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Ross sea protection, 'superstorm' Sandy, SAVVY scientists
Issue 205 2-8 November
In This
Issue
Ross Sea
Quick
Links
No Ross Sea
protection...yet
The Antarctic Ross Sea
will remain open to fishing in all areas following the
failure of an international meeting to reach agreement on
the establishment of Marine Protected Areas in the Southern
Ocean.
However, scientists are hopeful that an agreement can be reached in the near future.
After 11 days of intense talks, the meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, concluded without representatives from 25 nations reaching a consensus on creating a network of Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean (see reports from Reuters and BBC)
In light of the lack of consensus, the Commission has agreed to an 'intercessional meeting' to revisit the issue, which will take place in July in Germany.
The Science Media Centre collected the following reaction from Antarctic researchers.
Prof Bryan C. Storey, Professor of Antarctic Studies and Director Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, comments:
"It is a great shame that a decision was not reached, it was always going to be a big ask to get all 25 countries with varied fishing interests to agree. However, there are many positives to come out of the discussions in that the US and NZ agreed on a combined MPA for the Ross Sea, and that an intercessional meeting will be held in July to advance the proposals.
"I get the impression that an MPA for the Ross Sea will happen, it is just a matter of time. This will not lead to a total ban on fishing in the Ross Sea but it is a step in the right direction."
Dr Victoria Metcalf, Lecturer in Animal Genetics, Lincoln University, comments:
"I would like to see this not as a failure of those that lobby for the protection of places like the Ross Sea from human activities such as fishing nor as a victory for those that argue that commercial activities should be allowed in Antarctic waters for a multitude of reasons, that can all easily be debated against. Rather this is the first step in complex negotiations and neither 'side' has at present 'won'.
"To me the biggest question that we should be asking ourselves in the next eight months is what many Antarctic scientists have already asked themselves - Should we even be there in the Ross Sea in any commercial capacity? The easy answer for most of us is an emphatic 'No'".
You can read further commentary and analysis on the SMC website.
Scientists get media
SAVVY
Science Media SAVVY, a new series
of media skills workshops the Science Media Centre is
running for scientists, kicked off this week in
Christchurch.Twelve talented researchers,
selected from a pool of over 50 applicants, were put through
their paces by SMC staff veteran media trainer Michael
Brown.
Over two full days, the scientists had the chance to improve their on-camera presence, learn how enthusiastic they can be without losing credibility, brainstorm compelling ways to explain tough concepts, and practice saying what they really mean to say.
The initiative, which will be offered around the country next year, got off the ground with the support of Dr Mark Quigley, the 2011 winner of the Prime Minister's Science Communicator's Prize.
At the end of the intensive media training programme, scientists got to hone their best science story pitches before a panel of senior journalists. (And, man, did they ever rise to the challenge!)
You can read more
about the workshop and view photos here. More information about the Science
Media SAVVY programme can be found here.
On the science
radar...
Halloween science (plus zombies & werewolves), Hawaiian soil
on Mars, leaping flea-bots and Koshik the 'talking'
elephant.
Superstorm Sandy's NZ link
Kiwi climate scientists have pointed
out a New Zealand connection to Superstorm Sandy as well as
highlighting the role of global warming in boosting the
storm's severity.
Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast of the United States on October 29th, wreaking havoc across the numerous states.
Prof Jim Renwick from
Victoria University Wellington noted that the weather
patterns giving rise to Sandy were similar to those which
created tropical cyclone Giselle in New Zealand - the storm
which sunk the Wahine in Wellington Harbour in
1968.
"Sandy is a classic example of a tropical cyclone
reinvigorating itself outside the tropics, drawing extra
energy from a strong jet stream and a deep trough in the
mid-latitude westerlies," he said.
"Such storms can bring extremely damaging weather anywhere they occur. The 'Wahine' storm of April 1968 was very similar in many respects to Sandy, and brought hurricane-force winds to many parts of New Zealand."
State-side Kiwi, Dr Kevin Trenberth from US National Center for Atmospheric Research, highlighted climate change as a factor in the Sandy's severity, writing on the Conversation website,
"Global climate change has contributed to the higher sea surface and ocean temperatures, and a warmer and moister atmosphere, and its effects are in the range of 5 to 10%. Natural variability and weather has provided the perhaps optimal conditions of a hurricane running into extra-tropical conditions to make for a huge intense storm, enhanced by global warming influences."
Dr Trenberth's comments were echoed by New Zealander Prof Jim Salinger, currently based at Stanford University in California, who said to the SMC,
"Climate change has stacked the deck of cards, making super storms of this kind more likely to occur."
Read more expert commentary on the Science Media Centre website. Google has compiled an interactive crisis map for storm Sandy, giving up-to-date information about storm surges, power outages, shelters and evacuation routes.
Quoted: Bloomberg
Businessweek
"It's Global Warming,
Stupid"
Cover Headline for this week's issue looking at
Hurricane Sandy
New from the SMC
Experts Respond: Hurricane
Sandy:
CCAMLR: Antarctic researchers respond to the news that the an international Commission has failed to agree on marine protection for the Southern Ocean.
In the
news: Natural Health Products:
Protecting Dolphins:
Farifax's Delwyn Dickey writes about the science and politics of dolphin
protection.
Reflections on Science: Sandy and
climate contributions:
Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
TIN100 again proves it is the meat of an
innovation club sandwich - Peter Kerr sings the
priases of NZ's leading high-tech industry benchmarking
report.
sticK
Look out for the eclipse -
Marcus Wilson explains why total eclipses are soooo much
better than partial eclipses, noting that there is one due
soon.
Physics Stop
Becoming a SAVVY Scientist -
Michael Edmonds reflects on his recent experiences in a
media training for scientists workshop.
Molecular
Matters
Research highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible,
to the relevant abstract or paper. Kiwi bees dodge
antibiotic resistance:
Smoking bans: An overarching
meta-analysis of studies has shown that smoking bans are
linked to subsequent decreases smoking related disease.
Researchers reviewed 45 studies covering 33 smoke-free laws
in the US and countries as varied as Uruguay, New Zealand
and Germany and found that comprehensive smoke-free laws
were associated with substantial decreases hospitalisations
for heart attacks, strokes and respiratory diseases like
asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease.
Circulation
mBio
Red alert:
People with pale skin and red hair may need to
worry about more than just sun exposure in relation to their
increased risk of skin cancer, suggests a new study. Harmful
ultraviolet (UV) rays are a notable driver of skin cancer,
but observations in mice with red hair and fair skin traits
uncover a UV-independent pathway that also increases the
risk of melanoma. The study finds that the pigment that
gives hair a red hue can contribute to melanoma formation
regardless of sun exposure. Bright future for e-Paper:
Fear of math
can hurt:
Nature
Nature Communications
PLoS ONE
Policy
updates
Some of the policy
highlights from this week:
Laser consultation:
UFB: Communications and Information
Technology Minister Amy Adams has confirmed a deal has been reached for free
non-standard residential connections to the ultra-fast
broadband network.
Upcoming sci-tech
events
• Brain Matters - Neurological
Foundation's 40th anniversary public event - 5 November,
Christchurch; 7 November, Wellington.
• What If we could get fit in half the
time? 'What if Wednesday' lecture from Dr Nick
Draper - 7 November, Christchurch
For these and
more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the
SMC's Events Calendar.
ENDS
Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
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