Endangered and threatened species

Four more (all based on the same press release/Dept of Conservation report):

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisp...hesubsection=&storyID=3048949&reportID=162576

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisp...hesubsection=&storyID=3048976&reportID=162576

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,2152139a6000,00.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2151535a11,00.html

At least it is getting local press coverage. The problems we are facing here in New Zealand are very real; for too long things have been swept under the carpet - we have this supposed clean and green image!

These articles are very much dumbed down, although I know of a rather substantial release due out soon.
O
 
Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

The report about the state of some of our species even made it onto the national news, even in the main body of the news, not the little tag on bit after the sport and weather either!

Speaking of being on the news just before Christmas I spotted Steve O being interviewed about a virtual reality tour of the Kaikoura Canyon, (where LOTS of Architeuthis seem to hang out at least some of the time) it looked pretty cool. I believe it will be accessible on the web eventually??????? Is that right Steve??

Cheers

Jean
 
Hmmmmm. Tough one that, Jean. I was asked to say something about the 'sensational' deep-sea fauna of the Kaikoura region; the news item you refer to was basically a marketing exercise for 'Whale Watch Kaikoura'.

Having watched hours and hours of submersible footage from the region and not seeing a squid of any size > ~5cm total length :roll: , and even then having seen ~ 2 squid in total :roll: :roll: one really has to wonder what those sperm whales are eating down there.....unless they're eating an awful lot deeper than the 500-700m sub range (possible), or these squid are adept at avoiding cameras/submersibles ... (maybe they can 'hear', or sense vibration and know when to get out of there). I did receive a piece of squid regurgitated by a sperm whale that was recovered floating off Kaikoura several years ago ... it made the local press and radio stations as being a piece of Architeuthis (supposed proof the animal occured there....identified by???), but when I secured the sample traces of skin immediately gave it away as being our good friend Taningia. To this day NO Architeuthis has ever been caught around Kaikoura, though one washed ashore there years ago (but they could float for miles .... this is no proof what-so-ever that the animal occurs there).

It wouldn't have been too nice for me to rain on their parade in this marketing venture so I avoided the Architeuthis query and made some statement to the effect 'weird and wonderful deep-sea life down there', which is true of the deep-sea everywhere. Tiz very dangerous to exaggerate or tell porkies to the press - I've seen many people get bitten many times over. It is possible that Architeuthis occurs down there, but the water is very dirty, and the sea bed very unstable (a lot of soft sediments - saw evidence of many sediment avalanches in the film) - not really what I would think Archi country was all about ... but those sperm whales have to be eating something. I don't know if the virtual tour will be on the web .... I had nothing to do with this and was just the obligatory geeky scientist offering a :thumbsup: to their work (and they have done a wonderful job).

Re the 'threatened and endangered' nature of this post, well, rather peculiar that we protect the sperm whale, but it is actually the large squid in its diet that are afforded no protection what so ever, and it is these large squid that are disappearing or being heavily impacted by deep-sea fisheries. Trying to manage/protect individual species simply doesn't work; they've got to manage at an environmental/ecosystem level.
Cheers
O
 
Hi Steve,

I totally agree that the squid should be protected as well as the whales (or maybe instead of :biggrin2: ). I've lost count of the number of times people have said to me "oh you're a Marine Biologist you must study, whales, dolphins, sharks ..........." (or insert the charismatic megavertebrate of your choice) When I say I study the much more fascinating squid, the response varies from mild puzzlement to an immediate search for a straightjacket!!

As for regurgitates, one of our marine mammal people picked up a large regurgitated squid fin (~ 35kg) from kaikoura sperm whale. I don't think it was Architeuthis though. It just looked wrong.

Cheers

Jean
 
Memory refreshed Jean - if that was ex Steve Dawson (or possibly Liz Slooten, though less likely) then it is the very piece I refer to Taningia danae. Pretty sure we're talking the same piece.

Sending down a carton or two of frozen Nototodarus from southernmost NZ for Kerry/you; should arrive end of next week (in addition to her pickles).
Cheers
O
 
Yep it was Steve Dawson, who showed me the squiddy bit overflowing out of a fish bin!!!

We'll be waiting for the pickles and the Nototodarus with much excitement! Not sure that the lab staff are quite so excited tho' They've just got used to not having my squid stinking up the place and Kerry's getting MORE!!!!!! Isn't that a shame (picture a vastly insincere smile!) .

Cheers

J
 

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