Halibut Herald September 26

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ALIBUT HERALD September 26, 2008

Bits and Bites

This is the amazing moment when a 50-ton right whale decided it needed to take a closer look at a wildlife photographer and his assistant. Brian Skerry was shooting pictures off the coast of Aukland Islands when the giant mammal came within a few feet of his colleague Maurricio Handler. He said: 'It look at me with great curiosity. But no aggression.' Right whales are baleen whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Four right whale species are recognised in this genus. READ MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1062892/Pictured-A-photographers-close-encounter-majestic-right-whale.html

****************************** PHOTOS: Best Science Images of 2008 Announced http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/photogalleries/2008best-science-photos/index.html

Scientists Develop Plastic-Producing Bacteria

Scientists at Genomatica Inc. recently announced that they have developed strains of bacteria that are able to produce plastic without the use of oil or natural gas. The sustainable process utilizes little more than sugar and water to produce butanediol (BDO), which can be manufactured into everything from plastics and fibers to pharmaceuticals. Genomatica estimates that within a year the energy-efficient process will cost less than current hydrocarbon-based processes - a revolutionary development since close to 3 billion pounds of BDO manufactured each year. Currently BDO is made exclusively with oil and natural gas, and its production is very energy-intensive. Utilizing sugar and E. Coli to create the chemical allows the production process to be conducted under normal pressure and temperatures, which drastically cuts it energy use: “By using advanced computational modeling and evolution based methods to rapidly engineer living organisms, Genomatica can produce valuable chemicals from renewable feedstocks at low cost.” The bacteria-grown plastic can be produced in large fermentation tanks in a manner similar the way that algae is being used to produce biofuels, and the company plans on using sugars that are non-competitive with the food industry to steer clear of some of the conflicts that have been brought up with ethanol-based fuels. http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/22/scientists-develop-plastic-producing-bacteria/

****************************** Toronto could become electric transportation hub http://www.thestar.com/article/496313 Neanderthals Ate Dolphins, Seals, Cave Remains Suggest http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/080922-neanderthalscaves.html

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Just how awesome is this: National Geographic photographer Robert B. Haas captured this aerial photo of a flock of flamingo birds shaped like a giant flamingo!

More News Links

Library News Modified Library Hours: Mon Sept 29 – 9am-3:30pm (Jenny) Tues Sept 30 – closed Wed Oct 1 – 9am-12pm (volunteer) Thurs Oct 2 – 9am-11:30am (Jenny): a volunteer might keep the Library open until 2pm Fri Oct 3 – 9am-2:30pm (Jenny) Mon Oct 6 – 9am-3:30pm (Jenny) Tues Oct 7 – closed Wed Oct 8 – 9am-12pm (volunteer) Thurs Oct 9 – 9am-11:30am (Jenny): a volunteer might keep the Library open until 2pm Fri Oct 10 – 9am-2:30pm (Jenny) Please return or renew your overdue library items at your earliest convenience. BioOne The BioOne online journals collection is available to all staff and volunteers of the Aquarium and can be accessed either from your desk-top at work or from home BioOne includes a broad selection of the full-texts of peer-reviewed journals published by not-for-profit societies and other publishing organizations. Articles are available in both HTML and PDF formats. Our subscription includes 86 titles from 63 publishers. The username and password is not to be used by anyone other than staff or volunteers of the Aquarium so please do not share the username/password with anyone else or our license will be revoked. To access BioOne from the Aquarium or from home, go to www.bioone.org Some articles are “open access”, meaning the full-text is available without a password. If the article you want does require a user name and password: Username = vancouver Password = aqua BioOne is free for anyone to search. You can also register for free for your own profile which will allow you set up email alerts or RSS feeds for particular journals under your own name and email address Titles of interest include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (American Association of Zoo Veterinarians) Copeia (The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists) Mammalian Species (American Society of Mammalogists) Journal of Mammalogy (American Society of Mammalogists) South American Journal of Herpetology (Brazilian Society of Herpetology) Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter (Chelonian Research Foundation) Journal of Coastal Research (Coastal Education and Research Foundation) Journal of Crustacean Biology (The Crustacean Society) Journal of Coastal Conservation (EUCC - The Coastal Union) Current Herpetology (The Herpetological Society of Japan) Herpetological Monographs (The Herpetologists' League) Herpetologica (The Herpetologists' League) Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado) Journal of Herpetology (The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles) Pacific Science (University of Hawai'i Press)

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Invasive Plant Science (Weed Science Society of America)

Please think of the environment when you are doing your research and limit the amount of items you need to print out. Collecting Pledges for the 2008 CIBC Run/Walk for the Cure th

I am walking on Oct 5 in the CIBC Run/Walk for the Cure for my Mom who just finished treatment. I’m collecting pledges in the Library on Mondays, Thursday mornings, and Fridays. Donations of $20 or more get a tax receipt. Cheques can be made payable to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, or donate by clicking here: https://www.cibcrunforthecure.com/html/participant_search.asp (my Run Location is Vancouver) THANKS! – Jenny Fry

Archival Photo

Wild Coast Bald Eagle, Margaret Butschler (March 2002)

Green Team Ride-Sharing for Employees of the Vancouver Aquarium The Vancouver Aquarium has its very own Ride Share site for Aquarium employees! Jack Bell Ride-Share allows you to find ride matches with coworkers to fill your personal car, find a driver to carpool with, or use a Jack Bell fleet vehicle! This calculates both costs and greenhouse gas savings at the same time! Registration is restricted to email addresses ending in @vanaqua.org. Register today! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Go to http://vanaqua.ride-share.com/en/my/ Register for free with your @vanaqua.org email address Enter your home address Search for matching commuters with adjustable search options Click matching commuters to suggest a ride-share Start ride-sharing!

Quick Tip: Did you know that approximately 45% of commuters in Metro Vancouver travel alone in their vehicles? Ridesharing with just 1 other person would eliminate over 1 million cars a day crossing in and out of Metro Vancouver. This is equivalent to 1.6 million litres of gas saved, and 4000 tonnes of greenhouse gases not emitted.

Other sustainable modes of transportation: Don’t forget, every day is a good day to walk, bike, or swim to the Aquarium! Did you know that the Vancouver Aquarium has shower and locker facilities as well as secure bike storage for cyclists? Secure bike storage is found on the east side of the building near the Grounds office, and the shower and locker facilities are in the washrooms on the 1st floor (basement) of Aquaquest.

Events

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Aquarium Events Calendar Deadline!! If you would like to submit an event to the Events Calendar for the month of Ocotber, Please email the information to [email protected] by Friday September 26. The calendar will be sent every last Friday of each month and will be posted on the Main Drain in the lunch room. It will include: • • • • • • • •

Lunch & Learn Sessions Green Team Events Training Courses Social Events Stat Holidays Volunteer Training Sessions Media launches Sewer nights…

For Sale 1996 Pontiac Grand Am - Great First Car Blue 1996 Grand Am Pontiac 260,000 km New tires and brand new battery Second owner Windows don't work and slight crack in the windshield in the passenger side. I have been driving this car for 2 years and have never had any problems. Engine works great! Price: $1000 **Photos available upon request. If interested, please call 778-899-4909

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FREE STUFF up for grabs…. Hello everyone, I was clearing out the guest relations area and found some interesting stuff that we do not really need: •

2 puzzles (200 pieces)

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Wooden toy house

If you would like them, let me know and I will gladly bring it over to your desk! Cheers, Ninon (3565)

****************************** 1995 Toyota 4Runner V6 4X4 SR5 - $6900 Excellent condition, no body rust, properly maintained by good mechanic, local vehicle. Auto, A/C (works), Power windows & locks, sunroof, tint, tubular steel step bars, non smoking, 198000KM. No accidents. Engine rebuilt by Toyota (due to recall) at 166000KM. This included a brand new engine block, head gasket, timing belt, water pump, valve stem seals, and more. Have all receipts. Recent work (last 3 months) includes: - New rear brake proportioning valve - New tie rod end / Wheel Alignment - New tires - Motomaster Roughrider M/S - All new belts - Transmission service Have receipts for all work done. Extras include Medium duty ARB rear coil springs and shocks to get rid of that inherent 4Runner rear sag. Truck has been very reliable, ready for winter and great in the snow! $6900.00 OBO Please call Dave at: 604.312.5382