Natural Environment Blog

Census researchers from New Zealand hold giant Macroptychaster sea stars that can grow up to 60cm across. Photo: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand, 2007.

Scientists are well on their way to releasing the world’s first Census of Marine Life (CoML), with astonishing discoveries continuing to being made and more than 5,300 new species found since 2003.

In fact, new species are being discovered faster than they can be described and named.

Discoveries aren’t just limited to new species though. Many of the surprising discoveries are related to distribution and abundance of known marine species throughout the world. 

Highlights of the discoveries will be officially released at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity being held in Spain this week. The conference, organized by the Census’s European affiliate program on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning, will take place in Valencia between 11th and 15th of November.

In the meantime, the CoML fourth highlights report outlines some of the major discoveries.

Highlights

There are many highlights outlined in the report. Some of the major ones include:

A male sea spider carries its eggs on specially adapted appendages under its body; it is one of many possible new species from the Antarctic. Census researchers are trying to understand the evolutionary history of these curious animals. Photo: Cédric d’Udekem, Royal Belgium Institute for Natural Sciences 2007.

• “White Shark Café” - Scientists have discovered previously unknown behavior of white sharks travelling long distances to the Pacific each winter. During this time, the sharks will make frequent, repetitive dives to depths of 300 meters. While researchers are unsure of the reason, they suspect that it may have something to do with feeding or reproduction.
• Giant amphipod - During an expedition to the Antarctic, scientists discovered one of Antarctica’s biggest-ever amphipod crustaceans, measuring almost 10 centimeters long. The CAML scientists also found around 1,000 other species, including eighteen potentially new species. The discovery was made possible due to the collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves, which allowed the scientists to explore a 10,000 kilometer section of the Antarctic Weddell Sea.
• High percentage of new species - An Australian expedition - COMARGE “Voyages of Discovery” - resulted in a very high discovery rate of new species. Of the 524 Decapoda (crabs, shrimps, prawns, lobsters, etc) species found, 33 percent are thought to be new species. Furthermore, 25 percent are records in the region, and eight percent are records for Australia. 
• Giant oysters - The COMARGE explorers discovered dense communities of gigantic oysters. The oysters, thought to be a new species, are 20 cm long and reside at a depth of 700 meters.
• World’s deepest known active hot vent - ChEss scientists in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge explored the world’s deepest known active hot vent, field named Ashadze. The hot vent is over 4,100 meters deep, dominated by anemones, polychaete worms and shrimp.

Juvenile representatives of the Antarctic and deep-sea genera of octopuses. Clockwise from top left , (1) Pareledone charcoti, a shallow-water species from the Antarctica Peninsula, (2) Thaumeledone gunteri, a deep-water species endemic to South Georgia, (3) Adelieledone polymoprha, a species endemic to the western Antarctic, (4) Megaleledone setebos, a shallow-water circum-Antarctic species endemic to the Southern Ocean. Photo credit: I. Everson (T. gunteri), M. Rauschert (M. setebos), L. Allcock (P. charcoti. A, polymorpha).

Good Progress

A brightly colored comb jelly swims in the high Arctic waters of the Canada Basin. Photo: Kevin Raskoff, Monterey Peninsula College.

Scientists involved in the project appear to be happy with the progress so far.

“Not only do we have a better picture of the distribution of the animals that stay in place, we are approaching a global picture of the movements of animals, whether swirling in eddies the size of Ireland, or commuting 8,000 kilometers across ocean basins,” said Ron O’Dor Canadian squid expert and Census co-senior scientist.

“And understanding how behavior and the environment combine to determine the movement of many animals is within reach.” he continued.

French deep-sea explorer and vice-chair of the Census, Myriam Sibuet (France) said “The impressive number of landmark findings over the past two years reveals the richness of what remains to be discovered.  The vastness of the ocean and our new research tools keep marine biology forever young.”

About Census of Marine Life

The Census of Marine Life (CoML) is a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain life in the oceans. Including a global network of more than 2,000 researchers from 82 nations, the purpose of the initiative is to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life. The first consensus will be released in 2010.

The project was brought about by the fact that we still have relatively little knowledge about what lives in our oceans. To date, there isn’t a single list or database that contains all known marine species - let alone their distribution, and abundance. 

Scientists estimate that there could be more than a million marine species if all small animals and protists are included. To date, only about 230,000 species have been described and reside in jars in collections in museums of natural history and other repositories.

The 4th CoML highlights report will be officially released at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Valencia, Spain, Nov. 11-15.

This tiny, new species of gecko was hatched from an egg found in Vanuatu. Photo: Associated Press/Francois Mori

An egg discovered in the Vanuatuan island of Espiritu Santo has produced a new species of gecko, according to France’s Natural History Museum in Paris.

The new species, which is about 3 inches long as an adult, has recently been described and named Lepidodactylus buleli. 

The museum says that this is the first time a new lizard species has been catalogued based on an individual raised from an egg.

The discovery came during an expedition to Vanuatu by the French scientists in 2006. The expedition to study the ecosystems of the forest canopy included climbers who scoured the canopy for plant and animal samples.

Ivan Ineich, a reptile specialist at the museum, said he first noticed the gecko when he saw a bloody carcass accidentally hacked in half by one of climbers.

“I said to myself ‘this guy looks bizarre,’ but I couldn’t tell right away it was a new species because it had been so massacred,” he said.

Climbers then found nine more eggs hidden in a plant by female geckos.

Following the discovery of the gecko eggs, the scientists carried the eggs from Vanuatu to Paris in a box lined with tissues. 

Unfortunately, eight of the nine geckos died due to low temperatures during a power outage, but one lived.

Amy, reportedly weighing 22 kg is possibly the world's largest rabbit. Photo: Paul Lewis.

According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the world’s largest rabbit is a Continental Giant called Amy.

Amy, from Worcester in the UK, is more than 120 cm (4 feet) long and weighs as much as a medium sized dog.  

Her weight? Well that depends on which report you choose to believe. In February this year, the Daily Mail reported that Amy weighs two and a half stone (15 kg). But then in March, it reported that the giant rabbit weighs three and a half stone (22 kg).

Perhaps she put on 7 kilograms within a month!

In any case, whichever weight it is, this could make Amy the heaviest rabbit in the world too.

Big Appetite

Amy’s owner, Annette Edwards, says that each day, Amy goes through enough rabbit food to fill a dog’s bowl, as well as two apples, a handful of carrots, half a cabbage and fresh hay.

But Mrs Edwards insists that Amy is quite healthy and not overweight.

“She is enormous but not because she over eats on junk but because she gets plenty of exercise and eats very healthily.”

“Amy is a fussy eater, the carrots must have their green tops still on, and the hay has to be fresh and green or she won’t go near it” she continues.

Other Large Rabbits & Previous Record Holders

Herman, a German Giant, weighing 7.7 kg

There are a lot of large rabbits out there.

Here are some examples:

• Herman, a German Giant reportedly weighing 7.7 kg (although he looks much heavier than that)
• Rudi, also a German Giant, weighing 8.7 kg
• Roberto, weighing in at 16 kilograms (possibly the world’s heaviest rabbit?)
• Humphrey, weighing over 12 kg and still growing

Largest Rabbit Breed

The largest species of rabbit is the Flemish Giant. The largest Flemish Giant can grow to around 9.5 kg. The smallest weigh in at around 5 kg.

Flemish Giants are usually steel grey in colour. They are long with a large full head and the ears are long and erect.

The Flemish Giant’s diet should include plenty of fresh hay, fresh fruit and vegetables, a well-balanced dry rabbit mix and plenty of clean water.

Guinness Book of World Records

Amy or Roberto may be the largest and heaviest rabbits in the world, but they won’t be making it into the Guinness Book of World Records any time soon (at least, not for their size or weight).

Unfortunately, some rabbit owners cruelly over feed their rabbits in an attempt to get them into the record books. As a result, the Guinness World Records no longer lists the world’s largest (or heaviest) rabbit.

I’ve been reading a little about ‘acoustic smog’ and its affect on marine life within our oceans.

Acoustic smog is basically another way of saying ‘noise pollution’. In particular, it is a term often used to describe the noise in our oceans that come from man-made sources. This typically includes sources such as:

The Impact of Acoustic Smog on Nature

It seems that acoustic smog could be having a devastating affect on the whales, dolpins, and other mammals in our oceans. Sound plays an important part in the survival of the 80 or so cetacean species, which includes whales, dolpins and porpoises.

Because these animals use acoustic signals for orientation, reproduction, and even feeding, the introduction of man-made noises over the last hundred years or so appears to be impacting on the cetaceans’ ability to do these things. There’s also widespread concern that acoustic smog is directly contributing to the death of many cetaceans. 

It is thought that the affects of acoustic smog on cestaceans include:

• displacement
• avoidance reactions
• collisions with ships
• mass stranding
• hearing damage
• death

Furthermore, evidence strongly suggests that man-made noise often causes lesions in acoustic organs of cestaceans, which are severe enough to cause death. 

Further Research

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough scientific knowledge to be able to come to strong conclusions on understanding the relationships of frequencies, intensities, and duration of exposures in producing damage. More research needs to be done in this area, and many research bodies are appealing for assistance in this area.

Sons de Mar, for example, say this about their continued efforts in this area:

Academic research generally depends on external funding through public channels and commercial companies. Since the effects of noise pollution on the marine environment have not yet been completely implemented in national programs, funding through these sources is limited.

And:

Therefore, we appeal to private sources to guarantee the continuity of this research. ‘Sons de Mar’ (Sounds of the Sea) was created as a public interface aimed at involving society through donations that will allow to collaborate with all the aspects of the scientific work.

The impact of dangerous sonor on marine life is not a new concern. The Cetacean Society International (CSI) website provides articles on this subject dating as far back as 1995. 

Also, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) first wrote a report on this subject in 1999. The report has since been updated and is called Sounding the Depths II: The Rising Toll of Sonar, Shipping and Industrial Ocean Noise on Marine Life. The online report includes an acompanying movie, narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

Two rare species of gecko have been discovered and identified as new species in Australia.

Scientists discovered the geckos recently during expeditions to Northwest Cape and the southern deserts of Western Australia and South Australia.

Geckos are small to medium sized lizards which are found in warm climates around the world. They are known for their ability to stick to vertical surfaces, and for their high pitched “chirping” sounds during interactions with other geckos.

The newly described species are known as the Cape Range Gecko (scientific name: Diplodactylus capensis) and the Southern Sandplain Gecko (scientific name: Lucasium bungabinna).

Cape Range Gecko

Cape Range Gecko - Male. Photo: Western Australian Museum

The Cape Range Gecko was named after Cape Range in the north-western part of Australia. It had previously been mistaken for a Pilbara species, but it is more closely related to another species - the closest of which is 600 kilometers to the south of Cape Range.

WA Museum curator of herpetology Dr Paul Doughty said ”The Cape Range is made up of an ancient block of limestone which has created a unique habitat to which the species has adapted”

The Cape Range Gecko is characterised by a distinctive broken stripe on its back, larger head and reddish coloration which matches the color of the rocks on the Cape Range.

“Little is known of this new species and we are still in the process of describing other new species of reptiles from this special area of Western Australia.” said Dr Doughty.

Southern Sandplain Gecko

Southern Sandplain Gecko - Male. Photo: Western Australian Museum

The Southern Sandplain Gecko occurs in the southern deserts in Western Australia and South Australia, north of the Nullarbor Plain. 

The species has smaller toe pads than other geckos, and it has been observed climbing low shrubs.

The scientific name ‘bungabinna’ is derived from the Bungalbin Sandplain in Western Australia and the Yellabinna Sandplain in South Australia where it occurs.

The Research

The research was carried out by scientists from the Western Australian Museum and South Australian Museum. The project was funded by a grant from the Australia and Pacific Science Foundation.

WWF, the global conservation organization, is expected to release the 2008 version of its “Living Planet Report” on Wednesday.

The Living Planet Report, released every couple of years by WWF, is an update of the state of the world’s ecosystems. The report is based on two indicators:

• the Living Planet Index, which reflects the health of the planet’s ecosystems; and 
• the Ecological Footprint, which shows the extent of human demand on these ecosystems. 

Previous reports have shown a bleak future for the planet. According to the 2006 report: 

Since the late 1980s we have been in overshoot – the Ecological Footprint has exceeded the Earth’s biocapacity – as of 2003 by about 25 per cent.

Earth’s regenerative capacity can no longer keep up with demand – people are turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources.

What this basically means is that, in 2003, it took around 1 year and 3 months for nature to produce the ecological resources that we used in that year. 

And the 2008 report is not expected to make things look any brighter - things are only going to get worse if we don’t do something to change this. 

The report should be available from WWF’s Living Planet Report page.

A 10 meter palm tree species called Corypha taliera is about to become extinct in the wild.  

The world’s last known wild Corypha taliera has begun to flower. Unfortunately for this species, flowering usually causes the plant’s death.

The plant was discovered in the 1950s growing in the scrub jungle on the Dhaka University campus, Bangladesh. It was then identified by local scientist Shamal Kumar Basu and subsequently protected in what became the enclosure of the residential quarters of the Pro Vice-Chancellor.

Attempting to Cultivate the Plant’s Seeds

Professor Md Abul Hasan, chairman of the botany department at Dhaka University, said that they would collect seeds of the dying plant and attempt to cultivate them. 

But he was not optimistic.

“We cannot say whether it would be possible to produce the plant in botanical gardens,” he said.

Red List Classification

Although this palm is the last known Corypha taliera growing in the wild, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has already classified the plant on its Red List, as being “extinct in the wild”. This is because molecular work - which is required to confirm the identification - still hasn’t been taken out on the plant. Until molecular work is carried out, they will only say that this plant has been “tentatively identified”.

Also, IUCN say that its unclear about whether or not the specimen originated from cultivated material. They also mention that the plant is effectively in a “cultivated state”, and therefore probably wouldn’t count towards the “wild” classification.

Although not in the wild, Corypha taliera specimens are currently growing in the Indian Botanic Garden and the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Florida, USA. Because these aren’t growing in the natural environment, they don’t count for “wild” plants hence the IUCN classification “Extinct in the Wild”. 

Previous Specimen

No other specimen of this monocarpic palm tree has been found in the wild in almost 30 years. In 1979, a Corypha taliera, located in a village near Shantiniketan of West Bengal, had begun flowering, and the locals fearing that it was a “ghost palmyra tree” - due to its horn-like flowers - chopped it down. The seeds of that specimen could not be saved.

The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is about to implement a satellite tracking program for the whale shark (Rhincodon typus).

The program, believed to be the first of its kind in India, will involve monitoring of whale sharks along the Gujarat coast. The sharks will have a tag implanted in their dorsel fin, which will be able to rely important information to satellites about the movements of the fish.

In particular, the satellite tracking will provide scientists with information about the migration, breeding, water temperature and deep movement among other parameters of the fish and its habitat.

Often referred to as the "gentle giant", the whale shark can grow up to 12.2 m. (40 ft.) in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes (15 short tons).

Although this is the first time satellite monitoring will be used for whale sharks in India, its not the first time the country has used satellite tracking on marine life. India has used satellite tracking on sea turtles and other marine species. 

“We do not have any population specific data about the species. One of the greatest constraints of the conservation of the fish is poor knowledge about the life and biological parameters such as growth, reproduction, distribution and movement,” coordinator of the project Dhiresh Joshi said.

The data provided by the program will help in designing conservation projects for the whale shark, which has been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable since 2000.

The whale shark is often killed for meat, liver oils, fins, frozen meat that are in huge demand in the south Asian countries.

Previous Satellite Monitoring

The U.S. and China have already been tagging whale sharks, with some interesting results. Satellite monitoring in the U.S. and South China sea have revealed that whale sharks can travel thousands of kilometers over many years. 

About the Whale Shark

Often referred to as the “gentle giant”, the whale shark can grow up to 12.2 m. (40 ft.) in length and can weigh up to 13.6 tonnes (15 short tons). The giant fish can be found in warmer, tropical oceans, usually between latitudes 30°N and 35°S, and is often seen in the waters of Australia, India, the Maldives, South Africa, Belize, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

A whale shark can live for as long as 70 years (if its not hunted and killed beforehand).

Although the whale shark was first discovered in 1828, it is believed to have been around for at least 60 million years.

World's longest insect - a 56.7cm stick insect. Photo by Natural History Museum in Britain.

The world’s longest insect has been discovered in the Borneo rainforests and handed to the Natural History Museum in London.

The insect, a stick-insect, measures 56.7cm long. 

New Species

Not only is the stick-insect the world’s longest insect, it’s also a newly discovered species. The insect has been named Phobaeticus chani or “Chan’s Megastick” in honor of Datuk Chan Chew Lun, who donated the specimen to the Museum.

The dead insect was initially found 10 years ago by a collector who had no idea that it was the longest insect ever discovered, or that it was a new species. It wasn’t until an entomologist, Datuk Chan Chew Lun, saw it in the collection that the significance of the insect was realized.

Longest Body

Even without its legs, Chan’s Megastick has a body that measures 35.7cm. This is a world record for the longest insect body. 

Previous Record Holders

The previous record holder for longest insect was another stick-insect called Phobaeticus serratipes. It could also be found in Malaysia, as well as parts of Indonesia.

The previous record for the longest insect body was 32.8cm long, held by the Phobaeticus kirbyi, also from Borneo.

‘We’ve known about both of the previous record holders for over a hundred years, so it is extraordinary that an even bigger species has only just been discovered,’ said Dr George Beccaloni, stick-insect expert at the Natural History Museum.

Unique Eggs

Size isn’t the only thing special about Chan’s Megastick. It’s eggs are thought to be unique in the insect world. According to the Museum, “Each egg capsule has wing-like extensions on either side like a miniature golden snitch, allowing them to drift in the wind when the female drops them, thereby helping the species to spread”.

According to this article by The Australian newspaper, research has found that global warming is directly responsible for declining seabird populations.

The research, compiled by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, was carried out in the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. The research was then used for a report called Seabirds and Shorebirds in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in a Changing Climate, which was commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Environment Protection Agency.

The reseach found that warmer water near the surface of the ocean, forces fish and plankton away from the surface of the water. This causes the seabirds and their young to go hungry, as it is more difficult to find prey. This in turn, means the seabirds are less likely to breed.

According to the report, the warmer water is being caused by more frequent and intense El Nino events.

In some areas, seabird populations have declined by up to 96 percent.

Also, the report found that, around Heron Island in 2003, a 1 degree increase in temperature reduced shearwaters’ feeding frequency from once every two nights, to once every five.

Another report, produced in December last year, identifies 31 bird species in Australia that are at “high risk of extinction”. 

The report, entitled The State of Australia’s Birds 2007 - Birds in a Changing Climate, says that a 2 to 5 percent rise in temperatures will lead to the extinction of many species. The urgency of the situation is highlighted when you consider that experts are forecasting that temperatures will rise to those levels within the next 60 years or so.  

The birds at most risk are those around the savannas and rainforests of northern Australia, where the climate is much warmer.