Over-educated and Underfunded
Weird, wacky and wonderful stories and sketches from biologists in the field.
By Ariana Loehr2020 has been difficult for everyone across the globe. While we’re bombarded with images of economic instability, illnesses and injustices, the mental health of everybody has been suffering. It has been hard lately to imagine that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. This is why here, at the Broke Biologists, we want to share some recent positive news to give you, our readers, hope and encourage you to continue working towards a greener and more just future. We would also like to remind you that while several of these planet positive events have come at the cost of many lives and a severe economic downturn, we must work together to find more permanent solutions that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. Only when we find the balance of all three will we begin to thrive again. 1. PM10 decreases by 44% in India Since February, the amount of particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in size has dropped 44% from the rates seen in the previous months. This change is due to a drop in road and air traffic as well as decreased production in factories. 2. Wildlife consumption has been made illegal in China and Vietnam After seeing the devastating effects that the Wuhan wildlife market had on spreading Sars-Covid-19 with the world, China and Vietnam each took decisive action against the consumption of bush meat. Wildlife markets in these areas are often filled with endangered species, so this should be great for animal populations in their native habitats. 3. Increased bird biodiversity from gardens in Sri Lanka According to an official from Biodiversity Sri Lanka, the return to gardening for sustenance and reprieve during Covid-19 lockdown has also benefited birds! Many birds enjoy the additional seeds, fruit and insects that come with gardens, and individuals have been reporting increased biological diversity around their homes as a result. 4. Hawksbill turtle nests on Singapore shores This year on World Turtle Day, a critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle swam onto the shores of East Coast Park to lay a nest. While the Singapore straits are a known breeding ground for Hawksbill Sea Turtles, their appearances have been relatively rare due to poaching and habitat loss in the surrounding region. 5. Chinchilla rats spotted in Machu Picchu Once believed to be extinct, these chinchilla rats have recently been spotted by camera traps near Machu Picchu. These animals are believed to be endangered and were a common food source for the Incas living in the area over 400 years ago. 6. Red Wolf pups born in North Carolina Zoo A litter of five red wolf pups was born on April 21 as a part of the North Carolina Zoo’s breeding program. These wolves will eventually be a part of a reintroduction program aimed at bringing the populations up to historic levels. Currently there are fewer than 34 red wolf individuals left in the wild. 7. An emergence of local and sustainable fishing practices The days of trawling for fish, excessive bycatch and wholesale fish markets may be a thing of the past. While restaurants have not been buying their pre-covid numbers of fish, American fishermen have turned to selling fish directly to their customers, ensuring that whatever is caught is going to be eaten. Have a story about planet positivity? We'd like to hear it! Share it in the comments below.
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By Vincent DiringerPrior to working in the field of conservation in South-East Asia, I had not been physically confronted with the amount of plastic waste and pollution that was floating around the world’s oceans. I had read the reports, seen the pictures and videos, but never seen it in person - so my first coastal cleanup really struck a chord. There was just so much trash. Shoes, nets, plastic bags, straws, bottles, barrels. These cleanups became somewhat cathartic, they were also often a wake-up call for those who came to help out, as one group of students found out by finding food packaging inscribed with a use-by date that revealed it was older than they were. For them, the thought that this one specific plastic item had spent more time floating in the ocean and degrading than it had spent being used was a sobering moment. The message was clear - plastics do not biodegrade. Unfortunately these types of experiences weren’t few and far between. We could spend over an hour collecting hundreds of kilos of plastic waste from a single beach, only to return several days later and have the same amount washed back onto shore, this time coated in oil. However, coasts weren’t the only ecosystems affected. While on diving or snorkelling trips, we would find large swathes of reef covered by ghost nets, or discover a jumbled mess of commercial fishing apparatus encrusted in barnacles floating just below the surface. The environmental damage that this plastic was causing was evident, and the need to address plastic pollution on a large scale never seemed more pressing. Plastics can break down into smaller microplastics which are then ingested by all living organisms in the ocean – that is if they aren’t swallowed whole by sea birds, turtles, whales and other large sea creatures. However, these microplastics don’t just affect the oceans. Food webs ensure that within any environment there is constant predation, this means that through a process called biomagnification, the amount of microplastics found in organisms increases the further you travel up the food chain – eventually reaching us. There are many new environmentally friendly options available to reduce your reliance on single-use appliances that generate more waste and harm than they do convenience. Make the smart choice when it comes to plastics and remember the Six Rs:
While I’m far away from the shores of South-East Asia nowadays, the experiences of those coastal cleanups have stuck with me - both physically and mentally. As a reminder of my first cleanup, I have kept one of the hundred commercial fishing weights that littered the beach that day. It now sits on my desk as a constant reminder as to why I’ve decided to dedicate my career to sustainability and the environment. |
About the AuthorsThese stories come from several biologists working in the field around the globe. Archives
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