Robo-octopus: under construction

The world's first entirely soft robot is being attempted.

By replicating the muscular structure of an octopus, scientists hope to make a robot with no rigid structure to better explore the seabed. The trouble with today's remote-controlled subs is that their large hulls and clunky robot arms cannot reach into nooks and crannies.

Robot octopus will go where no sub has gone before
Paul Marks, New Scientist 21 Mar 09;

INVEST €10 million in a robotic octopus and you will be able to search the seabed with the same dexterity as the real eight-legged cephalopod. At least that's the plan, say those who are attempting to build a robot with arms that work in the same way that octopuses tentacles do. Having no solid skeleton, it will be the world's first entirely soft robot.

The trouble with today's remote-controlled subs, says Cecilia Laschi of the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, is that their large hulls and clunky robot arms cannot reach into the nooks and crannies of coral reefs or the rock formations on ocean floors. That means they are unable to photograph objects in these places or pick up samples for analysis. And that's a major drawback for oceanographers hunting for signs of climate change in the oceans and on coral reefs.

Because an octopus's tentacles can bend in all directions and quickly thin and elongate to almost twice their length, they can reach, grasp and manipulate objects in tiny spaces with extraordinary dexterity.

"So we are replicating the muscular structure of an octopus by making a robot with no rigid structure - and that is completely new to robotics," she says.

The team will have its work cut out. The octopus has evolved a beguilingly manoeuvrable muscle architecture. Each tentacle has four independent muscles running along its length. These longitudinal muscles are separated by transverse muscles which span the width of the limb with an axial controlling nerve that passes through its centre.

This arrangement keeps the tentacle's volume constant, so when it extends a limb by elongating the longitudinal muscles and contracting the transverse ones, it also becomes narrower.

The nearest engineers have come to mimicking this before is with a snake-like tentacle whose segments inflate with compressed air. But while this machine could move well, it did not become narrower when stretched - nor could it work underwater because of the buoyancy of air.

So Laschi and colleagues in the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece and Israel are testing artificial muscle technologies that will more accurately mimic tentacles (Biomimetics and Bioinspiration, DOI: 10.1088/1748-3182/4/1/015006). The team plans to mimic the longitudinal muscles with soft silicone rubber interspersed with a type of electroactive polymer (EAP) called a dielectric elastomer. Apply an electric field to this material and it squeezes the silicone, making it shorter (see diagram).

While Laschi has high hopes for the robot, others are more sceptical. Claire Little, a cephalopod expert at Weymouth Sealife Centre in Dorset, UK, thinks the researchers have underestimated the magnitude of the task. "Don't they realise how flexible an octopus is? They can squeeze through the smallest of holes. This plan sounds a bit crazy," she says.

But Laschi is undeterred. The team has yet to build a tentacle but have built a mechanical simulator that mimics the forces that the EAPs produce. This has proved that the peculiar motions of an octopus tentacle can be copied, she says.

Mangroves of Kranji Canal

There's a little stream that still flows freely into the sea, which we cross on the way to the more famous Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.I've always said to myself that I would stop and have a look, and today was finally the day! I thought I'd just take a quick stroll and went with little Sneaky Camera, giving the Big Baby a rest.
There's a little dirt track next to the fringe of mangroves trees along the stream. Although the stream is canalised in its upper reaches as it flows next to the factories of Kranji, it has natural mud banks near the mouth at the sea.

An assortment of mangrove trees and plants have settled along the mud banks.
There were lots of beautiful tall Api-api putih (Avicennia alba) trees with long narrow leaves that are white below. And they were crowded with yellow blooms!There was a small Api-api luda (Avicenia officinalis) tree, with healthy shiny green spoon-shaped leaves. It was flowering too! This tree is not as commonly encountered in our mangroves as Avicennia alba. So it was nice to see it.And a small Api-api bulu (Avicennia rumphiana) with fuzzy wooly leaves. It wasn't flowering though.

And there was an odd Avicennia tree with broad leaves.
That don't seem so white underneath
But the flowers look very much like Avicennia alba. And indeed A. alba leaf shape can vary (as I remember Dr Jean Yong's sharing) so it's probably an A. alba.

There were also lots of tall Perepat (Sonneratia alba) trees.
And a little one too. As Dr Jean Yong taught me, you can tell it's S. alba from the little touch of pink at the end of the leaf.And a few small Bakau putih (Bruguiera cylindrica) trees.There were even Teruntum putih (Lumnitzera racemosa)! A few small bushes and one tall tree. These plants are listed as 'Endangered' in the Red List of threatened plants of Singapore. So it's great to see them.

There were also several Buta-buta (Excoecaria agallocha) that were in full bloom. I did an entire post about these gorgeous plants.Everywhere, the trees were draped in Common derris (Derris trifoliata) and they were blooming! In some parts, the delicate pink blossoms gave an almost bridal atmosphere.There were a few clumps of Piai or Mangrove ferns (Acrostichum sp.). The bright red young leaves suggest these are Piai raya (Acrostichum aureum).

There were lots of Sea hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), many growing into tall trees.But also the less common Hibiscus look-alike. Can you spot it in this photo?While both have somewhat heart-shaped leaves, the less commonly encountered Baru-baru (Thespesia populnea) has more pointed leaves (photo the left). While the Sea hibiscus leaf is in the photo on the right.

According to Burkill, the Sea hibiscus is "one of the most important fibre-plants among the inhabitants of Malaysia". Fibres from the plant were used to make cords for fishing lines and nets, harpoons to catch dugongs, in elephant gear for dragging timbers as well as woven into bags or used to caulk boats.
Under the big trees were a few short Noni or Mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia) trees. The fruits and other parts of the Noni tree are not only used in a range of traditional medicines, but the roots were in the past also a source of dyes for making batik.As well as small clumps of Sea holly (Acanthus sp.). These plants have no relation whatsoever with the Christmas Holly, although the leaves appear similar.
There's a road bridge across the stream. On the bridge was this large tree with pink and black 'fruits'.It had long hair-like roots so it's probably a fig tree. I have no idea what particular kind of fig tree it is though.Next to the bridge was a large Rhu (Casuarina equisetifolia). It's bearing fruits, though Sneaky Cam is too feeble to take photos of the flowers. Here's an earlier post all about blooming Rhu trees.

Other plants include climbers like this Morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) which had swarmed over a Sonneratia tree. Oh dear.
And this bush next to the road, with glossy leaves and bright orange blossoms. I don't know what it is. I suspect it's a horticultural and not a wild plant.

On the way home, I tried to find a way to get to the massive monstrous and must-be-gorgeous mangroves of Mandai. The last untouched mangroves in our North. Through a narrow path, I managed to get a peek at it.It sure looks lovely!
And extensive! It's not good to go to new places alone and when the tide isn't quite suitable. So perhaps I'll come back another time with some intrepid companions.

Blooming Buta-buta

Today, the Blind-your-eye trees were blooming!
Each tree bears either male or female flowers, never both. This tree is festooned with long drooping male flowers.
Male flowers look like narrow cone-shaped spikes that face up when young. As the male spikes bloom, they elongate into longer spikes (5-10cm).
Eventually drooping down in long yellow tassels.This tree bears female flowers, many of which have already become green fruits.The female flower forms on shorter cone-shaped spikes. According to Tomlinson the flowers are pollinated by insects as the pollen is sticky. Bees are common visitors and may be the chief pollinators.The fruits are small (less than 1cm) green turning black as they ripen into dry capsules. Each capsule is made up of three portions, containing tiny black seeds.

The small shapely leaves are oval and pointed (5-10cm), thick and green, arranged in a spiral. Young leaves are pink, old leaves turn yellow then red before dropping off. Leaves usually drop off after dry weather.

Buta-buta or Blind-your-eye (Excoecaria agallocha) gets its common name from the milky sap or latex that oozes out of broken leaves, bark and twigs. This sap is poisonous and can blister skin, hurt eyes and may even cause blindness. 'Buta' means 'blind' in Malay.

Corners recorded them as "locally common, as in Kranji Forest Reserve by the main road" where "they give a beautiful display of red and yellow autumn tints" ostensibly when the leaves fall during dry weather. According to Giesen, it requires freshwater input for a large part of the year and is commonly found on the landward margin of mangroves, on beach swales or occasionally above the high tide mark.

According to Burkill, the timber is much used in some places for firewood and to make small articles. But it is tricky to cut down the tree as the spattering of the milky sap can blister bare skin and cause eye damage. Experienced wood cutters first remove the bark before felling the tree. The latex is used as a fish poison as well as in dart poison. Various traditional medicinal uses are made of the bark, leaves and roots. According to Wee, the plant contains behenic acid. The Burmese used the leaves to treat epilepsy, in the Solomon Islands the latex is taken with coconut milk as a powerful purgative and an emetic, and oil distilled from the wood is used by the Malays to treat itching and skin infections. According to Giesen, it is not used as firewood as it produces an unpleasant smoke. But the wood is used to make matchsticks in the Philippines, also sold as aromatic wood, and is considered useful for carving. The roots are used to treat toothache and swellings.

References

• Buta-buta (Excoecaria agallocha) Ng, Peter K. L. & N. Sivasothi, 1999. A Guide to the Mangroves of Singapore I (Plant Diversity). Singapore Science Centre. 168 pp.
• Giesen, Wim and Stephan Wulffraat, Max Zieren and Liesbeth Scholten. 2006. Mangrove Guidebook for Southeast Asia (PDF online downloadable). RAP publication 2006/07 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok.
• Hsuan Keng, S.C. Chin and H. T. W. Tan. 1990, The Concise Flora of Singapore: Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Singapore University Press. 222 pp.
• Corners, E. J. H., 1997. Wayside Trees of Malaya: in two volumes. Fourth edition, Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur. Volume 1: 1-476 pp, plates 1-38; volume 2: 477-861 pp., plates 139-236.
• Tomlinson, P. B., 1986. The Botany of Mangroves. Cambridge University Press. USA. 419 pp.
• Burkill, I. H., 1993. A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. 3rd printing. Publication Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Volume 1: 1-1240; volume 2: 1241-2444.
• Wee Yeow Chin. 1992. A Guide to Medicinal Plants. The Singapore Science Centre. 160pp.

More about our Morula fusca

This drill is Morula fusca! Brian Ong kindly shared the id of this snail which I earlier posted on wildfacts sheets as 'awaiting identification'.Brian also kindly shared photos and information about this fascinating snail from a study that he did on them.
Brian shared that one of the identifying features of this snail is its yellow foot.

Morula fusca photos by Brian Ong

He adds that the shells are on average about 1.5cm long. He also shared many photos of them.

From his project on Morula fusca, Brian found them to eat Siphonaria false limpets! Morula fusca found on St. John’s Island, fed mainly on false limpets Siphonaria javanica and Siphonaria guamensis. They also rarely ate small bivalves and barnacles. In Brian's study, he found that Morula fusca were not selective about the size of their prey.

Like many others of the Family Muricidae, the snail drills a hole through the shell of the false limpet. Hence the common name for these snails! Although there many other snails also drill though their prey shells like moon snails (Family Naticidae) and whelks (Family Nassaridae). To bore a hole through the victim's shell, a drilling snail softens the shell with a weak acid secreted by a special gland on the underside of its foot. The softened shell is then slowly scraped off by the snail's radula. The radula is the main physical tool in creating the hole.

A hole drilled into the shell of Siphonaria guamensis:
photo by Brian Ong

Brian shares that Morula fusca drill holes are countersunk, and he also found that larger Morula fusca snails drilled larger holes.

Brian shares that Morula fusca sometimes gets to its false limpet snack by slipping its proboscis under the shell of the false limpet without the need to drill though them.

He adds that Morula fusca are found on intertidal rocks and are usually packed into shaded areas such as crevices and cracks in the rocks.

The wild fact sheet about this snail has been updated with the photos and information that Brian shared. Thank you very much to Brian for sharing his hard work on these snails so that we can all learn more about them and our shores!

From Tan, K. S. & L. M. Chou, 2000. A Guide to the Common Seashells of Singapore. BP and Singapore Science Centre, this snail lays stalked, globular egg cases. Tiny crawling juvenile snails emerge from these egg cases. This snail has a patchy distribution in Singapore but can be common where it occurs.

References

Tan, K. S. & L. M. Chou, 2000. A Guide to the Common Seashells of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre. 160 pp.

Captive whale sharks and moral integrity of Resorts World Sentosa

"It is not just about simply abiding to regulations, but about maintaining the moral integrity of the company" Louis Ng of Acres writes in his letter published in Today Online.

The main issue should not be whether the dolphins or whale sharks that Resorts World at Sentosa plans to acquire are listed as “endangered” or “least concern” or “vulnerable”.

How endangered these species are is important, but what Acres feels is most important is the individual animals that will be and are affected by Resorts World at Sentosa’s decisions.

Full letter also on the wildsingapore news blog.

The poster for the petition against captive whale sharks at Resorts World Sentosa.

Related link

• ACRES website
  
• Georgia Aquarium responds to Singapore petition against captive whale sharks.
  
• Resorts World Sentosa's response to petition against captive whale sharks
  
• Animal welfare groups oppose import of whale sharks at Sentosa IR
• The petition is at http://www.whalesharkpetition.com/
• I will boycott Resorts World Sentosa and its Marine Life Park Facebook group:
• More about the issues with lots of links on the wild shores of singapore blog

Giant worm discovered in UK aquarium

"It really does look like something out of a horror movie. It's over four feet long with these bizarre-looking jaws. We also discovered that he is covered with thousands of bristles which are capable of inflicting a sting resulting in permanent numbness." This is the 'giant sea worm' that was attacking a coral reef and prize fish at The Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay.

It looks very much like our Giant reef worm (Eunice aphroditois) which can be commonly sighted on our reefs.

Our Giant reef worms are harmless to people. Like many marine creatures, they will not hurt you if you leave them alone. Those I've seen were mostly very nervous, sneaking out of their hiding places only to snatch mouthfuls of seaweed. Probably the poor worm that was in the aquarium was just very hungry and ate whatever it could.

Giant sea worm that attacked coral reef caught by aquarium staff
The Telegraph 19 Mar 09;

A 'giant sea worm' that has been has been attacking a coral reef and prize fish at The Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay has finally been caught by staff working there.

Aquarists had been puzzled for months by violent attacks on their fragile reefs where the corals had been ripped in half.

After staking out the display for several weeks, the last resort was to completely dismantle it, rock by rock. Halfway through the process the predator was revealed as a four-foot reef worm.

Staff eventually lured it out with fish scraps but not before it bit through 20lb fishing line.

Matt Slater, the curator of the Cornwall attraction, said: "Something was guzzling our reef but we had no idea what, we also found an injured Tang Fish so we laid traps but they got ripped apart in the night.

"That worm must have obliterated the traps. The bait was full of hooks which he must have just digested."

"It really does look like something out of a horror movie. It's over four feet long with these bizarre-looking jaws. We also discovered that he is covered with thousands of bristles which are capable of inflicting a sting resulting in permanent numbness."

After being carefully removed the worm, which has been nicknamed 'Barry' by staff, was re-located into its own tank, safely away from the coral.

Giant Sea Worm Unmasked as Coral Killer
The Seoul Times 21 Mar 09;

A gigantic worm turned up at an aquarium in England, according to a tourist website of Great Britain. The 1.2 meter-long unidentified worm kills corals in the Blue Reef Aquarium.

The following is the rest of the story reported on March 17, 2009 from Newquay.

Aquarists at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay have discovered the identity of a mysterious killer that had been devastating their coral reef display over recent months.

Staff at the award-winning attraction had been puzzled by violent attacks on their fragile living reefs - in some cases the corals had been literally cut in half.

After staking out the display for several weeks, aquarists decided as a last resort to take it apart rock by rock.

Halfway through the process the terrifying perpetrator was finally revealed - a monstrous four-foot-long giant reef worm.

Staff eventually lured it out with fish scraps - but not before it bit through 20lb fishing line.

Curator Matt Slater said: "As part of our tropical marine displays we have been painstakingly propagating a variety of corals. They are extremely slow-growing and every one we have lost to these attacks was a major blow.

"In the end it got so bad that I decided to literally take the display apart to find out who was responsible. I could hardly believe my eyes when I finally caught sight of the culprit.

"It really does look like something out of a horror movie! It's over four feet long with these bizarre-looking jaws. Having done some research we also discovered that it is covered with thousands of bristles which are capable of inflicting a sting resulting in permanent numbness."

Matt believes it probably arrived as a juvenile in a delivery of living rock from another aquarium.

Robofish unleashed!

A shoal of robotic fish which can detect pollution in the water are to be released into the sea off Spain.
The very fishy robots do not require remote control. They mimic the undulating movement of real fish and will be equipped with chemical sensors, and transmit data through Wi-Fi technology when they dock to charge their batteries which last around eight hours. Each robofish is roughly the size of a seal and swims at about one metre per second.

"In using robotic fish we are building on a design created by hundreds of millions of years' worth of evolution which is incredibly energy efficient. This efficiency is something we need to ensure that our pollution detection sensors can navigate in the underwater environment for hours on end."

British-built robotic fish to detect pollution
Yahoo News 19 Mar 09;

LONDON (AFP) - A shoal of robotic fish which can detect pollution in the water are set to be released into the sea off Spain, British scientists said Thursday.

The fish, which are some 1.5 metres long and resemble carp, will be fitted with detectors which can identify the sources of pollution, such as ship fuel or chemicals in the water.

Five of the robots, worth some 20,000 pounds (21,000 euros, 29,000 dollars) each, are being released into the Bay of Biscay at Gijon in northern Spain as part of a three-year joint project between engineering consultancy BMT Group and researchers at Essex University in southeast England.

The robots, which have an eight-hour battery and do not require remote control, are set to be released in around 18 months' time.

"The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located," said Professor Huosheng Hu of Essex University, whose team is building the fish.

If successful, they hope the fish could be used around the world to prevent the spread of pollution.

Robotic fish are latest weapon in fight against water pollution
Robotic fish, developed by UK scientists, are to be released into the sea for the first time to detect pollution.
Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph 19 Mar 09;

The carp-shaped robots will be let loose in the port of Gijon in northern Spain as part of a three-year research project.

If successful, the team hopes that the fish will used in rivers, lakes and seas across the world, including Britain, to detect pollution.

The life-like creatures, which will mimic the undulating movement of real fish, will be equipped with tiny chemical sensors to find the source of potentially hazardous pollutants in the water, such as leaks from vessels in the port or underwater pipelines.

The fish will then transmit their data through Wi-Fi technology when they dock to charge their batteries with last around eight hours.

It has been funded by the European Commission and co-ordinated by BMT Group Ltd, an independent engineering and risk management consultancy.

Rory Doyle, senior research scientist at BMT Group, described the project as a "world first", adding that scientists involved in designing the fish were using "cutting-edge" methods to detect and reduce water pollution.

"While using shoals of robotic fish for pollution detection in harbours might appear like something straight out of science fiction, there are very practical reasons for choosing this form," he said.

"In using robotic fish we are building on a design created by hundreds of millions of years' worth of evolution which is incredibly energy efficient. This efficiency is something we need to ensure that our pollution detection sensors can navigate in the underwater environment for hours on end."

He added: "We will produce a system that allows the fish to search underwater, meaning that we will be able to analyse not only chemicals on the surface of the water (e.g. oil) but also those that are dissolved in the water."

The five fish are being built by Professor Huosheng Hu and his robotics team at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex. He hopes to release them into the water by the end of next year.

The fish, which cost around £20,000 to make and are roughly the size of a seal. They swim around one metre per second.

Prof Hu said: "I am incredibly excited about this project. We are designing these fish very carefully to ensure that they will be able to detect changes in environmental conditions in the port and pick up on early signs of pollution spreading, for example by locating a small leak in a vessel.

"The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea, as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located."

Malaysia lists 'gamat' sea cucumbers as endangered

A traditional Malay tonic called ‘Air Gamat’ is made from the body fluids of sea cucumbers. The tonic is a popular local remedy for faster healing of wounds, as a post-natal treatment and other ailments.

'Gamat' is now listed as endangered by the Fisheries Department of Malaysia.

'Gamat' is made from Hermann's sea cucumber (Stichopus hermanni) and/or Warty Selenka's sea cucumber (Stichopus horrens). In Pulau Langkawi, the processing industry has depleted the resources of Stichopus hermanni, which is now an endangered if not an extinct species in the vicinity of the Langkawi Islands. Stichopus horrens, however, are still found in relative abundance in the reef flats of Pulau Pangkor, located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia in the state of Perak. The raw products are traditionally processed into gamat oil and gamat water, and recently into medicated balm, toothpaste and soap. (from Fisheries, trade and utilization of sea cucumbers in Malaysia, FAO undated)

Fisheries Dept lists ‘gamat’ as endangered
Malaysian Insider 19 Mar 09;

LANGKAWI, March 19 — The Fisheries Department of Malaysia has identified the “gamat”, the sea cucumber, widely fetched from the sea waters for medicinal purposes in Langkawi, as an endangered species.

Deputy director of the department (operations), Suhaili Lee said the department was concerned with the depleting number of “gamat” and sea horses, which is another endangered species.

“The department would also list other species if they faced a similar predicament, to ensure they do not become extinct,” he told reporters after opening an aquatic exhibition of turtles and other endangered species at the Langkawi Underwater World, here today.

Visitors to the exhibition can view skeletal remains of giant sharks, dolphins, dugong and other exhibits.

Suhaili said the department had listed 33 endangered species in Malaysian waters, including turtles, sharks, dolphins and the dugong.

He added that from 1965 to 2007, the department had been involved in conservation of 192 million turtles, to ensure they remained an active species. — Bernama

Langkawi Fisheries Dept Goes 'Gamat' Breeding
Mohd Zahari Morad, Bernama 23 May 06

LANGKAWI, May 23 (Bernama) -- Langkawi traditional medicine practitioners who are badly-hit by the depleting "gamat" (sea cucumber) resources in the waters of this resort island can now heave a huge sigh of relief.

This came in the wake of the Langkawi Fisheries Department's move to embark on a project to breed this marine life by end of this year.

At present the traditional medicine practitioners are sourcing their sea cucumber supply from neighbouring countries like Thailand, for some as long as 10 years ago.

Gamat is a marine invertebrate that has high therapeutic value including its capability to rejuvenate tissues and hasten wound healing.

The sea cucumber's "miraculous" healing properties had made its mark since 300 years ago.

TWO-PRONG STRATEGY

Langkawi Fisheries Department head Badeli Hassan said the project would be held in the waters of Pulau Singa Besar, Pulau Simpang Tiga and Pulau Timun, covering 15 hectares of area.

"From that size of area, we expect to breed 500,000 sea cucumbers," he told Bernama here recently.

He said the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry has approved RM150,000 allocation for the project, to be managed by the Langkawi Fisheries Department with participation of experts on gamat like those from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

Badeli said the project has a two-prong strategy.

First, it is expected to assist in conservation of the eco-system in Langkawi's waters.

The gamat-breeding project entails measures to improve water quality and boost breeding of fish in the area.

"The second objective is to ensure sufficient and regular supply of sea cucumber for Langkawi traditional medicine practitioners," he said.

GAMAT SPAT

As for the sea cucumber spat, Badeli said the spat would be sourced elsewhere apart from breeding the local variety.

He said in measures to curtail excessive harvesting of the sea cucumber, Langkawi Fisheries Department would ensure that only certain sizes of the sea cucumber could be harvested and the number of those allowed to do so would also be limited.

"It is like keeping a record to ensure that the ecosystem and gamat-breeding not to be affected," he said, adding that the traditional medicine operators would be asked to be actively involved in the project.

Badeli said the operators would be asked to jointly care for the gamat-breeding zone.

EXTINCT GAMAT?

When asked on reports that the sea cucumber had actually gone extinct in Langkawi, Badeli denied them saying that these invertebrates are still present in some waters off the island.

"Only that their number is much smaller," he said.

Gamat Asli Enterprise manager, Mustaffa Saad, welcomes the department's move, saying that the measure would ensure constant supply of gamat for Langkawi traditional medicine practitioners.

Mustaffa, who has been in the gamat medicine industry for some 17 years, said since 10 years ago he had not been able to obtain the gamat locally.

"I am forced to source the gamat from Thailand at RM100 to RM120 a kg," he said.

Mustafa said his company, which is operating at the Keda Industrial Zone in Wang Tok Rendong here, needs about 30kg a month of sea cucumber in order to maintain full production.

Gamat Asli Enterprise produces a range of ointments and balms apart from other gamat-based products.

"10 to 20 years ago, gamat is easily available in Langkawi, but not anymore. The sea cucumbers are still present but limited to certain waters," said Mustaffa.

There are some 40 gamat-based industry entrepreneurs in Langkawi.

DRIED GAMAT

Another operator, Azizan Zainol of Rojam Industries Sdn Bhd, admits that there is no more gamat in Langkawi since the past 10 years.

"Most of the customers who came to my shop said that they wanted to see a live gamat, but for so long we never had any live gamat.

"The only gamat present is the dried ones and I feel disappointed as a traditional medicine practitioner for not being able to show a live gamat to tourists," he said.

As for the gamat supply, Azizan said he had no problems as he had ample stocks after buying 500kg of dried sea cucumber from Thailand last year.

"I have enough gamat stocks until next year," he said.

Azizan lauds the move to breed gamat as "sea cucumber-based medicines are produced in Langkawi, hence it is appropriate for the raw materials to come from the same location".

"Gamat medications are not only popular among Malaysians but also foreign tourists who buy it for treatment of wounds, joint and muscular pain as well as other ailments," he said.-- BERNAMA

Sharing our shores with the NUS University Scholars Program

Today, I shared about our gorgeous living shores and the wonderful work being done for them with an enthusiastic group of students from the NUS University Scholars Program.Prof Zhu Jieming (right most in the photo below) conducts the Sustainable Cities elements of the NUS University Scholars Program. He had invited Joseph Chun to speak on civil society. Joseph is THE expert on environmental law and other tricky issues like that.I learnt quite a bit about what civil society is (as opposed to civic society) and about concepts like social capital and other big words. I'm generally so focused on dealing with the daily and ground-level issues, it's good to get a chance to think about things on a larger level.Joseph kindly invited me to do part of the presentation, and share about our experiences at Chek Jawa and our shores. And I stretched the time quota and no doubt the patience of the students in going through our many adventures and the issues facing our shores.

I hope it was a useful introduction to our wonderful shores, and the many ways ordinary people CAN make a difference for them: simply Explore, Express and ACT!

Sea turtle hatchlings rescued from oil spill

Turtle hatchlings flowed like a “volcano” from the sand on a beach affected by the 200-thousand litre oil spill along 60 kilometres of south-east Queensland coastline. Fortunately, rangers and volunteers had mounted a round-the-clock watch over 21 turtle nests on the shores waiting for the young to emerge. Cages were put over each nest to stop the baby turtles crossing oily sand after they hatch. As soon as the young turtles appear they would be moved to clean beaches and released.

Turtle hatchlings released after oil spill
ABC News 19 Mar 09;

South-east Queensland authorities have given turtle hatchlings a better start to life after last week's oil spill hit Sunshine Coast beaches.

The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday released about 120 turtle hatchlings that emerged from a Buddina Beach nest on Tuesday night.

They were taken to Teewah Beach to make sure they aren't affected by the oil slick.

The Pacific Adventurer spilt more than 200-thousand litres of oil along 60 kilometres of south-east Queensland coastline last Wednesday.

Julie O'Connor from the Turtle Care group says it was a good outcome after days of worry about the impacts of the oil spill.

"We've got another three or four nests that are due in the next few days as well so hopefully we'll have a repeat of it," Ms O'Connor said.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council says some of the beaches are returning to normal.

The red flags came out at many north coast beaches after they were coated in oil.

The Council says Wurtulla, Kawana, Twin Waters and Mudjimba beaches remain closed, but the rest are open.

Turtles released
The Sunshine Coast Daily 19 Mar 09;

Buddina turtle watch volunteer Merv Paddison said the Sunshine Coast’s first post-oil spill hatchlings flowed like a “volcano” from the sand of Buddina beach on Tuesday night.

One hundred and fourteen hatchlings made a much-anticipated debut at 10.30pm from the original wooden prototype nest enclosure that would stop them heading for the oil-contaminated water near Point Cartwright.

“You just knew every effort had been made to keep them safe so they could be left to their own devices,” Mr Paddison said.

Mr Paddison and wife Anne contacted TurtleCare Sunshine Coast who then moved the baby turtles to UnderWater World.

The turtle hatchlings were released on Teewah Beach on Noosa’s north shore yesterday afternoon.

Rescue mission to save oil spill turtles
Courier Mail 19 Mar 09;

RANGERS and volunteers have mounted a 24-hour operation to save thousands of turtle hatchlings on Queensland's oil-polluted beaches.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rangers, trained volunteers and council officers have mounted a round-the-clock watch over 21 turtle nests on the Sunshine Coast waiting for the young to emerge.

Cages have been put over each nest to stop the baby turtles crossing oily sand after they hatch.

As soon as the young turtles appear they'll be moved to clean beaches and released, the EPA has said.

The hatchlings will need to be released onto clean beaches as soon as possible, EPA chief scientist Dr Col Limpus has said.

About 120 hatchlings were collected from a nest on Buddina Beach north of Caloundra yesterday morning, kept temporarily at Underwater World at Mooloolaba, and released in the afternoon by rangers at Teewah Beach on the North Noosa River.

The EPA estimates each of the remaining 21 nests holds around 125 eggs on average.

Green Singapore 2050 youth survey on Youth Habitat

The gS 2050 is a community initiative conceptualised by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), which seeks to provide a platform for today's youth - those that will inherit and run the country in 2050 - to express their concerns about environmental issues, and collectively conceptualise solutions to them.
The survey which addresses key environmental issues that will have to be considered as Singapore plans its development for the next 50 years. What is your take on these issues? SEC wants to know your thoughts and opinions about them.

From the gS 2050 page on Youthabitat

Questions for those above 18:
1. How happy are you with the state of Singapore's living environment today?
2. Do you think our living environment will see an overall improvement or deterioration by the year 2050?
3. Do you think Singapore’s environmental quality will affect your decision to stay in Singapore or migrate elsewhere?
4. How do you think each of the following aspects of the environment will change over the next 50 years?

• Energy Generation
• Energy Efficiency
• Nature
• Recycling
• Transportation
• Water

5. Which aspect of our living environment do you think has the greatest potential for improvement?

• Energy Efficiency
• Water
• Recycling
• Transportation
• Energy Generation
• Other (please specify)

6. How much extra money (if any) would you be willing to spend on improving our living environment?
7. Which aspect of Singapore's living environment would you be most willing to spend money to improve?
8. How important do you think reducing our energy consumption is to improving our living environment?
9. How much energy savings do you think can be achieved through energy saving behaviour? (e.g. switching off appliances instead of leaving them on standby)
10. How much energy savings do you think can be achieved through the use of more energy efficient appliances?
11. How much more would you be willing to pay for more energy-efficient electrical appliances?
12. Do you think it is important for Singapore to find alternatives to relying on fossil fuels for energy?
13. To what extent do you think each of the following alternate energy sources can help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels?

• Wind
  
• Solar thermal energy
  
• Hydropower
  
• Solar Power
  
• Tidal energy

14. Would you be willing to pay more for the use of alternate energy souces?
15. Do you think we produce too much waste?

• In household use
  
• In product packaging

16. How do you think recycling will affect the amount of waste we produce?
17. What percentage of our household waste do you think can be recycled?
18. How far would you be willing to travel to a recycling facility, i.e. recycling bins?
19. How much more would you be willing to pay for convenient recycling facilities?
20. Please rate Singapore's transport system based on the following characteristics.

• Environmental sustainability
  
• Ability to support Singapore's increasing population
  
• Comfort and Cleanliness
  
• Reliability

21. Would you be willing to pay more money for improved public transport?
22. How much fuel savings do you think can be achieved through driving more fuel efficient cars?
23. How much fuel savings do you think can be achieved through good driving habits (e.g. not leaving the engine idling)?
24. Would you be willing to pay for a more fuel efficient car?
25. Do you think it is important for us to reduce our water consumption?
26. How do you think a reduction in water consumption will affect energy consumption on a national level?
27. How much water savings do you think can be achieved through the use of more water efficient appliances?
28. How much water savings do you think can be achieved through water saving behaviour (e.g. turning off the tap when soaping)?
29. Would you be willing to pay more for water efficient appliances than normal ones?

Questions for those 10-18 (Primary and Lower Secondary School)
1. What is your opinion of environmental pollution in Singapore?
2. How do you think Singapore’s environment will be in 2050, compared to today?
3. Which environmental issue facing Singapore today concerns you most?

• Overconsumption of electricity
• Air pollution – e.g. haze, pollution from cars, etc.
• Water supply problems – finding alternative drinking water sources.
• Too much waste being generated
• Running out of non-renewable resources for energy – e.g. oil, coal.
• Other (please specify)

4. Do you think it is important to take measures to better manage the environment in the future?
5. What actions do you think it is important to undertake to manage environmental pollution in Singapore?
6. Of the above actions, how important do you think each one is?

• More education about environmental issues in school
• Create more jobs in the environmental sector
• Increase public awareness campaigns about environmental issues
• Have stricter laws to protect the environment

7. To what extent would you be willing to engage with the environmental cause in the following ways

• Pursue a higher education in an environment-related field
• Pursue a career in an environment-related field
• Attend talks and workshops on environmental conservation
• Talk to your friends and family about the importance of environmental conservation
• Volunteer with an environmental organisation

8. To what extent would you be prepared to make the following lifestyle changes in the future?

• If buying a car, choosing a hybrid car over a non-hybrid one.
• Using public transport, walking or cycling instead of buying a car.
• Buying energy, fuel and water-saving appliances, even if they are slightly more expensive.
• Separating rubbish into recyclable materials before disposing it.

9. Do you think Singapore’s environmental quality will affect your decision to stay in Singapore or migrate elsewhere?

What will happen to these survey results? Updated, downloadble copies of the results will be made publicly available on this website, as responses are gathered. These results will be a useful resource for multiple uses, ranging from academic projects on environmental consciousness in Singapore to corporate development plans, and for policymakers formulating long-term sustainable development policies.

Youthabitat also has discussion and projects aimed at solving these issues on their Wiki page.

New "Rainbow Glow" Jellyfish Found

A new species of Ctenophora, a "strange and poorly known" group of animals, has been discovered in Australia.

Photograph courtesy Martin George/QVMAG

The creature is incredibly fragile—it shatters as soon as it touches a net. "So it begs the question," said jellyfish expert Lisa Gershwin, "of how many fragile species are out there, right under our noses, that we have overlooked."

New "Rainbow Glow" Jellyfish Found
National Geographic News 16 Mar 09;

Look on the bright side—this luminous new jellyfish species doesn't sting.

Jellyfish expert Lisa Gershwin caught the unnamed species in early March while swimming near a jetty off the Australian island of Tasmania with a "phototank"—a small aquarium that makes it easy to photograph sea life.

The jellyfish does not emit its own light, as bioluminescent creatures do.

Rather, its rainbow glow emanates from light reflecting off the creature's cilia, small hairlike projections that beat simultaneously to move the jellyfish through the water.

Though the glowing jelly is Gershwin's 159th species discovery in Australia, she still finds the discovery "simply splendid."

For one, the jelly is relatively large—5 inches (13 centimeters) long.

The new species also belongs to Ctenophora, a "strange and poorly known" group of animals, said Gershwin, curator of natural science at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Tasmania.

The invertebrate is also incredibly fragile—it shatters as soon as it touches a net, she said.

"So it begs the question," Gershwin said by email, "of how many fragile species are out there, right under our noses, that we have overlooked. … "

—Christine Dell'Amore

Octopuses "tens of millions of years" older

The origins of the modern octopus have been pushed back by tens of millions of years with the discovery of octopus fossils.

Keuppia levante -- one of the new species of fossil octopus discovered in Cretaceous rocks in Lebanon. (Credit: Dr. Dirk Fuchs)

When did octopuses acquire their characteristic body-plan? Nobody really knows, because fossil octopuses are very rare. The chances of an octopus corpse surviving long enough to be fossilized are so small that prior to this discovery only a single fossil species was known, and from fewer specimens than octopuses have legs.

But what surprised the scientists most was how similar the specimens are to modern octopus.

Cretaceous Octopus With Ink And Suckers -- The World's Least Likely Fossils?
ScienceDaily 18 Mar 09

New finds of 95 million year old fossils reveal much earlier origins of modern octopuses. These are among the rarest and unlikeliest of fossils. The chances of an octopus corpse surviving long enough to be fossilized are so small that prior to this discovery only a single fossil species was known, and from fewer specimens than octopuses have legs.

Even if you have never encountered an octopus in the flesh, the eight arms, suckers, and sack-like body are almost as familiar a body-plan as the four legs, tail and head of cats and dogs. Unlike our vertebrate cousins, however, octopuses don't have a well-developed skeleton. And while this famously allows them to squeeze into spaces that a more robust animal could not, it does create problems for scientists interested in evolutionary history. When did octopuses acquire their characteristic body-plan, for example? Nobody really knows, because fossil octopuses are rarer than, well, pretty much any very rare thing you care to mention.

The body of an octopus is composed almost entirely of muscle and skin, and when an octopus dies, it quickly decays and liquefies into a slimy blob. After just a few days there will be nothing left at all. And that assumes that the fresh carcass is not consumed almost immediately by hungry scavengers. The result is that preservation of an octopus as a fossil is about as unlikely as finding a fossil sneeze, and none of the 200-300 species of octopus known today has ever been found in fossilized form. Until now, that is.

Palaeontologists have just identified three new species of fossil octopus discovered in Cretaceous rocks in Lebanon. The five specimens, described in the latest issue of the journal Palaeontology, are 95 million years old but, astonishingly, preserve the octopuses' eight arms with traces of muscles and those characteristic rows of suckers. Even traces of the ink and internal gills are present in some specimens. '

"These are sensational fossils, extraordinarily well preserved," says Dirk Fuchs of the Freie University Berlin, lead author of the report.

But what surprised the scientists most was how similar the specimens are to modern octopus: "these things are 95 million years old, yet one of the fossils is almost indistinguishable from living species."

This provides important evolutionary information. "The more primitive relatives of octopuses had fleshy fins along their bodies. The new fossils are so well preserved that they show, like living octopus, that they didn't have these structures." This pushes back the origins of modern octopus by tens of millions of years, and while this is scientifically significant, perhaps the most remarkable thing about these fossils is that they exist at all.

Whales, hippos and pigs

Before the widespread use of DNA data, hippos had been thought to be closely related to pigs, but DNA data show that whales are closely related to hippos.
A hippopotamus in Okavango, Botswana. (Credit: iStockphoto/Peter Malsbury)

An earlier study which did not use DNA evidence, and instead used fossil evidence alone to create a family tree, reached the conclusion that hippos have more in common with pigs than whales.

The new study says that leaving out the DNA data not only ignores important information, it implies that the evolution of swimming evolved independently in hippos and whales, when it may have evolved only once in a common ancestor.

Is The Hippopotamus The Closest Living Relative To The Whale?
ScienceDaily 18 Mar 09;

Hippos spend lots of time in the water and now it turns out (or researchers argue), they are the closest living relative to whales. It also turns out, the two are swimming in a bit of controversy.

Jessica Theodor, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary, and her colleague Jonathan Geisler, associate professor at Georgia Southern University are disputing a recent study that creates a different family tree for the hippo.

That research was published in Nature in December 2007 by J. G. M. Thewissen, a professor at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, and his colleagues. Thewissen says that whales are more closely linked to an extinct pig-like animal, often known as India's pig or Indohyus, while hippos are closely related to living pigs.

But this isn't accurate according to Theodor.

"What Thewissen is saying is that Indohyus is the closest relative of whales - and we agree. Where we think he is wrong, is that he is saying that that hippos are more closely related to true pigs than they are to whales," says Theodor. "This contradicts most of the data from DNA from the last 12 or 13 years. Those data place hippos as the closest living relative to whales."

She says Thewissen did not use DNA evidence, instead used fossil evidence alone to create a family tree and reach the conclusion that hippos have more in common with pigs than whales.

"And the reason their tree is so different is simple: by excluding all the DNA information they left out all the data that shows a strong relationship between whales and hippos."

Theodor's rebuttal of Thewissen's work will appear in Nature on Thursday, March 19.

The controversy began after the new fossil of Indohyus, was discovered and written about by Thewissen and his group. This animal lived around 48 million years ago, lived in the water and fed on land.

When biologists study family trees, they traditionally rely on morphology, in other words, the shape of bones. More recently, the DNA revolution means that scientists can use DNA data as another tool to reconstruct family trees, but DNA data can't be used all the time because DNA is not available for most fossils.

"In order to get the best understanding, researchers combine the two sources of data in a single analysis. But what Thewissen and his group did, was leave one of the major ones out," says Theodor.

Before the widespread use of DNA data, hippos had been thought to be closely related to pigs, but DNA data show that whales are closely related to hippos. Geisler and Theodor argue that leaving out the DNA data not only ignores important information, it implies that the evolution of swimming evolved independently in hippos and whales, when it may have evolved only once in a common ancestor.

Solomon Islands to host forum on international dolphin trade

There has been widespread opposition to the legality and sustainability of the trade, along with concerns for the captured dolphins' welfare, since the Solomons began selling bottlenose dolphins in 2003.

A forum including stakeholders and NGOs will discuss the capture and sale of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, and "offers the opportunity to present information about the efforts of the Solomons Ministry for Environment, Conservation and Meteorology".

"The forum is part of its (Solomons government) continuing effort to ensure the export of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin is sustainable and conducted in a transparent fashion," the Solomons government said in a statement.

“The ministry has considered these divergent interests and perspectives and has taken necessary steps to ensure the dolphin population is exploited and managed in a more sustainable manner,” it said.

The ministry said tomorrow’s forum is to ensure export of the dolphins is conducted in a transparent fashion.

“There has been so much media publicity done on this issue by different interest groups in recent years and the forum offers us the opportunity to come together and present this information while everyone is present.”

Earlier this year, a luxurious Singapore resort came under fire for importing Solomons dolphins. In 2007, 28 dolphins from the Solomons were sent to a resort in Dubai amid protests from environment groups. The dolphin shipment was criticised by the Australian and New Zealand governments. The two countries also protested a shipment of 28 Solomons dolphins to Mexico in 2004.

Full articles on the wildsingapore news blog.

Related articles and links

• Resorts World Sentosa: at what price?
  
• Singapore SPCA speaks out against wild dolphins for Resorts World Sentosa
  
• Philippines asked to return dolphins to the Solomon Islands Solomon Star 16 Jan 09;
• Dolphins at the Sentosa Integrated Resort: Senator cites Mexico's sad experience with dolphins Grace Chua, Straits Times 12 Jan 09;
  
• Facebook Group: Boycott Sentosa Marine Life Park
• SUFFERING, NOT SMILING: The Truth About Captive Dolphins on the Acres website.
• Singapore warned on dolphin imports for Resorts World Sentosa The Solomon Star 31 Dec 08;
  
• Animal activists decry need to import wild dolphins for Resorts World Sentosa Grace Chua, Straits Times 27 Dec 08;
• Another 11 Solomon dolphins for Resorts World Sentosa
• What will the Solomon dolphins go through in the Philippines? Some background of the facilities that will train them.
• Confirmation that the 7 dolphins are going to Resorts World Sentosa and what the dolphins cost
  
• First hints that the 7 dolphins were going to Resorts World Sentosa.
  
• Universal Studios distances itself from dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa.
  
• More about dolphins in general: their status, threats and other issues, on the wildsingapore news blog.

Oil spill clean-up kills more fish than spills themselves

Detergents are used to 'clean' oil spills. The oil spill appears to disappear as the detergents turn the spill into tiny droplets of oil by decreasing the surface tension between oil and water. However, this creates a larger reservoir of oil in the water column and increases the transfer of hydrocarbons from oil to water. These hydrocarbons pass easily from water into tissues and are deadly to fish in the early stages of life.

Oil spill clean-up kills more fish than spills themselves, says Queen’s biologist
Queen's University 16 Mar 09;

A new Queen's University study shows that detergents used to clean up spills of diesel oil actually increase its toxicity to fish, making it more harmful.

"The detergents may be the best way to treat spills in the long term because the dispersed oil is diluted and degraded," says Biology professor Peter Hodson. "But in the short term, they increase the bioavailability and toxicity of the fuel to rainbow trout by 100-fold."

The detergents are oil dispersants that decrease the surface tension between oil and water, allowing floating oil to mix with water as tiny droplets. Dr. Hodson and his team found that dispersion reduces the potential impacts of oil on surface-dwelling animals, While this should enhance biodegradation, it also creates a larger reservoir of oil in the water column.

This increases the transfer of hydrocarbons from oil to water, Dr. Hodson explains. The hydrocarbons pass easily from water into tissues and are deadly to fish in the early stages of life. "This could seriously impair the health of fish populations, resulting in long-term reductions in economic returns to fisheries," he says.

The study is published in the journal, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

The researchers also determined that even though chemical dispersants are not typically used in freshwater, turbulent rivers can disperse spilled diesel and create similar negative effects.

"It doesn't matter if the oil is being dispersed by chemicals or by the current," says Dr. Hodson. "Now that we know how deadly dispersed oil is, it is important to assess the risks of diesel spills to fish and fisheries in terms of the spill location, and the timing relative to fish spawning and development."

Funding for the study was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and by Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada. Also on the research team are Allison Schein and Jason Scott from Queen's School of Environmental Studies and environmental consultant Lizzy Mos.