GOES - February

Issue 3 February 2017

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GOES Global Opport unit ies for Ecological Sust ainabilit y

W rit t en, edit ed and designed by st udent s Cool Damselfish

Marine Conservat ion at Coral Triangle

Donna Nook Grey Seals

Russian Wolf Conservat ion

Int erview wit h an Execut ive Producer

Table of cont ent s Cover phot o Keep Goin' - Foreword.......................................................................................................2 Damsels in Disguise........................................................................................................3-5 Pirat e's life for me................................................................................................................6 Marine Conservat ion wit h Blue Vent ures............................................................7-8 Grey Seals at Donna Nook........................................................................................9-10 Madikwe Game Reserve.........................................................................................11-12 Reint roduct ion and Tracking of Wolves..........................................................13-14 Int ernship Opport unit y in Cost a Rica......................................................................15 Sparking Nat ural Curiosit y at NHM .........................................................................16 Hourglass t reefrogs and illust rat ion.................................................................17-18

by Wahaj Mahmood, BSc Marine Biology with Biodiversity and Conservation, ARU It is one of my favourite wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus). This is the male (there is significant sexual dimorphism between the males and females of most wrasses). The green stripes are luminous under blue oceanic light, seen mostly at dawn and dusk. This species is full of personality and as soon as they're nervous, they dart into the sand and bury themselves until they feel safe.

It would also blow up a mucous bubble around itself at night to avoid detection. It even used to beg for food and tuck it's tail under itself a little like a dog.

How you can get involved wit h amphibian and rept ile conservat ion .......19 Gast ric Ulcers in Horses.................................................................................................20 W hat sweet ens your life? .............................................................................................21 Int erview wit h Execut ive Producer, Dr David Weindorf.........................23-24

Please be aware t hat t his is a self-funded, independent , open-access magazine edit ed by undergrad st udent s. No subscript ion or publishing fees apply. Pict ures are subject t o copyright .

Science and Shared Realit y - Call t o Act ion...................................................25-26

More informat ion about GOES: Websit e: https://globalopportunitites.co Facebook: Global Opportunities for Ecological Sustainability Twit t er: @GOESbyJuniper Email: boroka.kiss@student.anglia.ac.uk 1

Logo designed by Adam AkosRozsa

Keep Goin' Foreword by the Editor-in-Chief, Founder of GOES

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."

Winston Churchill After publishing the second issue of GOES, I went to America. Seeing people cheer with Trump's face on their T-shirts was 'interesting'. Today, he is the 45th President of the United States (read Tyler's article on page 25).

It is important that we do not t urn away now and say that ?well, this is happening in another country, they deserve it, I do not care?.

If You keep on caring and speaking up, other people will do too. Our little magazine shows how much st udent s care. We want to learn how to speak up and be heard.

I went the the British Ecological Society's undergraduate career conference in London and gave a short talk about GOES.

By the time I arrived home, I received the most wonderful emails such as: "I would like to thank you for your talk that you gave yesterday at the conference, it wasextremely engaging and it no doubt inspired myself and many othersto become involved with publishing (something that I had never really considered!)."

Read Just ina's article about Russian wolf conservation (page 13).

She got in touch with me after the BES conference too.

Everyone who has published in former issues has inspired ot hers.

Now, we will be experimenting with introducing GOES into the curriculum at my fantastic university. We were awarded the 'Be the Change' grant from the Global Sustainability Institute (Cambridge, UK) with one of my best lecturers, Alex Dit t rich.

There are 130 students on the module. I will try to motivate everyone to write an article, and at the end of the module, we will publish our own magazine.

I would like to get everyone involved, every step of the way.

We will discuss why we should write, publish and how. I will be showing quick tricks on how to use , online graphic designer software, how to start up their websites and how to edit.

I shared the very first 'How to edit' guide with Edward Good. We used to work together in a restaurant, and at the end of our shift he handed over a 'cool fish list' to me.

That was the sign. A sign of a passionate (future) scientist. Read his 'fishy article' on the following pages and you will understand.

No doubt, the quality of this issue can be thanked for his co-editing and kind help.

It is amazing to see all of us developing all together.

I would also like to highlight my dearest friend's, Polina's article about her Biomedical summer placement at ARU (page 21). She titled her article 'What sweetens your life?' - well in my case it is her and everyone who keeps encouraging me to keep goin'.

If you ever feel overwhelmed by horrible news, just have a look at GOES. We are st udent s who no mat t er what , will keep on t rying our best .

Please get in touch if you want to join our team!

Juniper (Boroka) Kiss February 2017, Cambridge

at the American conference (ASA, CSSA, SSSA)

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Humbug damselfish (Dascyllusmelanurus) from "Dianne J. Bray, Dascyllus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 03 Feb 2017, http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/genus/410"

Damsels in Disguise

by Edward Good, BSc Marine Biology, Exeter University Co-editor of GOES

Marine biologist s give the ocean?s macrofauna a lot of attention.

Sharks, whales and rays are forever being given the limelight for being charismatic and imposing.

They inspire many to take up the mantle of researching our seas, and are great ambassadors for earth?s oceans. However, I want to give some of the little fish the attention they deserve, for they are no less interesting, or important, than their larger relatives.

In the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to survey the coral reefs of Mikindani Bay, Tanzania.

Right on the boarder with Mozambique, this small coastal village is a rarely surveyed area, so understandably I was excited to see what they had to offer. The area was heavily blast fished, therefore the opportunity to see larger fish was unlikely.

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Luckily t here isn?t a correlat ion bet ween size and fascinat ion.

Damselfish are ubiquitous with coral reefs. Coming in 392 species across 29 genera, growing up to around 30cm long, there is a vast array of variation to be found within the family. Juvenile Humbug dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus) can be seen nestling amongst the forked ends of Acropora coral, vast swathes of damsels can cover coral bommies with their bright colours and rapid movements.

They are small, abundant, and colourful. They are meticulous gardeners that farm algae. Also, they are aggressive, territorial, and cannibalistic. Despite their charming exterior, male members of the Pomacentridae family are known for filial cannibalism; the consumption of their offspring, all or in part. Ironically, when damselfish were first observed, the males?behaviour was interpreted as grooming the nest; removing dead eggs or potential parasites.

Ed surveying coral reefs in Tanzania using t ransect lines.

Surgeonfish that grazes the farms Picture by Š John White

However, now it is realised that almost all observed damselfish have exhibited some consumption of offspring (Hoelzer 1995).

This is not entirely unsurprising, as cannibalism amongst teleost fish is highly prevalent and it serves an important evolutionary function. The selection towards preserving one?s genes means that male damselfish, when struggling to forage for food, will decrease the survivorship of his clutch to bolster his own. Indeed, in experimental settings, males preferentially ate smaller, younger broods of eggs, as they have a smaller chance of surviving, compared to more mature clutches (Petersen & Marchetti, 1989).

For females of this species, cannibalism makes less sense. Due to the energetic cost of producing eggs, and the inefficient energy

transfer of consumption, there is little to gain from eating your own eggs. Rather, if the situation is looking dire, then ceasing oogenesis, or egg production, is more likely. This then, in some sort of twisted fate, preferentially selects for the males to care for the broods, despite viewing their offspring as pot ent ial snacks.

However, while only the males resort to cannibalism, both damselfish sexes are fiercely aggressive, both towards one another and towards other species.

Popular as aquarium fish due to their colourful exterior, small size and hardiness, their purchase is frequently regretted following the havoc they cause in their tanks.

Happy t o pick a fight wit h anyt hing, they have been known to attack the unmistakable Humphead parrotfish

(Bolbometopon muricatum), a species that can grow to over a meter in length, and weighs up to 50 kilograms. Aggression isn?t limited to other species, as there is significant intraspecies conflict.

The male Threespot damselfish (Eupomacentrusplanifrons), found in the waters of Jamaica, competitively exclude smaller males from Acropora cervicornis. In doing so, they create a floating population. As females lay their eggs in male territory, they are also a population unable to breed, threatened by predation.

However, if territory becomes available, they swiftly occupy it (Williams, 1978).

The root of all is this aggression is territory, and it is vital to the damselfishes?survival.

Damselfish are keen gardeners, and like all gardeners, t hey will defend t heir t urf fiercely.

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While some species, such as Stegastesnigricans, cultivate a monoculture of algae, other species, like S. obreptus, create a patchwork of a diverse number of species (Hata & Kato 2004; Hata & Kato 2002). While the single crop technique is less effort and a larger area can be farmed, it?s rewards are less, being less nutritionally rich than the multi-crop variety.

Herbivorous fish, including parrot fish (Scaridae) and surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), are aware of this, and frequently attempt to graze the damselfish?s patch.

Studies have shown that in the presence of damselfish, Acanthuruscoeruleushas been found to have a much more varied diet, bypassing the damselfish?s defences by grazing in schools

(Catano et al., 2014). So while it may on first appearance seem like damselfish suffer from small fish syndrome, their aggression is not misplaced, rather, it is an appropriate response to continual threats.

Unsurprisingly, damselfish take great pride in their farms. They meticulously weed out undesirable organisms, provide nutrients to help them grow, and kill coral to remove any competition (Ceccarelli, Jones & McCook, 2001). Indeed, they can be a little overzealous with their attacks on coral polyps, hampering conservationist efforts to reintroduce St aghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) in the Caribbean by destroying its tissues before propagation is completed (Schopmeyer & Lurman, 2016).

However, these farms are a vital benefit to coral reefs in the long run, with damselfish act ing as a keyst one species. Protecting their crops from herbivores allows species of algae that otherwise would be decimated to flourish.

Because of this, overall reef productivity is increased, raising the amount of primary production, and therefore benefiting a greater number of species (Ceccarelliet al., 2001).

Damselfish are frequent ly overlooked when coral reefs are discussed. Their abundance and size gives them a familiarity, an assumption that they are just regular fish.

I believe, t hey are every bit as int erest ing as t heir more enigmat ic count erpart s, and just as import ant t o t he cont inued survival of coral reefs.

Headband Humbug damselfish (Dascyllusreticulatus) at western Fiji from"Dianne J. Bray, Dascyllus in Fishes of Australia" Referencces Cat ano, L.B., Shantz, A.A. and Burkepile, D.E., 2014. Predation risk, competition, and territorial damselfishes as drivers of herbivore foraging on Caribbean coral reefs. Marine Ecology ProgressSeries, Vol 511, pp.193-207

extensive management by damselfishes. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol 313(2), pp. 285-296 Hoelzer, G.A., 1995. Filial cannibalism and male parental care in damselfishes. Bulletin of Marine Science, Vol 57(3), pp.663?671

Ceccarelli, D., Jones, G.P. and McCook, L.J., 2001. Territorial Damselfish Pet ersen, C.W. and Marchetti, K., 1989. Filial Cannibalism in the Cortez as determinants of the structure of benthic communities on coral reef. Damselfish Stegastes rectifraenum. Evolution, Vol 43(1), pp.158-168 Oceanography and Marine Biology, Vol 39, pp355-389 Schopmeyer, S.A. and Lirman, D., 2015. Occupation Dynamics and Hat a, H. and Kato, M., 2002. Weeding by the herbivorous damselfish Impacts of Damselfish Territoriality on Recovering Populations of the Stegastesnigricansin early monocultural algae farms. Marine Ecology Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora cervicornis. PLoSONE, Vol 10(11) ProgressSeries, Vol 237, pp.227-231 W illiams, A.H., 1978. Ecology of Threespot Damselfish: Social Hat a, H. and Kato, M., 2004. Monoculture and mixed-species algal Organization, Age Structure, and Population Stability. Journal of farms on a coral reef are maintained through intensive and Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol 34, pp.197-213

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Pirat e's life for me

By Ryan Collins, BSc Philosophy, University of Hull The Trinovant e is a three-masted schooner that was designed and made by Su and John. It t ook 19 years in t ot al t o build. Originally it was the dream to build a ship, and the idea was to sail and explore wherever they saw fit. Today they sail and explore wherever they see fit; this past year they set sail for the Far North (+67° longitude) and got to Hammerfest, Norway before making their way down the coast to Amsterdam, Netherlands and finally back home to the UK.

'stand your watch' . It can be cold. Sometimes you get up, and it?s dark and when you end your watch, it?s dark. You see things that few people have seen, you go places the tourists can?t go and only the locals know. You work with nature and plan in accordance with a forecast. There is no fixed itinerary and explorat ion is t he whole point . There is tea. Sea Eagles. Mountains. Wild Orchids.

Puffins. Reindeer. There are evenings with an amazing view, your crew, and a few good Dutch beers. There is having fresh fish, because you caught it and there is travelling on nothing but the wind. I have learnt that t o appreciat e all t hese amazing t hings you must have an equal amount of t oil. You work hard on-board for a reward of an experience well worth it.

I met Su and John after one of t he scariest experiences of my life, graduat ing.

Without knowing exactly what career path to tread, and wondering how its trajectory will play a pivotal role in how my life looks like in ten years, I did what many young men and women It never occurred to me that would do. I elected t o run one brief conversation meant I away. Unfortunately, being would have sailed over 2500 For m or e in f or m at ion visit : so very poor after kilomet ers to places I have h t t p:/ / w w w.sch oon er sail.com graduating, ?running away? never heard of, befriended was taking a part-time job and saving money to go people from all kinds of backgrounds, and shared sailing at any and every available opportunity. I drinks with people from many nationalities. If I can visited Su and John, got myself a place on-board recommend anything it is to say yes t o all and quit my job. Three weeks later I was on watch opport unit ies, however small. This year we race in with 2 people, whom I did not know before, come from Klaipeda, Lithuania in the 2017 Tall Ships rain, come shine, the light and the night.

Race.

Crewing t his ship is great and t errible. There is no shower. If you are sea sick, but you can stand, you

?It is better to die once, that to die many times in the boredom of conformity.?

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Marine Conservat ion Experience wit h Blue Vent ures

by Harry Newberry, BSc Marine Biology with Biodiversity and Conservation , ARU Last August, I ventured on a journey to the most remote location I could imagine. At first it seemed like a crazy idea, to spend 6 weeks on At auro Island, located in the Indian Ocean. It is home to only 8,000 people.

Experience at At auro It was a long journey from London but upon arrival I was greeted by friendly, down to earth people from around the world and, who all shared a passion for marine conservation.

I volunteered in a Rebuilding Fisheries project.

Over the next 6 weeks I gained my PADI Advanced Scuba Diving qualification and learnt a vast amount of information on biodiversity and conservation efforts, not to mention identifying around 250 species of fish!

I also learnt about local marine

mammals, such as dugongs, dolphins and whales, as well as all the benthic species local to the area. The reefs of At auro Island were recent ly called t he most biodiverse coral reefs on t he planet (Conservation International).

Located in t he coral t riangle, the waters around Atauro islands teemed with life and every dive I must have of seen something new. I spotted beautiful reef fish, such as the Moon wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) and the Green humphead parrot fish (Bolbometopon muricatum). Our small group dived twice every day, with weekends off

to enjoy ourselves on the beautiful island.

We were involved with beach clean ups, data collecting for benthic species and corals, as well as fish species diversity.

We also taught English to locals, gained trust between one another and ultimately worked to ensure the reefs were being used sustainably.

About Blue Vent ures Blue Vent ures is a marine conservation company, funded by volunteers, charitable organisations and corporations.

They developed a holistic approach by int egrat ing reproduct ive healt h services wit h marine conservat ion and coast al livelihood init iat ives.

They focus on six project s: Community Conservation; Rebuilding Fisheries; Blue Forests; Aquaculture; Community Health and Education.

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They achieve this on the Atauro Island by introducing short-term closures of fishing grounds to boost catches, thus sparking and building enduring support for more ambitious management efforts that are led by

communities, for communities.

By returning meaningful economic benefits in time frames that work for traditional fishers, their model inspires local leadership to protect marine biodiversity and improve food security.

You can read great publications available on their website (https://blueventures.org/) along with facts and figures on the organisations impact on marine habitats and coastal communities.

For instance, in just 10 years Blue Ventures have managed t o secure t hree LMMA?s (Locally Managed Marine Areas) in Madagascar, mainly focusing on the vast coral reefs there.

This is fantastic, as it allows fish populations to flourish whilst being managed by local people who are

taught by Blue Ventures on various sustainable fishing methods.

They also support around 75+ communities! W it hin Madagascar and 5,857km2 of marine habit at is managed by Blue Ventures supported communities.

My time with Blue Ventures was an unforgettable experience and I have gained friends from around the world that will last a lifetime. I gained so much knowledge about marine conservation and also about myself.

I highly recommend to everyone that has an interest in marine conservation and making a difference for both people in developing countries and the health of the oceans we all rely on.

Take t hat leap and see what you can achieve!

Fun Fact s The Green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) can break concret e with its head, allowing it to break up coral into mouth sized morsels 8% of all the coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle are endemic, or locally restricted, to this area The Coral Triangle is a 6,000,000km2 ecosystem that supports more than 100 million people 76% of the world?s coral species are found in the Coral Triangle, the highest diversity of corals in the world Dugongs usually swim at 9.5 kilometer per hour There are roughly 6 million active scuba divers worldwide

For more informat ion: ht t ps:// bluevent ures.org/about harry.newberry@hot mail.co.uk

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Grey Seals at Donna Nook

by Zinnia Thorpe, ARU BSc Marine Biology with Biodiversity and Conservation @cassi op ei azw t _d i v er Juniper Kiss

W here is Donna Nook?

Grey seal lifest yle

Covering over 10km of English coastline, the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve is situated in the county of Lincolnshire.

Grey seals come onto beaches in the winter months to breed (Lincolnshire Trust, 2016).

The landscape is mostly salt marsh.

The Royal Air Force use the area for bombing practice, the large circular targets can be seen close to the water from the viewing walkway in the reserve. The area is controlled under duel management by the Ministry of Defence and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, both acknowledging its importance for many rare species, bird migrations and Grey seals, Halichoerusgrypus(Government Digital Service, 2008).

40% of t he global populat ion of Grey seals reside in Brit ain (Harrison et al., 2006). Major colonies are located on the remote Scottish islands, nevertheless the four sites off the East coast are equally important.

Since the early 1970?s Grey seals have been breeding on the Lincolnshire coast. For much of the year, the seals live at sea, hauling out onto distant sandbanks for a variety of reasons including; predator avoidance, thermal regulation, social activity and rest.

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The breeding grounds are referred to as rookeries.

Between November and December, the seals deliver their pups. At Donna Nook, the seals travel up the beach approximately 600m from the shoreline to the sand dunes, which offer protection from the elements.

Here the cows give birth, t o usually one pup. The possibility of a twin birth is slim, however it does occur. In this case the mother must divide her resources to feed both pups, the likelihood of both surviving is unlikely.

Towards the end of the nursing period, the mother mates with one or more males. After a week?s development the fetus halts growth for approximately 100 days Then development continues, and is born the following November. After the mother has mated again, her pup is weaned and she leaves it to fend for itself.

W hat happens t o t he pup?

The pup remains at the rookery until it has fully moulted, while it lives off its blubber reserve and then it is driven to the sea by hunger. Usually males enter the rookeries at the time females begin to pup. This allows

Feeding behaviour The seals do not feed while they are at the rookery. For females this usually lasts 3 weeks and males up to 6 weeks. Despite not feeding, the cows nurse their pups for 15-18 days. Each day the pup gains weight , 1.2-2kg a day!

The mot hers can lose up t o 65kg of their body weight during the nursing period (Naturally Scottish). The pups are born with creamy-white coloured woolly coats, which moult after 2-4 weeks and leaves a shorter, adult-like coat.

Zinnia Thorpe

Seal hunting is legal today in the UK.

Juniper Kiss

Juniper Kiss

Donna Nook is open to the public to get up close to the seal colonies. England has 44% of all the Grey Seal populations.

them to try to gain sole access to a group of females. Successful males mate with 2-10 females during the period. Dominant males tend to overlook their harems, with younger males fighting them for control.

Younger and elderly males are likely to be found on the periphery of the colony, hoping to mate with females who stray from their groups. These sub-dominant males will continue to feed as they lack the responsibility of a harem to guard (Seal Conservation Society, 2013).

Seal populat ion dynamics at Donna Nook At Donna Nook weekly seal counts are conducted during the breeding season. Population counts from the Lincolnshire Trust show total pup counts have risen in the recent years; 2013: 1,676 2014: 1,798

2015: 1,892 2016: 1,926

With decreased pressures from humans (culling), due to the Grey Seals (Protection) Act in 1914, populations have been allowed to expand and reduce with natural population pressures.

Despite former and current research about why Grey seal populations have increased, the exact cause is st ill unknown.

Habitat loss, climate change and shipping has all been accelerated in recent decades due to increasing human populations.

Climate change can lead to an amplified occurrence of toxic algal blooms. These blooms caused mortality in seal populations in the USA and also in North Africa (Thompson and Duck., 2010). As UK waters become warmer this may become a larger issue for our national Grey seal populations.

Physical injuries from collisions with boats significantly effects Grey seals, as they often get caught up with the propellers on the boats. Some injuries that were not fatal may have left the animal with significant physiological damage that could result in premature mortality.

In addition to the greater chance of collisions as boat traffic has increased it has consequently led to an intensification of ambient underwater noise (Britton, 2012).

This may interfere with the communication of many marine mammals, including Grey seals, and also may become a source of stress, which can affect behaviour of the animals.

References Government Digit al Service, 2008.

Lincolnshire?s National Nature Reserve [online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/lincolnshires-nationalnature-reserves/ Harrison, P.J., Buckland, S. T., Thomas, L., Harris, R., Pomeroy, P.P and Harwood, J., 2006. Incorporating movement into models of grey seal population dynamics.

Journal of Animal Ecology, 75(3), pp.

634-645 Lincolnshire Trust , 2016. Donna Nook National Nature Reserve [online].

Available at: http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/donna-nook Nat urally Scot t ish. Seals [online].

Available at: http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/ Seal Conservat ion Societ y, 2013. Grey Seal [online]. Available at: http://www.pinnipeds.org Thompson, D. and Duck, C., 2010.

Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast European Marine Site: Grey seal population status. Report to Natural England Brit t on, J. 2012. The Impact of Boat Disturbance on the Grey Seal, (Halichoerusgrypus) around the Isle of Man. Bangor University dissertation.

Ant hropogenic effect s on seals Grey seals face a number of pressures that may affect the success of the species. Although the activities and stresses against the animals may be recognised, their impacts or potential effect on the seals has likely not been assessed.

Juniper Kiss

Zinnia Thorpe

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Madikwe Game Reserve

by Steph Robertson , BSc Zoology, ARU My 4 am wakeup call began with the sounds of an array of crickets, birds and the unmistakeable low grumble and snap of an African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) consuming the branches outside my bedroom window, with a tiny bit of fence to protect me.

It was safe t o say t hat I wasn?t in Kansas anymore.

In 2014 I had the opportunity to work at a safari lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve in Nort h West Sout h Africa, near the Botswana border where many of the locals spoke Tswana, which turned out to be the language the guides spoke in when identifying animals, such as the leopard (Panthera pardus) or ?Inque?in Tswana.

I worked in the lodge and shadowed the rangers during game drives. It was an unforgettable experience. I spotted countless animals from cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) hunts, to stumbling upon a blue wildebeest (Connochaetestaurinus) at 5am in the darkness, with less than a meter between us. Every day brought a new animal to search for, new adventures around the lodge.

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The safari guides, whom I shadowed, carried out many jobs such as capturing of a snake from a local house. The animal was then released in the centre of the reserve, away from local villagers who would kill it instantly in fear.

That 20 minute drive was one of the most unnerving drives ever, considering there was a 3.5m African Rock Pyt hon (Python sebae) curled up in the bag by my feet.

Whilst out there, I learned about a conservation project ?Herit age Park?that would combine Madikwe reserve with another nearby reserve, Pilanesburg, and a wildlife conservation corridor would be created to prevent a cull in wildlife.

There had not been a cull of 60 lions in Madikwe due to a lack of sustainability in the reserve.

This project aims to allow more migrat ion for the animals as well as enable the area to become a prime eco-tourism destination. This is a huge step in the right direction as ecot ourism not only benefits the wildlife, but also the local community (Scheyvens, 1999).

My time in South Africa was an incredible experience that I didn?t want to leave behind, I even changed flights to stay out there for longer. It was an experience that spurred on and fed my love for wildlife, and solidified my passion to work with animals in the future.

Reference Scheyvens, R. (1999) Ecotourism and the Empowerment of Local Communities. Tourism Management, Vol 20, pp. 245 ? 249

This female (above) made an unexpected appearance at our evening drinks (called sundowners), causing a wave of excitement as everyone collected their drinks and hurried into the bucky (car). We spent the next 30 minutes watching her walk across the plains, calling to her pride, and disappear into the sunset. A truly majestic sight.

Zinnia Thorpe

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Reintroduction and Tracking of Wolves (Canis lupus lupus) in the Karelian Taiga Forests of Russia byJustina Ager, BSc Ecology and Conservation, University of Sussex graduate I have never experienced silence like it .

Drawn to the plight of wolves (Canis lupuslupus), I found the Lupus Laet us Associat ion (run by Vladimir Bologov and Laetitia Becker; http://lupuslaetus.org) through the UK Wolf Conservation trust (https://ukwct.org.uk/). Their aim is the protection of the wolf and its ecosystem in the Russian taiga. I wrote to Laetitia with my motivational cover letter and CV and she welcomed me into their team for the internship.

Arriving t o my new home Arriving in the Russian wilderness in late September, I was able to watch the landscape change from the long evening shadows of autumn to the crisp snow of winter.

Karelia is a remote area near the Russia Finnish border; my new home a log cabin, a two hour hike from the nearest village.

After a 16 hour sleeper train from St Petersburg to Kostomuksha, I was greeted by Vladimir - a huge Russian man seemingly happier smoking than speaking.

Aim of Lupus Laet us

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Vladimir has been reintroducing wolves in the Tver region of

Russia since 1993. Laetitia arrived to work with him at the Tchysti Les biological station in 2004 where she would live for the next 7 years.

During this time she wrote her PhD thesis on the Experimental Release of Wolves in Russia. Every spring they receive a number of orphan wolf pups - some from over-stocked zoos and some from hunters who took the pups from their dens. The ultimate goal was to prepare these wolves for release into their natural habitat.

Wolf hunt ing in Russia In Russia the hunting of wolves in the wild is permit t ed all year, by anyone and by any means. It is thought that more t han a million wolves were killed by the soviet government between 1925 and 1992. Afterwards the government introduced a bounty which is given for each wolf hunted of any age (Becker et al., 2009).

In 2011, Laetitia moved to the Karelia region to test reintroduction methods on an island. Protecting them from the wider populations of both animals and humans, the island would act as the wolves?natural enclosure until the lake froze and the wolves could make their own decision on

whether to stay or go.

Life in t he t aiga The taiga is dominated by lakes and pine forests, interrupted by an occasional Birch (Betula spp.) or Spruce (Picea spp.), the woods here are heavily covered with moss, and filled with Juniper (Juniperusspp.) and Rowan (Sorbusaucuparia) undergrowth. The floor is often thick with W ild rosemary (Rhododendron tomentosum), which as we soon learnt - is prone t o t ripping you over.

While the animals were in their element miles from society, my first few weeks required adjustment.

There was no running water, little electricity, no internet, and one telephone in the whole village. Our only way to clean was a sauna once a week, our only way to keep warm was with a wood fire oven.

As winter swept in and the lake froze, our primary mode of transport changed from boat to skidoo. As we spent more time together, Laetitia and Vladimir started to feel like family.

Three wolf pups, a young bear (Ursusarctosarctos) and a racoon dog (Nyctereutesprocyonoides) were released onto the island days before we arrived.

Sadly, two wolves were killed shortly after introduction - victims of a bird of prey.

The female pup however, took well to life in the woods. We named her Illa and eventually she thrived.

Wolf behaviour The UKWCT found that human socialisat ion does not int erfere wit h nat ural wolf behaviour, and with care and guidance we were able to spend our days in the woods around Illa. On a good day we could observe her for hours, taking notes on her behaviour to see if she was acting as expected of a wolf being rehabilitated to the wild.

Observing normal behaviours found in both captive and wild wolves such as: rest ing, exploring, grooming, running, bowing and t ail wagging (Mech & Boitani, 2003).

While Illa would approach us, and even play with us, she never expressed any aggressive behaviour such as growls, snaps or raising hackles. As she grew, though, we saw an important shift from relying on us for food to hunting on her own, as wolves do naturally, t hey learn t o hunt wit hout being t aught .

Tracking in t he snow The forest floor was covered in snow which meant we were able to conduct a general winter survey.

Walking a 2-3 hour route on the shores and surrounding area of Lake Kargiozero, we recorded any scat , markings or foot print s we

Vladimir and us, volunteers on a chilly day in Russia. Photo was taken by Laetitia.

found. By the end of the expedition, we had tracked a variety of animals, including Snow hares (Lepustimidus), Pine martens (Martesmartes), Red squirrels (Sciurusvulgaris), Elk (Alcesalces) and Black grouse (Tetrao tetrix).

We also saw Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and caught a rare glimpse of a Siberian jay (Perisoreusinfaustus). After three months sharing the island with Illa, it was time for me to leave.

I saw Illa growing up and enjoying independence in the wilderness.

Although it made me sad that I had to go, I knew others would take my place to monitor Illa and to aid the efforts of reintroducing wolves back into the wild.

The import ance of wolf conservat ion Projects like this are important in highlighting the need for t he

conservat ion of t he wolf in Russia.

They can help avoid genetic bottlenecks, like the European wolf population, by introducing new genetic diversity.

The pups that Vladimir buys can also be reintroduced instead of being killed for the bounty and in order to protect wolves it is essential to engage locals to help with their conservation management.

There is sometimes controversy over conservat ion of ?large fluffy animals?, as it is believed that many of the other important species may be forgotten. Recognition of their importance must not be overlooked ? several recent studies have highlighted the cascading effects.

Loss of apex consumers causes an increase in ungulates and therefore plant communities which influences ecosystems worldwide (Licht et al., 2010).

References: Becker, L., Korabliov, P.M., and Bologov, V.V., 2009. Wolf Impact on Human Activities and Limits of Population Control in Tver Region (Russian Federation). Available at: http://lupuslaetus.org/wp-content/ uploads/publications/IUGB_ar.pdf Licht , D.S, Millspaugh, J.J, Kochanny, C.O, and Peterson, R.O., 2010. Using Small Populations of Wolves for Ecosystem Restoration and Stewardship. BioScience. Vol 60 (2), pp.

147-153 Mech, L.D. and Boitani, L., 2003 Wolves.

Behavior, Ecology and Conservation. The University of Chicago Press ukwct.org.uk Available at: https://ukwct.org.uk/files/ enrichment.pdf

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Int ernship Opport unit y in Cost a Rica

by Hannah Vigus, ARU Zoology Graduate I graduated in September with an undergraduate degree in Zoology, and now I?m working in Mont everde but t erfly gardens, Cost a Rica, as the Intern Coordinator. It has been a very exciting journey which led me here.

Thanks to my position, I am able to share my love of invertebrates with people from all over the world, and educate the public about these animals.

The Cost a Rican cloud forest seemed like an ideal location to study due to the high diversity as well high levels of endemism, so I started planning, and I conducted a study of Coleopteran families along an altitude gradient. It was a very large study focusing not only on diversity of beetles on the whole, but also the effect of altitude on the individual families within Coleoptera.

What I found was that general diversit y (Simpson's biodiversity index) decreased wit h alt it ude, as did the temperature, which is a very important factor (Bate et al., 2002).

In my degree, the modules gave us students a flavour of the massive variety and potential for zoologists.

People with this degree could go on to pursue veterinary training, research, education, conservation, or many more avenues. For myself, it really was the invertebrates that grabbed my attention, for not only were t hese lit t le beast s incredibly diverse and unique, but fun to study and very important in regards to conservation.

So, when planning for dissert at ion came around, I started to look into a project studying insects. Insecta is an amazing class of animals worldwide, but the species richness and evenness within the neotropical region is much larger, mostly due to the temperate climate and the large availability of resources (Godfrey et al, 1998).

15

After my degree, I knew I wanted to travel, I knew about this internship here at the gardens as I visited whilst researching previously on a day off, and so I applied to come here.I got accept ed and a few weeks lat er I was on my way out here. I was instantly impressed by the level of education the gardens has to offer the public, as well as the level of knowledge the staff has on the natural history of Monteverde.

The role of the interns here is very broad, but mostly, they give educat ional t ours t o t he public.

Not only do we have t hree but t erfly houses with the most beautiful butterflies you could imagine, we have a nature centre with scorpions, t arant ulas, st ick insect s, cockroaches, and many more animals to show off to the public.

Our aim here is to show people how amazing these animals are, and discuss the massive diversity in the behaviour and the morphologies of arthropods.

Besides the tours the interns help

to maintain the property, feed the animals, as well as working on their own independent projects. If interns express an interest in a particular area, then there is so many opportunities to expand and learn. Personally my own interests were in the caterpillars and host plant relationships, and that is what I spend a lot of my time studying.

After a few weeks here I got the opportunity to stay as the intern coordinator, and my job role is too help hire new interns and train them up to do tours here. My job is amazing because I get to train up and release back into the world this awesome team of scientific educators, and to watch people gain confidence and flourish and find their own interests and niches is the most gratifying experience.

W e are also current ly looking for people t o come and join our mission in a t en week int ernship so if you know anyone who is int erest ed t hen look us up online and send us an email!

References: Bale, J.S., Masters, G.J., Hodkinson, I.D., Awmack, C., Bezemer, T.M., Brown, V.K., Butterfield, J., Buse, A., Coulson, J.C., Farrar, J. and Good, J.E., 2002.

Herbivory in global climate change research: direct effects of rising temperature on insect herbivores.

Global Change Biology, Vol 8(1), pp.1-16 Godfray, H.C.J., Lewis, O.T. and Memmott, J., 1999. Studying insect diversity in the tropics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, Vol 354(1391), pp.1811-1824

Sparking Nat ural curiosit y at NHM

by Nathalie Swain-Diaz MSc Conservation & Biodiversity, University of Exeter BSc Biology, University of Southampton Growing up in Central London, my mother faced an impossible task; how to keep a child, obsessed with nature, ent ert ained in t he middle of a concret e jungle. She did figure it out: we would walk across Hyde Park every weekend, arriving at the Natural History Museum (NHM).

people, but t o expand on quest ions they may have about a specimen and enrich their visit.

In some cases, language barriers mean that touch may be the only way of communicating an idea.

When using skulls for example, some people may focus on the Fast forward 15 years, I am still texture, or zone in on a going to NHM once a week, particular feature, such as eye however this time, as a Learning sockets or teeth. Some visitors Volunt eer. have never held a skull before and others have an intricate Volunteering alongside my degree gave knowledge on the relative sizes me an incredible opportunity to further of sagittal crests in animals, Me holding a replica giraffe neck vertebrae my science communication skills, with which is equally fantastic! I?ve the public inspiring t hem t o cont inue certainly learnt as much from However, being able to see the learning at home. visitors as they may have learned shelves of dusty jars, visiting from me. incredible exhibits and meet t he In general, the subject of Natural One of the best things aspect scient ist s working behind t he History has somewhat of a about it this position is working scenes were also personal reputational problem. Some people wit h children. The unrelenting highlights. Seeing specimens that picture it to simply involve nature of their questioning may be Darwin collected on the Voyage of collect ing shelf aft er shelf of tiring at times, but nothing beats the Beagle up close and discovering animals and pressed plants which watching their eyes widen when type specimens squirreled away gather dust in the dark. Whilst this their mind is blown. Being asked made me visit NHM more often, and is to some extent true (NHM alone exciting questions such as this I began volunteering in the holds over 80 million specimens), motivates me every week: Arachnid depart ment additionally. bringing t hem t o life and highlighting their relevance in Developing your skills and "Could I use t his skull as a t eapot ?" today?s society is equally important communicating your passion in Natural History, and is one of are at the heart of volunteering, the main aims of the Learning and I would advise everyone to Volunteer Programme. find somewhere to do so.

The programme celebrated its 10th year in 2015 and currently Volunt eering not only impact s has 80 volunt eers who bring ot her people's lives, but it specimens onto the galleries enriches your own. and interact with people of all ages, nationalities and Knowing that you?ve helped backgrounds. The team is brighten someone?s day is amazing; always enthusiastic, amazing, and should be reason friendly and incredibly enough to give some of your knowledgeable. time. I have met incredible people over the years whilst Learning Volunteers run several volunteering, and to do so in activities, each centred on a such a beautiful setting has general topic such as Fossils, been an absolut e privilege and Minerals or Mammals (my joy.

Resources for one of t he Learning Volunt eer personal favourite). The Programme: from top left to bottom right: Polar activities are tailored to each bear, Pygmy hippo, koala, male human, female individual interaction.

The goal is not just t o t alk at

human, sheep, elephant's tooth, hippo's tooth, Alsatian, Ganges river dolphin and a giant ant eater

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Hourglass Treefrogs

by Dr Michael Reichert , Universit y College Cork, IR I was never bored in the rainforest because there were always new discoveries to be made and every night was full of the sounds of life. I study animal acoustic communication and I was drawn to Central America to study the calls of a tiny yellow frog called the Hourglass treefrog (Dendropsophus ebraccatus).

I spent 5 summers in Panama and Costa Rica during my PhD work trying to understand why these frogs made such a diverse range of sounds for communication. Most frog calls are almost always about mat ing: males call to attract females as mates (in a few species both sexes call), and females select among the most attractive signalers. This isn?t an easy task in very dense and noisy choruses: on some of the nights I did my fieldwork there were dozens of individuals of ten or more species of frogs all calling in a small pond.

I discovered many ways in which males compete with one another t o at t ract females. Sometimes they produce aggressive calls (Reichert , 2011), which may be effective in repelling rivals from the area. They also change the timing of their calls, attempting to overlap one another so that their own calls are best heard by the females. They adjust t he complexit y of calls, adding extra notes to make their calls stand out above the crowd (Reichert, 2012). Like most

rainforest species, these frogs have incredible adaptations to their environment, and we still have a lot to learn about their ecology and behavior.

I feel very lucky to have gotten to know such incredible creatures and I certainly hope that t heir sounds cont inue t o fill t he night air for a long t ime t o come.

While I was doing my work in Panama, a colleague discovered that Hourglass treefrogs somet imes lay t heir eggs in wat er, and ot her t imes on land (Touchon et al. 2008), depending on the environmental conditions that best favor tadpole survival. This was t he first discovery that a vertebrate can lay eggs in either aquatic or terrestrial environments. The tropics are home to thousands of amphibian species, each of which is likely to teach us something important about how animals evolve and behave.

References

Unfortunately, however, this incredible diversity is severely threatened and t here is a worldwide decline in amphibian populat ions largely because of disease spread, deforestation and degradation of habitats.

Touchon, J. C., and Warkentin, K.M. 2008. "Reproductive mode plasticity: aquatic and terrestrial oviposition in a treefrog" Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol 105 (21), pp. 7495-7499

Reichert , Michael S. 2011.

"Aggressive calls improve leading callers?attractiveness in the treefrog Dendropsophusebraccatus" Behavioral Ecology, 22 (5), pp.

951-959 Reichert , Michael S. 2012. "Call timing is determined by response call type, but not by stimulus properties, in the treefrog Dendropsophusebraccatus" Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Vol 66 (3), pp. 433-444

Illust rat ion of Hourglass t reefrogs by Allysa Cervant es Hallet t Visit Allysa's webst ie for more art work: ht t ps://allysacervant eshallet t .wordpress.com/ 17

Wat ercolour and coloured pencil illust rat ion of t he Hourglass t reefrogs (Dendropsophus ebraccatus) 18

How you can get involved wit h amphibian and rept ile conservat ion

by Steven Allain, BSc Zoology, ARU graduate I'd always had a passion for amphibians and reptiles from a young age, spending hours in pet shops staring at pythons and chameleons.

I watched frogs develop in our garden pond and often went out during the summer holidays to find reptiles basking in the local environment. I'd do my best to photograph and video them, sometimes catching them to get a better close up. When at home I'd watch programmes on the television such as Crocodile Hunt er wit h St eve Irwin and the current series featuring either Nigel Marven or Mark O?Shea. These three men as well as a handful of others were instrumental in helping cement my passion in herpetology.

When I started my university degree this was certainly the area I wanted to specialise in. I had no idea back t hen t hat my passion would have developed into the career I'm still currently developing.

Back in the autumn of 2012, I contacted the current chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Pet erborough Amphibian and Rept ile Group (CPARG) as I was interested in working towards gaining my great crest ed newt (GCN) license. As this species is a European Protected Species (EPS), a license is needed to survey and work with them.

The next spring I was involved in a project conducted at the largest population of GCN, looking at effective monitoring techniques.

Later that year I conducted my 19

first project on the species with the help of a colleague of mine, Mark Goodman.

We confirmed the presence of GCN at t he Cambridge Cit y Cremat orium after conducting surveys over a four week period.

This was made possible by volunt eers from ARU who joined us on surveys, for more information see Allain & Goodman (2014). From t his moment on I haven't looked back, spending my spare time surveying amphibians in Cambridgeshire, which is relatively easy.

All you have t o do is t urn up t o a pond on a suitable evening and shine a torch into the water, counting the amphibians as you go.

There is a lot less for people to disturb, unlike reptile surveys when you have to lay artificial refugia.

Throughout 2013, Mark and I also monitored a handful of amphibian sites as we both became more involved with CPARG. In 2014 we continued to monitor these sites and also expanded our surveys to a number of other sites.

Our main focus was to monitor local populations of GCNs but also to get a better understanding of overall amphibian populations

around Cambridge.

Again on these surveys, we were joined by volunteers from ARU whom were more than happy to aid us. For a number of them, it was the first time they'd been involved with any kind of amphibian monitoring.

Despite this, our volunt eers quickly got t heir eye in and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

This work was then converted into a report and published in Nature in Cambridgeshire - see Allain & Goodman (2015).

It was about this time that I was t hen elect ed Chairman of CPARG (a position I still currently hold), with this came more surveys and more responsibilities. Our annual surveys continues through 2015 and 2016, they'll also continue in 2017 and the foreseeable future.

All of the data we've collected has been submitted to the Cambridgeshire and Pet erborough Environment al Records Cent re (CPERC). CPERC is responsible for collating all of the records submitted by professionals and enthusiasts regarding animals, plants, and fungi.

I hope that our records have gone some way to help expand the knowledge of amphibian and reptile populations in Cambridgeshire.

I'd encourage anyone wanting to get involved with the survey or study of the animals/plants of their desire t o cont act your local group.

Gast ric Ulcers in Horsesa common yet not well known condit ion

You never know, after a couple of years you may be running it!

by Katie Goldsbrough, BSc Zoology, ARU

Our work at the City Crematorium was published by the Cambridgeshire Bird Club after they awarded us the Bob Scot t Prize, a competition I?d highly recommend entering. Produce a report on a topic of your interest (or even a shortened version of your dissertation) and submit it to the club. The prize is open t o st udent s and the focus is mainly on birds, however, they obviously make exceptions.

I'd also encourage students and postgraduates to record t heir findings for Nat ure in Cambridgeshire - as long as the work has been carried out in the country. Both of these are great avenues to explore if you wish t o get some work published before t he end of your degree.

If you'd like t o get involved wit h t he amphibian and rept ile surveys wit h us in Cambridgeshire, t hen please feel free t o get in t ouch!

Read St even's art icles: Allain, S. J. R. & Goodman, M. J. (2014). Evaluation of great crested newt and smooth newt populations at Bar Hill Crematorium.

Cambridgeshire Bird Report, Vol 87, 156-161 Allain, S. J. R. & Goodman, M. J. (2015). Cambridgeshire Amphibian Report 2014. Nature in Cambridgeshire, Vol 57, 101-108

Learn more about CPARG event s on t heir websit e: ht t p://groups.arguk.org/CPARG

Gast ric ulcerat ion is a condit ion that affects any horse regardless of its work load or location. The erosion of the horse?s stomach lining is caused by extended exposure to stomach acid.

It is estimated that 1 in 3 horses suffer from gast ric ulcers.

37% of t hese are leisure horses, 93% racing horses, 63% performance horses and around 50% of foals (Murray et al., 1996a).

Foals are most at risk (Becht and Byars, 1896) as early as two days after being born, as they have thin stomach lining and there are high amounts of stomach acid while they only consume milk.

Horses are grazing animals and have evolved to feed continuously.

Hence, the stomach produces acid continuously to digest food. If the horse has long periods without eating, the acid will still be produced, wearing away the stomach lining - producing ulcers.

There are also links between ext ensive exercise and the presence of stomach ulcers.

Physical and physiological stress conditions causing changes in feeding also result in stomach ulcers (Murray et al., 1996b.)

Sympt oms for t his condit ion are hard t o spot in most cases but they do include; colic, deteriorating body condition, lack of appetite and poor performance.

If you think that your horse has stomach ulcers, cont act your vet st raight away. The only way to definitively diagnose this

My horse, Bobbi had gastric ulceration due to sand in the gut condition is for the horse to have a procedure called a gastroscopy which can only be performed by a qualified vet.

References Becht , J.L. and Byars, T.D., 1986.

Gastroduodenal ulceration in foals. Equine Veterinary Journal, Vol 18(4), pp.307-312 Murray, M.J., Schusser, G.R., Pipers, F.S. and Gross, S.J., 1996a.

Factors associated with gastric lesions in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal, Vol 28(5), pp.368-374 Murray, M.J. and Eichorn, E.S., 1996b. Effects of intermittent feed deprivation, intermittent feed deprivation with ranitidine administration, and stall confinement with ad libitum access to hay on gastric ulceration in horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research, Vol 57(11), pp.1599-1603 20

Juniper Kiss

W hat sweet ens your life?

by Polina Lizunkova, BSc Biomedical Science, ARU ?Love and scandal are t he best sweet eners of t ea.?

However, alternative synthetically produced sugar substitutes (i.e. artificial sweeteners, AS), have seduced many customers by virtue of having a sweet taste while containing significantly lower calorie count.

Saccharine is one of the 5 common commercially used AS with much controversy surrounding its consumption in the diabetic population. Pat ient s wit h t ype I and II diabet es often suffer from blood vessel damage in the eye leading to poor vision due to hyperglycaemia. Increased leak and cell numbers in the eye is linked to diabetes.

Hence, there is an urgent need for therapeutic strategies, which halt the progression, reduce the onset or reverse the development of retinopathy in diabetes.

Biomedical Vacat ion Scholarship awarded by Wellcome Trust The aim of this scholarship was to understand the effect of AS on 21

the degree of damage in the eye?s blood vessels. However, there is no published data identifying sweet taste sensing in the vasculature, which is the basis for presence or absence of metabolic effect induced by AS consumption.

The sweet t ast e recept ors, T1R2 and T1R3, that are produced because of the natural sweet taste proteins and AS, were found in the lung microvasculature at baseline level with increased expression, and reduced blood vessel leak following addition of AS. Likewise, the presence of sweet sensing, through sweet taste receptors, was likely to be found in the eye. The cells from the lining of small blood vessels in the human eye were treated with various concentrations of saccharin accompanied by a factor that breaks down the blood vessel barrier and whose levels are commonly elevated in diabetic patients.

The data showed that low amount s of saccharin reduced blood vessel breakdown but increased cell mult iplicat ion.

However, by blocking sweet taste sensing, the protection against blood vessel breakdown and exacerbation of cell multiplication was also blocked.

This data suggests the presence of sweet sensing in t he eye and and showed the different effects of artificial sweeteners on diabetic eye blood vessels.

The result of this project emphasises the urgent need for further research upon the matter.

Readily available AS, in measured doses, could be a new affordable and widely available t herapeut ic subst ance for diabet ics.

Special thanks to Dr Havovi Chichger, whose support and contribution made the collection this data possible.

Did you know?

Global prevalence of obesit y has been characterised as an epidemic by the WHO The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile or childhood-onset) is characterized by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) results from the body?s ineffective use of insulin World Diabetes Day is 14 November

22

Bet ween t he Eart h and Sky movie premiere An int erview wit h Execut ive Producer, Dr David Weindorf

by Juniper Kiss, BSc Marine Biology with Biodiversity and Conservation, ARU

Bet ween Eart h and Sky movie examines climate change through the lens of impacts to native Alaskans, receding glaciers, and arctic soil.

The island of Shishmaref has been home to the Inupiaq people for thousands of years. As sea ice retreats and coastal storms increase the people of Shishmaref are faced with a disappearing island and a 200 million dollar price t ag to move their people with an untold cost on their culture and history.

I interviewed Dr Weindorf via email about the making of his movie. We will have the pleasure of welcoming him to Cambridge between 26-29 April. We will screen this movie at different locations for free.

Q1. W hen did you go t o Alaska for t he first t ime and how aware were you about t he effect on permafrost due t o climat e change?

I think my first trip there was in 2005 or 2006. I had the good fortune to meet Dr Chien Lu Ping at the Soil Science Society of America national meetings. I asked him if I could possibly use some of the photos he showed in his presentation to teach my students about Gelisols.

He said yes, but even better, invited me to come to Alaska to get my own photos! I had always heard that Alaska was a majestic place, but words truly do not do it justice.

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The grandeur and beaut y of t he unt ouched land are simply breat h-t aking.

Similarly, I had heard a lot of debate in the media about whet her or not drilling for oil should be allowed in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Working with Dr Ping, I had the chance to go to ANWR personally, and witness the wildlife, the wilderness, and the arctic soils.

Not long after that first trip, Dr Ping invited me to come up and work with him on a research project measuring coastal erosion rates along the Beaufort Sea. It was on that trip that I really began to see t he impact s of climat e change first -hand. We measured erosion rates cutting back into the tundra at a rate of 5 meters per year, for hundreds of kilometres. In the years following, we found less and less ice in areas previously frozen solid. Those observations served to solidify my understanding of the impacts of climate change on arctic soils and ecosystems.

Q2. W hat was t he main mot ivat ion t hat made up your mind about making t his movie?

Dr Ping recently retired. I knew that once he retired, we as a profession, would lose a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience as it relates to arctic soils and ecosystems.

Also, all of the students I had taken on the Arctic Soils Field Tour returned from the trip saying they would never look at the

Dr David Weindorf is the Associate Dean for Research (CASNR); B.L. Allen Endowed Chair of Pedology (PSS) at Texas Tech University

world the same way again.

In making this film, we wanted to both capture Dr Ping?s perspective and experience, as well as document why arctic soils and ecosystems are so unique.

The clear connection to climate change brought a relevance and timeliness to the project that brings the issues into focus for everyone, not just scient ist s.

Q3. W hat were t he t he biggest challenges in making t his movie?

1) Logistics We were filming for weeks in remote parts of Alaska where there are no roads, no cell phone service, no electricity. We had to plan extensively for transportation (e.g., helicopter, chartered planes, etc.), access, and places to stay, and coordinate with interviewees.

2) Film-making While Paul Allen Hunton (Director)and his team are experts

Soil Science in t he UK I met David Weindorf in November, 2016 at the American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science and Crop Science conference. We were on the three day long pedology (science of soils formation) field trip, visiting different desert systems around Tucson, Arizona.

Soil science is not 'famous' in the UK, you cannot find any university courses or societies in this field. It is closer to Geology than other Environmental Science degrees. Nonetheless, it is an amazing subject.

Join Dr Weindorf 's screening of Bet ween Eart h and Sky in Cambridge, UK t his April!

For more informat ion please sign up t o t his newslet t er: ht t ps://confirmsubscript ion.com/ h/d/ 7B1352188EB6BE79 in documentary film-making, this was my first time to ever try something like this! I had to learn so much ? everything from timelines to lingo. Now I can say t hat I will never look at films t he same way again!

I know so much more about how to take a concept and bring it to life. In so many ways, Paul has been an amazing teacher and partner to make this film possible.

3) The weather We really had to be prepared for anything. We shot scenes in everything from rainy/misty conditions to snow and freezing temperatures. Some days were sunny with blue sky and others were filled with dense fog. We worked to adjust indoor interviews with outdoor filming so as to capture the best weather we could.

But, weather is something we definitely could not control!

4. You have worked in many different count ries from China t o India. W hat changes have you been not icing while looking at soils in different part s of t he world?

A challenge I issue to all of my

students and those I meet is to ?touch the land lightly.?I?m not saying we can?t farm the land, or develop it as needed for the benefit of society.

technological advances in developing parts of the world where access to instrumentation and data is often limited.

However, I think we are often careless in how we touch the land.

Too often, greed pushes people to make money quickly, often at the expense of the environment.

There is a sentiment that if we ruin this piece of land, we can just move on to the next and exploit it.

I?ve seen it ? over and over again across the world. Some countries have regulations which seek to protect the environment; others don?t.

To me, soil is one of t he most crit ical nat ural resources we have in t he world.

Gold, diamonds, oil, and coal are all important, but they can?t grow the food needed to sustain life on this planet; only soil can. Much of the research I?ve conducted over my career has focused on new technologies for rapidly identifying pollution in soil environments.

I have been particularly drawn to applying such

5. If you could change one t hing (policy, educat ion, media) in t he world t o fight against global warming, what would it be?

If I could change one thing in the world, it would be for people everywhere t o have a deep, personal underst anding of t he issue whereby they would each be personally compelled to make choices that minimize the impact of people upon the planet.

Recycling, driving fuel efficient cars, demanding renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind), eliminating pollution, minimizing erosion, minimizing chemical use, etc.

If we st opped polit icizing these issues and, as a human race, came together to work a healthier, cleaner, more prosperous planet ? we would all benefit. Let not t he dollar t oday drive us forward, but t he prosperit y of generat ions a cent ury from now be our goal.

ht t p:// bet weeneart handskymovie.com

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Science and Shared Realit y: A Call t o Act ion

by Tyler Kulfan ?The good thing about science is that it?s true whether or not you believe in it.?

This well-known quote by one of the scientific community?s best communicators, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, has never been more pertinent than it is today. One part is inspiring and another part is disheartening; as scientific consensus and the notion of shared reality weathers increasing socio-political attack, we can take comfort in the fact that no amount of propaganda can change t he t rut h revealed by scientific data and observation.

This fact, though, is the exact source of discouragement for anyone who takes the application of science seriously: in spite of the best efforts of conspiracy theorists, scientific issues of immense gravity are real, and will grow exponentially more problematic as those in positions of leadership cover their eyes and ears.

Let ?s t alk about t he big, fat orange elephant in t he room.

The election of Donald Trump is a matter of grave concern (and by concern, I mean arms waving, stop-drop-and-roll terror) for 23

Juniper Kiss

scientists. The elucidation of truth and construction of a common framework of reality is the ultimate purpose of scientific endeavor, and that puts the entire project of science at odds with Trump and the populist movement roiling in the West.

Afterall, not only is Donald Trump at odds with science and reason; his entire platform is dependent upon their reject ion.

The realm of the falsehood is his favored territory- his Mar-a-Largo Resort, if you will. Consider the promise of a giant wall paid for by Mexico. There was never a shade of a chance that Mexico would pay for a border wall, but to accept this reality would compromise Trump?s easy, consequence-free solut ion t o a highly complex issue. So, realit y was disregarded.

This is the standard policy model of the Trump administration: make outrageous promises born of Trump?s alternate reality which will never be accomplished and will have devastating consequences on the actual world that the rest of us are condemned to live in. In the matter of the wall, the collateral damage is American taxpayers and

Picture above: Tyler Kulfan (US)is a Masters student of Global Change Ecology at Universitat Bayreauth (Bayreauth, Germany). He has worked as a ranger for Rocky Mountain National Park, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Green Mountain National Forest.

Read more of his articles on website: ht t ps://globalecoact ivist s.wordpress.com

diplomatic relations with Mexico. In the matter of Trump?s myriad economic and infrastructural promises, it is the environment that is caught in the crossfire.

So long as the scientific community has a vested interest in uncovering the realit y of climat e change, ecological degradation, and the other quantifiable damages that result from irresponsible politics, we should fully expect to remain squarely in the tiny-handed crossfire as well.

Trump has promised to lift the restrictions and regulations on the production of $50 t rillion wort h of fossil fuel, to lift blocks on the Keyst one and Dakot a Access Pipelines, cancel billions in payments to climate change programs. He has expressed an intention to wit hdraw from t he Paris Agreement .

He has created an anti-vaccine task force. He has promised to invest heavily in ?clean coal?. ?Clean coal?itself might be the perfect analogy for Trump?s entire platform. It is an oxymoronic falsehood that promises to deliver job growth and the return of some sepia-toned America of yesteryear, but- in reality - will only deliver a heavily subsidized degradat ion of environment al, public, and worker healt h.

Trump?s agenda could only be positive and beneficial in a universe where fossil fuels are not responsible for climate change, where ecological destruction does not have serious, lasting consequences.

Science reminds the public that Trump?s universe is not our own that climate change is not a Chinese hoax, and that vaccines are not causing autism.

If Trump wishes to maintain control

and advance his careless agenda without public outcry, he must necessarily silence the means for exposing the true, destructive reality of his policies. That means relentless attacks on the media.

And it means censorship of science.

The American - and global scient ific communit ies must be vigilant in st anding up to this new administration, advocating for reason, and making our collective voices heard (see the Alt-NPS for inspiration).

We must be insistent in our rejection of the malleability of reality for the sake of political agendas and be aware of the serious confrontations that inevitably await us.

We must not allow ourselves t o be silenced.

The global March For Science will be held on 22 April (Sat ).

Let ?s t urn up!

Trump administration has two options for dealing with science: 1. Denial. This is the method Trump has taken for dealing with the media; it?s effective for like-minded followers, but unlikely to convince the world at large. And so, his only hope is...

2. Silencing. This is exactly what happened two days into Trump?s presidency when he ordered the shutdown of all outgoing communication from the EPA and USDA. Likewise, when Badlands National Park tweeted unflattering images of his inauguration, Trump ordered a halt on all NPS social media. At the EPA, the new administration plans to review scientific publications on a ?case-by-case? basis to ensure all published materials reflect the administration?s stances and priorities. With climate change denier Scott Pruitt (who has previously sued the EPA 13 times) tapped to head the administration, you can imagine what those priorities are.

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GOES magazine ht t ps://globalopport unit ies.co boroka.kiss@st udent .anglia.ac.uk