Fish Sounds Recorded: Deep-Sea Fish Grunt And Quack (VIDEO)

Posted on January 28, 2012 by admin

By: Joseph Castro, LiveScience Staff Writer

Ecologists may have captured the first deep-sea fish sounds, hidden among the sounds of dolphins and humpback, fin and pilot whales, they report in a new study.

More than 50 years ago, researchers hypothesized that sound production in deep-sea fish is common, based on the fact that many of the species have the anatomy needed to produce sound. Most fish make incidental noises as a byproduct of chewing and swimming, but for deep-sea fish, which live in perpetual darkness, communicative noises might be important for survival and reproduction.

“But just because they have the anatomy to make noises, doesn’t mean they necessarily do it,” said Rodney Rountree, a marine ecologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. “In terms of communicative sounds, we don’t know what proportion of the fish do it.”

Few studies have ever reported recording possible deep-sea fish sounds, so scientists know little about these sounds, Rountree explained. It’s not as simple as putting the fish in a tank and listening in on their conversations. “Deep-water fish are extremely difficult to keep alive in the lab, and the fish will not make a sound unless you can elicit the behavior tied to the sound,” he told LiveScience. For example, you won’t be able to hear their reproductive sounds unless you can get them to spawn in the laboratory, which they won’t do unless the conditions are just right. [Video of Fish Calls]

Moreover, until now scientists have not pursued recording deep-sea fish in their natural habitat, mostly because of the lack of adequate, low-cost technology. “Our study was the first where we purposely went out and did that,” Rountree said.

In collaboration with commercial fishermen, Rountree and his colleagues developed a simple deep-water hydrophone. With the device, they recorded 24 hours of deep-water sounds from the seafloor (about 2237 feet, or 862 meters, below the surface) of Welkers Canyon, which is south of New England’s Georges Bank. From the recording, they were able to identify various sounds from whales and other cetaceans, but they also

.... end of excerpt
Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/fish-sounds-recording_n_1237713.html?ref=canada

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Garden water features pretty but pricey

Posted on January 28, 2012 by admin

Water features can bring interest, beauty and wildlife to a garden, but they also can be work.

That’s why many homeowners are choosing relatively small options such as fountains, bubbling urns and waterfalls, rather than ponds and streams, industry analysts say.

“A big backyard pond takes a lot of time to clean,” said Laura Dickinson, extension master gardener coordinator at Kansas State University. “You have to fight with the critters, keep the water in balance and prevent algae from building up. You have to do special things in winter to shut it down and again in spring to set it up.

“It can get pretty expensive if you want to hire all that done,” Dickinson said.

Sharon Coates, vice president of Zaretsky and Associates Inc., a landscape design firm in Macedon, N.Y., said many of her clients are forgoing water features “because of the perception of high maintenance.” The biggest problems, she said, arise from unforeseen circumstances.

“These can be caused by chipmunks or other animals nesting and chewing on the liner, or even by herons deciding to go fishing in your pond,” Coates said. “Bubbling urns or boulder water features have a below-grade plastic composite basin that is not easily damaged.”

Some things to consider when deciding whether to landscape large with ponds or small with fountains:

Work: Water features are a labor of love, and many homeowners enjoy the activities required to keep a smooth-running pond, creek and waterfall, Coates said. But she adds a cautionary note: “As people work more hours and feel the pressures of balancing work and home life, they are looking for the benefits of a water feature without all the work of a full-blown pond.”

Safety: Consider any risks to your own or neighboring children, Coates said. “Many municipalities are considering ponds of a certain size to be swimming pools, and therefore they need to be fenced like a pool,” she said.

Price: Fountains cost less to buy and install, said Genevieve Schmidt, a landscape designer in Arcata, Calif. “Ponds are the most expensive item per square foot commonly installed in the landscape – more expensive than flagstone patios,” she said.

Energy savings:

.... end of excerpt
Article Source: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20120128/LIFE08/301280020/Garden-water-features-pretty-pricey?odyssey=nav|head

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Lawmaker Heinz: Arizona can be algae-farming center

Posted on January 28, 2012 by admin

PHOENIX – Anticipating a day when Arizona becomes a leader in
producing algae for biofuel, a Tucson lawmaker is pushing to have
algae farms and related facilities defined – and taxed – like any
cornfield or packing plant.

Rep. Matt Heinz, a Democrat, has introduced two bills he said
will allow for the growth of algaculture, or algae farming.

“If we don’t, it could become cost-prohibitive to expand
alga-cultivation,” Heinz said.

HB 2225 would expand the definition of agricultural lands to
include algaculture research, development and commercial production
on state trust land.

HB 2226 would expand the definition of agricultural real
property for the purposes of taxation to incorporate algaculture.
That includes research, development and commercial production of
algae for biofuels or hydrogen.

The bills cover only the cultivation of algae, not the process
of extracting oil, Heinz said.

Algae farming doesn’t yet have a strong presence in Arizona,
though Arizona State University and University of Arizona
researchers are working to develop the science in their labs and in
partnerships with local companies.

Laws promoting algaculture would open up Arizona’s agricultural
landscape, create jobs and attract leading companies in the field,
said Milton Sommerfeld, a professor who serves as co-director of
ASU Polytechnic’s Laboratory of Algae Research and
Biotechnology.

“Algae is a crop,” Sommerfeld said. “You have the same types of
problems and challenges as you do with other crops. You’ve got to
have good seed material and good technology to be able to process
it. You have to have a place where you can grow it.”

Today’s research focuses on honing the energy potential of
algae.

U.S. interest in algae began during the late 1970s, when an oil
embargo forced the country to look for cheaper fuel sources. The
research ramped up again five years ago, when the cost of gas
spiked yet again.

With its abundant sun, flat farmland and mild climate, Arizona
is an ideal site for the burgeoning algae-farming industry, Heinz
said.

“We have this great gift of sun that doesn’t just help the solar
panels, but also allows for photosynthetic advantages,” said Heinz,
a hospital physician who first learned about algae farming at ASU
Polytechnic’s laboratory.

Rep. Russ

.... end of excerpt
Article Source: http://azstarnet.com/business/local/lawmaker-heinz-arizona-can-be-algae-farming-center/article_4612c120-ce97-5c46-8b4b-7a04f350f637.html

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Innsbrook residents, Merrillville, still disagreeing about pond – Chicago Sun

Posted on January 28, 2012 by admin

By Karen Caffarini
Post-Tribune correspondent

January 27, 2012 4:38PM

Story Image

Al Borom, left, and Dan King stand near a pond behind their homes in Merrillville Friday Jan. 27, 2012. The men were among a group of residents who had waged a six-year legal battle with the city to clean the pond and take measures to control the mosquito population. | Andy Lavalley~Sun-Times Media


Updated: January 28, 2012 2:02AM

MERRILLVILLE — Two residents of the Innsbrook subdivision say they want to end a six-year-old legal battle with the town over maintenance of a retention pond behind their homes, which has yet to be settled and which has resulted in their neighbors not getting their street plowed during the recent snow.

The residents are hoping to reach a more amicable solution. But it may not be that easy.

Attorney Elizabeth Norwood, who represented about 14 Innsbrook property owners, said Friday a lawsuit filed by the homeowners against the town and developer Ross Innsbrook Development had been dismissed in Lake Superior Court in Hammond in December 2010, with the court ruling in favor of the town. She said the town is now countersuing to recoup its legal costs.

The lawsuit,

.... end of excerpt
Article Source: http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/lake/10273751-418/innsbrook-residents-merrillville-still-disagreeing-about-pond.html

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Fish Sounds Recorded: Deep-Sea Fish Grunt And Quack (VIDEO)

Posted on January 28, 2012 by admin

By: Joseph Castro, LiveScience Staff Writer

Ecologists may have captured the first deep-sea fish sounds, hidden among the sounds of dolphins and humpback, fin and pilot whales, they report in a new study.

More than 50 years ago, researchers hypothesized that sound production in deep-sea fish is common, based on the fact that many of the species have the anatomy needed to produce sound. Most fish make incidental noises as a byproduct of chewing and swimming, but for deep-sea fish, which live in perpetual darkness, communicative noises might be important for survival and reproduction.

“But just because they have the anatomy to make noises, doesn’t mean they necessarily do it,” said Rodney Rountree, a marine ecologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. “In terms of communicative sounds, we don’t know what proportion of the fish do it.”

Few studies have ever reported recording possible deep-sea fish sounds, so scientists know little about these sounds, Rountree explained. It’s not as simple as putting the fish in a tank and listening in on their conversations. “Deep-water fish are extremely difficult to keep alive in the lab, and the fish will not make a sound unless you can elicit the behavior tied to the sound,” he told LiveScience. For example, you won’t be able to hear their reproductive sounds unless you can get them to spawn in the laboratory, which they won’t do unless the conditions are just right. [Video of Fish Calls]

Moreover, until now scientists have not pursued recording deep-sea fish in their natural habitat, mostly because of the lack of adequate, low-cost technology. “Our study was the first where we purposely went out and did that,” Rountree said.

In collaboration with commercial fishermen, Rountree and his colleagues developed a simple deep-water hydrophone. With the device, they recorded 24 hours of deep-water sounds from the seafloor (about 2237 feet, or 862 meters, below the surface) of Welkers Canyon, which is south of New England’s Georges Bank. From the recording, they were able to identify various sounds from whales and other cetaceans, but they also

.... end of excerpt
Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/fish-sounds-recording_n_1237713.html

Posted in Koi | Tagged | Leave a comment