ALGAE ARRIVAL

ALICANTE University marine scientists have catalogued the first local sightings of an invasive type of sea algae. Known as ‘Rugulopteryx okamurae’ it has been dubbed ‘Asian algae’ because it is prominent in the Asia-Pacific area.

In Spain, it first appeared on the beaches of Ceuta at the end of 2015 and has spread throughout the Alboran Sea, where experts say it has had a bad impact on native marine species, as well as on fishing and tourism.

It was detected in Alicante waters in March and in great abundance in the centre of the bay of Alicante as it grows mainly on the dead forest of ‘Posidonia oceanica’ that abounds in the area.

By Alex Trelinski

dro’ works as a battery as it can store and release power virtually on demand.

Over 75% of electricity on the Canaries is generated by burning oil, and the Salto de Chira project should eliminate a large part of that, as well as improving the environment and saving a lot of money.

Canary Islands president, Angel Victor Torres, said: “Energy storage is going to be one of the key elements in the energy transition, both for its contribution to electrification and for its capacity to enable enhanced management of renewable energy, which is es-

BATTERY: The Chira dam will ‘store energy’

pecially important in non-interconnected systems such as the islands.”

Salto de Chira is expected to start generating in 2027, with up to 200MW of power at times of high demand - accounting for a third of what

IREAD with great interest the plans of a Californian-based company named Colossal to bring back animals long extinct. So it looks like the Dodo, the Woolly Mammoth and the Tasmanian Tiger could well be recreated with new technologies.

ALL WITHIN FIVE YEARS

The company, founded by entrepreneur Ben Lamm, has already raised more than $75 million to make this happen.

FACT OR PURE SCIENCE FICTION?

When you listen to him present his ideas you believe him.

New synthetic biology and genetic engineering

INVESTOR: Paris Hilton the islands need. It will create over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs and save €122 million each year on fossil fuels. At a stroke, Salto de Chira will increase renewable energy in the Canaries from 24% to 51%

No breeding

ONE of Spain’s main breeding grounds for Flamingos has dried up.

Normally thousands of the birds flock to the Fuente de Piedra lagoon near Malaga every year to breed.

Unfortunately, the unprecedented drought has led to them staying away, with only a small group of a few dozen flamingos holding out at a small end of the wetland, with the rest of the lake dry.

According to the Junta, the lake has received half the rainfall it normally does in the past six months.

could indeed offer far-reaching op portunities way beyond recreating the set for another Jurassic Park film.

De-extinction technologies could be used to recreate damaged ecosystems. Conservation takes on a whole new meaning when you allow your mind to run away with these end less possibilities. Many big names have invested in this new venture. Paris Hilton, Thomas Tull (the original creator of the Jurassic Park franchise) and the Winklevoss twins (Facebook’s original investors). Many people are putting their money where his mouth is.

I can’t pretend to be clever enough to understand the science behind all this….analysing genomes, editing genes, synthesising genes, building assisted reproduction technologies, etc.

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE IT IS POSSIBLE. After all, it wasn’t that long ago we thought it impossible to put a man on the moon. For sure biodiversity can have a huge impact in the fight against climate change. One far-fetched thought crossed my mind as I reflected on all of this.

If science and technology can indeed achieve this, maybe we can breed politicians and government leaders with a moral conscience capable of enacting change!

Old faces

ARCHAEOLOGISTS in Spain

have unearthed five 5th-century stone reliefs of human faces belonging to the ancient Tartessian culture of the 8th–4th centuries B.C.

The two most complete depict women wearing jewellery and researchers believe they could have been major figures in society, with one of the figures possibly representing a warrior.

The Tartessos civilization inhabited the southern Iberian Peninsula and is only known from archaeological discoveries.

The discovery was made at the Iron Age site of Casas del Turuñuelo in Badajoz province in western Spain which comprises of a large, twofloor building made of adobe walls on stone foundations.