Halibut Herald September 5

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ALIBUT HERALD September 5, 2008

Bits and Bites

An up-close-and-personal view of the goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara). Scientists now report there are actually two species which split when the Pacific and Atlantic oceans separated 3.5 million years ago. The finding should prove vital to conserving this critically endangered fish. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/default.stm

Giant Antarctic Marine Worm - Parbolasia Corrugatus

P. corrugatus grows up to two meters in length, comes in a variety of delightful colors, and kills its prey by rapidly and repeatedly stabbing it with a harpoon-like barbed proboscis! This proboscis has adhesive secretions which secure it in place. When threatened, this fast moving giant death worm secretes an acidic mucus that predators avoid.

Lacking a respiratory system, P. corrugatus absorbs oxygen through its skin. When oxygen levels drop, it flattens and elongates to increase surface area for absorption and minimize the distance oxygen must travel within the body. It's flexible body also allows it to swallow food almost as a large as itself. See link for more photos & details on these interesting creatures. http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2008/09/giant_antarctic_marine_worm_pa.php

More News Links Ivory Gull Wins Most Polluted Bird on the Planet Award http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/ivory-gull-most-polluted-bird-on-planet.php

Incredible Sahara Forest Project to Generate Fresh Water, Solar Power and Crops in African Desert http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/sahara-forest-project.php

Japanese Aquarium Snags Rare 'Living Fossil' Goblin Shark; Creature Dies After Being Put on Display (Old but still interesting news) http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=76395108140 Video of Goblin Shark : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZzehRHxtB8

Library News New Books: • Guide to Aquatic Insects & Crustaceans – Izaak Walton League of America (2006) • Neptune’s Ark: from Ichthyosaurs to Orcas – David Rains Wallace (2007) Please return or renew your overdue library items at your earliest convenience.

Archival Photo

Bee Bop & friends, 1979. Unknown photographer

Volunteer Services Volunteer Services is looking for people like YOU! Three times per year the Vancouver Aquarium recruits a large number of Volunteers. Join the ranks! Be part of this fantastic team! Learn more about the Aquarium, meet friends and do some incredibly cool work. It all starts next Wednesday evening, Sept 10th with our information session. To register & for more info, call Jean or Melanie at 604.659.3478 or drop by Volunteer Services. Pass this on to your network of friends & anyone interested in joining the Aquarium.

Green Team Yellow Fish Storm Drain Marking Program Storm drains at the Aquarium are marked with yellow fish. These yellow fish are there to remind us that these storm drains empty directly into the ocean. We need to keep harmful substances out of these drains. Remember, only rain goes down these drains! Need more information? The Storm Drain Marking Program is a component of the Chemical Management Program, which supports the Vancouver Aquarium’s Environmental Management System. To find out more about these programs or how to properly dispose of chemicals, please contact the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Coordinator at [email protected].

Reducing our Environmental Impact through Solid Waste Diversion The Vancouver Aquarium has been working hard to reduce our environmental impacts related to solid waste. In July 2008, the Aquarium conducted a Waste Audit to enhance existing waste reduction and recycling programs, and identify opportunities to improve diversion of solid waste from the landfill. The Aquarium has progressive recycling and composting programs, including public composting at the Upstream Café. This study showed that we have a very successful diversion rate of 73%!

Do your part to help reduce our solid waste impact! Be sure to properly dispose of your waste and utilize the compost bins available in the staff/volunteer lounge, the Upstream Café, at Gate 6, and beyond! Did you know… • That all the dishware, cups, cutlery, etc. at the Upstream Café are compostable? They are made out of cornstarch or sugar cane products that allow them to quickly biodegrade in a commercial compost facility and become nutrient rich soil within 3-12 weeks! • The Vancouver Aquarium recently purchased this soil product from our compost generated onsite, and are using this for our external landscaping requirements!

Events

Parking for this event may be limited due to competition for parking spaces with Bard on the Beach. Plan to arrive early as you won't want to miss a minute of this presentation. Dave Behrens will also have a selection of his books available for cash sales.

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Help Clean up at Kitsilano Beach Park on Saturday September 20th!

Registration starts at 10:00 AM Wrap up around 2:00 PM Where: The intersection of Arbutus St. and McNicoll Avenue (right next to the basketball courts). • • •

Cleanup supplies (garbage bags, gloves, recycling bags) will be provided Panago Pizza will be served for free Various Vancouver Aquarium WWF and Surfriders booths present at the event

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Please bring your own reusable food containers and cups We encourage you to use a sustainable form of transportation (carpool, bus, bike, walk to the event) as a way to reduce our impact on the environment.

For registration, please go to our website at www.vanaqua.org/cleanup, and register for either Kitsilano Beach Park North or Kitsilano Beach Park South (both sites are part of the same event). If you have any questions or if any of the Vancouver Aquarium departments or programs would like to have a booth or a presence at the event, please contact Maryam at ext. 3765. and at [email protected]

****************************** The Dominant Animal and the Fate of Biodiversity Beatty Biodiversity Museum at UBC Fall Biodiversity Lecture Speaker: Professor Paul Ehrlich When: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 Time: 7:00pm Where: UBC Woodward Building - Room 2 (2198 Health Sciences Mall). As human population reaches unprecedented levels, we lose unknown numbers of populations and species every year. Please join us to hear Paul Ehrlich speak about the evolutionary and cultural forces that made us the planet’s dominant animal. Learn how those forces are affecting the way we are shaping our world, and how the choices we make in the next decades will impact the planet our children will inherit. Free. E-tickets required, available at www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca (e-tickets will be available 2 weeks before the lecture) PAUL R. EHRLICH is Bing Professor of Population Studies and Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. An expert in the fields of evolution, ecology, taxonomy, and population biology, Ehrlich has conducted fieldwork from the Arctic and the Antarctic to the tropics, and from high mountains to the ocean floor. Professor Ehrlich has written more than 800 scientific papers and popular articles as well as many books, including The Population Bomb. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Volvo Environmental Prize for Environmental Sciences, and the Blue Planet Prize, and was awarded the first AAAS/Scientific American Prize for Science in the Service of Humanity.

For Sale

Lift the lid of our jeweled seashell box and you will find a beautiful pair of porcelain shell earrings. Both are resplendent with Austrian Crystals set in pewter. The inside of the seashell is inlaid with abalone-like shell made of porcelain, and is presented in a satin lined box. A glamorous gift idea for any ocean lover, just $29.99! This item was even featured in this years SELECTIONS catalogue in which some of the great Canadian museums and zoos can present a glimpse of what you might find on their shelves. Have you been to our Gift Shop lately? This week drop by the Gift Shop, we always have great ideas for any occasion.