The International Ocean Institute offers the second

Elisabeth Mann Borgese Bursary Under its Women, Youth & the Sea Programme, 2011

The International Ocean Institute (IOI) has established The Elisabeth Mann Borgese Bursary (EMB Bursary) consisting of a sum of USD5,000 (or its equivalent in Euros), which may be used by the awardee in furthering research studies over the period of a year. The EMB Bursary was established as a means of demonstrating recognition to the host country of the IOI – Malta – for hosting the IOI Headquarters and providing facilities for staff and offices. The Bursary also constitutes a further recognition and acknowledgement of the role of Prof. E Mann Borgese, founder of IOI, and of her considerable achievements.

The annual Bursary will be awarded to one person/research team carrying out postgraduate studies/research in ocean/marine/maritime related studies at the University of Malta, Malta. Staff or students are to be registered with the University of Malta Faculties of Science, Laws, or other Faculty, Institute or Centre, where research in the relevant fields is carried out.

The Bursary is financed through the IOI’s Women, Youth and the Sea Programme and the application deadline is Friday 29 July 2011. Further information is included within the application form available for download from the IOI’s website http://www.ioinst.org/ or by emailing IOI Headquarters on ioihq@ioihq.org.mt citing the EMB Bursary.

At the end of the Bursary period, the awardee is to present a brief/paper of the attainments of the funded research to the IOI. This may be eligible for publication in the IOI’s Ocean Yearbook and may also form the basis of a public presentation held as part of the World Ocean Day Celebration of IOI, the following 8th June, or any other occasion deemed appropriate by the IOI.

The first EMB Bursary was awarded in 2010 to Ms Alicia Said, a geographer by training, who is currently using the Bursary to investigate the application of Marine Protected Areas in Malta with a special emphasis on the Cirkewwa marine area. One of the stated aims of the study will be to present the IOI’s philosophy of the “common heritage of mankind”, and explain its possible application as a powerful principle that fosters a holistic approach towards protecting our marine natural heritage.

Further information and application forms may be accessed through the IOI website on http://www.ioinst.org/ or by emailing IOI Headquarters on ioihq@ioihq.org.mt.

More research and sharing of best practice could minimise the environmental impacts of aquaculture, and maximise its potential to alleviate food insecurity, according to a report by the WorldFish Center and the non-profit organisation Conservation International.

Almost half of all seafood consumed originates from aquaculture — the farming of aquatic animals and plants in coastal and inland areas — according to the report ‘Blue Frontiers: Managing the environmental costs of aquaculture’, launched on 14 June 2011.

Read the full report from: http://www.scidev.net/en/news/environmental-impact-research-urged-for-fish-farming.html

A call for proposals for Threatened Species Grants and for Rapid Action Grants is now open.

The SOS Strategic Directions currently open for Threatened Species Grants are:

1. Threatened amphibians
2. Critically Endangered birds
3. Threatened Asian and African mammals

How to apply
In order to apply for a grant, potential applicants need to register and submit a proposal through the SOS Online Application Tool that can be accessed through the link below. Potential applicants are invited to first read all the information available on this page in order to confirm they are eligible for funding under the current SOS Strategic Directions.

Deadline

The deadline for the submission of Threatened Species Grants is August 12, 2011 at 17.30 (Central European Time) but applicants are encouraged to submit prior to the deadline in order that the processing and review of their proposals can begin sooner. Applications for Rapid Action Grants can be submitted on an ongoing basis.

Download the full announcement: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/sos_cfp_2011.pdf

Two origins of cultivation

The most striking finding of the new DNA analysis is that the Pacific and Indian Ocean coconuts are quite distinct genetically. “About a third of the total genetic diversity can be partitioned between two groups that correspond to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean,” says Olsen.

Did it float or was it carried?

One exception to the general Pacific/Indian Ocean split is the western Indian Ocean, specifically Madagascar and the Comoros Islands, where Gunn had collected. The coconuts there are a genetic mixture of the Indian Ocean type and the Pacific type.
Olsen and his colleagues believe the Pacific coconuts were introduced to the Indian Ocean a couple of thousand years ago by ancient Austronesians establishing trade routes connecting Southeast Asia to Madagascar and coastal east Africa.
Olsen points out that no genetic admixture is found in the more northerly Seychelles, which fall outside the trade route. He adds that a recent study of rice varieties found in Madagascar shows there is a similar mixing of the japonica and indica rice varieties from Southeast Asia and India.
To add to the historical shiver, the descendants of the people who brought the coconuts and rice are still living in Madagascar. The present-day inhabitants of the Madagascar highlands are descendants of the ancient Austronesians, Olsen says.
Much later the Indian Ocean coconut was transported to the New World by Europeans. The Portuguese carried coconuts from the Indian Ocean to the West Coast of Africa, Olsen says, and the plantations established there were a source of material that made it into the Caribbean and also to coastal Brazil.
So the coconuts that you find today in Florida are largely the Indian ocean type, Olsen says, which is why they tend to have the niu kafa form. 

An interesting article has been published in the Science News about the origin of coconuts in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Read the full article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624142037.htm

 

Two origins of cultivation

 

The most striking finding of the new DNA analysis is that the Pacific and Indian Ocean coconuts are quite distinct genetically. “About a third of the total genetic diversity can be partitioned between two groups that correspond to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean,” says Olsen.

Did it float or was it carried?

One exception to the general Pacific/Indian Ocean split is the western Indian Ocean, specifically Madagascar and the Comoros Islands, where Gunn had collected. The coconuts there are a genetic mixture of the Indian Ocean type and the Pacific type.

Olsen and his colleagues believe the Pacific coconuts were introduced to the Indian Ocean a couple of thousand years ago by ancient Austronesians establishing trade routes connecting Southeast Asia to Madagascar and coastal east Africa.
Olsen points out that no genetic admixture is found in the more northerly Seychelles, which fall outside the trade route. He adds that a recent study of rice varieties found in Madagascar shows there is a similar mixing of the japonica and indica rice varieties from Southeast Asia and India.
To add to the historical shiver, the descendants of the people who brought the coconuts and rice are still living in Madagascar. The present-day inhabitants of the Madagascar highlands are descendants of the ancient Austronesians, Olsen says.

Much later the Indian Ocean coconut was transported to the New World by Europeans. The Portuguese carried coconuts from the Indian Ocean to the West Coast of Africa, Olsen says, and the plantations established there were a source of material that made it into the Caribbean and also to coastal Brazil.
So the coconuts that you find today in Florida are largely the Indian ocean type, Olsen says, which is why they tend to have the niu kafa form.

Conservation International is pleased to announce the release of the Science to Action Guidebook¸ which provides a roadmap for using science to influence decision-making. Co-authored by 17 scientists, conservationists and communicators, the Guidebook draws upon and highlights experiences around the world. Both ‘ends’ provide practical tips for making the link between scientists and decision-makers, which culminate in the centerfold. The Guidebook can be downloaded at www.science2action.org/s2Aguidebook or hard copies can be requested from s.rustandi@conservation.org.
       
The Guidebook is the final publication in the series of policy-oriented booklets, guidebooks and policy briefs addressing the global ocean crisis that have been produced by the Science-to-Action Partnership, which includes more than 75 organizations led by Conservation International’s Management Science Program and funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. These publications, which synthesize the insights from 5 years of natural and social science research, including over 50 studies in 23 countries, can be downloaded at www.science2action.org and additional copies can be obtained by contacting s.rustandi@conservation.org.
       
The next phase of the Marine Science Program at Conservation International builds on our experiences doing and using science as we continue to support marine conservation science needs worldwide through the Science-to-Action Partnership.

A paper by Joshua Cinner is in press in Global Environmental Change and it discusses discuss the idea of ‘social-ecological traps’, which refer to situations when feedbacks between social and ecological systems lead toward an undesirable state that may be difficult or impossible to reverse. The paper synthesizes recent research conducted on coral reef social-ecological systems in east Africa as a focal context for this discussion.

The paper could be cited as Cinner, J.E., Social-ecological traps in reef fisheries. Global Environ. Change (2011), doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.04.012

Public health officials may be able to forecast cholera outbreaks months in advance by looking at temperature and rainfall data, according to a study.

Researchers looked at cholera outbreaks in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and found that they correlated with increases in temperature and rainfall.

They calculated thata one degree Celsius increase — from 23 to 24 degrees Celsius — was followed by a doubling of cholera cases four months later. And a 20 centimetre increase of rainfall resulted in a 1.6 fold increase in cholera cases two months later.

“Our model, based on these two parameters, forecasted cases of cholera in Zanzibar well, and could act as a predictor for cholera outbreaks,” Mohammad Ali, a researcher at the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the authors of the study, told SciDev.Net.

Read the full article from: http://www.scidev.net/en/news/weather-data-may-predict-cholera-outbreaks-1.html

By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News

The oceans are in a worse state than previously suspected, according to an expert panel of scientists.

In a new report, they warn that ocean life is “at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history”.

They conclude that issues such as over-fishing, pollution and climate change are acting together in ways that have not previously been recognised.

Read the full article from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479

The Seychelles Government has announced that it will soon declare new protected areas in the archipelago, which will result in half (50.59%) of all Seychelles land becoming protected under the law. The Cabinet has approved this week the designation of protected areas, which will amount to 15.72km2 of land, representing 3.53% of Seychelles land territory, which totals 45 500 hectares (excluding reclaimed area).

Last year the Silhouette National Park and the Recif Island Reserve were created, and the total area of protected land had reached 47.06%.

The latest decision follows the President’s announcement in 2010 that Seychelles has the target to protect 50% of its land territory in order to show the country’s commitment to be a global leader in environmental conservation. Emphasis was also placed on fulfilling Seychelles obligations under Article 8 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to ensuring conservation of the archipelago’s biological diversity for the well-being of present and future Seychellois generations and visitors to the islands.

Read the full article from: http://natureseychelles.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=427:half-of-seychelles-land-territory-to-be-protected-&catid=3

The German research vessel Maria S Merian will be used to carry out a Training and Capacity Building Cruise in Namibian waters during 23. September – 21. October 2011, in and out of Walvis Bay. The co-ordinators of this project, at the Universities of Hamburg and Namibia, invite up to 33 young scientists and students from Namibia and other countries in southern Africa to take part in one of the three legs of this cruise. Students and researchers who want to participate are requested to provide the information listed below to both co-ordinators by June 25th, 2011. Travel costs for participants will partly be provided by the project. Good health condition is required to join the cruise.

The aim of this cruise is contributing to a better understanding of the Benguela Current Ecosystem and thereby fostering the cooperation within the SPACES1 programme by helping in setting up partnership projects in research and development.

This research-based capacity building will bring together researchers and students from Africa and Germany on board RV Maria S Merian. A second major goal is educating undergraduate and graduate students in different marine disciplines – physics, bio-geochemistry, biology and geology – by using an integrated Earth System Science approach.

The cruise will be separated into three legs of 10 days duration each. Each leg will focus on one discipline, but research on the other topics is also feasible. More information can soon be found on the project’s website: http://www.ifm.zmaw.de/merian-namibia

Leg 1: 23. September to 01. October 2011, Physical Oceanography:

Cruise leader: Prof. Martin Visbeck, IFM-GEOMAR Kiel

Here we will look at the structure and physical dynamics of the Benguela Upwelling System and study the distribution of hydrographic parameters and the flow field. Particular attention will be paid to submesoscale-variability and its role in mixing the near-shore and the oceanic waters. Apart from classical measurement techniques (CTD and ADCP) we will also release an autonomous glider that, independent of the ship’s movement and position, can obtain a suite of measurements. Data are transmitted online to the ship via satellite. Plankton net hauls and a short course on physical oceanography and mixed layer modeling will round the program.

Leg 2: 02. to 11. October 2011, Marine Biology and Biogeochemistry:

Cruise leader Dr. Werner Ekau, ZMT Bremen.

This leg concentrates on observing and modeling the relationships between Climate Change, biogeochemical cycles of nutrients, climate relevant gases and ecosystem structures. The observations will help understanding the seasonal cycle of the Benguela system by adding to ongoing work within the GENUS program. It will focus on the collection of zoo- and ichthypoplankton for growth and food studies.

Leg 3: 12. to 21. October 2011, Marine Geology:

Cruise leader: PD Dr. Matthias Zabel, MARUM University of Bremen

Topics of this leg are Geosphere-Biosphere Interactions and Sediment Dynamics. Using up-to-date instrumentation we will study the nutrient fluxes across the interface sediment – water column, the role of microbes for carbon and nutrient cycles, the formation of phosphorites in habitats of large sulfur bacteria and the origin of the giant pockmarks in the southern part of the Namibian shelf. For the reconstruction of paleo-environmental conditions sediment cores will be taken.

Applicants, please provide the following information and send this as a single PDF to both co-ordinators by June 25th, 2011:

Prof. Edosa Omoregie omoregie@unam.na

Director SANUMARC Henties Bay University of Namibia

Prof. Detlef Quadfasel detlef.quadfasel@zmaw.de

KlimaCampus, University of Hamburg

(1) Background: My CV (max 1 page)

Name, age, nationality, profession, affiliation. Address, E-mail address, phone.

What is your experience in science, in particular in marine science? Any university courses?

Have you been on a research vessel before?

Which languages do you speak?

Statements about personal fitness to work at sea for 10 days

(2) Motivation: The cruise and my future (max 2 pages)

Please answer the following questions. Not all of them may be applicable to you, so you may concentrate on those that are. Your answers will help us in selecting participants for the cruise.

A – Which of the proposed scientific topics are you mostly interested in? Why?

B – Do you have your own research topic(s) that you would like to pursue during the cruise?

C – What benefit for your personal career do you envisage from participating in the cruise?

D – What are your future career plans (basic science, industry, administration, other)?

E – Did you receive any help in preparing this application? If yes, by whom?