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Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?

<p>Around the world, populations of many beloved species are declining at increasing rates. According to one <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/30/world-plant-species-risk-extinction-fungi-earth">grim projection</a>, as many as 40% of the world’s species may be extinct by 2050. Alarmingly, many of these declines are caused by threats for which few solutions exist.</p> <p>Numerous species now depend on conservation breeding programs for their survival. But these programs typically do not encourage species to adapt and survive in the wild alongside intractable threats such as climate change and disease.</p> <p>This means some species can no longer exist in the wild, which causes major downstream effects on the ecosystem. Consider, for example, how a coral reef would struggle to function without corals.</p> <p>What if there was another way? My colleagues and I have developed an intervention method that aims to give endangered species the genetic features they need to survive in the wild.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411140/original/file-20210714-13-1bf7ccv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="bleached coral with fish" /> <span class="caption">Genetically altering coral may help them survive in a warmer world.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rick Stuart-Smith</span></span></p> <h2>Bringing theory into practice</h2> <p>Over generations, natural selection enables species to adapt to threats. But in many instances today, the speed at which threats are developing is outpacing species’ ability to adapt.</p> <p>This problem is especially apparent in wildlife threatened by newly emerging infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis in amphibians, and in climate-affected species such as corals.</p> <p>The toolkit my colleagues and I developed is called “targeted genetic intervention” or TGI. It works by increasing the occurrence or frequency of genetic features that impact an organism’s fitness in the presence of the threat. We outline the method in a recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534721003384">research paper</a>.</p> <p>The toolkit involves <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artificial-selection">artificial selection</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00175/full">synthetic biology</a>. These tools are well established in agriculture and medicine but relatively untested as conservation tools. We explain them in more detail below.</p> <p>Many tools in our TGI toolkit have been discussed in theory in conservation literature in recent decades. But rapid developments in genome sequencing and synthetic biology mean some are now possible in practice.</p> <p>The developments have made it easier to understand the genetic basis of features which enable a species to adapt, and to manipulate them.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442166/original/file-20220124-19-xc82dx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="frog on wet rock" /> <span class="caption">Some animal species cannot adapt in time to survive threats such as disease.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>What is artificial selection?</h2> <p>Humans have long used artificial (or phenotypic) selection to promote desirable characteristics in animals and plants raised for companionship or food. This genetic alteration has led to organisms, such as domestic dogs and maize, that are dramatically different from their wild progenitors.</p> <p>Traditional artificial selection can lead to outcomes, such as high inbreeding rates, that affect the health and resilience of the organism and are undesirable for conservation. If you’ve ever owned a purebred dog, you might be aware of some of these genetic disorders.</p> <p>And when it comes to conservation, determining which individuals from a species are resistant to, say, a deadly pathogen would involve exposing the animal to the threat – clearly not in the interests of species preservation.</p> <p>Scientists in the livestock industry have developed a new approach to circumvent these problems. Called genomic selection, it combines data from laboratory work (such as a disease trial) with the genetic information of the animals to predict which individuals bear genetic features conducive to adaptation.</p> <p>These individuals are then chosen for breeding. Over subsequent generations, a population’s ability to survive alongside pervasive threats increases.</p> <p>Genomic selection has led to disease-resistant salmon and livestock that produce more milk and better tolerate heat. But it is yet to be tested in conservation.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442161/original/file-20220124-27-11vyq0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="cows in green field" /> <span class="caption">Artificial selection has been used to develop traits that humans desire in livestock.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>What is synthetic biology?</h2> <p><a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Synthetic-Biology">Synthetic biology</a> is a toolkit for promoting change in organisms. It includes methods such as transgenesis and gene editing, which can be used to introduce lost or novel genes or tweak specific genetic features.</p> <p>Recent synthetic biology tools such as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting/">CRISPR-Cas9</a> have created a buzz in the medical world, and are also starting to gain the <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/48408">attention</a> of conservation biologists.</p> <p>Such tools can accurately tweak targeted genetic features in an individual organism – making it more able to adapt – while leaving the rest of the genome untouched. The genetic modifications are then passed on to subsequent generations.</p> <p>The method reduces the likelihood of unintended genetic changes that can occur with artificial selection.</p> <p>Synthetic biology methods are currently being trialled for conservation in multiple species around the world. These include the <a href="https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/resistance.htm">chestnut tree</a> and black-footed <a href="https://neo.life/2021/05/cloning-wildlife-and-editing-their-genes-to-protect-them-and-us/">ferrets</a> in the United States, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/gene-editing-is-revealing-how-corals-respond-to-warming-waters-it-could-transform-how-we-manage-our-reefs-143444">corals</a> in Australia.</p> <p>I am working with researchers at the University of Melbourne to develop TGI approaches in Australian frogs. We are trialling these approaches in the iconic southern corroboree frog, and plan to extend them to other species if they prove effective.</p> <p>Worldwide, the disease chytridiomycosis is devastating frog populations. Caused by the fungal pathogen <em>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</em>, it has led to the extinction of about <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus">90 frog species</a> and declines in as many as 500 others.</p> <p>Many frog species now rely on conservation breeding for their continued survival. No effective solution for restoring chytrid-susceptible frogs to the wild exists, because the fungus cannot be eradicated.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442155/original/file-20220124-23-cebr8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="gloved hand removed portion of DNA strand" /> <span class="caption">CRISPR technology could potentially be used to edit the genes of endangered species.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>Looking ahead</h2> <p>As with many conservation approaches, targeted genetic intervention is likely to involve trade-offs. For example, genetic features that make a species resistant to one disease may make it more susceptible to another.</p> <p>But the rapid rate of species declines means we should trial such potential solutions before it’s too late. The longer species are absent from an ecosystem, the greater the chance of irreversible environmental changes.</p> <p>Any genetic intervention of this type should involve all stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples and local communities. And caution should be taken to ensure species are fit for release and pose no risk to the environment.</p> <p>By bringing the concept of TGI to the attention of the public, government, and other scientists, we hope we will spur discussion and encourage research on its risks and benefits.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175226/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tiffany-kosch-1304685">Tiffany Kosch</a>, Research Fellow, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-endangered-species-can-no-longer-survive-in-the-wild-so-should-we-alter-their-genes-175226">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Melbourne Zoo</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Garden birds are struggling: four ways to help

<p>More than a quarter of Britain’s birds are now on the RSPB’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/uk-conservation-status-explained/" target="_blank">red list</a>, meaning that their numbers are in severe decline.</p> <p>Some of the recent additions to the red list are thought of as common garden birds, such as the greenfinch. Others, such as the swift and house martin, only spend spring and summer visiting the UK before migrating to warmer climes. But the environment they encounter in the UK, as well as along their migration routes, affects their survival significantly.</p> <p>Many of the species that we feed in our gardens and on balconies are under threat. Here are four ways to help them.</p> <p><strong>1. Clean your bird feeders and bird baths</strong></p> <p>In the wild, with a few exceptions such as starlings, birds don’t come into close contact with each other much. This lack of contact makes it harder for diseases to spread.</p> <p>Bird feeders change this dynamic. The presence of a bird feeder means that many individual birds from many different species feed in the same area. This leads to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bto.org/community/news/201803-feed-birds-scientists-highlight-risks-disease-garden-bird-feeders" target="_blank">spread of disease</a>, because birds often poo where they eat, leaving pathogens to infect the next visitor.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438076/original/file-20211216-23-13tbwiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Two birds on a house shaped feeder" /> <em><span class="caption">Greenfinches on a bird feeder.</span> <span class="attribution"><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/greenfinches-perching-on-bird-feeder-spring-1667803654" target="_blank" class="source">Chamois huntress/Shutterstock</a></span></em></p> <p>The greenfinch, a once common garden bird now added to the red list, has suffered because of this. The disease <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/disease/trichomonosis" target="_blank">trichomonosis</a>, which used to just infect pigeons and doves, has spread to greenfinches with deadly consequences. Regular cleaning of your garden bird feeders and bird baths can reduce this risk.</p> <p><strong>2. Install bird nesting boxes</strong></p> <p>Many people help birds by putting up nest boxes in their gardens. But these boxes are mostly made for robins and tits who nest in open boxes, or ones with small holes. These nest boxes mimic the crevices and holes that would be available in mature trees.</p> <p>Swifts and house martins are new entrants to the red list, and both of these will readily use man-made nesting places if we provide them – with a few modifications for their needs.</p> <p>House martins will nest in a pre-made or home-made <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/nestboxes/how-to-attract-house-martins/" target="_blank">nest cup</a> which mimics the mud nests house martins make for themselves.</p> <p>Swifts will <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.saveourswifts.co.uk/attractswifts.htm" target="_blank">nest in boxes</a>, but they take a bit more work to attract. The best way to do this is to play their screeching call from a speaker placed close to the nest box, to get them to investigate and hopefully nest.</p> <p>You can make nest boxes attractive to these species by installing them in the eaves of your home, as they need them to be up high so they can take flight from them easily.</p> <p><strong>3. Add some insect-friendly plants</strong></p> <p>Many of the species entering the red list, such as the house martin and house sparrow, feed on insects. Insects numbers have <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2019/february/the-world-s-insect-populations-are-plummeting-everywhere-we-look.html" target="_blank">declined rapidly</a>, so it is no surprise that these avian predators are finding it hard to feed themselves and their chicks.</p> <p>You may love a neat and tidy garden or balcony, but set aside an area to be a bit messier and weedier to attract insects. Adding <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/conservation-biodiversity/wildlife/plants-for-pollinators" target="_blank">pollinator-friendly plants</a>, such as lavender, foxglove and sedum, could really boost insect numbers – natural bird food – in your garden.</p> <p><strong>4. Reduce dangers to birds</strong></p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0049369" target="_blank">Pet cats are predators</a> and can target species like house sparrows, which remain on the red list. Even the presence of cats could be enough to <a rel="noopener" href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12025" target="_blank">scare birds</a>, reducing the number of young they may be able to have. This may have a more damaging impact on bird populations than the number of birds killed by cats.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438077/original/file-20211216-17-10dzdgj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Cat stalking along fence under roses" /> <em><span class="caption">Cats are predators and their presence affects bird populations.</span> <span class="attribution"><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cat-burglar-front-roses-on-prowl-1503499694" target="_blank" class="source">Lilly P. Green/Shutterstock</a></span></em></p> <p>If you own a cat, there are ways for you to reduce its effect on bird numbers. A collar with a bell is an effective way to warn birds and other animals about a cat’s presence.</p> <p>In addition, you could consider restricting when cats are allowed outside to just the daytime, as birds can be more vulnerable in the very early morning when they wake and start to look for food. Alternatively, you could keep cats inside entirely. It is very common in Australia and the US for cats to remain indoors.</p> <p>These changes may seem small and your garden or outdoor space may not be big, but gardens in the UK <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/towns-and-gardens" target="_blank">cover more area</a> that all of our nature reserves put together. Encouraging wildlife in these garden habitats can make a big difference.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173025/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/becky-thomas-506528" target="_blank">Becky Thomas</a>, Senior Teaching Fellow in Ecology, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/royal-holloway-university-of-london-795" target="_blank">Royal Holloway University of London</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/garden-birds-are-struggling-four-ways-to-help-173025" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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The real reason to worry about sharks in Australian waters this summer: 1 in 8 are endangered

<p>If you’re heading to the beach this summer, the thought of sharks might cross your mind. I don’t mean wondering whether a shark will take you for dinner (that’s very, very unlikely) but rather, how these remarkable creatures are faring in the marine ecosystem.</p> <p>I recently led the first complete assessment of all species of sharks, rays and ghost sharks in Australian waters. My team and I found while most species are secure, about 12%, or 39 species, are threatened with extinction.</p> <p>No country has a higher diversity of sharks than Australia. That means we have a special responsibility to protect them from threats such as fishing and damage to their marine habitat.</p> <p>To prevent shark extinctions on our watch, Australia must invest far more heavily to close vast knowledge gaps and ensure threatened species are protected and recovered.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425737/original/file-20211011-25-16shqs7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="a stingray" /> <span class="caption">The research examined all species of sharks, rays and ghost sharks found in Australian waters, including the bluespotted fantail ray, pictured.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Simon Pierce</span></span></p> <h2>Ancient ocean dwellers</h2> <p>Sharks are an ancient lineage of fishes that have roamed the oceans for around <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/shark-evolution-a-450-million-year-timeline.html">450 million years</a>. They occupy tropical, temperate and polar marine waters, while a small number have adapted to live in freshwater.</p> <p>Sharks and their relatives, rays and ghost sharks, are known as cartilaginous fishes. Some 328 of the world’s cartilaginous fishes – comprising one-quarter of the world’s total – occur in Australian waters, including the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters. Of these, 138 are found nowhere else on Earth.</p> <p>Globally, sharks face a dire conservation crisis. About <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">32% of species</a> are threatened with extinction and less than half are assessed as “Least Concern” (not at risk of extinction).</p> <p>The main threats around the world are overfishing combined with <a href="https://www.cms.int/en/publication/sharks-ahead-realizing-potential-convention-migratory-species-conserve-elasmobranchs-0">inadequate management</a> such as a lack of fishing regulations, weak protections for threatened species and poor implementation of international agreements.</p> <p>Australia’s relatively better position is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsx113">result</a> of a long history of ocean policy and fisheries management. Australia also has extensive areas with only <a href="https://www.awe.gov.au/abares/research-topics/fisheries/fishery-status-reports#full-report">limited or no fishing pressure</a> as well as a representative network of <a href="https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/">marine parks</a>.</p> <p>But some regions, particularly waters off Australia’s southeast, have experienced <a href="https://www.awe.gov.au/abares/research-topics/fisheries/fishery-status-reports#full-report">high</a> levels of fishing pressure which threaten some species.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/system/files/Shark_Action_Plan_FINAL_Sept7_2021_WEB_RGB.pdf">Other threats</a> to sharks in Australian waters include shark control measures in some states, habitat degradation, aquaculture and climate change.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425734/original/file-20211011-23-1cp10rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Sharks rays and ghost sharks are known as cartilaginous fishes. Pictured: the threatened Melbourne Skate.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ian Shaw</span></span></p> <h2>What the research found</h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/news/threatened-shark-species-%E2%80%98out-sight-out-mind%E2%80%99-first-complete-national-assessment-australia%E2%80%99s#overlay-context=theme/theme-threatened-and-migratory-species">research</a> I led examined the national status of Australian sharks.</p> <p>The news is a lot brighter than the global situation. Of all sharks occurring in Australian waters, 70% were assessed as “Least Concern”.</p> <p>But we identified 39 Australian shark species threatened with extinction. And worryingly, most lack the protection or conservation plans needed for their populations to recover.</p> <p>For example, only nine of the species are listed as threatened under Australia’s federal environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.</p> <p>We identified five species where the data is robust enough to pass the threatened species nomination process, and recommend federal authorities consider these species for immediate listing. They consist of:</p> <ul> <li>greeneye spurdog</li> <li>eastern angelshark</li> <li>whitefin swellshark</li> <li>narrow sawfish</li> <li>Australian longnose skate.</li> </ul> <p>However, this still leaves a group of under-studied threatened species at risk of slipping through the cracks, because not enough data exists to support official listing nominations. We identified 12 species facing this predicament.</p> <p>For example, we assessed three species of small rays from southeast Australia, known as <a href="https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/family/334">stingarees</a>, as vulnerable to extinction due to commercial fishing. The species’ decline has been recorded since the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF99174">late 1990s</a>. However, nominations to be listed as threatened under federal law will require more data, particularly contemporary catch levels and trends.</p> <p>As with many other species we identified, there is currently no mechanism – or dedicated funding – in place to ensure such data is collected.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436576/original/file-20211209-27-1bianty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A small shark" /> <span class="caption">Colclough’s Shark, a rare threatened shark at risk of falling through the cracks.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nigel Marsh</span></span></p> <h2>How to save Australian sharks</h2> <p>Major investment is needed to recover Australia’s threatened sharks. Using the <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12682?af=R">mean estimated cost</a> of recovering a threatened fish species and accounting for <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/">inflation</a>, I calculate the cost at about A$114 million each year.</p> <p>The figure represents about 0.3% of the national defence budget – a benchmark against which the costs of environmental action are often <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-could-green-its-degraded-landscapes-for-just-6-of-what-we-spend-on-defence-168807">compared</a>.</p> <p>More broadly, financial investment in threatened species in Australia has been shown to be <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12682?af=R">inadequate</a>.</p> <p>Recent federal funding announcements include <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/australia-announces-100-million-initiative-protect-our-oceans">A$100 million</a> to protect oceans and $57 million linked to the national <a href="https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/national-strategy-protect-threatened-species">threatened species strategy</a>. This comes nowhere near the level of investment required.</p> <p>Australia urgently needs a dedicated, adequately resourced fund with the aim of recovering and delisting threatened species. Such a fund should support the recovery planning process – in contrast to current federal government moves to scrap recovery plans for nearly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/18/coalition-plans-to-scrap-recovery-plans-for-200-endangered-species-and-habitats">200 threatened species</a>.</p> <p>Our research is a call to action to secure all Australia’s sharks. It provides a benchmark from which changes can be measured, and hopefully will help guide management to prevent extinctions.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161352/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-kyne-118871">Peter Kyne</a>, Senior Research Fellow in conservation biology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-real-reason-to-worry-about-sharks-in-australian-waters-this-summer-1-in-8-are-endangered-161352">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Andrew Fox</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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With commercial galleries an endangered species, are art fairs a necessary evil?

<p>Although record numbers of people are flocking to exhibitions in the major public art galleries, foot traffic into commercial art galleries is dwindling at an alarming rate. Embarrassed gallery directors of well-established and well-known commercial art galleries will quietly confess that frequently they scarcely get more than a dozen visitors a day. Outside the flurry of activity on the day of the opening, very little happens for the duration of the show.</p> <p>This is not a peculiarity of the Australian art scene, I have heard similar accounts in London, Manhattan and Paris. The art public has largely ceased visiting commercial art galleries as a regular social activity and art collectors are frequently buying over the internet or through art fairs. In fact, many galleries admit that most of their sales occur via their websites, through commissions or at art fairs, with a shrinking proportion from exhibitions or their stockroom by actual walk-in customers.</p> <p>The commercial art galleries have become an endangered species and their numbers are shrinking before our eyes. Leaving aside China and its urban arts precincts, such as <a href="http://www.798district.com/">798 Art Zone in Beijing</a>, again this is a trend that can be noted in much of Europe, America and Australasia.</p> <p>At the same time, the art market is relatively buoyant, albeit somewhat differently configured from the traditional one. The art auction market in many quarters is thriving and, as persistent rumours have it, not infrequently auction houses leave their role as purely a secondary market and increasingly source work directly from artists’ studios. This seeps into their lavish catalogues.</p> <p>The other booming part of the art trade is the art fairs. Here I will pause on a case study of the <a href="http://www.artfair.co.nz/">Auckland Art Fair 2019</a>. Started by a charitable trust about a dozen years ago and run as a biennial, in 2016 the fair, with new sponsorship and a new management team of Stephanie Post and Hayley White, was reorientated. As of 2018, it has become an annual art fair with a focus on the Pacific Rim region. It remains the only major art fair in New Zealand.</p> <p>Situated in The Cloud, a scenic setting on Queens Wharf in central Auckland, this location also limits its size to create an intimate, friendly, human-scale fair, unlike the vast expanses of the <a href="http://www.expochicago.com/">Chicago Art Fair</a> or even <a href="http://www.sydneycontemporary.com.au/">Sydney Contemporary</a> in the Carriageworks.</p> <p>The nuts and bolts of the Auckland Art Fair is that galleries from the Pacific Rim region can apply to exhibit and a curatorial committee of four curators, two from public galleries and two from commercial ones, select about 40 galleries for participation. The event, which is held over five days, attracts about 10,000 visitors and generates between $6-7 million in art sales.</p> <p>The fair costs about $1 million to stage with 90% of this sum raised from sponsorship, ticket sales and gallery fees and the rest a grant from Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. The public pays an admission fee of between $25-30, depending on when they book.</p> <p>Art fairs are popular with local governments as they invariably attract people and businesses into the city. In Auckland Art Fair 2019, held in the first week in May, there were 41 galleries participating, almost 30 from various parts of NZ, the rest from Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Shanghai, Jakarta, Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and Santiago.</p> <p>According to Stephanie Post, a major purpose of the fair is to build a new art audience and, by extension, a new generation of art collectors. The fair is designed to fill the gap between the primary and secondary art markets. For this reason, there is a whole series of “projects” that generally promote new art, frequently by emerging artists, many currently without representation by a commercial art gallery. In 2019 there were ten of these non-commercial projects at the fair.</p> <p>These projects, for the past three art fairs, have been curated by Francis McWhannell, who now plans to step aside to be replaced by a new set of curatorial eyes. There are also various lectures, talks, panel discussions and related exhibitions. This year, most notably, there is “China Import Direct”, a curated cross-section of digital and video art from across China with some stunning and quite edgy material by Yuan Keru, Wang Newone and Lu Yang, amongst others.</p> <h2>A mixed bag</h2> <p>Predictably, art at the Auckland Art Fair 2019 is a mixed bag, but the stronger works do outnumber those that are best passed over in silence. In terms of sales, within the first couple of hours quite a number of the big-ticket items were sold, such as work by the Australians Patricia Piccinini and Dale Frank.</p> <p>Looking around this year’s fair, some of the highlights included Seraphine Pick at Michael Lett; Robert Ellis at Bowerbank Ninow; Max Gimblett at Gow Longsford Gallery; Anne Wallace and Juan Davila at Kalli Rolfe; Christine Webster at Trish Clark; Daniel Unverricht and Richard Lewer at Suite, Toss Woollaston at Page Blackie Gallery, Dame Robin White and Gretchen Albrecht at Two Rooms; Robyn Kahukiwa at Warwick Henderson Gallery; Geoff Thornley at Fox Jensen McCrory; Simon Kaan at Sanderson; James Ormsby at Paulnache and Kai Wasikowski at the Michael Bugelli Gallery.</p> <p>This selective list of names, to which many others can be added, indicates something of the spread and diversity of the artists being presented at the fair – not only in style and medium, but in the whole range of languages of visualisation and conceptualisation. Although there are a few deceased artists included, like Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Colin McCahon (neither represented by a particularly strong work), like most art fairs there is a predominance of well-established blue chip artists, a scattering of art market darlings plus a few unexpected newcomers.</p> <p>A criticism of art fairs is that they are an expensive market place with high overhead costs, which discourage too much experimentation with “untested” emerging artists. Despite the welcome initiatives of the “projects”, Auckland in this respect falls into line with the pattern of most fairs.</p> <p>The oft-repeated claim that they create a new art audience is also difficult to quantify. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that many who go to fairs may not have ever entered a commercial art gallery before, this does not appear to be followed up by a conversion of this audience into regular gallery goers.</p> <h2>A spectacle</h2> <p>Art fairs and blockbuster exhibitions in public art galleries have become popular people magnet events. They are a form of entertainment that is becoming more of a surrogate for consuming art than some sort of conduit for a return to more traditional patterns of art appreciation and acquisition. They are noisy, crowded and colourful spectacles – more like a party than a quiet arena for the contemplation of art.</p> <p>Is this such a bad thing? Observing the spectacle in Auckland, I was struck by the youthfulness of the thousands of visitors. For many, it seemed the idea that they could afford to purchase an original artwork came as a revelation. Perhaps this was not a $100,000 painting by a major artist, but something more modest and frequently more to their tastes. Nevertheless, new buyers are being introduced to original art and this in itself has to be a positive development.</p> <p>Art fairs globally are breeding a cult of dependency with some “commercial” art galleries increasingly divesting themselves of a physical existence and living from fair to fair. For a while, this was a complete no-no and fairs insisted that participant galleries had a bricks-and-mortar existence, but in many instances the borders are fudged and to be a gallery you need only be an established art trading entity.</p> <p>Art fairs are here to stay; the future of commercial art galleries is far more problematic.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/with-commercial-galleries-an-endangered-species-are-art-fairs-a-necessary-evil-116680" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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Hundreds of koalas brutally murdered during routine logging

<p>WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES</p> <p>A few hundred of perhaps Australia’s most beloved animal, koalas, have reportedly been murdered in Victoria this week.</p> <p>Animals Australia has shared devastating images of injured and dead koalas who were “mowed down” after logging occurred 12km west of Portland.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">On becoming aware of this situation on Friday, we flew in a veterinary team from <a href="https://twitter.com/Vets_Compassion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vets_Compassion</a>. A second vet team was flown in to assist with the treatment of surviving animals yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/sSlF43IbLV">pic.twitter.com/sSlF43IbLV</a></p> — Animals Australia (@AnimalsAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnimalsAus/status/1223738890277646336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>The species – who are now a threatened species after one of Australia’s worst bushfire season in recorded history – were hurt at a razed bluegum plantation.</p> <p>“Koalas are having their homes mowed down,” said Animals Australia.</p> <p>“On becoming aware of this situation on Friday, we flew in a veterinary team,” Animals Australia confirmed on Sunday morning.</p> <p>“With the support of local authorities and wildlife carers, vets are seeking to save as many of these precious animals as possible.”</p> <p>The details of this case are still unknown, Animals Australia confirmed on Sunday.</p> <p>“We are still gathering the details as to what has occurred in this case but it would appear that there are various breaches of legislation, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which we will be supporting authorities to pursue,” they said on social media.</p> <p>“By law, the companies that own these plantations must provide koala ‘spotters’ to identify koalas in trees before logging commences, so that animals can be safely removed and relocated.</p> <p>“There is also a legal responsibility to ensure the welfare of koalas after logging has ceased.”</p> <p>It is assumed that in result of the habitat destruction from bushfires, hundreds of koalas sought refuge on commercial property.</p> <p>“The logging of these forests then destroys precious habitat,” shared Animals Australia.</p> <p>Wildlife Victoria CEO Dr Megan Davidson said it was impossible to understand how the logging could happen if koalas were in them.</p> <p>“In these tragic cases, we are so sad not only for the animals, but also for the wildlife carers and vets who are on the ground dealing with the horrors of dead, broken, sick and orphaned animals,” Davidson said.</p> <p>“Here’s a thought,” shared Animals Australia. “How about instead of planting plantations then mowing them down, we should be planting blue gum and leaving them for koalas to live in.”</p> <p>The gruesome images have resulted in calls for change at a national level, with a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.change.org/p/daniel-andrews-koala-massacres-portland-victoria?recruiter=743946376&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=share_petition&amp;recruited_by_id=05242690-62d9-11e7-88b5-65895f00d004" target="_blank">Change.org petition</a> already up and running.</p> <p>“This barbaric practice needs to stop across the state and immediately,” the petition – directed to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews – reads.</p> <p>As reported by the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) there are less than 100,000 koalas left in the wild and the population could be in fact as low as 43,000.</p> <p>If Australia’s koala population falls below 50,000 it would be “functionally extinct”, the AKF said.</p>

Family & Pets

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High-tech fishing gear could help save endangered right whales

<p>Many fish, marine mammals and seabirds that inhabit the world’s oceans are critically endangered, but few are as close to the brink as the North Atlantic right whale (<em>Eubalaena glacialis</em>). <a href="https://www.narwc.org/uploads/1/1/6/6/116623219/2018report_cardfinal.pdf">Only about 411 of these whales exist today</a>, and at their current rate of decline, they could become extinct within our lifetimes.</p> <p>From 1980 through about 2010, conservation efforts focused mainly on protecting whales from being struck by ships. Federal regulations helped <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales">reduce vessel collisions</a> and supported a slight rebound in right whale numbers.</p> <p>But at the same time, growing numbers of right whales died after becoming entangled in lobster and crab fishing gear, and the population has taken a significant downward turn. This may have happened because fishing ropes became stronger, and both whales and fishermen shifted their ranges so that areas of overlap increased. In research that is <a href="https://www.int-res.com/prepress/d03376.html">currently in press</a>, we show that 72% of diagnosed mortalities between 2010-2018 occurred due to entanglements.</p> <p>This comes after a millennium of whaling that decimated the right whale population, reducing it from perhaps between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12664">10,000 to 20,000</a> to a few hundred animals today. And entanglement deaths are <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/230653">much more inhumane</a> than harpoons. A whaler’s explosive harpoon kills quickly, compared to months of drawn-out pain and debilitation caused by seemingly harmless fishing lines. We believe these deaths can be prevented by working with the trap fishing industries to adopt <a href="https://ropeless.org/">ropeless fishing gear</a> – but North Atlantic right whales are running out of time.</p> <p><strong>Deadly encounters</strong></p> <p>Whalers pursued right whales for centuries because this species swam relatively slowly and floated when dead, so it was easier to kill and retrieve than other whales. By the mid-20th century, scientists assumed they had been hunted to extinction. But in 1980, researchers from the New England Aquarium who were studying marine mammal distribution in the Bay of Fundy off eastern Canada were stunned when they <a href="https://www.canadianwhaleinstitute.ca/habitats">sighted 26 right whales</a>.</p> <p>Conservation efforts led to the enactment of regulations that required commercial ships to <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales">slow down</a> in zones along the U.S. Atlantic coast where they were highly likely to encounter whales, reducing boat strikes. But this victory has been offset by rising numbers of entanglements.</p> <p>Adult right whales can produce up to an estimated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12230">8,000 pounds of force</a> with a single stroke of their flukes. When they become tangled in fishing gear, they often break it and swim off trailing ropes and sometimes crab or lobster traps.</p> <p>Lines and gear can wrap around a whale’s body, flukes, flippers and mouth. They impede swimming and feeding, and cause chronic infection, emaciation and damage to blubber, muscle and bone. Ultimately these injuries weaken the animal until it dies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsu008">which can take months to years</a>.</p> <p>One of us, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&amp;user=DQ-fD1QAAAAJ">Michael Moore</a>, is trained as a veterinarian and has examined many entangled dead whales. Moore has seen fishing rope embedded inches deep into a whale’s lip, and a juvenile whale whose spine had been deformed by the strain of dragging fishing gear. Other animals had flippers nearly severed by swimming wrapped in inexorably constricting ropes. Entanglement injuries to right whales are the worst animal trauma Moore has seen in his career.</p> <p>Even if whales are able to wriggle free and live, the extreme stress and energy demands of entanglement, along with inadequate nutrition, are thought to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2615">preventing females from getting pregnant</a> and contributing to record low calving rates in recent years.</p> <p><strong>Solutions for whales and fishermen</strong></p> <p>The greatest entanglement risk is from ropes that lobster and crab fishermen use to attach buoys to traps they set on the ocean floor. Humpback and minke whales and leatherback sea turtles, all of which are federally protected, also become entangled.</p> <p>Conservationists are looking for ways to modify or eliminate these ropes. Rock lobster fishermen in Australia already use <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeieRr7sTw">pop-up buoys</a> that ascend when they receive sound signals from fishing boats. The buoys trail out ropes as they rise, which fishermen retrieve and use to pull up their traps.</p> <p>Other technologies are <a href="https://www.wnpr.org/post/innovations-fishing-gear-could-change-lobster-industry-help-endangered-right-whale">in development</a>, including systems that <a href="https://ropeless.org/november-6th-2018-presentations/">acoustically identify traps on the seafloor</a> and mark them with “virtual buoys” on fishermen’s chart plotters, eliminating the need for surface buoys. Fishermen also routinely use a customized hook on the end of a rope to catch the line between traps and haul them to the surface when the buoy line goes missing.</p> <p>Transitioning to ropeless technology will require a sea change in some of North America’s most valuable fisheries. The 2016 U.S. lobster catch was worth <a href="https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/annual-landings/index">US$670 million</a>. Canadian fishermen landed <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/sea-maritimes/s2016av-eng.htm">CA$1.3 billion</a> worth of lobster and <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/sea-maritimes/s2016av-eng.htm">CA$590 million</a> worth of snow crab.</p> <p>Just as no fisherman wants to catch a whale, researchers and conservationists don’t want to put fishermen out of business. In our view, ropeless technologies offer a genuine opportunity for whales and the fishing industry to co-exist if they can be made functional, affordable and safe to use.</p> <p>Switching to ropeless gear is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/lobster-trap-aims-protect-endangered-whalesand-fishers-livelihoods-180971208/">unlikely to be cheap</a>. But as systems evolve and simplify, and production scales up, they will become more affordable. And government support could help fishermen make the shift. In Canada, the federal and New Brunswick provincial governments recently awarded CA$2 million to Canadian snow crab fishermen to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/snow-crab-right-whale-fishing-gear-research-1.5143321">test two ropeless trap designs</a>.</p> <p>Converting could save fishermen money in the long run. For example, California Dungeness crab fishermen closed their 2019 season three months ahead of schedule on April 15 to settle a lawsuit over whale entanglements, leaving crab they could have caught still in the water. Under the agreement, fishermen using ropeless gear will be <a href="https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/dungeness-drag/">exempt from future early closures</a>.</p> <p><strong>A rebound is possible</strong></p> <p>The <a href="https://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/">Endangered Species Act</a> and <a href="https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/marine-mammal-protection-act.html">Marine Mammal Protection Act</a> require the U.S. government to conserve endangered species. In Congress, the pending <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1568/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+3729%22%5D%7D">SAVE Right Whales Act of 2019</a> would provide $5 million annually for collaborative research into preventing mortalities caused by the fishing and shipping industries. And an advisory committee to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently recommended <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/team-reaches-nearly-unanimous-consensus-right-whale-survival-measures">significant fishing protections</a>, focused primarily on reducing the number of ropes in the water column and the strength of the remaining lines.</p> <p>Consumers can also help. Public outcry over dolphin bycatch in tuna fisheries spurred passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and led to <a href="https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&amp;ParentMenuId=228&amp;id=1408">dolphin-safe tuna labeling</a>, which ultimately reduced dolphin mortalities from half a million to about 1,000 animals annually. Choosing lobster and crab products <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy194">caught without endangering whales</a> could accelerate a similar transition.</p> <p>North Atlantic right whales can still thrive if humans make it possible. The closely related southern right whale (<em>Eubalaena australis</em>), which has faced few human threats since the end of commercial whaling, has rebounded from just 300 animals in the early 20th century to an <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/southern-right-whale-eubalaena-australis-5-year-review-summary-and-evaluation">estimated 15,000 in 2010</a>.</p> <p>There are real ways to save North Atlantic right whales. If they go extinct, it will be on this generation’s watch.</p> <p><em>Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 28, 2019 to correct the number of North Atlantic right whale deaths in recent years that were caused by entanglements.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115974/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-moore-652534">Michael Moore</a>, Senior Scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/woods-hole-oceanographic-institution-954">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-myers-726400">Hannah Myers</a>, Guest Investigator, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/woods-hole-oceanographic-institution-954">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-fishing-gear-could-help-save-critically-endangered-right-whales-115974">original article</a>.</em></p>

Family & Pets

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How your holiday photos could help save endangered species

<p>Animal populations have declined on average by <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/animal-decline-living-planet-report-conservation-news/">60 per cent since 1970</a>, and it’s predicted that around <a href="https://theconversation.com/revolutionary-change-needed-to-stop-unprecedented-global-extinction-crisis-116166">a million species are at risk of extinction</a>. As more of the Earth’s biodiversity disappears and the human population grows, protected landscapes that are set aside to conserve biodiversity are increasingly important. Sadly, many are underfunded – some of Africa’s most treasured wildlife reserves operate in <a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/more-than-usd1-billion-per-year-needed-to-secure-africas-protected-areas-with-lions/">funding deficits of hundreds of millions of dollars</a>.</p> <p>In unfenced wilderness, scientists rarely have an inventory on the exact numbers of species in an area at a particular time. Instead they make inferences using one of many different survey approaches, including camera traps, track surveys, and drones. These methods can estimate how much and what kind of wildlife is present, but often require large amounts of effort, time and money.</p> <p>Camera traps are placed in remote locations and activated by movement. They can collect vast quantities of data by taking photographs and videos of passing animals. But this can cost tens of thousands of dollars to run and once in the wild, cameras are at the mercy of curious wildlife.</p> <p>Track surveys rely on specialist trackers, who aren’t always available and drones, while promising, have restricted access to many tourism areas in Africa. All of this makes wildlife monitoring difficult to carry out and repeat over large areas. Without knowing what’s out there, making conservation decisions based on evidence becomes almost impossible.</p> <p><strong>Citizen science on Safari</strong></p> <p>Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world – <a href="https://www.atta.travel/news/2019/04/an-analysis-of-africas-tourism-market-for-april-2019/">42m people visited</a> sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 alone. Many come for the unique wildlife and unknowingly collect valuable conservation data with their phones and cameras. Photographs on social media are already being used to help <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/uae/chimp-facial-recognition-technology-to-target-wildlife-traffickers-1.832456">track the illegal wildlife trade</a> and how often <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-social-media-can-help-sustainable-nature-tourism-100112">areas of wilderness are visited by tourists</a>.</p> <p>Despite this, tourists and their guides are still an overlooked source of information. Could your holidays snaps help monitor endangered wildlife? <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30626-8">In a recent study</a>, we tested exactly this.</p> <p>Partnering with a tour operator in Botswana, we approached all guests passing through a safari lodge over three months in the Okavango Delta and asked them if they were interested in contributing their photographs to help with conservation. We provided those interested with a small GPS logger – the type commonly used for tracking pet cats – so that we could see where the images were being taken.</p> <p>We then collected, processed, and passed the images through computer models to estimate the densities of five large African carnivore species – lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, African wild dogs and cheetahs. We compared these densities to those from three of the most popular carnivore survey approaches in Africa – camera trapping, track surveys, and call-in stations, which play sounds through a loudspeaker to attract wildlife so they can be counted.</p> <p>The tourist photographs provided similar estimates to the other approaches and were, in total, cheaper to collect and process. Relying on tourists to help survey wildlife saved up to US$840 per survey season. Even better, it was the only method to detect cheetahs in the area – though so few were sighted that their total density couldn’t be confirmed.</p> <p>Thousands of wildlife photographs are taken every day, and the study showed that we can use statistical models to cut through the noise and get valuable data for conservation. Still, relying on researchers to visit tourist groups and coordinate their photograph collection would be difficult to replicate across many areas. Luckily, that’s where wildlife tour operators could come in.</p> <p>Tour operators could help collect tourist images to share with researchers. If the efforts of tourists were paired with AI that could process millions of images quickly, conservationists could have a simple and low-cost method for monitoring wildlife.</p> <p>Tourist photographs are best suited for monitoring large species that live in areas often visited by tourists – species that tend to have high economic and ecological value. While this method perhaps isn’t as well suited to smaller species, it can still indirectly support their conservation by helping protect the landscapes they live in.</p> <p>The line between true wilderness and landscapes modified by humans is becoming increasingly blurred, and more people are visiting wildlife in their natural habitats. This isn’t always a good thing, but maybe conservationists can use these travels to their advantage and help conserve some of the most iconic species on our planet.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118085/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Kasim Rafiq, Postdoctoral Researcher in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Liverpool John Moores University</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-your-holiday-photos-could-help-save-endangered-species-118085"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

International Travel

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See Africa's pink flamingos while you still can

<p>They are one of the world’s most spectacular birds. Tall, elegant and candy floss pink, flamingoes are a sight to behold – especially when they are flocked in their thousands across the shallow waters of an African lake. But these quirky creatures could be living on borrowed time as changes in the environment threaten their very specialised breeding sites.</p> <p>Two thirds of the total population of flamingoes lives in southern and eastern Africa, particularly around the lakes of Kenya’s Rift Valley. These lakes represent a remarkable ecosystem that is toxic to almost all other wildlife. They are super alkaline and host enormous blooms of blue green algea, which the birds eat by filtering water through their beak. The waters can also be hypersaline, with a salt content that would be poisonous to other animals. The water in Lake Natron, for example, would strip away human skin. Over millennia, flamingoes have developed special tough skin and scales to stand in the water, and they can drink water at near boiling temperatures from the edge of geysers.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35796/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (219)"/></p> <p>Because so few of these unique environments exist in the world, flamingoes are made especially vulnerable. Changes in water temperature, brought about by climate change, can quickly kill off the algae and leave flamingoes with nothing to eat, meaning huge numbers can literally starve to death. Pollution from mining and agriculture can upset the delicate balance of chemicals in the water, cause huge bacterial outbreaks and poison the birds with heavy metals. In desperation, flamingoes have been known to turn to other less-desirable food sources, which can weaken them considerably.</p> <p>In 2008, 30,000 birds died at Lake Bogoria in one week. The same number died at Lake Nakuru in 2006. More than 40,000 birds died within a short window at Lake Manyara in both 2004 and 1993. Scientists have been unable to fully understand what caused these mass deaths and so are unable to predict when another may occur. Efforts are being undertaken to protect the integrity of these lakes, though environmental changes and human intervention are hard to prevent.</p> <p>The sight of up to one million flamingoes blanketing the water in a riot of vibrant pinks is breath taking. If the entire population could be lost within the next century, there’s no time to waste.</p> <p>Have you ever been to Africa? Scroll through the gallery above to see more images of these incredible birds.</p>

International Travel

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Giant pandas taken off endangered list

<p>Great news for lovers of the black and white bears! Giant pandas are no longer endangered, with the panda’s official status downgraded to “vulnerable”.</p> <p>The International Union for Conservation of Nature said in a report on Sunday the panda is now classified as a “vulnerable” instead of “endangered” species.</p> <p>The panda population declined dramatically in the 1980s to an estimated low of less than 1,000 due to poaching and deforestation. Since 2014 there has been a 17 per cent increase in the wild panda population, jumping from 1,596 in 2004 to 1,864 in 2014. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been working closely with the Chinese government to save and expand their habitat, enforce poaching bans and increase funding to their breeding project.</p> <p>“For over 50 years, the giant panda has been the globe’s most beloved conservation icon as well as the symbol of WWF. Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world’s wildlife and their habitats,” said WWF Director General Marco Lambertini.</p> <p>“The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity."</p> <p>While pandas are not out of the woods yet, it’s great news that conservation efforts are working and that the beloved creature may still be here for future generations.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/07/why-do-dogs-tilt-their-head/"><em>Why do dogs tilt their head?</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/07/test-to-find-out-how-smart-your-dog-is/"><em>Take this test to find out how smart your dog is</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/07/9-tips-for-calming-your-cat/"><em>9 tips for calming your cat</em></a></strong></span></p>

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Perth Zoo celebrates birth of endangered kangaroo

<p>Perth Zoo is celebrating the birth of an incredibly rare Goodfellows tree-kangaroo, which is the first successful birth in captivity of the endangered animal in 36 years.</p> <p>And as you can see in the video above, he’s very cute.</p> <p>The joey, named Mian, is now one of only 15 male Goodfellows tree-kangaroos in captivity worldwide. The species, also known as the ornate tree kangaroo, has seen its wild population sliced in half over the last 30 years due to hunting and a loss of habitat.</p> <p>The successful birth is reportedly a real boon for the species, which is native to Papua New Guinea and in the wild spends its time living in the tree canopy.</p> <p>Australian Fauna Keeper Kerry Pickles told <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Huffington Post</strong></span></a>’, "His genetics will be very valuable when he reaches breeding age."</p> <p>While he’s probably not the kind of kangaroo we’ve grown accustomed to, we still think Mian is very cute. What’s your favourite experience with a kangaroo?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Video credit: Facebook / Perth Zoo</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/06/boy-is-overwhelmed-at-toy-store/" target="_blank"><strong>Adorable little boy can’t contain himself at the toy store</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/06/dancing-toddler-upstages-professional-performers/"><strong>Dancing toddler upstages professional performers</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/06/video-girl-insists-her-dad-cannot-count/"><strong>Video girl insists her dad cannot count</strong></a></em></span></p>

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8 endangered animal encounters to put on your bucket list

<p>We as humans have an insatiable curiosity when it comes to animals, yet as a species we have endangered the future of many of them. Thankfully, there are many organisations trying to right the wrongs of man and the severity of the food chain. </p> <p>However, even low impact tourism can have negative impacts on animal populations and fragile habitats. Dermet O’Gormaan from  the World Wildlife Fund explains that</p> <p>"Massive influxes of tourists, often to a relatively small area, can add to the pollution, waste, and water needs of the local population, putting local infrastructure and habitats under enormous pressure."</p> <p>For many animal lovers, a visit to a wildlife sanctuary provides the rare opportunity to interact with species on a more intimate level, however to truly support the plight of endangered animals, these “sanctuaries" need to meet certain requirements.</p> <p>World Expeditions has now developed its own animal welfare in tourism code of conduct in partnership with World Animal Protection. There are no guaranteed sightings, forced breeding or animals jumping through hoops. Instead, these are respectful and passive nature experiences.</p> <p>So pack your binoculars, tread lightly, and enjoy the rewards of observing these amazing top 8 endangered animals.</p> <p><strong>1. King Penguin</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Antarctica; Tierra del Fuego, Argentina</p> <p><strong>2. Grey Wolf</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Yellowstone National Park or Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming<br /> <br /><strong>3. African elephant</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Botswana; Serengeti National Park, Tanzania; Kruger National Park, South Africa<br /> <br /><strong>4. Giant Panda</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Zoo’s in Chengdu, China</p> <p><strong>5. Mountain Gorilla</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Virunga Mountains, Rwanda, Uganda</p> <p><strong>6. Marmot</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Mountainous areas in Europe, north-western Asia and North America. Head out for walks on trails at a higher altitude. </p> <p><strong>7. Humpback whale</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: Eastcoast of Australia. Head to Sydney's beach cliffs for a chance to observe these ancient creatures of the sea gracefully breaching.</p> <p><strong>8. Giant sea tortoise</strong></p> <p>Where to see them: The beaches of Galapagos Islands.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/best-countries-to-visit-in-2016/"><em>Top 10 countries to visit in 2016</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/best-value-travel-in-2016/"><em>10 best-value travel destinations for 2016</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/11/whistler-resort-canada-tourist-guide/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>The snow-capped mountain metropolis people never want to leave<br /></em></strong></span></a></p>

International Travel