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Two cool blog posts from one of my favorite websites, www.boingboing.net. Maggie Koerth-Baker, the in-house science blogger visited the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts, one of the most researched forests in the world, to delve into the why and how of research. As a part of her trip, she visited a swamp, and gave the casual reader an idea of how swamp soil is sampled and classified, something a wetland scientist typically does. Boingboing is perennially rated as one of the top 20 blogs worldwide, so this article is great exposure for a field that remains unknown to most, and mysterious to all the rest.
Using a hand operated auger, Maggie drilled into the swamp soil and extracted multiple 50cm long core samples that tell a story of the conditions and chemical composition of the swamp throughout the last 6,000 years. Beginning at the top of the core sample, there are large chunks of organic material, which as the sample stratification progresses downwards, decrease in size. Finally closest to the bottom of the core, the organic material has largely disappeared, leaving only greyish clay. Using a Munsell Soil Chart, the color of the soil is compared to the chart to make a determination of the type and consistency of the soil for further study.
Both of the blog posts are here:
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The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) announced this week the recipients of the National Wetland Awards (http://www.nationalwetlandsawards.org) granted to individuals nationwide nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions in one of six different categories, ranging from Conservation & Restoration to Landowner Stewardship. Beginning in 1989, more than 150 individuals have been recognized as champions of wetlands conservation. The 2012 National Wetlands Awards recipients will be honored at a ceremony on May 10, 2012 at the U.S. Botanic Garden at 6 pm.
Congratulations to all of the recipients!
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Schistosomiasis, or bilharzia, is tropical disease caused by parasitic worms in a highly evolved cycle that progresses through multiple hosts during its lifecycle. Starting as a larvae in in shallow freshwater or wetlands, it then infects a snail as an intermediary host, and then matures into a fluke or worm in humans. Next to malaria, it is one of the most devastating tropical illnesses, affecting more than 207 million people, and killing 200,000 annually. Schistosomiasis is second only to malaria in its socioeconomic devastation.
Part of the fight against Schistosomiasis is identifying drug compounds that have the capability of disabling proteins essential for the parasite's survival. A program called VINA from The Scripps Research Institute in California, will be used to perform the virtual chemistry experiments, using donated distributed computer time (Similar to SETI online). With enough donated computing time, this task can be completed in approximately 1 year, and will be published in the public domain.
If you are interested in running this program in the background on your computer, visit this webpage for more information:
https://secure.worldcommunitygrid.org/research/sn2s/overview.do
Screening for the best potential drug compounds is an early step in the process of developing more effective treatments for the disease. With enough computing power, this screening can be done much more quickly than using conventional laboratory experiments.
More information is available here:
http://www.ajol.info/index.php/wsa/article/viewFile/49202/35545
Wetlands in the News
05 May 2024
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Feds Say They Can Handle Permits Amid Legal Fight Over Wetlands With Florida
Federal environmental officials have pushed back against arguments by Florida that a legal fight over wetlands-related permitting has put more than 1,000 permit applications into "regulatory limbo."...
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One goal of the $500K wetlands project is to curb the flooding of the Killbuck Creek
Benefits of H2Ohio project include harnessing the power of the regular flooding of the Killbuck Creek into feeding the wetlands.
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Scavengers clean up wetlands and boost their health
New study shows scavengers crucial for wetland health, highlighting their role in nutrient recycling and disease control.
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Unveiling nature's custodians: Study highlights crucial role of scavengers in wetlands
A study by researchers from the Ecology area of the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Ecology department of the University of Alicante (UA) reveals the fundamental importance of...
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10 things to know about the Long's Park wetlands
While the vibe at the wetlands in Long’s Park is not quite on the level of a Claude Monet painting, hints of similarity shine as a shimmering dragonfly deftly maneuvers...