Biosphere Bulletin 2025: Whales and Bees and Bioplastics Oh My!

We're stepping into the time machine and going back 100 years to Nome Alaska. Clara and Emily discuss the serum run for life, sled dogs, and who really deserves some more recognition. Stay tuned for Right Whale Watch, and a brand new bit... dirty birds. Moon, Katherine L., et al. " Comparative genomics of Balto, a famous historic dog, captures lost diversity of 1920s sled dogs." Science 380.6643 (2023): eabn5887.Williams N. Canada apologizes to inuit communities for mass killing of sled sogs decades ago. Reuters. (2024). Aboul-Enein, et al. 2019. The 1925 Diphtheria Antitoxin Run to Nome - Alaska: A Public Health Illustration of Human-Animal Collaboration. J Med Humanit 40: 287–296 E. D. Stokes. 1996. “The Race for Life.” Public Health Reports (1974-), vol. 111, no. 3, pp. 272–75. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4598014. Sharma, N. C., et al. 2019. Diphtheria (primer). Nature Reviews: Disease Primers, 5: 1 //doi.org/10.1038/s41572-019-0131-yIssaac. D. Rawlings, 1925. Advice and information for parents and others regarding diphtheria prevention. State Dept. of Public Health.Preston Jones, 2007. Empire’s Edge: American Society in Nome, Alaska, 1898-1934. University of Alaska Press.Annick Opinel, et al. 2013. Commentary: The evolution of methods to assess the effects of treatments, illustrated by the development of treatments for diphtheria, 1825–1918, International Journal of Epidemiology, 42(3): 662–676, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyr162Welch, Curtis. 1925. "The diphtheria epidemic at Nome." Journal of the American Medical Association 84.17: 1290-1291.Salisbury Gay, Laney Salisbury. 2003. "The thin white line: in 1925 a deadly diphtheria epidemic swept through icebound Nome, Alaska. The only hope for survival--antitoxin—sat 674 frozen miles away. And there was only one way to get it to Nome in time: by dogsled." National Geographic Adventure 5.6: 78-88.Houdek, Jennifer. 2010. "The serum run of 1925". LitSite Alaska. University of Alaska Anchorage. Coppock, M. 2006. THE RACE TO SAVE NOME. American History, 41, 56-63,8. Jolley D, Douglas KM, 2014. The Effects of Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theories on Vaccination Intentions. PLoS ONE 9(2): e89177. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0089177Ross W. Jamieson. 2017. Local heroes: notes on the highway statues of Colta, Ecuador. International Journal of Heritage Studies 23:9, pages 800-815.Anderson, Rebecca J. 2014. "The Great Dogsled Relay." Pharmacologist: 30. Singleton, R., Holve, S., Groom, A., McMahon, B. J., Santosham, M., Brenneman, G., & O’Brien, K. L. 2009. Impact of immunizations on the disease burden of American Indian and Alaska native children. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 163(5), 446-453.

In this episode, Clara will discuss her experience at the Ninh Binh Bear Sanctuary in Vietnam, which she visited in December. This episode details the story of the Four Paws organization and two species that live in Vietnam. Join us today by listening to the stories of a few furry beasts and how they ended up at the sanctuary. Follow us on Instagram: @rightupyouralgaepodcastReferences for this episode: https://www.facebook.com/BEARSANCTUARY.NinhBinh/https://www.animalsasia.org/us/our-work/end-bear-bile-farming/what-is-bear-bile-farming/overview.htmlMetabolic derangements and reduced survival of bile-extracted Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) - PMC https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-2006-6https://www.four-paws.org/about-us/four-paws-about-usVietnam - Wikipediahttps://www.bearbiology.org/the-eight-bear-species/ursus-thibetanus-asiatic-black-bear/https://www.bearbiology.org/the-eight-bear-species/helarctos-malayanus-sun-bear/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/human-bear-zoo-china/

In this episode, Clara and Emily take a dive into the world of cuttlefish... but Clara spends the first five minutes thinking we're talking about pufferfish. Learn why these marine invertebrates are known as the chameleons of the sea and get a glimpse at their strange mating rituals in this week's episode!Adamo, S. A., & Hanlon, R. T. (1996). Do cuttlefish (Cephalopoda) signal their intentions to conspecifics during agonistic encounters?. Animal Behaviour, 52(1), 73-81.Allen, J. J., Akkaynak, D., Schnell, A. K., & Hanlon, R. T. (2017). Dramatic fighting by male cuttlefish for a female mate. The American Naturalist, 190(1), 144-151.Guo, H., Zhang, D., Wang, L., Li, W., He, P., Näslund, J., & Zhang, X. (2021). Sperm competition in golden cuttlefish Sepia esculenta: The impact of mating order and male size. Aquaculture, 530, 735929.Hall, .K., Hanlon, .R. Principal features of the mating system of a large spawning aggregation of the giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). Marine Biology 140, 533–545 (2002). Hanlon, R. T., Ament, S. A., & Gabr, H. (1999). Behavioral aspects of sperm competition in cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Sepioidea: Cephalopoda). Marine Biology, 134, 719-728.Hanlon, R., Naud, MJ., Shaw, P. et al. Transient sexual mimicry leads to fertilization. Nature 433, 212 (2005). Hanlon, R. (2007). Cephalopod dynamic camouflage. Current biology, 17(11), R400-R404.Liu, L., Zhang, Y., Hu, X., Lü, Z., Liu, B., Jiang, L. H., & Gong, L. (2019). Multiple paternity assessed in the cuttlefish Sepiella japonica (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) using microsatellite markers. ZooKeys, 880, 33.Mather J. A., & Dickel L., (2017). Cephalopod complex cognition, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Vol 16, Pages 131-137, ISSN 2352-1546, Maradonna, F., Pessina, A., Ashouri, G., Notti, E., Chemello, G., Russo, G., ... & Carnevali, O. (2024). First Feeding of Cuttlefish Hatchlings: Pioneering Attempts in Captive Breeding. Animals, 14(13), 1993.Naud M, Hanlon RT, Hall KC, Shaw PW, Havenhand JN (2004) Behavioural and genetic assessment of reproductive success in a spawning aggregation of the Australian giant cuttlefish, Sepia apama. Anim Behav 67:1043–1050Norman, M. D., Finn, J., & Tregenza, T. (1999). Female impersonation as an alternative reproductive strategy in giant cuttlefish. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266(1426), 1347-1349.Schnell, A. K., Smith, C. L., Hanlon, R. T., & Harcourt, R. T. (2015). Female receptivity, mating history, and familiarity influence the mating behavior of cuttlefish. Behavioral ecology and sociobiology, 69, 283-292.Wada, T., Takegaki, T., Mori, T., & Natsukari, Y. (2005). Sperm displacement behavior of the cuttlefish Sepia esculenta (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae). Journal of ethology, 23, 85-92.Wada, T., Takegaki T., Mori T., & Natsukari Y. (2010) Sperm removal, ejaculation and their behavioural interaction in male cuttlefish in response to female mating history, Animal Behaviour, Vol 79, Issue 3, Pages 613-619, ISSN 0003-3472, Cephalopod Camouflage: Cells and Organs of the skinhttps://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/cephalopod-camouflage-cells-and-organs-of-the-144048968/#:~:text=Chromatophores%20are%20organs%20that%20are,within%20a%20chromatophore%20nerve%20(Fig.:

The boys are back in town. Clara and Emily are starting off the new year right with a bio-bulletin fresh off of the presses. We're talking new species, bad news for bees, a bioplastic revolutionizing invasive species maintenance, and so much more.Bumblebees winter nesting due to climate: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg17mwnx73oThrow it, burn it, let it heat your home: Greenland’s garbage gets new life: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/throw-it-burn-it-let-it-heat-your-home-greenlands-garbage-gets-new-life/Water hyacinth: This alien plant is lethal for the environment. Now it’s being turned into a plastic to regrow forests: https://edition.cnn.com/world/africa/hyacinth-alien-plant-environment-plastic-spc/index.htmlPeru assessment: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/20/blob-headed-fish-and-amphibious-mouse-among-27-new-species-found-in-thrilling-peru-expeditionRapid Biological Assessment- Conservation International: https://d2iwpl8k086uu2.cloudfront.net/docs/default-source/s3-library/publication-pdfs/ci-alto-mayo-rap-73-report.pdf?sfvrsn=6c30683d_3North Atlantic Right Whale Updates: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/north-atlantic-right-whale-updatesScience breakthrough of the year: https://www.science.org/content/article/scienceadviser-all-breakthroughs-2024-what-topped-science-s-list

It has been 365 days of Right Up Your Algae! 22 episodes later Clara and Emily are back and ready for a new year of sharing with you, stories and research about our natural world. The gals are taking it back to their roots and talking algae... kelp to be more specific. 1. Alexander-Michael A., et al. (2020). "The response of the northwest Atlantic Ocean to climate change." Journal of Climate 33.2: 405-428.2. Debernard, J., Sætra, Ø., & Røed, L. P. (2002). Future wind, wave and storm surge climate in the northern North Atlantic. Climate research, 23(1), 39-49.3. Fredriksen, S., Filbee-Dexter, K., Norderhaug, K.M. et al. (2020). Green gravel: a novel restoration tool to combat kelp forest decline. Sci Rep 10, 3983. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60553-x4. Hatcher, B. G., Chapman, A. O., & Mann, K. H. (1977). An annual carbon budget for the kelp Laminaria longicruris. Marine Biology, 44, 85-96.5. Johnson, C. R., & Mann, K. H. (1988). Diversity, patterns of adaptation, and stability of Nova Scotian kelp beds. Ecological Monographs, 58(2), 129-154.6. Donovan Moira. (2023). Why scientists are looking to landscaping gravel to help restore Nova Scotia's kelp, CBC.7. Khan, Amina H., et al. (2018). "The effect of global climate change on the future distribution of economically important macroalgae (seaweeds) in the northwest Atlantic." Facets 3.1: 275-286.8. Krause-Jensen, D., & Duarte, C. M. (2016). Substantial role of macroalgae in marine carbon sequestration. Nature Geoscience, 9(10), 737-742.9. Merzouk, A., & Johnson, L. E. (2011). Kelp distribution in the northwest Atlantic Ocean under a changing climate. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 400(1-2), 90-98.10. Wilson, K. L., Skinner, M. A., & Lotze, H. K. (2019). Projected 21st‐century distribution of canopy‐forming seaweeds in the Northwest Atlantic with climate change. Diversity and Distributions, 25(4), 582-602.11. Wright, L. S., Pessarrodona, A., & Foggo, A. (2022). Climate‐driven shifts in kelp forest composition reduce carbon sequestration potential. Global Change Biology, 28(18), 5514-5531.

In today's episode, Clara discusses the peculiar observations of blue frogs in Nova Scotia. This episode will also look at the mutations in green frogs that make them appear blue. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sources: Rare 'blue' frog spotted in Nova Scotia | CTV NewsC. Kenneth Dodd Jr. (2023). Frogs of the United States and Canada. Johns Hopkins University Press.Frog Species in Canada | The Canadian EncyclopediaWhat Kingdom Do Frogs Belong To? (Frog Taxonomy Guide) (toadsnfrogs.com)Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) - PMC (nih.gov)Beyond beauty, colour serves important functions for frogs and toads around the world | Research Communities by Springer Nature2285-Article Text-10311-1-10-20200226 (1).pdfIt’s not easy being green, but rare blue frog finds fame in Chance Harbour | CBC.ca'I thought it was a piece of plastic': Rare blue frog spotted by hiker near Oxford (cbc.ca)

In this episode, Emily discusses the somber topic of infant formula advertisements that have led to tragedy within developing nations. This episode sheds light on Nestle's role in these advertisements and how they have led to the death of children worldwide. Please note this episode discusses the death of children and may not be suitable for everyone. email:[email protected]: @rightupyouralgaepodcastSources: 25: The Formula - Swindled (swindledpodcast.com)Sugar: for Nestlé, not all babies are equal | Public EyeThe Baby Killer Nestle : Mike Muller : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveBarriers to Breastfeeding in the United States - The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)Breastfeeding (who.int)Beyond the infant formula business there is resistance | AIMS

In this episode we will look at different ways that animals cool off in the hot weather.Insta: @rightupyouralgaeEmail: [email protected]:https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-keep-cats-cool-in-summer/https://vetericyn.com/blog/horse-sweat/#:~:text=Horses%20have%20different%20sweat%20glands,sweat%20mostly%20through%20eccrine%20glands.&text=Apocrine%20glands%20produce%20sweat%20that,more%20protein%20and%20fewer%20electrolytes.https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g2355/2023/html/view#:~:text=When%20sheep%20and%20goats%20overheat,the%20ears%20and%20lower%20legshttps://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/animal-handling-during-heat-stress/#Introductionhttps://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.acadiau.ca:9443/science/article/pii/S0047248418301519?via%3Dihubhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6773238/ https://www.livescience.com/59254-facts-about-sweating.html..... Contact email for the rest of episode sources

What's in a name? maybe more than you think. This episode gives a look into the ecology and history of the Jijuktu'kwejk River in Nova Scotia as well as how you can help! Learn what Emily has been up to this summer with the non-profit the Jijuktu'kwejk Watershed Alliance in the newest episode of Right up your Algae.Governor Edward Cornwallis: http://www.danielnpaul.com/GovernorEdwardCornwallis.htmlMi'kmaq Chief wants Cornwallis River Renamed: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mi-kmaq-chief-wants-cornwallis-river-renamed-1.1063182COSEWIC Wood Turtle: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/cosewic-assessments-status-reports/wood-turtle-2018.htmlCOSEWIC Bank Swallow: https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr_hirondelle_rivage_bank_swallow_1213_e.pdfHands off those wild leeks: http://www.macleans.ca/culture/hand-off-those-wild-leeks/Wild Leeks and the Ethics of Foraging: https://northcountryfare.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/wild-leeks-and-the-ethics-of-foraging/

Today's episode will examine dandelions' uses in medicine, cuisine, and environmental remediation. Instagram: @rightupyouralgaepodcastEmail: [email protected]: Differences Between Protista & Monera | Sciencingdoi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.022; 10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.004; 10.3390/nu15010080; 10.1007/s11101-019-09622-2; 10.1016/S0367-326X(03)00122-9; 10.1111/j.1442-1984.2004.00104.x; 10.1016/j.chmed.2018.08.003; 10.32113/wcrj_20209_1679; 10.1016/j.jff.2019.05.012; 10.1016/j.jep.2015.03.067; 10.1017/S0890037X00032735; 10.1186/1746-4269-8-6; :10.1021/acs.est.8b04191; 10.1016/j.jff.2016.11.032; 10.1016/j.jep.2006.07.021; 10.1002/ptr.6157; 10.4141/P01-010; 10.1080/15428052.2022.2163733; 10.3390/plants12173087; 10.1900/RDS.2016.13.113Dandelion Plants as a Biomonitor of Urban Area Contamination by Heavy Metal.An ethnobotanical survey of the Gollak region, KosovoEthnopharmacognostic survey on the natural ingredients used in folk cosmetics, cosmeceuticals and remedies for healing skin diseases in the inland Marches, Central-Eastern, Italy.The origin of Taraxacum agamospecies. Genetic variation across VNTR loci in central North American Taraxacum surveyed at different spatial scalesEthnobotanical survey of traditionally used plants in human therapy of east, north and northeast Bosnia and HerzegovinaEthnobotanical notes on some medicinal and aromatic plants of Himachal PradeshFlavonoids, cinnamic acids and coumarins from the different tissues and medicinal preparations of Taraxacum officinale.