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Biodiversity: Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos Islands, Channel Islands, rainforests–and polar regions????

February 20, 2009

7,500 species in Antartica. 5,500 species in the Artic.

Who would have guessed there’d be such great biodiversity in the polar regions? Not most scientists!

Most of us think biodiversity occurs in the rainforests, on coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef (here’s a list of almost 8,000 species), or in places like the Galapagos islands and the Channel Islands. Not in the land of snow and ice where we, from our above ground vantage point, see little that looks like life. But it’s so!

The results of new polar region surveys, released Monday, February 15 show that the Antarctic and the Arctic has a much greater biodiversity than ever before imagined, in the seas, like nearly 100 species of crustaceans.

Biodiversity, in case you need a quick brush-up, is “the variety of all forms of life, from genes to species, through to the broad scale of ecosystems,” explains the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. “The global importance of biodiversity now is reflected in the widely accepted target to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity by the year 2010.”

Why? you ask. Why is biodiversity important? There are a number of reasons, and a number of debates that I won’t get into in THIS post.

What I think is important to consider is that when we ask why is it important, we typically mean important to US –as in US HUMANS. As we move from being species centric to being more biodiversity centric, as we move from only seeing what has value to us human species, we recognizing that other species have value whether we understand it or not. For Wikipedia’s explanation of biodiversity, go here.

Finding so much biodiversity in the polar regions means we need now to be careful there of how our heavy human feet tread. As the polar ice caps melt and ice shelfs retreat, how will climate change further impact this area?

According to an article by AP environmental science writer Michael Casey,

“The textbooks have said there is less diversity at the poles than the tropics, but we found astonishing richness of marine life in the Antarctic and Arctic oceans,” said Victoria Wadley, a researcher from the Australian Antarctic Division who took part in the Antarctic survey. “We are rewriting the textbooks.” In one of the biggest surprises, researchers said they discovered dozens of species common to both polar seas — separated by nearly 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers). Now they have to figure out how they separated.

“We probably know more about deep space than we do about the deep polar oceans in our own backyard,” said Gilly Llewellyn, leader of the oceans program for the environmental group WWF-Australia. She did not take part in the survey. “This critical research is helping reveal the amazing biodiversity of the polar regions.”

Re-Imagining: This is My Backyard–the Great Barrier Reef!

February 19, 2009

tags: best job in the world, Island Reef Job

Hi, I’m Gwendolyn Alley. I’m a blogger,
poet, multimedia journalist,
college teacher and I want the best job
in the world: Island caretaker on the
Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Welcome to my backyard!

Like the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef,
Channel Islands National Park is a place
of amazing biodiversity!
Except there the water’s WARM!

This is my backyard.

People dumped trash and dealt drugs here. So I
wrote grants for native plants and organized
community clean ups. Now it’s wildlife
habitat and it’s going to be a park.

This is my backyard.

I’ve backpacked 2800 miles from
Mexico to Canada on the
Pacific Crest Trail. I’ve scuba dived, sailed,
surfed, skiied, and kayaked. I’ve climbed
14,000’ peaks and done technical climbs
in California, Wyoming, and Colorado.

The world is my backyard.

What happens on one place on our planet
impacts all of us. I invite you
to explore with me the Islands of the
Great Barrier Reef, on the land and in
the sea. I will inspire you to
visit these magic castles of coral,
home to bright anenome fish, sleek reef
sharks, and glorious humpback whales.

On July 1, THIS will be our backyard—
the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef!

Thank you.

I wrote this pentameter adaptation from the script I wrote for my video application for the “Best Job in the World” for this week’s Read Write Poem Read more…

When I’m Chosen for The Best Job: 2

February 19, 2009

tags: best job in the world, Island Reef Job

When Queensland Tourism chooses me for the Best Job in the World as Caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef living on Hamilton Island from July – December 2009, I thought I’d ask them about inviting different people each month from the applicants who’ve participated in the discussion group here or from their short list of 50 to join me in various adventures. They could share their experiences, their perspectives, their skills and their FUN with me and the world! Read more…

When I’m Chosen for the Best Job in the World, I Will (1)

February 18, 2009

tags: best job in the world, Island Reef Job, Sea Turtles

When I’m chosen for the Best Job in the World as caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, I will enthusiastically attend nearby academic conferences and symposia and interview researchers and scientists and live blog about the most current research to make it accessible as blog and vlog posts to a general audience of interested PLANET PRESERVERS!

At these events, I’d meet with and videotape interviews with scientists and activists working to help us understand and take better care of the world around us.

According to The International Turtle Socety, the International Sea Turtle Society it convenes an annual symposium to bring people together to promote the exchange of information that advances the global knowledge of sea turtle biology and conservation.

The 29th Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology & Conservation will be held on 17-19 February 2009 in Brisbane, Australia. This will be the first time the symposium has been held in Australia, and indeed the southern hemisphere. Excitement is in the air.

Creating – Community – Collaboration
The symposium will explore themes such as building communication and networking at local, regional, and global scales. It aims to create linkages between communities and to connect policy-makers at all levels with the latest information coming out of sea turtle research and conservation programs.

Additionally, a number of associated meetings are held in the days preceeding the main symposium. Many of these are regionally focused.

The symposium is of interest to delegates from many professions and backgrounds (who should attend?). Attendees at past symposia share stories of their experiences here

Koala challenge

At the 2008 symposium in Mexico we gave out some rather sweet clip on “Brisbane” koalas – launching The Koala Challenge. Koalas went forth to help out with sea turtle work around the world… they’ve been REALLY busy click here to visit the photo page

Of course the sea turtle scientists will eb gone by the time I get there but there will be other exciting scientific info to share from July-December!

EXCITING NEWS!! I uploaded my video to Island Reef Job.com at 4am this morning…and it is being precessed as we speak! Soon I will offer up the link to go see the video on that site. In the meantime, it will soon be on my YouTube channel! Watch here for more info!

For the Best Job in the World, it comes down to one question: MANGO or AVOCADO?

February 17, 2009

tags: avocado, best job in the world, Island Reef Job, mango

That’s right, rumour has it that THIS is the big question, the ultimate question that THEY (Queensland Tourism) will be asking of the candidates for the best job in the world as caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef: if you had to choose between the two, between mango or avocado, had to choose one and not the other, had to forswear and forsake one for the other–

which would you choose: MANGO or AVOCADO?

mango mango mango mangoooooo….it just rolls off your tongue wraps around your lips cool and slippery soft and luscious mangooo mmnnnn

ahhhhvoooohhhcaaahhhhdohhhh…oh oh oh! rich and sumptious satisfying and oily subtle nuttiness and sweetness is yours for the taking by scooping with your spoon that soft soft flesh

Obviously, the right choice is MANGO…a fruit thriving in Queensland, Australia, ripe for the picking!

but how could I leave avocado fruit of my youth orchards of my grandfather memories of guacamole behind? There’s even a Gwen avocado–see the picture??

Don’t do it! Don’t! Don’t make me choose! Such torture to be unendured… no more avocado spooned into warm sourdough bread? no mango in fish tacos? no avocado in fish tacos? no mango with India pale ale? no guacamole with margaritas? Read more…

Lettre Sauvage Announces Chapbook & Broadside Winner

February 17, 2009

tags: broadside contest, chapbook contest, lettre sauvage

From the website of Lettre Sauvage:

Lettre Sauvage Poetry Contest

2008 Contest Winners

Lettre Sauvage is delighted to announce the winner of its First Annual Poetry Contest: Erin M. Bertram of Saint Louis, Missouri, whose manuscript Windfall was selected by Mark Irwin.

The second place prize was awarded to Kimberly Andrews of State College, Pennsylvania. Her poem, “As In Nowhere, No-One” was chosen by Mark Irwin to be printed as a letterpress broadside.

Winners were announced Saturday, February 14. Read more…

2 Poems by Oodgeroo Noonuccall aboriginal poet & activist, Stradbroke Island Tribe

February 16, 2009

tags: jeff kaiser, Kath Walker, Oodgeroo Noonucal, Paul Squires, Queensland poets

Way back last summer I asked Queensland poet and blogger Paul Squires to recommend to me a poet from his part of the world that he thought I’d appreciate.

He responded in an email right away:

“Oodgeroo Noonucall is one of our best poets,” Paul raves. “Oodjeroo Noonucall, Aboriginal poet and activist, winner of many prestigious poetry awards all over the world, taught in High Schools, of the Stradbroke Island tribe, a wonderful poet and a wonderful human. She is the poet you are looking for.”

So today for the Monday Poetry Train, instead of posting one of my own poems, since I am busy swimming toward my new job as caretaker on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, I bring to you a ballad and a poem by Oodgeroo Noonucall:

Ballad of the Totems

My father was Noonuccal man and kept old tribal way,
His totem was the Carpet Snake, whom none must ever slay;
But mother was of Peewee clan, and loudly she expressed
The daring view that carpet snakes were nothing but a pest.

Now one lived right inside with us in full immunity,
For no one dared to interfere with father’s stern decree;
A mighty fellow ten feet long, and as we lay in bed
We kids could watch him round a beam not far above our head.

Only the dog was scared of him, we’d hear its whines and growls,
But mother fiercely hated him because he took her fowls.
You should have heard her diatribes that flowed in angry torrents
With words you never see in print, except in D. H. Lawrence.

‘I kill that robber,’ she would scream, fierce as a spotted cat;
‘You see that bulge inside of him? My speckly hen made that!’ Read more…

What are the Odds? What do you think?

February 16, 2009

tags: best job in the world, Island Reef Job

Regular readers of ART PREDATOR know that I want the Best Job in the World–caretaker on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. (See my page “best job application” for details.)

But what are my odds when they are reviewing 30,000 one minute video applications by Sunday, February 22?

The way I figure it is by Sunday, Feb 22, 2009, 30,000 people will have attempted to upload a video.

Of these 30,000 video applicants:

1/2 are typically disqualified (I read this somewhere…not sure if this is still true but it was at some time in the process, maybe someone has better info)

Of these 15,000 video applicants: 2/3s lack qualifications like a college degree in a science field (BBC News reports 75% will not be considered for this reason)

Of these 5,000 video applicants: 4/5 will be disqualified for lacking quality: boring video, grating voice, weak charisma, or will have more than one video! etc

Of these 1,000 video applicants: 1/2 won’t be strong enough writers capable of producing the blogs required

Of these 500 video applicants 1/2 won’t have enough experience with blogging or teaching or multimedia etc

Of these 250 the Magic 50 Semi-Finalists will be chosen

Of these 50 11 will be chosen with help from the world

Of these 11 1 will get the best job in the world–ME! (just kidding!)

Seriously, though, what do you think the odds are? How do you break it down? What do you think makes or breaks someone into the top 50?

How do you think they will narrow the field from 30,000 to one? Add any I might have missed in the comments, and if you’re an applicant, feel free to post a link to your blog and your video so we can check you out!

Send Valentine Cards & $$$ to Fire Devastated Australia

February 15, 2009

tags: Australia fires, climate change, fires near suburbs, how to help victims of Australian fires, southern California fires

Unless you’ve had your head underwater for a week or two (possibly working on your video application for the job of caretaker on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef?) , you’ve heard about the devastating fires which struck Australia’s southwestern region recently, with some of the worst burning last Saturday February 7. Learn how to donate via the Australian Red Cross link here. Read on to read why.

As a southern Californian, and as the granddaughter of a firefighter, I am too familiar with fire fueled by eucalyptus trees. Just three years ago, Fall of 2005, a fire threatened the home my grandfather built and where my mother lives. My neighbor woke me, pounding on my door and pointing Read more…

Laws of Attraction: Pick Me! Pick Me for Valentine’s Day & Island Caretaker!

February 14, 2009

tags: Helen Fischer, how to choose a mate, Jared Diamond, valentine's day, Why Him Why Her, Why is sex fun

As we all know, we don’t always get picked when we think we should be. Or by the person we hope will pick us. Figuring this all out has fueled the consumption of many a bottle of wine as well as research dollars.

One researcher is the brilliant Pulitzer Prize winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond. He addresses the evolutionary development of human sexuality including some peculiar aspects of human sexuality like why women’s ovulation is not overtly advertised and why humans have sex in private rather than in public in his 1997 book, Why is Sex Fun? The Evolution of Human Sexuality.

A new book Why Him? Why Her? by Helen Fisher, anthropologist and evolutionary biologist, answers Match.com’s question “Why do you fall in love with one person and not another?” by examining “how brain chemistry determines temperament and temperament dictates who we love,” according to an LA Times article by Erika Schickel.

Fisher’s book argues that there are four basic types:

Explorers

have high levels of dopamine and norepinephrinene; they take risks, are flexible and energetic, spontaneous and easily bored by routine.

Builders

have high levels of serotonin; they’re calm, managerial, loyal, orderly, and conscientious.

Directors

have high testosterone; they’re competitive, self-disciplined, good with systems, exacting, focused

Negotiators

have high estrogen and oxytocin (lucky them!); they’re trusting, broadminded, empathetic, and idealic

Further research showed the following results:

Explorers like Explorers

Builders like Builders

Directors like Negotiators

And me? I’m an Explorer/Negotiator happily celebrating my 7th Valentine’s Day with a fellow Explorer/Negotiator!

Now let’s see how this ties in to my NEGOTIATOR/EXPLORER’s hearts desire: job as caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef!

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