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"title": "Move Over California Poppy: This State Has a New Symbol",
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"content": "\u003cp>On New Year’s Day, lace lichen, a stringy green organism often called “Spanish moss” that hangs from oak trees around California, joined the grizzly bear, California poppy, California quail and gold as an official \u003ca href=\"http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/states/united-states/california\">California State symbol\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new law, signed last July by Gov. Jerry Brown, made California the first state to claim an official lichen. Lace lichen can be found in almost every part of the state, from the north to south and up to 130 miles inland from the shoreline. Draping from tree branches, which it uses for support, not sustenance, there are about 1,900 kinds of lichen, along with the lace variety, native to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Lichen Society proposed adding a state lichen and state Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, wrote AB 1528, which sailed through the Legislature without much disagreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levine said he carried the bill because it fits his interests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have lifelong love of the outdoors,” he said. “I loved exploring and playing under the tree canopies as a boy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levine said one of his next bills will identify wildlife corridors to help protect migrating animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_497733\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-497733\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-400x225.jpg\" alt=\"It's commonly found along the coast, often in the branches of coast live oaks.\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lace lichen is commonly found along the coast, often in the branches of coast live oaks. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Kelsey Gielen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lichen, which is actually a complex life form that is a partnership of fungus and algae, has long been misunderstood and overlooked, scientists say. In the mid-19th century, it was misclassified in the moss and liverwort family. \u003ca href=\"http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24954/title/Beatrix-Potter--scientist/\">Beatrix Potter\u003c/a>, of Peter Rabbit fame, was an unlikely lichen champion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She contributed to lichen and fungus research before she found literary fame. In the late 1800s she did botanical studies and research in her kitchen, wrote a scientific paper about fungus and spore reproduction, and supported the view, unpopular with scientists of the time, that lichen belonged in its own family. She produced many wonderful, detailed drawings of fungus and lichen species. Since she was a woman, though, a male scientist had to present her scientific paper and research to the Linnean Society of London.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lowly lichen is both hardy and sensitive. It has survived the extremities of experimental exposure in outer space. And it can be shut in a drawer in a museum for decades, and yet live again when given sunlight and water. It is found on nearly every surface of the Earth — from the North to the South poles and desert floors to rocky mountain tops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet some species are very sensitive to air pollution – especially sulphur dioxide, radiation and other toxic pollutants – making them a useful, inexpensive environmental monitor. The US Forest Service is undertaking a \u003ca href=\"http://fhm.fs.fed.us/fact/pdf_files/fhm_lichen_2009.pdf\">study of lichen communities\u003c/a> that may even help determine how fast the climate is changing. Citizen science projects to \u003ca href=\"https://www.handsontheland.org/environmental-monitoring/lichen-monitoring.html\">monitor lichen\u003c/a> are underway that are easy enough for elementary school students to contribute to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest advocates for the otherwise quirky bill say they had a good reason: to raise public awareness about these unique species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Calling attention to lichens by recognizing one of them as the California state lichen creates an opportunity for us to learn about and celebrate the things that make California special,” the California Lichen Society said in a statement after its bill became law.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On New Year’s Day, lace lichen, a stringy green organism often called “Spanish moss” that hangs from oak trees around California, joined the grizzly bear, California poppy, California quail and gold as an official \u003ca href=\"http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/states/united-states/california\">California State symbol\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new law, signed last July by Gov. Jerry Brown, made California the first state to claim an official lichen. Lace lichen can be found in almost every part of the state, from the north to south and up to 130 miles inland from the shoreline. Draping from tree branches, which it uses for support, not sustenance, there are about 1,900 kinds of lichen, along with the lace variety, native to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Lichen Society proposed adding a state lichen and state Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, wrote AB 1528, which sailed through the Legislature without much disagreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levine said he carried the bill because it fits his interests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have lifelong love of the outdoors,” he said. “I loved exploring and playing under the tree canopies as a boy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levine said one of his next bills will identify wildlife corridors to help protect migrating animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_497733\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-497733\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-400x225.jpg\" alt=\"It's commonly found along the coast, often in the branches of coast live oaks.\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/20160115_134828-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lace lichen is commonly found along the coast, often in the branches of coast live oaks. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Kelsey Gielen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lichen, which is actually a complex life form that is a partnership of fungus and algae, has long been misunderstood and overlooked, scientists say. In the mid-19th century, it was misclassified in the moss and liverwort family. \u003ca href=\"http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24954/title/Beatrix-Potter--scientist/\">Beatrix Potter\u003c/a>, of Peter Rabbit fame, was an unlikely lichen champion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She contributed to lichen and fungus research before she found literary fame. In the late 1800s she did botanical studies and research in her kitchen, wrote a scientific paper about fungus and spore reproduction, and supported the view, unpopular with scientists of the time, that lichen belonged in its own family. She produced many wonderful, detailed drawings of fungus and lichen species. Since she was a woman, though, a male scientist had to present her scientific paper and research to the Linnean Society of London.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lowly lichen is both hardy and sensitive. It has survived the extremities of experimental exposure in outer space. And it can be shut in a drawer in a museum for decades, and yet live again when given sunlight and water. It is found on nearly every surface of the Earth — from the North to the South poles and desert floors to rocky mountain tops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet some species are very sensitive to air pollution – especially sulphur dioxide, radiation and other toxic pollutants – making them a useful, inexpensive environmental monitor. The US Forest Service is undertaking a \u003ca href=\"http://fhm.fs.fed.us/fact/pdf_files/fhm_lichen_2009.pdf\">study of lichen communities\u003c/a> that may even help determine how fast the climate is changing. Citizen science projects to \u003ca href=\"https://www.handsontheland.org/environmental-monitoring/lichen-monitoring.html\">monitor lichen\u003c/a> are underway that are easy enough for elementary school students to contribute to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest advocates for the otherwise quirky bill say they had a good reason: to raise public awareness about these unique species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Calling attention to lichens by recognizing one of them as the California state lichen creates an opportunity for us to learn about and celebrate the things that make California special,” the California Lichen Society said in a statement after its bill became law.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "these-crazy-cute-baby-turtles-want-their-lake-back",
"title": "These Crazy Cute Baby Turtles Want Their Lake Back",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]Boxed in by a freeway, a golf course and a neighborhood, it’s a miracle that San Francisco’s Mountain Lake even exists. But not only is the tiny lake—located on the south end of the city’s Presidio park—still there, it now provides one of the few places in San Francisco where visitors can watch California’s only native aquatic turtle bask in the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 50 young western pond turtles that were raised in captivity and released into Mountain Lake last summer are growing at a steady, rapid pace, said Jonathan Young, wildlife ecologist with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.presidio.gov/\">Presidio Trust\u003c/a>, which is overseeing Mountain Lake’s restoration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This animal is on the edge of extinction,” said Young. “It’s priceless.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The turtle release was part of the restoration of Mountain Lake, one of only three remaining natural lakes in San Francisco. Restoration began in 2000 and has so far cost $2.5 million, said Dana Polk, a spokeswoman for the Presidio Trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474470\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474470\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/DL_BabyTurtles_Falls_720x405.gif\" alt=\"A young western pond turtle takes a dip in San Francisco's Mountain Lake.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young western pond turtle takes a dip in San Francisco’s Mountain Lake. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The project required dredging out lead that had flowed in from Highway 1 decades ago before lead was banned in gasoline. Young also removed 62 non-native turtles that were living in the lake and sent them to a rescue center in Sonoma. Non-native turtles like red-eared sliders are often abandoned in city lakes by their owners once they reach adulthood and become too big and smelly to live in small quarters, Young said. These non-native turtles are more assertive than the shy western pond turtles and can take over the best logs in a pond or lake – logs that turtles sun themselves on to activate their digestion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With no red-eared sliders in sight, as soon as the day warms up, Mountain Lake’s 55 western pond turtles climb onto logs and nets that Young has set out for them. The turtles—which are the equivalent age of teenagers—are marble-colored, medium-sized and easy to see because they’re carrying an antenna and a small box on their shells. The radio transmitters allow scientists to keep track of the turtles’ location, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonoma.edu/biology/faculty/nicholas_geist.html\">Nicholas Geist\u003c/a>, a professor of biology at Sonoma State University who was involved in the turtles’ release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474300\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo.jpg\" alt=\"Morgan Bartoo, conservation intern at the San Francisco Zoo, holds up a two-month-old western pond turtle. The baby turtle is one of nine the zoo is raising until it is big enough not to be eaten by birds or frogs when it’s returned to Boggs Lake, in Lake County.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morgan Bartoo, conservation intern at the San Francisco Zoo, holds up a two-month-old western pond turtle. The baby turtle is one of nine the zoo is raising until it is big enough not to be eaten by birds or frogs when it’s returned to Boggs Lake, in Lake County. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The turtles haven’t been doing well in their native habitat in the western United States. In California, they’re a species of “special concern,” Geist said. This makes it illegal for people to capture them, keep them as pets or otherwise handle them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve been pretty beat up by human intervention,” he said. “In the early 1900s they were very popular in the restaurant trade, for soup – San Francisco was the main hub of that. In the past 50 to 60 years, as the pace of development has picked up, urban development and agriculture have been the worse. We’ve drained bodies of water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Western pond turtles live most of their lives in the water, where the meat-eaters feed on crustaceans like crayfish, dragonfly nymphs and fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re not the only \u003ca href=\"http://www.turtlesurvival.org/\">turtles that are in trouble\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Turtles are facing a global crisis,” said Geist. “There are only 300 species, and most of them are doing quite poorly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This makes the story of how these turtles made it back to a lake in the middle of San Francisco all the more meaningful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In an urban area it functions as an ambassador species,” said Young. “It’s very charismatic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the past eight years, Geist has been studying western pond turtles in Boggs Lake, located 100 miles north of San Francisco in a nature reserve in Lake County. In an effort to help the population’s survival, every summer he collects a number of turtle eggs from nests around the lake and takes them back to his lab at Sonoma State University, where they hatch after a few weeks in an incubator. Geist then delivers the hatchlings to the Oakland and San Francisco zoos, where keepers “head-start” the baby turtles, fattening them up for about 10 months until they’re too big to be eaten by frogs or birds. When they’re big enough, they’re returned to Boggs Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474301\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474301\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims.jpg\" alt=\"A two-month-old western pond turtle swims at the San Francisco Zoo. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A two-month-old western pond turtle swims at the San Francisco Zoo. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This allows more of the young turtles to survive in the wild, said Frank Slavens, who began head-starting western pond turtles in 1990 at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The species has been listed as endangered in Washington state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most turtle species grow up without parents, which makes them easy to raise in zoos. Once a female western pond turtle lays her eggs near a lake or pond, she never returns to the nest. Because they lack parental care, turtles don’t imprint on zoo keepers. While a condor, for example, can become used to being fed by its keepers, turtles don’t, said Jessie Bushell, director of conservation at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfzoo.org/\">San Francisco Zoo and Gardens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Birds are raised by their parents, so they look to their parents for behavior guides. They’re very much visually imprinted,” said Bushell. “Turtles are on their own and they’re hard-wired for the behaviors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, keepers make sure to spend as little time as possible around the babies, said Bushell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t hand-feed them,” she said. “They have to forage. We do things as quickly as we can and give them lots of places to hide.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474302\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket.jpg\" alt=\"A baby western pond turtle gets ready to pounce on a cricket at the San Francisco Zoo. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A baby western pond turtle gets ready to pounce on a cricket at the San Francisco Zoo. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Zoo is currently head-starting nine western pond turtle hatchlings and the \u003ca href=\"http://oaklandzoo.org/\">Oakland Zoo\u003c/a>, 16. The baby turtles at the San Francisco Zoo are on display in the Children’s Zoo, while the Oakland Zoo is raising theirs in a back room where six small tubs create the impression of a maternity ward. Their diets are varied: at the Oakland Zoo, it’s crickets on Wednesday and mealworms on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re raising them under optimal conditions,” said Margaret Rousser, the Oakland Zoo’s zoological manager. “They can grow in one year the amount it would take them to grow in three to four years. That’s what head-starting is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Presidio Trust embarked on restoring Mountain Lake, Young started looking for native species to repopulate the lake and found museum records showing that western pond turtles had once lived there. He then got in contact with the zoos and with Geist, at Sonoma State University, to figure out how to get some of the turtles into the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Geist and Young hope that the turtles will eventually lay eggs around Mountain Lake. If a population does take hold there, San Franciscans will have western pond turtles for a while: in the wild the reptiles can live to be more than 50 years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Can these turtles have a stable, reproducing population long-term?” Geist asked. “It’s a great experiment and if it works, it’s wonderful.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "These Crazy Cute Baby Turtles Want Their Lake Back | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Boxed in by a freeway, a golf course and a neighborhood, it’s a miracle that San Francisco’s Mountain Lake even exists. But not only is the tiny lake—located on the south end of the city’s Presidio park—still there, it now provides one of the few places in San Francisco where visitors can watch California’s only native aquatic turtle bask in the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 50 young western pond turtles that were raised in captivity and released into Mountain Lake last summer are growing at a steady, rapid pace, said Jonathan Young, wildlife ecologist with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.presidio.gov/\">Presidio Trust\u003c/a>, which is overseeing Mountain Lake’s restoration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This animal is on the edge of extinction,” said Young. “It’s priceless.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The turtle release was part of the restoration of Mountain Lake, one of only three remaining natural lakes in San Francisco. Restoration began in 2000 and has so far cost $2.5 million, said Dana Polk, a spokeswoman for the Presidio Trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474470\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474470\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/DL_BabyTurtles_Falls_720x405.gif\" alt=\"A young western pond turtle takes a dip in San Francisco's Mountain Lake.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young western pond turtle takes a dip in San Francisco’s Mountain Lake. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The project required dredging out lead that had flowed in from Highway 1 decades ago before lead was banned in gasoline. Young also removed 62 non-native turtles that were living in the lake and sent them to a rescue center in Sonoma. Non-native turtles like red-eared sliders are often abandoned in city lakes by their owners once they reach adulthood and become too big and smelly to live in small quarters, Young said. These non-native turtles are more assertive than the shy western pond turtles and can take over the best logs in a pond or lake – logs that turtles sun themselves on to activate their digestion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With no red-eared sliders in sight, as soon as the day warms up, Mountain Lake’s 55 western pond turtles climb onto logs and nets that Young has set out for them. The turtles—which are the equivalent age of teenagers—are marble-colored, medium-sized and easy to see because they’re carrying an antenna and a small box on their shells. The radio transmitters allow scientists to keep track of the turtles’ location, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.sonoma.edu/biology/faculty/nicholas_geist.html\">Nicholas Geist\u003c/a>, a professor of biology at Sonoma State University who was involved in the turtles’ release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474300\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo.jpg\" alt=\"Morgan Bartoo, conservation intern at the San Francisco Zoo, holds up a two-month-old western pond turtle. The baby turtle is one of nine the zoo is raising until it is big enough not to be eaten by birds or frogs when it’s returned to Boggs Lake, in Lake County.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_SF_Zoo-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morgan Bartoo, conservation intern at the San Francisco Zoo, holds up a two-month-old western pond turtle. The baby turtle is one of nine the zoo is raising until it is big enough not to be eaten by birds or frogs when it’s returned to Boggs Lake, in Lake County. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The turtles haven’t been doing well in their native habitat in the western United States. In California, they’re a species of “special concern,” Geist said. This makes it illegal for people to capture them, keep them as pets or otherwise handle them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve been pretty beat up by human intervention,” he said. “In the early 1900s they were very popular in the restaurant trade, for soup – San Francisco was the main hub of that. In the past 50 to 60 years, as the pace of development has picked up, urban development and agriculture have been the worse. We’ve drained bodies of water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Western pond turtles live most of their lives in the water, where the meat-eaters feed on crustaceans like crayfish, dragonfly nymphs and fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re not the only \u003ca href=\"http://www.turtlesurvival.org/\">turtles that are in trouble\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Turtles are facing a global crisis,” said Geist. “There are only 300 species, and most of them are doing quite poorly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This makes the story of how these turtles made it back to a lake in the middle of San Francisco all the more meaningful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In an urban area it functions as an ambassador species,” said Young. “It’s very charismatic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the past eight years, Geist has been studying western pond turtles in Boggs Lake, located 100 miles north of San Francisco in a nature reserve in Lake County. In an effort to help the population’s survival, every summer he collects a number of turtle eggs from nests around the lake and takes them back to his lab at Sonoma State University, where they hatch after a few weeks in an incubator. Geist then delivers the hatchlings to the Oakland and San Francisco zoos, where keepers “head-start” the baby turtles, fattening them up for about 10 months until they’re too big to be eaten by frogs or birds. When they’re big enough, they’re returned to Boggs Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474301\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474301\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims.jpg\" alt=\"A two-month-old western pond turtle swims at the San Francisco Zoo. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Baby_turtle_swims-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A two-month-old western pond turtle swims at the San Francisco Zoo. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This allows more of the young turtles to survive in the wild, said Frank Slavens, who began head-starting western pond turtles in 1990 at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The species has been listed as endangered in Washington state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most turtle species grow up without parents, which makes them easy to raise in zoos. Once a female western pond turtle lays her eggs near a lake or pond, she never returns to the nest. Because they lack parental care, turtles don’t imprint on zoo keepers. While a condor, for example, can become used to being fed by its keepers, turtles don’t, said Jessie Bushell, director of conservation at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfzoo.org/\">San Francisco Zoo and Gardens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Birds are raised by their parents, so they look to their parents for behavior guides. They’re very much visually imprinted,” said Bushell. “Turtles are on their own and they’re hard-wired for the behaviors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, keepers make sure to spend as little time as possible around the babies, said Bushell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t hand-feed them,” she said. “They have to forage. We do things as quickly as we can and give them lots of places to hide.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_474302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-474302\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket.jpg\" alt=\"A baby western pond turtle gets ready to pounce on a cricket at the San Francisco Zoo. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/Turtle_behind_cricket-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A baby western pond turtle gets ready to pounce on a cricket at the San Francisco Zoo. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Zoo is currently head-starting nine western pond turtle hatchlings and the \u003ca href=\"http://oaklandzoo.org/\">Oakland Zoo\u003c/a>, 16. The baby turtles at the San Francisco Zoo are on display in the Children’s Zoo, while the Oakland Zoo is raising theirs in a back room where six small tubs create the impression of a maternity ward. Their diets are varied: at the Oakland Zoo, it’s crickets on Wednesday and mealworms on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re raising them under optimal conditions,” said Margaret Rousser, the Oakland Zoo’s zoological manager. “They can grow in one year the amount it would take them to grow in three to four years. That’s what head-starting is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Presidio Trust embarked on restoring Mountain Lake, Young started looking for native species to repopulate the lake and found museum records showing that western pond turtles had once lived there. He then got in contact with the zoos and with Geist, at Sonoma State University, to figure out how to get some of the turtles into the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Geist and Young hope that the turtles will eventually lay eggs around Mountain Lake. If a population does take hold there, San Franciscans will have western pond turtles for a while: in the wild the reptiles can live to be more than 50 years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Can these turtles have a stable, reproducing population long-term?” Geist asked. “It’s a great experiment and if it works, it’s wonderful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "EPA Confirms Controversial Pesticide Can Harm Bees",
"headTitle": "EPA Confirms Controversial Pesticide Can Harm Bees | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>If you follow bees, you’ve likely heard of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. They’re supposed to be safer for humans, because they’re often applied to seeds rather than sprayed directly on plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they’ve become a flashpoint for beekeepers and environmental groups, who argue the pesticides have conributed to widespread collapse of bee colonies, and who’ve \u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-bees-lawsuit-idUSBRE92K13320130321\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued federal regulators\u003c/a> for not protecting bees from the chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/240844319″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the California Department for Pesticide Regulation, has released its \u003ca href=\"http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first assessment \u003c/a>of one of those chemicals, imidacloprid. Essentially, the report found that pesticide residues in the nectar and pollen of certain crops, like citrus and cotton, pose a risk to bees. But residue on other crops, like corn and leafy vegetables, did not pose significant risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That angers Steve Ellis, who says he watches his bees get sick when the chemical is used on nearby cornfields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see dead bees in the bee yard, on the bottom board and pallets, with their hives. And on their backs, with their legs going a mile a minute,” says Ellis, who’s preparing to move his hives from Minnesota to California’s Central Valley, as he does each winter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=”0pdUgag92D7Mi809O85hcVThPdZvxzTB”]Beekeepers have been complaining about the effects of neonicotinoids for more than a decade, and beekeepers like Ellis say it’s time to take some strong action to regulate the chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just way too long, way too slow, and it’s unacceptable,” says Ellis. “And I believe they were overly-reliant on industry-funded studies, and industry-run studies, and that’s always problematic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/registration/reevaluation/chemicals/neonicotinoids.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Department of Pesticide Regulation\u003c/a> confirms that it asked the manufacturers of these pesticides to conduct tests, although independent government scientists verified the results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayer Crop Sciences, the company that manufactures imidocloprid, said in a statement that new studies continue to confirm that neonicotinoids are safe for bees and other pollinators when used appropriately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will review the EPA document,” the statement reads, “but at first glance it appears to overestimate the potential for harmful exposures in certain crops, such as citrus and cotton, while ignoring the important benefits these products provide and management practices to protect bees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers applied imidocloprid to about 1.5 million acres of crops in California in 2013, mostly on grapes, tomatoes, oranges, and cotton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact that the EPA found a risk to bees when the pesticide is used on citrus worries Bob Blakely, vice president of \u003ca href=\"http://www.cacitrusmutual.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Citrus Mutual.\u003c/a> The trade group represents most of the state’s orange and lemon growers. Blakely says he doesn’t want to see regulators ban imidocloprid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It will force us to go back to some of the older chemistry, the harsher chemicals that the activist community has rallied against for years,” says Blakely. “It would actually be a step backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blakely is particularly concerned because imidocloprid is used to control the Asian Citrus Psyllid, which threatens the state’s $2 billion citrus industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the same day the EPA released its report, \u003ca href=\"http://www.panna.org/press-release/beekeepers-farmers-and-public-interest-groups-sue-epa-over-failed-oversight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beekeepers again sued the agency\u003c/a> for not regulating neonicotinoid’s use as a seed coating on crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“EPA can’t bury its head in the sand any longer,” says Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, a scientist at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.panna.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pesticide Action Network\u003c/a>. “Seed coatings are just the latest delivery device of pesticide corporations that pose a threat to pollinators and the food system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: In 2012, Sasha Khokha ventured into an almond orchard near Modesto at night \u003ca href=\"http://audio.californiareport.org/archive/R201202170850/c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to report on\u003c/a> a new class of pesticides that worried beekeepers. She gets stung way too many times, questions independent researchers who were evaluating the chemicals and talks with a representative from Bayer Crop Sciences, who manufactures them.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A new report evaluates how residues of a controversial type of pesticide, known as a neonicotinoid, affect bee health.",
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"title": "EPA Confirms Controversial Pesticide Can Harm Bees | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If you follow bees, you’ve likely heard of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. They’re supposed to be safer for humans, because they’re often applied to seeds rather than sprayed directly on plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they’ve become a flashpoint for beekeepers and environmental groups, who argue the pesticides have conributed to widespread collapse of bee colonies, and who’ve \u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-bees-lawsuit-idUSBRE92K13320130321\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued federal regulators\u003c/a> for not protecting bees from the chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe width='”100%”' height='”166″'\n scrolling='no' frameborder='no'\n src='https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/240844319″&visual=true&”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false”'\n title='”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/240844319″'>\n \u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the California Department for Pesticide Regulation, has released its \u003ca href=\"http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first assessment \u003c/a>of one of those chemicals, imidacloprid. Essentially, the report found that pesticide residues in the nectar and pollen of certain crops, like citrus and cotton, pose a risk to bees. But residue on other crops, like corn and leafy vegetables, did not pose significant risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That angers Steve Ellis, who says he watches his bees get sick when the chemical is used on nearby cornfields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see dead bees in the bee yard, on the bottom board and pallets, with their hives. And on their backs, with their legs going a mile a minute,” says Ellis, who’s preparing to move his hives from Minnesota to California’s Central Valley, as he does each winter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>Beekeepers have been complaining about the effects of neonicotinoids for more than a decade, and beekeepers like Ellis say it’s time to take some strong action to regulate the chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just way too long, way too slow, and it’s unacceptable,” says Ellis. “And I believe they were overly-reliant on industry-funded studies, and industry-run studies, and that’s always problematic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/registration/reevaluation/chemicals/neonicotinoids.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Department of Pesticide Regulation\u003c/a> confirms that it asked the manufacturers of these pesticides to conduct tests, although independent government scientists verified the results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bayer Crop Sciences, the company that manufactures imidocloprid, said in a statement that new studies continue to confirm that neonicotinoids are safe for bees and other pollinators when used appropriately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will review the EPA document,” the statement reads, “but at first glance it appears to overestimate the potential for harmful exposures in certain crops, such as citrus and cotton, while ignoring the important benefits these products provide and management practices to protect bees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers applied imidocloprid to about 1.5 million acres of crops in California in 2013, mostly on grapes, tomatoes, oranges, and cotton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact that the EPA found a risk to bees when the pesticide is used on citrus worries Bob Blakely, vice president of \u003ca href=\"http://www.cacitrusmutual.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Citrus Mutual.\u003c/a> The trade group represents most of the state’s orange and lemon growers. Blakely says he doesn’t want to see regulators ban imidocloprid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It will force us to go back to some of the older chemistry, the harsher chemicals that the activist community has rallied against for years,” says Blakely. “It would actually be a step backwards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blakely is particularly concerned because imidocloprid is used to control the Asian Citrus Psyllid, which threatens the state’s $2 billion citrus industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the same day the EPA released its report, \u003ca href=\"http://www.panna.org/press-release/beekeepers-farmers-and-public-interest-groups-sue-epa-over-failed-oversight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beekeepers again sued the agency\u003c/a> for not regulating neonicotinoid’s use as a seed coating on crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“EPA can’t bury its head in the sand any longer,” says Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, a scientist at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.panna.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pesticide Action Network\u003c/a>. “Seed coatings are just the latest delivery device of pesticide corporations that pose a threat to pollinators and the food system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: In 2012, Sasha Khokha ventured into an almond orchard near Modesto at night \u003ca href=\"http://audio.californiareport.org/archive/R201202170850/c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to report on\u003c/a> a new class of pesticides that worried beekeepers. She gets stung way too many times, questions independent researchers who were evaluating the chemicals and talks with a representative from Bayer Crop Sciences, who manufactures them.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Scientists Track Undersea Noise Pollution as Ship Traffic Swells",
"headTitle": "Scientists Track Undersea Noise Pollution as Ship Traffic Swells | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Listen to the Story:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nhttp://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio//2015/12/OceanSoundscapesMiller.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Undersea sounds from Monterey Bay provided by Dave Cade and Hopkins Marine Station.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UPDATED 6/1/16: The Obama Administration on Wednesday released its first-ever comprehensive strategy for reducing undersea noise pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noise is becoming ever more “pervasive” in the ocean, says Michael Jasny, who directs the Marine Mammal Protection Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council. He says ocean noise from shipping, naval sonar and industrial operations has been doubling every ten years for several decades, interfering with marine animals’ ability to find food and reproduce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a problem that is intensifying,’” he says. “The science has made clear that it has to be dealt with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jason says the patchwork of laws governing ocean noise have not been joined by a single strategy. While NOAA’s \u003ca href=\"http://cetsound.noaa.gov/Assets/cetsound/documents/Roadmap/ONS_Draft_Roadmap_Complete_May31.pdf\">140-page plan\u003c/a> stops short of establishing any actual rules, environmentalists say it’s a good start toward “concrete action” to muffle the ocean soundscape.\u003cbr>\nThe draft “roadmap” could eventually lead to actions such as placing speed limits on merchant ships in some areas, or re-drawing shipping lanes to minimize impacts on marine life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ORIGINAL POST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When one of the world’s largest container ships passed under the Golden Gate Bridge on New Year’s Eve, it raised the curtain on a new era for West Coast container ports — and raised new anxiety for marine biologists.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘There’s a lot of noise in the ocean and the oceans have been getting noisier.’\u003ccite>Danielle Lipski, NOAA\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Scientists have long been concerned about the impacts of noise pollution on undersea ecosystems. A wide variety of marine animals, from whales to snapping shrimp, depend on sound to navigate, communicate, and even survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_496725\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 3851px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-496725\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultra-Large Container Ship Benjamin Franklin enters San Francisco Bay on December 31, 2015, the largest cargo ship ever to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge.\" width=\"3851\" height=\"2886\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886.jpg 3851w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-1440x1079.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-1920x1439.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-1180x884.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-960x719.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3851px) 100vw, 3851px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ultra-Large Container Ship Benjamin Franklin enters San Francisco Bay on December 31, 2015, the largest cargo ship ever to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“At a very basic level, we know that these animals use sound as we use light,” says Brandon Southall, a marine consultant and research associate at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “It’s their fundamental essential mode of communication.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While environmentalists have fought epic battles with the U.S. Navy over interference from sonar, Southall says the growth of commercial shipping poses by far the biggest threat to the undersea soundscape, from the noise ships generate simply by moving through the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With an overall length of 1,300 feet, the ULCS (Ultra-Large Container Ship) \u003ca href=\"http://maritimematters.com/2015/12/cma-cgm-benjamin-franklin-gets-hollywood-welcome/\">Benjamin Franklin\u003c/a> is the biggest ship ever to call at a North American port — 200 feet longer than the Navy’s newest, biggest aircraft carriers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_445290\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 473px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-445290\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-445290\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"NOAA scientist Danielle Lipski (foreground) and technicians aboard the R/V Fulmar prepare to deploy an undersea sound-recording station that will capture sounds for two years before floating back to the ocean's surface.\" width=\"473\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOAA scientist Danielle Lipski (foreground) and technicians aboard the R/V Fulmar prepare to deploy an undersea sound-recording station that will capture sounds for two years before floating back to the ocean’s surface. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When fully loaded, the Franklin has a draft of 52 feet — it’s like dragging a 5-story building along underwater. That takes giant propellers and a huge amount of power to move. And all of that generates low-frequency noise below the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other things in the ocean make sound,” says Southall, “but shipping is the overwhelmingly dominant component of the noise that people put into the ocean in places like San Francisco Bay here, where you have all the ships coming in and out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ship’s operators say the Franklin is designed to be more than compliant with new international guidelines for minimizing ship noise below the water line. But the guidelines are voluntary, and there’s no assurance that other shippers will follow suit, especially in retrofitting older ships.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Lloyd’s Register, total tonnage of the global merchant shipping fleet is expected to double by 2030 (v. 2010). That would mean more ships and bigger ships. The number of large container ships could multiply six times, driven by growing populations, rising consumerism and increased global trade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_445524\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 324px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-445524\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-445524\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-800x4186.jpeg\" alt=\"NOAA is building out a network of undersea listening stations along both U.S. coasts.\" width=\"324\" height=\"1695\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-800x4186.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-400x2093.jpeg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-768x4018.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-1440x7535.jpeg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-1180x6174.jpeg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-960x5023.jpeg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOAA is building out a network of undersea listening stations along both U.S. coasts. \u003ccite>(David Pierce/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In response, scientists are deploying a network of undersea listening stations to develop a more complete “picture” of ocean soundscapes and how they’re changing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of noise in the ocean and the oceans have been getting noisier,” researcher Danielle Lipski told me as the NOAA research vessel R/V Fulmar was about to cast off from Bodega Bay in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lipski’s mission on that day was to deploy the newest in a network of underwater listening devices, this one about 20 miles off of Pt. Reyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that there are ships and we know that there are whales,” she said, “but we don’t really understand the soundscape there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lipski says sound — especially in the low-frequency range where whales vocalize — can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers underwater, depending on a variety of factors such as the contours of the sea floor, water salinity and even temperature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers at NOAA’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/\">Pacific Marine Environmental Lab\u003c/a> hope this undersea “surround sound” will reveal, among other things, how much noise pollution is being generated by shipping lanes that cut through the \u003ca href=\"http://cordellbank.noaa.gov/\">Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From that I think we’ll get a pretty good idea of how that sound is affecting the habitat quality of the animals that are in the sanctuary,” Lipski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Answers won’t come quickly. The listening station, anchored to the sea floor in more than 1,600 feet of water, cannot transmit, so it will continue recording sounds for two years. Only then will scientists retrieve the hydrophone and begin to analyze what they’ve got.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having two years’ worth of data’s gonna be a really rich data set for us to understand the types of sounds that change seasonally and year-to-year,” Lipski told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then, scientists can make recommendations for things like where to expand shipping lanes — and where not to — and fine-tune new international guidelines for making the ships themselves quieter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_444036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-444036 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-800x397.png\" alt=\"NOAA is building out a network of sound-gathering stations along both U.S. coasts.\" width=\"800\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-800x397.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-400x199.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-768x381.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-1440x715.png 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-1180x586.png 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-960x477.png 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOAA is building out a network of sound-gathering stations along both U.S. coasts. \u003ccite>(David Pierce/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, things continue to amp up under the waves. From a whale’s perspective, Southall likens it to living in a city undergoing rapid growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s in a place that is loud and dynamic but it didn’t have this whole component of ships, boats, echo sounders — you know, just human presence — in the lifespan of some of these 150-year-old animals,” Southall said. “Their whole environment has gone from a rural area to a busy city, if they live near shipping lanes.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Scientists are deploying new tools to measure how noise affects a wide array of ocean denizens, from whales to snapping shrimp.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Listen to the Story:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Undersea sounds from Monterey Bay provided by Dave Cade and Hopkins Marine Station.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UPDATED 6/1/16: The Obama Administration on Wednesday released its first-ever comprehensive strategy for reducing undersea noise pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noise is becoming ever more “pervasive” in the ocean, says Michael Jasny, who directs the Marine Mammal Protection Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council. He says ocean noise from shipping, naval sonar and industrial operations has been doubling every ten years for several decades, interfering with marine animals’ ability to find food and reproduce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a problem that is intensifying,’” he says. “The science has made clear that it has to be dealt with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jason says the patchwork of laws governing ocean noise have not been joined by a single strategy. While NOAA’s \u003ca href=\"http://cetsound.noaa.gov/Assets/cetsound/documents/Roadmap/ONS_Draft_Roadmap_Complete_May31.pdf\">140-page plan\u003c/a> stops short of establishing any actual rules, environmentalists say it’s a good start toward “concrete action” to muffle the ocean soundscape.\u003cbr>\nThe draft “roadmap” could eventually lead to actions such as placing speed limits on merchant ships in some areas, or re-drawing shipping lanes to minimize impacts on marine life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ORIGINAL POST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When one of the world’s largest container ships passed under the Golden Gate Bridge on New Year’s Eve, it raised the curtain on a new era for West Coast container ports — and raised new anxiety for marine biologists.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘There’s a lot of noise in the ocean and the oceans have been getting noisier.’\u003ccite>Danielle Lipski, NOAA\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Scientists have long been concerned about the impacts of noise pollution on undersea ecosystems. A wide variety of marine animals, from whales to snapping shrimp, depend on sound to navigate, communicate, and even survive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_496725\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 3851px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-496725\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultra-Large Container Ship Benjamin Franklin enters San Francisco Bay on December 31, 2015, the largest cargo ship ever to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge.\" width=\"3851\" height=\"2886\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886.jpg 3851w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-1440x1079.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-1920x1439.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-1180x884.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/01/IMG_5886-960x719.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3851px) 100vw, 3851px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ultra-Large Container Ship Benjamin Franklin enters San Francisco Bay on December 31, 2015, the largest cargo ship ever to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“At a very basic level, we know that these animals use sound as we use light,” says Brandon Southall, a marine consultant and research associate at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “It’s their fundamental essential mode of communication.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While environmentalists have fought epic battles with the U.S. Navy over interference from sonar, Southall says the growth of commercial shipping poses by far the biggest threat to the undersea soundscape, from the noise ships generate simply by moving through the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With an overall length of 1,300 feet, the ULCS (Ultra-Large Container Ship) \u003ca href=\"http://maritimematters.com/2015/12/cma-cgm-benjamin-franklin-gets-hollywood-welcome/\">Benjamin Franklin\u003c/a> is the biggest ship ever to call at a North American port — 200 feet longer than the Navy’s newest, biggest aircraft carriers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_445290\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 473px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-445290\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-445290\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"NOAA scientist Danielle Lipski (foreground) and technicians aboard the R/V Fulmar prepare to deploy an undersea sound-recording station that will capture sounds for two years before floating back to the ocean's surface.\" width=\"473\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/RS17929_IMG_3972-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOAA scientist Danielle Lipski (foreground) and technicians aboard the R/V Fulmar prepare to deploy an undersea sound-recording station that will capture sounds for two years before floating back to the ocean’s surface. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When fully loaded, the Franklin has a draft of 52 feet — it’s like dragging a 5-story building along underwater. That takes giant propellers and a huge amount of power to move. And all of that generates low-frequency noise below the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other things in the ocean make sound,” says Southall, “but shipping is the overwhelmingly dominant component of the noise that people put into the ocean in places like San Francisco Bay here, where you have all the ships coming in and out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ship’s operators say the Franklin is designed to be more than compliant with new international guidelines for minimizing ship noise below the water line. But the guidelines are voluntary, and there’s no assurance that other shippers will follow suit, especially in retrofitting older ships.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Lloyd’s Register, total tonnage of the global merchant shipping fleet is expected to double by 2030 (v. 2010). That would mean more ships and bigger ships. The number of large container ships could multiply six times, driven by growing populations, rising consumerism and increased global trade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_445524\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 324px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-445524\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-445524\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-800x4186.jpeg\" alt=\"NOAA is building out a network of undersea listening stations along both U.S. coasts.\" width=\"324\" height=\"1695\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-800x4186.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-400x2093.jpeg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-768x4018.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-1440x7535.jpeg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-1180x6174.jpeg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/BuoyFINAL-e1451602701489-960x5023.jpeg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOAA is building out a network of undersea listening stations along both U.S. coasts. \u003ccite>(David Pierce/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In response, scientists are deploying a network of undersea listening stations to develop a more complete “picture” of ocean soundscapes and how they’re changing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of noise in the ocean and the oceans have been getting noisier,” researcher Danielle Lipski told me as the NOAA research vessel R/V Fulmar was about to cast off from Bodega Bay in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lipski’s mission on that day was to deploy the newest in a network of underwater listening devices, this one about 20 miles off of Pt. Reyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that there are ships and we know that there are whales,” she said, “but we don’t really understand the soundscape there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lipski says sound — especially in the low-frequency range where whales vocalize — can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers underwater, depending on a variety of factors such as the contours of the sea floor, water salinity and even temperature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers at NOAA’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/\">Pacific Marine Environmental Lab\u003c/a> hope this undersea “surround sound” will reveal, among other things, how much noise pollution is being generated by shipping lanes that cut through the \u003ca href=\"http://cordellbank.noaa.gov/\">Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From that I think we’ll get a pretty good idea of how that sound is affecting the habitat quality of the animals that are in the sanctuary,” Lipski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Answers won’t come quickly. The listening station, anchored to the sea floor in more than 1,600 feet of water, cannot transmit, so it will continue recording sounds for two years. Only then will scientists retrieve the hydrophone and begin to analyze what they’ve got.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having two years’ worth of data’s gonna be a really rich data set for us to understand the types of sounds that change seasonally and year-to-year,” Lipski told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then, scientists can make recommendations for things like where to expand shipping lanes — and where not to — and fine-tune new international guidelines for making the ships themselves quieter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_444036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-444036 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-800x397.png\" alt=\"NOAA is building out a network of sound-gathering stations along both U.S. coasts.\" width=\"800\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-800x397.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-400x199.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-768x381.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-1440x715.png 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-1180x586.png 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/12/NOAASoundBuoymap-960x477.png 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOAA is building out a network of sound-gathering stations along both U.S. coasts. \u003ccite>(David Pierce/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, things continue to amp up under the waves. From a whale’s perspective, Southall likens it to living in a city undergoing rapid growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s in a place that is loud and dynamic but it didn’t have this whole component of ships, boats, echo sounders — you know, just human presence — in the lifespan of some of these 150-year-old animals,” Southall said. “Their whole environment has gone from a rural area to a busy city, if they live near shipping lanes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "How Science Can Help Prevent a (Bad) Hangover",
"headTitle": "How Science Can Help Prevent a (Bad) Hangover | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story ran originally on Dec. 29, 2014. Amy Standen is now a reporter at \u003ca href=\"https://gimletmedia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gimlet Media\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hangovers are a neglected topic, at least in the annals of science. Search “alcoholism” on \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=alcoholism\">PubMed \u003c/a>and you’ll find 76,131 studies published in peer-reviewed science journals. “Hangovers” yields a mere \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=hangover\">520\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of those were authored by Michael Shlipak, a physician at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Most of the time, Shlipak studies kidney function. But a couple of oft-cited studies on hangovers in \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10836917\">2000 \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15226168\">2004 \u003c/a>have earned him the distinction of being a “hangover expert,” a title he accepts somewhat reluctantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I went to meet Shlipak at his office in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond district. His spectacular view of the Pacific coast would probably be a balm after a rocky night out. What Shlipak told me about hangovers is surprising, as you’ll see in the video below (use the audio player above to hear the complete interview segment).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After you watch it, scroll down for some recipes that might (might!) help take the edge off of that New Year’s misery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>http://youtu.be/mY1A6LwqsRU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So You Want to Try Prickly Pear at Home?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Okay, two Big Caveats here:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Caveat #1\u003c/em>: first is that in Shlipak’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15226168\">study\u003c/a>, the prickly pear was consumed \u003cem>before\u003c/em> study subjects went out drinking. The science here is far from certain, but Shlipak was concerned that the prickly pear wouldn’t digest as well in a belly full of booze. By the time the hangover has set in, he says, it’s probably too late. So think of it as prevention, not antidote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Caveat #2:\u003c/em> No one knows exactly how much prickly pear you’d have to eat to tame that hangover. In Shlipak’s study, researchers used an extract. But dosages vary widely in nutritional supplements, which is why Shlipak told me he’d stick with the raw fruit itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How much ?” I asked. “Lots,” he answered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With those troublesome details out of the way, here are a couple of recipes I found online for prickly pear. (Of course, you could also just peel it and eat it raw. I bought a couple at a local market and found them to be quite tasty, kind of like a tart cucumber.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Prickly Pear Sorbet! Sounds like just the thing for your pre-New Years ramp-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"embedly-card\" href=\"http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/monte-cristos-prickly-pear-sorbet/\">Monte Cristo’s Prickly Pear Sorbet\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And from Dr. Oz (not known for his \u003ca href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/12/22/the-best-medical-advice-it-may-be-to-stay-away-from-dr-ozs/\">sound medical advice\u003c/a>, but if nothing else, this sounds delicious), a non-alcoholic prickly pear cocktail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"embedly-card\" href=\"http://www.doctoroz.com/recipe/hangover-cure-prickly-pear-cocktail\">Hangover Cure Prickly Pear Cocktail\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, because nothing says New Years Eve like salad and chia seeds, this attractive vinaigrette.\u003cbr>\n\u003ca class=\"embedly-card\" href=\"http://michelepeterson.com/3243-healthy-prickly-pear-chia-salad-dressing-recipe/\">Healthy prickly pear + chia salad dressing | A Taste for Travel with Michele Peterson\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story ran originally on Dec. 29, 2014. Amy Standen is now a reporter at \u003ca href=\"https://gimletmedia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gimlet Media\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hangovers are a neglected topic, at least in the annals of science. Search “alcoholism” on \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=alcoholism\">PubMed \u003c/a>and you’ll find 76,131 studies published in peer-reviewed science journals. “Hangovers” yields a mere \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=hangover\">520\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of those were authored by Michael Shlipak, a physician at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Most of the time, Shlipak studies kidney function. But a couple of oft-cited studies on hangovers in \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10836917\">2000 \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15226168\">2004 \u003c/a>have earned him the distinction of being a “hangover expert,” a title he accepts somewhat reluctantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I went to meet Shlipak at his office in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond district. His spectacular view of the Pacific coast would probably be a balm after a rocky night out. What Shlipak told me about hangovers is surprising, as you’ll see in the video below (use the audio player above to hear the complete interview segment).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After you watch it, scroll down for some recipes that might (might!) help take the edge off of that New Year’s misery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/mY1A6LwqsRU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/mY1A6LwqsRU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So You Want to Try Prickly Pear at Home?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Okay, two Big Caveats here:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Caveat #1\u003c/em>: first is that in Shlipak’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15226168\">study\u003c/a>, the prickly pear was consumed \u003cem>before\u003c/em> study subjects went out drinking. The science here is far from certain, but Shlipak was concerned that the prickly pear wouldn’t digest as well in a belly full of booze. By the time the hangover has set in, he says, it’s probably too late. So think of it as prevention, not antidote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Caveat #2:\u003c/em> No one knows exactly how much prickly pear you’d have to eat to tame that hangover. In Shlipak’s study, researchers used an extract. But dosages vary widely in nutritional supplements, which is why Shlipak told me he’d stick with the raw fruit itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How much ?” I asked. “Lots,” he answered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With those troublesome details out of the way, here are a couple of recipes I found online for prickly pear. (Of course, you could also just peel it and eat it raw. I bought a couple at a local market and found them to be quite tasty, kind of like a tart cucumber.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Prickly Pear Sorbet! Sounds like just the thing for your pre-New Years ramp-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"embedly-card\" href=\"http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/monte-cristos-prickly-pear-sorbet/\">Monte Cristo’s Prickly Pear Sorbet\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And from Dr. Oz (not known for his \u003ca href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/12/22/the-best-medical-advice-it-may-be-to-stay-away-from-dr-ozs/\">sound medical advice\u003c/a>, but if nothing else, this sounds delicious), a non-alcoholic prickly pear cocktail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"embedly-card\" href=\"http://www.doctoroz.com/recipe/hangover-cure-prickly-pear-cocktail\">Hangover Cure Prickly Pear Cocktail\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, because nothing says New Years Eve like salad and chia seeds, this attractive vinaigrette.\u003cbr>\n\u003ca class=\"embedly-card\" href=\"http://michelepeterson.com/3243-healthy-prickly-pear-chia-salad-dressing-recipe/\">Healthy prickly pear + chia salad dressing | A Taste for Travel with Michele Peterson\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]It’s the time of year when people start inviting pine, fir and spruce trees into their homes, and wreaths and pine cones take center stage. But while pine cones may seem a familiar trapping of the holiday season to most of us, for Bruce Baldwin, they tell an ancient story, millions of years old, of evolution, competition and reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373705\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373705\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Coulter pines have the largest seed cones of any pine tree\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coulter pines have the largest seed cones of any pine tree \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Baldwin is a plant biologist in the Integrative Biology Department of the University of California, Berkeley. He’s also curator of the university’s Jepson Herbarium, a collection of California plants used for research and archival purposes. In addition to the pressed and dried plants, the herbarium’s collections also include a variety of cones from around the state, including some from the Coulter Pine, which boasts the largest cones of any pine tree in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373706\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373706\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Male cones are often smaller and less obvious than seed cones \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Male cones are often smaller and less obvious than seed cones \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pine cones aren’t just for decoration, Baldwin said. They are the reproductive organs of conifers, an ancient group of seed-bearing plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are two different types of cones,” said Baldwin, “a lot of people don’t realize that. There’s seed cones and pollen cones. The pollen cones are relatively tiny. The seed cone gets to be much larger and takes three years to develop and release seeds so you can often see pine cones of three different stages of development on a single tree.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373783\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373783\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Viewed here under a microscope, a male cone produces copious amounts of tiny pollen grains that will be carried by wind to seed cones\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Viewed here under a microscope, a male cone produces copious amounts of tiny pollen grains that will be carried by wind to seed cones \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What most people recognize as a pine cone is typically the female seed cone. This structure keeps the immature seeds safe, nestled between protective scales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But early in their development, the scales open slightly for a short time to grant access to wind-borne pollen released from smaller pollen cones. Conifers are mostly wind pollinators, broadcasting huge quantities of male gametes into the air during summer months. The pollen can be seen when it settles on parked cars and windowsills as a fine yellow powder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373785\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373785\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"This scales on this bristlecone pine seed cone are closed tight to protect the developing seeds \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This scales on this bristlecone pine seed cone are closed tight to protect the developing seeds \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After receiving the pollen, the female cones close back up until the seeds are fertilized and mature. Once they are, the scales reopen allowing the wind to disperse the winged seeds. Other species rely on birds or mammals to distribute their next generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373704\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373704\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Coulter pine seed removed from its cone. The seed is winged to help it travel away from its parent tree\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coulter pine seed removed from its cone. The seed is winged to help it travel away from its parent tree \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In some forests, like the closed-cone pine forests of California, mature cones may stay closed for decades. Species like the bishop pine are serotinous, meaning that they only open when exposed to the heat of a forest fire. The trees are able to wait until the fire has reduced the competition for light and provided a much-needed boost in nutrients to the soil before even attempting to send their seeds out to set root.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373708\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373708\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Bishop pine cones stay closed unless they reach high temperatures like those experienced in a forest fire \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bishop pine cones stay closed unless they reach high temperatures like those experienced in a forest fire \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Conifers are some of the oldest plants in the forest. And they were once much more diverse than they are today. But since the evolution of flowering plants, their diversity has plummeted. Today only about 0.3 percent of all the species of seed plants have cones. Flowering plants have taken over most of the warmer, wetter habitats, pushing out the conifers. But why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flowering plants reproduce much faster. Everything is sped up in their reproduction,” explained Baldwin. “And when you evolve the fruit you evolve a lot of different ways of dispersing the seeds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enlisting the help of animals to carry off their seeds may help give flowering a reproductive advantage, he said. Conifers mostly distribute their seeds by wind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they no longer dominate the tropical areas of the globe the way they once did, conifers do cover much of the Northern Hemisphere’s forest ecosystems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re less successful than they were at one time, but still major players as far as seed plants go” said Baldwin. “They do great at higher latitudes and higher altitudes, though there are a few exceptions. But by-and-large they are more successful in areas that are cooler, dryer and with poorer soils”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flowering plants are able to out-reproduce conifers in the areas which have more ideal temperatures, and moisture levels. Conifers are thus relegated to areas where flowering plants cannot survive well. Conifers are able to exist in these areas because their anatomy allows them to resist damage caused by freezing, and extreme dryness. Conifers also pack their leaves with terpenoids, which are compounds responsible for the pine smell that allows the trees to resist decay and hungry herbivores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they may no longer be as diverse as they once were, the tallest (coast redwood), most massive (giant sequoia) and oldest living (bristlecone pine) individual organisms in the world are all conifers. While they may not be as flashy as their flowering cousins, cones are still able to hold their own, particularly around Christmas time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can check out the conifer collections at the \u003ca href=\"http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/\">University of California, Berkeley Jepson Herbarium\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or take a stroll through \u003ca href=\"http://www.ebparks.org/page156.aspx\">Tilden Regional Parks Botanic Garden\u003c/a> to see a variety of California conifers.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s the time of year when people start inviting pine, fir and spruce trees into their homes, and wreaths and pine cones take center stage. But while pine cones may seem a familiar trapping of the holiday season to most of us, for Bruce Baldwin, they tell an ancient story, millions of years old, of evolution, competition and reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373705\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373705\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Coulter pines have the largest seed cones of any pine tree\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/female-coulter-pinecone-on-black-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coulter pines have the largest seed cones of any pine tree \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Baldwin is a plant biologist in the Integrative Biology Department of the University of California, Berkeley. He’s also curator of the university’s Jepson Herbarium, a collection of California plants used for research and archival purposes. In addition to the pressed and dried plants, the herbarium’s collections also include a variety of cones from around the state, including some from the Coulter Pine, which boasts the largest cones of any pine tree in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373706\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373706\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Male cones are often smaller and less obvious than seed cones \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/male-cone-closeup-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Male cones are often smaller and less obvious than seed cones \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pine cones aren’t just for decoration, Baldwin said. They are the reproductive organs of conifers, an ancient group of seed-bearing plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are two different types of cones,” said Baldwin, “a lot of people don’t realize that. There’s seed cones and pollen cones. The pollen cones are relatively tiny. The seed cone gets to be much larger and takes three years to develop and release seeds so you can often see pine cones of three different stages of development on a single tree.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373783\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373783\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Viewed here under a microscope, a male cone produces copious amounts of tiny pollen grains that will be carried by wind to seed cones\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/pollen-split-screen-ECU-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Viewed here under a microscope, a male cone produces copious amounts of tiny pollen grains that will be carried by wind to seed cones \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What most people recognize as a pine cone is typically the female seed cone. This structure keeps the immature seeds safe, nestled between protective scales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But early in their development, the scales open slightly for a short time to grant access to wind-borne pollen released from smaller pollen cones. Conifers are mostly wind pollinators, broadcasting huge quantities of male gametes into the air during summer months. The pollen can be seen when it settles on parked cars and windowsills as a fine yellow powder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373785\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373785\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"This scales on this bristlecone pine seed cone are closed tight to protect the developing seeds \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-pine-cone-juvenile-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This scales on this bristlecone pine seed cone are closed tight to protect the developing seeds \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After receiving the pollen, the female cones close back up until the seeds are fertilized and mature. Once they are, the scales reopen allowing the wind to disperse the winged seeds. Other species rely on birds or mammals to distribute their next generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373704\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373704\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Coulter pine seed removed from its cone. The seed is winged to help it travel away from its parent tree\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/coulter-pine-seed-in-tweezers-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coulter pine seed removed from its cone. The seed is winged to help it travel away from its parent tree \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In some forests, like the closed-cone pine forests of California, mature cones may stay closed for decades. Species like the bishop pine are serotinous, meaning that they only open when exposed to the heat of a forest fire. The trees are able to wait until the fire has reduced the competition for light and provided a much-needed boost in nutrients to the soil before even attempting to send their seeds out to set root.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_373708\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-373708\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Bishop pine cones stay closed unless they reach high temperatures like those experienced in a forest fire \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/bristlecone-female-onbranch-nolabel-CRX-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bishop pine cones stay closed unless they reach high temperatures like those experienced in a forest fire \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Conifers are some of the oldest plants in the forest. And they were once much more diverse than they are today. But since the evolution of flowering plants, their diversity has plummeted. Today only about 0.3 percent of all the species of seed plants have cones. Flowering plants have taken over most of the warmer, wetter habitats, pushing out the conifers. But why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flowering plants reproduce much faster. Everything is sped up in their reproduction,” explained Baldwin. “And when you evolve the fruit you evolve a lot of different ways of dispersing the seeds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enlisting the help of animals to carry off their seeds may help give flowering a reproductive advantage, he said. Conifers mostly distribute their seeds by wind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they no longer dominate the tropical areas of the globe the way they once did, conifers do cover much of the Northern Hemisphere’s forest ecosystems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re less successful than they were at one time, but still major players as far as seed plants go” said Baldwin. “They do great at higher latitudes and higher altitudes, though there are a few exceptions. But by-and-large they are more successful in areas that are cooler, dryer and with poorer soils”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flowering plants are able to out-reproduce conifers in the areas which have more ideal temperatures, and moisture levels. Conifers are thus relegated to areas where flowering plants cannot survive well. Conifers are able to exist in these areas because their anatomy allows them to resist damage caused by freezing, and extreme dryness. Conifers also pack their leaves with terpenoids, which are compounds responsible for the pine smell that allows the trees to resist decay and hungry herbivores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they may no longer be as diverse as they once were, the tallest (coast redwood), most massive (giant sequoia) and oldest living (bristlecone pine) individual organisms in the world are all conifers. While they may not be as flashy as their flowering cousins, cones are still able to hold their own, particularly around Christmas time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can check out the conifer collections at the \u003ca href=\"http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/\">University of California, Berkeley Jepson Herbarium\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or take a stroll through \u003ca href=\"http://www.ebparks.org/page156.aspx\">Tilden Regional Parks Botanic Garden\u003c/a> to see a variety of California conifers.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Nature's Scuba Divers: How Beetles Breathe Underwater",
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"headTitle": "Nature’s Scuba Divers: How Beetles Breathe Underwater | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]People first crossed the line between land and sea to become scuba divers more than 70 years ago, when Jacques Cousteau pioneered the Aqua-Lung in Nazi-occupied France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But humans aren’t the only creatures who bring air underwater with them to breathe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some species of aquatic insects have been doing it for millions of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Water beetles have been breathing underwater since before the dinosaurs existed,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.fieldmuseum.org/about/staff/profile/2051\">Crystal Maier\u003c/a>, an entomologist at \u003ca href=\"https://www.fieldmuseum.org\">The Field Museum in Chicago\u003c/a>. “It has evolved at least 10 times across the insect tree of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341510\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubble_720.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341510\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubble_720.gif\" alt=\"A predaceous diving beetle holds a bubble under his outer wings.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A predaceous diving beetle holds a bubble under his outer wings. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So how do they do it? Air-breathing aquatic bugs and beetles don’t hold their breath the way sea mammals do, nor do they have gills like fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer lies in their small size. Insect scuba strategies hinge on a property of water that relative giants like us usually overlook: surface tension.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341517\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341517\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"The surface tension of water allows paper clips to float.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The surface tension of water allows paper clips to float. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Surface tension is the property of any liquid that describes how its particles stick together. In the case of water, surface tension is especially strong, enough to form a kind of film where it meets the air, whether at the surface or in a bubble.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The film is so strong, in fact, that a paper clip, which should sink because of its density, will float.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a bug the size of a paperclip, in other words, surface tension makes a difference. Harnessing it, some aquatic beetles carry the oxygen they need underwater in the form of a temporary bubble, sort of like a natural scuba tank. Others encase themselves in a layer of air and draw oxygen from it their whole lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341511\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubblerelease_720.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341511\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubblerelease_720.gif\" alt=\"Predaceous diving beetles carry a bubble with them below the surface.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Predaceous diving beetles carry a bubble with them below the surface. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Predaceous diving beetles are an aquatic insect family common in lakes, ponds and streams. Streamlined and equipped with legs adapted to swimming, these beetles dive with a breathing bubble trapped beneath their outer wings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike our scuba tanks, however, the beetle’s bubble can partially replenish itself, drawing oxygen from the water to replace what the beetle consumes. Sometimes scientists call the bubble a “physical gill,” since it works somewhat as gills do in fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The relatively large surface area of the bubble allows it to exchange oxygen with the surrounding water,” Maier said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341512\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341512\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"The beetle's bubble can partially replenish with oxygen from the surrounding water.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The beetle’s bubble can partially replenish with oxygen from the surrounding water. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The beetles hunt smaller bugs and scavenge for food among the gravel and vegetation at the bottom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bubble’s oxygen supply is limited, however. Eventually, consumption outpaces replacement, and the beetle releases the bubble and returns to the surface for a new one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another aquatic family, long-toed water beetles, have evolved a more permanent solution. Though these bugs are born on land and breathe air, they enter the water as adults and never go back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They owe their underwater staying power to something called a plastron, a thin layer of breathable air on their outer shells. Employing surface tension, hairlike structures on the shell keep the layer intact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341508\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_wave_720.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341508\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_wave_720.gif\" alt=\"The long-toed water beetle's plastron gives it a shimmering appearance.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The long-toed water beetle’s plastron gives it a shimmering appearance. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Plastrons, which lend long-toed beetles their shimmering appearance, almost like a space suit, are so reliable that they never resurface for air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a pretty successful group of insects. They’re on every continent, except Antarctica,” said \u003ca href=\"http://essig.berkeley.edu/about/barr.shtml\">Cheryl Barr, collection manager emeritus\u003c/a> at the \u003ca href=\"http://essig.berkeley.edu/\">Essig Museum of Entomology at UC Berkeley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plastron respiration, as scientists call it, has evolved independently in several unrelated groups of insects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Surface tension is a delicate force, vulnerable to changes temperature, turbulence or the introduction of contaminants, like soap. A sudden drop in surface tension can drown a whole insect community in an instant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though it might not seem to affect our world to the same degree, surface tension is active all around us. It allows raindrops to form, trees to bring water to their leaves and ice to float. So in a sense, we too live on a thin boundary, ruled by the same subtle properties of water.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>People first crossed the line between land and sea to become scuba divers more than 70 years ago, when Jacques Cousteau pioneered the Aqua-Lung in Nazi-occupied France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But humans aren’t the only creatures who bring air underwater with them to breathe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some species of aquatic insects have been doing it for millions of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Water beetles have been breathing underwater since before the dinosaurs existed,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.fieldmuseum.org/about/staff/profile/2051\">Crystal Maier\u003c/a>, an entomologist at \u003ca href=\"https://www.fieldmuseum.org\">The Field Museum in Chicago\u003c/a>. “It has evolved at least 10 times across the insect tree of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341510\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubble_720.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341510\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubble_720.gif\" alt=\"A predaceous diving beetle holds a bubble under his outer wings.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A predaceous diving beetle holds a bubble under his outer wings. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So how do they do it? Air-breathing aquatic bugs and beetles don’t hold their breath the way sea mammals do, nor do they have gills like fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer lies in their small size. Insect scuba strategies hinge on a property of water that relative giants like us usually overlook: surface tension.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341517\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341517\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"The surface tension of water allows paper clips to float.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_img25_1920x1080-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The surface tension of water allows paper clips to float. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Surface tension is the property of any liquid that describes how its particles stick together. In the case of water, surface tension is especially strong, enough to form a kind of film where it meets the air, whether at the surface or in a bubble.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The film is so strong, in fact, that a paper clip, which should sink because of its density, will float.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a bug the size of a paperclip, in other words, surface tension makes a difference. Harnessing it, some aquatic beetles carry the oxygen they need underwater in the form of a temporary bubble, sort of like a natural scuba tank. Others encase themselves in a layer of air and draw oxygen from it their whole lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341511\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubblerelease_720.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341511\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_bubblerelease_720.gif\" alt=\"Predaceous diving beetles carry a bubble with them below the surface.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Predaceous diving beetles carry a bubble with them below the surface. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Predaceous diving beetles are an aquatic insect family common in lakes, ponds and streams. Streamlined and equipped with legs adapted to swimming, these beetles dive with a breathing bubble trapped beneath their outer wings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike our scuba tanks, however, the beetle’s bubble can partially replenish itself, drawing oxygen from the water to replace what the beetle consumes. Sometimes scientists call the bubble a “physical gill,” since it works somewhat as gills do in fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The relatively large surface area of the bubble allows it to exchange oxygen with the surrounding water,” Maier said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341512\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341512\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"The beetle's bubble can partially replenish with oxygen from the surrounding water.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL211_predaceous-diving-beetle-bubble-x-closeup_1920x1080-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The beetle’s bubble can partially replenish with oxygen from the surrounding water. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The beetles hunt smaller bugs and scavenge for food among the gravel and vegetation at the bottom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bubble’s oxygen supply is limited, however. Eventually, consumption outpaces replacement, and the beetle releases the bubble and returns to the surface for a new one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another aquatic family, long-toed water beetles, have evolved a more permanent solution. Though these bugs are born on land and breathe air, they enter the water as adults and never go back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They owe their underwater staying power to something called a plastron, a thin layer of breathable air on their outer shells. Employing surface tension, hairlike structures on the shell keep the layer intact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341508\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_wave_720.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341508\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/DL_WaterBeetles_wave_720.gif\" alt=\"The long-toed water beetle's plastron gives it a shimmering appearance.\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The long-toed water beetle’s plastron gives it a shimmering appearance. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Plastrons, which lend long-toed beetles their shimmering appearance, almost like a space suit, are so reliable that they never resurface for air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a pretty successful group of insects. They’re on every continent, except Antarctica,” said \u003ca href=\"http://essig.berkeley.edu/about/barr.shtml\">Cheryl Barr, collection manager emeritus\u003c/a> at the \u003ca href=\"http://essig.berkeley.edu/\">Essig Museum of Entomology at UC Berkeley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plastron respiration, as scientists call it, has evolved independently in several unrelated groups of insects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Surface tension is a delicate force, vulnerable to changes temperature, turbulence or the introduction of contaminants, like soap. A sudden drop in surface tension can drown a whole insect community in an instant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though it might not seem to affect our world to the same degree, surface tension is active all around us. It allows raindrops to form, trees to bring water to their leaves and ice to float. So in a sense, we too live on a thin boundary, ruled by the same subtle properties of water.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What's Left to Discover About Microbes? Pretty Much Everything",
"headTitle": "What’s Left to Discover About Microbes? Pretty Much Everything | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Last week a group of 48 scientists, in the prestigious journal Science, urged America to \u003ca href=\"http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6260/507.full\">launch a national project to study microbes\u003c/a>. The next day, eminent scientists commenting in Nature, a journal of like prestige, said \u003ca href=\"http://www.nature.com/news/microbiology-create-a-global-microbiome-effort-1.18636\">we should launch a \u003ci>worldwide\u003c/i> effort\u003c/a> to study microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘We will never escape our microbial cradle.’\u003ccite>David Montgomery and Anne Biklé\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>This is not a farfetched idea. If you put all life on Earth upon a scale, the weight of microbes would exceed all the rest put together. Microbes are within us and around us. We cannot survive without them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In “\u003ca href=\"http://books.wwnorton.com/books/The-Hidden-Half-of-Nature/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hidden Half of Nature\u003c/a>,” geologist David Montgomery and biologist Anne Biklé underscore the importance of microbes. “Consider the many microbial landscapes composing our bodies, from the river valley of our gut, to forests of hair, dry toenail deserts, and the skies of our eyes. These places have a multitude of interacting inhabitants and are as dynamic as any other ecosystem on Earth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Microbes: From Curiosities to Powerhouses\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The invisible world of microbes was unknown until the 1600s, when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek devised a powerful microscope. Whatever he put under its lens — rainwater, the plaque from his teeth, cheese — he found it teeming with “animalcules,” tiny living things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1800s, Louis Pasteur showed that microbes called yeasts are essential for fermenting wine and beer. He proved that microbes are responsible for souring milk and decomposing meat. Sterilization and isolation of pure microbial cultures were great advances in feeding the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341360\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 419px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-341360\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Microbiologist Amy Charkowski and graduate student Abdulah Harris observe the microscopic view of an alfalfa sprout root that has been experimentally contaminated with Salmonella. The microbes show up green or blue on the screen.\" width=\"419\" height=\"235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Microbiologist Amy Charkowski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduate student Abdulah Harris observe the microscopic view of an alfalfa sprout root that has been experimentally contaminated with Salmonella. The microbes show up green or blue on the screen. \u003ccite>(Scott Bauer/U.S. Dept Agriculture)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Later we learned that other microbes have the power to cause disease. This time, sterile practices and isolation revolutionized medicine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given this history, many people think of microbes only as germs to be eradicated. But recent research shows that communities of diverse microbes form invisible ecosystems, called microbiomes, supporting the ecosystems of the visible world — forests, lakes, agricultural fields and us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In my own field of geology, we’ve learned that microbes are crucial agents in weathering rocks, depositing ores and preserving fossils. We’ve learned that microbes, the oldest form of life, were responsible for putting oxygen in the atmosphere over 2 billion years ago. “We will never escape our microbial cradle,” Montgomery and Biklé write.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everywhere we look, we find a dizzying expanse of microbial mystery. Our very life — soil productivity, human health, global climate and more — is intimately tied to this universe of microbiomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Studying Our ‘Microbial Cradle’\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We know as much about microbes today as we knew about the sky before telescopes. Our current tools for sequencing DNA, familiar for solving crimes and studying our ancestries, are the equivalent of Leeuwenhoek’s first microscope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341366\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341366\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o.jpg\" alt=\"This scanning electron micrograph shows MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (the yellow, round items), killing and escaping from a human white cell. \" width=\"640\" height=\"611\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o-400x382.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This scanning electron micrograph shows MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (the yellow, round items), killing and escaping from a human white cell. \u003ccite>(NIAID)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When we turn those tools upon ordinary soil, we find it swarming with genetic material, but we recognize less than 1 percent of it. The same is true of the microbiome inside the human gut. The same is true of seawater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The authors of \u003ca href=\"http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6260/507.full\">the Science paper\u003c/a>, therefore, propose “an interdisciplinary Unified Microbiome Initiative to discover and advance tools to understand and harness the capabilities of Earth’s microbial ecosystems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, better technologies could tell us what specific genes do, sequence the DNA of individual microbes, decode the “chemical conversations” in microbial communities and experiment on lab-based microbiomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Improve Health, Replenish Soil\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s likely the first targets of this microbiome research will center on human health. Montgomery and Biklé say the proposed initiative will help us better understand “the unintended scrambling of the human microbiome through drugs like antibiotics, low-fiber diets, and other factors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Replenishing the world’s soil is another worthy target that can help us draw down the greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The carbon sequestered in soils outweighs all the living mass in plants and animals. Thus increasing the organic matter in soil will rely on learning to work well with microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Success in those fields will help us meet the greater challenge of the oceans. It’s a virtually infinite space filled with species we’ve barely begun to count, plus free-floating genes that can move between microbial species. It has evolved for billions of years. You could call the ocean Earth’s gut. As geology, biology and climatology converge in the study of the past and present ocean, microbiome studies will have a scientific payoff for centuries to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We and the planet will be a lot better off the sooner we embrace and work with, rather than against, microbiomes,” Montgomery and Biklé say. “It may be our best way yet of gaining headway on some of humanity’s long-standing conflicts with the natural world of which we are a part.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Last week a group of 48 scientists, in the prestigious journal Science, urged America to \u003ca href=\"http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6260/507.full\">launch a national project to study microbes\u003c/a>. The next day, eminent scientists commenting in Nature, a journal of like prestige, said \u003ca href=\"http://www.nature.com/news/microbiology-create-a-global-microbiome-effort-1.18636\">we should launch a \u003ci>worldwide\u003c/i> effort\u003c/a> to study microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘We will never escape our microbial cradle.’\u003ccite>David Montgomery and Anne Biklé\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>This is not a farfetched idea. If you put all life on Earth upon a scale, the weight of microbes would exceed all the rest put together. Microbes are within us and around us. We cannot survive without them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In “\u003ca href=\"http://books.wwnorton.com/books/The-Hidden-Half-of-Nature/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hidden Half of Nature\u003c/a>,” geologist David Montgomery and biologist Anne Biklé underscore the importance of microbes. “Consider the many microbial landscapes composing our bodies, from the river valley of our gut, to forests of hair, dry toenail deserts, and the skies of our eyes. These places have a multitude of interacting inhabitants and are as dynamic as any other ecosystem on Earth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Microbes: From Curiosities to Powerhouses\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The invisible world of microbes was unknown until the 1600s, when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek devised a powerful microscope. Whatever he put under its lens — rainwater, the plaque from his teeth, cheese — he found it teeming with “animalcules,” tiny living things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1800s, Louis Pasteur showed that microbes called yeasts are essential for fermenting wine and beer. He proved that microbes are responsible for souring milk and decomposing meat. Sterilization and isolation of pure microbial cultures were great advances in feeding the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341360\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 419px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-341360\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Microbiologist Amy Charkowski and graduate student Abdulah Harris observe the microscopic view of an alfalfa sprout root that has been experimentally contaminated with Salmonella. The microbes show up green or blue on the screen.\" width=\"419\" height=\"235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/microbiome-study-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Microbiologist Amy Charkowski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduate student Abdulah Harris observe the microscopic view of an alfalfa sprout root that has been experimentally contaminated with Salmonella. The microbes show up green or blue on the screen. \u003ccite>(Scott Bauer/U.S. Dept Agriculture)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Later we learned that other microbes have the power to cause disease. This time, sterile practices and isolation revolutionized medicine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given this history, many people think of microbes only as germs to be eradicated. But recent research shows that communities of diverse microbes form invisible ecosystems, called microbiomes, supporting the ecosystems of the visible world — forests, lakes, agricultural fields and us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In my own field of geology, we’ve learned that microbes are crucial agents in weathering rocks, depositing ores and preserving fossils. We’ve learned that microbes, the oldest form of life, were responsible for putting oxygen in the atmosphere over 2 billion years ago. “We will never escape our microbial cradle,” Montgomery and Biklé write.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everywhere we look, we find a dizzying expanse of microbial mystery. Our very life — soil productivity, human health, global climate and more — is intimately tied to this universe of microbiomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Studying Our ‘Microbial Cradle’\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We know as much about microbes today as we knew about the sky before telescopes. Our current tools for sequencing DNA, familiar for solving crimes and studying our ancestries, are the equivalent of Leeuwenhoek’s first microscope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_341366\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-341366\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o.jpg\" alt=\"This scanning electron micrograph shows MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (the yellow, round items), killing and escaping from a human white cell. \" width=\"640\" height=\"611\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o-400x382.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/11/5927204872_5a6d669faf_o-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This scanning electron micrograph shows MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (the yellow, round items), killing and escaping from a human white cell. \u003ccite>(NIAID)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When we turn those tools upon ordinary soil, we find it swarming with genetic material, but we recognize less than 1 percent of it. The same is true of the microbiome inside the human gut. The same is true of seawater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The authors of \u003ca href=\"http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6260/507.full\">the Science paper\u003c/a>, therefore, propose “an interdisciplinary Unified Microbiome Initiative to discover and advance tools to understand and harness the capabilities of Earth’s microbial ecosystems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, better technologies could tell us what specific genes do, sequence the DNA of individual microbes, decode the “chemical conversations” in microbial communities and experiment on lab-based microbiomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Improve Health, Replenish Soil\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s likely the first targets of this microbiome research will center on human health. Montgomery and Biklé say the proposed initiative will help us better understand “the unintended scrambling of the human microbiome through drugs like antibiotics, low-fiber diets, and other factors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Replenishing the world’s soil is another worthy target that can help us draw down the greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The carbon sequestered in soils outweighs all the living mass in plants and animals. Thus increasing the organic matter in soil will rely on learning to work well with microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Success in those fields will help us meet the greater challenge of the oceans. It’s a virtually infinite space filled with species we’ve barely begun to count, plus free-floating genes that can move between microbial species. It has evolved for billions of years. You could call the ocean Earth’s gut. As geology, biology and climatology converge in the study of the past and present ocean, microbiome studies will have a scientific payoff for centuries to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We and the planet will be a lot better off the sooner we embrace and work with, rather than against, microbiomes,” Montgomery and Biklé say. “It may be our best way yet of gaining headway on some of humanity’s long-standing conflicts with the natural world of which we are a part.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What Makes Owls So Quiet and So Deadly?",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]With autumn upon us, you might have noticed a familiar sound in the night. It’s mating season for owls in Northern California and the sound of their hooting fills the darkness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Owls try to breed really early,” said \u003ca href=\"http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Clark.html\">Chris Clark\u003c/a>, an assistant professor of biology at UC Riverside, “because they want their babies to be leaving the nest and practicing hunting right when there are lots of baby animals around like baby rabbits that are easy prey.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while you might hear owl mating calls, what you won’t hear is the sound of them flying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For owls, life and death relies on the ability to control noise. Owl wings and feathers have special adaptations to muffle their sound. It’s stealth, not speed that makes them deadly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326325\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Owls use camouflage and the cover of darkness to ambush prey \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owls use camouflage and the cover of darkness to ambush prey \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Owls belong to a group called raptors, which also includes hawks, eagles and falcons. Most of these birds of prey hunt during the day and rely on speed to catch their meals. But unlike most other raptors, the roughly 200 species of owl are generally nocturnal while others are crepuscular, meaning that they’re active around dawn and dusk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326324\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326324\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Owls are ambush predators, relying on stealth to catch their prey\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As ambush hunters, most owls use powerful low-light and stealth to catch their prey \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They have extremely powerful low-light vision, and finely tuned hearing which allows them to locate the source of even the smallest sound. Owls simply hide and wait for their prey to betray its own location. As ambush hunters, owls tend to rely on surprise more often than their ability to give chase. Even for a trained biologist, owls can be hard to find. “They can be sitting very close to you and you won’t even notice them,” said Clark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326465\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326465\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Eurasian eagle-owl feather and wing\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owls tend to have large wings for their body size when compared to other birds of prey \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When birds flap their wings, it creates turbulences in the air as it rushes over their wings. In general, the larger a bird is and the faster it flies, the larger the turbulence created and that means more sound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326322\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Feathers on the leading edge of an owl's wing\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The leading edge feathers on an owl’s wing have comb-like structures that break up wind and reduce noise \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The feathers at the leading edge of an owl’s wings have an unusual serrated appearance, referred to as a comb or fringe. The tiny hooked projections stick out and break up the wind as it flows over the owl’s wings, reducing the size and sound of the turbulences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326675\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326675\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"A fine velvet texture covers the tops of owl flight feathers, seen here in cross section. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fine velvet texture covers the tops of owl flight feathers, seen here in cross section. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Owl feathers go one step further to control sound. When viewed up-close, owl feathers appear velvety. The furry texture absorbs and dampens sound like a blanket. It also allows the feathers to quietly slide past each other in flight, reducing rustling sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All the feathers on their wings are very fluffy. They’re soft to the touch” said Clark. “If you take one piece of paper and slide it over another there is some noise associated with that. The fluffiness of owl feathers seems to reduce this movement noise.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Owls have been popular for thousands of years,” he said.”They’re mysterious. They live at night and you don’t see them all that often.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To learn more about owls and even see one up close in person check out \u003ca href=\"http://www.tacticalavianpredators.com/\">Tactical Avian Predators\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://westcoast-falconry.com/\">West Coast Falconry\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://lindsaywildlife.org/animal-experiences/raptors/\">The Lindsay Wildlife Museum\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>With autumn upon us, you might have noticed a familiar sound in the night. It’s mating season for owls in Northern California and the sound of their hooting fills the darkness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Owls try to breed really early,” said \u003ca href=\"http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Clark.html\">Chris Clark\u003c/a>, an assistant professor of biology at UC Riverside, “because they want their babies to be leaving the nest and practicing hunting right when there are lots of baby animals around like baby rabbits that are easy prey.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while you might hear owl mating calls, what you won’t hear is the sound of them flying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For owls, life and death relies on the ability to control noise. Owl wings and feathers have special adaptations to muffle their sound. It’s stealth, not speed that makes them deadly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326325\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Owls use camouflage and the cover of darkness to ambush prey \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-in-forest-on-rock-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owls use camouflage and the cover of darkness to ambush prey \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Owls belong to a group called raptors, which also includes hawks, eagles and falcons. Most of these birds of prey hunt during the day and rely on speed to catch their meals. But unlike most other raptors, the roughly 200 species of owl are generally nocturnal while others are crepuscular, meaning that they’re active around dawn and dusk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326324\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326324\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Owls are ambush predators, relying on stealth to catch their prey\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-eyes-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As ambush hunters, most owls use powerful low-light and stealth to catch their prey \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They have extremely powerful low-light vision, and finely tuned hearing which allows them to locate the source of even the smallest sound. Owls simply hide and wait for their prey to betray its own location. As ambush hunters, owls tend to rely on surprise more often than their ability to give chase. Even for a trained biologist, owls can be hard to find. “They can be sitting very close to you and you won’t even notice them,” said Clark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326465\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326465\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Eurasian eagle-owl feather and wing\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-and-wing-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owls tend to have large wings for their body size when compared to other birds of prey \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When birds flap their wings, it creates turbulences in the air as it rushes over their wings. In general, the larger a bird is and the faster it flies, the larger the turbulence created and that means more sound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326322\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Feathers on the leading edge of an owl's wing\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-comb-medium-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The leading edge feathers on an owl’s wing have comb-like structures that break up wind and reduce noise \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The feathers at the leading edge of an owl’s wings have an unusual serrated appearance, referred to as a comb or fringe. The tiny hooked projections stick out and break up the wind as it flows over the owl’s wings, reducing the size and sound of the turbulences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_326675\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-326675\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"A fine velvet texture covers the tops of owl flight feathers, seen here in cross section. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/owl-feather-fur-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fine velvet texture covers the tops of owl flight feathers, seen here in cross section. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Owl feathers go one step further to control sound. When viewed up-close, owl feathers appear velvety. The furry texture absorbs and dampens sound like a blanket. It also allows the feathers to quietly slide past each other in flight, reducing rustling sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All the feathers on their wings are very fluffy. They’re soft to the touch” said Clark. “If you take one piece of paper and slide it over another there is some noise associated with that. The fluffiness of owl feathers seems to reduce this movement noise.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Owls have been popular for thousands of years,” he said.”They’re mysterious. They live at night and you don’t see them all that often.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To learn more about owls and even see one up close in person check out \u003ca href=\"http://www.tacticalavianpredators.com/\">Tactical Avian Predators\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://westcoast-falconry.com/\">West Coast Falconry\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://lindsaywildlife.org/animal-experiences/raptors/\">The Lindsay Wildlife Museum\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "We Need to Talk About Your Face. It's Got Mites.",
"headTitle": "We Need to Talk About Your Face. It’s Got Mites. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Listen to the Story:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nhttp://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio//2015/10/FaceMites.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We need to talk about something. You might want to sit down. Microscopic animals have colonized your face. No, really. Inside your pores, right in there among the dirt and oil, face mites have set up shop and they’re not going anywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before you shudder in horror and reach for facial scrub, pause to consider these remarkable creatures. We’ve all got them, and in all likelihood they have been our species’ steadfast companions since time immemorial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve probably had them forever, even since before we were human,” says Michelle Trautwein, a curator at the California Academy of Sciences who studies the evolutionary history of these tiny arachnids. (Yep, they’re related to spiders, but don’t hold that against them.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_321454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-321454\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246.jpg\" alt=\"Graduate student Misha Leong preps a citizen scientist who's volunteering his face mites for the study.\" width=\"3300\" height=\"2200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246.jpg 3300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3300px) 100vw, 3300px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graduate student Misha Leong preps a citizen scientist who’s volunteering his face mites for the study. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Whitney/California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recently, at one of the CalAcademy’s after-hours parties, Trautwein recruited participants for her latest study. One of her more intriguing recent findings has been that face mite evolution is intimately linked to human evolution — our family trees seem to mirror each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All humans originated in Africa,” she says, “and because of that Africa hosts most human genetic diversity, and it turns out they also host the most mite diversity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trautwein has also found evidence for more diverse lineages of mites among East Asian and Latin populations. So when Rafael Vega, visiting from Mexico City, walks by her table at the CalAcademy, she and graduate student Misha Leong are eager to sample his mites.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘What’s crazy is that we actually have mites all over our body. We have mites that live in our ears, that live on our eyebrows, versus our eyelashes, versus our genitals, versus our nipples.’\u003ccite>Michelle Trautwein\u003cbr>\nCalifornia Academy of Sciences\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Leong applies mineral oil around the base of his nose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s right in these crevices where we’ve found a lot of the face mites seem to congregate,” she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She hands Vega a thin metal scraper and demonstrates the downward sweeping motions he can use to scrape his skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because we’re trying to get as much oil and dead skin cells as possible,” Leong says, “so that we can hopefully extract some face mite DNA.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the first time Vega has ever heard about his face mites, but he’s taking the news in stride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s nice to know they’re there,” he says. “They’re treating me well, as far as I know. I hope they’re behaving all right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They probably are. Occasionally face mites are linked with skin ailments like rosacea (and in animals, mites are thought to cause mange) but generally the tiny, 8-legged creatures are harmless. (Although \u003cem>Demodex folliculorum\u003c/em> sure has an “Ewww!” factor in this video by Daniel Fergus, of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/PDf4CfXaQjc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since it’s difficult to collect the mites and spot them under a microscope, scientists used to think that only 10 to 25 percent of people had them. But by detecting face mites through their DNA, Trautwein’s research has shown all humans host the creatures, likely inherited from our family members shortly after we are born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mites also seem to travel with us through generations. One thing Trautwein is trying to figure out is why African Americans who have been gone from Africa for decades can still host African face mites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want a much broader sample so I can really start to tease out what that’s about,” she says. “How much African ancestry do you have to be able to host an African mite?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also curious about how many kinds of mites we really host. At the moment it’s clear at least two species live on our faces. Examined through a microscope, they appear morphologically different. But it’s possible, she thinks, that further research will reveal many more kinds of mites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_321455\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 458px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-321455\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"After volunteers scrape their faces, researcher Michelle Trautwein uses a swab stick to transfer the oil and dead skin cells to a sterile container.\" width=\"458\" height=\"305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After volunteers scrape their faces, researcher Michelle Trautwein uses a swab stick to transfer the oil and dead skin cells to a sterile container. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Whitney/California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What’s crazy is that we actually have mites all over our body,” she says. “We have mites that live in our ears, that live on our face, that live on our eyebrows, versus our eyelashes, versus our genitals, versus our nipples.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words, they are all over the place, and she wouldn’t be surprised if there are many different species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trautwein hopes she will get to investigate these questions, but securing funding to scrape face mite exoskeletons from people hasn’t always been easy. Some of the National Science Foundation reviews of her grant applications have been unenthusiastic, she says, suggesting that she’s going to make people paranoid and neurotic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Trautwein says that’s not the reaction she gets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I’ve found is that people think they’re gross,” she says, “but they still love it and they want to find out and they want to get sampled.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trautwein hopes to publish her newest research on the diversity of human face mites sometime next year.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>We need to talk about something. You might want to sit down. Microscopic animals have colonized your face. No, really. Inside your pores, right in there among the dirt and oil, face mites have set up shop and they’re not going anywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before you shudder in horror and reach for facial scrub, pause to consider these remarkable creatures. We’ve all got them, and in all likelihood they have been our species’ steadfast companions since time immemorial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve probably had them forever, even since before we were human,” says Michelle Trautwein, a curator at the California Academy of Sciences who studies the evolutionary history of these tiny arachnids. (Yep, they’re related to spiders, but don’t hold that against them.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_321454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-321454\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246.jpg\" alt=\"Graduate student Misha Leong preps a citizen scientist who's volunteering his face mites for the study.\" width=\"3300\" height=\"2200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246.jpg 3300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1246-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3300px) 100vw, 3300px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graduate student Misha Leong preps a citizen scientist who’s volunteering his face mites for the study. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Whitney/California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recently, at one of the CalAcademy’s after-hours parties, Trautwein recruited participants for her latest study. One of her more intriguing recent findings has been that face mite evolution is intimately linked to human evolution — our family trees seem to mirror each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All humans originated in Africa,” she says, “and because of that Africa hosts most human genetic diversity, and it turns out they also host the most mite diversity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trautwein has also found evidence for more diverse lineages of mites among East Asian and Latin populations. So when Rafael Vega, visiting from Mexico City, walks by her table at the CalAcademy, she and graduate student Misha Leong are eager to sample his mites.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘What’s crazy is that we actually have mites all over our body. We have mites that live in our ears, that live on our eyebrows, versus our eyelashes, versus our genitals, versus our nipples.’\u003ccite>Michelle Trautwein\u003cbr>\nCalifornia Academy of Sciences\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Leong applies mineral oil around the base of his nose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s right in these crevices where we’ve found a lot of the face mites seem to congregate,” she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She hands Vega a thin metal scraper and demonstrates the downward sweeping motions he can use to scrape his skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because we’re trying to get as much oil and dead skin cells as possible,” Leong says, “so that we can hopefully extract some face mite DNA.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the first time Vega has ever heard about his face mites, but he’s taking the news in stride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s nice to know they’re there,” he says. “They’re treating me well, as far as I know. I hope they’re behaving all right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They probably are. Occasionally face mites are linked with skin ailments like rosacea (and in animals, mites are thought to cause mange) but generally the tiny, 8-legged creatures are harmless. (Although \u003cem>Demodex folliculorum\u003c/em> sure has an “Ewww!” factor in this video by Daniel Fergus, of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University.)\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/PDf4CfXaQjc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/PDf4CfXaQjc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Since it’s difficult to collect the mites and spot them under a microscope, scientists used to think that only 10 to 25 percent of people had them. But by detecting face mites through their DNA, Trautwein’s research has shown all humans host the creatures, likely inherited from our family members shortly after we are born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mites also seem to travel with us through generations. One thing Trautwein is trying to figure out is why African Americans who have been gone from Africa for decades can still host African face mites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want a much broader sample so I can really start to tease out what that’s about,” she says. “How much African ancestry do you have to be able to host an African mite?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also curious about how many kinds of mites we really host. At the moment it’s clear at least two species live on our faces. Examined through a microscope, they appear morphologically different. But it’s possible, she thinks, that further research will reveal many more kinds of mites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_321455\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 458px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-321455\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"After volunteers scrape their faces, researcher Michelle Trautwein uses a swab stick to transfer the oil and dead skin cells to a sterile container.\" width=\"458\" height=\"305\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/Face_Mites_101515-1352-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After volunteers scrape their faces, researcher Michelle Trautwein uses a swab stick to transfer the oil and dead skin cells to a sterile container. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Whitney/California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What’s crazy is that we actually have mites all over our body,” she says. “We have mites that live in our ears, that live on our face, that live on our eyebrows, versus our eyelashes, versus our genitals, versus our nipples.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words, they are all over the place, and she wouldn’t be surprised if there are many different species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trautwein hopes she will get to investigate these questions, but securing funding to scrape face mite exoskeletons from people hasn’t always been easy. Some of the National Science Foundation reviews of her grant applications have been unenthusiastic, she says, suggesting that she’s going to make people paranoid and neurotic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Trautwein says that’s not the reaction she gets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I’ve found is that people think they’re gross,” she says, “but they still love it and they want to find out and they want to get sampled.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trautwein hopes to publish her newest research on the diversity of human face mites sometime next year.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]For many people, fall is best time of year. The air gets crisp, and the barrier between the living and the dead begins to thin. For \u003cem>Dia de los Muertos\u003c/em> we use feast and ritual to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away, and on \u003cem>Halloween\u003c/em> we use humor and ridicule to confront the forces that took them from us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-299973\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_jars_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_jars_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are special places in the world where people face death and decomposition every day to further our understanding of life. One is the \u003ca href=\"http://mvz.berkeley.edu/\">Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley\u003c/a>\u003cu>,\u003c/u> where museum scientists have mastered the art of preserving dead things. They call the vast second-floor collection a “library of life.” It contains more than 640,000 specimens of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, which are meticulously catalogued to provide future generations of researchers a window back in time. Whom do we share this planet with? Whom are we losing? Whom have we already lost?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists in the prep lab downstairs receive nearly a thousand carcasses a year. It’s their job to preserve each animal for long-term use in the collections upstairs. And the work is not for the squeamish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300045\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_OwlScissors_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_OwlScissors_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They observe each specimen closely, record measurements, collect visible parasites and then carefully remove skins to be stuffed. They cut open stomach cavities to remove organs, collect flesh samples, measure gonads and record stomach contents. The final challenge is to clean all the flesh from the bones without damaging them. And to do this, they rely on an unlikely ally: flesh-eating beetles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300046\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_speciesname_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_speciesname_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These dermestid beetles are direct descendants from the original colony established in this museum in 1924. The process now used at museums around the world was pioneered here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In nature, these charming insects are death-homing devices. They’ll find a dead body about a week after death and lay eggs in the drying flesh. The larvae emerge with a voracious appetite, outgrowing their skins six to eight times in just days before pupating, becoming adults and flying away to start a new colony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300047\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_owleye_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_owleye_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What makes beetles ideal for cleaning museum specimens is that they’re \u003cem>fast\u003c/em> and \u003cem>fastidious\u003c/em> eaters. They can pick a carcass clean while leaving even the most delicate bone structures intact. It takes a large beetle colony 24 – 48 hours to clean the bones of small animals like rabbits and owls, and they can work on 100 – 200 specimens at a time. Larger animals like deer or coyotes take about a week. But the alliance between beetles and museum is an uneasy one. Downstairs the beetles are a critical tool. But if Dermestids got loose upstairs, they could wreak havoc in the library stacks, munching through specimen drawers and ruining entire collections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s what happened here. So museums try and keep a firewall between upstairs and downstairs. Between death and decomposition. And if you think about it, so do we. Consider the modern coffin designed to ward off decay. But decomposition is part of life too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300050\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_cleaning_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_cleaning_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the end… the bugs will have their feast.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They observe each specimen closely, record measurements, collect visible parasites and then carefully remove skins to be stuffed. They cut open stomach cavities to remove organs, collect flesh samples, measure gonads and record stomach contents. The final challenge is to clean all the flesh from the bones without damaging them. And to do this, they rely on an unlikely ally: flesh-eating beetles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300046\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_speciesname_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_speciesname_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These dermestid beetles are direct descendants from the original colony established in this museum in 1924. The process now used at museums around the world was pioneered here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In nature, these charming insects are death-homing devices. They’ll find a dead body about a week after death and lay eggs in the drying flesh. The larvae emerge with a voracious appetite, outgrowing their skins six to eight times in just days before pupating, becoming adults and flying away to start a new colony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300047\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_owleye_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_owleye_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What makes beetles ideal for cleaning museum specimens is that they’re \u003cem>fast\u003c/em> and \u003cem>fastidious\u003c/em> eaters. They can pick a carcass clean while leaving even the most delicate bone structures intact. It takes a large beetle colony 24 – 48 hours to clean the bones of small animals like rabbits and owls, and they can work on 100 – 200 specimens at a time. Larger animals like deer or coyotes take about a week. But the alliance between beetles and museum is an uneasy one. Downstairs the beetles are a critical tool. But if Dermestids got loose upstairs, they could wreak havoc in the library stacks, munching through specimen drawers and ruining entire collections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s what happened here. So museums try and keep a firewall between upstairs and downstairs. Between death and decomposition. And if you think about it, so do we. Consider the modern coffin designed to ward off decay. But decomposition is part of life too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-300050\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/10/DL_Dermestids_cleaning_720.gif\" alt=\"DL_Dermestids_cleaning_720\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the end… the bugs will have their feast.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]At first glance, jellyfish appear to be simple creatures. They don’t have eyes, or hearts, or even a brain. Most species simply drift in the open ocean, going wherever the current takes them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s a lot more to jellies than meets the eye. They’ve been around for at least 600 million years, making them some of the oldest creatures on the planet. They thrive in every ocean and from pole to pole. They have also adapted to live at nearly every depth in the ocean, from topside, wind-surfing species like \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://jellieszone.com/velella.htm\">Velella velella\u003c/a>\u003c/em> to bioluminescent deep sea dwellers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For such ancient creatures, jellies are relatively new to science. Compared to other sea creatures, little research has been done about jellies. For instance, the beautifully colored Flower Hat Jellyfish was first described about 100 years ago. But until recently, little was known about where Flower Hats live in the water column or how they reproduce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Found off the coasts of Japan and Argentina, Flower Hat jellies are small in size, just six inches across, and glow an iridescent green under blue light. Unlike many other jellies, Flower Hats prey on small fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_281788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-281788\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The flower hat jelly (Olindias formosus)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The flower hat jelly (Olindias formosus)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The species was recently on display at “The Jellies Experience” exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Flower Hat Jellies are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, partially because of a quirky behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unlike many jellyfish, Flower Hats are semi-benthic,” said \u003ca href=\"http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2014/flowerhat/flowerhat.html\">Wyatt Patry\u003c/a>, a senior aquarist at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mbayaq.org/\">Monterey Bay Aquarium\u003c/a>. “They rest on the bottom of coastal seas during the day, then rise into the water column to hunt at night.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To simulate their natural environment, Patry and his team installed a small grate in a tank of Flower Hats enclosure for the jellies to rest on.The grate prevented them from resting on the bottom of the tank, where bacteria and leftover fish collected. After installing the grate, Patry and his team made a discovery about the Flower Hats’ life cycle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the blue light that makes the jellies glow, Patry discovered Flower Hat jellyfish in their early stages of life. Both the babies and juveniles, called polyps and medusa, turn a bright fluorescent green under blue lighting – just like the adults. For the first time, Patry was able to see and describe the life cycle of Flower Hat jellyfish. He hopes these new insights will help lead to more discoveries on how jellyfish bloom in the wild.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blooms occur when jellies reproduce en masse. The have caused worldwide disruptions to the fishing industry and nuclear power plants who use seawater to cool their reactors. Massive blooms of jellies with powerful stings have also posed a threat to beach goers and swimmers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jellyfish sting and paralyze their prey using special cells called nematocysts. Jellyfish don’t have a brain or a central nervous system to control these stinging cells, so each one has it’s own trip wire, called a cnidocil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When triggered, the nematocyst cells act like a combination of fishing hook and hypodermic needle. They fire a barb into the flesh of the jellyfish’s prey at 10,000 times the force of gravity – making it one of the fastest mechanisms in the animal kingdom. As the barb latches on, a thread-like filament bathed in toxin erupts from the barb and delivers the poison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_281791\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-281791\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The long tentacles that stream behind many jellyfish are lined with billions of specialized stinging cells called nematocysts.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The long tentacles that stream behind many jellyfish are lined with billions of specialized stinging cells called nematocysts.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The nematocyst only works if the barb can penetrate the skin, which is why some jellies are more dangerous to humans than others. The smooth-looking tentacles of a sea anemone (a close relative of jellies that also has nematocyst cells) feel like sandpaper to the touch. Their nematocysts are firing, but the barbs aren’t powerful enough to puncture your skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281798\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_nematocyst_500-e1443499967867.gif\" alt=\"DL_Jellies_nematocyst_500\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sting of the Flower Hat Jellyfish, on the other hand, can be very painful, according to Patry, who gets stung several times a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jellies’ powerful stinging ability makes catching prey as simple as bumping into it. It’s an important tool that has allowed them to thrive for millions of years\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike more specialized species, jellies can tolerate a wide range of ocean conditions. They can reproduce en masse when conditions are good, but are flexible enough to outlast other species when the ocean environment changes. Jellyfish are the ultimate survivors. They’ve survived five mass extinctions and are some of the most common predators in the ocean. And if their history is any indication, jellyfish may outlive us as well.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Jellyfish don’t have a heart, or blood, or even a brain. They’ve survived five mass extinctions. And you can find them in every ocean, from pole to pole. What’s their secret? Keeping it simple, but with a few dangerous tricks.",
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"title": "Why Jellyfish Float Like a Butterfly—And Sting Like a Bee | KQED",
"description": "Jellyfish don’t have a heart, or blood, or even a brain. They’ve survived five mass extinctions. And you can find them in every ocean, from pole to pole. What’s their secret? Keeping it simple, but with a few dangerous tricks.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>At first glance, jellyfish appear to be simple creatures. They don’t have eyes, or hearts, or even a brain. Most species simply drift in the open ocean, going wherever the current takes them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s a lot more to jellies than meets the eye. They’ve been around for at least 600 million years, making them some of the oldest creatures on the planet. They thrive in every ocean and from pole to pole. They have also adapted to live at nearly every depth in the ocean, from topside, wind-surfing species like \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://jellieszone.com/velella.htm\">Velella velella\u003c/a>\u003c/em> to bioluminescent deep sea dwellers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For such ancient creatures, jellies are relatively new to science. Compared to other sea creatures, little research has been done about jellies. For instance, the beautifully colored Flower Hat Jellyfish was first described about 100 years ago. But until recently, little was known about where Flower Hats live in the water column or how they reproduce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Found off the coasts of Japan and Argentina, Flower Hat jellies are small in size, just six inches across, and glow an iridescent green under blue light. Unlike many other jellies, Flower Hats prey on small fish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_281788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-281788\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The flower hat jelly (Olindias formosus)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_full-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The flower hat jelly (Olindias formosus)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The species was recently on display at “The Jellies Experience” exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Flower Hat Jellies are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, partially because of a quirky behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unlike many jellyfish, Flower Hats are semi-benthic,” said \u003ca href=\"http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2014/flowerhat/flowerhat.html\">Wyatt Patry\u003c/a>, a senior aquarist at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mbayaq.org/\">Monterey Bay Aquarium\u003c/a>. “They rest on the bottom of coastal seas during the day, then rise into the water column to hunt at night.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To simulate their natural environment, Patry and his team installed a small grate in a tank of Flower Hats enclosure for the jellies to rest on.The grate prevented them from resting on the bottom of the tank, where bacteria and leftover fish collected. After installing the grate, Patry and his team made a discovery about the Flower Hats’ life cycle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the blue light that makes the jellies glow, Patry discovered Flower Hat jellyfish in their early stages of life. Both the babies and juveniles, called polyps and medusa, turn a bright fluorescent green under blue lighting – just like the adults. For the first time, Patry was able to see and describe the life cycle of Flower Hat jellyfish. He hopes these new insights will help lead to more discoveries on how jellyfish bloom in the wild.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blooms occur when jellies reproduce en masse. The have caused worldwide disruptions to the fishing industry and nuclear power plants who use seawater to cool their reactors. Massive blooms of jellies with powerful stings have also posed a threat to beach goers and swimmers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jellyfish sting and paralyze their prey using special cells called nematocysts. Jellyfish don’t have a brain or a central nervous system to control these stinging cells, so each one has it’s own trip wire, called a cnidocil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When triggered, the nematocyst cells act like a combination of fishing hook and hypodermic needle. They fire a barb into the flesh of the jellyfish’s prey at 10,000 times the force of gravity – making it one of the fastest mechanisms in the animal kingdom. As the barb latches on, a thread-like filament bathed in toxin erupts from the barb and delivers the poison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_281791\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-281791\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The long tentacles that stream behind many jellyfish are lined with billions of specialized stinging cells called nematocysts.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-400x225.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies__web-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The long tentacles that stream behind many jellyfish are lined with billions of specialized stinging cells called nematocysts.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The nematocyst only works if the barb can penetrate the skin, which is why some jellies are more dangerous to humans than others. The smooth-looking tentacles of a sea anemone (a close relative of jellies that also has nematocyst cells) feel like sandpaper to the touch. Their nematocysts are firing, but the barbs aren’t powerful enough to puncture your skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281798\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/09/DL_Jellies_nematocyst_500-e1443499967867.gif\" alt=\"DL_Jellies_nematocyst_500\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sting of the Flower Hat Jellyfish, on the other hand, can be very painful, according to Patry, who gets stung several times a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jellies’ powerful stinging ability makes catching prey as simple as bumping into it. It’s an important tool that has allowed them to thrive for millions of years\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike more specialized species, jellies can tolerate a wide range of ocean conditions. They can reproduce en masse when conditions are good, but are flexible enough to outlast other species when the ocean environment changes. Jellyfish are the ultimate survivors. They’ve survived five mass extinctions and are some of the most common predators in the ocean. And if their history is any indication, jellyfish may outlive us as well.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"order": 11
},
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"on-the-media": {
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
},
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
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