August2012
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This document is a monthly bulletin from the Freshwater Biological Association that summarizes freshwater news from around the world. It includes updates on activities at the FBA and opportunities for volunteering. Some of the highlighted news articles discuss how warming temperatures are contributing to toxic algal blooms in European lakes, the threat of invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes, and declining salmon populations. The bulletin also provides information on a new charity taking over management of canals in the UK and how low levels of copper can impact salmon's ability to detect predators.
August2012
- 1. August 2012 Freshwater Matters Freshwater Matters is a monthly electronic bulletin of the most recent freshwater news from around the world, compiled by the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA). It includes updates of what is happening at the FBA and ways to get involved. Contents Editorial What’s happening at the FBA? This month’s articles Britain’s Urban Rivers Bounce Back Toxic algae thrive in warming European lakes Asian carp threaten U.S. Great Lakes Why are sockeye salmon in trouble? Male sex ornaments are fishing lures Canal and River Trust takes over from British Waterways Copper making salmon prone to predators Diving shrews: heat before you leap Loch Leven water quality best for 20 years Editorial This month’s editorial has been written by Dr Melanie Fletcher The changing face of volunteering Whether in politics or science, the idea of the ‘Big Society’ is everywhere. Whatever your opinions on the origins of its motivations in the political sphere, it must surely be a positive force in science. Demystifying the idea of ‘science’, engaging communities and making everyone realise that they can be involved in interesting scientific activities that can also contribute to extending our knowledge is key to keeping it alive as a discipline. There has been a recent surge in demand for volunteering opportunities, particularly from young people who may be struggling to gain employment and, with the current lack of vocational courses and of those that teach the practical and field skills needed in ecology, are keen to maximise their chances by enhancing their CV with specific skills. We have seen this clearly at the FBA with a steady increase in requests for work placements and volunteer opportunities, not just from graduates, but across the spectrum, from school-leavers, those finishing their Masters and those looking for a change in career. The FBA has just started a pilot project in Cumbria to involve volunteers in monitoring algal blooms. Funded by the Environment Agency, and involving Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the University of Stirling and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the project aims to monitor the extent and frequency of blooms on three test lakes, as well as linking the data collected by volunteers with satellite and historical data. We have been overwhelmed by the number of responses to an initial call for volunteers, and by the large number of people who have now been trained and are actively involved in monitoring for algal blooms on their local lake. Part of the project is to understand what prompts volunteers to become involved in the first place and how to keep them motivated in the longer term. When asked, some mention skill enhancement, but the overwhelming response has been that they want to get more involved in their local landscape and “give something back”. This demonstrates that, whilst people may have personal reasons for volunteering, there is also an encouraging altruistic element. Perhaps most importantly, and coming full circle in this editorial, the Algal Bloom Pilot is an example of an interdisciplinary project involving the local community, a statutory agency and academic research; bringing all these elements together to
- 2. contribute to the greater good. This type of approach is essential when dealing with the consequences of environmental change (see the story below, ‘Toxic algae arrive in warming European lakes’), and demonstrates the power of joined up thinking to deliver both results and engagement. What’s happening at the FBA? Special open-access issue of Freshwater Biology The FBA’s prestigious ‘summit’ Conferences in Aquatic Biology were launched in 2008 to promote the exchange of ideas at the frontiers of aquatic research. In a partnership between the FBA and the publisher Wiley-Blackwell, papers from the FBA’s second such conference, held in April 2010, have now been published as a special, online issue of the journal Freshwater Biology, with free access to all. Entitled “Achieving Ecological Outcomes: Aquatic Ecological Responses to Catchment Management”, the issue comprises nine papers from leading experts around the world, and is available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ fwb.2012.57.issue-s1/issuetoc. This month’s articles Britain’s Urban Rivers Bounce Back A paper published this month in Global Change Biology, drawing on almost 50,000 samples supplied by the Environment Agency, points to a dramatic increase in the health of urban rivers across England and Wales over the last 20 years. However, some rural areas in Wales and the North West of England appear to have deteriorated slightly over the same time period. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629142523.htm Toxic algae thrive in warming European lakes Warmer winters have led to an increase in toxic cyanobacteria species in European lakes according to research published this month in Nature Climate Change. Using historic data from Lake Zurich researchers found that blooms in the lake have become denser over the last four decades as lake turnover in the winter months is inhibited. As a result efforts to clean up the waters are failing. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120716091917.htm Asian carp threaten US Great Lakes A risk assessment published by Canadian and US scientists this month warns that bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) could drive native fish out of the American Great Lakes unless steps are taken to prevent them gaining a foothold. http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/44656 Why are sockeye salmon in trouble? Researchers from Simon Fraser University in Canada have found that far few sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are returning to spawn than were found just a few decades ago. The loss of fish equates to a 50% decrease in productivity over the last two decades and the reason for it is a mystery. The researcher think that the decline relates to the portion of the fishes lifecycle that takes place in the sea and are now undertaking studies to identify the cause. http://news.discovery.com/animals/sockeye-salmon-120710.html Male sex ornaments are fishing lures Male swordtail characins (Corynopoma riisei), a tropical fish found in central and South America, use lures that mimic food to attract mates. Now research published in this month’s edition of Current Biology indicates that the shape of the lure may vary depending on the prevalent food sources. Ultimately this could lead to diversification of the species. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120712131709.htm Canal and River Trust takes over from British Waterways This month saw the launch of the Canal and River Trust, a new charity that will be
- 3. responsible for about 2000 miles of canals across England and Wales. The charity takes over from British Waterways in a major milestone in the UK governments reform of quangos, however it will receive around £800 million in funding from the government over the next 15 years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18806261 Copper making salmon prone to predators Minute traces of copper from mining operations or the brakes of cars can interfere with salmon’s (Oncorhynchus kisutch) sense of smell preventing them from detecting compounds that would normally alert them to predators. A study published in this month’s edition of Ecological Application shows that when exposed to concentrations as low as five parts per billion the fish continued to swim when a predator was present. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/wsu-cms070912.php Diving shrews: heat before you leap Work presented at the Society for Experimental Biology’s meeting in Salzburg this month reports that American water shrews (Sorex palustris) rapidly raise their body temperatures before diving into cold water. This is counter to expectations as heating up uses oxygen more quickly. However, the researchers think that the species may be optimising other factors such as foraging efficiency. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703190119.htm Loch Leven water quality best for 20 years Water quality in Loch Leven is at its best level for 20 years according to a work carried out by the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology for Scottish Natural Heritage. This has led to an increase in the diversity of aquatic plants and improvement in habitats for fish and birds. http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/Loch-Leven-water-quality- report_2012_37.html Please forward this bulletin to any of your colleagues who may be interested!