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Animals In many ways animals are far more advanced than anything we can do with technology. Some scientists are using animal characteristics to improve current technology. A group at The Australian National University has started to study how bees fly to build autonomous helicopters. Monkeys are proving that a mind is a powerful thing. Another group of researchers are looking to the octopus for inspiration for building robots. In the medical field, we are finding frogs can providing potential medical adhesives. The researchers who discovered this are from the University of Adelaide. As part of their research, they have actually sniffed and catalogued the scent of over a hundred different species of frogs when they are stressed. Frogs excrete all sorts of different chemicals from their skin, some of these could work as insect repellents. Cows and sheep . They're a big problem for the greenhouse effect - well, they're not, but their burps and farts are! There are lots of possible solutions to this problem, including cow nappies and vaccinations for sheep. In order to better communicate with other animals, researchers have been listening to dogs and cats to work out what they are saying. Based on their research, a Japanese company has come up with a device that lets you better understand your dog. Its called the Bowlingual. If you had this device, you might find out that what your dog really wants is to pull you along in a Regal Mini Sulky. Tassie devil populations are also in danger, due to a contagious tumour disease sweeping through Tasmania. Another Tasmanian animal in danger is the Weilangta Stag Beetle. Even further south, is the least explored continent of all: Antarctica. Many of the animals there feed on little krill that live in the southern oceans. This is something that 22 year-old Matthew Brown is studying on board the ship Aurora Australis. Also in Antarctica, Dr Tracey Rogers from the University of Sydney is looking at leopard seals to predict the impacts of climate change. Ever wondered how to keep sharks away? Maybe the Shark Shield or Shark Spray could help. Also find out how sharks might save your life in the future, or how we could save theirs with shark tagging. Grey Nurse sharks are often known as the Labradors of the sea; they are passive fish and only dangerous if provoked. But now the sharks themselves are in danger. Speaking of dangerous animals saving lives, crocodiles, and bats and may be better for us than we realise. Researchers have discovered that the Box Jellyfish is actually afraid of the colour red. To find out more about life as a Jellyfish, researchers have to tag them, which is harder than you think. Pigeons are being strapped with mobile phones and given their own BLOG to help us monitor air pollution. William Archer is 24, but has loved keeping bees since he was a kid. Find out how he has made a successful business out of bees that don't sting. Some other reptile research that is being done has do to with Sea Snakes, find out what the CSIRO are trying to do. Australia is home to Spider Girl. Her real name is Amber Beavis and she hunts funnel-web spiders with knitting needles. Who could have ever imagined that spiders, scorpions or snakes could one day provide cures to a range of illnesses. Scientists are looking into how venomous creatures could cure diseases such as cancer, heart disease or arthritis. Have you ever imagined what life would be like as a cockroach? It might be better than you think. The Orange-bellied Parrot is an Australian bird that is more endangered than the Giant Panda. There are only 200 individuals left in the wilds of southern Victoria and Tasmania. Recently a new potential threat to the parrot has been identified, one that you probably wouldn't expect. If you think dog poo is yucky and smelly, you may be surprised to hear that it's being used to heat homes. You might not think of sheep as being the smartest animal, but scientists reckon sheep might have found a clever way to avoid a visit from the vet. Michael Parsons from Curtin University in W.A. has discovered that kangaroos are afraid of dingo urine. Michelle Gray gettting under the skin of crocodiles. Inspired by the movie 'Meet the Parents', Jo Lapidge set about to toilet train her cat. Read about her success with her Litter Kwitter toilet training system. Australia has heaps of research going in to our marine creatures. Blake Harahush is studying the life cycle of sharks and its possible implications. The Great Barrier Reef is in serious trouble with the suggestion it may not exist anymore in twenty years. A program called Coral Watch is now being implemented to encourage Australian's to take a greater interest in one our country's most beautiful natural resourses. Great White Sharks have often been given a bad rep, with heaps of people being scared of them! Researchers form the CSIRO are breaking down the sterotype and trying to preserve the predators of the deep. The direction of a dog wagging its tail can tell you how your dog is feeling. A sign of hope for a frog without a hop as it has been rediscovered. Stains on the carpet, midnight strolls to the park and little ‘accidents’ are all things you would expect if you have dogs in an apartment. A solution has now been found with a backyard in a box. Background Notes A brief synopsis of each of the animal-related items in our shows and links to our references.
Flight A group of researchers at the Australian National University in Canberra have been studying the technique honeybees use to work out the distances they have flown to reach a food source. When a bee finds a good food source it will return to the hive to let other workers know the foods position. Honeybees have a remarkable ability to determine and communicate the exact distance and direction to a food source they have only been to once. The researchers found out that the bees use visual cues (how many things go past their eyes) to work out how far they have flown. Usually, these cues are things like trees but the researchers have built an artificial track for the bees to fly along to reach food. This track is a U-shaped tunnel about 10 m long. The hive is placed at one end and a food source at the other. Worker bees are trained to fly along the tunnel to get food. Upon returning to the hive they indicate to other workers where this food is. The bees are generally very accurate but the researchers found they could trick the bees by painting alternating black and white stripes on the sides of the tunnel. This means that as the bee flies along the tunnel it passes a great many visual cues, fooling the bee into thinking that it is flying much further than it really is. Bees will often overestimate the distance flown by up to 5 or 6 times. The researchers took this a step further and designed a tunnel that had movable sides. This meant that while a bee was flying along the tunnel the striped sides could be moved towards the bee. This means that the bee will pass a huge number of stripes in the 10 m flight to the end of the tunnel, causing the bee to think that it has flown a much greater distance than it really did and considerably more than when the stripes were still. The stripes could also be moved in the same direction as the flying bee. This meant that as the bee travelled down the tunnel it might have only passed one or two stripes causing the bee to greatly underestimate the distance that it had covered. Dancing Bees have a unique way of communicating the direction and distance of food sources. They perform a dance, known as the waggle dance. The dance can take two or three forms. When the food source is close by the bee dances in a circular motion. However, if the food is a greater distance than 75 m the dance performed will be a figure of eight with a very distinctive waggle (or shake of the backside) through the middle. Occasionally, a third form of the dance, a mixture of the other two may be seen when the distance to the food source is around 75 m. The speed of the dance and particularly the waggles indicates, very accurately, the distance to the food source. The orientation of the dance inside the hive indicates the orientation of the food compared to the position of the sun. One of the main reasons for this research into honeybee flight is for the design of autonomous helicopters. A group of researchers at the ANU are using what they have learnt from bees to design a helicopter that can take-off, fly around and land with no external control. A prototype of this helicopter has already been built and tested. Using visual cues the helicopter is able to take-off, fly forward and then land. Keeping Bees Stingless Australia is brimming with dangerous creatures, strangely enough though, our native bees are harmless. This was one of the factors that inspired 24 year old William Archer to farm these tiny creatures for their honey. Honey is traditionally collected from the hives of introduced bees, as the construction of the nests of native bees and the small quantities of honey that they produce has so far made it impossible to use them commercially for honey production. References
Return to top. Octopuses are extraordinary creatures. Like slugs and snails, they are molluscs and have no spinal cord. But unlike slugs and snails they have a very complex brain and nervous system. Having no bones or skeleton structure, they use their flexible tentacles to swim, manipulate objects and hold tools. Octopuses are also masters of disguise. They can change their shape, their colour and texture, to mimic other sea creatures, to camouflage and to put on displays to attract each other. Robotics designers are now looking at octopuses for inspiration on creating the robots of the future. Because they have no joints, tentacles have an infinite range of movement that is highly desired in robotics. The recent first-ever discovery of octopuses walking on two legs (tentacles) adds incentive to this kind of research. Check out these links to see world-first footage of walking octopuses and learn more about robots of the future. References
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If you’ve been staying up all night wondering what frogs smell like when they’re stressed, then you can sleep easy after reading this article. Apparently, some frogs smell like cashew nuts, whilst others smell like curry, licorice, mint, and rotten fish. What a relief. Researchers from the University of Adelaide have actually sniffed and catalogued the scent of over a hundred different species of frogs when they are stressed. This information may one day change the lives of millions. That’s why the researchers have won an Ig Nobel Prize for all their work. (An Ig Nobel Prize honours “achievements that first made people laugh, then made people think”.) The researchers don’t know what all this means yet, but they’ve discovered that some of the chemicals behind the scents are responsible for killing mosquitoes so therefore we could use this as an insect spray. They also found that some of the chemicals actually stop pigeons from pooping on places like roofs and balconies, so it could be added to things like paint. These chemicals are actually being used as bird repellents in London, Paris, and New York at the moment. Isn’t it amazing what you could discover from simply sniffing frogs? References Return to top Have you ever been out camping or bushwalking and found that the bugs just wouldn’t leave you alone? Well, next time this happens try rubbing some rotten meat on yourself. Actually, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea but according to Associate Professor Mike Tyler and his team at the University of Adelaide, some Australian frogs are producing their own insect repellent and it smells just like rotten meat. References
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Return to top. Methane is bad for the ozone layer. It actually breaks down the ozone layer 20 times faster than CO2. However, it does still have its uses. One of these is to generate electricity. Here in Australia we produce a large amount of methane. One of the primary producers of this methane are cattle and other livestock. When cattle break wind, they release methane into the atmosphere. Some groups have started coming up with solutions to this problem. One such group are some dairy farmers. Many diary farmers keep their cows in sheds and methane is trapped in the top of the shed. Some dairy farmers have put extractors on the side of their shed to pull this methane out of the air and put it into canisters. This methane can then be sold or used to generate electricity. Some dairy farmers are actually powering their farms this way. One group has taken this a step further, however, and has developed a cow nappy. This airtight nappy collects all the methane as well as the cowpats. Again the methane can be sold or used to generate electricity. By collecting this methane these people are preventing this methane escaping into the atmosphere and damaging the ozone layer. Return to top.
Methane is produced by tiny bacteria called methanogens which live inside our farm animals guts. Australian researchers have been working on an anti-methanogen vaccine. The vaccine has been developed and tested in Western Australia, with good results. The vaccine has also been tested in Queensland, with less success, which lead to the discovery that sheep in different parts of Australia contain different types of bacteria! Even so, the tests did show a reduction in the amount of methane ‘ejected’ from the vaccinated sheep. A second vaccine for Queensland sheep is being developed. Further testing will show whether this vaccine will play a role in farming in Australia in the future. Current funding for the anti-methanogen vaccine comes from CSIRO. But the researchers hope to get funding from industries that could benefit from more efficient feeding, leading to increased cattle weight and wool production. References
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An Australian called Jim Walsh has developed a sulky (that's a little cart) like no other. Known as the Regal Mini sulky, it's the perfect thing for lazy dog owners or for dogs with too much energy for their owner - basically you hook up your pup, sit in the buggy and hold on. It's the first sulky to combine a single shaft (light and adaptable) with independent suspension for each of the two wheels (for stability and a smooth ride), not to mention optional disc brakes for added safety on hills or for extremely energetic pooches. Jim developed the Regal Mini as a response to customers asking for a buggy for miniature horses and goats (and dogs). He realised that current sulky designs would be far too big and heavy for these light animals, but rather than putting it into the "too hard" basket, Jim put on his thinking cap. Only 10 days after identifying the problem (it needed a seat, two wheels with independent suspension, and some kind of chassis), he had completely redesigned the traditional sulky and built a prototype. Since then, Jim's developed both the urban and the off-road models, and has a whole swag of parts and accessories for them too. It just goes to show that innovative thinking can lead to all kinds of things - even dog buggies! Return to top. Ever wondered what your dog and cat are trying to tell you with that insistent yap or meow? Introducing the Bow and Meowlinguals; devices that allow you to better understand your favourite pets. Basically, the Bowlingual turns your dog's bark into cute phrases such as 'you're ticking me off' or 'lets play!' and the Meowlingual interprets your cats purrrrrs and meows. Both gadgets use scientific data on animal sounds from a Tokyo laboratory that also analyses human voices, helps solve crime and takes part in designing software for mobile phones. In order to understand the dogs, scientists in Japan studied thousands of barks under different environmental conditions and managed to classify them into 6 distinct feelings based on the pitch of the bark, and what was happening to the dog at the time. The dogs felt sad, frustrated, on guard, needy, happy and self-assertive. Good luck talking to the animals! Return to top. If you think dog poo is yucky and smelly, you may be surprised to hear that it's being used to heat homes. In San Francisco, USA, there are more dogs than children so the local council has decided to do something useful with all that dog poo. The dog poo is collected in bins they've placed in parks around the city. It's then put into a tank full of bacteria that breaks the dog poo down creating methane gas. The methane gas is then sent down the pipes to homes around the city and used just like natural gas for heating and cooking. Although lots of people associate methane, one of the gases in farts, with bad smells it doesn't actually smell at all so the houses won't smell like poo! Who knows maybe one day houses in Australia will be heated using dog poo too.
Return to top. Ever since the movie Jaws, people have been afraid of sharks. OK, maybe even before the movie people were afraid of sharks. However peoples fear of this amazing predator has proven even scarier for the shark as many species have been hunted to near extinction. In order to better understand sharks, greater study of their behaviour is needed in safe conditions. A product called the Shark Shield™ is providing an avenue for researchers, surfers, divers and commercial fishermen and women to dive and swim safely amongst sharks. The Shark Shield™ emits an electromagnetic field out around the wearer into the water, which keeps the sharks at bay. Sharks have organs in their nose which sense electricity (called ampullae of lorenzini). The Shark Shield™ is based on the technology of the Shark POD, an electronic shark deterrent product which was invented by the Natal Sharks Board of South Africa. Sharks are animals which sometimes we fear when swimming in the ocean and because of this a lot of people are coming up with ways that we can scare them away. A group in America have come up with a shark spray, which will repel the shark, not hurting it, and the inspiration came from the sharks own brain!! Sharks are animals which we fear and ones that we hope never to meet whilst swimming, but did you know that they have a few medical purposes which are quite unique and helpful to humans? The dreaded pimple, zit or spot may be something of the past all because of sharks. Researchers at CSIRO have created an anti-acne treatment which comes from sharks bile, the stuff that helps digests their food. In sharks bile, there is a compound which if we had in us, would suppress oil from coming out of our skin glands. So researchers at CSRIO have developed a synthetic form which we might be swallowing in a pill quite soon and no-longer will we have to worry about the dreaded spots all over out faces. Sharks may also help us fight deadly viruses such as SARS or anthrax due to naturally occurring antibodies in their systems. These antibodies are perfect for diagnostics because they are so small and may also have uses in environmental science and biotech applications. These are like no naturally occurring human anti-bodies as they have a complex 3D structure, however researchers are now replicating them in the CSIRO research laboratories to help humans! White sharks are well known in Australia as deadly ocean predators. Stories of shark attacks mean that many people are afraid of them. So why are Australian researchers going out of their way to capture and track these creatures? Mostly it is for conservation reasons. These animals are categorised as endangered, but very little is known about their populations and behaviour. Scientists from CSIRO based in South Australia are now using advanced satellite tags to get accurate information on the movements of these sharks. Attaching these tags to sharks up to 4 metres long, is a huge operation. The shark is lured with bait until it tires, then led into a large sling-like contraption custom-made by Melbourne Aquarium. Someone (very brave) then leans over and clips the tag in place. The tag is attached to the shark’s dorsal fin. Bruce was one of the large male sharks tracked last year. He travelled an amazing distance in the 7 months that the tag operated for. He travelled from South Australian, through the Bass Strait, up to the Great Barrier Reef and all the way back again. So he certainly lived up to his reputation! (He was named after the shark from Finding Nemo.) Currently four large male sharks are being tracked. Information on their current whereabouts and lot of other shark stuff, is available at the web address below. References
Return to top. Whale Shark Tagging Very little is known about the whale shark, which is surprising considering how much room it takes up. The whale shark is the biggest shark and also the biggest fish. They can be as long as 14 metres. So the CSIRO and Australian Institute of Marine Science are looking to find out information about these giant creatures by tagging and tracking them. They are using satellite tags to learn more about movement and migration patterns as well as being able to protect them from overfishing outside of Australian waters. References Return to top. In the future, when you receive a blood transfusion you may be receiving synthetic blood designed to mimic crocodiles blood, or more specifically crocodile hemoglobin thanks to Dr Kerie Hammerton and her team at ANTSO. At the moment when you get a blood transfusion, you get real human blood made up of three individual components: red-blood cells, plasma and hemoglobin. All of these bits are needed to transfer oxygen into our organs and tissues. This is sometimes a problem due to donor shortages or because of a small risk of viruses being carried through blood. But the crocodile could fix this. The mighty crocodile can lurk under water for long periods of time all because of its amazing ability to transfer oxygen through small amounts of hemoglobin, and hemoglobin only. This amazing fact inspired researchers to combine human hemoglobin and crocodiles to create a new blood substitute. This new blood substitute will be mass produced by bacteria by the bucket load and may solve all our blood shortage problems! Reference
Return to top. Vampire bats, just like the myth of vampires implies, puncture flesh with their fangs and then feed off mammalian blood. However these animals are not ferocious killers, and if you get bitten by one, it will most likely be on your big toe poking out from the blanket while you are sleeping. Although vampire bats are not found in Australia, research at Monash University has shown that the reason why these bats can feed off blood, could be very helpful for humans. When a vampire bat bites and starts to feed, the blood seeps from this area making it easy to get a good meal. The weird thing is that the blood keeps flowing and does not become thick like when you graze your knee. And this is because of a special enzyme in the bats saliva which stops the blood from clotting. This enzyme attacks the structures in the blood and prevents all the cells from joining and sealing up the wound, it thins the blood. This enzyme has evolved over thousands of years, and now due to these researchers it may be helping humans in many medical circumstances, such as in stroke patients or in any medical case where a blood clot needs to be dissolved. Return to top. The box jellyfish is one of the deadliest animals in the world, and Jamie Seymour from James Cook University in Cairns has discovered a breakthrough new defence against them. He discovered that the box jellyfish is actually afraid of the colour red. They found that when a red object is placed next to the box jellyfish, they swim away from it, but if it was a black object, they swim around it. What this means is that all you have to do is wear red the next time you go swimming where the box jellyfish lives, and that should be a good enough defence against them, but you shouldn’t jump into an area infested with them just because you’re wearing red, that’s just plain silly. References
Return to top In a world first, researchers at James Cook University in Cairns has managed to tag Jellyfishes. Normally when researchers want to tag an animal, they open up a body cavity, insert the tag, stitch it up, and then release the animal, or they just stick the tag through an available body part. The problem with the Jellyfish is they don’t have any body cavity and you can’t stitch them up because it’s like stitching jelly. So what the researchers did was they used super glue. They take a Jellyfish, and a tag, and super glue them together, then release the Jellyfish back in the water. What they discovered was that at about 3pm in the afternoon, the box jellyfish goes down to the ocean floor and takes a nap. Then 14 hours later, they wake up and they do whatever they normally do. This is really interesting because no one has seen this type of behaviour in any jellyfish in the world before. They believe that the reason that they sleep is to conserve energy, avoid predators and, because they’re visual hunters, they can’t search for food at night. References
Return to top If you’ve ever been worried about catching a cold when a friend sneezes near you, imagine what it would be like if you thought you might catch cancer. Tasmanian devils risk catching cancer every time they get in a fight. Over the last few years, cancer has swept through the Tasmanian devil population. The cancers start off as small cuts around the mouth, grow to large tumours and eventually lead to death. Anne-Maree Pearse, of the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, has found that the cancer is actually infectious and is passed on when the devils bite each other during a fight. Now that we know the cancer is passed from one animal to another it may be possible to save the Tassie devils by isolating groups. References
Return to top. How did you spend New Year’s? Imagine boarding Australia’s Antarctic flagship the Aurora Australis on New Year’s Eve and waking up on your way toward Antarctica. That’s how 22 year-old Matthew Brown started his year 2006. He and 61 other scientists and explorers are off on a 10 week trip into the Southern Oceans around the least explored continent in the world. It’s a busy trip with surveys being conducted on marine life from whales and albatrosses to the tiny krill at the base of the Antarctic food chain. References
Return to top. Antarctic Predator Consumed By Changing Climate Leopard seals rule the icy waters of the Antarctic, and as the top predator they could act as an important indicator of our changing climate. What’s going on? Krill, a small crustacean, is the basis of the Antarctic ecosystem, and in the last 30 years their numbers have declined by up to 85%. As the climate changes, the temperature of the water around Antarctica has increased by as much as 6 degrees Celsius in come places. These influences will drastically change Antarctica, and the Antarctic drives the climate of the whole planet. Leopard seals are the iconic predators of this frozen land, and they will be among the first to respond to large scale environmental change. Who’s doing it? Dr Tracey Rogers is a senior lecturer in the faculty of vet sciences at The University of Sydney and also the director of the Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre. She followed a childhood passion for the ocean and creatures within it to reach her goal of working with leopard seals. Tracey has been working with these seals for the past 15 years, and has recently gained publicity due to 2007 being International Polar Year. A passion for animals has led to something much bigger, as people look to the Antarctic and leopard seals to get a handle on our changing climate. How do I get into it? If you’re interested in marine biology, check out The University of Sydney’s Institute of Marine Science.
If you are interested in helping out the environment right now, you could volunteer with Conservation Volunteers Australia. Reference Return to top. Funnel-web spiders are the most notorious characters of our spider fauna. This however hasn’t turned the zealous arachnologist Amber Beavis off her current research. Arachnologists are people who study spiders, mites, ticks, or scorpions, and are not to be confused with archaeologists, people who excavate fossils and ancient remains. Reference Return to top. Many people have mobile phones these days, and it’s pretty normal to see people on the streets sending text messages to their friends. Since mobile phones are so popular with people, why don’t we give mobile phones to animals as well? References
Return to top. A Federal court case going on in Hobart could have major implications on whether logging can be conducted in areas where endangered species live. If the action succeeds it could affect logging operations in many parts of the country. Australia has more species on the brink of extinction than most other countries in the world. We know that around the world, logging and the loss of forests is one, if not the most potent cause of loss of species. It is understood that there are endangered animals in this particular area of Tasmania like the Tasmanian Wedge tailed eagle and along with the Weilangta Stag Beetle they are both on the state and federal endangered species lists. You can read more about this case as it unfolds but there are other ways of conserving animals, particularly through conservation research. References
Return to top. When people think about animal conservation, it is usually the cute and fluffy creatures that get a lot of attention but there are some not-so-cute creatures that need conserving as well. Some recent research by the CSIRO is looking into ways of conserving sea snakes. A lot of people don’t like snakes but they need to be protected as well. The problem that has been identified is that the air-breathing sea snakes are getting caught up in prawn trawlers and being caught up as bycatch (which means the catch they didn’t want) and drowning. The research is mainly centred on northern Australian waters. This is a pretty big problem because sea snakes don’t produce many young each year and they are really slow growing animals. Their numbers are dwindling and some species are now considered to be vulnerable or endangered. The CSIRO is now conducting research that will work out exactly what the effects of trawling are on these animals and will also identify which species are most at risk and try to work out which Bycatch Reduction Devices are the most efficient in order to protect these animals. References Return to top. They creep, they crawl and they bite. They not only bite, they also inject venom that can induce agonising pain, paralysis or even death. That’s right I’m talking about spiders, snakes, scorpions and any other poisonous animal. If they are so dangerous, why then is Stuart Douglas in Queensland breeding tarantulas? References
Return to top. Ever wondered what life would be like as a cockroach? It might be a lot better than you would think. If you lived in a cockroach family you would never have to fight to get your fair share of dessert, or complain about sharing a bedroom with your sister while your brother gets a big room all of his own. This is because cockroaches are very democratic. They treat each other very fairly. Researchers have studied how groups of cockroaches interact with each other but giving them a choice of small houses to live in. If the houses are a bit too small to fit the whole group in one house, the cockroach group divides up evenly so that every member has equal living space. There is no leader cockroach that makes the decision. The cockroaches seem to all decide this together by waving their feelers around, communicating through their senses of touch and smell. References
Return to top. Grey Nurse sharks are often known as the Labradors of the sea; they are passive fish and only dangerous if provoked. But now the sharks themselves are in danger; and there are some mind-boggling ideas that could bring this gentle fish back from the brink of extinction. A radical plan by the Department of Primary Industries NSW plans to breed the sharks in artificial wombs to boost their numbers. This plan was inspired by the shark’s unusual activities while still in the womb. Known as an ovoviviparous reproductive strategy, baby sharks in the uterus receive no nutrients from their mother (unlike humans who receive constant nourishment through the umbilical cord), instead the shark feeds on its siblings while still in the uterus. The planned breeding program is brand spanking new, and the details are not yet finalised, but researchers believe they will be able to increase the number of surviving pups by separating them before they are eaten. A placid shark once in the water, the Grey Nurse seems to be anything but while still in the womb. There are less than 500 Grey Nurse sharks left on the east coast of Australia. The sharks have previously been hunted for a variety of reasons including in the early 1900’s when the oil in their liver was used in street lamps in Sydney and when their skin was used as sandpaper. In the 1960’s and 1970’s they were falsely accused of being man eaters and regularly slaughtered. Today accidental capture in recreational and commercial fishing poses the greatest threat to the species. References Catalyst interview with Dr Nick Otway Department of Primary Industries, NSW Return to top. Climate change threatens the extinction of thousands of species of plants and animals. Renewable energy offers a way to reduce the effect of climate change, with wind farms leading the way in renewable energy in Australia. But for one species of bird, wind farms could potentially lead to their extinction. The construction of a wind farm in Victoria was halted in April 2006 because of its potential impact on the Orange Bellied Parrot, one of the most endangered animals on earth. The wind farm was proposed to be built in the flight path of the bird, and it was determined that the turbines would pose too much of a collision hazard. The Minister for the Environment has now demanded that developers of future wind farms seriously consider their impact on endangered species. References
Return to top. You might not think of sheep as being the smartest animal, but scientists reckon sheep might have found a clever way to avoid a visit from the vet. Some research going on in Western Australia is testing out whether sheep can treat their own illnesses by eating plants that have healing properties. The trial involves putting sheep in a paddock with heaps of different plants and then watching them. It's like Big Brother for sheep. Researchers will be watching the sheep to see what they eat, whether they eat different stuff when they’re sick and how what they eat affects them. If they find that the sheep choose foods that improve their health, this could have a big impact for farmers. Farm management could be changed so that sheep always have access to plants with healing properties, which hopefully means a healthier mob of sheep. References Return to top. Kangaroos Are Afraid of Dingo Urine Many kangaroos are getting killed on roads by cars, so Michael Parsons and his team from Curtin University are working to combat this, and they're nearly there. They've recently discovered that kangaroos are afraid of dingo urine. When kangaroos came near the urine, they were startled and fled away from the affected area. Michael said that the effect of dingo urine on wild kangaroos was even more dramatic than the effect on those kept in captivity. The team tried urine from other animals as well, including the non-native coyote, but found that kangaroos were actually interested in the strange new smell and so stayed in the area to examine it. Now that they've discovered this, all they have to do is splash dingo urine all over roads to stop kangaroos from going anywhere near. This might be a problem because there's not enough dingo urine to do the job, so Michael and his team are now working on isolating the compounds in the dingo urine that scares the kangaroo. There are heaps of compounds in urine and no one knows which ones are responsible for the scaring. However, once they figure it out, the team are hoping to produce a synthetic version of it, so they can mass produce it. Once done, it may also be used to stop kangaroos from damaging property and eating crops. Who would have thought that dingo urine could be so helpful? It’s all about looking at things from a different point of view and testing it out. References
Return to top. Curing crocs What’s going on? Who’s doing it? How do I get into it? For general great outdoors volunteering opportunities visit University of Queensland Ecology website For volunteering/work experience positions at wildlife park Northern Territory 2006 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Winner Return to top. Feline Fan Finds the Answer References Fresh Innovators Website Where to from here? Student interested in innovations could simply put thought into an idea for an invention that may work, or talk to people involved in that career field - or check out the Invention Convention. For students who want to become involved in conservation, are interested in ecological issues and want to bring about positive change, an appealing degree offered by the University of Adelaide is a Bachelor of Science (Sustainable Environment). The pre-requisites for this would be taking chemistry and maths in years 11 and 12. Return to top. The predators reveal their secrets Have you ever dreamt of working with the predators of the ocean, or does the idea of it leave you terrified? Many people don’t like sharks and that’s probably because they are afraid of them, but Blake Harahush is not scared of them. In fact she will go as far as giving a shark a cuddle! Blake has been studying sharks now for three years and is looking at their growth and visual development of brown banded sharks from embryo to adults. Blake found that sharks showed signs of fins at 53 days into a 153 day average hatching period. Warmer temperatures do speed up the hatching period with the sharks hatching in warmer temperatures after only 101 days. What was also found that is interesting is that sharks develop full vision up to a month before they hatch, which is still a mystery to Blake. What Blake has discovered may be incredibly useful for developing shark breeding programs. Also understanding shark vision may also help humans deter them from populated areas. A further aim of her study is to break down the stereotypes of sharks as killers, as sharks don’t actually seek out humans to hunt them. What's going on? Blake Harahush is a PhD student at the University of Queensland and has made some startling discoveries about sharks that may impact highly on their overall research. Blake has been studying the growth and visual development of brown banded sharks from embryo to adult for the last three years. This research is useful because it can help with tracing the evolution and development of their vision which could help to identify the best conditions for shark breeding programs resulting in replenishing stocks. Understanding sharks vision could also help humans deter them from populated areas. Who's doing it? Blake Harahush is a PhD student at the University of Queensland. She is an International student from America. She went to a Northern High School in Owings Maryland (USA) and to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia (USA). She started her honours project on sharks at the University of Queensland and continued on with her project into her PhD. Blake has always had an interest in swimming and loved fish. She always wanted to work with animals and had a marine preference, and really got fascinated by sharks when she was in high school. How do I get into it? The best way to get involved in Marine Science is to study Biology at school. Most University science degrees do have requirements that need to be fulfilled to get into the course. Therefore it is valuable to do Biology, Chemistry and T-level Maths in Year 11 and 12. This is preparation for any degree requirements at university but will change depending upon the university. The University of Queensland offer’s degrees in Marine Biology, with much other university’s Australia wide offering Bachelor’s of Science majoring in Marine Science, such as the Australian National University. References Return to top.
The coral reefs of the coast are changing colour, from dull browns to brilliant white, purples or greens. Although this may not sound bad, it is actually a sign that our coral reefs are dying. The ‘whitening’ of the coral is called coral bleaching and comes about because of a loss of algae (symbiontic dinoflagellates) that live in the tissue of the algae. Algae and coral have previously lived in a symbiotic relationship which means they live together using each other for their own survival. In healthy coral the algae supplies the coral with energy (sugars and amino acids) and in turn receive products like ammonia and phosphate. The coral is being bleached because of the disappearance of the algae, and the loss of this will eventually result in the death of the coral. Stressful environmental condition’s is what leads to the bleaching and in large part can be blamed upon the rising temperature levels of the sea water, which is a result of global warming. What's going on? During the early months of 1998, 2002 & 2004 many corals on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and many other reefs in the world changed their colouration from brown to a brilliant white, purple or green. This ‘whitening’ of the coral is called coral bleaching and is due to a loss of the symbiontic dinoflagellates (algae) living within the tissue of the coral. In a healthy coral the algae supply the coral with energy (sugars and amino acids) and in turn receive products essential to their survival (ammonia and phosphate). During a bleaching event the brownish algae disappear from the tissue of the corals leading to the observed colour change. This loss of the ‘nutrient factory’ in corals may lead to death of the coral or the coral may slowly recover. The mass coral bleaching event of 1998 is considered to be the most severe on record and about one-sixth of the world’s coral colonies died! Many stressful environmental conditions can lead to bleaching, however, elevated water temperatures due to global warming have been found to be the major cause of the massive bleaching events observed in recent years. As the sea temperatures cool during winter, corals that have not starved may overcome a bleaching event and recover their symbionts. However, even if they survive, their reproductive capacity is reduced leading to long-term damage to reef systems. Sea temperatures are predicted to continue to rise and thus bleaching is expected to occur more and more frequently leading to the death of large areas of coral reefs worldwide within a few decades! At the University of Queensland, Australia a method of coral health monitoring which uses simple colour charts, like paint colour matching charts has been recently developed. This is a result of the unusual union between world leading vision and colour experts at VTHRC (Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre) and world leading coral experts at CMS (Centre for Marine Studies). Current attempts to monitor coral bleaching often involve costly satellite-born technologies, are restricted to locations researcher are working in and often require sampling of live tissue for physiological analysis. Our coral reef monitoring approach using colour charts is the first attempt to provide useful data on a relatively large scale with the help of an inexpensive, ‘user friendly’ and non-invasive device. The colour charts can be used by anyone, scientists, school children, tourists and politicians. Importantly, the opportunity for everyone to participate in a global reef-monitoring project removes the sense of hopelessness felt by many in the face of outcomes predicted from global warming. With this monitoring program we also aim to educate the public about coral bleaching and its devastating effect on coral reefs. How do I get into it? Anyone can get into helping Australia monitor the state of the coral, which is what makes Coral Watch such an open and accessible plan. However if you want to get into environmental science as a career then there is many universities that offer degrees in Environmental science. For students who want to become involved in conservation, are interested in ecological issues and want to bring about positive change, an appealing degree offered by the University of Adelaide is a Bachelor of Science (Sustainable Environment). The pre-requisites for this would be taking chemistry and maths in years 11 and 12. References Return to top. Great White Shark TaggingIt goes by many names, White Death being the most menacing. But the truth is for The Great White Shark, we pose a much bigger threat to the fish than it ever will to us. Still, the image of those jagged teeth is at the back of every surfer’s mind. But for Russ Bradford at the CSIRO, the shark is a big fish that has been labelled vulnerable to extinction, and he thinks we need to know a lot more about them. What’s going on? CSIRO in South Australia have been monitoring the movements of White Sharks for years now, and they have gathered a lot of information that could prevent the interaction between humans and sharks for the benefit of both species. A new type of acoustic tag means that if a shark is detected at a certain place – say a popular swimming beach – the researcher, and therefore local bathers or surfers, can be notified straight away. The tag has been developed by a company called Vemco, and the CSIRO will be the first to trial it later in 2007. Who’s doing it? Russ Bradford is a researcher on the White Shark project. He made his start at The University of Tasmania studying Marine, Freshwater and Antarctic Biology. Now Russ reckons he’s pretty lucky because he gets to hug White Sharks while out in the field tagging them. How do I get into it? Marine biology would be a great place to start if sharks are your thing. To find out more check out what The University of Adelaide has to offer. ReferencesCSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Return to top. Its all in the way a dog wags their tailCan the direction of a dog wagging its tail, tell you how your dog is feeling? This latest research might be a new way better understand what your dog is thinking. What’s going on? Researchers in Italy have found that a dog can wag their tails in different directions depending on whether they are excited, threatened or thinking of retreating. A study of 30 dogs showed that they wag their tail to the right in sight of their owners, while the appearance of a large unfamiliar dog, such as a German shepherd can trigger a left-sided wagging. Captured through video cameras, these results of the dog’s tail wagging behaviour is great news for canine handlers, vets and of course you, walking your dog in the park. This can help to determine whether or not your dog can play with other dogs. These finding, add to mounting evidence that different emotions are associated with different sides of the brain in a variety of animals. Who’s doing it? The research is being done by a group of scientist studying animal psychology in Italy. They are apart of the animal science faculty at Treista and Bari University. They are all interested in veterinary science and neuroscience. How do I get into it? Subjects like Biology, chemistry and maths will help you if you want to get into the animal psychology field. After high school you could look at doing a TAFE course in animal technology, animal care or veterinary nursing. Or, you could look at university courses in science (biology or zoology) or veterinary science. References Return to top. A sign of Hope for a Frog without a HopWhat’s going on? Bibron’s toadlet is a threatened species in Victoria, so when some conservation volunteers stumbled across a few unknown colonies near Bendigo they were more than a little surprised. The volunteers were part of a frog monitoring program coordinated by Waterwatch Victoria. Groups from the community trek into the forest in the dark to record the sounds of the local frog populations. The enigmatic toadlet is tiny, only 3 cm long, and its most distinguishing feature is that its legs are so short that this frog walks because it cannot jump. The identification of these new communities of the Bibron’s toadlet means that these areas can be closely monitored to detect any changes in the population. The toadlet used to be much more common, but drought has reduced the number of successful breeding attempts. Who’s doing it? Leigh Mitchell is the co-ordinator of Waterwatch, an environmental education program in Victoria and most other states and territories. He loves his job because he is able to teach people about their local environments and he believes that if we are going to make any improvements in the fields of environmental management, people have to learn what’s going on in the world around them. How do I get into it? There are lots of ways you can get involved in protecting your local environment. You could monitor the water quality of your local stream or river with Waterwatch, get involved in a local frog monitoring program, or even become an Australian Conservation Volunteer. Waterwatch Victoria Australian Conservation Volunteers If you want to do more, and can imagine yourself in a future like this, check out the environmental science course that Leigh did at Monash University Extra Info/ReferencesFrogs of Australia (images) Return to top. Stains on the carpet, stupid o’clock strolls to the park and little ‘accidents’ are all things you would expect if you have dogs in an apartment. After all a dog’s got to do what a dog’s got to do and without a backyard, it makes it very difficult to avoid these little ‘accidents’. Until now that is! Thanks to a devoted dog lover who was sure that there was a better solution, and came up with a Backyard in a Box. What’s going on? The Pet Loo is a portable toilet for dogs that can be kept on an apartment balcony or anywhere where a backyard isn’t available. It’s a box shaped object with fake grass on top, simulating the dog’s natural toilet environment. The dog does its thing, and the urine gets drained through the fake grass and into a catchment jug that is easily removable so you can take it out and empty it. The base can hold up to 300kg, so there’s no danger if you have a big dog Who’s doing it? Simone is a 24 year old social worker who specialises in aged care and realised that pet ownership has great therapeutic benefits for not just the dogs, but also the owners. She lives in an apartment but loves to have dogs around. This combination of dogs in apartments can be very problematic and involve frequent “toilet walks”, which can come at very inconvenient times to avoid accidents. After one too many stains on the carpet and early Sunday morning walks, Simone decided to do something about it. How do I get into it? If you love animals and designing and have an idea for something you can create to help make yours or your pet’s life easier, check out the Invention Convention. And if you really want to work with animals, something like Veterinary Science or Veterinary Nursing is great. There are a few universities’ that do Vet Science and you can do a TAFE course for Vet Nursing. You’ll need to do biology and chemistry in secondary school. ReferencesReturn to top.
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