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Index of Subjects ------=_Part_6315_9226444.1203053901378 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline 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. > > > ------=_Part_6315_9226444.1203053901378 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline SAVE EVERYTHING!!!<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 11:04 PM, Stephen Shaw <srshaw@dal.ca> 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'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. As the blurb below<br> states,<br> there are lots of other similar peep species around, but the horseshoe "crab"<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 "harvesting".<br> <br> Besides having a far more interesting, ancient lineage, Limulus has<br> contributed to several outstanding scientific discoveries in vision science,<br> notably that of "lateral inhibition" by which the nervous system sharpens up<br> percepts, enhancing edge-detection in images. 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'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). 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's work on the Limulus lateral eyes. 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. 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. "Why save the Red<br> Knot?" indeed -- do it second.<br> Steve<br> ******************************************<br> <br> <br> Quoting Elizabeth Doull <edoull@ns.sympatico.ca>:<br> > Why save the Red Knot?<br> > PBS<br> > flocks of shorebirds, the red knot is fairly average looking. In<br> > fact, only the most practiced bird watchers may be able to<br> > distinguish this medium-sized, plump peep from the thousands of other<br> > shorebirds playing tag with the waves. Yet, somehow the red knot has<br> > caught the attention of people around the world.<br> ><br> > The knot's dependence on the eggs of the heavily harvested horseshoe<br> > crab has placed it at odds with another species -- humans.<br> > Conservation groups, lawmakers, fishermen, scientists, and ordinary<br> > citizens have all entered the debate. But even as our actions have<br> > imperiled the red knot, we can also preserve the species, by<br> > regulating the fishing industry and keeping clear of the beaches that<br> > the knots rely on during migration. Where nature ranks in our system<br> > of values will dictate how far we are willing to go to protect the<br> > red knot.<br> ><br> > There are millions of shorebirds in the world. Why all the clamor<br> > over the red knot? How could this small bird stir up so much<br> > controversy and inspire such extraordinary efforts on its behalf? To<br> > begin to answer these difficult questions we must first become<br> > familiar with the red knot.<br> ><br> > The red knot may blend in with the other small shorebirds, but it<br> > makes a journey that certainly sets it apart. A master of<br> > long-distance aviation, the red knot makes one of the longest<br> > migratory trips of any bird -- 9,300 miles along the Atlantic flyway<br> > from its wintering grounds in southern South America to its high<br> > Arctic breeding grounds. The journey is so exhausting, it requires<br> > two to three stopovers for refueling. The horseshoe crab egg feast<br> > they will consume at Delaware Bay, is not just an indulgence -- it's<br> > absolutely crucial for the birds' survival. When the knots arrive at<br> > Delaware Bay, their bodies are half their starting weight, devoid of<br> > fat and even some muscle. Here, the red knot will take about two<br> > weeks to double its weight so it can continue its migration.<br> ><br> > The migratory trip is far from the only risk the peeps take in their<br> > lives. The life of the red knot is fraught with challenges. In their<br> > wintering grounds of Tierra del Fuego, blinding gales blow up without<br> > warning, and tides surge 25 and 35 feet every 12 hours. The<br> > challenges facing the knots are even greater on the Arctic nesting<br> > grounds, where a declining population of birds makes it more<br> > difficult to find a mate and even if they do, a snowstorm can wipe<br> > out the knots' eggs. If the birds don't consume enough eggs during<br> > their migratory stopover, they may not have enough fuel to complete<br> > their trip, and those undernourished knots that do make it to the<br> > Arctic will arrive weak and emaciated. Add the fierce and<br> > unpredictable Arctic weather into the mix, and the birds are likely<br> > to be in such a state that it is nearly impossible for them to raise<br> > chicks.<br> ><br> > Researchers tag red knots in 'Crash: A Tale of Two Species.'Nature,<br> > it seems, has really stacked the deck against this creature. During<br> > its migration, the red knot concentrates in huge, densely-packed<br> > flocks. These enormous gatherings make the knots vulnerable to<br> > habitat destruction and, in South America, hunting pressure. Sadly,<br> > it is not just their eating preferences but their social patterns<br> > that put them at odds with human activities.<br> ><br> > All of these hardships have given rise to dire statistics. The red<br> > knot is a creature in peril. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan<br> > lists the red knot as a "Species of High Concern," based on declining<br> > population trends and threats on non-breeding grounds. In the last 20<br> > years red knots have declined from over 100,000 to less than 15,000.<br> > And in 2006, the knot was named a candidate for Endangered Species<br> > Act protection as an emergency measure to slow the rapid fall of its<br> > population. In the Delaware Bay, the knot has suffered a decline so<br> > severe that some experts predict the population stopping over at the<br> > bay could disappear within five years.<br> ><br> > Studies conducted outside of the U.S. do not paint a brighter<br> > picture. Counts of knot populations wintering in South America<br> > dropped over 50% from the mid-1980s to 2003. Researchers have<br> > suggested that the continued hunting of knots in South America might<br> > be partly to blame.<br> ><br> > The red knot is one of the world's most amazing birds. But if that is<br> > not sufficient motivation for us to save it, there are other<br> > incentives. Chincoteague, Virginia, a popular stop-over for the red<br> > knot, finds that what is good for migratory shorebirds is also good<br> > for Virginia business. A recent tourism survey found that birders and<br> > ecotourists were bringing in significant amounts of resources to the<br> > local economy. And one economic study in South Jersey found that the<br> > shorebird-watching industry generated nearly $36 million dollars in<br> > revenue for the area.<br> ><br> > Sadly, the issue raised in "Crash: A Tale of Two Species" over the<br> > increased harvest of horseshoe crabs remains contentious today.<br> > Whether the red knot will be able to continue to use Delaware Bay as<br> > a major migratory staging area in the future is still up in the air<br> > -- as is the fate of the knot.<br> ><br> > For more information on red knot conservation efforts, visit<br> > http://shorebirdproject.blogspot.com/, where Larry Niles (featured in<br> > "Crash: A Tale of Two Species") and an international team of<br> > scientists blog about the most recent news on the red knot.<br> <br> <br> </blockquote></div><br> ------=_Part_6315_9226444.1203053901378--
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