(Press-News.org) Active efforts are required to preserve biodiversity in the seas – that far most people are in agreement. But in our enthusiasm to save uncommon species, we sometimes miss the common species that form the basis of marine ecosystems. 'Change strategy' is the challenge to the authorities from researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
An inconceivably large proportion of the animals that live in the seas are so uncommon that it is difficult to find more than a few specimens. Committing most resources to saving individual species is not just an expensive business – it would also risk destroying the foundation for ecosystems, the research of Professor Kerstin Johannesson shows.
Her research team is able to demonstrate that it is the common species that are of really great significance for ecosystems, by establishing habitats for other species. It is therefore in all probability the most common species that determine the future of all species. If the common species disappear, it will have great consequences.
An alarming example of what can happen is that the cod populations in the fjords of the Bohuslän coast have almost without exception disappeared. These fjords have consequently lost one of their most important species. It can have far-reaching consequences for several other species when the environments of the shallow bays change.
"Without the big predatory fish, the sea-grass meadows become clogged, with the result that the shallow bays no longer act as larders and nurseries for inshore fish. While life slowly dies out, the blame is put on eutrophication."
Kerstin Johannesson's research is concerned with how different populations within one species may be so genetically different that they actually do not have very much to do with each other, and that in particular they are not interchangeable. If a local population disappears, it will not automatically be replaced by individuals from another population migrating in. In the worst case, even individuals of the other population are unable to cope in the environment of the extinct population.
"That's how it is with the cod populations in Bohuslän. Despite tough restrictions on catches and despite North Sea cod visiting the Bohuslän fjords every year, we are not getting the cod populations back. A similar example is the cod off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada, which have not returned despite a complete halt to fishing for nearly 20 years."
Focusing on the species in order to preserve species diversity in the seas is therefore an incorrect approach that may instead lead to greater losses. Despite this, there is a lack of legislation and recommendations today on how genetic variation within species should to be managed.
INFORMATION:
Change strategy to save diversity of species
2011-04-20
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New Baylor research shows using leaves' characteristics improves accuracy measuring past climates
2011-04-20
A study led by Baylor University geologists shows that a new method that uses different size and shape traits of leaves to reconstruct past climates over the last 120 million years is more accurate than other current methods.
The study appeared in the April issue of the journal New Phytologist and was funded by the National Science Foundation.
"Paleobotanists have long used models based on leaf size and shape to reconstruct ancient climates," said Dr. Daniel Peppe, assistant professor of geology at Baylor, College of Arts and Sciences, who is an expert in paleomagnetism, ...
Research turns the world upside down
2011-04-20
London, ON – When you think you see a face in the clouds or in the moon, you may wonder why it never seems to be upside down.
It turns out the answer to this seemingly minor detail is that your brain has been wired not to.
Using tests of visual perception and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Lars Strother and colleagues at The University of Western Ontario's world-renowned Centre for Brain & Mind recently measured activity in two regions of the brain well known for facial recognition and found they were highly sensitive to the orientation of people's faces.
The ...
KLAS Report: Hospitals, Vendors Recognize Value of Patient Flow Systems
2011-04-20
Seeking to relieve increasing stress on their staff and financial resources, a fifth of hospitals have turned to patient flow products -- and 9 out of 10 current users say they'd make this same choice again, according to a new study by KLAS.
The new report, "Patient Flow 2011: Relieving Hospital Pressure," offers a detailed review of the three most prevalent patient flow vendors -- Allscripts, McKesson, and TeleTracking -- plus a brief overview of nearly a dozen up-and-comers. According to the report, 85 percent of the 200-plus providers interviewed reported ...
U-M experts: Gym gone but not forgotten? Parents want more physical activity at school for kids
2011-04-20
Ann Arbor, Mich., -- Childhood obesity affects 1 of every 6 kids in the United States, in part due to a lack of physical activity. Schools can play a key part in offering elementary-age kids lots of chances to be active—on the playground during recess and when they're in gym.
But recent increasing expectations about academic achievement, coupled with budget cuts, have prompted many schools to cut back on both recess and gym class.
The U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health asked parents of children 6 to 11 years old for their views about ...
Learn to run a biorefinery in a virtual control room developed by Iowa State researchers
2011-04-20
AMES, Iowa – David Grewell flipped on the augers that carry corn from a truck to a biorefinery.
Then, with a few more clicks of his computer mouse, he turned on the pumps that send grain all the way through an ethanol plant, from storage to hammer mill to slurry tanks to jet cooker to liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, water separation and ultimately to ethanol storage.
Don't forget the centrifuges, evaporators and driers that recover distillers grains for livestock feed.
All of this happened in a small office on the north side of the Food Sciences Building ...
Ross-Simons Unveils New Spring Collection
2011-04-20
Ross-Simons Jewelers' just-released Spring 2011 Jewelry Catalog includes hundreds of ways to put spring in your step. The vast collection ranges from floral gemstone jewelry inspired by spring's budding blossoms to exotic showpieces from around the world. Whether you are looking for a Mother's Day present, a graduation gift, or a treat for yourself, you'll find it in this catalog -and at a legendary low price!
"I love the jewelry we found for the spring catalog. It's so colorful and new. Year after year, spring inspires some of the most liberating, special jewelry ...
Too many relatives ruining your picnic? Be glad the flies don't invite their cousins
2011-04-20
AMES, Iowa – When your family members gather at a picnic in your backyard, there may be 10 to 20 people -- maybe more -- enjoying your barbecue.
When flies visit your party, be glad they don't bring their entire family.
Houseflies have more than 152,000 cousins. And those are just the ones we know about.
An Iowa State University researcher is one of a team of scientists who have recently researched the fly family tree -- one of the most complicated in the animal world.
"It really isn't a tree, it's sort of a bush," said Gregory Courtney, professor of entomology, ...
Straighterline and New England College of Business and Finance (NECB) Partner to Provide Students Seeking to Major in Business with Access to an Online Business Degree
2011-04-20
StraighterLine (www.straighterline.com) announced today that New England College of Business and Finance (NECB) (http://necb.edu/) in Boston, MA, has joined StraighterLine's network of partner colleges. Founded in 1909, New England College of Business and Finance (NECB) is a leading Boston institution offering Associate's, Bachelor's and Master's business degrees online. The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
Through this partnership, students who successfully ...
NASA's Aqua satellite sees weaker Tropical Depression Errol crossing West Timor
2011-04-20
NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of Tropical Depression Errol's warming cloud temperatures as it was crossing the southern tip of West Timor today.
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor. To the east lies the Timor Sea, to the west is the Southern Indian Ocean.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image on April 18 at 04:53 UTC (12:53 a.m. EDT) that showed very little strong convection (rapidly rising air that forms thunderstorms) remained in Errol. The ...
Cosmetic Dentist in Park Ridge Makes Appointment Requesting as Easy as Point and Click
2011-04-20
Leading Park Ridge dentist, Dr. Daniel Hogan, has enhanced his patients' ability to seek treatment through online appointment requesting. The online appointment feature was created in order to make routine appointment setting quick and convenient, as well as to increase the quality of care patients receive. Patients can easily access the appointment requesting feature via the practice's educational website.
Providing patients with the opportunity to easily request appointments for various procedures and treatments creates a welcoming environment for this cosmetic dentist ...