animal news blog

一些生態旅遊會影響鯊魚

September 17, 2023

一些生態旅遊讓人類與鯊魚游泳或互動，影響了鯨鯊的行為。研究發現，當人類靠近時，鯨鯊會表現出不安並移動得更快。這將消耗超過牠們一般所需的能量，並影響牠們的繁殖及覓食。研究人員認為應該定期評估遊客和鯊魚之間所規定的距離。

Ecotourism with human swimming and interact with sharks is affecting the whale sharks’ behaviors. Study found when human is approaching, whale sharks show more disturbed behavior and move around more rapidly. This will lead to expending more energy than needed, and affect their reproduction and feeding. Researchers think the regulated distances between tourists and sharks should be reviewed regularly.

https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/58333/20230908/whale-sharks-exhibit-disturbed-behavior-patterns-due-ecotourism-study.htm

尋找義工復育海草

September 15, 2023

一個保育項目正尋找義工協助恢復澳洲西面的海草，因為該地區超過一半的海草已在過去一個世紀消失。海草是銀金鯛、魷魚、龍蝦等海洋生物的重要棲息地。義工會負責幫忙採集海草的果實，並放到水箱浸泡，等到果實打開，就可收集沉到底部的種子，然後把種子散佈到海底。一般在野外，90%的這些果實無法生長。

A conservation project is calling for volunteers to help restore seagrass to Cockburn Sound, a coast in Western Australia, because over 50% of them has disappeared in the area in the past century. Seagrasses are an important habitat for marine life like pink snapper, squid and lobsters, etc. Volunteers will collect fruits from the seagrasses and soak in water tanks. The fruits will then pop open and their seeds will sink to the bottom. Once these seeds are ready, they will disperse on the ocean floor. Normally in the wild, 90% of these fruits cannot grow.

https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/citizenscience/seagrass-volunteers-seedlings/

草原象也有自己的名字

September 12, 2023

肯亞的草原象和人類一樣有自己的名字。研究發現牠們一般會發出低頻的聲音來溝通，而且會用特定的聲音來標記彼此。研究人員記錄了 17 隻野生大象的隆隆聲，在播放了一些“名字”後，不同個體會朝著自己“名字”的聲音移動。

savannah elephants in Kenya have their own names like us. Researchers discovered the elephants label each other with specific vocal sounds in their communication. Elephants produce a low-frequency rumbles when communicate. Researchers record rumbles from a herd of 17 wild elephants, and played back some of the “names” and the individuals moved towards the sounds of their own “names”.

https://www.sciencealert.com/amazing-discovery-claims-elephants-have-specific-names-for-each-other

水溫上升珊瑚魚出現腦霧

August 30, 2023

海水溫度上升令水中的氧氣量下降；如沒有足夠的氧氣，珊瑚魚的大腦功能會下降，使牠們變得健忘、壓力增加、失去學習能力，更影響牠們的決策。做出正確的決定對於牠們的生存非常重要，因為牠們棲息在一個複雜多變的環境中。

Warmer temperature means less oxygen in the water; without enough oxygen, reef fish’s brain function dropped, making them forgetful, stressful, losing ability to learn as well as affecting their decision making. Making right decisions are very important for their survival because they live in a complex and constantly changing environments.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/23/climate/ocean-warming-fish.html

靠死火山加速孵化時間

August 27, 2023

於2018年，在一座深海死火山附近發現了近 6000 隻雌性珍珠八爪魚（Muusoctopus robustus）在築巢。科學家用三年監測，發現被火山加熱的水有助於八爪魚卵孵化得更快。一般情況下，牠們的卵需要至少 5 年才能孵化，但水溫上升後只需不到兩年的時間。

Nearly 6000 of female pearl octopuses (Muusoctopus robustus) were found nesting near a deep-sea extinct volcano in 2018. In the past years, scientists monitored the site and discovered that the water heated by the volcano helps the octopus eggs hatch faster. Normally it would take at least 5 years for their eggs to hatch, but with much warmer water temperatures, it only take less than two years.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-hot-secret-behind-a-deep-sea-octopus-garden/