[NatureNS] Why save the Red Knot? - vertebrate hegemony?

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SAVE EVERYTHING!!!



On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 11:04 PM, Stephen Shaw <srshaw@dal.ca> wrote:

> Unfortunately missed the program, but I had a mild comment on the
> species-ist
> emphasis here (sent it earlier but it didn't do through).
>
> Nothing against the Red Knot and of course I hope it survives, but the
> received
> vertebratocentric perspective on this is interesting.  As the blurb below
> states,
> there are lots of other similar peep species around, but the horseshoe
> "crab"
> Limulus polyphemus is a unique species here and has been practically wiped
> out
> in many of its former habitats on the US East coast, according to Bob
> Barlow, a
> former student of Hartline (see below) who still works on it, latterly on
> its
> visual behaviour under water. Apparently the market for its blood is the
> main
> reason for the punitive "harvesting".
>
>  Besides having a far more interesting, ancient lineage, Limulus has
> contributed to several outstanding scientific discoveries in vision
> science,
> notably that of "lateral inhibition" by which the nervous system sharpens
> up
> percepts, enhancing edge-detection in images.  This has emerged as a
> common enhancing operation elsewhere in nervous systems, but originally
> came
> mainly out of work on the compound eyes of Limulus in the 40s-60s --
> netting a
> Nobel prize for H.K. Hartline, of the then Rockefeller Inst (now Univ). In
> the
> 60s, S. Yeandle made the first recordings of single photon captures in
> the same
> eye (since then recorded in vertebrates, though not in Red Knots),
> while in the
> 70's, the first detailed analyses of how photoreceptor currents work
> (semi-universal) came out of measurements on huge photoreceptor cells in
> the
> ventral nerve that had been thought before this to be an olfactory
> structure
> (analysed since in vertebrates, though not in Red Knots).  Circadian
> rhythm
> mechanisms are big news at present (molecular mechanisms), and one of the
> best
> analyses of the circadian control of an eye by the brain came from Barlow
> and
> colleague's work on the Limulus lateral eyes.  There are at least two
> other
> sets of eyes in horseshoe crabs, one UV sensitive and one in the telson...
>
> None of these conceptual advances were minor cul-de-sacs and all have
> become
> incorporated into the neuroscience base, ever expanding. Limulus
> deserves great
> respect as a unique and unusual pioneer invertebrate animal that ought to
> survive.  What has the Red Knot done to gain comparable respect?
>
> So, if I had to curry up votes for one of the two endangered species, it
> would
> be for the unique and illustrious horseshoe crab, first.  "Why save the
> Red
> Knot?" indeed -- do it second.
> Steve
> ******************************************
>
>
> Quoting Elizabeth Doull <edoull@ns.sympatico.ca>:
> > Why save the Red Knot?
> > PBS
> > flocks of shorebirds, the red knot is fairly average looking. In
> > fact, only the most practiced bird watchers may be able to
> > distinguish this medium-sized, plump peep from the thousands of other
> > shorebirds playing tag with the waves. Yet, somehow the red knot has
> > caught the attention of people around the world.
> >
> > The knot's dependence on the eggs of the heavily harvested horseshoe
> > crab has placed it at odds with another species -- humans.
> > Conservation groups, lawmakers, fishermen, scientists, and ordinary
> > citizens have all entered the debate. But even as our actions have
> > imperiled the red knot, we can also preserve the species, by
> > regulating the fishing industry and keeping clear of the beaches that
> > the knots rely on during migration. Where nature ranks in our system
> > of values will dictate how far we are willing to go to protect the
> > red knot.
> >
> > There are millions of shorebirds in the world. Why all the clamor
> > over the red knot? How could this small bird stir up so much
> > controversy and inspire such extraordinary efforts on its behalf? To
> > begin to answer these difficult questions we must first become
> > familiar with the red knot.
> >
> > The red knot may blend in with the other small shorebirds, but it
> > makes a journey that certainly sets it apart. A master of
> > long-distance aviation, the red knot makes one of the longest
> > migratory trips of any bird -- 9,300 miles along the Atlantic flyway
> > from its wintering grounds in southern South America to its high
> > Arctic breeding grounds. The journey is so exhausting, it requires
> > two to three stopovers for refueling. The horseshoe crab egg feast
> > they will consume at Delaware Bay, is not just an indulgence -- it's
> > absolutely crucial for the birds' survival. When the knots arrive at
> > Delaware Bay, their bodies are half their starting weight, devoid of
> > fat and even some muscle. Here, the red knot will take about two
> > weeks to double its weight so it can continue its migration.
> >
> > The migratory trip is far from the only risk the peeps take in their
> > lives. The life of the red knot is fraught with challenges. In their
> > wintering grounds of Tierra del Fuego, blinding gales blow up without
> > warning, and tides surge 25 and 35 feet every 12 hours. The
> > challenges facing the knots are even greater on the Arctic nesting
> > grounds, where a declining population of birds makes it more
> > difficult to find a mate and even if they do, a snowstorm can wipe
> > out the knots' eggs. If the birds don't consume enough eggs during
> > their migratory stopover, they may not have enough fuel to complete
> > their trip, and those undernourished knots that do make it to the
> > Arctic will arrive weak and emaciated. Add the fierce and
> > unpredictable Arctic weather into the mix, and the birds are likely
> > to be in such a state that it is nearly impossible for them to raise
> > chicks.
> >
> > Researchers tag red knots in 'Crash: A Tale of Two Species.'Nature,
> > it seems, has really stacked the deck against this creature. During
> > its migration, the red knot concentrates in huge, densely-packed
> > flocks. These enormous gatherings make the knots vulnerable to
> > habitat destruction and, in South America, hunting pressure. Sadly,
> > it is not just their eating preferences but their social patterns
> > that put them at odds with human activities.
> >
> > All of these hardships have given rise to dire statistics. The red
> > knot is a creature in peril. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan
> > lists the red knot as a "Species of High Concern," based on declining
> > population trends and threats on non-breeding grounds. In the last 20
> > years red knots have declined from over 100,000 to less than 15,000.
> > And in 2006, the knot was named a candidate for Endangered Species
> > Act protection as an emergency measure to slow the rapid fall of its
> > population. In the Delaware Bay, the knot has suffered a decline so
> > severe that some experts predict the population stopping over at the
> > bay could disappear within five years.
> >
> > Studies conducted outside of the U.S. do not paint a brighter
> > picture. Counts of knot populations wintering in South America
> > dropped over 50% from the mid-1980s to 2003. Researchers have
> > suggested that the continued hunting of knots in South America might
> > be partly to blame.
> >
> > The red knot is one of the world's most amazing birds. But if that is
> > not sufficient motivation for us to save it, there are other
> > incentives. Chincoteague, Virginia, a popular stop-over for the red
> > knot, finds that what is good for migratory shorebirds is also good
> > for Virginia business. A recent tourism survey found that birders and
> > ecotourists were bringing in significant amounts of resources to the
> > local economy. And one economic study in South Jersey found that the
> > shorebird-watching industry generated nearly $36 million dollars in
> > revenue for the area.
> >
> > Sadly, the issue raised in "Crash: A Tale of Two Species" over the
> > increased harvest of horseshoe crabs remains contentious today.
> > Whether the red knot will be able to continue to use Delaware Bay as
> > a major migratory staging area in the future is still up in the air
> > -- as is the fate of the knot.
> >
> > For more information on red knot conservation efforts, visit
> > http://shorebirdproject.blogspot.com/, where Larry Niles (featured in
> > "Crash: A Tale of Two Species") and an international team of
> > scientists blog about the most recent news on the red knot.
>
>
>

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SAVE EVERYTHING!!!<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 11:04 PM, Stephen Shaw &lt;srshaw@dal.ca&gt; wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Unfortunately missed the program, but I had a mild comment on the species-ist<br>
emphasis here (sent it earlier but it didn&#39;t do through).<br>
<br>
Nothing against the Red Knot and of course I hope it survives, but the<br>
received<br>
vertebratocentric perspective on this is interesting. &nbsp;As the blurb below<br>
states,<br>
there are lots of other similar peep species around, but the horseshoe &quot;crab&quot;<br>
Limulus polyphemus is a unique species here and has been practically wiped out<br>
in many of its former habitats on the US East coast, according to Bob<br>
Barlow, a<br>
former student of Hartline (see below) who still works on it, latterly on its<br>
visual behaviour under water. Apparently the market for its blood is the main<br>
reason for the punitive &quot;harvesting&quot;.<br>
<br>
 &nbsp;Besides having a far more interesting, ancient lineage, Limulus has<br>
contributed to several outstanding scientific discoveries in vision science,<br>
notably that of &quot;lateral inhibition&quot; by which the nervous system sharpens up<br>
percepts, enhancing edge-detection in images. &nbsp;This has emerged as a<br>
common enhancing operation elsewhere in nervous systems, but originally came<br>
mainly out of work on the compound eyes of Limulus in the 40s-60s -- netting a<br>
Nobel prize for H.K. Hartline, of the then Rockefeller Inst (now Univ). In the<br>
60s, S. Yeandle made the first recordings of single photon captures in<br>
the same<br>
eye (since then recorded in vertebrates, though not in Red Knots),<br>
while in the<br>
70&#39;s, the first detailed analyses of how photoreceptor currents work<br>
(semi-universal) came out of measurements on huge photoreceptor cells in the<br>
ventral nerve that had been thought before this to be an olfactory structure<br>
(analysed since in vertebrates, though not in Red Knots). &nbsp;Circadian rhythm<br>
mechanisms are big news at present (molecular mechanisms), and one of the best<br>
analyses of the circadian control of an eye by the brain came from Barlow and<br>
colleague&#39;s work on the Limulus lateral eyes. &nbsp;There are at least two other<br>
sets of eyes in horseshoe crabs, one UV sensitive and one in the telson...<br>
<br>
None of these conceptual advances were minor cul-de-sacs and all have become<br>
incorporated into the neuroscience base, ever expanding. Limulus<br>
deserves great<br>
respect as a unique and unusual pioneer invertebrate animal that ought to<br>
survive. &nbsp;What has the Red Knot done to gain comparable respect?<br>
<br>
So, if I had to curry up votes for one of the two endangered species, it would<br>
be for the unique and illustrious horseshoe crab, first. &nbsp;&quot;Why save the Red<br>
Knot?&quot; indeed -- do it second.<br>
Steve<br>
******************************************<br>
<br>
<br>
Quoting Elizabeth Doull &lt;edoull@ns.sympatico.ca&gt;:<br>
&gt; Why save the Red Knot?<br>
&gt; PBS<br>
&gt; flocks of shorebirds, the red knot is fairly average looking. In<br>
&gt; fact, only the most practiced bird watchers may be able to<br>
&gt; distinguish this medium-sized, plump peep from the thousands of other<br>
&gt; shorebirds playing tag with the waves. Yet, somehow the red knot has<br>
&gt; caught the attention of people around the world.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; The knot&#39;s dependence on the eggs of the heavily harvested horseshoe<br>
&gt; crab has placed it at odds with another species -- humans.<br>
&gt; Conservation groups, lawmakers, fishermen, scientists, and ordinary<br>
&gt; citizens have all entered the debate. But even as our actions have<br>
&gt; imperiled the red knot, we can also preserve the species, by<br>
&gt; regulating the fishing industry and keeping clear of the beaches that<br>
&gt; the knots rely on during migration. Where nature ranks in our system<br>
&gt; of values will dictate how far we are willing to go to protect the<br>
&gt; red knot.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; There are millions of shorebirds in the world. Why all the clamor<br>
&gt; over the red knot? How could this small bird stir up so much<br>
&gt; controversy and inspire such extraordinary efforts on its behalf? To<br>
&gt; begin to answer these difficult questions we must first become<br>
&gt; familiar with the red knot.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; The red knot may blend in with the other small shorebirds, but it<br>
&gt; makes a journey that certainly sets it apart. A master of<br>
&gt; long-distance aviation, the red knot makes one of the longest<br>
&gt; migratory trips of any bird -- 9,300 miles along the Atlantic flyway<br>
&gt; from its wintering grounds in southern South America to its high<br>
&gt; Arctic breeding grounds. The journey is so exhausting, it requires<br>
&gt; two to three stopovers for refueling. The horseshoe crab egg feast<br>
&gt; they will consume at Delaware Bay, is not just an indulgence -- it&#39;s<br>
&gt; absolutely crucial for the birds&#39; survival. When the knots arrive at<br>
&gt; Delaware Bay, their bodies are half their starting weight, devoid of<br>
&gt; fat and even some muscle. Here, the red knot will take about two<br>
&gt; weeks to double its weight so it can continue its migration.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; The migratory trip is far from the only risk the peeps take in their<br>
&gt; lives. The life of the red knot is fraught with challenges. In their<br>
&gt; wintering grounds of Tierra del Fuego, blinding gales blow up without<br>
&gt; warning, and tides surge 25 and 35 feet every 12 hours. The<br>
&gt; challenges facing the knots are even greater on the Arctic nesting<br>
&gt; grounds, where a declining population of birds makes it more<br>
&gt; difficult to find a mate and even if they do, a snowstorm can wipe<br>
&gt; out the knots&#39; eggs. If the birds don&#39;t consume enough eggs during<br>
&gt; their migratory stopover, they may not have enough fuel to complete<br>
&gt; their trip, and those undernourished knots that do make it to the<br>
&gt; Arctic will arrive weak and emaciated. Add the fierce and<br>
&gt; unpredictable Arctic weather into the mix, and the birds are likely<br>
&gt; to be in such a state that it is nearly impossible for them to raise<br>
&gt; chicks.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Researchers tag red knots in &#39;Crash: A Tale of Two Species.&#39;Nature,<br>
&gt; it seems, has really stacked the deck against this creature. During<br>
&gt; its migration, the red knot concentrates in huge, densely-packed<br>
&gt; flocks. These enormous gatherings make the knots vulnerable to<br>
&gt; habitat destruction and, in South America, hunting pressure. Sadly,<br>
&gt; it is not just their eating preferences but their social patterns<br>
&gt; that put them at odds with human activities.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; All of these hardships have given rise to dire statistics. The red<br>
&gt; knot is a creature in peril. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan<br>
&gt; lists the red knot as a &quot;Species of High Concern,&quot; based on declining<br>
&gt; population trends and threats on non-breeding grounds. In the last 20<br>
&gt; years red knots have declined from over 100,000 to less than 15,000.<br>
&gt; And in 2006, the knot was named a candidate for Endangered Species<br>
&gt; Act protection as an emergency measure to slow the rapid fall of its<br>
&gt; population. In the Delaware Bay, the knot has suffered a decline so<br>
&gt; severe that some experts predict the population stopping over at the<br>
&gt; bay could disappear within five years.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Studies conducted outside of the U.S. do not paint a brighter<br>
&gt; picture. Counts of knot populations wintering in South America<br>
&gt; dropped over 50% from the mid-1980s to 2003. Researchers have<br>
&gt; suggested that the continued hunting of knots in South America might<br>
&gt; be partly to blame.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; The red knot is one of the world&#39;s most amazing birds. But if that is<br>
&gt; not sufficient motivation for us to save it, there are other<br>
&gt; incentives. Chincoteague, Virginia, a popular stop-over for the red<br>
&gt; knot, finds that what is good for migratory shorebirds is also good<br>
&gt; for Virginia business. A recent tourism survey found that birders and<br>
&gt; ecotourists were bringing in significant amounts of resources to the<br>
&gt; local economy. And one economic study in South Jersey found that the<br>
&gt; shorebird-watching industry generated nearly $36 million dollars in<br>
&gt; revenue for the area.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Sadly, the issue raised in &quot;Crash: A Tale of Two Species&quot; over the<br>
&gt; increased harvest of horseshoe crabs remains contentious today.<br>
&gt; Whether the red knot will be able to continue to use Delaware Bay as<br>
&gt; a major migratory staging area in the future is still up in the air<br>
&gt; -- as is the fate of the knot.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; For more information on red knot conservation efforts, visit<br>
&gt; http://shorebirdproject.blogspot.com/, where Larry Niles (featured in<br>
&gt; &quot;Crash: A Tale of Two Species&quot;) and an international team of<br>
&gt; scientists blog about the most recent news on the red knot.<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote></div><br>

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