wildlife – Page 9 – ANGFA Queensland

Push to boost ecotourism in Qld national parks

Jul 312013

Tag-along tours are one of the many types of tours available that offer visitors a great Fraser Island experience. Photo: Queensland Government

Original story by Francene Norton, ABC News

The Queensland Government says strict protection measures will remain in place as more national parks are opened up to ecotourism.

It has launched a new ecotourism framework to cut red tape, and extend operators' permits to 15 years instead of three.

National Parks Minister Steve Dickson says having more World Heritage areas than any other state gives Queensland a competitive edge in the tourism market.

"The benefits hugely outweigh the risks because we have huge problems within a lot of our protected areas at the moment," he said.

"We've got a couple of million cats running around killing wildlife every night of the week.

"There's a lot of implications that are affecting our national parks and protected areas.

"Having these people out there, they're going to be our eyes and ears.

"They're going to see things that we may not see on a day-to-day basis."

EHP News, Issue 3 out now

environment, government, threatened species, wildlife

Jul 302013

EHP is changing the way crocodiles are managed with a new policy that strikes an improved balance between community safety and crocodile conservation. Photo: EHP

EHP News is the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection’s newsletter.

Issue 3 includes:

A new approach to flying-fox roost management
Improved environmental assessment times to boost economic growth
EHP’s crocodile management policy
Sustainability achievements in the spotlight
EHP releases new environment, land and water data

Oil spill at Port of Brisbane

government, waterways/wetlands, wildlife

Jul 292013

Wildlife are affected by an oil spill in Brisbane Monday morning with up to 10 tonnes of oil leaking into the Port of Brisbane, as the culprits face fines of up to $11 million. Oil on the surface of the water at Port of Brisbane. Photo: Seven News

Original story by Kim Stephens at the Brisbane Times

It could take up to a week to clean up a five to 10 tonne oils spill at the Port of Brisbane, Queensland transport minister Scott Emerson said on Monday morning.

Some bird life, including pelicans, have been spotted coated in oil and Department of Environment officers were working to treat the animals, Mr Emerson said.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has since confirmed that four pelicans and one cormorant have come into contact with oil at the site of the spill.

‘‘Plans are being made to attempt to capture the birds,’’ a spokeswoman said in a statement.

"Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is assisting with marine parks vessels and officers experienced in oiled wildlife recovery.''

Mr Emerson said port authorities believed they had identified the vessel that leaked the oil into the port around midnight on Sunday and hefty fines could apply.

"In terms of the vessel that may be the culprit, they are facing, for individuals, fines of up to $550,000 and if a company, $11 million, as well as the cost cleaning it up," he said.

One the pelicans that came into contact with the oil spill at Brisbane's port. Photo: Steve Hoseck NPRSR

The slick is confined to a 1400 metre stretch along the wharf and marine and port authorities have put booms in place to contain it.

"It is heavy oil, we will see some evaporation as the sun comes out but because it is heavy oil, booms are containing the spill and skimmers will try to lift it up," he said.

Mr Emerson said the scheduled arrival of the USS George Washington at the port today - visiting Brisbane as part of the joint Australian and US training Operation Talisman-Sabre - would not be interrupted.

"Given the oil is contained to the wharf, not the channel, that won't be impacted," he said.

However, there could be some minor delays to commercial wharf ships, a Maritime Safety Queensland spokesman said earlier.

Staff at the Port of Brisbane noticed the slick just after midnight, but were unable to determine the extent of its spread in the dark.

A photo of a pelican covered in oil that was tweeted by Transport Minister Scott Emerson.

Investigations by maritime authorities after sunrise determined the oil spill was relatively small.

"We are still assessing the extent of it but no-one is talking large quantities," the Maritime Safety spokesman said.

"Obviously no-one is happy that any oil is in the water so Maritime Safety will investigate to find the source."

He said both Port of Brisbane and Maritime Safety Queensland workers would work throughout the morning to contain and clean-up the spill.

He said the impact on port traffic was expected to be minimal.

"Obviously we wouldn't want to put a vessel out there, so maybe we are looking at some of the shipping movements," he said.

Water police are assisting with the investigation and clean-up.

There has been an oil spill at the Port of Brisbane. Photo: Michelle Smith

Whale Festival kicks off at the end of this week

threatened species, wildlife

Jul 292013

Original story at the Fraser Coast Chronicle

The fleet will be blessed again this year. Ohtot: Alistair Brightman

A TALK on how seaweed could be used as a possible treatment for obesity will precede the traditional start of the Hervey Bay Whale Festival on Saturday.

Professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Southern Queensland Lindsay Brown will present his research on seaweed at the Creating Waves short lectures at the University of Southern Queensland Fraser Coast Campus on Friday, August 2.

Other speakers include associate professor of climatology and head of USQ's Department of Biological and Physical Sciences Joachim Ribbe who will talk about the marine environment and climate of south-east Queensland and USQ senior lecturer in ecology and sustainability Andrew Le Brocque who will speak about biodiversity.

After the lectures, people will be able to enjoy nibbles and drinks and have a chat with the speakers.

On Saturday, August 3, the traditional start of the month-long Whale Festival and the whale watch season, the Blessing of the Fleet, will be held at the Urangan Harbour from 5-8pm.

Whale Watch Operators and harbour businesses host the free evening of arts, water activities, markets and music which culminates in fireworks at 7.30pm.

Visitors can tour whale watch vessels from 6.15pm, talk with the crew and learn about humpback whales.

Enjoy wine tasting, beer and prawns from local businesses and jazz music for an enjoyable evening.

A highlight of the evening is the sail past and blessing of the whale watch fleet at 5.40pm to ensure the safe passage of the vessels, its crew, visitors and whales they come to see.

During the afternoon, the VMR headquarters will be open for tours and available to discuss how to navigate in local waterways.

Every dollar donation to the Whale Festival's charity gives people a chance to win prizes such as whale watching passes, accommodation, a day away at Kingfisher.

Visitors to the Tasman Venture will go into the draw to win a piece of whale-inspired jewellery from Nick Thorpe's A World Treasure Collection.

During the afternoon, the Tasman Venture will host talks by Sea Shepherd crew members Michael May and Alistair Alan outlining their experience aboard the Bob Barker in the Antarctic as part of efforts to disrupt the taking of whales for scientific research in the Southern Ocean.

Finish the weekend with the Sunday in the Park fun day on August 4.

The free event, at Scarness Park on the Esplanade, starts at 10am and showcases the best budding local musical talent thanks to the Hervey Bay Council for the Arts.

Fantastic tales of whales storytelling will run throughout the day with whale-themed activities and workshops.

Sunday in the Park is free, starts at 10am and finishes at 3pm.

Take a rug or chair and settle in for a relaxing day of music.

Food stalls will be operating.

For more information on the full list of events, visit herveybaywhalefestival.com.au or like the festival's Facebook page and receive festival updates.

Native turtles drowning in nets

threatened species, wildlife

Jul 292013

Dead oblong turtles found in Sherlock Park at Jane Brook.

Original story at The Western Australian

Native turtles are being trapped illegally in Perth lakes and rivers.

The Department of Parks and Wildlife is urging members of the public to help find the culprits.

Senior wildlife officer Rick Dawson said that in the past 12 months there had been at least 30 oblong or long-necked turtles found dead in nets.

The penalty is a maximum of $4000 per offence under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950.

"Wildlife officers believe that turtles have been caught and stored in nets for collection at a later date, however, for some reason they have not been retrieved and have drowned," Mr Dawson said. "This is a cruel and illegal practice."

Suspicious activity at suburban lakes and rivers should be reported to DPaW's Wildcare Helpline on 9474 9055.

Singing in the rain: Resourceful frog grabs cover where it can

wildlife

Jul 262013

Original story by Erinna Giblin, News Limited Network at The Australian

AS Aussies shiver through our coldest of months of the year this resourceful frog has only one thing on his mind. Sheltering from the pouring rain.

This resourceful frog was snapped sheltering from the rain using a leaf as an umbrella. Photo: Snapper

Proving that even amphibians can get tired of bad weather this incredible little frog decided not to let himself get down about the rain - instead choosing to keep dry.

Indonesian photographer Penkdix Palme, 27, captured the moment this tiny tree frog sheltered from the rain in his neighbour's back garden in the city of Jember in East Java, Indonesia.

The tiny amphibian clung to the stem for around 30 minutes while wind and rain lashed at his precious shelter.

The five centimetre frog appeared even to angle the makeshift umbrella towards the direction of the fierce downpour.

Huge droplets of water gathered at the bottom of the leaf and surrounding branch while the clever frog remained dry.

Plastic for dinner? Big fish eat more than you expect

fisheries, wildlife

Jul 252013

Original story at Phys.org

Large, predatory fishes from the offshore waters around Hawai'i have been ingesting a surprisingly large amount of plastic and other marine debris, according to new research by scientists at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. These observations are the first of their kind in scope and in number, and they suggest that more attention should be given to marine debris in subsurface waters, as well as to the potential food web implications for human consumption.

Examples of marine debris found in fish stomachs

Over a six-year period, researchers investigated the stomach contents of 595 fish representing 10 predatory open-ocean species, including commercially valuable tunas and billfishes. Seven of the 10 species were found have ingested some form of debris, with varying degrees of frequency.

"One of the species we looked at is opah, or the moonfish (Lampris guttatus), a delectable and popular fish consumed in Hawai'i and around the world," said Anela Choy, a UH M?noa graduate student and lead author of the study, which was recently published in the scientific journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. "In the two species found in Hawaiian waters, 58 percent of the small-eye opah and 43 percent of the big-eye opah had ingested some kind of debris. This was based on looking into the stomachs of almost 140 opah.

"Another large fish species, the longnosed lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), had a 30 percent debris ingestion incidence," continued Choy. "Although this is not a species consumed by humans, it is a very common fish in open ocean waters globally and is very frequently caught by fisherman around Hawai'i."

The study was based on observations collected during multiyear diet studies, the primary objective of which was to describe food habits and trophic ecology of large fish species in the region, according to Choy and her co-author Jeff Drazen, an associate professor in the Oceanography Department of UH M?noa's School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology (SOEST).

From sea birds to turtles to small fish, and even to bottom-dwelling echinoderms like sea cucumbers, many types of marine animals are known to ingest marine debris. Still, despite the prevalence of studies documenting the environmental implications of plastic debris in the world's oceans, there have been few reports of plastic ingestion by large marine fishes.

"What was most surprising was that the fish that most frequently ingested debris are all thought to be deeper water species, generally those that live beneath the sunlit upper 500 to 600 feet of the water column," Choy said. "Deeper water fishes may have been coming up close to the surface to ingest debris, which is an unusual and unexpected behavior."

Or the debris could be coming to them. Buoyant plastics are known to sink into the deep ocean when waterlogged or perhaps weighted down by algae or encrusted by small sea animals. Wind-driven ocean mixing or water currents could also possibly transport debris to deeper waters.

The effects of plastic ingestion on the health of these predatory fishes remain uncertain. Researchers don't know how long debris stays in the stomachs of large fishes, or whether they are able to pass such debris. Many plastics are known to absorb or take up PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons from sea water. However, it is not known whether the toxins are transmitted to the fish that consumes the plastic, or ultimately to humans who consume the fish.

Redmap Queensland

community, fisheries, waterways/wetlands, wildlife

Jul 252013

Octopus tetricus - Gloomy Octopus or Common Sydney Octopus. © Kevin Deacon, Australian Museum

It looks like the gloomy octopus may be moving its home further south; followed by crimson banded wrasse and rock cale. Redmap has developed a ‘report card’ to assess and report potential shifts in the ranges of fish and marine species along the Tasmanian coast. And all using the observations collected by divers and fishers in Tasmania (where Redmap started 3 years ago before it launched nationally). Check out which fish may be on the move in the Report Card.

The Redmap website invites you to share sightings of fish and marine critters that you think are ‘uncommon’ and do not usually live along your coastline. Over time, Redmap will use your ‘citizen science’ data and photos to sketch a picture of Australian fish and marine species that may be extending their distribution range – a.k.a shifting house - in response to changes in the marine environment, such as warming seas.

Redmap allows Australians to collect their own marine data, share stories and upload photos of ‘unusual’ sightings. Redmap is science created by the people for the people.

Fairy penguin stops in at Fraser Island

wildlife

Jul 232013

Original story by Ross Kay and Rebecca McLaren, ABC Wide Bay

This little visitor turned up on a Fraser Island beach on July 21. Photo: Cathy Whitaker

Fraser Island receives thousands of visitors every year who have migrated north to enjoy the warmer weather without much fuss, but one unexpected tourist has caused quite a stir on the Fraser Coast - a fairy penguin who was a long, long way from home.

The bird came ashore on July 21 on the eastern beach of Fraser Island, just north of the Maheno shipwreck.

It came onto the beach, had a look around, then returned to the water. Cathy Whitaker works on Fraser Island and was able to snap a few photos of the rare occurrence.

"It was very bizarre to see a penguin this far north, must have got its bearings wrong," Cathy said.

"We were driving along the beach, and the little penguin was just coming in. He looked quite well; he was quite plump and looked a little tired."

Cathy says the little penguin just sat on the edge of the water for a while before returning to the surf.

The Range of the Little Penguin (Subspecies separated by lines). Image: Nrg800, WikiMedia Commons

"He would have been there for about six to seven minutes," she said.

"He wasn't there for very long, he preened himself for a little while and then he just popped back in the water."

Dr Peter Dann is research manager for Phillip Island Nature Parks and works with fairy penguins. Dr Dann says the penguin coming this far north is very unusual.

"It's not the first time it's happened. I know of records around Coolangatta and around Moreton Bay but this is the most northern one I've ever heard of," he said.

"It's a long way north, and clearly out of its usual stomping ground. The nearest breeding penguins to Fraser Island would be somewhere around Port Stephens in New South Wales."

That it came ashore on Fraser Island is made even more interesting by the fact fairy penguins don't like warm water.

"They don't particularly like warm water unlike the rest of us, so it's also making some strange decisions based on that," Dr Dann said.

By looking at the photo of the southern visitor, you could agree with Cathy in that the penguin looks a little plump. Dr Dann says it is more likely a bit waterlogged.

"First of all I think it might be a girl," Dr Dann said, "You can actually tell penguins apart from their bills whether they're boys or girls, so I think it's a she.

"She looks exhausted though... her flippers, one of them is actually touching the ground which is a sign of being very tired, and also she's a little bit waterlogged.

"She hasn't quite got the torpedo shape that you normally see in a penguin that comes out of water. So what looks like a fat belly is actually a lot of water in her plumage."

"She certainly doesn't look like she's emaciated but she looks like she's come a long way."

Dolphins ‘call each other by name’

Interest, wildlife

Jul 232013

Original story by Rebecca Morelle, BBC News

Scientists have found further evidence that dolphins call each other by "name".

Research has revealed that the marine mammals use a unique whistle to identify each other.

A team from the University of St Andrews in Scotland found that when the animals hear their own call played back to them, they respond.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr Vincent Janik, from the university's Sea Mammal Research Unit, said: "(Dolphins) live in this three-dimensional environment, offshore without any kind of landmarks and they need to stay together as a group.

"These animals live in an environment where they need a very efficient system to stay in touch."

Researchers have long suspected dolphins use distinctive whistles to identify themselves

Signature whistles

It had been-long suspected that dolphins use distinctive whistles in much the same way that humans use names.

Previous research found that these calls were used frequently, and dolphins in the same groups were able to learn and copy the unusual sounds.

But this is the first time that the animals response to being addressed by their "name" has been studied.

To investigate, researchers recorded a group of wild bottlenose dolphins, capturing each animal's signature sound.

They then played these calls back using underwater speakers.

"We played signature whistles of animals in the group, we also played other whistles in their repertoire and then signature whistles of different populations - animals they had never seen in their lives," explained Dr Janik.

The researchers found that individuals only responded to their own calls, by sounding their whistle back.

The team believes the dolphins are acting like humans: when they hear their name, they answer.

Dr Janik said this skill probably came about to help the animals to stick together in a group in their vast underwater habitat.

He said: "Most of the time they can't see each other, they can't use smell underwater, which is a very important sense in mammals for recognition, and they also don't tend to hang out in one spot, so they don't have nests or burrows that they return to."

The researchers believe this is the first time this has been seen in an animal, although other studies have suggested some species of parrot may use sounds to label others in their group.

Dr Janik said that understanding how this skill evolved in parallel very different groups of animals could tell us more about how communication developed in humans.

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