#Life & Nature

[ivors20]

Throwback Friday. My World, My Thoughts

My Throwback poem from September 2021 was originally titled “Worlds Beyond Thoughts”, however, when I published the piece in my new book “Until Eyes Here Sound” I altered it to “My World, My Thoughts” My poem today is made from a list of comments that I have left on fellow ‘Bloggers’ sites, and in order of stanza appearance, these are the writers’ sites for you to visit.Bart…

[galewindstudios]

Did I hear Amp wips? (*/ω＼*) Could you share if you're comfortable with that? 💞

~Pink-Anon 💖

Howdy Pink!! You definitely heard correctly :)

A bunch of Amp Doodles feat. Larch, Beer & Geoff!

~

I always end up doodling like I do in my sketchbook- so overlapping pieces with crazy bgs and little notes haha.

[Some Close-Ups Below:]

[wherekizzialives]

The Small Things Spreading Joy in October

The Small Things Spreading Joy in October

[jcmarchi]

Researchers produce grafts that replicate the human ear - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/researchers-produce-grafts-that-replicate-the-human-ear-technology-org/

Researchers produce grafts that replicate the human ear - Technology Org

Using state-of-the-art tissue engineering techniques and a 3D printer, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering have assembled a replica of an adult human ear that looks and feels natural. 

Pictured is the intricate, left-ear plastic scaffold (anterior view at left, posterior view at right) that was created on a 3D printer, based on data from a person’s ear. Image credit: Spector Lab/Provided

The study, published in Acta Biomaterialia, promises grafts with well-defined anatomy and the correct biomechanical properties for people born with congenital malformations or who lose an ear later in life.

“Ear reconstruction requires multiple surgeries and an incredible amount of artistry and finesse,” said senior author Dr. Jason Spector ’91, chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a professor of surgery (plastic surgery) at Weill Cornell Medicine. “This new technology may eventually provide an option that feels real for thousands needing surgery to correct outer-ear deformities.” 

Spector worked on this project with long-time collaborator Larry Bonassar, the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor in Biomedical Engineering in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, at Cornell Engineering. 

Many surgeons build a replacement ear using cartilage removed from a child’s ribs, an operation that can be painful and scarring. And though the resulting graft can be crafted to resemble the recipient’s other ear, it generally does not have the same flexibility. 

One way to produce a more natural replacement ear is to enlist the aid of chondrocytes, the cells that build cartilage. In earlier studies, Spector and his colleagues used animal-derived chondrocytes to seed a collagen scaffold, a key cartilage component. Though these grafts developed successfully at first, over time, the well-defined topography of the ear—its familiar ridges, curves, and whorls—was lost. 

“Because the cells tug on the woven matrix of proteins as they labor, the ear contracted and shrank by half,” Spector said. 

To address this problem in this study, Spector and his team used sterilized animal-derived cartilage treated to remove anything that could trigger immune rejection. This was loaded into intricate, ear-shaped plastic scaffolds that were created on a 3D printer, based on data from a person’s ear. The small pieces of cartilage act as internal reinforcements to induce new tissue formation within the scaffold. Much like rebar, it strengthens the graft and prevents contraction. 

Over the next three to six months, the structure developed into cartilage-containing tissue that closely replicated the ear’s anatomical features, including the helical rim, the “anti-helix” rim inside the rim, and the central, conchal bowl. 

“That’s something that we had not achieved before,” Spector said. 

Spector and Bonassar conducted biomechanical studies to test the feel of the ear. This confirmed that the replicas had flexibility and elasticity similar to human ear cartilage. However, the engineered material was not as strong as natural cartilage and could tear. 

To remedy this issue, Spector plans to add chondrocytes to the mix, ideally ones derived from a small piece of cartilage removed from the recipient’s other ear. Those cells would lay down the elastic proteins that make ear cartilage so robust, producing a graft that would be biomechanically much more similar to the native ear, he said.  

Source: Cornell University

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[queenerdloser]

i need a succinct way to tell hair stylists that it's actually totally and completely fine with me if they don't try to make awkward small talk and me sitting silently in the chair isn't bc i'm mad or i don't like what's happening, it's just that i am uncomfortable trying to make small talk with strangers who are touching my head and also i feel bad distracting them from their job. like. this poor stylist i went to today was clearly Trying So Hard to think of things to talk to me about and i did try but our conversation kept dying bc i didnt really want to talk and she clearly had no idea how to engage with me. which is fine. i honestly prefer it so much more if stylists dont try to chat with me tbh like i have never once had a stylist where it made me more comfortable talking to them versus just having them do my hair and be done with it. this is why i never go to salons tho bc i can't figure out a nice way to say "hey actually it's fine if we don't talk and yes i promise i'm still going to tip you well"

[apixellife]

Winter is coming !

S&P Dallas scarf[TOXIC BISH] Sophi Dress REBORNAppleCiderGlass – [MyStory] sass [molly boots] rb -♥- sass [molly boots] @ the Kawaii Project [20% off fatpack only] NOV 18 Includes the following pieces: ♥ CMNT ♥ boots w/ fur ♥ materials enabled ♥ 4 color sets (7 textures in each) to choose from, w/ 4 fur options Compatible with the following bodies: ♥ Legacy ♥ Maitreya ♥ Reborn ♥ GenX here’s your…

[clicktoart]

Tiger

Majestic! This is another photo in my series of animal portraits in B&W. The photo was shot in the Munich zoo a couple of years ago. I ‘ve been using this photo as a wallpaper on my phone ever since, but never got around to posting it. Previous portraits were of a zebra, a rhinoceros, an elephant and a cormorant. There are several other photos in the queue, waiting to be processed. ©…

[donmaciver]

NEW SITE DOMAIN:

Don MacIver Poetry.ca Introducing my newly registered ‘Don MacIver Poetry, Prose & Lyrical Verse’ website domain effective immediately! *Formerly https://donmaciverpoetry.wordpress.com* ————————————————————- WELCOME TO: https://donmaciverpoetry.ca Follow this contemporary Canadian poet on his journey of love and the love of his journey! With a sound connection to traditional poetry, this…

[zaphmann]

In Memory of John Peel Show 220819 Podcast & Playlist

In Memory of John Peel Show 220819 Podcast & Playlist

The majority of people don’t listen to new music after they are 25 years old and most people are closed off by 35 years old It’s The 850th show! Let the sounds enter your consciousness! >> the best new music, independent of the industry system – back this show on patreon Paypal to zaph@zaphmann.com heard in over 90 countries via independent stations (RSS)Pod-Subscribe for free here or…

[mjtwinflamesoul]

Susan Elsa: Making Decision at 4 AM to MERGE MORE with TwinFlame Soul to save my Life approaching 50 © Michael Jackson TwinFlame Soul Official

In the above video snippets, you can see the merging physically just with your eyes. The internal stuff ain't visible and I do not have a lot of people to trust intimately, and especially with Challenges regarding my Merging with Michael.

Dear World I would like to update you on my decision, giving into Michael’s idea and trusting him fully. I intend to survive 50, I am 40 now. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0M8-Wrp9-e4 Nature Walks & Channeling Michael physically – no Make Up or Prep or Dancefloor by Susan Elsa https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CoNYxmEbWsQ Susan Elsa & Michael Jackson – A TwinFlame Soul in Action and…

[ivors20]

A Butterfly Parade

The butterflies were everywhereA Butterfly Parade I was admiring the view Along Nature’s Avenue When I stumbled upon A flickering band of white light A wondrous silky cloud Of fluttering butterflies They were everywhere Unflaggingly flying Hither and thither A quivering milky river The sunshine’s zither kisser Wings humming a choral melody A pearly parade, poised, ready to…

[the-last-thread-of-my-sanity]

I’ve been thinking lately about how much the ‘curse of Ymir’ really does affect the psyche of each of the nine shifters and how it impacts the ending of the story.

Up until the end of Season 3/Chapter 87-88, the reader and the viewer have no idea that the shifters have a limited amount of time to live. They seem to possess this god-like power and they can rejuvenate and survive almost any injury. They seem unstoppable.

This is what motivates Erwin to create a plan to take one of the nine shifter powers with the serum- having another Titan in your arsenal would make a difference in winning the war.

But what the Paradisians don’t know is how holding the power of the Nine just perpetuates a cycle of violence and cruelty. It’s a curse as much as it is a power. No matter how brilliant or grand your scope is for what you can do with this near limitless power, you have to contend with the fact that you will only have thirteen years to do it.

This revelation to me is the what colors the entire last arc of the story leading into and after the time skip.

For Zeke, it amps up the level of desperation he has for accomplishing the euthanization plan- relying on Eren was still a variable that was largely unpredictable, and he trusted him more than he probably would have if he weren’t running out of time.

Going back further in the story, it retroactively explains why Ymir (of the cadet corps) would go back with Reiner and Bertholdt at all- a seemingly nonsensical choice when it seems she has something to live for in her relationship with Krista/Historia. But Ymir knows she has little time left. She has no future. So she chooses to surrender.

For Annie, it shows her desperation to get back to her father, a man who showed her very little affection, and yet if she could just make it back maybe she could live at least a year or two with him and make at least one happy memory with the man who raised her to kill.

Armin, I honestly feel the most for, because what he and everyone else thought of as his salvation, was actually just saddling him with a curse. And heaps of responsibility to try and be grateful for it. He went from a character with a singular and wholesome conviction, to someone wracked with guilt and forced to solve the world’s problems with limited time and resources.

In Reiner’s case, I actually think the fact that he knows he is going to die is the only thing actually keeping him alive in the tail end of the story. He wants so badly to face retribution for his deeds, and he can only find the strength to keep towing the line because he knows his violent demise is guaranteed.

Characters like Pieck and Bertholdt seem to accept their lot in life- but deal with this internally and develop their own sense of morals despite it- albeit in different ways and in Pieck’s case with a shade of pessimism. Falco and Marcel stand out as a characters who see the farce for what it is- but still want to subject themselves to it in order to prevent someone they love from suffering through it in their place.

Eren, though, it’s easy to see how discovering he has already lived more of his life in powerless ignorance than what he has left is what ultimately causes the collapse in his character. Combine that with the way that he sees ‘future memories’ and doesn’t see any future beyond his own, and suddenly you have a naturally impulsive and violent person living in the most fatalistic reality ever. It makes perfect sense that his fall from grace is near immediate and precipitous.

What difference does all that power make if all it means is that you become a tool for destruction with no future? That you will be forced to curse someone else so that this cruel power will continue to exist? That is the true legacy of Ymir and the Eldian Empire- you can have near limitless power, but you will never have true control over your own life.

And it makes for such interesting discussions and questions about power and mortality and agency- and all the seemingly ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ ways to respond to their dilemma.

Anyway, it is always ‘thinking about the moral quandary of the titan shifters’ hours around here…

[rayclubs]

Which tf2 merc do you think gets mischaracterized the least?

Good question! Let's do a rating.

In my opinion, there are three aspects to characterizing someone.

Facts - you have to get basic character backstory right. This includes all objective canon truths, events, and, well, facts about said character.

Behavior - you need to understand how the character acts, how their interpersonal relationships function, what they're like in their day-to-day life. This is the nitty-gritty of fanfic and fanart, this is dialogue, line-to-line characterization.

Integrity - you need to understand the character's core beliefs and principles, what their values are and how they view the world around them. This isn't something you can easily quote or point to as a mistake in fanfic, it's more of an overall idea of a character.

Each of these is going to be worth up to three points, with zero for terrible characterization that gets everything wrong. This would ideally total to nine points. I'll be awarding an additional bonus point for character interpretation that doesn't make me scream "he would not fucking say that". Let's go.

Scout:

His backstory is fairly simple. He has an absent father, half a dozen siblings, and a crush on his boss who doesn't reciprocate. People mostly get this right, except they also call him a virgin despite the fact he canonically lands the fried chicken queen, and seems to do it with ease. 2/3.

His behavior is also mostly portrayed accurately, in that he's loud, obnoxious, self-absorbed, and can be kind of a dick, though not completely without endearing qualities. The fandom is, admittedly, guilty of making him more insecure and self-conscious than he actually is, to amp up the drama. 2/3.

His core values, however, are completely off. The main interpretations I see of him are "depressed Scout", "homophobic Scout", and "baby Scout", neither of which is true to his character. This is a grown man with a force-a-nature complex. The homophobia is just projection and internalized prejudice, but that phenomena is too complicated for me to dissect here. I talked about it before and might make another post later. Anyway, 0/3.

Scout does not get a bonus point. He would not fucking say "poggers" but he would say "daddy-o".

Overall characterization score: 4/10

Soldier:

Very little is known about Soldier's backstory so there isn't really any room to be wrong about it. What we do know is also vague and unreliable, so it's open to interpretation. Given how little room for error there is, I'll give him a 3/3.

His behavior is completely off in most cases, often shown to either be overly aggressive or so dumb you start to question how this man functions in his day-to-day life. Canon Soldier has plenty of endearingly stupid moments but a lot of them can be read as deadpan jokes on the character's part, and many turn out to be secretly clever moments, such as him infiltrating the robot base with a goofy cardboard disguise. Likewise, canon Soldier has plenty of aggressive and mean moments, but he's not cruel and very clearly not a threat to his teammates, which isn't captured at all in fanworks that decide to go that way. 0/3.

Soldier's core ideals are mostly captured well, as in - yeah, he calls people communist as an insult in fanfics. I feel like he should mention God more often than he does in fanon, it's, like, one of the two ideologically meaningful things he ever talks about. The importance of "America" as a concept to him is mostly preserved but left unexplored. 2/3.

Soldier does not get a bonus point, he would not fucking say [homophobic slur] yet here we fucking are.

Overall characterization score: 5/10

Pyro:

His backstory is nonexistent yet people still fuck it up. His technical knowledge is clearly extensive and impressive, as shown by the complexity of his weaponry - which, mind you, looks HAND MADE - but people treat him as if he's altogether incompetent and maniacally stupid all the time always. He also ran an engineering company for hell knows how long and people just forget about it because they're allergic to adults or something. God this pisses me off so much. I mean for fuck's sake, people act like his full job description is "Pyromaniac" and not "Pyrotechnician". I'm so tired. 0/3.

His day-to-day characterization and dialogue is also completely off. People treat him as if he's INCAPABLE of communication, make him obsess over childish things he's only shown a moderate liking to in a manner that's borderline creepy and insulting, and take away his whole entire agency in everything he ever does. I will literally not give y'all a single point, you do my man Pyro so dirty. 0/3.

His ideology is complex and vague in canon, and I don't blame people for getting confused by such things as Pyrovision, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. In my time on Ao3 I've seen animal Pyro, cryptid Pyro, monster Pyro, alien Pyro, evil mindless maniac Pyro, incompetent baby Pyro, nonbinary Pyro (HENCE MY PROBLEM WITH THE HEADCANON, do you see how it looks next to all these other interpretations?) but I've rarely, if ever, seen competent adult Pyro with actual hopes and dreams and agency. 0/3.

Pyro does not get a bonus point because he would not fucking say "uwu" but he would say "fuck", let Pyro say fuck.

Overall characterization score: 0/10 are you fucking surprised

Demoman:

Oh poor lad what have they done to you. So, Demo's backstory is arguably the most detailed and fleshed-out in the entire canon. Too bad nobody fucking read it. Admittedly, in the recent years I've seen people mostly manage to remember he has several jobs and is overall a competent and successful man, but it's rarely - if ever - explored, I've seen exactly one fic where the author bothered to explore what one of his other jobs might be (and it was not a good fic for many other reasons, don't ask me for a link), and it honestly feels like people don't want to dwell on it? Like, they mostly mention it to fill a quota, y'know? Here, I'm not racist, I've acknowledged one of this character's achievements, leave me alone. Also the subject of him being fucking adopted as a kid never comes up. 0/3.

His day-to-day characterization suffers a lot because people think alcoholism is the most morally repugnant thing that can ever happen to a human being. This man honestly barely even has a presence in the fics he's in. Are you wondering where Demo is? Well, he wasn't there! He was BUSY! He couldn't come! There is a handful of writers who bother to write his actual inner monologue and point of view, and this point goes out to them only. Also there was a pretty good Boots and Bombs fic in which Demo was a dick to Soldier but then got better, and it stuck with me. 1/3.

His core character is fucked up by fandom because he's either all flaws or not allowed to have any flaws, and there's no in-between. Ever since I joined the fandom I've seen a lot of critique floating around, and people mostly seem to listen and realize they've been mistreating the man for long enough, but it created a whole separate problem of Perfect Demoman which is bland and boring. People don't want to write an offensive caricature but don't feel like fleshing him out either, so they just make him great at everything and never let him fail and grown in ways that are meaningful. Except that one fic I mentioned earlier, but I've already awarded a point for that. 0/3.

Demo does not get a bonus point. I couldn't find a meaningful example of bad dialogue because, like I said, he has no presence in any of the fics he's in. He would fucking say something.

Overall characterization score: 1/10 and honestly it's too generous on my part.

Heavy:

Okay so Heavy's backstory really confuses people. I've got like a dozen asks in my inbox when I called his father a revolutionary AND a counter-revolutionary. Wait till I call him a royalist, it'll blow your tits clean off. I don't feel like explaining the history of the communist regime in the USSR on this post, let's just say people are mostly faithful to canon but don't really "get" Heavy. 2/3.

His day-to-day characterization is plain bad. He's treated like a mother hen to the mercs when he's more of a stoic friend with a mean streak and a crude sense of humor. I think the main problem is the dialogue, people just can't give him the dignity of speaking in an intelligent manner. It's honestly also pretty bad in the comics. 1/3.

His core ideals are fine, if oversimplified. He's not a complicated man, he loves his family, his guns and his doctor. People rarely give him any more depth than that but it's not offensive to his character or anything. I feel like he should have more political opinions than people give him. I also feel like people make him way more protective of Zhanna's romantic pursuits, to a creepy degree. I mean, yes, he's annoyed by her marrying Soldier, and seems horrified for a brief second, but it's not like he's against it or anything, he's just kinda surprised? Anyway, 2/3.

Heavy does not get a bonus point because he would not fucking say "da". Pizda.

Overall characterization score: 5/10

Engineer:

Yeah people mostly get him. He's got 11 Ph. Ds. Some treat him like he grew up as an actual cowboy or something but most remember he's a nerd. I'd actually give all the points here because Engie's backstory is NOT complicated. 3/3.

His dialogue and day-to-day characterization is also okay, though people really mellow him down a lot. I had a bit in one of my fics where he said something like "let's teach those sumbitches how the real killin' is done" and like three different people commented on it saying they liked or were surprised by his mean energy. It's not even that mean, I think it kinda shows my problem with his interpretation. 2/3.

I asked about mischaracterization once and a lot of people replied "Engie is the most mischaracterized because people treat him like he's good but he's actually evil" which I think pretty much covers it? It's hard to write someone who is not implicitly strictly good or strictly evil. Engie treads this balance really well, I'm actually convinced his demeanor is not a facade, he is nice at times and mean when he wants to be. Fanon Engie can only be one of two things and neither is right. 0/3.

Engie gets a bonus point as an exception. I actually can't tell why, people just have his voice on-point. Is his accent and manner of speaking really that easy for you? I struggle to write him a lot. I think he should say "bitch" more.

Overall characterization score: 6/10

Medic:

People focus on the fact he lost his medical license more than on the fact he HAD a medical license in the first place. Other than that he really doesn't have a backstory. I dislike that people try to give him a sad one, I think he grew up loved and maybe even a little spoiled, but I can't fault others for not following my headcanons, so. 2/3.

His dialogue is the WORST because it's written phonetically. His goofy yet self-confident energy isn't captured well at all. The best I can put this is "people wife him" but it sounds kinda mysogynistic so really I'm at a loss. Submissivepilled breedablemaxxer. 0/3.

His core values are also all over the place. The complicated thing about writing Medic is that he actually doesn't come with pre-packaged drama. His backstory is vague, his demeanor is optimistic, his vibes are fun, and the worst thing that happened to him in canon was working with the classics for a bit - people amp it up to squeeze hurt out of it, which is fine, but not many people actually like going there. Thing is, fanfic writers aren't that good at writing drama when it hasn't been established before. They have to warp his character, make him edgy, self-conscious, or plain mad evil without redeeming qualities. I remember really struggling with my big Medic fic because I wanted it to be dramatic but had to put a lot of work into actually building up the emotion, because Medic is fine. He's fine. He's alright. He's fine. He's doing well. 0/3.

Medic does NOT get a bonus point, he would not fucking say "babygirl" and I'm not even sure if he would say "yass queen slay" I'm SORRY

Overall characterization score: 2/10

Sniper:

People mostly get his backstory right, probably because it's the most well-explained in the comics and it gets the most "screentime". It's also literally a Superman parody which is funny and memorable in concept. 3/3.

People can't find a good balance between stoic professionalism and social anxiety. I think Sniper is actually pretty simple, in that he's a little self-conscious which pushes him to actively better himself as a professional, but also makes him a little awkward so he comes across as standoffish and a little mean. He's a solid bloke that's balanced and feels real. Fandom has to go for the extreme every goddamn time with him. It sucks. 0/3.

People kind of get his drama, his relationship with his family and whatnot - mostly because a lot of us losers can relate, I bet - but, again, go for the extreme in making him anxious, whiny, and sad as a wet kitten. Unless it's a porn fic in which case he's an absolute freak that growls at people. I don't know what it is about Sniper that makes him so difficult to characterize. Manic pixie dream boy. Dark and moody lover love me like no other. 0/3.

Sniper does NOT get a bonus point because he doesn't say "cunt" nearly as often as he should. Also send me asks about my Sniper takes I want to stir up some shit.

Overall characterization score: 3/10.

Spy:

The only piece of his backstory we actually know is that he fathered the blight of the earth that is Scout TF2. 3/3.

His obnoxious and insufferable demeanor is mostly captured well. A lot of his portrayals aren't nearly as classy as people think they are, but that's because most authors are themselves proletarian, myself included, which is fine. Not many make the effort to pepper his speech with French words it would actually be natural for him to say, and blame it on the nonsensical complexity of the French language, but I'm not buying it as an excuse. 2/3.

His core values are off in regards to Scout - he's often portrayed as soft, mellow, overbearing, and critical of Scout's love life to either a comical or an uncomfortable degree. His fandom portrayal often also lacks the self-confidence he's demonstrated in the comics. Spy is not above strangling a man with a chain that holds the shackles around his ankles, he wouldn't consider it a blow to his dignity to fuck any of his coworkers either, come on. He's also funny and goofy but the fandom tends to neglect that. 1/3.

Spy does not get a bonus point because he would not say "perchance" but he would say "your mother".

Overall characterization score: 6/10

The final scores are:

Spy - 6/10

Engineer - 6/10

Heavy - 5/10

Soldier - 5/10

Scout - 4/10

Sniper - 3/10

Medic - 2/10

Demoman - 1/10

Pyro - 0/10

There we go! Pyro is the most mischaracterized, Demoman is a close second, and nobody is characterized well. Cheers!

[jcmarchi]

One in seven deepwater sharks and rays at risk of extinction - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/one-in-seven-deepwater-sharks-and-rays-at-risk-of-extinction-technology-org/

One in seven deepwater sharks and rays at risk of extinction - Technology Org

One in seven species of deepwater sharks and rays are threatened with extinction due to overfishing, according to a new eight-year study released today in the journal Science.

A shark – illustrative photo. Image credit: Pixabay (Free Pixabay license)

Specifically, the analysis found that sharks and rays are caught as incidental bycatch in fisheries targeting more commercially valuable species. However, they are kept due to the value of their oil and meat. This, partnered with a recent global expansion in the trade of shark liver oil, have resulted in steep population declines.

“About half of the world’s sharks are found below 200 metres, below where the sunlight reaches into the ocean,” says Nicholas Dulvy, Distinguished SFU Professor of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation.

“The first time they see sunlight is when they’re hauled onto the deck of a fishing boat.”

This new analysis by Dulvy assessed more than 500 species of sharks and rays and engaged more that 300 experts from around the world. It found that about 60 species are threatened with an elevated risk of extinction due to overfishing, according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

“As the high seas and the coastal waters are becoming depleted in many countries of the world, we’re incentivizing fishers to fish offshore and it’s become technologically viable to fish up to a kilometre deep,” Dulvy says.

Deepwater sharks and rays are among the most sensitive marine vertebrates because of their long lifespans and low reproductive rates. They have life cycles more similar to marine mammals such as whales and the walrus, which were formerly exploited for their oils and are now highly protected.

“Many deepwater sharks and rays can only withstand very small amounts of fishing pressure,” says Dulvy. “Some species may take 30 years or more to mature, and possibly up to 150 years in the case of the Greenland Shark, and only produce 12 pups throughout their entire life.”

Sharks and rays maintain their buoyancy by having a fatty liver, but this fat is highly prized. It’s used widely in cosmetics, nutrient supplements and for medicines, like vaccines. There has also been an increase in skate fisheries to support demand for fermented skate, a traditional Korean delicacy.

“There’s been great success in regulating shark fin trade. Now we need to turn our attention to regulating the international trade in liver oil.”

In addition to regulating the international trade in shark liver oil, the study also endorses a global push to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030. Protecting 30 per cent of the deep ocean (200 to 2,000 metres) would provide 80 per cent of species partial protection across their range. A worldwide prohibition on fishing below 800 metres would provide 30 per cent vertical refuge for a third of threatened deepwater sharks and rays.

The Global Shark Trends Project is a collaboration of the Simon Fraser University, IUCN Shark Specialist Group, James Cook University, and the Georgia Aquarium, established with support from the Shark Conservation Fund.

Written by Jeff Hodson

Source: SFU

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[dior-luxury]

What if reader was looking at an advertisement of Vil and told Cater, Leona, Idia, Azul, and Jamil they look far prettier and more handsome than Vil?

What would happen? Will Vil murder them?

I feel like I'm bullying Vil, help

𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

Note: First of all... Poor Vil (×﹏×). Also this was kind of a hard prompt to write, but I liked the concept very much!! ♡( ◡‿◡ )

Characters: Cater, Leona, Idia, Azul, & Jamil

Dictionary: "Amor" means Love in some languages,"ジュエル" [Jueru] means 'Jewel' in Japanese.

Cater Diamond:

You two were casually taking a stroll through the nearby town with Cater.

The both of you were going back and forth talking about different subjects from time to time.

The two of you have just stopped by a nearby café where Cater insisted on taking pictures there. You two have spent almost your and Cater's life savings on.

As you were about to exit you both were greeted by a huge ad displaying one of the makeup collaborations Vil was in.

Cater looked up from his phone at the giant ad that was displayed on the holographic screen, "Oh you're looking at that. Yeah, Vil-Kun made another collaboration! He looks so pretty as always~".

You slowly nodded as you went to grab Cater's loose hand, "You are far prettier than Vil."

Cater gasped in shock from the sudden affection and words. Blushed formed around his face as you two both walked away.

"Wow~ My beloved s/o just called me prettier than Vil… I need to process this."

A drop of sweat ran down Cater's head as put a pleasant smile on his face, "I should post this event on Magi-cam!" Cater exclaimed.

He typed with his one hand rapidly as he amped up his walking speed.

Leona Kingscholar:

Ohoho, this man's ego just hit up higher- or even more than the total population of 'Twisted Wonderland', and that's saying a lot.

He naturally thinks about himself as more than Vil ever was so, props to that.

Leona can't help himself, to have the biggest grin on his face ever available, combined with his sly eyes.

His ego would be even higher if Vil was there to witness this all.

-

Leona tucks his loose hair behind his hair as he has a satisfied smirk on his face outlining his features. He's almost about to burst out laughing when he sees Vil's face.

Vil's face is a mixture of a lot of emotions, disappointment, disgust, annoyance... any negative emotion you could think of.

"See Vil? Little Herbivore right here thinks I'm the more handsome person in this entire room, including you."

Leona then wraps his arms around your shoulder as he exclaims tauntingly. Vil nods distressed as he waves goodbye.

Leona chuckles once more in satisfaction.

Idia Shroud:

You both were in Idia's room again chilling when you suddenly felt the urge to play 'Just Dance' with Idia.

Lucky for you, Idia was quietly on his bed listening to music. You slowly walked over to Idia's bed and sat down next to him. He looked at you confused as you handed him one of the controllers for the console.

Idia still had a confused face as you grabbed his hand and walked towards the front of the tv, "So you wanna play Just Dance?"

Idia returned a hesitant 'sure' as you both choose a random song to dance to.

-

You both were enjoying yourselves Idia randomly fell, causing you to burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Idia, you so appealing at this even more than Vil. I mean that in a sarcastic and non-sarcastic way."

The ends of Idia's hair turned pink as his eyes widened. He then covered his face in his hands to try and forget about the comment you have just said straight to his face.

"Wha- Y/n-"

He shook his head back and forth, holding onto his knees for dear life. You titled your head in confusion as you retracted your arms not knowing what to do.

Idia then was staying there for almost an hour as he slowly calmed down.

Azul Ashengrotto:

That comment would certainly boost his confidence. Azul defiantly strives for comments coming from his partner. It's no doubt that this one comment would have turned him into fried takoyaki.

You volunteered to take Azul clothes shopping at a nearby store Cater told you about. Azul was kind of skeptical about his whole idea of leaving the Monstro Lounge.

"I don't think I can do this, this time Amor... Who'll leave the place in charge- Ah. You'll say the twins won't you?".

Azul lowers his voice as he sighs in defeat as covers his mouth with his hand. "Alright you win. I'll go with you".

You cheer as you immediately grab his hand and run out of the door holding onto his hand.

-

Later, you were trying to find something that remotely fit his style until your eyes widened at a piece of clothing you found near the middle section of the store.

"What do you think?" You questioned as you turned around towards Azul holding the clothing item towards his body.

He lightly chuckled as he looked at you with awkwardness in his facial expression, "S/o, I don't think that would look good on me."

Azul's body posture turned stiff as he examined the piece of clothing, "I don't think I'm not that pretty to be wearing stuff with this-".

You put your finger on your lips to gesture silence, "What do you mean? You are hotter than you think. You could beat Vil in an appearance contest. People are so shy these days..."

You wandered off as you took the piece of clothing Azul was holding into your own hands. Azul's eyes widened so much that he didn't realize he's been blanked out while staring directly at you.

He clutched his heart as his eyes have gone all full of admiration, "I'm glad someone thinks that way." Azul laughed as immediately took the clothing item back into his hands.

"Maybe it will look good on me."

Jamil Viper:

Jamil might not come across as he cares, but he secretly wants you to shower him with those types of comments.

Something about the borderline sweetness of your voice saying that makes him want to hide in embarrassment.

The moment those words leave your lips, his face is dusted in a crimson red along his cheeks.

He urgently covers his face with his hand as he turns his head away from your face, "S/o- You can't be saying stuff like that. Kalim could come in here any minute."

You chuckle as you nod in agreement, "It's not like I'm lying your more handsome than Vil. By a landslide actually."

Poor Jamil nearly chokes on air as you repeat yourself another time. This time Jamil is about to die on the floor from the amount of heat pouring on his face.

He uses another hand to cover his face as he slowly dies out of embarrassment. He refuses to even turn around when he's in such a phase.

"Jueru, you can't keep doing this to me."

[clicktoart]

Repeating pattern

These could be the Kleiner Falk and Risser Falk peaks. Or maybe the Laliderer Falk in the background. In any case a Falk. Initially what drew me to this photograph, were the two trees on the bottom right. Only later I noticed that the snow area behind the trees resembles the two peaks on the left. You can watch the whole video of the day here: © Epameinondas Stamos 2022