Daily Archives: September 3, 2016
Two Hundred Million Dollar Scientific Grant Fraud Case against Duke University
Federal Prosecutors have launched a gigantic fraud case against Duke University, North Carolina, accusing Duke University of embezzling $200 million in federal research grants, by presenting doctored data with their grant applications. – On a Friday in March 2013, a researcher working in the lab of a prominent pulmonary scientist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, was arrested on charges of embezzlement. The researcher, biologist Erin Potts-Kant, later pled guilty to siphoning more than $25,000 from the Duke University Health System, buying merchandise from Amazon, Walmart, and Target—even faking receipts to legitimize her purchases. A state judge ultimately levied a fine, and sentenced her to probation and community service. Then Potts-Kant’s troubles got worse. Read the rest here 13:03
The European green crab invades Washington State inland waters.
Earlier this week in Westcott Bay, San Juan Island, a team of volunteer monitors caught an invasive green crab
, marking the first confirmation of this global invader in Washington’s inland waters. The volunteers are part of Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team, an early detection and monitoring program to look for European green crab (Carcinus maenas) and collect information on local marine life. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for controlling aquatic invasive animals. European green crab have been stowaways on ships bound for U.S. ports since the 1800s, establishing populations, eating local clams and other shellfish and causing serious impacts. In Maine, for example, softshell clam harvests declined dramatically when the crab became established and eelgrass beds have been damaged by the invader’s digging habits. Read the story here 12:25
Tropical Storm Hermine, center moves over water, could be near hurricane intensity by Sunday
A Fish And Wildlife Seat Up For Grabs, With High Stakes
Openings on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission have sport fishing groups eyeing an opportunity to gain a voice while some environmental groups worry they’ll lose one. Two members are up for reappointment and another seat is vacant on the commission, which sets natural resource policies ranging from hunting and fishing rules to last year’s decision to remove gray wolves from the endangered list. Recreational anglers hope one of their longtime advocates, Liz Hamilton, can become one of the seven members of the commission, which they say has tilted too far toward commercial fishing interests. Hamilton runs the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association. She submitted a letter of interest to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown earlier this summer expressing her interest in joining the commission. It included endorsements from Sen. Ron Wyden and Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader, along with several prominent figures from the sport fishing community. Environmental groups are supporting the reappointment of Greg Wolley, who they consider one of the commission’s strongest voice for conservation. He is also the first and only African-American member of the commission. Read the story here 10:14
Fishermen rescued after commercial fishing boat capsizes
Two men have been rescued after their fishing boat flipped just south of the Chatham Islands. They were picked up 1.8 kilometres south of Pitt Island after activating their distress beacon on Saturday morning. The crew of the 11-metre commercial fishing vessel Flynny set off their beacon around 11.30am and the signal was received by the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ). Another local fishing boat The Eclipse was directed to the scene and found the men sitting on the upturned hull. They were reported safe and sound around 11.40am. RCCNZ search and rescue mission coordinator Chris Wilson said the area was known as “a blackspot” for VHF radio and the beacon signal was essential to raise the alarm. Read the rest here 09:51
Good news for fishermen. FDA Bans Antibacterial Triclosan in soap.
Antibacterial soaps were banned from the US market on Friday in a final ruling by the Food and Drug Administration, which said that manufacturers had failed to prove the cleansers were safe or more effective than normal products. The new federal rule applies to any soap or antiseptic product that has one or more of 19 chemical compounds, including triclocarbon, which is often found in bar soaps, and triclosan, often in liquid soaps. Professor Patrick McNamara: triclosan could play a part in driving antibiotic resistance, saying, “after these chemicals are used in our homes they go down the drain to wastewater treatment plants and eventually to the environment where they can select for antibiotic resistance genes”. Read the article here American Style Environmentalism is Destroying The Environment Part 1 by JJ Johnson written May 8, 2012 – Dawn dishwashing liquid (distributed by Proctor and Gamble) has a wildlife campaign that is advertised on the bottles of soap. The bottles proudly proclaim, “Dawn Helps Save Wildlife,” and feature heart warming pictures of ducks, penguins, and even two seals kissing (My personal favorite.) Read the article here 08:50
In Remembrance – Recalling the Heather Lynne II
Sometime before dawn on Sept. 5, 1996, the Heather Lynne II — a 45-foot fishing boat out of Newburyport — capsized off the coast of Cape Ann when it struck a long cable connecting a 272-foot barge to the tugboat it was towing, Capt. Jeffrey Hutchins and his two-man crew of Kevin Foster and John Michael Lowther were trapped, but alive, for some time in the overturned hull of the Heather Lynne II, 10 miles off Gloucester. A diminishing air pocket kept the boat from sinking and provided hope of survival for the three fishermen trapped inside. Their shouted pleas and desperate tapping could be heard by would-be rescuers who began to gather around them. But as boats came to the ship’s aid, they were directed to wait for the Coast Guard and a dive team to conduct the rescue effort. By the time the Coast Guard arrived, the three fishermen had drowned, leaving their families heartbroken and leading to an investigation of the Coast Guard’s conduct and delayed response in the rescue. Twenty years later, many who knew the lost crew of the Heather Lynne II still feel the pain, in part because it is unclear exactly what took place after the pre-dawn collision. Read this story here with images 07:13
