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Science Deadline - June 26
Antarctic life on thin ice
Antarctica is teeming with life, but that life needs protection, say the authors of a new review published in Nature.
The scientists warn that the growing catalogue of Antarctic life is under threat from human impacts, including climate change. They highlight the fact that the region is not covered by the Aichi biodiversity targets which guide other countries towards protecting diversity.
"Most people think there are just penguins, seals and whales down there, and that's about it - but we've discovered the amount of life down there is much greater than we thought," said author Prof Craig Cary, from the University of Waikato, speaking to theNew Zealand Herald.
And the list continues to grow - just yesterday UK scientists announced the formal discovery of a new species of furry 'Yeti Crab' which lives in hydrothermal vent systems off the Antarctic coast.
“In the face of growing challenges presented by fishing and interest in the Antarctic’s other resources, the situation is especially concerning,” the authors write.
University of Otago biochemist Dr Craig Marshall agreed with authors that more needs to be done to preserve Antarctic ecosystems.
"Antarctica is important to us all in the role it plays in global climate but it is also a unique kind of ecological and evolutionary laboratory," he told the SMC.
"We will be the losers if we spoil it.”
You can read more expert commentary and on the Science Media Centre website.
Quoted: Radio New
Zealand
"Yes, climbing on to parliament, placing solar
panels on the building and unfurling a banner criticising
the Prime Minister, John Key, was a stunt.
"But such
stunts appear to be the only way sometimes to prompt any
debate about climate change."
Brent Edwards, Political Editor for Radio New Zealand, on yesterday's Greenpeace climate protest on the roof of parliament.
Sciblogs 2.0 coming soon
After nearly six years in operation, Australasia's largest blog network is getting a facelift and some fresh voices.
Sciblogs features commentary from around
30 scientists and science writers and is consistently ranked
among the country's top 10 blogs based on Sitemeter
statistics.
But the platform is well overdue for a revamp and will soon be relaunched with a new look, new additions to the blogging line-up and a remit of appealing to a wider audience.
Among the changes will be:
• A more visual
look and refreshed blog
homepages
•
• Mobile-friendly design so Sciblogs
looks good on smartphones and tablets
•
• Some
new bloggers covering everything from drones to
psychology
•
• News content drawing from sources
such as our new Scimex.org research news
portal.
•
Become a Scibling
We are on the lookout for new science bloggers to join our lively stable of bloggers and as well as writers, videographers and social media gurus who are passionate about science communication and who are keen to collaborate on Sciblogs.
"The likes of Iflscience, Science Alert and the science blog networks of Scientific American and Scienceblogs shows there's strong appetite for science news and commentary," said Sciblogs editor and SMC Director, Peter Griffin.
"We want to grow the Sciblogs community featuring the best, most interesting science from New Zealand and around the world. We'll improve our mobile and social media presence so Sciblogs content is easier to browse and share."
The new Sciblogs will go live by the end of August - contactSciblogs editor Peter Griffin if you would like to get involved.
NZ Sea Lion
'endangered'
Antarctic protection may be coming too late for the New Zealand Sea Lion which was this week listed as an 'endangered' species.
The status of the New Zealand Sea Lion has moved from ‘Vulnerable’ to the more serious ‘Endangered’ category in thelatest update of the IUCN’s Red List.
The Red List, maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is considered the definitive international standard for species extinction risk, covering 77,340 species.
The Union highlighted the changing status of the New Zealand Sea Lion as an example of human-caused population decline:
“The New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) – one of the rarest sea lions in the world – has moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, mainly due to disease, habitat modification caused by fishing, and accidental death as a result of bycatch. The species has never recovered from the severe population depletion which occurred due to commercial hunting early in the 19th century.”
The New Zealand Sea Lion primarily inhabits the subantarctic islands south of New Zealand and surrounding waters, though small numbers of them are found at Stewart Island and along the southeast coast of the South Island.
Read more about the New Zealand Sea Lion on the Red List profile.
Seals make up the biggest proportion of extinctions among marine species, says Dr Louise Chilvers, a Massey University researcher who contributed to the Red List assessment.
“It is sad to see another top predator heading for extinction," she told the SMC.
“The New Zealand sea lion is a species where its decline can be reversed. Meaningful fisheries controls and management is urgently needed.”
Read more expert commentary and media coverage on the Science Media Centre website.
Policy news & developments
Kapiti conservation: The Government is
providing a $290,000 Community Environment Fund grant for a
project aimed at protecting and restoring biodiversity on
the Kapiti Coast.
EEZ amendment: Parliament has passed an amendment that will allow existing petroleum operators to continue operating while their marine consent is being considered by the Environmental Protection Authority.
Cycleway funding: Simon Bridges today announced a $333 million cycleways investment that he says will change the face of cycling in New Zealand.
New from Sciblogs
Some of the highlights from this week's
Sciblogs posts:
Calling all science communicators! Steve
Pointing announces his new project, Sci21, a series of
interviews with Kiwi and southern hemisphere scientists,
covering the big issues.
Pointing at Science
Flooding, public health – and the need for
more emphasis on prevention - Recent flooding events in
New Zealand should make us think about the adverse public
health and economic impacts, write Nick Wilson, George
Thomson & Paul Blaschke.
Public Health Expert
Making the impenetrable penetrable- science
articles as videos- Victoria Metcalf chews over some
ideas for making scientific articles more digestible.
Ice
Doctor
Speed bumps on the road to Paris - The
government consultation on proposed climate targets been on
a rough ride, writes Peter Griffin.
Griffin's
Gadgets
Upcoming events
Please see the SMC Events Calendar for more events and
detail
• Australasian Association of Bioethics Health
Law Conference Wellington NZ 2015 -25-28 June,
Wellington.
•
• Antarctica - A changing environment - 29
June-2 July, Christchurch. 2015 Antarctic Science
Conference.
•
• He Manawa Whenua Indigenous Research
Conference - 29 June-2 July, Hamilton. This conference
explores Māori and Indigenous knowledge and research
through the theme: 'Indigenous research Innovation,
Well-being and Inspiration'
•
• A Tale of Two Hemispheres - 30 June,
Wellington. Prof James Renwick's Inaugral Lecture will
examine climate change and the major differences in how
things are playing out in the northern and southern
hemispheres.
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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