Michel and Associates, P.C.

Iconic Marine Mammals Are ‘Swimming in Sick Seas’ of Terrestrial Pathogens

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2012) – Parasites and pathogens infecting humans, pets and farm animals are increasingly being detected in marine mammals such as sea otters, porpoises, harbour seals and killer whales along the Pacific coast of the U.S. and Canada, and better surveillance is required to monitor public health implications, according to a panel of scientific experts from Canada and the United States.

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Iconic Marine Mammals Are ‘Swimming in Sick Seas’ of Terrestrial Pathogens

Gene study confirms King Penguin recovery

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Ancient DNA has been used to show the remarkable recovery of King Penguins on Macquarie Island, following their decimation by blubber oil industries last century.

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Gene study confirms King Penguin recovery

Tough rules sought to keep invasive species from Great Lakes

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Feb 21 (Reuters) – Ships entering the Great Lakes should be made to kill all the creatures that hitch a ride in their ballast tanks, environmental groups said on Tuesday, challenging as too lax a proposed U.S. government standard to combat invasive species.

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Tough rules sought to keep invasive species from Great Lakes

Species called threat to Irish mammals

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Feb. 21 (UPI) — Some of Ireland’s oldest mammalian inhabitants are facing serious threats and possible extinction because of foreign species, researchers say.

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Species called threat to Irish mammals

New amphibian family find for India

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A new family of caecilians, the most enigmatic branch of the amphibians, has been discovered in northeastern India.

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New amphibian family find for India

Photo: new cookies-and-cream insect surprises researchers in Belize

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Scientists have discovered the first ever insect in the Ripipterygidae family in Belize. Measuring only 5 millimeters (0.19 inches), the tiny insect uses its powerful legs to leap away from predators much like a grasshopper.

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Photo: new cookies-and-cream insect surprises researchers in Belize

Scientists Urge Reform for a Broken Global System

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

VANCOUVER, Feb 21, 2012 (IPS) – Unless governments work actively to build a brighter future for humanity, climate change, poverty and loss of biodiversity will worsen and continue to exacerbate existing global problems, top scientists warned ministers at the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) governing council meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday.

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Scientists Urge Reform for a Broken Global System

Colombian community leader talks about REDD

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A pioneering project to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in a former conflict zone in Colombia was recently granted gold certification under the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) standard. The accreditation will help local communities access carbon finance in their efforts to safeguard biologically-rich forests.

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Colombian community leader talks about REDD

Extinction Looms for Rare Frog Species, Now Down to One Individual

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

And then there was one. The last known Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog (Ecnomiohyla rabborum) now lives by himself at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia after the zoo euthanized the only other member of its species.

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Extinction Looms for Rare Frog Species, Now Down to One Individual

Fungus hits endangered snakes in Illinois

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Feb. 21 (UPI) — U.S. scientists say a rare fungus not normally found in the wild is killing endangered rattlesnakes in southern Illinois.

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Fungus hits endangered snakes in Illinois