It is often overlooked how important the health of the coral reefs is to the health of human beings. Scientists are 
predicting that as much as 90% of the reefs will be decimated by 2050 if preventive measures are not taken. Climate change, over fishing and disease are the major causes for the decreasing number. Coral reefs contain micro-organisms that are the important components for new medications used in the treatment of cancer, arthritis and bacterial infections. Coral reefs provide a water filtration system by trapping and consuming bacteria and decaying matter. In this way the reefs play a major role in providing healthy seafood consumed by billions around the world. How can we possibly change the health of these reefs? Scientists working in the Virgin Islands found that coral larvae were more likely to settle and begin the growth process on damaged reefs by playing sounds that resembled those made by a healthy reef. This was accomplished by placing underwater speakers that would broadcast replicating sounds of snaps, groans, grunts and scratches, the sounds made by a healthy reef. Most of the work is being done at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and results were published in The Royal Society Open Science Journal. Hope is that combining this technique with more resistant nursery raised corals will encourage both fish and coral larvae to inhabit these dying reefs.
Author: Lenny Variano
Serenading the Coral Reefs…
It is often overlooked how important the health of the coral reefs is to the health of human beings. Scientists are predicting that as much as 90% of the reefs will be decimated by 2050 if preventive measures are not taken. Climate change, overfishing and disease are the major causes for the decreasing number. Coral reefs contain micro-organisms that are the important components for new medications used in the treatment of cancer, arthritis and bacterial infections. Coral reefs provide a water filtration system by trapping and consuming bacteria and decaying matter. In this way the reefs play a major role in providing healthy seafood consumed by billions around the world. How can we possibly change the health of these reefs? Scientists working in the Virgin Islands found that coral larvae were more likely to settle and begin the growth process on damaged reefs by playing sounds that resembled those made by a healthy reef. This was accomplished by placing underwater speakers that would broadcast replicating sounds of snaps, groans, grunts and scratches, the sounds made by a healthy reef. Most of the work is being done at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and results were published in The Royal Society Open Science Journal. Hope is that combining this technique with more resistant nursery raised corals will encourage both fish and coral larvae to reinhabit these dying reefs.
Birds Wearing Snakeskin…
Close observation of over 140 birds’ nests reported the presence of snakeskin as part of the material used in construction of the nest. This is a practice used by some 78 different species. A new study in the American Naturalist questioned what the reason for this phenomenon is. Snakes shed their skins as they outgrow them in one piece as opposed to other reptiles that shed them in patches. These skins are difficult to locate in the wild which makes it even more intriguing on how these birds secure them. In studying the behavior of nesting birds, it was discovered that this practice of incorporating snakeskin into the nest was used primarily by birds along cliffs or in rock cavities. Snakeskin seems to deter small animals or any type of predator from invading a nest where they feel there is the presence of a snake. Other research in Australia is showing that some birds will even start to hiss as they perceive some type of danger may be approaching the nest.
https://www.audubon.org/news/some-birds-adorn-their-nests-snakeskin-scare-predators-new-study-finds
Maybe it’s not so bad being a “Snotnose”
The word “mucus” conjures up a repulsive feeling. Most people are only aware of it when they have a cold or cough. However, mucus plays an important part in fighting infection, swallowing, digesting, disarming harmful bacteria, and in shaping our gut
microbiome. Consisting of 95% water it lines every wet area of the body. Everything from your nose to your intestinal tract, to your lungs, to your urogenital tract etc. are coated with this important substance. The proteins and sugars that make up mucus allow it to stretch and form a thin mesh structure allowing it to protect large areas of the body. Mucus allows for us to smell and taste our food, keeps our eyes and throat from drying out, prevents the stomach lining from eroding due to acidic foods, and allows for sperm to swim and fertilize an egg. In binding with bacteria, viruses, and pollutants, mucus is responsible for reducing the rate of inflammation by ushering these pathogens out of the body. Scientists are doing research to understand how mucus works and why in some cases it is overproduced causing some distressing problems. By extracting and studying human mucus and then infecting these samples with bacteria, researchers may be able to reproduce mucus artificially. If so, they may be able to prevent the bacteria that causes strep throat and cholera as well as fighting the fungus that is responsible for yeast infections.
https://asm.org/articles/2024/february/why-mucus-phlegm-matter-health-disease
https://www.templehealth.org/about/blog/what-to-know-about-mucus