In this article, I learned how the heavy metals found in the Sydney harbors are killing off crustaceans. A new study has revealed that the seaweeds in the Sydney harbor have the highest level of copper and lead contamination. Brown seaweed is a common food for young crustaceans. Researchers have found that Brown seaweed has very high levels of copper and lead.
“Heavy metals such as copper, lead and zinc find their way into Sydney Harbour from stormwater runoff, industrial waters and motorised watercraft. These seaweeds “bioaccumulate” metals inside their tissues and scientists use them to monitor environmental pollutants.” says Dr Emma Johnston
1) What actions are humans going to take to fix the metal contamination in seaweed?
2) How will this effect species higher in the food chain?
In this article I learned about all of the things we don’t know about the Nautilus. Marine Biologists are unable to determine the life span or how long it takes a nautilus to reach maturity.. They also cannot determine were they lay there eggs.
Nautilus shells are very unique and valuable. There are currently no laws protecting the taking of Nautilus’. Since we are unsure of there life span and maturity rate this could be a hazard to this cephalopod. If the life span of these animals is a log time then these animals may not bounce back from the hunting and trapping of many of them.
I really think its neat how this cephalopod can keep it a secret as to it’s maturity rate and life span. I still don’t understand how they can find the life span of tons of other animals but not this popular cephalopod.
In the article I read I learned how scientists discovered a way to tell farmed and wild salmon apart.Farming salmon is a big business on the rise. In 2006, around 130,000 tons of salmon were farmed in Scotland. Wild populations of Atlantic salmon are in serious decline across their whole range and the wild population returning to Scottish rivers in the same year is estimated less than 5000 tons. Farmed salmon also escape into rivers, harming the wild population.
The new work, which was done in collaboration with the Scottish Association for Marine science, Oban, will help crack this problem. The scientists have figured out that the scales carried a much higher level of metal manganese. This is great to know because the scales are very as to acquire from the fish and taking them doesn’t harm the fish.
How do they catch the fish to get the scales without hurting the fish?
Would you care if you were served farmed salmon?