H ALIBUT HERALD

August 20, 2009

Living Root Bridges

In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren't built - they're grown.
The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree. This tree produces a series
of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or
even in the middle of the rivers themselves.
READ ON: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/living_root_bridges.html

FUTURE FISH FARMS: Giant Deep-Sea Pods, in Pictures

An Aquapod fish-farming cage floats at the Snapperfarm fish farm
Puerto Rico in an undated photo-illustration composite image.
Aquapods are composed of triangular panels covered with vinyl-
coated, galvanized steel netting and come in sizes from 8 to 28 meters
in diameter (26 to 92 feet in diameter).

MIT scientist Cliff Goudey has outfitted Aquapods with remote control
propeller systems (not pictured), foreshadowing a potential future
where fish cages roam clean, deep-sea waters of their own accord.

Aquaculture currently produces about half of the fish eaten worldwide,

but--with wild stocks waning and demand for fish increasing--seems
destined to play an even bigger future role.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warns that 70 percent of

all the worlds' fisheries are exploited (barely able to replenish
themselves at current catch rates), overexploited, or depleted.
READ ON:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/photogalleries/
future-fish-farms-pictures/photo2.html?source=link_fb0819
Success Stories: Wild
Atlantic Salmon!

Wow! Two great pieces of news

today about endangered Atlantic
salmon. Separate reports in the Read up on our own John Nightingale’s blog about their amazing journey
media this week confirm large to the Arctic (in his own words!) which is finishing up just this week:
numbers of wild Atlantic salmon http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/coldcall/default.aspx
unexpectedly returning to rivers on
both sides of the Atlantic (Paris &
NYC!) Giant whale sharks sighted Galapagos Face Ecological
READ ABOUT BOTH:
along the Gulf Coast Disaster Due to Tourism: Study
http://montereybayaquarium.typ
epad.com/sea_notes/2009/08/suc
cess-for-wild-salmon.html

Cutie Revealed!

This guy from last week was ID’d by

Adria (Marine Mammals) & The Jen’s
(Admissions) to be our lovely Imaq! Mosquitoes brought into the Galapagos on
That blubber! That smile! I should’ve tourist planes and boats threaten to wreak
What is 40 feet long, several tons heavy, "ecological disaster" in the islands, central to
known ☺
and can be seen along the US Gulf Darwin's theory of evolution, a study said
SOURCE:
Coast? Wednesday.
http://photography.nationalgeograp
READ ON:
hic.com/photography/enlarge/belug
http://www.baldwincountynow.com/art The insects can spread potentially lethal
a-whale-vancouver.html
icles/2009/08/19/local_news/doc4a8c1 diseases in the archipelago off Ecuador's Pacific
d507beec727293861.txt
Hurricane tracker Emicus coast, used by Charles Darwin as the basis of
braces for 3 Big Ones his seminal work "On the Origin of Species by
Means of Natural Selection".

"Few tourists realise the irony that their trip to

100 Percent of USA Galapagos may actually increase the risk of an
Fish Tested, Contain ecological disaster," said Simon Goodman of
Leeds University, one of the study's co-authors.
Mercury – Big Coal READ ON: http://bit.ly/1SZCIv
to Blame
A federal study released
Wednesday, found mercury in
A new social website that tracks and tweets every fish tested at nearly 300
hurricanes will be tested this week by 3 streams across the country.
different storms. READ ON:
READ ON: http://www.twilightearth.com/f
http://www.mnn.com/technology/comput ood/100-percent-of-fish-
ers/blogs/hurricane-tracker-emicus- tested-contain-mercury-big-
braces-for-3-big-ones# coal-to-blame/
Extreme Toilet Tech Can Flush Joule Biotech Sun-Powered Fuel - Biofuel vs Solar PV
Away Water Worries

The premise is that the technology can take solar energy and use it to convert
carbon dioxide directly into fuel. A one stop-shop to soak up carbon dioxide and
A running toilet can use more than 6,000 gallons of
produce a biofuel.
water in just one day. A running toilet that overflows
can cause costly water damage.
Having dug into it a little, the conclusion I came to is that it’s not as radical as it
The H2Orb retails for $127, but AquaOne
sounds. It is basically directed photosynthesis: same principle as oil from algae,
Technologies says it does the job.
or biofuels. The overall efficiencies are likely to be 10 times lower than that from
It’s backed by seven patents. You can hook it up in
solar PV processes, but, in terms of where biofuels are heading, it is on the right
about 10 minutes.
track.
READ ON:
READ ON: http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/17/joule-biotech-comes-out-of-
http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/17/extreme-
stealth-%E2%80%93-but-is-it-really-that-new/
toilet-tech-can-flush-away-water-worries/

StatsCan says: Eat your veggies BACK 2 SCHOOL! University Textbooks Ain't Cheap
- Why Not Go Digital This Year to Save $ AND Trees!

In 2004, Statistics Canada surveyed 35,107

people to determine food and nutrient intake. All The Benefits:
of the respondents were asked what and how • Policing your wallet. At an average of $900 per student per year,
much they ate and drank over a 24-hour period textbooks ain't cheap - these options can cut costs by up to 90%.
and a third were asked to recall their food intake • More trees to print Miranda Rights on. In 4 years of college,
for a second 24-hour period. students use about six trees' worth of paper for textbooks. Going for
used keep more trees standing.
Women consistently scored higher than men, READ ON & FIND E-TEXTBOOK SOURCES HERE:
people with higher levels of education scored http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/book-em-college-week
higher, immigrants scored higher than people
born in Canada, and 25 per cent of teenagers Today's Silver Lining: Sales
scored less than 50. of Bottled Water "Have
Nearly 17 per cent of the population scored below Fallen for the First Time in at
50, while fewer than one per cent scored more Least Five Years,"
than 80. READ ON:
READ ON: http://consumerist.com/5337459/consu
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/08/19/ mers-finally-growing-some-damned-
nutrition-statscan.html?ref=rss sense-not-buying-bottled-water
HEY VANCOUVER! 25 Meals Under $25 Cleaner Fish Wear "Uniforms" to Advertise,
Avoid Danger

Like police and nurses, cleaner fish on coral reefs wear uniforms to
signal their "professions"—a tactic that also helps the fish avoid being
eaten by their clients, a new study says.
READ ON:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-
cleaner-fish.html
We searched the city for all that’s new, delicious, eclectic,
and frugal—and unearthed some spectacular bargains…
READ ON: Free Movie Screening of Wall-E
http://www.vanmag.com/Restaurants/25_Meals_Under_
25?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_
campaign=2009W34

SCIENCE: Scripps Discovers Swimming

Sea Worms that Drop 'Green Bombs'

The stranger-than-fiction worms were found in waters between

5,900 feet and 12,140 feet deep, mainly off the California
coast. Measuring from 0.7 to 3.6 inches, the worms swim with
clusters of bristles that act like paddles.
To watch this free public outdoor screening of Wall-E, be at The
Tiny spheres clustered near the worms' front, the fluid-filled Meadow (the large grassy areas Northeast of South SFU Campus
green bombs glow intensely for several seconds when Road and Gaglardi Way) at sunset (8:30pm) on Thursday, August
released by the animals. 20th.
READ ON: READ ON & MAP TO EVENT:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/science/article_9e53d69b- http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/blogs/art-
4712-5d98-ba0d-6e595c5950e3.html darts#ixzz0Olh2wGOQ
EXCLUSIVE
OPPORTUNITY
for staff to visit the
Marine Mammal
Rescue Centre Open
House on
Wednesday, August
26th!

Join our sponsors,

donors and special
guests between 2
PM and 6 PM at the
Vancouver Aquarium
Marine Mammal
Rescue Centre Open
House for a chance
to witness, first
hand, efforts by
MMR staff and
volunteers to
rehabilitate rescued
harbor seals.

We ask that all staff

who would like to
join us observe the
following requests:
(1) Please RSVP
(select the
RSVP now
for this
event! link
below and
complete
your
registration)

• As this event falls within regular work hours, please ensure that you have your supervisor’s permission
to attend if you are scheduled to work
(2) Come dressed in ‘plain clothes’ (i.e. no uniforms), unless you are working or volunteering at the Centre that
day
• You will be required to dip your footwear in foot baths while on site, so please wear appropriate shoes
(i.e. close-toed shoes; rubber boots are recommended)
(3) Be aware that visitors to the MMR Centre cannot return to the Aquarium until the following day as the
MMR Centre is a quarantined site

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

RSVP ONLINE: https://netcommunity.vanaqua.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=204
Archival Photo

Aquarist Bill Duncan with Harbour Seal, 1964.

Library News
Library user needs survey

The Robin Best Library and Archives needs you!

The library and archives would love to have your feedback on our collection and services. The survey is active now and will run
st st
from July 31 – August 21

It should take approximately 10-15 minutes of your time

For your effort you will be rewarded with the knowledge that you helped to build a useful and relevant library collection…and
you’ll be placed in a draw for a $25 gift certificate from Amazon.

Go to the survey now

Thanks for your help building our collection!

Beat the heat!

Looking for a nice cool place to have a break from the sun? The library is a great place to go. We now have a third computer
station that you can use to browse the catalogue or do research or check your email. Library hours are 8:00-3:30 Monday –
Friday apart from the exception below.
st
Friday July 31 , closed at 2pm
th
Friday August 7 , closed

The library will be open on BC day.

For more library news, book reviews, access to our online catalogue and much more, visit us on the aquanet:
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/default.aspx

Get your up-to-the minutes news via RSS feed from the library’s What’s new pages. Currently, there are two What’s new pages
running a variety of interesting news feeds

What’s New – Animals and Nature – for news about birds, reptiles, marine mammals, and places such as the Arctic
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/WhatsNewAnimalsandNature.aspx

What’s New – Business and General – for news about business, finance, tourism, visitor experience and marketing
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/What%27sNewBGN.aspx

News on Environmental conservation and education will soon be available via the Conservation Current
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/ConservationCurrent/Pages/Default.aspx

Did you know that the Library has access to over 100 journals and magazines??
At least 80 of these are available full text online.
For a complete hyperlinked list, visit the library journals page on Aquanet:
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/Journals.aspx

As well, you can find new books and movies listed on this page of Aquanet:
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/LibraryCatalogue.aspx
From Earth to Ocean: Stories from Gwaii Haanas

Parks Canada has identified the waters around Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida
Heritage Site (Queen Charlotte Islands) as a potential national marine conservation area reserve.

To present the stories of Gwaii Haanas, Parks Canada has partnered with The Vancouver Aquarium to
offer a unique speaker series open to the public. Participation is free, though seats are limited. Each
engaging event allows audience members to explore a different aspect of the region and understand
the benefits of its protection. Starting in September, join us to find out more about:

Session 1: Exploring the Islands

Monday September 14

A virtual tour of Gwaii Haanas with stunning visual footage and presentations by the people who live, breathe and
respect this extraordinary B.C. region.

Session 2: Icons of the Pacific

Monday October 26

A look into the history and journey of whales throughout Gwaii Haanas and why protecting these habitats benefit us
all.

Session 3: Changing Seascapes

Monday November 16

Learn about ancient Haida villages, changing sea levels and how historical trade practices have all played a role in
shaping today’s Gwaii Haanas.

Session 4: Healthy oceans, healthy people

Monday December 7

Whether it’s dining out or reporting a whale sighting, your actions can make a difference to our oceans. Join us for this
special conclusion to find out what you can do to help

Each session takes place at The Vancouver Aquarium from 7 – 9 pm. Please enter at the ‘Administrative Entrance’.

To confirm your seat, email: lectureseries@vanaqua.org or call 604-659-3432. Please identify which session you
would like to attend. Seating is limited.
Classified
 NEXT BOOT CAMP SESSION STARTS JULY 21 2009
Are you looking to challenge yourself physically? Increase your strength and
endurance? Tone up for summer? If so…...join us for boot camp!

Program Description :
This boot camp is a fun, functional, innovative and interactive workout session. The
exercises will challenge one’s strength and endurance, improves general well-being while
burning lots of calories. The workout moves quickly going from one exercise to the next with
little or no rest. Open to anyone who is interested in achieving their desired health and fitness level.
Participants will be taught on how to progress the exercises to meet their fitness level.

Program Details :
Fee : $40 per month

Time : 4.30 – 5.30 pm OR 5.30 – 6.30 pm

Day : Tuesday & Thursday

Venue : Stanley Park

If you would like to join, contact Sabrina.Pinkerton@vanaqua.org, ext. 3558 or pekhar.tan@vanaqua.org, ext.
3587.

Equipment Required : Bring your own mat, dumb bells and resistance tube.
 http://www.cov
erealty.ca/listin
g_detail-
2995255.html

Events
http://eatsnaprepeat.ca/2009/05/31/chinatown-market/
 http://fishopolis.com

http://www.thebigwi
ld.org/summer-
friends-contest