Submarine explosion of life

Surveys of the deep-sea Kaikoura Canyon off the coast of New Zealand have revealed a cornucopia of megabenthic invertebrates. Researchers sampling these deep waters found the biomass of the invertebrates to be 100 times greater than biomass reported from previous samples of habitats below 500 m. Further evidence from these surveys revealed that the Canyon is home to a large number of rattail fishes, thought to feed on the invertebrates. It is believed that at least 660 submarine canyons exist worldwide, and that c. 100 of these may be as species-rich as the Kaikoura Canyon.
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2010)

Long shadow of overfishing

An analysis of previously neglected government data has revealed that the commercial value of demersal fisheries in Britain, measured through changes in landings per unit of fishing power, has declined by 94% since 1889. Bottom-trawling has been used to catch bottom-living fish since the 14th century, but the development of steam trawlers in the 1880s heralded the start of the expansion of fishing effort that has continued into the late 20th century. These findings have important management implications for fish stocks, with the European Commission’s estimates of overfished stocks being based on data that go back 20-40 years; these new findings suggest that stocks were already overfished at this point in time.
Source: Nature Communications (2010)

UN gives gorillas a lift

UN peacekeepers have flown four Endangered eastern lowland gorillas out of a conflict zone to a rehabilitation centre 200 km north of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The four young gorillas were feared to be at risk of being poached or trafficked before they were released back into the wild. It was decided that air travel was best for the gorillas because ground transportation was deemed too difficult and traumatic. The 50-minute flight transported the gorillas, along with veterinarians and other caregivers from Goma to a village near Tanya Nature Reserve in north Kiva province. A recent report blamed militia violence in eastern DRC as responsible for hastening the decline of the eastern lowland gorillas.
Source: UN News Centre (2010)

Giant lizard shimmies forth

Surveys in the northern forests of the Philippines have revealed the existence of a hitherto unknown species of giant lizard. The new species, which belongs to the Varanus genus, grows to nearly 2-m long and is frugivorous. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that the species is closely related to Varanus olivaceus, although there are a number of different characteristics between these two species, including colour pattern and body size. Furthermore, the two species are separated by a stretch of > 150 km, including three river valleys that act as barriers to the dispersal of these lizards. The researchers who discovered this new species hope it will become a flagship for the biodiverse forests of northern Luzon.
Source: Biology Letters (2010)

Frogs on the menu in West Africa

Surveys in Burkino Faso, Benin and Nigeria have revealed the extent of the consumption of amphibians in this part of West Africa. Interviews with amphibian collectors, stallholders and consumers indicated a difference in the frog trade between these countries. In Burkino Faso amphibian trade was generally not a commercial activity, with people, for the most part, collecting amphibians in order to consume them themselves. In northern Benin and Nigeria, however, researchers discovered an intensive, cross-border trade in amphibians that is likely to be unsustainable in the long-term. Peoples’ responses to the interviews indicated that there is already a perception that amphibian numbers have declined over the past 2 decades.
Source: TRAFFIC Bulletin (2010), 22, 117–128.

Lingering effect from predators

The populations of snowshoe hares in Yukon province, Canada, undergo a 10-year cycle of boom and bust, which is closely linked to the populations of their predators. However, researchers have been puzzling as to why hare populations are slow to recover even when predator numbers are low and food abundant. A study of hormone levels has now revealed that maternal stress hormone levels are related to predator density during the breeding season. These maternal hormones are transferred to their offspring, and remain with the hares into adulthood. As a consequence, offspring born during years of high predator numbers suffer reduced reproductive output, leading to a slow recovery of the hare populations.  
Source: Ecology (2010) and Nature (2010), 464(7289), 653.

Rate of deforestation slowing

A comprehensive survey of the status of the world’s forests has shown that deforestation rates appear to be decreasing in certain countries, such as Brazil and Indonesia, but persist at a high rate in other countries. A significant net loss in the forest area on a global scale is attributed to afforestation projects and natural regeneration. The Global Forest Resources Assessment estimates that the net change in forest area between 2000 and 2010 was c. -5.3 million ha year^-1, an improvement on the figure of -8.3 million ha year^-1 seen between 1990 and 2000. South America and Africa suffered the greatest loss of forests between 2000 and 2010, whilst forest area increased in Europe. China’s large-scale afforestation programme means that forest area in Asia underwent a net gain in forest area, despite many countries in this region still undergoing heavy deforestation.
Source: Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (2010)

Return to top