training but can offer support and advice when needed. Therefore if you are interested in any of their potential topics you must first discuss it with a potential 3rd year project supervisor, in order to come up with a study hypothesis and design. The costings part of the application does not have to be very detailed but include things like transport costs and sample analysis costs (so you should know how many times you would be sampling, hence why you should talk to a member of staff). The successful applicants will also have to present their findings to the Hamble Estuary Partnership.
Species of the week
I don’t have one this week, I’m waiting for you to send suggestions in!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Judith
Posted By : Judith Lock