Halibut Herald September 3

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ALIBUT HERALD September 3, 2009

Unnamed Baby Beluga Spotted Being Cute

We have our very own, Kate Cummins, Beluga Observer, to thank for this ridiculously adorable shot of our just shy of 3 months old baby girl who has yet to receive a name.

UC San Diego to Develop Ocean Observing Cyberinfrastructure The U.S. has taken the next step toward construction of the revolutionary Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI): a network of ocean observing components, and their associated cyberinfrastructure, that will allow scientists to examine ocean processes on global, regional and coastal scales. Once construction is completed, scientists will be able to observe complex ocean processes such as climate variability, ocean circulation, and ocean acidification across a range of spatial scales at several coastal, open-ocean, and seafloor locations. Continuous data-flow from hundreds of sensors will be integrated by the sophisticated computing network developed by Scripps and Calit2, and will be available to scientists, policy makers, students, and the public. The OOI will transform ocean science research and education by providing unprecedented power and bandwidth for an interactive connection to the ocean through diverse sets of sensors, and near real-time access to data. READ ON: http://www.physorg.com/news171122163.html

Plastic Moving Boxes Save Cardboard, Frogs

FrogBox, which also just opened in Seattle, estimates that Greater Vancouver uses about 450,000 cardboard boxes every month for moving, and Seattle uses about 1 million. Cardboard can be used twice, but FrogBoxes can be reused about 400 times before they’re recycled. Along with driving biodiesel trucks and having a solar-powered website, FrogBox gives 1% of their sales to frog habitat restoration. They recently gave to Mountain View Conservation in Langley, BC, which has created a breeding program for Canada’s most endangered species, the Oregon spotted frog. READ ON: http://www.urbalicious.com/2009/07/21/p lastic-moving-boxes-save-cardboardfrogs/?wscr=1280x1024 FROGBOX: http://www.frogbox.com

Your Green Lifestyle Helps Convince People of Global Warming: Excellent Article to Inspire Change!!! The American Psychological Association’s Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change studied decades of research on environmental issues and human behavior, and came up with the factors that are preventing people from taking immediate action" on global warming. Thus, when large numbers of us commit to meaningfully making our lives more environmental, we demonstrate our power to effect change and help other people to accept that global warming exists and is something they have power to change too. READ ON: http://noimpactman.typepad.co m/blog/2009/08/your-greenlifestyle-helps-convincepeople-of-global-warming.html

Americans Throw Away 1,500 Aluminum Cans Per Second. The Container Recycling Institute, aside from talking about recycling statistics, also talks about the “dirt” behind the aluminum can. Depressing, yet necessary facts you can check out at the link below. Though they do end with this, “did you know that 1 year’s worth of America’s trashed cans would provide enough aluminum to make more than 8,000 747’s. Not that air travel is going to last too much longer into the future without drastic changes in the industry, but still - 8,000 747’s from just the cans we throw away? Amazing. We can do better!” READ ON: http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2009/09/03/americans-throw-away1500-aluminum-cans-per-second/

WATCH TRAILER HERE:

http:// www.n oimpa ctdoc. com/in dex_m .php

'Lucky Luke' Of The Seas: How Ambushfeeding Zooplankton Capture Prey Could you filter 100,000 cubic metres of syrup every day to find food in a concentration of two grains of rice per cubic metre?

What's Holding Antarctic Sea Ice Back From Melting?

Global temperatures are increasing. Sea levels are rising. Ice sheets in many areas of the world are retreating. Yet there’s something peculiar going on in the oceans around Antarctica: even as global air and ocean temperatures march upward, the extent of the sea ice around the southern continent isn’t decreasing. In fact, it's increasing. READ ON: http://www.physorg.com/news171129293.html

Make Money Recycling! This is what zooplankters, such as copepods, do every day, gathering microscopic food particles (algae etc.) from a volume of water approx. one million times their own body volume to survive. It is no trivial task as water – at copepod scale – has the consistency of syrup. On top of which, copepods are blind. The question is how they do it? READ ON: http://www.oceanleadership.org/2009/luckyluke-of-the-seas/

http://w ww.the gp2proj ect.org/

1. Batteries - http://bythepark.com/ 2. Toner Cartridges – www.carts4kids.com 3. Cell Phones - http://www.sellyourmobile.info/

A Career in Recycling? http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/make-money-recycling.html

Ecological Restoration: Climate Change Makes River Restoration Critical

Traditionally, river restoration has focused on habitat loss, species invasion, and pollution; however, Ecological Restoration supports a shift in riparian rehabilitation to include prepartion for climate change in addition to these other concerns. Riparian ecosystems need to be made resilient, as climate change will cause them to “face increases in air and surface water temperatures, alterations in the magnitude and seasonality of precipitation and run-off, and shifts in reproductive phenology and distribution of plants and animals”. READ ON: http://bluelivingideas.com/topics/climatechange/ecological-restoration-climate-change-riverrestoration-critical/

Ecology of Commerce Author, Paul Hawken, Speaks On The World’s Largest Environmental(ist) Movement Happening Today! (VIDEO)

“This unknown movement is the most diverse movement the Earth has ever seen.” WATCH VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1fiubmOqH4

Strange Jellies of the Icy Depths Scientists have published descriptions of a range of jelly-like animals that inhabit the deep oceans of the Arctic. The animals were originally filmed and photographed during a series of submersible dives in 2005. One of the biggest surprises is that one of the most common animals in the Arctic deep sea is a type of jellyfish that is completely new to science. READ ON: http://www.oceanleadership.org/2009/strange-jellies-of-the-icy-depths/

UPDATE Telegraph Cove Weekend Adventure Contact Alisa Coquet Alisa.Coquet@vana qua.org for more information or to reserve your spot today!

Inside the White House: The Garden Robot Designed to Help Earth Plants Grow on Mars

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpEr3kfWjc

Albino Otter Spotted by Photographer

READ ON: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/robot-colonizemars-plants.php A rare albino otter has been captured on camera by an amateur wildlife photographer in the north of Scotland. READ ON: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6122842/Al bino-otter-spotted-by-photographer.html

15 Fun and Surprising Facts about the Earth’s Oceans

Sea Turtle Satellite Tagging Expedition At Cocos Island, Costa Rica Swims Into Action

READ ON: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_i d=81703956104

Life in the oceans of this planet, even the very little we know about is unrivaled in its beauty and strangeness. Furthermore, the promise of what it may teach us about the planet we live on stretches the imagination. To give you an idea of the numerous surprises that dwell in the oceans, and hopefully make you eager to learn more, here are 15 fun tidbits about the awe-inspiring world that lies below the oceans’ surface. 1. For starters, did you know that 94 percent of life on Earth is aquatic? That makes us land-dwellers a very small minority. 2. About 70 percent of the planet is ocean, with an average depth of more than 12,400 feet. Given that photons (light) can’t penetrate more than 330 feet below the water’s surface, most of our planet is in a perpetual state of darkness. 3. Fifty percent of the United States (in terms of complete legal jurisdiction, which includes ocean territory) lies below the ocean. 4. The deep sea is the largest museum on Earth: There are more artifacts and remnants of history in the ocean than in all of the world’s museums, combined. READ ON: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/FunSurprising-Facts-About-The-Oceans.aspx

VIEW MORE: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-incredible-images-magnetic-storms/14828

Archival Photo

Visitors lined up at entrance of Aquarium, view from room, 1958

Library News New Movies MacGillivray Freeman's Coral Reef Adventure New Books Bettas: a complete pet owner's manual (2001) by Robert J. Goldstein Choosing fish for your aquarium (2000) by Mary Bailey and GIna Sandford Exotic Pets Handbook: Family guide to buying, caring for and breeding unusual pets (1998) by David Manning Leopard and Fat-Tailed Geckos (1999) by R.D. Bartlett The Leopard Gecko Manual (2004) by Phillipe de Vosjoli Northeast Pacific Flatfishes (1995)By Donald E. Kramer Beat the heat! Looking for a nice cool place to have a break from the sun? The library is a great place to go. We now have a third computer station that you can use to browse the catalogue or do research or check your email. Library hours are 8:00-3:30 Monday – Friday. For more library news, book reviews, access to our online catalogue and much more, visit us on the aquanet: http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/default.aspx Get your up-to-the minutes news via RSS feed from the library’s What’s new pages. Currently, there are two What’s new pages running a variety of interesting news feeds What’s New – Animals and Nature – for news about birds, reptiles, marine mammals, and places such as the Arctic http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/WhatsNewAnimalsandNature.aspx What’s New – Business and General – for news about business, finance, tourism, visitor experience and marketing http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/What%27sNewBGN.aspx News on Environmental conservation and education will soon be available via the Conservation Current http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/ConservationCurrent/Pages/Default.aspx Did you know that the Library has access to over 100 journals and magazines?? At least 80 of these are available full text online. For a complete hyperlinked list, visit the library journals page on Aquanet: http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/Journals.aspx As well, you can find new books and movies listed on this page of Aquanet: http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/LibraryCatalogue.aspx

Events

From Earth to Ocean: Stories from Gwaii Haanas

Parks Canada has identified the waters around Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (Queen Charlotte Islands) as a potential national marine conservation area reserve. To present the stories of Gwaii Haanas, Parks Canada has partnered with The Vancouver Aquarium to offer a unique speaker series open to the public. Participation is free, though seats are limited. Each engaging event allows audience members to explore a different aspect of the region and understand the benefits of its protection. Starting in September, join us to find out more about: Session 1: Exploring the Islands Monday September 14 A virtual tour of Gwaii Haanas with stunning visual footage and presentations by the people who live, breathe and respect this extraordinary B.C. region. Session 2: Icons of the Pacific Monday October 26 A look into the history and journey of whales throughout Gwaii Haanas and why protecting these habitats benefits us all. Session 3: Changing Seascape Monday November 16 Learn about ancient Haida villages, changing sea levels and how historical trade practices have all played a role in shaping today’s Gwaii Haanas. Session 4: Healthy oceans, healthy people Monday December 7 Whether it’s dining out or reporting a whale sighting, your actions can make a difference to our oceans. Join us for this special conclusion to find out what you can do to help

Each session takes place at The Vancouver Aquarium from 7 – 9 pm. Please enter at the AquaQuest Administrative Entrance. To confirm your seat, email: [email protected] or call 604-659-3432. Please identify which session you would like to attend. Seating is limited.

http://eatsnaprepeat.ca/2009/05/31/chinatown-market/

Contest (Not open to Canadians but there are a few Americans here!)

Classified

http://www.cov erealty.ca/listin g_detail2995255.html