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Frogs roll their eyes to attract mates by making visual signals like hand-waving, foot-waving, and head-bobbing, which helps them stand out in noisy environments near waterfalls

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This cycle of the cicadas emerging is extremely interesting to me. What I think is so cool about this emergence is how it will change the entire ecosystem. Everything is so connected and seeing it play out in such a way is really fascinationg.

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The emergence of cicadas in 2024 will rewire ecosystems

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/02/climate-crisis-is-suffocating-the-worlds-lakes-study-finds

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Climate crisis is suffocating the world’s lakes, study finds

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Falling oxygen levels harming already struggling wildlife and drinking water supplies, say scientists

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Maternal body odour signals to babies that they can safely build relationships with other adults, a trait that may have evolved so that mothers can share the load of child rearing

Babies are more socially receptive to unfamiliar women when they can smell their mother's natural body odour, suggesting that maternal scent functions as a safety signal.

Previous research has found that mothers' unique smell signatures allow their babies to recognise them and have a soothing effect when they are in pain.

Yaara Endevelt-Shapira at The Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, and her colleagues wondered if signals in maternal odour also change the way that infants respond to strangers.

They asked 62 mothers to wear cotton T-shirts for two consecutive nights and avoid using deodorant or other scented products, so that their natural smell would rub off onto the clothing.

Their babies - aged 7 months on average - were then strapped into chairs and introduced to an unfamiliar woman who was about the same age as their mother, lived in the same area and was a mother herself.

When the babies had their mother's T-shirt under their nose, they were more likely to smile, laugh and gaze at the stranger than if they were sniffing an identical unworn T-shirt.

Electroencephalography (EEG) devices fitted to both participants' heads showed that the babies' electrical brainwaves were also more likely to synchronise with the stranger's when they could smell their mother's T-shirt. The same kind of brainwave synchronisation is found between babies and their mothers when they gaze at each other and is thought to be a sign of feeling mutual connection.

The findings suggest that "maternal body odours can assist infants in transitioning to social groups, exploring new environments and communicating with unfamiliar partners", says Endevelt-Shapira.

This could explain why bringing a "transitional object" like a blanket or cuddly toy from home can help young children settle into nursery school, because it might smell a bit like their mother, she says.

The researchers didn't look at whether the scent of fathers or other familiar caregivers can have a similar effect, but are currently doing experiments to investigate this. "We assume that paternal body odors would also influence interpersonal synchrony with strangers," says Endevelt-Shapira.

Human babies benefit from bonding with adults other than their parents because they are more helpless than the young of other species and often require a wider circle of care, says Endevelt-Shapira. This may be why maternal odour facilitates these external relationships, she says.

The current study found that maternal scent helps babies to bond with women who are similar to their own mothers, but more research is needed to see if the effect extends to women from different cultures and men, says Endevelt-Shapira.

Journal reference: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6867
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Babies bond better with strangers when they can smell their mother

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Maternal body odour signals to babies that they can safely build relationships with other adults, a trait that may have evolved so that mothers can share the load of child rearing Babies are more socially receptive to unfamiliar women when they can smell their mother's natural body odour, suggesting that maternal scent functions as a safety signal.

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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY - Funds from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill continue to trickle to the West.

The latest announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior details nearly $69 million for 125 environmental remediation projects across 20 states, tribes and territories.

Reducing wildfire risk, mitigating hazards from mined land, restoring recreation sites and national parks, and combating invasive species are the four key objectives in the provision, which totals $1.4 billion to be released in the next five years.

The funding, released on Thursday, will go toward projects managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland called the funding "an important step towards building a better America for people and wildlife, for generations to come."

"President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment that will allow us to restore healthy ecosystems across the country," she said in a news release.

How will these funds impact Utah?

In total, 12 remediation projects in Utah will receive around $3.4 million in fiscal year 2022.

The Beehive State will receive $315,000 for projects specific to the state, while an additional $3.1 million will be directed at seven remediation efforts across multiple states, including Utah.

$100,00 - Watershed restoration and "recreation connectivity design" for private landowners and Zion National Park. Stretches of the Virgin River winding through Zion have been routinely subjected to harmful algal blooms.

$45,000 - Improving recreation opportunities along the San Juan River and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

$40,000 - Rich County riparian grazing exclosure. The funds will go toward a BLM fencing project, keeping cattle out of riparian, spring, and in-stream areas to improve sage grouse and Bonneville cutthroat trout habitats.

$50,000 - Invasive and noxious plant removal in the riparian and upland habitats of Iron and Beaver Counties.

$80,000 - Pilot Pond reconstruction to support fish and wildlife habitat and livestock.

$150,000 spread out across 17 states, including Utah - Funding for environmental DNA collection and analysis, a rapid, non-invasive method for species detection to combat invasive species.

$50,000 spread out across 17 states, including Utah - Increasing biocontrol efforts to support invasive species removal.

$1.3 million spread out across Utah, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming - Increasing recreational access on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

$651,250 spread out across Utah, Alaska, California, Idaho and New Mexico - Improving visitor capacity and "site resiliency" at recreation sites managed by the BLM.

$200,000 spread out across Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming - Native seed production for restoration in National Parks in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

$220,000 spread out across Utah, Arizona and Wyoming - Native seed production for restoration in National Parks across the intermountain West.

$220,000 spread out across Utah, Arizona and Wyoming - "Optimizing resilience and adaptation" for native seeding projects.

Related stories

Kyle Dunphey

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New federal funding is coming for environmental projects. Here are 12 projects happening in Utah

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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes SALT LAKE CITY - Funds from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill continue to trickle to the West. The latest announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior details nearly $69 million for 125 environmental remediation projects across 20 states, tribes and territories.

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Scientists Figure Out Why Female Octopuses Self-Destruct After Laying Eggs

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A new study finds several biochemical pathways, including one that produces a precursor to cholesterol, may be key to this behavior

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Abstraction of experimentation carried out by UTM biologist Alex N. Nguyen Ba. Credit: University of Toronto Mississauga

In biological evolution, we know that it's all about the survival of the fittest: organisms that develop genetic traits that allow them to better adapt to their physical environment are more likely to thrive, and thus pass down their winning genes to their offspring.

From the longer-beaked Galapagos Island finches studied by biologist Charles Darwin that enabled them to more effectively snatch insects, to the ability of some humans over others to digest milk, the process of natural selection results in genetic differences that give some organisms an edge over others.

New research by University of Toronto Mississauga biology assistant professor Alex N. Nguyen Ba adds an important dimension to our understanding of how genes interact in the evolutionary process.

Nguyen Ba is the co-principal investigator behind a study published this month in the journal Science. The first-of-its-kind study shows that different combinations of genetic mutations can have an impact on the evolutionary process-a finding that could benefit areas such as personalized medicine and vaccine design.

"Evolution is a force that drives all of life on this planet," Nguyen Ba says. "Understanding how much we can predict about adaptation has been of strong interest to many people in the field."

Adaptation can be compared to climbing a mountain. The paths taken to the various possible peaks are thought to due to successive mutations, and irregularities in the terrain can be attributed to the specific combinations of mutations acquired along the way. But how can scientists predict the route to the mountain top?

"There are huge implications if we can figure out what's going to happen in the future for living organisms," says Nguyen Ba.

At UTM's annb lab, Nguyen Ba and his team of researchers explore genetic mutations in cells and their impact on evolution using next-generation technologies. These include high-throughput synthetic biology-designing new biological systems or changing existing ones for research purposes-and a desk-sized robot that can process numerous biological samples.

He started the study five years ago when he was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University's Desai Lab. There, he collaborated with Christopher Bakerlee, who is the study's co-principal investigator.

Together, Nguyen Ba and Bakerlee used CRISPR gene-editing technology to alter genes in the cells of yeast, which is commonly used in genetic engineering research because it shares some genes with humans.

They worked with 10 missense mutations, which are aberrations in DNA code that change the production of amino acids. Considered the building blocks of life, amino acids are molecules that combine to form proteins, which conduct everything from healing wounds to providing energy to making antibodies.

The experimentation process involved testing out all possible combinations of these mutations-1,024 in total. The scientists wanted to determine how interactions between genes affect the expression of certain genetic traits.

Nguyen Ba completed the final year of the study at UTM, where he analyzed and interpreted the data. The study revealed that evolution frequently samples combinations of gene mutations with negative synergy between them. This acts on the yeast's evolutionary potential in negative ways, for example, by slowing their rate of adaptation.

The findings run counter to the dogma that all biological adaptation unfolds in a predictable way due to some unknown biological law. Instead, combinations of mutations that have accumulated through time dictate the future evolutionary potential of an organism.

Moreover, he says, it challenges the dominant view in genetic research that we should study one gene mutation at a time. Examining mutations in combination could help us understand diseases and lead to more precise medicine.

"We're showing that in order for us to have a full understanding of how genes actually behave," says Nguyen Ba. "The combinations of mutations are likely to be very important."

More information: Christopher W. Bakerlee et al, Idiosyncratic epistasis leads to global fitness-correlated trends, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abm4774

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New insights on link between genetic mutations and biological evolution

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In biological evolution, we know that it's all about the survival of the fittest: organisms that develop genetic traits that allow them to better adapt to their physical environment are more likely to thrive, and thus pass down their winning genes to their offspring.

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Biology class laid skeleton to rest.....Jena V

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Biology class laid skeleton to rest.....Jena V

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A German high school laid its biology classroom skeleton to rest this week.

The skeleton, named "Anh Bien" - Vietnamese for "mysterious peace," was buried in a local cemetery.

The school has sent in samples from the bones to try to find out where they originated.

On Wednesday, a high school in Germany held a ceremony to lay to rest a valued member of the school staff - a real skeleton used in a biology classroom for 70 years.

The ceremony for the female skeleton of a nameless woman was held at the Protestant cemetery in the west German town of Schleiden, per the Associated Press. The AP reported that the woman, named "Anh Bien" - Vietnamese for "mysterious peace" - was put in a coffin that bore the symbols of major religions.

"We are indeed laying to rest a member of the school community to their grave," said Oliver Joswig, a pastor presiding over the ceremony.

The skeleton had been used as a teaching aid at the school since 1952, but was later replaced with a plastic model, per the AP. The school has sent in DNA samples from the bones in a bid to uncover more about Anh Bien's origins.

According to NPR, many schools and universities in the US may still be using actual human remains for anatomical studies. It was typical for schools to use real human skeletons up until three or four decades ago. The use and disposal of such human remains is regulated by the Human Tissue Act.

However, the provenance of such skeletons might be questionable in some cases, with a 2007 WIRED investigation revealing that some skeletons have been transported from countries like India and taken from remote villages without prior consent.

Read the original article on Insider

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A high school held a funeral for female skeleton used as a teaching aid for biology classes since 1952

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A German high school laid its biology classroom skeleton to rest this week. The skeleton, named "Anh Bien" - Vietnamese for "mysterious peace," was buried in a local cemetery. The school has sent in samples from the bones to try to find out where they originated.

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Animals play essential roles in the environment and provide many important benefits to ecosystem health. One Health is this recognition that animal health, human health, and environmental health are all linked. Similar to people, wild and domestic animals can be victims of disease. The information presented here is intended to promote awareness and provide background for certain diseases that wildlife may get.

See the Guidance for Park Visitors section below for tips to safely enjoy your national park trip.

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Bighorn Sheep Pneumonia (U.S. National Park Service)

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Animals play essential roles in the environment and provide many important benefits to ecosystem health. One Health is this recognition that animal health, human health, and environmental health are all linked. Similar to people, wild and domestic animals can be victims of disease.

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I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico this past week visiting my mother and brother and I wondered how cacti photosynthesize. Attached is an article from the Arches National Park website explaining the different photosynthesis process that succulents use. It's called CAM photosynthesis and it means succulents' stomata only open at night.

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More than most plants, the cactus seems perfectly suited to life in an arid climate. The cactus, especially the saguaro, has become emblematic of the American southwest. Nine species of cactus are found in Arches, though the saguaro is not one of them. (Look them up by color or name on the Wildflowers page.)

Cacti are plants that have succulent stems, pads or branches with scales and spines instead of leaves. Cactus pads are actually modified stems with a waxy coating. The prickly spines are modified leaves that break up the evaporative winds blowing across pad surfaces, and help shade the stem. Root systems are usually broad and shallow, and rainwater is soaked up quickly. Small rain roots actually grow as soon as soil is moistened by rain, and later dry up.

All plants photosynthesize, collecting carbon dioxide through holes in their leaves called "stomata" and converting it into sugar and oxygen. Cacti utilize CAM photosynthesis, a process unique to succulents. In CAM photosynthesis, stomata open only at night when the plant is relatively cool, so less moisture is lost through transpiration.

However, photosynthesis also requires sunlight. The CAM process includes a way of chemically storing the carbon dioxide until the sun comes out, when it can be used to complete the photosynthetic process. Stomata are like windows; they have to be open to let air and water in or out, but sunlight can come in even if they're closed.

Despite their prickly armor, cacti are not immune to predators. Many rodents gnaw on cactus pads, and other mammals, including bears and humans, enjoy the sweet red fruit of the prickly pear.

The prickly pear is the most common cactus in Arches and are characterized by their flat, wide pads. They tend to grow horizontally and can sprawl across the desert floor. In the spring they produce flowers of varying hues; from pink to yellow. By late summer they provide edible fruit. Because of the special antifreeze chemicals in their cells, they are able to survive through cold winter temperatures.

Less common than the prickly pear is whipple's fishhook. These small, and usually solitary plants have hooked spines like a fishhook. They bloom from April to July and produce mainly pink or white flowers.

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Cacti / Desert Succulents - Arches National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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More than most plants, the cactus seems perfectly suited to life in an arid climate. The cactus, especially the saguaro, has become emblematic of the American southwest. Nine species of cactus are found in Arches, though the saguaro is not one of them. (Look them up by color or name on the Wildflowers page.)

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/bison-white-buffalo-sioux-valley-dakota-1.6440271

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With a new white bison calf joining the herd in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, community members say it's a sign to get back to living in balance with nature.

The calf born on April 16 is the eighth white bison to be born on the First Nation in as many years. They are part of a herd of 104 bison in the community about 40 kilometres west of Brandon, Man.

"The white buffalo is a blessing and a warning for our people, not just Native people but all people," said Kevin Tacan, one of the community's spiritual advisors, whose family also takes care of the herd.

Tacan said climate change is noticeable not only to us, but to animals as well.

"They're starting to come back, reminding us that we're supposed to be living in balance with nature," he said.

"We're supposed to be living in balance with the animals and the natural world, and we're not doing that."

Tacan said First Nations have a special relationship with bison.

"We have a very close, spiritual relationship with the buffalo, because we both experienced genocide," he said.

"And right now we're getting our apologies from governments, but there are no apologies coming for the buffalo herd yet, and it's something we'd like to see down the road."

He said the bison are there for community members and other folks who come and pray.

"They pray for relatives who are sick or who are struggling in life with addictions or anything like that," he said.

"They're all different tribes that are coming here and doing their ceremonies here."

Tobacco offerings tied in colourful fabrics line the fence, left by previous visitors.

"The buffalo would come and check them out, and listen to their prayers and then hopefully they'll carry our prayers for the year, so that we can live a more healthier, happier life," said Tacan.

Keeping the herd wild

Tony Tacan, Kevin's brother, is the community herd rancher, and a council member.

He said this is the second bison herd they started after being given a white bison by the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg in 2010.

His family takes care of the bison, along with their horses.

"We took the responsibility on for the community, to ensure that they're fed, watered, cared for," said Tony Tacan.

"We've been doing that for so many years now."

He said his brothers and cousins help out, along with his sons and nephews.

"We expect to keep them wild, we don't want to domesticate them," he said.

"That's not the way of our people."

Tony Tacan said there will be upcoming changes to the area, with a cement pad created for the elders' handi-van, and signs on the main road directing people to the compound. A space for gatherings is also in the works.

"We make sure we have a place for people to come and pray; it offers people hope," he said.

"Times being what they are, we need them to come here and feel better."

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8th white bison born to herd at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation | CBC News

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With a new white bison calf joining the herd in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, community members say it's a sign to get back to living in balance with nature. The calf born on April 16 is the eighth white bison to be born on the First Nation in as many years.

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There is a Utah native fish called the June Sucker that was close to extinction and critically endangered but is now just endangered rather than critically.

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Researchers have found a simpler way to genetically modify cockroaches with CRISPR-Cas9, considerably reducing the time needed to conduct insect research.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a molecule first discovered in bacteria, which has made genetic modification a much faster and more efficient process.

The new technique, called direct parental CRISPR, or DIPA-CRISPR, allows researchers to avoid having to microinject CRISPR materials into insect embryos. Apparently, this is a major inconvenience in the genetically modified insect world, and it doesn't work for every insect. In fact, cockroaches' odd reproductive systems prevent them from being genetically modified with embryo microinjections.

Instead, DIPA-CRISPR works by a female cockroach being injected with the relevant CRISPR tools - meaning that some of her offspring carry the induced genetic modifications.

"In a sense, insect researchers have been freed from the annoyance of egg injections," says Takaaki Daimon, a researcher at Kyoto University, Japan, and senior author of a paper describing the research, which has been published in Cell Reports Methods.

"We can now edit insect genomes more freely and at will. In principle, this method should work for more than 90% of insect species."

The researchers used commercially available Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (the proteins that induce genetic modification) to test this method.

They injected these ribonucleoproteins into the haemocoels (main body cavity) of two different insects: the German cockroach ( Blattella germanica), and the red flour beetle ( Tribolium castaneum).

They then investigated the offspring of these insects, to see whether their genetic modification had worked.

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The Cas9 proteins that were designed to "knockout" genes (that is, remove a gene from a genome) were very successful, by genetic modification standards. More than 50% of the red flour beetle offspring, and 22% of the cockroach offspring, lacked the pigment-creating gene that the researchers wanted to remove.

"Knockin" modifications (introducing a new gene into the genome) were less successful, with only very low efficiency.

The technique depends on the reproductive stage the adult females are at, and a strong understanding of the insect's ovary development. Unfortunately, fruit flies - which are a model organism for lots of genetic research - won't respond to this technique.

Nevertheless, the researchers say that DIPA-CRISPR will reduce the expense, and timeframes, of a lot of insect research.

"By improving the DIPA-CRISPR method and making it even more efficient and versatile, we may be able to enable genome editing in almost all of the more than 1.5 million species of insects, opening up a future in which we can fully utilise the amazing biological functions of insects," says Daimon.

"In principle, it may be also possible that other arthropods could be genome edited using a similar approach. These include agricultural and medical pests such as mites and ticks, and important fishery resources such as shrimp and crabs."

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Gene-editing cockroaches with CRISPR-Cas9 - and maybe other insects

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Researchers have found a simpler way to genetically modify cockroaches with CRISPR-Cas9, considerably reducing the time needed to conduct insect research. CRISPR-Cas9 is a molecule first discovered in bacteria, which has made genetic modification a much faster and more efficient process.

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https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2021/11/22/great-salt-lake-is/

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The Great Salt Lake is Utah's canary in a coal mine - except you can see it from space.

In July of this year, the lake reached a historic low, sitting 10 feet below its average level, exposing vast swathes of dry lake bed, making the marina unusable for most boating and jeopardizing the industries that rely on it.

My colleague, Brian Maffly, wrote this week about the shocking time-lapse photos that drive home in graphic detail the waning of the largest inland body of saltwater in the Western Hemisphere.

It is indeed a harbinger, warning us of the trouble we could face if we fail to listen.

The decline of the Great Salt Lake is not, contrary to popular belief, due to our ongoing "megadrought," although it's not helping. The truth is that diversions of water upstream for residential and agricultural use mean not enough water even makes it downstream to replenish the lake.

A study by Utah State University found that the lake is 11 feet lower than it would be were it not for the diversions and that 130% of the water available is already allocated.

As a result, for four months this year, none of the water in the Bear River even reached the lake. Barring a monumental change in northern Utah's snowpack, that trend will continue. The lake will continue to shrink, and the ramifications of its disappearance will grow.

A study back in 2012 found that the Great Salt Lake generated $1.3 billion to the state economy through mineral extraction, brine shrimp harvesting and recreation. All of that is threatened.

By mid-July of this year, ordinarily a peak time for sailing, boaters were already hauling their boats out of the lake because the water level was too low for boats to access the docks.

This week, the head of the Utah Department of Natural Resources told legislators they plan to use a part of $5 million in federal funds to dredge the marina in hopes of keeping it viable.

The wetlands surrounding the lake are one of the most important migratory bird habitats in North America, annually welcoming some 250 species and millions of birds to feed and nest at the lake.

The dry, dusty lake bed exposed by the receding water is prone to dust storms, impacting human health, according to Kevin Perry, a University of Utah professor who has studied the phenomenon.

There are immediate health effects, with the tiny dust particles that can make it hard to breathe, especially for those who might have asthma or other breathing problems.

Then there are potential long-term effects. Soil samples from all over the lake bed have elevated levels of arsenic, Perry said, which can cause cancer if there is prolonged exposure.

The Great Salt Lake is not unique in facing these challenges. We've seen the same story play out elsewhere.

Urmia Lake in Iran, the Aral Sea in central Asia, Lake Poopó in Bolivia, Owens Lake and the Salton Sea in California, and the Dead Sea in Israel are examples of similar lakes that have all but disappeared, according to a 2019 report by the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council.

The disappearances of these bodies of water have wiped out ecosystems, subjected locals to frequent dust storms, decimated economies and have cost millions and in some cases billions of dollars in attempted remediations.

Can we save our iconic lake and avoid the same consequences?

Maybe, but it will require a significant change to our state's entire approach to water use, starting with ditching our use-it-or-lose-it water policy. Currently, water has to be put to "beneficial use" - meaning it yields some economic or agricultural return - or the holder of the water rights can lose them. Conserving water and preserving the lake is not considered a beneficial use.

If we make conservation a priority or at least on equal footing as agriculture, conservation groups and governments can start dedicating water rights for the lake.

Perhaps most importantly, Utah needs to push pause on the Bear River Development Project - a system of reservoirs and pipelines that will divert water for northern Utah residents.

"Bear River [development] will be the destruction of the Great Salt Lake," Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council told me this week. "It will dry up the Great Salt Lake beyond modern recognition."

It makes sense. If water diversions are what is threatening the lake, we can't stick another straw in upriver and not expect it to have consequences. Proponents claim it will cause the lake to fall by less than a foot. Maybe. But there is no question it will exacerbate a serious problem to provide water that may not even be needed for years.

More generally, we need to get serious about conservation. Utah is among the driest states in the country but uses the second-most water per capita. And our water is cheap, a pricing structure that actively discourages conservation.

That's simply unsustainable, given Utah's rate of growth.

That means taking a hard look at agricultural uses, the consumer of the vast majority of water in the state. Last week, the Utah Department of Natural Resources told legislators they plan on using $25 million in federal money to meter secondary water statewide. Secondary water, where it's not metered (which is most places), is either free or given away at a flat rate, regardless of how much a customer uses - think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet for water users. It's long overdue and still not enough, but it's a start.

And The Utah League of Cities and Towns is recommending legislation that would encourage cities to integrate water into their general plans - things like landscaping requirements and development permits - with an eye toward sustainability.

On Jan. 5, House Speaker Brad Wilson will convene a Great Salt Lake Summit. It's an encouraging sign that top leaders are aware of the problem and focusing on salvaging the lake.

But there also has to be the political will to make the hard decisions and fundamentally reshape how Utah thinks about water, not just to preserve the Great Salt Lake but to save our water resources and our communities across Utah.

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The Great Salt Lake is disappearing. If we don't fix it, we'll pay the cost with our health and economy, Robert Gehrke says

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The Great Salt Lake is Utah's canary in a coal mine - except you can see it from space. In July of this year, the lake reached a historic low, sitting 10 feet below its average level, exposing vast swathes of dry lake bed, making the marina unusable for most boating and jeopardizing the industries that rely on it.

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Whale Shark population decrease, Quester Hardy

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Whale Shark population decrease, Quester Hardy

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https://www.ksl.com/article/50405436/whale-shark-study-finds-collisions-with-large-vessels-may-be-factor-in-population-decline

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Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

ATLANTA - A new study out of the United Kingdom is pointing to collisions with large marine vessels as a possible reason for the yearslong decline in whale shark populations.

Marine biologists from the Marine Biological Association and University of Southampton led the study, started in 2019 and published earlier this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which tracked the movements of ships and whale sharks around the world. The researchers said lethal collisions are vastly underestimated and that their work shows more than 90% of whale shark movements overlapped with global fleets of cargo, tanker, passenger and fishing vessels.

The team satellite-tracked the movements of 348 individual whale sharks, tagged between 2005 and 2019 in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, and mapped out their various "hotspots." The researchers submitted the data to the Global Shark Movement Project, which is led by the Marine Biological Association.

"The maritime shipping industry that allows us to source a variety of everyday products from all over the world may be causing the decline of whale sharks, which are a hugely important species in our oceans," Freya Womersley, a University of Southampton PhD researcher who led the study as part of the Global Shark Movement Project, said in a press release.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species lists the whale shark as endangered. Described as "slow-moving ocean giants," the researchers said whale sharks can grow up to 20 metres in length and help regulate plankton levels in the ocean by feeding on microscopic zooplankton. The researchers said whale shark numbers have been falling in recent years in many locations.

However, the reasons why are not entirely clear. Since whale sharks spend a large amount of time in surface water and gather in coastal regions, experts thought collisions with ships could be causing "substantial" deaths.

The study suggests that whale shark tag transmissions ended more often in busy shipping lanes than expected, even after ruling out technical failure. Of the 61 tracked tags that stopped transmitting on busy routes, more than 85% were unrelated to random technical failure, the study said.

The researchers suggest this is likely due to whale sharks being struck and killed, and sinking to the ocean floor.

"Incredibly, some of the tags recording depth as well as location showed whale sharks moving into shipping lanes and then sinking slowly to the seafloor hundreds of meters below, which is the 'smoking gun' of a lethal ship strike," said Professor David Sims, Global Shark Movement Project founder and senior research fellow at the Marine Biological Association and University of Southampton.

"It is sad to think that many deaths of these incredible animals have occurred globally due to ships without us even knowing to take preventative measures."

The research team said there are currently no international regulations to protect whale sharks against ship collisions, and that this "hidden mortality" may be occurring with other marine megafauna.

"Collectively we need to put time and energy into developing strategies to protect this endangered species from commercial shipping now, before it is too late," Womersley said, "so that the largest fish on Earth can withstand threats that are predicted to intensify in future, such as changing ocean climates."

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Whale shark study finds collisions with large vessels may be factor in population decline

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Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes ATLANTA - A new study out of the United Kingdom is pointing to collisions with large marine vessels as a possible reason for the yearslong decline in whale shark populations.

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Salt Lake City starts peak demand season under Stage 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan

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April 12, 2022 Less than average winter snowpack and persistent drought conditions have combined to keep Salt Lake City at Stage 2 of its 5-stage Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The City ended last summer at this stage of water shortage, having faced a record-setting statewide drought in 2021. As t…

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Different babies need different formulas to keep healthy. So you can't really make your own baby formula because of the different ingredients in each formula

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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY - The baby formula shortage here in Utah remains in a crisis situation for many mothers. Especially for those mothers who are looking for a specific kind of formula.

"It's completely gone," Silvie Hull told KSL-TV.

Silvie is the mother of 9-month-old Hendrix and cannot find the formula he takes that doesn't upset his stomach. So she's had to resort to another formula and only has a small can and a half of it in her home.

"He's up all night; we can't put him to sleep. He cries while I'm at work. He will just scream, he won't take it," she said.

That's why Hull has family and friends all helping in the search for formula.

"I have friends calling out of state to their friends; my sister and brother went to Davis County this morning and there was none," she said.

"It's been really scary," said Tricia Farnes, the mother of 7-week-old Micall. Farnes has also requested the help of family and friends in the hunt for formula. And it's working.

"Parents involved, in-laws involved. I have a sister-in-law who her mom is involved to try and help us. We have a friend group and all of us are talking daily of where we are able to find it," said Farnes.

Miranda Reynolds is the health program coordinator for WIC and a registered dietician. On Monday the program released tips for helping in the search. Those include:

Talk to your pediatrician to see if other formulas could work

Ask stores about when their formula shipment is coming in

Shop early in the day

Be flexible with brands if you can

Get family and friends involved

Reach out directly to manufacturers

"The situation here in Utah is pretty dire," said Reynolds. "It's a really difficult situation right now and our hearts go out to these families."

The fear now is how long will this shortage last.

"My baby is only 7 weeks old and we are going until a year that she is going to need food. So we are going to need a lot of cans of this (formula)," Farnes said.

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Utah mothers feeling pinch of formula shortage

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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes SALT LAKE CITY - The baby formula shortage here in Utah remains in a crisis situation for many mothers. Especially for those mothers who are looking for a specific kind of formula. "It's completely gone," Silvie Hull told KSL-TV.

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ksl and many news outlets gave us a video of a black bear running wild through a school and city  here's the link. https://www.ksl.com/article/50405860/black-bear-seen-near-utah-middle-school-early-monday

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Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

MORGAN - State wildlife officials tranquilized and relocated a black bear seen roaming around Morgan Middle School early Monday.

While no one was harmed, they say the ongoing drought may lead to more bear-human interactions in northern Utah.

Authorities in Morgan County received multiple calls from residents who saw the bear walking through neighborhoods in Morgan on Monday, according to Morgan County Sheriff's Sgt. Lucas Call.

"A short while later, the bear was spotted at the middle school, and luckily, school was not in," he said. "However, it was just before kids were walking to school."

The bear thankfully didn't affect students arriving at the school, located at 115 E. Young St., said Morgan School District spokeswoman Gwen Romero. Students arrive on the south and west sides of the school, "so they were kept well away from the bear."

She said the bear then wandered to a park while the students were still in the first hour of classes. Officials found the bear in a field, where it became "scared" and climbed a tree near some apartments in the area, according to Call.

Authorities asked residents to help keep the bear in the area using game hounds before the bear was tranquilized, put in safety restraints, and loaded into a vehicle, Call said. Faith Heaton Jolley, spokeswoman with the Division of Wildlife Resources, said the bear was relocated a safe distance away from the city.

Darren DeBloois, the division's game mammals coordinator, explained Utah's drought increases the probability of bear "conflicts." Drought can diminish a black bear's food supply, which leads them to seek alternative food sources where humans can be.

This tends to begin in the spring, as the species comes out of hibernation. It continues into the summer, as the plants and vegetation, which accounts for 90% of a bear's diet, become unavailable. Since bears have a very good sense of smell, they can easily smell the types of foods humans eat or leave in a garbage bin.

"The lower food supply could lead to more bear conflicts this summer as bears look more broadly for food," DeBloois said in a statement Monday. "We're anticipating a possible increase in incidents this year of bears getting into people's garbage and scavenging for food."
The lower food supply could lead to more bear conflicts this summer as bears look more broadly for food. We're anticipating a possible increase in incidents this year of bears getting into people's garbage and scavenging for food.
-Darren DeBloois, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

The division recommends campers and residents in areas either in or by canyons and foothills to bear-proof all food and scented supplies, like deodorant and toothpaste. Campers should also keep cooking areas and campsites clean. Residents should consider removing any birdfeeders, fruit trees, compost piles, beehives, pet food/water bowls and barbecue grills because they can also draw in bears. Outdoor pets should be kept inside overnight, too.

People are reminded not to feed bears because it causes the species to lose their fear of people, which puts humans at risk. Wildlife biologists ultimately euthanize bears that lose their fear of people because bears are still wild animals and natural predators.

If anyone does see a bear, as was the case Monday morning, they should call the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. People are also encouraged to report any bear that is acting aggressive, getting into trash cans, or causing damage in foothill and canyon areas.

As for actual interactions with bears, the agency advises:

Stand your ground. Don't back up, lie down or play dead. Stay calm and give the bear a chance to leave.

Don't run away or climb a tree. Black bears are excellent climbers and can run up to 35 mph.

If a bear stands up, grunts, moans or makes other sounds, it is not being aggressive. These are the ways a bear gets a better look or smell and expresses its interest.

If a black bear attacks, always fight back. People have successfully defended themselves with almost anything: rocks, sticks, backpacks, water bottles and even their hands and feet.

More tips and information about bears can be found here.

Photos

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Black bear relocated after jaunt around Morgan. Is the drought to blame?

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Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes MORGAN - State wildlife officials tranquilized and relocated a black bear seen roaming around Morgan Middle School early Monday. While no one was harmed, they say the ongoing drought may lead to more bear-human interactions in northern Utah.