One Million Wild Spiders Supplied Silk for Rare Textile

September 23, 2009

From the American Museum of Natural History:

<<

ONE MILLION WILD SPIDERS FROM MADAGASCAR

SUPPLIED SILK FOR RARE TEXTILE

ON DISPLAY AT AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

 

Lustrous Golden Cloth Made from Undyed Silk

Took Four Years and Some 80 People to Create

 

A spectacular and extremely rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk thread produced by more than one million spiders in Madagascar, goes on display Wednesday, September 23 in the Museum’s Grand Gallery. This magnificent contemporary textile, measuring 11 feet by 4 feet, took four years to make using a painstaking technique developed more than 100 years ago.

This unique textile was created drawing on the legacy of a French missionary, Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar in the 1880s and 1890s. Camboué worked to collect and weave spider silk but with limited success, and no surviving textile is now known to exist. Previously, the only known spider-silk textile of note was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900, and it was subsequently lost.

(Images: AMNH/R.Mickens)

Producing the spider silk—the only example of its kind displayed anywhere in the world—involved the efforts of 70 people who collected spiders daily from webs on telephone wires, using long poles.  These spiders were all collected during the rainy season (the only time when they produce silk) from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and the surrounding countryside. These giant spider webs are a well-known feature of the capital, and frequently surprise international visitors.  A dozen more people were needed to draw the silk from the spiders with hand-powered machines, with each spider producing about 80 feet of silk filament. This intricately-patterned spider silk features stylized birds and flowers and is based on a weaving tradition known as lamba Akotifahana from the highlands of Madagascar, an art reserved for the royal and upper classes of the Merina people (who are concentrated in the Central highlands). Silkworm silk has been used for a long period in Madagascar, however, there is no tradition of weaving spider silk in Madagascar. In this unique lamba cloth, the individual threads used for weaving are made by twisting 96 to 960 individual spider silk filaments together.

The silk fiber was gathered from the female golden orb spider (Nephila madagascariensis), which is renowned for the lustrous golden hue of its silk fiber. The male spider does not produce silk. The golden orb spider of Madagascar is just one of about 36 members of the Nephila genus. These spiders are found throughout the tropics and are known as golden orb weavers for their big, gold-colored webs. The webs can often be seen between telephone and electrical wires—and are sometimes large enough to span a one-lane road.

Almost all silk fabric is made from silkworm moth cocoons, but people have occasionally tried to make cloth from spider silk. One of the biggest challenges is the cannibalistic nature of spiders, which makes it very difficult to raise them in captivity, unlike silkworms. Spiders can be collected in the wild and then placed in a device to keep them still so the silk can be drawn. Afterwards, the spiders are released back into the wild.

For its weight, spider silk is stronger than steel, but—unlike steel—it can stretch up to 40% of its normal length. Scientists are trying to produce this intriguing material artificially on a large scale for possible uses on the battlefield, in surgery, for space exploration, and elsewhere. Since raising spiders has proven difficult, researchers are investigating ways to replicate spider silk to avoid harvesting. However, spider silk is difficult to mimic in a lab because the silk begins as a liquid in the spider’s gland, becoming a remarkably strong, water-resistant solid after following a complicated course through the spider’s interior.

            The curator for the spider silk is Ian Tattersall, Curator, Division of Anthropology, with consulting by Norman Platnick, Curator, Division of Invertebrate Zoology.

            The textile is on loan from Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley. Peers founded “lamba,” an enterprise specializing in weaving, embroidery, and passementerie in Madagascar, working with architects and designers around the world. Lamba’s regular silk textiles have been acquired by museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute in Chicago, the National Museum of African Art, the Smithsonian, and the British Museum. Godley arrived in Madagascar in 1994 and created a small manufacturing company specializing in raffia products. He launched his first collection of fashion handbags in 1999 at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. In 2005, Godley closed the factory and moved key personnel and resources to Antananarivo, Madagascar to work on the spider silk partnership with Peers.

            Visitors interested in learning more about traditional silk-making can also visit the Museum’s Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World, which opens on November 14. This intriguing exhibition brings to life one of the greatest trading routes in human history, showcasing the goods, cultures, and technologies from four representative cities: Xi’an, China’s Tang Dynasty capital; Turfan, a verdant oasis and trading outpost; Samarkand, home of prosperous merchants who thrived on the caravan trade; and ancient Baghdad, a fertile hub of commerce and scholarship that became the intellectual center of the era.

 

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to explore and interpret human cultures and the natural world through a wide-reaching program of scientific research, education, and exhibitions. The Museum accomplishes this ambitious goal through its extensive facilities and resources. The institution houses 46 permanent exhibition halls, state-of-the-art research laboratories, one of the largest natural history libraries in the Western Hemisphere, and a permanent collection of more than 30 million specimens and cultural artifacts. With a scientific staff of more than 200, the Museum supports research divisions in Anthropology, Paleontology, Invertebrate and Vertebrate Zoology, and the Physical Sciences. The Museum shares its treasures and discoveries with approximately four million on-site visitors from around the world each year. AMNH-produced exhibitions and Space Shows can currently be seen in venues on five continents, reaching an audience of millions. In addition, the Museum’s website, www.amnh.org, extends its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more beyond the Museum’s walls.

 

At the American Museum of Natural History

The Museum offers a broad array of activities for adults, children, families, students, educators, and scientists. These range from special exhibitions to symposia, lecture series, workshops, and film festivals.  Highlights include Frogs: A Chorus of Colors (May 30, 2009–January 3, 2010), a delightful exhibition of 200 live frogs that introduces visitors to their colorful and richly diverse world; Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time (May 16, 2009–January 3, 2010), an intriguing exhibition that explores the surprising and sometimes bizarre world of extinct and living mammals; On Feathered Wings (June 21, 2008–July 1, 2010), an exhibition of more than 30 striking photographs featuring dramatic images of birds in flight; Vital Variety:  A Visual Celebration of Invertebrate Biodiversity (ongoing), an exhibition of 23 large-format color photographs highlighting the importance of the immense diversity of invertebrates; the Hayden Planetarium Space Show, Journey to the Stars, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg; SonicVision (Friday and Saturday evenings), the dazzling, digitally animated alternative music show in the Hayden Planetarium, with a mix by Moby; and One Step Beyond, the popular monthly party series where guests can dance in the Museum’s Cullman Hall of the Universe to sets by the biggest names in techno, electronica, hip-hop, and indie rock.

 

Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10 am–5:45 pm

The Museum is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

Space Show and SonicVision Hours

The Space Show is shown every half hour Sunday–Thursday and Saturday, 10:30 am–4:30 pm, and Friday, 10:30 am–7 pm. SonicVision is shown Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and 8:30 pm.

 

Admission

Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum’s scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $16 (adults), $12 (students/seniors), $9 (children). All prices are subject to change.

 

The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.

o       Museum plus special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show: $24 (adults), $18 (students/seniors), $14 (children)

o       Museum Supersaver (includes Space Show, IMAX, and all special exhibitions): $32 (adults), $24.50 (students/seniors), $20 (children)

 

Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also want to attend a special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show, may do so only on-site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they should add $20 (adults), $16.50 (students/seniors), or $11 (children).

 

Public Information

For additional information, the public may call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website at www.amnh.org.

Scientists Kiss Giant Squid

When it rains giant squid news, it pours.

Last time, I told you about a giant squid caught off the coast of Louisiana. Now researchers have found another giant squid—unfortunately dead—in the North Pacific. Watch as they haul it up, and see what happens when you kiss such a species. 

Giant Squid "Size of SUV" Caught Off Coast of Louisiana

September 22, 2009

This just in from NOAA:

<< Scientists from NOAA’s Fisheries Service have captured a giant squid while conducting research off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. This is only the second known giant squid obtained from the Gulf of Mexico – the first was collected in 1954 off the Mississippi Delta where it was found floating dead at the surface.

(Credit for pics: NOAA)

This giant squid was collected on July 30, during a 60-day scientific study where scientists from NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center and the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service were studying the availability and diversity of sperm whale prey. The scientists were aboard the NOAA research vessel Gordon Gunter when the squid was caught in a trawl pulled behind the research vessel at a depth of more than 1,500 feet.

"As the trawl net rose out of the water, I could see that we had something big in there…really big,” said Anthony Martinez, marine mammal scientist for NOAA's Fisheries Service and chief scientist for this research cruise. "We knew there was a remote possibility of encountering a giant squid on this cruise, but it was not something we were realistically expecting.”

This giant squid was preserved and sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum for Natural History for further study. It measures just over 19½ feet long and weighs more than 103 pounds.

Photographs of the specimen were sent from the research vessel to squid experts at NOAA’s National Systematics Laboratory, which is housed at the Smithsonian museum. Other experts at Smithsonian, the University of Miami, and Texas A&M University also confirmed the specimen was in fact a giant squid.

“This is an incredibly rare find in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Dr. Michael Vecchione, director for NOAA’s Fisheries Service’s National Systemics Laboratory and a giant squid expert. “Giant squid have been found more commonly in areas of the world where there are deep-water fisheries, such as Spain and New Zealand, but this is the first time one has actually been captured during scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico.”

According to Vecchione, scientists have known giant squid are in the Gulf because remnants of them have been found in the stomachs of predators (such as sperm whales) from Gulf waters, as well as from nearby waters of the Caribbean and Florida Keys. This find illustrates how little we know about what is swimming around in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Giant squid are difficult to capture, but they are usually found in continental-slope areas, where the relatively shallow water near the continent drops off into the deep sea. They seem to be concentrated in places where undersea canyons cut into the slope, where they feed on fishes and other squids.

At the National Museum of Natural History, the giant squid will be archived and studied by Vecchione and other interested researchers. Vecchione noted that it will be an important addition to the worldwide study of giant squids and their biology.

 NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.>>

Herding by Humans Ruins the Stock Market

When you think of herding, what comes to mind? Probably images like this:

And then there are jokes that more solitary animals, such as cats, cannot be herded. We tend to think of ourselves as very independent-minded, in that cool and carefree group with felines, but we are actually more like cattle than cats when it comes to herding. (Alfred Hitchcock was a master at documenting the phenomenon in many of his classic films. Watch for his crowd, theater and symphony scenes.)

Numerous studies about human herding come across my desk. Here is information about one of the latest, from the University of Gothenburg:

<<One reason for extreme fluctuations in the stock market is herding.
- Provided that the herd constitutes a majority, investors have a tendency to follow it without reflecting over their decisions. It can have devastating consequences, says the researcher Maria Andersson in a new thesis at the University of Gothenburg.

- It is therefore important to understand which psychological mechanisms induce people to behave in the same way as everyone else, says Maria Andersson, who has studied why herding occurs in her doctoral thesis in psychology.

(Early photo of the floor of the New York Stock Exchange; Credit: National Park Service)

The stock market contains various kinds of information that can provide guidance as to the future yield of shares. An important question is which information and analyses investors use when they make investment decisions.
- A common strategy is to observe what others do and follow the herd, says Maria Andersson.
Influenced by a herd

The thesis presents four experimental studies that illustrate herding in the stock market. Some 450 people took part in the investigations. The primary aim was to establish whether investors are influenced by a herd when they make investment decisions, and if that is the case whether it matters if the herd constitutes a majority or a minority. The size of the herd and the reliability of its judgements varied in the different studies.

In brief, the results show that there is a strong tendency to put trust in the majority being right and to disregard minorities. This result applies irrespective of whether the majority has performed well or not. Minorities on the other hand have no influence even if their point of view is correct.

Is there any way to avoid being drawn along with the herd?
The studies demonstrate ways of breaking the influence of the majority by getting the participants in the trials to use more premeditated thinking.
- This can be achieved by raising the participants’ awareness of how reliable the information is, says Maria Andersson.

Better and clearer information would probably also increase the chance of investors disregarding the herd. Being aware that the information available concerning the stock exchange is not always reliable and critically examining what the herd is doing is consequently a good starting point for successful share dealing.>>

Nine New Species Discovered on Dead Whales

September 21, 2009

From the University of Gothenburg:

<<When a whale dies, it sinks to the seafloor and becomes food for an entire ecosystem. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered previously unknown species that feed only on dead whales - and use DNA technology to show that the species diversity in our oceans may be higher than previously thought.

Dead whales constitute an unpredictable food source - it is impossible to know when and where a whale is going to die, and when it does, the food source does not last forever. Nevertheless, some marine species have specialised in feeding on whale cadavers.

(Whale cadaver; Credit: Craig R. Smith)

Big source of nutrients

This is shown by researchers at the University of Gothenburg who have studied the ecosystem around dead whales using underwater cameras. A dead whale is an enormous source of nutrients. In fact, one cadaver offers the same amount of nutrients that normally sinks from the surface to the seafloor in 2000 years, and this is of great benefit to innumerable species: First the meat is eaten by for example sharks and hagfish, then tremendous amounts of various organisms come to feast on the skeleton.

Specialised worms

One group of animals commonly found on whale skeletons is bristleworms, which are related to the earthworm. Some bristleworm species are so specialised in eating dead whales they would have problems surviving elsewhere. One example is Osedax, which uses its root system to penetrate the whale bones when searching for food. Other species specialise in eating the thick layers of bacteria that quickly form around the bones.

(Photo of researcher Helena Wiklund; Credit: Judith Fuchs)

Nine new species

A dissertation from the Department of Zoology at the University of Gothenburg describes no fewer than nine previously unknown species of these bacteria-grazing bristleworms.

Cryptic species

Four of the new species were found on whale cadavers placed at a depth of 125 metres in the new national park Kosterhavet off the coast of Strömstad, Sweden. The other five species feed on whale bones in the deep waters off the coast of California, USA. The family tree of bristleworms was explored using molecular data. The DNA analyses show that there are several so-called cryptic bristleworm species, meaning species that despite looking identical differ very much genetically.

Significant findings

The analysis show that the adaptation to a life on whale cadavers has occurred in species from different evolutionary paths and at several points in time. The study also shows that some species that are assumed to inhabit many different areas globally, so-called cosmopolitan species, may in fact be cryptic species. This finding may be very significant for our understanding of how animals spread around the world and of how many different species dwell on our planet.>>

H1N1: Common Sense for Parents

From The University of Texas Medical School at Houston:

<<After closing schools and making headlines this spring, Novel H1N1 A (swine flu) is back in the news and stirring up parental anxieties anew. Of course, H1NI really didn’t go anywhere over the long, hot Texas summer; it quietly continued to infect kids in summer camps and at home. Most cases were not life threatening, with symptoms similar to that of seasonal flu.

But now that we’re starting flu season, what can we expect? Will H1N1 rebound this fall like the 1918 flu epidemic causing severe illness in many people, or will it be just another pesky bug that keeps us home this year?

“For the most part, it (H1N1) has been mild,” says Galit Holzmann-Pazgal, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, adding that there is no evidence that the virus has mutated into a different, more dangerous strain at this time.

That doesn’t mean H1N1 should be taken lightly, Pazgal says. The virus has caused severe illness and deaths nationwide; much like the seasonal flu does every year. More than 1 million Americans have been infected with H1N1 and nearly 600 have died from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s estimates. Severe illness is more common in persons with underlying medical conditions.

So far this fall, outbreaks of H1N1 have been worst in southeastern states, although cases are picking up in Texas. The volume of patients coming into the emergency room with flu-like symptoms has increased since school has started, says Pazgal, she also is medical director of infection control at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Parents can ease their anxieties by arming themselves with facts about H1N1 and using the following commonsense tips to get through this stressful flu season.

*Wash your hands after you touch...and Twitter

Washing your hands is the single-most important step to prevent the spread of H1N1. The virus is spread by droplets from coughs and sneezes as well as touching hands and objects contaminated with these droplets. H1N1 can survive on surfaces for two to eight hours. After contracting H1N1, you can be contagious up to 24 hours before becoming ill, and up to seven days after your symptoms first appear.

Younger kids spread the virus easily because their personal hygiene leaves something to be desired. But, your ultra-connected tweens and teens also can spread the virus when they handle each other's phones, computer keyboards, iPods and video games. Encourage your kids to use hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes after each use.

“Every kid should be armed with their own bottle of Purell and know when to use it,” says Houston mom and businesswoman Gail Gerber Stalarow, who had H1N1 this summer together with her sons, ages 14 and 11.

*Know the symptoms

Fatigue and fever were the main symptoms in her family, she says. Other symptoms of H1N1 include body aches, runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat and fever, headache, chills, diarrhea and vomiting. “We had such light cases,” she says. “My younger son never had a fever higher than 102.5 and my older son truly had fever only one day and felt better a few days later.”

*Know when it is an emergency

Unfortunately, not all youngsters are as lucky, and may become severely ill from H1N1. Call your doctor if your child has symptoms including rapid breathing, not drinking enough, fussiness or if symptoms improve and then return with fever and worsened cough. Take your child to the emergency room immediately if he has trouble breathing, bluish or gray skin color, has severe or persistent vomiting, is not easily aroused from sleep or is not interacting with others.

*With mild cases, call your doctor first

If your child just feels lousy, and doesn’t have a high fever or trouble breathing, call your pediatrician instead of heading to the hospital. If it is a mild illness in which there is no evidence of respiratory distress, I would definitely avoid the emergency room, because your wait time is probably long, and you don’t need emergency care,” says Pazgal.

Ask to talk to your doctor or his office staff first before you make an appointment. Depending on your child’s health history, your doctor may want to prescribe treatment over the phone to avoid spreading the virus to others.

*If it looks like the flu, treat it like the flu

If you do go in, your doctor may give your child the rapid influenza diagnostic flu test that can determine whether your child has the flu and the general strain of the flu, but not whether it is H1N1. The Texas Department of Health is "sub-typing" for H1N1 only in seriously ill patients admitted to the hospital. False negative tests are common with the rapid flu test (both Stalarow and her younger son tested negative, but a retest revealed her son had the flu virus) so a negative test doesn’t definitively rule out an infection with influenza virus.

Your doctor may decide to start treatment if your child has an underlying condition that places her at high risk. If the office is full of flu cases, your child’s buddies all have the flu and your child has symptoms—it is likely that she has the flu.

If your child has the symptoms and is in an at-risk group, your doctor may choose to treat her with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza), antivirals that shorten the duration and severity of the illness for H1N1 virus.

The CDC currently recommends treatment of H1N1 only for persons who are hospitalized with the flu or who have an underlying medical condition that places them at high risk. Others not in these categories do not usually need treatment.

Otherwise, drinking lots of fluids and resting at home are the recommended treatment. If your child develops a secondary infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to counteract opportunistic bacteria.

*Keep the kids home

He’ll be heartsick of course, but your sick child should stay home for at least 24 hours after his fever is gone (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) except to get medical care or for other necessities, according to the CDC. That’s the amount of time most school districts require students to stay home for any illness, and quite a difference from the seven days that was previously recommended during the spring outbreak.

Try to keep your child away from others as much as possible. Encourage her to cover her mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, throw away used tissue in the waste basket, and to clean her hands every time she coughs or sneezes.

“We washed our hands more than ever,” says Stalarow of her family’s attempts to stem the spread of germs after they got sick. “My kids were really considerate. They didn't open the refrigerator with their hands, they wiped off surfaces they touched and used Purell. Now, even though we aren’t sick anymore, we are still being proactive in terms of hygiene.”

*Start the vaccinations

Federal officials expect release of the H1N1 vaccine in October. The vaccine may require a second shot given three weeks after the first. It may take another two weeks before the vaccine fully protects the body against the flu. Recent studies showed that one shot may protect against H1N1, stretching the supply of the vaccine.

Until the H1N1 shot is ready, Pazgal advises families to go ahead and get the “regular” flu shot, which protects against the seasonal flu and is already available. That way, your children won’t get the flu twice in one season. The seasonal flu can be more dangerous than H1N1. Annually, an estimated 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 are children younger than 5 years.

If your child had H1N1 over the spring or summer, she will have some immunity to the virus. However, if you aren’t sure that your child had H1N1 (she wasn’t tested or had a false negative), the CDC recommends vaccinating anyone between 6 months and 24 years of age. Other at-risk groups that should get the vaccine include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

Live your lives
“It is understandable that parents may have a sense of panic about H1N1, but we need to remain as calm as we can.” Pazgal says.>>

Giant Panda Cub Boogies, Grows and Gives Mom a Break

September 18, 2009

From the San Diego Zoo:

<<The San Diego Zoo's giant panda cub put on 1.2 pounds in one week while his mother, Bai Yun, seems to be gaining a little more time in her "garden room" as the 6-week-old cub grows.
     The giant panda team had a little more time to examine the male cub, who weighed 5.1 pounds and measured 1.3 feet in length, during his weekly veterinary examination on Thursday since Bai Yun was prompt to leave the den to eat bamboo in the garden room - an open-air room where she eats and drinks.
     Earlier in the week Bai Yun took the cub out of the den and into the garden room for a short time. When her previous cubs where approximately this age, Bai Yun began to take the cubs out into the garden room on short excursions where she could keep an eye on the cubs while she could begin to spend more time outdoors.
     Bai Yun and the cub will continue to use the den for four to five months. During the denning period, the only way to see them is through the San Diego Zoo's live Panda Cam, available at www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam.
     In 1999, Bai Yun gave birth at the San Diego Zoo to the first surviving giant panda born in the United States. She has since given birth to one cub in 2003, 2005, 2007, and most recently on Aug. 5. This is Bai Yun's second male cub. Following Chinese tradition, he will remain unnamed until he is at least 100 days old.
     Giant pandas are on loan to the San Diego Zoo from the People's Republic of China to study this endangered species. The exam gives the panda team the opportunity to learn more about cub development as well as mother-and-cub relationships, information that is important to better understand giant panda biology.
     The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections. The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.>>

The World's Most Valuable Fish

Do you know what the top three most commercially valuable marine dwellers are? The World Wildlife Fund named them this week, since the WWF has just joined forces with leading companies to create the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).

Number three on the list merits particular concern now.

#3: Tuna

(Tuna Image; NOAA)

According to the WWF, exports of tuna products recently exceeded USD $6 billion per year.

What goes into tuna sandwiches and on dinner plates consists of seven major tuna species: albacore, bigeye, skipjack, yellowfin, and three species of bluefin. All except for skipjack are often "fully exploited, overexploited or depleted," the WWF says. Sharks, marine turtles, small cetaceans and seabirds frequently wind up as by-catch. I was surprised when the WWF said that "tuna fishing at both industrial and artisanal scales also disrupts ecosystems." So-called artisanal fishing sometimes advertises that it's better for the environment. Hopefully the ISSF can help to protect the world's tuna populations.

#2 Groundfish

Groundfish are fish that live on or near the bottom of bodies of water they inhabit. They include halibut, sole and flounder. "Hoki" (also called blue hake) and pollock fall into this group too. In recent weeks, there have been a number of media reports on diminishing stocks of hoki, found in McDonald's well-known filet-o-fish sandwiches. For example, the New York Times last week reported on this "ugly and tasty" fish .

(Filet-O-Fish, Credit: Tomomarusan)

 

(Dover sole; Credit: Hans Hillewaert)

 

#1 Shrimp

Cultures usually differ in their food tastes, but people the world over seem to all love shrimp. The WWF lists them as the most commercially valuable marine animal in the world. South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources also mentions, "Shrimp are America’s most valuable and probably most popular seafood. Whole cultures and maritime communities are based solely on these crustaceans."

(Shrimp; Credit: Tomasz Sienicki)

 

Mantis shrimp can be aggressive little creatures, as demonstrated in this video.

Prehistoric Shark Feeding Frenzy: Q&A with Dr. Kenshu Shimada

September 17, 2009

Please be sure to check out today's Discovery News story about a prehistoric shark feeding frenzy. A now-extinct relative of today's great white sharks, Cretalamna appendiculata, fed on a giant plesiosaur, Futabasaurus suzukii. Plesiosaurs such as this were giant dinosaur-like marine reptiles.

For a more in-depth look, here is the full transcript of my interview with Kenshu Shimada, who led the research. Shimada is an associate professor at DePaul University and is a research associate in paleontology at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

JV: Please explain what is known about F. suzukii and C. appendiculata, in terms of their physical appearance, distribution, time periods and behavior. I've read, for example, that one of these sharks was once very prevalent in the New Jersey region, so it must have had a wide global distribution?

KS: Cretalamna appendiculata:  C. appendiculata is an extinct shark, primarily known by isolated teeth from marine rocks that are dated about 100 million years ago to about 60 million years ago nearly worldwide. However, a partial skeleton from a Late Cretaceous (the last period of ‘the age of dinosaurs’) deposit of Kansas has shown that C. appendiculata was a medium-sized shark measuring 2.3-3 m in total length with a body form likely similar to a typical lamniform body style, such as the great white sharks and porbeagle shark.  It is thought to be an ecological generalist based on its dental structure that is suited for both cutting and grasping.  The species occurs in various marine rocks representing diverse environments, indicating its ability to exploit a wide range of environmental regimes. Its long geologic range, even crossing over the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (i.e., the mass extinction that ended the ‘age of dinosaurs’), is interpreted to be the reflection of its success as an ecological generalist.

 

Futabasaurus suzukii:  F. suzukii is a large extinct marine reptile called a plesiosaur with a long neck and flipper-like limbs (note: the so-called ‘Loch Ness Monster’ that is now regarded as a modern-day myth by the scientific community was commonly attributed to this animal group).  In 1968, Mr. Tadashi Suzuki, then a local high school student who enjoyed fossil hunting as his hobby in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, discovered the 85-million-years-old plesiosaur fossil at a riverside Late Cretaceous Futaba Group outcrop.  Subsequent excavation recovered a considerable portion of a mostly articulated skeleton, and the discovery was reported through media and a few scientific documents.  Soon after, the plesiosaur became publicly known by an informal name ‘Futaba Suzuki Ryu’ (ryu = dragon in Japanese), which has represented as an iconic fossil in Japan.  However, the specimen itself had never been fully described for nearly 40 years until a research team led by Dr. Tamaki Sato (the third author of our present report) published their work in 2006 and gave it a formal scientific name “Futabasaurus suzukii.”  The plesiosaur individual is interpreted to be an old adult and  is estimated to be at least 6.4 m in length and possibly as long as 9.2 m with an estimated maximum forelimb-span of approximately 3 m.  Because the species is represented only by the single specimen, its paleobiology remains largely unknown.  However, like other long-necked plesiosaurs, its primary diet could have consisted of teleosts and cephalopods while it could have also exploited benthic diet regime (feeding on benthic invertebrates including bivalves, gastropods, and crustaceans).  Like other plesiosaurs, F. suzukii’s stomach was equipped with heavy gastroliths (“stomach stones”) that possibly facilitated digestion.

 

 (Plesiosaur drawing: Arthur Weasley)

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JV: Your paper presents multiple scenarios as to what might have happened to the plesiosaur. Do you favor one or more over the others, however, based on the evidence? It sounds like whatever happened, the sharks devoured the plesiosaur soon after it wound up on the bottom of the ocean.

KS: Here is what *I* envision though some may disagree/argue:

The plesiosaur inhabited the nearshore, shallow sea. Whatever the causation of its death, the plesiosaur carcass came to rest belly-side up on the bottom of the sea floor below the reach of surface wave where mud mixed with sand grains accumulated relatively rapidly. Prior to its decomposition, multiple (at least six or seven) individuals of Cretalamna appendiculata possibly ranging 1.5–4.2 m TL began to scavenge the plesiosaur throughout its body, although whether or not the feeding activity took place continuously or intermittently is uncertain.

 

 

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JV: Is it possible that C. appenciculata engaged in group attacks on prey? If not, could a single one of these sharks have been able to kill a plesiosaur? How could the plesiosaur have defended itself?

KS: Although C. appendiculata could have hunted for food, it is likely that ‘attacking’ animals would have been energetically costly especially animals as large as the Futabasaurus individual unless it was wounded or sick.  The only way one can identify ‘attacking behavior’ with much certainty in the fossil record is if there is a shark tooth embedded in a bone that shows healing of bony tissue over the shark tooth (I reported such a case in 1997, but the attacker was another Cretaceous shark called Cretoxyrhina mantelli and was found in a marine lizard remain).  There is unfortunately not enough evidence to tell whether or not Cretalamna appendiculata was aggressive enough to attack a live plesiosaur, and I do not know how a plesiosaur could have defended itself except to swim away as fast as it could—but Cretalamna must have been able to swim faster than Futabasaurus…).

 

(Recreation of the prehistoric shark feeding frenzy; Credit: Kenshu Shimada)

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JV:  Are "feeding frenzies" common among sharks, even today?

KS: In modern seas, a phenomenon or behavior of multiple sharks feeding on a vertebrate carcass at the same time is often referred to as ‘feeding frenzy.’  Yet, formal literature discussing this particular behavior is surprisingly scant, and there are some shark specialists who have dismissed the existence of this phenomenon by considering it mere highly motivated feeding events involving multiple sharks. However, in my opinion, abandonment of this term is premature especially because the phenomenon does bear some biological (e.g., social) significance in light of the fact that certain sharks (such as the great white shark) prefer solitary feeding.  That being said, whether or not Cretalamna appendiculata practiced ‘feeding frenzies’ cannot be ascertained from the present fossil record.  This is because the large quantity of scattered teeth of C. appendiculata preserved along with the plesiosaur could have resulted from feeding by temporally-separated, multiple sharks.  However, the fact that the plesiosaur carcass must have been still fleshy judging from its largely articulated skeleton, together with the fact that over 80 teeth of C. appendiculata were associated with the carcass, does not preclude the possibility that at least one episode of feeding frenzy took place.

 

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JV: What do we now know about the feeding behavior and diet of C. appendiculata? Is it known what modern day sharks are related to this now-extinct species?

 

KS: The size and morphology of the jaws and teeth of C. appendiculata superficially resemble those of the modern porbeagle shark and salmon shark (genus Lamna), which commonly feed on small to medium-sized bony fishes, and thus the primary diet of C. appendiculata was previously inferred to be small to medium-sized bony fishes (my previous work published in 2007).  The significance of our new study is that it provides new insights into the paleobiology of C. appendiculata.  For example, although it is still possible that main food source for C. appendiculata was various fishes, the case of Futabasaurus suzukii at least indicates that the diet of the shark included plesiosaurs.  The occurrence of over 80 teeth of C. appendiculata from multiple individuals means that the species must have been relatively common in the ancient sea, and the associated teeth consisting of different sizes indicate that small (presumably juvenile) and large (presumably adult) individuals inhabited the same water.   Cretalamna appendiculata belongs to a group called Lamnformes that include the modern sand tiger shark, thresher shark, mako shark, and great white shark as well as the porbeagle shark and salmon shark.

 

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JV: Your paper mentions that the finds present one of the most remarkable cases of shark feeding in the fossil record. Is there any other fossil discovery that perhaps matches the drama of this particular collection?

KS: There are a number of other cases of evidence for shark feeding in the fossil record, but I consider none of them is as impressive as the case we are describing.  For example, there are a number of documented cases of shark teeth pierced into vertebrate bones but the number of shark teeth preserved with such vertebrate carcasses is generally a few at best.  There is a case of a Miocene (15-million-years-old) whale skeleton that was associated with over 600 teeth of a squaliform shark, Megasqualus serriculus, but the material lacked empirical evidence that compellingly suggests the feeding activity of the sharks, such as tooth-pierced bones and putative bite marks on bone surfaces.  On the other hand, our material represents a convincing case of shark bite in the fossil record marked by five embedded teeth in four different bones as well as over 80 additional closely associated teeth. In fact, our shark-bitten plesiosaur is arguably the most spectacular case of shark feeding on a vertebrate carcass documented to date.

 

JV: Anything else we haven’t touched upon that you’d like to share with our readers?

  

KS: Our study will be presented at the 69th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (September 23-26, 2009) in Bristol, United Kingdom, and is currently in press as a formal documentation in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

A bit interesting (?) side note:  While I was born in 1968 (the same year the specimen was discovered), I literally grew up reading about the plesiosaur (as “Futaba Suzuki Ryu”) during my childhood in children’s science books in Japan.  In fact, it is one of the specimens that undoubtedly influenced my early interest in paleontology.  I even read about the fact that it occurred with a number of shark teeth, and I even vividly remember seeing a photograph of some shark teeth that were found with Futabasaurus in a pictorial science encyclopedia.  It’s rather amusing (and I’m honored at the same time) that I was given an opportunity to formally describe the very same shark teeth about 30 years later.

(Photo of prehistoric shark teeth that were found with, and in, the plesiosaur remains, also shown; Credit: Kenshu Shimada)

 

New York Aquarium to Undergo $100 Million Transformation

Good news for New York...

                                   Wildlife Conservation Society, Mayor Bloomberg,

BP Markowitz, Councilman Recchia Announce Transformation of New York Aquarium  

 

Ten-Year, Public-Private Initiative Will Transform WCS NY Aquarium

And Jump Start Re-Birth of Coney Island,

Solidifying Brooklyn as a Destination for Tourists Worldwide,

Sparking Economic Development Locally

 

Aquarium to Better Integrate

Boardwalk, Ocean and Protection

Of New York Waters

 

            BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (Sept. 17, 2009) – The Wildlife Conservation Society, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and City Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. announced today a 10-year initiative to transform the WCS New York Aquarium.

 

            “A Sea Change at the WCS NY Aquarium,” is a public-private initiative that will transform the aquarium and jump start the re-birth of Coney Island.

 

The Specifics of A Sea Change at the WCS New York Aquarium include:

 

• A state-of-the-art Ocean Wonders exhibit, highlighted by a dramatic new shark exhibit – that will anchor the revitalized guest experience, with more indoor space for better year-round conditions;
• A completely new Conservation Hall, showcasing several aquatic habitats under protection by WCS;
• A refurbished and re-imagined Aquatheater that will better connect our guests with our animal ambassadors and to our conservation mission;
• A beautiful new Aquarium exterior along the ocean’s Boardwalk and Surf Avenue, connecting the Aquarium with the ocean;
• An expanded marine conservation program, protecting marine life locally, in the New York Harbor, and around the world.

  

“A Sea Change at the New York Aquarium will establish once again WCS’s leadership in Brooklyn’s cultural environment and anchor the New York Aquarium in the renaissance of Coney Island,” said Dr. Steve E. Sanderson, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

 

“This initiative will create an exciting and inspiring experience that celebrates the wonders of the ocean while showcasing the Wildlife Conservation Society’s global efforts to protect marine life and ecosystems in New York Harbor and throughout the planet.

 

“We thank Mayor Bloomberg, BP Markowitz and City Councilman Recchia for sharing this vision and supporting this project. This is a special moment in the history of the New York Aquarium where private donors, foundations and corporations can join with the city of New York and the Borough of Brooklyn to help fulfill the promise of this beloved cultural icon. This is a perfect opportunity for any business that does business in Brooklyn or wants to do business in Brooklyn to show support for this community.”

 

Said Bloomberg: “With the City's plan to revitalize the amusement district, Coney Island is poised for exciting growth and the New York Aquarium is an important part of that vision.  For more than fifty years, the Aquarium has welcomed millions of New Yorkers and visitors to the People's Playground, and the expansion of the Aquarium will ensure that it does so for generations to come."

 

Said Markowitz: “I firmly believe that you could sail the ocean blue and never find a place as exciting and dynamic as Coney Island, so I am delighted that Sea Change will allow the New York Aquarium to ‘reel in’ fans of aquatic life for years to come. I know that with this initiative, our already outstanding aquarium will just get better with every passing year, and never ‘jump the shark.’”

 

Said Recchia: "As we move toward a revitalized Coney Island, we must take the necessary steps to strengthen the New York Aquarium so it remains a cornerstone of our community. These exciting, important improvements - especially the new shark exhibit - will ensure that the aquarium provides a one-of-a-kind experience as it continues to attract people from around the city, and around the world."

 

A Sea Change at the WCS New York Aquarium is a partnership among the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York City, and the Borough of Brooklyn, along with support from private donors. Together, these partners will raise the needed investment. While the initial investment is $100 million, the complete cost will be determined as the project moves forward.

 

This transformation means:

(1.) New exhibits with a greatly expanded collection of creatures including a marquee shark exhibit;

(2.) More in-door guest experiences to better ensure the aquarium as a year-round attraction, further establishing the aquarium as Brooklyn’s number one tourist destination;

(3.) A re-imagined Aquatheater;

(4.) A dynamic new Aquarium exterior;

(5.) An expanded marine conservation program, including an emphasis on New York waters; and

(6.) Green design and infrastructure resulting in a more sustainable facility.

 

            The New York Aquarium is the oldest continuously operating aquarium in the United States. Three quarters of a million people visit every year. Through its 52 years at Coney Island, it has grown to be the most popular cultural attraction in Brooklyn. In addition, it is an officially designated Coastal Education Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and a touchstone for science education citywide.

 

In 2008 alone, 20,000 children participated in formal education programs at WCS’s New York Aquarium and nearly 200,000 schoolchildren visited the aquarium as part of school, camp or youth group.

 

“A Sea Change at the WCS NY Aquarium is deeply imbedded in Coney Island’s history and will enhance it, not bury it,” said Sanderson.

 

The New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $13.00 for adults, $9.00 for children ages 3-12 and $10.00 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. Fridays after 3pm, admission is by suggested donation. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8^th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn’s most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York.

 

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide.  We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo.  Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony.  WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.         

(Image: Shark Exhibit; Credit: WCS)