More Bumbling?

Yet another worrying development. It, counter-intuitively, appears that the wide-spread use of fungicides (notably Chlorothalonil) on crops over a wide area of the US is decimating bumble-bee populations, particularly by reducing their resistance to nosema, a small fungal parasite (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/29/alarming-link-between-fungicides-and-bee-declines-revealed). The bees are responsible for three quarters of pollination events of crops, so their loss could be devastating to farming and food production. It is interesting to speculate whether use of the fungicides has facilitated the emergence of resistant strains of nosema and, by eliminating other fungi, has greatly increased the exposure of visiting insects to this agent.

LA Going to the Vegan Dogs

There is a slightly bizarre suggestion that all the dogs housed in Los Angeles animal shelters should be fed on a vegan diet (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/29/los-angeles-vegan-dog-diet-animal-shelters-moby). The idea is to save on the large numbers of other animals (cows, pigs and chickens) that have to be killed to provide more traditional dog food for these animals. Dogs are, however, derived from a carnivorous species and vegan diets can have profound effects on their digestive systems, perhaps making them less likely to be adopted. A range of herbivorous companion animals is available.

Blue 2 Blues

BBC's Blue Planet 2 is reportedly the most watched and critically-acclaimed series of 2017. Having said that, humans are doing serious damage to the oceans (via climate change, acidification, littering with plastics, dumping oil, over-fishing et cetera) so there is no certainty that there will be a series 3!

Anyone Want Jelly for Afters?

It has been known for some time that larval lobsters of a number of species hitch rides on jellyfish, whilst eating them, wrapping the stinging nematocysts in special protective faecal packages. A recent study, using video cameras in relatively deep Norwegian waters, has shown that defrosted helmet jellyfish carcasses are very attractive to adult Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) who drive away other scavengers such as hagfish), managing to eat around half of the material themselves (https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/scotland/deep-water-experiment-reveals-lobsters-appetite-for-jellyfish/). The Norway lobster (also known as Dublin Bay prawns and langoustines) is an important species for fisheries in Scotland and Dr Andrew Sweetman of Heriot-Watt University, who carried out the study, believes that the importance of jellyfish in the diets of these crustacea has been little appreciated (a lobster could get enough food from a single carcass to survive for 3 months).

My Precious?

A somewhat disturbing report of a Private vault on the eastern edge of London where the mega-rich can come to 'caress' their bars of gold bullion (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/26/the-pots-of-gold-at-the-east-edge-of-london). That all seems a little sad. I'd rather have a pet.

The Last in Line?

Research from Harvard Business School has demonstrated that people have a powerful aversion to being last in a queue, and are 4 times as likely to quit when there is nobody behind them (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/dec/27/back-to-front-why-switching-queues-will-get-you-nowehere-faster). People who switch lanes, frequently end up waiting longer than if they had remained in their initial slot. There seems to be an odd logic in play as, clearly, the number of people behind you has no effect on the speed of processing.

Hot to Trot?

Some (slightly?) more positive news on the impending wipe-out of coral reefs and their associated biota by climate change producing wide-spread bleaching events (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/23/new-lab-bred-super-corals-could-help-avert-global-reef-wipeout). Laboratory studies (including some at London aquarium) have had some recent success developing new, more heat resistant strains of the symbiotic algae that live with these coelenterates (the algae, which provide nutrients to the corals, are the items of the association most easily killed by rising water temperatures). Scientists are also looking at using innoculations of protective bacteria. The hope is that they can develop 'super corals' that can help restore some of the reef systems. Having said that, coral bleaching occurs over very extensive areas and the organism is relatively slow-growing. The prognosis is poor.