Seafood watch

This is a great tool to have on hand when you eat fish:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jun/24/information-beautiful-fish-eat#zoomed-picture

A lot of fish in our world are overexploited, and their populations are declining quickly so we might not have them to eat in the future. Other seafood, like shrimp, is harvested in a way that is completely destructive to all the other marine life...imagine hunting by uprooting all the trees in a forest and shaking them upside down and throwing away everything except one animal. That is basically how shrimp are caught.

What's interesting is that sometimes restaurants call a fish by a popular name but serve something else, based on what they can get. Get a Seafood Watch card from the Monterey Bay aquarium and take it with you when you buy seafood.

Hummingbirds

That is a hummingbird nest. It is pretty small, only a few inches tall and a few inches wide. It is sitting on a branch of a small Pelliciera tree. And inside were two baby hummingbirds! I saw this nest just after our boat pulled up to the Pelliciera forest, but I didn't see the mom the whole time we were there. I wonder if she's coming back?

Also...

Also I lost my voice. Came down with a cold the night before I left for this trip to Panama. I made it through one day of fieldwork before my voice was just completely gone. I'm hoping I don't have to yell, "look out, crocodile!" or anything like that anytime soon!

Things stay the same

Today I visited a site that I first visited two years ago. It is at least an hour and a half boat ride from the field station (which is a lot of traveling to get to by itself), so I don't go to that site very often. I was comparing pictures from two years ago to what I saw today, and it basically looks the same. It's not often that you get to say that about something...people change, trees get cut down, houses get painted, things change. But sometimes they stay the same!

Can you say propagules?

PROPAGULES! YAY! In mangrove speak, propagules = seeds. Sort of. The point of this trip was to come get propagules to set up a new experiment, and I had to come now because now is when the trees were supposedly fruiting. But I never know what I'm going to find when I come down here, expecting rare plants in remote places to do my bidding. Today was a pleasant surprise though. The trees have TONS of propagules, and there were so many on the ground I didn't even have to pick any questionably-ripe ones off the trees. I planted some for a new experiment and am off to do more tomorrow. And on the boat ride back to the lab, I had two separate dolphin sightings!

Back in Panama

Whew, it's been a long day of traveling. But here I am in Panama City again. On to Bocas del Toro tomorrow for a full day of fieldwork. Let's hope there are propagules...!

Back to the field and back to blogging!

Sorry for the lack of posts...I haven't been doing any interesting fieldwork because I've been applying for grants, teaching, applying for more grants, and planning fieldwork. I'll be in Panama next week! And I will be sure to update this lovely blog.

Earthquakes

I think I'm immune to earthquakes. I haven't felt ANY in the Bay Area lately, even when people in my building have. I didn't feel the big east coast one or its aftershocks the other day, even though I was in Maryland at the time and it was felt from Georgia all the way to Canada. The last quake I remember feeling was in Panama, when I was on the 10th floor (or higher, I don't remember exactly which floor I was on) and there were 2 in 2 days. Panama = probably not the best place to be during a quake, since the buildings aren't necessarily seismically sound.

To be honest though, I'm also immune to tornado sirens; I once napped through a huge thunderstorm and tornado sirens blaring in the middle of Iowa in the summer. Not sure about fires or tsunamis though...

Caterpillars

First of all, I had a caterpillar today INSIDE my apartment. It basically devoured my entire mint plant! Considering that I have screens on the windows, how the heck did it get in? Maybe it came in as an egg on a leaf, or crawled in when it was really small. I was shocked that it had escaped my attention until now, because it was more than an inch long and bright green.

Speaking of caterpillars, word on the street (well in the forest actually) is that mangrove skippers (a type of butterfly caterpillar found in mangroves) are eating the seedlings I planted in Panama a few months ago! This is interesting because no one has ever known this type of caterpillar to eat this particular species, AND it means I might have some differential survival between the places I planted seedlings. And that means I'll have results. Yay!

Tree frog friend!

This little guy is a red-toed tree frog, sitting on a leaf of a Pelliciera rhizophorae seedling. We don't usually see a lot of frogs in the mangrove swamps, but this is at least the second one I've blogged about!Isn't it cute?

Countdown to frustration

For the first few days after we arrived in Panama, everything was going swimmingly (with the exception of the aforementioned problems)...however, after five days here Panama is getting to me. It's hard to describe what it is, exactly, that is so frustrating. It's not just fieldwork and its many complications, because I have done fieldwork elsewhere without getting so frustrated. I think this is distinctly Panamanian...the bugs, the bugbites, the potholes in the road, driving in Panama City and their COMPLETE LACK of street signs, the honking and staring, the catcalls, the flat tires (probably due to so many potholes).

Driving in Panama City is not for those who are faint of heart or have high blood pressure, because it is a hair-raising experience. Very few street signs exist, and when they are present they are so small you can only see them when you're driving past them. Whose great idea was that? As my friend Julie says, it's a small town mentality where you just know your way around (but Panama City is a huge city with tons of people and it seems, more cars). None of the streets are straight or run parallel, and I'm just thankful I had a map and another person to navigate last night as we drove around and around during rush hour. The way Panama City street authorities deal with potholes is draw a bright yellow line around them.

Also, I got a flat tire, which is not surprising given that there are so many potholes and so much debris to drive over. This is not a big deal in Panama since it seems to be a common occurrence here and getting a tire fixed costs less than five dollars. However, when the tire was being changed (I of course did not change it myself), one of the wheel studs that holds the tire on the car BROKE! These are supposed to be strong, sturdy screws to hold the tires on a big SUV. I am told you can drive with only three screws, and this was one of six so once again, it's fine...

Sunset

Just wanted to share this beautiful sunset photo I took last night.

Problem 3

We managed to go out in a boat with a local boat owner, but when we went to look for more seeds we only found 10 more. The solution to not having enough? This will be a pilot study, or at least the beginning of a bigger study. I am setting up my experiment with the meager number of seeds I have, and hope that I can come back during a time when more are available and add more replicates.

Problem 4 (minor):
In Panama cell phones require a PIN to turn on. I'm not entirely sure why, or why they write down your passport number when you get one, but they do. The PIN is assigned with your SIM card, and apparently, at least for the phone I have (which cost $15), the SIM card or "chip" only lasts 6 months. The problem was that I forgot my PIN since I haven't used my Panamanian cell phone in a year, so I couldn't turn it on or use it.
Solution: I had to get a new chip for the phone, and problem solved! With a brand new phone number. This is weird, isn't it?

Also, we planted seedlings today! Now to see if the crab excluders work! On to the Pacific coast of Panama tomorrow...

Things that go wrong

This post is going to be a multi-part, ongoing list of things that go wrong as I attempt to do fieldwork in Panama. I haven't left the US yet, and am only going to be in Panama for 10 days. Because I know that obstacles always come up, I am mentally prepared to not freak out when these things happen and just take them in stride. So far:

Problem 1: I left my passport in another city. Luckily I realized this yesterday and am leaving tomorrow.
Solution: FedEx has a same-day courier service, and though it is expensive, at least I'm getting updates whenever the package changes hands (from the pick-up to the airport, etc). It should be arriving to me soon.

Problem 2: The boat at the research has motor problems. Not surprising; what is more surprising is that they actually have a boat for once. It is unlikely that the boat will be fixed in a week when I wish to use it.
Solution: Possibly go out with local boat owner. I have done this before and though it isn't ideal, it does allow me to get to populations of my plants that are inaccessible from a road.

Problem 3: I made arrangements to have 150 mangrove seeds collected for me from a location in Panama that is difficult and expensive for me to travel to. The seeds will be sent to a research station and waiting for me when I arrive. However, only 54 seeds were collected. Apparently they were not so easy to find.
Solution: Not sure yet. If there were a boat at the station (see problem 2), I could spend some time searching the forest for seeds. Now, however, my experimental setup is in jeopardy.

Ecology arts and crafts

As an ecologist, the equipment I use is not very high-tech. In fact, most of the tools I use in the field are regular everyday objects I adopt to serve some other purpose. When I was trying to capture mouse tracks on sand dunes, I made track plates using those disposable foil baking sheets with printer toner sprinkled on them...the mice (and other animals) walk across it and leave their little pawprints! Currently I am devising a cage of sorts to keep crabs from eating mangrove propagules that I will be planting...I started cutting up heavy duty plastic mesh but then realized that the quantity I need will weigh 100 pounds and I simply can't take that much mesh to Panama. I thought back to protecting lupine seeds from those hungry mice...bridal veil to the rescue! Bridal veil, or tuile, can be purchased cheaply at any fabric store and is lightweight and allows light to pass through. And, it can be punctured with barbecue skewers to make a semi-sturdy little plant protector. Here it is, with a small basil plant serving as my model:


Let's hope this keeps the crabs from eating my mangrove propagules! There are some voracious crabs in the mangrove forests.

Reading recommendations

The trees are fruiting, so I'm heading to Panama next week. In preparation, I re-read two of my favorite books today to my almost-five-year old cousin: The Great Kapok Tree and The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle. Both of these are by Lynne Cherry, with excellent illustrations and good environmental lessons. The first book takes place in the Brazilian rainforest, and features all the rainforest animals begging a sleeping logger to leave their rainforest trees standing. This was one of my favorite books as a child. I love the lush vegetation and rare animals depicted. The mangrove book shows the ecosystem that forms as one small mangrove seedling grows bigger and bigger. One of the prime threats to mangroves, shrimp farming, is mentioned but the book focuses on the resilience of these ecosystems to disturbance and shows how many different organisms depend on them.

Hybridization

Are hybrids bad? No, I'm not asking about the Prius or the Honda Civic. I was reading an issue of Nature from December (only 6 months old!) and there was an article about hybridization in Arctic species. Apparently there have been some polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids spotted, as well as a seal hybrids and whale hybrids. The authors were concerned that as climate change causes more Arctic ice to melt, species from the north Atlantic and north Pacific will come into contact more often and create more hybrids. Hybrids can threaten the genetic integrity of species and are worrisome when rare species get involved; a lot of hybridization can lead to the loss of a very rare species. However, what if hybridization is the only way for that species to deal with climate change? I don't have any concrete examples of a hybrid that is better adapted to climate change, but I can imagine that it could exist. I know it is troubling to think that human-induced climate change could cause the complete loss of certain species, such as polar bears. But I'm not sure that limiting hybridization or culling hybrids is the right answer. After all, we're not forcing the animals to mate. If they mate and reproduce, then let nature take its course. Hybridization can be important for making new species, and humans even find some hybrids useful. A lot of people depend on mules, after all!

Out of my control

Dealing with nature's wily ways is one of the challenges of being an ecologist. I am supposed to be leaving for Panama in two weeks, for a short and efficient trip to set up an experiment. In this experiment, I will plant baby mangroves and see if they can survive and grow in places they don't usually grow. To be able to do this, however, I need propagules (aka seeds). This year Panama has had some crazy weather, and had so much rain the canal was closed in December due to flooding. So the trees might not be producing propagules at the same time they usually do, meaning when I go there won't be any seeds. Of course it would be a waste for me to fly down there if there is nothing for me to plant, but if I push the trip back I risk missing the fruits. I'm anxiously awaiting news from my acquaintances in Panama who are checking the status of the trees...

Fieldwork

The field season is fast approaching and in preparation, I was estimating my expenses. I am planning to make several short trips to Panama: set up experiments, return and check on experiments, take data, etc. Since I still have a lease and other things to attend to this summer in the US, I can't stay there all summer. But it wouldn't make sense financially, anyway. I calculated how much research will cost me for six weeks this summer and it came to SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! Remember, I am not doing complicated molecular work (yet at least) and need no fancy equipment, machines, or employees. The only technology I use is a handheld GPS, which I already have. The main expenses are airfare, rental car, and lodging at field stations and other relatively cheap places to stay. By far the rental car is the highest expense, since I need an SUV to get down the dirt roads that take me to some of my field sites. Then of course there is the boat rental and gas, and other fees charged by research stations...it adds up quickly. Hopefully I will find a deal on a rental car (crossing my fingers, priceline!) that's better than the quote I got from the travel agency. Yuck!

Mangroves as carbon sinks

A new reason to care about mangroves: they are extremely important capturers of carbon. Cutting down mangroves for ports, aquaculture and coastal development releases carbon stored in mangroves, adding to our greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper published online yesterday, Donato et al. provide a much-needed analysis of the role mangroves play in carbon storage. They find that mangroves from the Indo-West Pacific hold a large amount of carbon, not only in their large tree trunks and branches, but underground in their extensive root systems. Carbon stored in the sediment of mangrove forests was found to be on average five times the amount of carbon storage in other forests (tropical, temperate and boreal). The authors find that of all the carbon released annually due to deforestation, 10% may come from mangroves despite the fact that mangroves comprise less than 1% of tropical forests.

Plants are so cool

This picture is of some chamomile seeds I planted three days ago. This is what they looked like this morning:

This is what they looked like this afternoon. They are all sprouting so fast! Similarly, these are some California wildflower seeds I planted three days ago, photo was taken this morning. You can barely see the hypocotyl of one pushing up through the soil.

And eight hours later, what do I have? A whole bunch of seedlings! Now the wait to see what species they are...

A little ditty

Here is a little song I made up, in a sort of Winnie-the-Pooh fashion (he is very fond of making up little tunes).

(Sung to the tune of "Dreidel dreidel dreidel")
Data data data
I got you out of plants
And when you're nice and analyzed,
I'll do a little dance. Hey!

Urban wildlife?

In the middle of a big city, the wildlife viewings are much fewer than they are out in THE WILD. However, the urban jungle provides different observation opportunities: wildpeople. I have had a lot of interesting wildperson sightings, usually while on the bus. For example, the other day a man sitting across from me pulled a lighter out of his pocket and kept flicking it on and off. Fortunately I was getting off soon after this started so I didn't worry too much about the possibility of becoming an arson victim. Today I am pretty sure a satanist boarded the bus with me, judging from his pentagram necklace and the evil eyed face he wore. He was not taking life lightly. Surprisingly, he was polite and let me board before him. Then of course you have the various people who obviously don't care anything about how they look or smell. These people, often mistaken for homeless people, might have legitimate jobs but do not believe in cutting their hair, washing their hair or beards, or other matters of personal hygiene. I believe these wildpeople sightings can be found on public transportation in most cities, with local flavor varying from city to city. For example, you are much more likely to observe other people begging, peeing, or shouting about the size of your rear end while taking the red line on the El in Chicago than say, taking BART in San Francisco.

Panda caretakers

This is a few weeks old, but I still can't get over it:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peterwedderburn/100067202/scientists-in-panda-suits-theres-method-in-their-madness/

More zoo animals

Since I haven't been doing fieldwork lately, I'm getting my wildlife fix from the zoo--I realize that captive animals by definition are not wildlife, but they are still really awesome. Take this Chinese leopard, for example. How often have you gone to the zoo and all the animals are asleep? This guy was up close and personal, pacing (in his enclosure) just a few feet from me! I practically could have touched him, though I would have lost a few fingers in the process.Alas, I cannot have an awesome leopard as a pet, but I can have a leopard's diminutive cousin in my house! Housecats at least retain the athleticism of their wild relatives, if not the size or spots. And they are pretty cute:

I didn't go to China...

...but I DID get to see pandas! I went to the San Diego zoo for my annual homage to my favorite animal, the giant panda. I had a panda obsession as a child and it is definitely resurfacing. Last year when I saw the newest member of the San Diego clan, Yun Zi, he was just a baby and was only in the exhibit for a few hours each day. This is Yun Zi a year ago, when he was 5 months old (pictured with his mom):
And this is Yun Zi now, happily eating bamboo. He is 17 months old and is almost fully weaned from his mother--they are still in the same enclosure but he will be independent in another month.

Interestingly, China owns all pandas, even if they were born in the United States. Apparently China does not recognize US citizenship laws--because if they were human, the pandas born here would be US citizens!