Tag Archives: CSIRO
How much fishing gear is lost at sea, worldwide?
The first ever estimate of commercial fishing gear lost in the world’s oceans has been published by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear or ‘ghost gear’,,, Until now there has not been a clear global picture of the quantity and type of fishing gear lost worldwide.,,Using data from 68 studies Currently, much of the data on gear loss is from the United States and Europe, highlighting the need for more information about gear losses in the African, Asian, South American and Oceania regions. >click to read< 16:27
We’ve surrounded the Earth with surveillance satellites, but who is that good for?
It is no longer just advanced militaries and rich corporations who can keep tabs on what people are up to half a world away. Watchdogs such as Global Forest Watch, Global Fishing Watch, and SkyTruth are combing through satellite photos and radar scans to alert authorities to illegal clear-cutting, rogue fishing, mountaintop removals, and other environmental misbehavior. Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have exploited Amazon cloud servers to assemble millions of amateur birdwatcher reports into exquisite animated maps that plot the changing abundance of 122 bird species throughout North America. Ranchers are stapling health-monitoring microchips to their livestock. Beekeepers are sticking wireless sensors into their hives. Farmers are planting high-tech electronics into the soil along with their crops. >click to read< 16:17
CSIRO head Larry Marshall defends climate research cuts as angry scientists protest
CSIRO head Larry Marshall has sought to defend deep cuts to climate science programs after days of sustained criticism, saying global warming research was “one piece of a much larger puzzle” in solving Australia’s biggest challenges. His defence came as dozens of scientists, including some whose jobs are under threat at CSIRO, rallied in Melbourne, warning the cuts would hurt Australia’s ability to address the climate change threat. Dr Marshall also claimed support for climate measurement, such as air pollution monitoring at the Cape Grim station in Tasmania and ocean research via the RV Investigator vessel, was not under threat. He said the Ocean and Atmosphere division of CSIRO would be reduced from 420 staff to 355. Read the rest here 10:43
