Welcome to Sott.net
Thu, 30 Sep 2021
The World for People who Think

Animals

Alarm Clock

Bird With Two Heads Garners Compassion From Bird Watchers

Anthony Bond
Dailymail.co.uk
Thu, 31 May 2012 13:26 UTC
For most of us, having a small bird making a racket in the garden is nothing new.

But when April Britt heard a commotion in her backyard, she decided to investigate.

And what she found left her completely taken aback.
Image
© WGGB
Bizarre: April Britt found this baby female Cardinal with two heads and three beaks perched on a branch in her backyard.
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

'Starving' Crown-of-Thorns Starfish in Mass Stranding in Japan

Ella Davies
BBC
Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:34 UTC
starfish
© BBC

Hundreds of crown-of-thorns starfish found on a beach in southern Japan in January stranded themselves because they were starving, say researchers.

More than 800 were discovered on a 300m stretch of sand on Ishigaki island.

The starfish population "outbreak" was first identified in 2009, when masses of juveniles were seen feeding on the island's outer coral reef.

The coral-eating starfish then took three years to move onto the beach where they perished.

The reason for the starfish population boom is not clear, but the strange behaviour has shown marine scientists what can happen when these slow-moving creatures completely deplete their food source.
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Officials Investigate Fish Deaths at Blue Springs Lake


Fox4KC
Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:00 UTC
Missouri - Officials are investigating a smelly problem at Blue Springs Lake, where thousands of fish have died in recent weeks, causing problems for swimmers and boaters.

According to officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation, which oversees the fish population at the lake, thousands of common carp have died in recent weeks. Officials say that the issue, which first appeared shortly before Memorial Day, appears to be a disease problem affecting only carp, and not an overall water quality issue.

Biologists with the Department of Conservation are working to determine if the disease is bacterial or viral in nature - adding that the disease does not effect humans, so that there is no threat to the public.

Carp are not native to the lake, officials said, and the mass fish kill isn't necessarily bad for the overall health of the fish population.


However, officials did say that the thousands of dead fish could present an obvious, and smelly, problem for swimmers and others using the lake, which is owned by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and managed by the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Tons of Dead Sardines Washed Up at Port Ohara, Japan

Kay
RocketNews24
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:27 UTC
Dead Sardines
© RocketNews24
Somethingterribly fishy is going on at the fishing port of Ohara (pronounced Oh-hara) in Isumi City of Chiba Prefecture, and it has nothing to do with espionage or political corruption. There are tons and tons of dead sardines washing up on the shore, and not only is the sight disturbing, but the huge amount of dead fish is literally smelling up the entire surrounding area.

According to the news, the dead fish started washing up around noon of June 3rd, and as of early afternoon on June 4th, the situation still remained pretty much out of control. The amount of dead sardines that has washed up is thought to total several dozen metrics tons, so you can imagine how bad the smell of rotting fish must be.

We've seen the pictures uploaded onto Twitter, and the port looks completely filled with fish - it almost looks like a carpet of sardines. It doesn't seem likely that any fishing boats will be setting sail from this port soon.

There are also, of course, the usual posts and comments on the internet on how this could be an omen, a sign of a coming great natural disaster.

When we inquired with a local inn, we were told that the port was scheduled to be closed from June 1st to 5th, but given the emergency, local fishermen are currently out in full force trying to resolve the situation. Already more than 2 full days into the bizarre occurrence, the smell has to be almost unbearable, but the people of Ohara still have no idea when they will be able to get rid of all the sardines. We sincerely hope they will be able to solve the problem quickly.
      Read More...
Info

Shark Feasts on Giant Squid


News.com.au
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:53 UTC



The Daily Telegraph fishing columnist Al McGlashan discovered the remains of the ocean titan - so fresh it still carried its ruby red colouring - about 50km off Jervis Bay.

The carcass of the giant measured about 3m long, even though most of its tentacles had been bitten off, possibly in a fight to the death with its only known predator, a sperm whale, hundreds of metres below the surface.

"It must have died not that long before we found it because it didn't smell at all and its colours were still strong - most giant squid remains are smelly and rotten and just off-white by the time someone finds them," Mr McGlashan said.
      Read More...
Attention

Black Sea ecologists alarmed by rising number of dolphin deaths


The Extinction Protocol
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:58 UTC
Image
© Unknown

Hardly a day goes by in Sochi, Russia's picturesque Black Sea resort, without a dead dolphin washing up on the beach. With the tourist season just kicking off, the unexplained deaths have yet to draw much scrutiny. But environmentalists are increasingly alarmed. The dolphin carcasses are also turning into a real holiday spoiler for vacationers drawn to the region's scenic beaches and pristine vistas. Russian tourist Aida Kobzh was shocked to discover a group of dead dolphins last week at her local beach in Sochi.

"Everyone stood there and stared at the dead little dolphins lying belly up. Poor creatures!" Kobzh says. "There were some on the beach but also in the water, they were floating there, dead." The dolphins started washing up along Russia's Black Sea coast several weeks ago. They have also been spotted on Ukrainian shores. Environmentalists are now talking about the biggest dolphin die-off to date in the region, with an estimated 300 animals dead so far. Local authorities have made no serious attempt to investigate the deaths, saying the animals are too decayed by the time they reach the shore for laboratory tests to be conducted.
      Read More...
Question

What Do GMO Seeds Have to Do With Bee Die-Offs in the Corn Belt?

Heather Pilatic
Occupy Monsanto
Tue, 22 May 2012 16:53 UTC
Image
© panna.org
In the last few weeks beekeepers have reported staggering losses in Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio after their hives foraged on pesticide-treated corn fields. Indiana too, two years ago. What's going on in the Corn Belt?

No farmer in their right mind wants to poison pollinators. When I spoke with one Iowa corn farmer in January and told him about the upcoming release of a Purdue study confirming corn as a major pesticide exposure route for bees, his face dropped with worn exasperation. He looked down for a moment, sighed and said,
"You know, I held out for years on buying them GE [genetically modified or engineered] seeds, but now I can't get conventional seeds anymore. They just don't carry 'em."
This leaves us with two questions: 1) What do GE seeds have to do with neonicotinoids and bees? and 2) How can an Iowa corn farmer find himself feeling unable to farm without poisoning pollinators? In other words, where did U.S. corn cultivation go wrong?

The short answer to both questions starts with a slow motion train wreck that began in the mid-1990s: Corn integrated pest management (IPM) fell apart at the seams. Rather, it was intentionally unraveled by Bayer and Monsanto.

Comment: To learn more about the serious negative impact of pesticide use among bee populations and the growing issue of 'colony collapse disorder' read the following articles:

Silent Hives: Colony Collapse Disorder and Pesticides
More Evidence Rises Of Role Pesticides Play In Bee Colony Collapse
Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder Finally Explained: Too Many Chemicals
A Last (Chemical) Gasp for Bees?
Bayer in the Dock Over Pesticide Linked to Colony Collapse Disorder
If Bees Disappear, We'll All Be Stung

      Read More...
Attention

A Last (Chemical) Gasp for Bees?

Shannan Stoll
Yes! Magazine
Thu, 24 May 2012 16:55 UTC
Image
© Brian Wolfe
Colony collapse disorder threatens food crops valued at $15 billion a year. New research says farm chemicals put our food system at risk.

Newly published scientific evidence is bolstering calls for greater regulation of some of the world's most widely used pesticides and genetically modified crops.

Earlier this year, three independent studies linked agricultural insecticides to colony collapse disorder, a phenomenon that leads honeybees to abandon their hives.

Beekeepers have reported alarming losses in their hives over the last six years. The USDA reports the loss in the United States was about 30 percent in the winter of 2010-2011.

Bees are crucial pollinators in the ecosystem. Their loss also impacts the estimated $15 billion worth of fruit and vegetable crops that are pollinated by bees in the United States.

The studies, conducted in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, all pointed to neonicotinoids, a class of chemicals used widely in U.S. corn production, as likely contributors to colony collapse disorder. The findings challenged the EPA's position - based on studies by Bayer CropScience, a major producer of the neonicotinoid clothianidin - that bees are only exposed to small, benign amounts of these insecticides.
      Read More...
Attention

Thousands of Shellfish Found Dead in Peru


Agence France Presse
Sat, 26 May 2012 17:52 UTC
Dead Shellfish
© SPH

Thousands of crustaceans were found dead off the coast of Lima following the mystery mass death of dolphins and pelicans, the Peruvian Navy said Friday.

The cause of death is under investigation, said Industry and Fishing Minister Gladys Triveno, warning that "it would be premature to give a reason for this phenomenon."

The Navy said it presented a report on the find to the Agency of Environmental Evaluation and Control to determine the cause.

Biologist Yuri Hooker of Cayetano Heredia University said the species found on Pucusana Beach, 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Lima, was a type of red krill about three centimeters (1.2 inches) long.

"They live mostly along the coast of Chile up to the coast of northern Peru. What is happening is that these crustaceans are being affected by the warming of Pacific waters in the north of the country," he said, adding that the phenomenon occurs "with some frequency."
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Hundreds of Endangered Antelopes Dying in Kazakhstan


Indo-Asian News Service
Fri, 25 May 2012 18:26 UTC
Antelopes
© Zee News
Astana: A massive wave of deaths has been reported among the endangered saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan. Around 540 carcasses of the animal has been found in the country, RIA Novosti reported Thursday.

According to the Kazakh agriculture ministry, the carcasses were found in the Kostanai region.

"Aviation monitoring today (Thursday) discovered a new concentration of saiga deaths with the approximate number of dead animals reaching beyond 400," the ministry said.

Last year, at least 12,000 saiga antelopes died in Kazakhstan, presumably from pasteurellosis infection and from overeating. In November 2010, Kazakhstan introduced a ban on saiga hunting.

The latest statistics put the number of saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan at 85,500. The country spends $800,000 annually to prevent the deaths.

Saiga were virtually exterminated in the 1920s but then their numbers increased in the 1950s. The animals mostly became endangered because of hunting and the high demand for their horns in traditional Chinese medicine.

Saiga are also found in Russia's Kalmykia region and in Mongolia.
      Read More...
Amazon Smile
Revolt! T-shirts