#bioindicator

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Wild Pearls

The golden-striped salamander is one of the species most vulnerable to water contamination, which is why its presence is used as a bioindicator. As vulnerable as it is elusive, this species breeds in caves and rock cracks, where pure water runs out of the rock bed. One single female can lay more that 500 eggs in every reproductive season, lining the walls with living pearls.

Photograph: Javier Lobon-Rovira

The British Ecological Society Annual Capturing Ecology Competition

[peppermintbutch]

My bird identification course starts today SO excited

[botanyshitposts]

lichen moments from today's research:

-read that one paper where they measured lichen survival after simulated meteor impact and although the results were essentially like 'the lichens did surprisingly well even though they ARE more likely to die as the impact of the theoretical meteor theyre riding on becomes more powerful, and unfortunately big rocks hitting a planet tend to be powerful, so it might take a time and place with lots and lots of different meteors hitting the planet in question for lichen colonization of another planet to be statistically possible' i was also very distracted by the table where they had the explosives they used on the lichens listed and it was like TNT and C4 and shit loaded on to one end of the lichen destroyer 5000 whos only purpose is to smoosh a lichen between two meteor-like rock disks at different velocities. it just had a very loony tunes subtext to it i enjoyed and i wonder if footage exists

-i knew lichen diversity could be used as a pollution bioindicator but i didn't know that was THAT good of a pollution bioindicator. like there are papers where they're concocting pollution maps of a city by counting the lichen species on similarly-sized trees of the same species and putting the counts into a formula that spits out a lichen yelp review of how much it sucks to breathe air for any given survey site in an area. and the yelp reviews track with rough gradients of air pollution readings. which is wild

[musiclovingmoth]

god i'm such a slut for sentences like "their prominence as bioindicators and keystone species emphasizes the need to understand their systematics and evolution"

[ketrinadrawsalot]

Fungi February: The common puffball is only edible while immature, before the spores inside turn brown. The spores expelled by the mature puffball can cause lung irritation if inhaled. Because it accumulates heavy metals, it can be a bioindicator of soil pollution.

Disclaimer: Don’t rely on pictures of cute mushrooms with eyes to accurately identify edible mushrooms. At best the wrong one will taste bad, at worst it’ll be deadly!

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #362

Eurasian minnow!

They prefer bodies of water that aren’t heavily acidic or suffer from eutrophication, which makes them good bioindicator species!

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of the Lizard

The concept of the "philosophy of the lizard" might initially seem peculiar, but it serves as a fascinating metaphor for exploring various philosophical themes. By examining the life and behavior of lizards, we can uncover insights into adaptability, survival, perception, and more. This exploration also provides a unique lens through which to understand human philosophy and our place in the natural world.

Adaptability and Survival

Evolution and Adaptation:

Survival Mechanisms: Lizards are known for their remarkable adaptability. They thrive in diverse environments, from deserts to rainforests, highlighting the importance of flexibility and resilience.

Philosophical Implications: This adaptability can be seen as a metaphor for philosophical pragmatism, which emphasizes practical solutions and the ability to adjust beliefs and behaviors in response to changing circumstances.

Regeneration:

Tail Regeneration: Many lizard species can regenerate lost tails, symbolizing resilience and the ability to recover from setbacks.

Philosophical Lessons: This regenerative ability can be compared to the human capacity for overcoming adversity and personal growth after experiencing challenges or failures.

Perception and Reality

Camouflage and Deception:

Blending In: Lizards often use camouflage to avoid predators, which raises questions about perception and reality.

Philosophical Inquiry: This ability to blend into their surroundings can be seen as a metaphor for the ways in which reality can be deceptive, prompting philosophical discussions about the nature of truth and the reliability of our perceptions.

Cold-Bloodedness:

Thermoregulation: Lizards are ectothermic (cold-blooded), relying on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature.

Existential Reflections: This reliance on the environment for energy can be compared to human dependence on external factors for emotional and psychological well-being, exploring themes of interconnectedness and existential dependence.

Symbolism and Cultural Significance

Mythology and Symbolism:

Cultural Roles: Lizards appear in various mythologies and cultural stories, often symbolizing transformation, regeneration, and adaptability.

Philosophical Symbolism: These cultural roles can be explored to understand human interpretations of nature and the symbolic meanings we attach to different animals.

Environmental Indicators:

Bioindicators: Lizards can serve as bioindicators, reflecting the health of their environments.

Ecological Philosophy: Their role as indicators can lead to discussions about the philosophy of ecology and the interconnectedness of all living beings.

The philosophy of the lizard provides a unique and intriguing perspective on various philosophical themes. From adaptability and survival to perception and reality, lizards offer valuable metaphors for understanding human existence and our relationship with the natural world. By examining the behaviors and symbolic meanings of lizards, we gain insights into resilience, perception, and the interconnectedness of life.

[well-thats-queer]

Your blog is brilliant. What's your favourite fungi?

Hi, thank you! My favorite fungus is Coprinus comatus (common names: Shaggy Mane, Lawyer's Wig). As it matures or soon after being picked, the mushroom deliquesces into a black liquid that can be used as ink! Edibility is choice if picked when young and consumed before deliquescence. My favorite fact about C. comatus is that it has been studied for its potential as a bioindicator and bio-extractor of mercury in the soil, which means that it can tell us how much mercury pollution is in the soil! (This does mean that C. comatus has the potential to deliver a not-so-friendly dose of Hg when consumed if it has been growing in an area with heavy mercury pollution in the soil).

Image credit: Peggy Schumann. Taken from mushroomexpert.com.

[grrlscientist]

Wild Boar🐗 Has Five Times More Toxic PFAS Than Humans Allowed To Eat, by James Hutton Institute + University of Graz, published by Science of the Total Environment

by @GrrlScientist

[scotianostra]

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The Ancient Kidneys of the River!

Freshwater pearl mussels are a bioindicator and keystone species, able to filter up to 50 litres of water a day and to live well over 100 years old. They're also critically endangered in Europe, so let's take a look at what's threatening this magnificent mollusk! #river #europe #nature #rewilding #conservation #endangeredspecies #mollusk #mussel  #scotland

[communist-ojou-sama]

Re your 'banana shit' post: what are good sources to learn about the human cost in export economies and international shipping?

"The use of harmful child labor is widespread in Ecuador’s banana sector. Researchers for the Human Rights Watch report, Tainted Harvest: Child Labor and Obstacles to Organizing on Ecuador’s Banana Plantations, spoke with forty-five child laborers during their three-week long fact-finding mission in Ecuador. Forty-one of the children began working between the ages of eight and thirteen, most starting at ages ten or eleven. Their average workday lasted twelve hours, and fewer than 40 percent of the children were still in school by the time they turned fourteen.

In the course of their work, they were exposed to toxic pesticides, used sharp knives and machetes, hauled heavy loads of bananas, drank unsanitary water, and some were sexually harassed. Roughly 90 percent of the children told Human Rights Watch that they continued working while toxic fungicides were sprayed from airplanes flying overhead. For their efforts, the children earned an average of $3.50 per day, approximately 60 percent of the legal minimum wage for banana workers."

"In the geographically small countries of Central America, a couple of US-based banana companies have wielded enormous influence. The United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita) acquired so much power in Guatemala and Honduras that it came to function as a state within a state, giving rise to the notion of “banana republics.” The company consolidated its power through various means: it installed authoritarian civilian and military governments that gave concessions to land, railroads, and ports; it divided its labor force along ethnic and racial lines; it built hospitals, schools, workers’ barracks, and houses for its management; and it used massive amounts of pesticides and herbicides in a capital intensive effort to cultivate varieties of the fruit that North American consumers came to expect but which were susceptible to Panama disease and Black Sigatoka. Bananas and plantains are a dietary staple throughout the tropics, and the diseases that beset the Gros Michel and Cavendish varieties that are grown on monocrop plantations threaten a vital source of healthy and relatively cheap calories that much of the world has come to rely upon."

"Benthic macroinvertebrates are usually abundant in rivers, represent several trophic levels, participate in nutrient cycling and differ in sensitivity to pollution. Most of them have small home ranges, at least in aquatic stages, and usually have long life cycles and thus are good bioindicators as they provide information about the water quality integrated over a longer time period, compared to the values given by water samples taken at discrete points in time. Pesticide and nutrient levels in the aquatic environment can be expected to vary, with peaks after application and high rainfall events. Monitoring of pesticide levels thus requires a very frequent sampling to detect peak concentrations (Liess et al. 2003). Another concern is that toxic effects can result from exposure near or below the analytical detection limit for a given pesticide (Walter et al. 2002) or from a combination of pesticides and other stressors, e.g. temperature or high nutrient loads (Polidoro and Morra 2016). It is also important to consider the effect of chronic exposure to pesticides as well as the exposure to mixtures of several pesticides, which together can cause toxic effects through additive toxicity (Verbruggen and van den Brink 2010).

The possible additive or synergistic effects between stressors are a major concern in rivers, which receive irrigation and run-off water from banana farms. Large-scale banana farming relies on the use of fungicides, nematicides, insecticides and herbicides. Most often, several different compounds of each type of pesticide are applied over the year in order to minimize risk of inducing resistance in pests. The extensive system of drainage canals in a typical banana farm causes increased stream flashiness and sedimentation and due to high precipitation a substantial amount of pesticides and nutrients end up in the aquatic environment. Non-target aquatic organisms further downstream will thus be subjected to a complex mixture of toxic substances, fertilizers and changes in stream flow."

"The conversion of natural ecosystems to intensive banana production systems can have negative effects on soil health, such as erosion, loss of organic matter and biodiversity, in addition to chemical, biological and physical imbalances. Indeed, soil degradation is a major factor limiting the productivity and sustainability of the banana sector. Banana growers worldwide, from conventional and organic export monocrops to mixed food gardens with bananas, suffer soil degradation processes through a complex of factors which vary by system and agroclimatic region. Salinization (due to inadequate irrigation practices and drainage), compaction, nutrient imbalances (due to the unavailability of organic fertilizers, soil depletion or over-fertilization, loss of biological activity), and incidence of soil-borne pathogens (loss of diversity of soil biota resulting in low disease suppressiveness) are key issues in banana plantations worldwide."

[rillette]

In the dc da content food web I think Batman fans would be like, the charismatic megafauna, while more specialized groups like gl fans would be bioindicators, like crawdads.

TRUEE!!! the bats are a flagship species i think, and fans of like. extremely niche characters are extremophiles

[konjaku]

梅の木苔[Umenokigoke] Parmotrema tinctorum

梅[Ume] : Prunus mume

の[No] : Of

木[Ki] : Tree

苔[-goke|Koke] : Moss

Although it is so named because it commonly grows on old trees of Ume, it also grows on other trees. Although it is named "moss," is a lichen. And although there are other kinds of species, they are often called by this name as well.

It is considered one of the bioindicators of air pollution and grows only in places with clean air.

Bonsai, Ikebana and garden trees with it on them are valued for their tasteful appearance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi

[doorsblacksea]

Launch of Deep Sea Observatory provides new collaboration with ESRE placement.

The latest DOORS cruise has seen us launch a Deep Sea Observatory alongside the EMSO EUXINUS station (EuxRoOB3) in the Black Sea, while also providing an exciting research placement opportunity for student, Olga Schmitz through our Early-Stage Researcher Exchange (ESRE).

The Deep Sea Observatory is fitted with newly developed oceanographic sensors from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), that will continuously measure physical and chemical parameters of the sea water, helping us to understand temporal variation as we test these sensors in the open sea environment. The Observatory will remain in position until spring 2025.

This work also provided a collaborative placement opportunity for Olga Schmitz, PhD Candidate from the Institute of Geosciences of Friedrich-Schiller University and Department of Archeology of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology. She was offered the opportunity to go onboard the RV Mare Nigrum to spend 9 days at sea, led by biological group from GeoEcoMar (GEM), National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). And together with Prof. Peter Frenzel and Diego Volosky from the Institute of Geosciences of Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena and Dr. Andrei Briceag from GeoEcoMar in Bucharest they launched a pilot project on a “Collaborative Initiative for Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring in the Black Sea Region with a use of Ostracoda and Foraminifera”.

Foraminifera are single cell organisms and are an important part of the marine food chain. They are wide-spread in marine and outer estuarine settings, are sensitive to environmental changes, and their assemblage composition and diversity can reveal information about water quality and pollution levels. Ostracoda, a group of minute Crustacea with a double valved calcified carapace, are important index fossils and proxies in geosciences, but rarely used for water quality assessment so far. They inhabit all water conditions and complement Foraminifera and diatoms as bioindicators in estuarine systems with variable salinity. And so, this research aims to correlate fauna with heavy metals and microplastics data, for example, to evaluate the current environmental situation and impacts from human activity.

This is just one example where we have matched early stage research interests with the scientific work ongoing in the project. This summer we have funded and supported 5 other placements through the DOORS Early-Stage Researcher Exchange (ESRE). This is an international programme of collaborative research mobility activities, to foster and deepen connections within and between Black Sea countries, and international partners across Europe.

Video: The above video shows sediment from a core, taken with a multi corer. The team subsamples, stains and then with a sieve they wash and dry the samples while on the ship. The idea is to investigate the samples for water quality with microfossils to look into microplastics and heavy metals.

The placements have covered a range of topics supporting students from universities all over Europe:

Olga Schmitz (Germany)- Collaborative Initiative for Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring in the Black Sea Region.

Leidy Maricela Castro Rosero (Spain) -  Analysis of spatial distribution of marine litter pollution in the western Black Sea through numerical model integration and in situ measurements.

Tatiana Sitchinava (Georgia) - Towards Sustainable Coastal Communities: Understanding and Mitigating Marine Litter in Romania's Black Sea Beaches.

Alessandro Galdelli (Italy) - Advancing Marine Research through Strategic Collaboration: Integrating Cutting-edge Algorithm for Enhanced Fishing Effort Estimation in the Black Sea,

Florin Miron (Romania) - Analysing Coastal Hydrodynamics and Discharge at River Mouths: The Impact of Winds and Waves on Hydrological Processes Using SWOT Satellite Data,

Sofia Sadogurska (Ukraine) -  Taxonomic studies of the Black Sea brown algae (Phaeophyceae, Heterokontophyta).

“This has been a fascinating opportunity for me, as I never worked on such a big ship before. I am very thankful to DOORS for this chance and looking forward to future collaborations, publications and sampling campaigns with Dr. Briceag and GeoEcoMar. It is the beginning of a long partnership between our research groups.” said Olga.

You can follow Olga's journey on Instagram , Facebook, LinkedIn and X, and learn more about her research.

[sciencefor]

Recently, our students have: used bioindicators to assess air quality, investigated invasive species, launched rockets, experimented with pH, engineered race tracks, and created noteworthy chemical reactions while using our models and participating in our hands-on activities.

We can bring these, and more, activities to your students too.

For more information please visit our website at: https://scienceforvancouver.wordpress.com/

Science For Homelearners: Hands-On STEM education for Kindergarten through Gr. 12 - full curriculum, science clubs, and workshops on STEM topics. We welcome and adapt our approach to meet the needs of all students, including ELL participants and those with special needs.

#homelearning #handsonlearning #scienceeducation