Chalk

Ignored and trampled by some, care and interest paid by others "Chalk" seems to follow the same Course as the Great Barrier Reef. Those who wish to take part and notice what is happening to this marine ecology interact, remove a piece of sea shell chalk and help it on its way back to the ocean to help nullify the effects of ocean acidification. To others this catastrophic effect of climate change simply continues to pass them by.

"Chalk" is made up of three main parts. On the wall is a backlit map of Australia. Removed from this is a satalight perspective of the Great Barrier Reef, which is then mirrored and painted onto the floor. Across this are hundreds of sea shell chalk balls where participants are asked to remove them and transport them back to the ocean in brown recycled paper bags, on which details are printed, providing instructions and acting as a business card at the same time.

The final part us a collection of plaster cast corals housed in acidified sea water slowly dissolving over time, resulting in a sediment filled jar.

Sea Sick the Hidden Ecological Crisis of the Global Ocean, Alanna Mitchell, 2008, One World, ISBN 978-1-85168-678-0

Sea sick follows journalist Alanna Mitchell across the globe on a voyage of discovery. Working with scientists she finds out just how sick our oceans are, and just how vital they are to the survival of not just humans but to the entire planet as we know it. The back cover reads “you thought the climate was the problem actually, it’s the ocean” and the book shows us just why this is.

Through a series of case studies Mitchell reveals the truth about the state of our ocean, not just as a result of climate change but, habitats, changes in marine breeding behaviour, over fishing and other commercial practises, extinction of vital plankton species and issues such as migratory routes of fish and dead zones. Ultimately explaining that the state of our climate largely relies on the state and stability of our ocean, and in fact, Earth wouldn’t have an atmosphere or climate if it wasn’t for the ocean. Earth relies on plankton to provide 50% of the planets oxygen and likewise its ability to absorb carbon, without it the planet as we know it is doomed.

Not everything in the book is doom and gloom though. Mitchell makes reference to there being hope, and if we act now, her and scientists alike believe we can save our oceans and with it the planet.

This is an excellent book putting into perspective the imminent danger of total collapse, which the ocean faces. It is full of facts and figures but is by no means overwhelming. If I were to recommend a book to explain how intrinsic the good health of the sea is to our survival then this is it. An entrancing read emphasising the need for a greater and wider understanding of our ocean.

Sea Shell Chalk

This is a piece i have been working on the last few weeks, in which i have been producing small balls of chalk from crushing sea shells. These balls are laid out along a chalk map of the Great Barrier Reef, and the viewer is invited to take them away and return them to the ocean in bags with information on them also acting as my business card.

Buy people removing the chalk, I am trying to make a statement about the disappearance of reef systems, with only a ghostly trace of the Barrier Reef left behind. At the same time the act of putting these balls of natural calcium carbonate back into the sea, has implications of a nullifying effect on the rising PH levels of of the ocean, one of the major threats of coral reef degradation.


These jars are also an idea i have been playing about with, where plaster casts of corals are held in overly acidic sea water, the result of which is the dissolving of the casts over a period of a couple of weeks, being left with a layer of sediment.

Natural History Museum

I recently payed a visit to the Natural History Museum London as part of my research, only to discover the newly constructed Darwin Centre, who's premises houses large numbers of marine specimens along with research facilities, catalogues, examples of plants, and land invertebrates. The centre is also home to an interactive wall, highlighting the dangers coral reefs face due to climate change, covering ocean acidification, changes in ocean currents and the transference of carbon between land and sea. The piece is highly colourful and extremely intriguing inviting the viewer to explore the reef whilst imposing the message that these Eco systems are in trouble.

Coral skeleton prints

Tubastraea aurea

Euphyllia ancora

Japanese Knotweed. www.news.bbc.co.uk

A tiny Japanese insect that could help the fight against an aggressive superweed has been given the go-ahead for a trial release in England.

Since Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK it has rapidly spread, and the plant currently costs over £150m a year to control and clear.

But scientists say a natural predator in the weed's native home of Japan could also help to control it here.

The insect will initially be released in a handful of sites this spring.

This is the first time that biocontrol - the use of a "natural predator" to control a pest - has been used in the EU to fight a weed.

Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "These tiny insects, which naturally prey on Japanese Knotweed, will help free local authorities and industry from the huge cost of treating and killing this devastating plant."

Alien invaders

Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK by the Victorians as an ornamental plant, but it soon escaped from gardens and began its rampant spread throughout the UK.

It grows incredibly quickly - more than one metre a month - and rapidly swamps any other vegetation in its path.

It is so hardy that it can burst through tarmac and concrete, causing costly damage to pavements, roads and buildings.




Green Room: Hailing the arrival of alien predators
But removal is difficult and expensive; new estimates suggest it costs the UK economy £150m a year.

However, in Japan, the plant is common but does not rage out of control like it does in the UK, thanks to the natural predators that keep it in check.

Scientists at Cabi - a not-for-profit agricultural research organisation - used this as their starting point to track down a potential knotweed solution.

They looked at the superweed's natural predators - nearly 200 species of plant-eating insects and about 40 species of fungi - with the aim of finding one with an appetite for Japanese knotweed and little else.

After testing their candidates on 90 different UK plant species, including plants closely related to Japanese knotweed such as bindweeds and important crops and ornamental species, they discovered a psyllid called Aphalara itadori was the best control agent.

The little insect feeds on the sap of the superweed, stunting its growth.

Dr Dick Shaw, the lead researcher on the project from Cabi, told BBC News: "Safety is our top priority. We are lucky that we do have an extremely specific agent - it just eats invasive knotweeds."


This timelapse footage shows Japanese knotweed growing more than 1m-tall (3ft) in just three weeks

Following peer review by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and a public consultation, the UK government has now given the go-ahead for release of Aphalara itadori, under licence, in England.

The Welsh Assembly is expected to announce its decision on the psyllid soon.

The insects will initially be released on a handful of sites.


These will be isolated and, in addition to as having the superweed present, will also have UK species that are closely related to Japanese knotweed planted there to check that the psyllid only targets the invasive species.

Dr Shaw said: "In the early stages, a contingency plan is in place so that should, in the unlikely event, any unintended consequences be detected, we will be able to do something about it.

"Insecticide and herbicide treatment will be on standby for rapid response."

If this phase is successful, the insect will be released at further sites, where it will undergo an intensive monitoring programme over the next five years.

Dr Shaw said: "On the localised sites, I would expect to see damaged knotweed this season.

"However, biocontrol is a long-term strategy - it could take five to 10 years to have a real impact."

The government believes that if the plan is successful it will reduce the costs to the building and engineering industries of clearing the plant.

However, some critics say that it is impossible to be certain that the Japanese insect will only target the superweed and could attack other species once in the wild.


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Is there Japanese Knotweed growing in your area? Has it caused damage? Should we use insects to control it? Send us your comments and your pictures of Japanese knotweed.

Aquarium Corals, Eric H. Borneman 2001, T.F.H publications, Inc, ISBN 1-890087-47-5

Borneman is an aquarist and researcher and has written periodicals, books, and speaks frequently at aquarist and scientific conferences. Aquarium Corals is seen to be one of the definitive guides to coral husbandry amongst peers, scientists and hobbyists alike.

Although entitled “Aquarium” the book is far from just a guide to keeping corals in the home. It includes taxonomic identification (scientific and general) of pretty much every coral in known existence, with each species natural and captive requirements. It informs the reader on water chemistry around the world, history, conservation, diseases, breeding and propagation, feeding, light waves, how to set up a captive system from start to finish, and is full of detailed scientific information on coral make up from polyp structure to the microscopic level of zooxanthellae. If you need to know anything about corals I can pretty much guarantee the information you require will be in this book. To coincide with all this information are hundreds of high quality images capturing the essence of the reef and its individual inhabitants.

Aquarium Corals has been one of my main sources of information on corals and reef systems. Throughout my coral keeping period this book proved to be invaluable. As far as relating to my practice, it has provided me with the insight to just how complex and fragile our reefs are. It seems to me plainly obvious the huge effects climate change will have, this book points out that even the smallest fluctuations in aquarium stability will have fairly disastrous effects, let alone on a whole ocean. However the conservation chapter in this book is sparse, and doesn’t contain the information I would like to see on the effects of climate change on the reef. It does go into diseases, but doesn’t directly relate the two like other sources have, perhaps due to the date of publication and reluctance to acknowledge global warming in America.