the buying of votes by promising to give Nations Environment Programme sug- Briefly foreign aid to small island nations in gests that deserts may be among those return for their support within the ecosystems most affected. Climatic commission. It seems, however, that pulses are more important than average these tactics are similar to those insti- conditions in desert ecosystems, and gated by Peter Scott, then head of WWF, because of this even moderate changes International to obtain the original moratorium on in precipitation and temperature can whaling. Evidence shows that many of have a severe impact. Contrary to the countries that voted in favour of the appearance, the 3.7 million km2 of the moratorium in 1982 had been offered world’s deserts provide a habitat for Hope for coral reefs help with providing suitable delegates many species, which will be adversely Many coral species are sensitive to rises and expenses. Scott’s biographer writes affected should the report’s projected in ocean temperature, and coral bleach- that China’s decision to join the IWC scenario of an increase in desert tem- ing events have increased in frequency and vote for the moratorium was influ- perature by 7˚C and a decrease in rain- in recent years. Now researchers have enced by a WWF promise to provide fall of 20% prove correct. However, shown that some corals may be able USD 1 million towards a panda reserve. deserts could also have a role to play to acclimatize to higher temperatures. Source: New Scientist (2006), 190(2556), in mitigating future environmental Experiments involving the hard coral 14. change: it has been suggested that an Acropora millepora have shown that 800*800 km area of the Sahara could adult corals are able to acquire increased … and pay off at the IWC meeting capture enough solar energy to provide thermal tolerance as a result of Japan won an unprecedented victory at the electricity needs of the entire world. changing the symbiont type in their the IWC meeting in June, with a majority Source: BBC News (2006), http://news. tissues to a more thermally resistant vote that enabled the passing of a bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5041988.stm type, Symbiodinium type D. The data resolution noting ‘concern that the IWC & Global Deserts Outlook (2006), available show that the change in symbiont type has failed to meet its obligations’. Japan at http://www.unep.org/geo/gdoutlook/ resulted from a shuffling of types is of the opinion that the global mor- index.asp already present within the coral’s tis- atorium on whaling is no longer neces- sues, meaning that the D type did not sary and that it continues ‘irrespective of Increased biodiversity leads to have to be taken up by the coral from the stock conditions’. However, a three- greater stability in grassland external environment. quarters majority is required for the ecosystems Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society moratorium to be overturned, which A long-term experiment that directly B: Biological Sciences (2006), 273(1599), looks some way off given that support controlled the number of perennial plant 2305–2312. for the resolution was 33–32 votes. species in prairie grassland plots has Source: Nature (2006), 441(7096), 921. shed light on the link between biodiver- Ultrasound and algae prove potent sity and ecosystem stability. Experi- force for dealing with Call for international biodiversity mental plots with greater numbers of contaminated sediment panel species showed higher temporal stability The use of ultrasound in conjunction A group of eminent scientists has called of ecosystem annual aboveground plant with a genetically modified algae pro- for the setting up of an international production, and stability also tended to vides a wildlife-friendly technique for panel to tackle the accelerating loss of increase as the plots matured. Ecosystem dealing with contaminated sediments. biodiversity. They argue that one of the stability was also found to be dependent Ultrasonic vibrations shake mercury problems of dealing with the biodiver- on root mass. These findings suggest loose from sediment, and an algae, sity crisis is that international agree- that the supply of some foods, biofuels modified to increase its natural ability ments concerned with biodiversity do and ecosystem services could be en- to absorb heavy metals, absorbs the not have the means to mobilize the hanced through the use of biodiversity. metal from the water. The combined expertise of a large scientific community Source: Nature (2006), 441(7093), 629–632. system of ultrasound and algae can to inform governments, with the result remove 30% of mercury from sediment that the scientific community does not Seagrass beds shrinking within the first few minutes of treat- feel involved in the political process. The Seagrass beds, which are among the ment. A major advantage of this method authors suggest that the panel should be most productive plant communities in over other clean-up techniques is that it run along the same lines as the the world, are declining throughout is selective; the modified algae absorbs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate their range and, to make matters worse, five times the normal amount of a Change to bring together the scientists the reasons behind the declines vary particular group of toxic metals, includ- involved in biodiversity research to according to where the beds occur. At ing mercury, cadmium, copper and zinc. provide, on a regular basis, validated a state park in Malaysia, for example, Source: Marine Pollution Bulletin (2006), and independent scientific information increased water-bourne sediment from 52, 477–478. to governments, policy-makers, NGOs onshore logging cut down the amount of and the wider public. light available to seagrass beds, whereas Tactics first used by Source: Nature (2006), 442(7100), 245–246. at a site in Arctic Canada, seagrass conservationists now practised by beds were declining because they were whalers... Deserts feel the heat in the plume of a fresh water pipe from One of the accusations levelled at Japan Climate change is expected to have a a Hydro-Quebec plant that had drasti- in its dealings with the International highly variable effect from region to cally reduced the salinity of the water. Whaling Commission (IWC) concerns region, but a report from the United The global monitoring programme 373 ß 2006 FFI, Oryx, 40(4), 373–381 doi:10.1017/S003060530600127X Printed in the United Kingdom Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.93, on 30 Sep 2021 at 01:21:40, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060530600127X 374 Briefly SeagrassNet believes that climate change variations in the DNA strand. While it this is an indication of environmental appears to be having only a localized was easy capturing the floating larvae of damage on a widespread scale. There effect on seagrass decline, and that the mantis shrimps in open water, the newly are four theories for the migrants’ biggest issue is human pollution of the discovered shrimps are proving hard to dwindling numbers: climate change water. classify, as the DNA tests need to be causing insects to breed earlier, so that Source: Marine Pollution Bulletin (2006), backed up with traditional taxonomic the migrants miss the food glut needed 52, 476. classifications, and there is a lack of to raise their chicks, drought and agri- funding to enable this work to be carried cultural intensification in the Sahel, the Albatross Task Force members out. area that provides the first feeding appointed Source: New Scientist (2006), 190(2553), opportunity for migrants crossing the Two people have started working with 20. Sahara, desertification, which is making long-line fishermen in South Africa as the Sahara larger and therefore more part of BirdLife’s Albatross Task Force. Algae causes coral death by difficult to cross, and the use of pesti- One of them, Meidad Goren, has been indirect methods cides to control locusts in Africa. On a working onboard tuna long-liners, car- Coral death is generally associated with more positive note, work done by the rying out bycatch observations and an increase in the abundance of fleshy RSPB and the Ghana Wildlife Society to trialling streamer lines that scare alba- algae in affected areas but until now it reduce trapping of the migratory roseate trosses away from the baited line. The was unclear whether algae caused the tern has seen the population stabilize other Task Force member, Maria Honig, death of the coral or merely settled on after a 90% decline in the UK between hosted a bycatch workshop for 75 hake dead coral. New research reveals that 1969 and 1992. long-line fishermen, and has also been algae enhance microbial activity through Source: BirdLife News (2006), http:// training observers. the release of dissolved compounds www.birdlife.org/news/news/2006/05/ Source: BirdLife News (2006), http:// that fuel bacterial growth on coral. migrants.html www.birdlife.org/news/news/2006/06/ Overfishing exacerbates the problem Call for moratorium on long-line atf.html. The diaries of the Albatross by removing grazers that would other- fishing to save leatherback turtles Task Force members can be read at wise control algae populations. It is http://www.savethealbatross.net/field_ feared that as human pressure on reefs The Sea Turtle Restoration Project has diary.asp increases a positive feedback loop may been backed by researchers from nearly be initiated, where increased algae 100 countries and over 280 NGOs in its Marine life to be tracked across numbers lead to more bacterial activity call to instigate a moratorium on high seas industrial long-line fishing to pro- oceans and thus greater mortality of corals, tect leatherback turtles.