Clean Up Australia Day 2019
Local Clean Ups - By Postcode
Waterbirds Of The Northern Beaches Talk
Saturday, 9 March 2019 - 2:00pm to 4:00pmA presentation by Russell Beardmore, local bird expert, of the waterbirds to be found in the Northern Beaches followed by afternoon tea.
Pricing: FREE - no bookings requiredLocationStony Range Regional Botanic Garden810 Pittwater RdDee Why NSW
Saturday, 9 March 2019 - 2:00pm to 4:00pm
A presentation by Russell Beardmore, local bird expert, of the waterbirds to be found in the Northern Beaches followed by afternoon tea.
Pricing: FREE - no bookings required
Location
Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden
810 Pittwater Rd
Dee Why NSW
A Survey On Ticks And Wildlife In The Northern Beaches
Avalon Boomerang Bags 2019
NSW Marine Estate Update
Polar Law Symposium Call For Presentations
Indigenous Knowledge Key To A Successful Ecosystem Restoration
Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition 2019
PITTWATER YHA OFFERS FREE BEDS FOR GREEN HEARTS
This May, Pittwater YHA opens its doors to green-hearted and green-thumbed guests who'll save the gorgeous Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park from imminent asparagus fern invasion. Yes, seriously.
WHAT IS IT?Bush Regeneration sees eco-conscious, kind hearted humans restore and rehabilitate the gorgeous, sprawling Aussie bush from its weed-infested, degraded state into a healthy, thriving plant community, which will prosper and delight forevermore. Far from just weed removal; Regenerators focus on habitat, drainage, weed sources and establishing native communities. These are big words which probably don’t make much sense – but we have an interactive learning opportunity for you!
WHERE IS IT?Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Sydney’s protected north coast, is home to rock engravings, red ochre rock paintings, the fuzziest wildlife you ever did see and the most breathtaking views a Sydneysider or visitor could comprehend; and is currently under threat from invasive asparagus fern; which needs removing. Who knew your Aunty’s fave veggie could be so aggressive?
ALRIGHT - SIGN ME UP!The blissed-out, babbling-brooked, spectacular-viewed, fresh-aired oasis that is our Pittwater YHA, alongside the Northern Beaches Council, are offering you fine green-thumbed and hearted folk the opportunity to volunteer alongside professional Regenerators for a weekend of Pittwater Restoration from May 3 - 5, 2019. Spend two mornings of tending to the gorgeous surrounds and you’ll be rewarded with two nights’ accommodation, two days of meals (morning teas, BBQ lunches and evening dinners) and kayak use throughout your stay. Plus, you’ll be chuffed with yourself for doing your bit for the planet and our futures.
Along with your towels, two sheets, a pillowcase and, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and your breakfasts; you’ll need a $20 contribution for the weekend. For all the T&Cs; head to Pittwater YHA, shoot them an email (Subject: 'Bush Regeneration Weekend') or give them a ring on (02 9999-5748) – the only thing those guys love more than a regenerated bushland is chatting to ladies and gentleman who are keen on the idea!
This May, Pittwater YHA opens its doors to green-hearted and green-thumbed guests who'll save the gorgeous Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park from imminent asparagus fern invasion. Yes, seriously.
WHAT IS IT?
Bush Regeneration sees eco-conscious, kind hearted humans restore and rehabilitate the gorgeous, sprawling Aussie bush from its weed-infested, degraded state into a healthy, thriving plant community, which will prosper and delight forevermore. Far from just weed removal; Regenerators focus on habitat, drainage, weed sources and establishing native communities. These are big words which probably don’t make much sense – but we have an interactive learning opportunity for you!
WHERE IS IT?
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Sydney’s protected north coast, is home to rock engravings, red ochre rock paintings, the fuzziest wildlife you ever did see and the most breathtaking views a Sydneysider or visitor could comprehend; and is currently under threat from invasive asparagus fern; which needs removing. Who knew your Aunty’s fave veggie could be so aggressive?
ALRIGHT - SIGN ME UP!
The blissed-out, babbling-brooked, spectacular-viewed, fresh-aired oasis that is our Pittwater YHA, alongside the Northern Beaches Council, are offering you fine green-thumbed and hearted folk the opportunity to volunteer alongside professional Regenerators for a weekend of Pittwater Restoration from May 3 - 5, 2019. Spend two mornings of tending to the gorgeous surrounds and you’ll be rewarded with two nights’ accommodation, two days of meals (morning teas, BBQ lunches and evening dinners) and kayak use throughout your stay. Plus, you’ll be chuffed with yourself for doing your bit for the planet and our futures.
Along with your towels, two sheets, a pillowcase and, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and your breakfasts; you’ll need a $20 contribution for the weekend. For all the T&Cs; head to Pittwater YHA, shoot them an email (Subject: 'Bush Regeneration Weekend') or give them a ring on (02 9999-5748) – the only thing those guys love more than a regenerated bushland is chatting to ladies and gentleman who are keen on the idea!
Antarctic Researcher's Rare View Of An Ice Shelf Calving
February 2019Antarctic researchers from the University of Tasmania this month enjoyed a front row seat as a segment of the Sørsdal Glacier ice shelf - six kilometres long and up to a kilometre wide - broke off into the Southern Ocean.
Known as calving, the event was monitored by researchers from the Australian Research Council funded Antarctic Gateway Partnership (AGP), who were in the East Antarctic area for test deployments of the University’s world-leading polar Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), built by International Submarine Engineering and named nupiri muka.
nupiri muka had explored underneath the ice shelf before the calving, which was a first for Australian Antarctic research.
AGP marine glaciologist Dr David Gwyther, who witnessed the event, said the observation of the calving was significant for research into the impact of Antarctic ice mass loss on sea-level rise.
Image: the widening crack on the southern edge of the glacier as it calves. Credit: David Gwyther
“This event was unique because we were able to use the AUV to map the under-ice environment before the calving event,” Dr Gwyther said.
“We were also able to extensively document the ice shelf region pre- and post-calving with both aerial and on-water photography, and to correlate the images with satellite imagery.
“While this particular event was not large compared to other recent ice shelf calving in West Antarctica, the detailed observations we’ve collected on this calving event will help us to better understand future changes to ice shelves.“Ice shelf calving itself is a natural phenomenon, however the frequency of these events is predicted to increase with climate change.
“As such, this event will provide an invaluable baseline against which we can assess future changes,” Dr Gwyther said.
Back in Hobart, IMAS PhD student Eleri Evans had been using satellite images to monitor a trough at the tip of the Sørsdal Glacier ice shelf since December last year as it appeared a likely site for a calving event.
Landsat satellite image, shows a crack parallel with the left edge of the ice shelf prior to calving. Credit: Eleri Evans
“The data from the photographic images taken at the site will be critical to improving our understanding of how the Sørsdal Glacier produces icebergs,” Ms Evans said.
“It’s uncommon for this level of observation to be made of an Antarctic calving event.
“In Greenland, videos of calving are commonplace because the mechanisms are different and icebergs may break off multiple times a day from the outlet glaciers there.
“But in Antarctica different mechanisms are involved, reducing the production of the larger tabular-style icebergs, and the remoteness of these ice shelves means there are very few cases where this level of observation has been possible.
“It was just perfect timing that the researchers were there to capture the lead up to the calving event as well as its aftermath,” Ms Evans said.
Image: flat topped icebergs created by the calving. Credit: David Gwyther.
Associate Professor Guy Williams from the Australian Maritime College’s Autonomous Maritime Systems Laboratory said the AUV had been deployed to the Sørsdal Glacier to develop its under-ice capability for future scientific missions to larger, globally significant ice shelves.
“The ease of access of the Sørsdal from the Australian Antarctic Division’s Davis research station provided a valuable test bed for nupiri muka’s first polar missions, in particular its first time beneath an ice shelf.
“nupiri muka collects a range of data that allows scientists to map the seafloor and under-ice topography while at the same time recording water temperature, salinity and currents, exploring the oceanography driving ice sheet change.
“This campaign has successfully demonstrated the unique capabilities that nupiri muka provides and provided an important proving ground for the methodologies that will drive many years of future scientific AUV exploration,” Associate Professor Williams said.
The AUV team at Davis research station.
February 2019
Antarctic researchers from the University of Tasmania this month enjoyed a front row seat as a segment of the Sørsdal Glacier ice shelf - six kilometres long and up to a kilometre wide - broke off into the Southern Ocean.
Known as calving, the event was monitored by researchers from the Australian Research Council funded Antarctic Gateway Partnership (AGP), who were in the East Antarctic area for test deployments of the University’s world-leading polar Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), built by International Submarine Engineering and named nupiri muka.
nupiri muka had explored underneath the ice shelf before the calving, which was a first for Australian Antarctic research.
AGP marine glaciologist Dr David Gwyther, who witnessed the event, said the observation of the calving was significant for research into the impact of Antarctic ice mass loss on sea-level rise.
Image: the widening crack on the southern edge of the glacier as it calves. Credit: David Gwyther
“This event was unique because we were able to use the AUV to map the under-ice environment before the calving event,” Dr Gwyther said.
“We were also able to extensively document the ice shelf region pre- and post-calving with both aerial and on-water photography, and to correlate the images with satellite imagery.
“While this particular event was not large compared to other recent ice shelf calving in West Antarctica, the detailed observations we’ve collected on this calving event will help us to better understand future changes to ice shelves.
“Ice shelf calving itself is a natural phenomenon, however the frequency of these events is predicted to increase with climate change.
“As such, this event will provide an invaluable baseline against which we can assess future changes,” Dr Gwyther said.
Back in Hobart, IMAS PhD student Eleri Evans had been using satellite images to monitor a trough at the tip of the Sørsdal Glacier ice shelf since December last year as it appeared a likely site for a calving event.
Landsat satellite image, shows a crack parallel with the left edge of the ice shelf prior to calving. Credit: Eleri Evans
“The data from the photographic images taken at the site will be critical to improving our understanding of how the Sørsdal Glacier produces icebergs,” Ms Evans said.
“It’s uncommon for this level of observation to be made of an Antarctic calving event.
“In Greenland, videos of calving are commonplace because the mechanisms are different and icebergs may break off multiple times a day from the outlet glaciers there.
“But in Antarctica different mechanisms are involved, reducing the production of the larger tabular-style icebergs, and the remoteness of these ice shelves means there are very few cases where this level of observation has been possible.
“It was just perfect timing that the researchers were there to capture the lead up to the calving event as well as its aftermath,” Ms Evans said.
Image: flat topped icebergs created by the calving. Credit: David Gwyther.
Associate Professor Guy Williams from the Australian Maritime College’s Autonomous Maritime Systems Laboratory said the AUV had been deployed to the Sørsdal Glacier to develop its under-ice capability for future scientific missions to larger, globally significant ice shelves.
“The ease of access of the Sørsdal from the Australian Antarctic Division’s Davis research station provided a valuable test bed for nupiri muka’s first polar missions, in particular its first time beneath an ice shelf.
“nupiri muka collects a range of data that allows scientists to map the seafloor and under-ice topography while at the same time recording water temperature, salinity and currents, exploring the oceanography driving ice sheet change.
“This campaign has successfully demonstrated the unique capabilities that nupiri muka provides and provided an important proving ground for the methodologies that will drive many years of future scientific AUV exploration,” Associate Professor Williams said.
The AUV team at Davis research station.
New Clue In Jade Iceberg Mystery
February 27, 2918: Australian Antarctic DivisionAntarctic researchers have a new hypothesis that could solve the century-old mystery of why some icebergs are green.
Icebergs are normally white or blue, but sailors and explorers to Antarctica since the early 1900s have reported sightings of lustrous jade and emerald green icebergs in parts of the Southern Ocean.
Tests on ice samples collected from underneath the Amery Ice Shelf suggest that iron oxides in seawater are the likely the explanation for these rare, frozen curiosities.
The research, led by Professor Steve Warren from the University of Washington, has been published in the journal JGR Oceans, and includes Australian Antarctic Division Glaciologist, Dr Mark Curran, as a co-author.
Dr Curran said the study suggests that the unique colour of the icebergs is the result of yellow-tinted iron oxide in seawater combining with the crystalline blue of the ice, to produce the distinctive jade green.
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A striped jade iceberg sculpted by wind and wave action. (Photo: Steve Nicol)
“I first saw one of these intriguing icebergs from the deck of the Aurora Australis in Prydz Bay in 1992, and no one could tell me what caused the colour,” Dr Curran said.
“It's a question that has intrigued many seagoing Antarctic scientists and explorers over the years, and so it was a real honour to play a part in this fascinating piece of research.”
The most commonly sighted Antarctic icebergs are made from glacial ice, which is fresh water from the snow that falls on the Antarctic plateau and becomes compacted over thousands of years.
Jade icebergs are formed under very different conditions, when mineral-rich seawater freezes to the underside of an ice shelf in layers, then eventually breaks off and floats away.
These jade bergs contain layers of the pure blue-white ice from the glacier and greener ice below, formed from frozen seawater. Some icebergs of blue glacial ice contain green stripes of marine ice, formed by seawater freezing up into basal crevasses.
A number of theories have previously been put forward about why frozen seawater turns such a remarkable shade of green, including the presence of dead phytoplankton or dissolved organic carbon. The researchers found that these materials were not present in large enough amounts to explain the colour.
The scientists also believe that these mineral-rich ice blocks could play a role in promoting biological activity in the Southern Ocean, by transporting nutrients to areas where iron is in short supply.
Iron is an essential trace nutrient for the growth of marine phytoplankton, which are the tiny plants at the base of the Antarctic food web.
The research is based on iron measurements published in 2016 by Laura Herraiz-Borreguero of CSIRO, Professor Delphine Lannuzel of the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, and their colleagues.
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A grounded jade iceberg surrounded by sea ice (Photo: Doug McVeigh)
More information
February 27, 2918: Australian Antarctic Division
Antarctic researchers have a new hypothesis that could solve the century-old mystery of why some icebergs are green.
Icebergs are normally white or blue, but sailors and explorers to Antarctica since the early 1900s have reported sightings of lustrous jade and emerald green icebergs in parts of the Southern Ocean.
Tests on ice samples collected from underneath the Amery Ice Shelf suggest that iron oxides in seawater are the likely the explanation for these rare, frozen curiosities.
The research, led by Professor Steve Warren from the University of Washington, has been published in the journal JGR Oceans, and includes Australian Antarctic Division Glaciologist, Dr Mark Curran, as a co-author.
Dr Curran said the study suggests that the unique colour of the icebergs is the result of yellow-tinted iron oxide in seawater combining with the crystalline blue of the ice, to produce the distinctive jade green.
A striped jade iceberg sculpted by wind and wave action. (Photo: Steve Nicol)
“I first saw one of these intriguing icebergs from the deck of the Aurora Australis in Prydz Bay in 1992, and no one could tell me what caused the colour,” Dr Curran said.
“It's a question that has intrigued many seagoing Antarctic scientists and explorers over the years, and so it was a real honour to play a part in this fascinating piece of research.”
The most commonly sighted Antarctic icebergs are made from glacial ice, which is fresh water from the snow that falls on the Antarctic plateau and becomes compacted over thousands of years.
Jade icebergs are formed under very different conditions, when mineral-rich seawater freezes to the underside of an ice shelf in layers, then eventually breaks off and floats away.
These jade bergs contain layers of the pure blue-white ice from the glacier and greener ice below, formed from frozen seawater. Some icebergs of blue glacial ice contain green stripes of marine ice, formed by seawater freezing up into basal crevasses.
A number of theories have previously been put forward about why frozen seawater turns such a remarkable shade of green, including the presence of dead phytoplankton or dissolved organic carbon. The researchers found that these materials were not present in large enough amounts to explain the colour.
The scientists also believe that these mineral-rich ice blocks could play a role in promoting biological activity in the Southern Ocean, by transporting nutrients to areas where iron is in short supply.
Iron is an essential trace nutrient for the growth of marine phytoplankton, which are the tiny plants at the base of the Antarctic food web.
The research is based on iron measurements published in 2016 by Laura Herraiz-Borreguero of CSIRO, Professor Delphine Lannuzel of the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, and their colleagues.
A grounded jade iceberg surrounded by sea ice (Photo: Doug McVeigh)
More information
Climate Link Between Krill And Whale Populations Uncovered
February 27, 2019: CSIROThe abundance of krill could influence future whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere such as Blue, Southern Right and Fin whales, according to new research from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the University of Queensland.
The impact of whaling from last century pushed many whale species almost to extinction, with some species still below their pre-whaling numbers.
The findings highlight the importance of krill populations to assist recovery of whale populations.
Scientist Dr Viv Tulloch, who led the study, said this was the first time scientists had been able to link climate change to the future abundance of krill and how this could influence whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere.
"Krill is the main food source for whales, so we linked possible changes to krill levels in our southern oceans based on high carbon emissions predictions to whale populations in these areas," Dr Tulloch said.
"We found that the impacts on whale species could differ, depending on the region and where they feed.
"Whale populations in the Pacific Ocean, particularly Blue, Southern Right and Fin whales, could have less krill to feed on than those found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans."
CSIRO's Model of Intermediate Complexity for Ecosystem Assessment, known as MICE, was used to predict these future scenarios using data on ocean temperature, primary productivity and sea-ice.
CSIRO senior scientist and co-author of the paper Dr Éva Plagányi said the research highlighted how a changing marine environment such as increases in ocean temperatures could affect krill, and its importance for ongoing whale recovery.
"Our modelling took into consideration the slow population growth rates of whales, the connection between life history and water temperatures, and dependency on prey to highlight the need for ongoing protection of already depleted whale populations," Dr Plagányi said
View the Global Change Biology paper, Future recovery of baleen whales is imperilled by climate change.
This paper builds on a previous paper, Ecosystem modelling to quantify the impact of historical whaling on Southern Hemisphere baleen whales, published in Fish and Fisheries, to provide more information on Southern Hemisphere whale recovery.
For the first time, scientists have linked climate change to krill levels and how this will affect whale populations across the Southern Hemisphere, including humpbacks, blue and minke whales. © Humberto Braojos
February 27, 2019: CSIRO
The abundance of krill could influence future whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere such as Blue, Southern Right and Fin whales, according to new research from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the University of Queensland.
The impact of whaling from last century pushed many whale species almost to extinction, with some species still below their pre-whaling numbers.
The findings highlight the importance of krill populations to assist recovery of whale populations.
Scientist Dr Viv Tulloch, who led the study, said this was the first time scientists had been able to link climate change to the future abundance of krill and how this could influence whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere.
"Krill is the main food source for whales, so we linked possible changes to krill levels in our southern oceans based on high carbon emissions predictions to whale populations in these areas," Dr Tulloch said.
"We found that the impacts on whale species could differ, depending on the region and where they feed.
"Whale populations in the Pacific Ocean, particularly Blue, Southern Right and Fin whales, could have less krill to feed on than those found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans."
CSIRO's Model of Intermediate Complexity for Ecosystem Assessment, known as MICE, was used to predict these future scenarios using data on ocean temperature, primary productivity and sea-ice.
CSIRO senior scientist and co-author of the paper Dr Éva Plagányi said the research highlighted how a changing marine environment such as increases in ocean temperatures could affect krill, and its importance for ongoing whale recovery.
"Our modelling took into consideration the slow population growth rates of whales, the connection between life history and water temperatures, and dependency on prey to highlight the need for ongoing protection of already depleted whale populations," Dr Plagányi said
View the Global Change Biology paper, Future recovery of baleen whales is imperilled by climate change.
This paper builds on a previous paper, Ecosystem modelling to quantify the impact of historical whaling on Southern Hemisphere baleen whales, published in Fish and Fisheries, to provide more information on Southern Hemisphere whale recovery.
For the first time, scientists have linked climate change to krill levels and how this will affect whale populations across the Southern Hemisphere, including humpbacks, blue and minke whales. © Humberto Braojos
Archie's Pittwater Clean Up
My name is Archie Mandin
I am a Seabin Ambassador, I started this campaign because I want to take a stand against ocean plastics!
My goal is to raise enough money to bring a minimum of 20 Seabins to Pittwater NSW as I want to give The Northern Beaches the opportunity to reduce its plastic pollution impact on the ocean. Its amazing how much accidental rubbish comes down our creeks and into our waterways
I need your help to raise money to buy the Seabins a revolutionary ocean cleaning technology which is essentially a floating rubbish bin that operates 24/7 catching all floating debris in the water.
The Seabin helps clean the ocean of floating debris which in turn creates cleaner oceans and we all benefit from this in one way or another. I mean, who really wants to swim in pollution? Not me that’s for sure!
Did you know that 300 million tons of plastic are produced in the world every year, half of which is for single use products, from this more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. We need to do something about it and now with the purchase of a Seabin we can all participate and make a difference!
Join me and my campaign to help ensure cleaner oceans!
What’s a Seabin? The Seabin is a floating rubbish bin that is located in the water at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports.
The Seabin can catch an average of 3.9kgs of floating debris per day which adds up to 1.4 tons per year. (depending on weather conditions and debris volumes) The Seabins is catching large plastic bags, bottles, plastic straws, coffee cups, food wrappers, surface oils and micro plastics down to 2 mm small.
How can a Seabin contribute to cleaner oceans?The Seabin contributes to cleaner oceans by removing 1.4 tons of floating debris per unit per year. The location of the Seabin in marinas is ideal and where it matters most, close to the source of entry for floating debris. Ports and Marinas are perfect locations to stop floating debris from entering the open ocean and ocean plastics are also brought in by wind and currents.
Are the Seabins a danger to marine life?The fish According to the team at Seabin, stay away from the surface of the water where the Seabin sucks in the water. They are deterred by the force of the water current. If there are swarms of jellyfish or bait fish it is recommended that the Seabins are turned off until the swarms pass. If a fish was to accidentally go into the Seabin, it would be caught in the Seabin and stay submerged in water until the marina staff retrieve the filter and throw the fish still alive back into the water.
How does it work? Water is sucked in from the surface and passes through a catch bag inside the Seabin, with a submersible water pump capable of displacing 25.000 LPH (liters per hour). The water is then pumped back into the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly.
Who is responsible for the Seabin?This is the best part of it all, the marina will be the one responsible for the upkeep of the Seabins and also they will be paying for the energy consumption of the Seabin which is around $2 - $3 a day.
The marina enjoys a cleaner marina and the rest of us and the marine life enjoy cleaner oceans with less floating debris polluting our oceans!
Seabins part of a whole solutionSeabins whole solution is Technology, Education, Science, Research and Community. The reason for this is that Technology alone is not the solution to stopping ocean plastics, education is the real solution.
Great! Can our local community be involved also?Yes! The team at Seabin have interactive programs and lessons designed for schools, community and youth to interact with the Seabins and have over 2000 school students engaged around the world, this is something that we can do locally also with support from the team at Seabin Project.
What will we be doing if we participate in these programs?You would be joining an international community contributing important data and feedback on ocean plastics to the Seabin central data base. Renowned scientists, universities and environmental agencies are all a part of the programs also.
The lessons range from identifying ocean plastics to data collection of what the Seabins are catching weekly. The data collection is a very easy activity and where we can all see the measurable impact of debris the Seabins are taking out of the water in all weather conditions.
It’s as simple as counting how many plastic bags, plastic particles, food wrappers and then noting it down on a spreadsheet or app. Weather conditions and location information is also entered into the data base.
How can you help our campaign and make a difference in the world?Every contribution to this crowdfunding campaign helps, be it $1 or $50 dollars, it all adds up and bring us closer to our goal.
Even if you cannot afford a donation, please help by sharing this campaign with your friends and family on social media. The more people that know about the campaign the better!
Thanks everyone for taking the time to check out our campaign!
FOR CLEANER OCEANS!
Archie
FAQS SHEET
Seabin Project FAQs
Q: Can someone pay out the crowdfunding campaign goal?A: Yes! We need help! The more money we can raise, the more Seabins we can buy.
Q: Why crowdfund a Seabin?A: Until now, the Seabins were not for the everyday person to purchase because marinas ports and yacht clubs are the target market for Seabin Group. This is a way where everyday people can give something back to the oceans.
Q: How do Seabins work in tidal areas?A: Seabins at present are designed for floating docks and pontoons. The Seabins move up and down with the tide on the floating dock.
Q. How are the pumps run? A. The pumps are currently electric, and around $2-$3 a day to run.
Q: When are the Seabins available?A: Depending on your countries location, Seabins will be available Feb 2019.
Q: Do any fish get sucked into the Seabins? What about smaller marine life?A: There is a possibility of fish to enter the Seabins, however in the last 2 years of development, the Seabins have only caught a handful of small bait fish. Most of which have been thrown back into the water alive. The fish simply stay away from the flow of water entering the Seabin and with the current fine tuning of the Seabin, the risk is now minimal.
Q: I don’t have any money to donate, how can I help?A: Don’t worry! Your amazing anyways and thanks for even contacting us. We need help to share this project around with any media we can. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, websites, bloggers. Also with newspapers, magazines, tv, radio and journalists. Also friends and family!
My name is Archie Mandin
I am a Seabin Ambassador, I started this campaign because I want to take a stand against ocean plastics!
My goal is to raise enough money to bring a minimum of 20 Seabins to Pittwater NSW as I want to give The Northern Beaches the opportunity to reduce its plastic pollution impact on the ocean. Its amazing how much accidental rubbish comes down our creeks and into our waterways
I need your help to raise money to buy the Seabins a revolutionary ocean cleaning technology which is essentially a floating rubbish bin that operates 24/7 catching all floating debris in the water.
The Seabin helps clean the ocean of floating debris which in turn creates cleaner oceans and we all benefit from this in one way or another. I mean, who really wants to swim in pollution? Not me that’s for sure!
Did you know that 300 million tons of plastic are produced in the world every year, half of which is for single use products, from this more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. We need to do something about it and now with the purchase of a Seabin we can all participate and make a difference!
Join me and my campaign to help ensure cleaner oceans!
What’s a Seabin?
The Seabin is a floating rubbish bin that is located in the water at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports.
The Seabin can catch an average of 3.9kgs of floating debris per day which adds up to 1.4 tons per year. (depending on weather conditions and debris volumes) The Seabins is catching large plastic bags, bottles, plastic straws, coffee cups, food wrappers, surface oils and micro plastics down to 2 mm small.
How can a Seabin contribute to cleaner oceans?
The Seabin contributes to cleaner oceans by removing 1.4 tons of floating debris per unit per year. The location of the Seabin in marinas is ideal and where it matters most, close to the source of entry for floating debris. Ports and Marinas are perfect locations to stop floating debris from entering the open ocean and ocean plastics are also brought in by wind and currents.
Are the Seabins a danger to marine life?
The fish According to the team at Seabin, stay away from the surface of the water where the Seabin sucks in the water. They are deterred by the force of the water current. If there are swarms of jellyfish or bait fish it is recommended that the Seabins are turned off until the swarms pass. If a fish was to accidentally go into the Seabin, it would be caught in the Seabin and stay submerged in water until the marina staff retrieve the filter and throw the fish still alive back into the water.
How does it work?
Water is sucked in from the surface and passes through a catch bag inside the Seabin, with a submersible water pump capable of displacing 25.000 LPH (liters per hour). The water is then pumped back into the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly.
Who is responsible for the Seabin?
This is the best part of it all, the marina will be the one responsible for the upkeep of the Seabins and also they will be paying for the energy consumption of the Seabin which is around $2 - $3 a day.
The marina enjoys a cleaner marina and the rest of us and the marine life enjoy cleaner oceans with less floating debris polluting our oceans!
Seabins part of a whole solution
Seabins whole solution is Technology, Education, Science, Research and Community. The reason for this is that Technology alone is not the solution to stopping ocean plastics, education is the real solution.
Great! Can our local community be involved also?
Yes! The team at Seabin have interactive programs and lessons designed for schools, community and youth to interact with the Seabins and have over 2000 school students engaged around the world, this is something that we can do locally also with support from the team at Seabin Project.
What will we be doing if we participate in these programs?
You would be joining an international community contributing important data and feedback on ocean plastics to the Seabin central data base. Renowned scientists, universities and environmental agencies are all a part of the programs also.
The lessons range from identifying ocean plastics to data collection of what the Seabins are catching weekly. The data collection is a very easy activity and where we can all see the measurable impact of debris the Seabins are taking out of the water in all weather conditions.
It’s as simple as counting how many plastic bags, plastic particles, food wrappers and then noting it down on a spreadsheet or app. Weather conditions and location information is also entered into the data base.
How can you help our campaign and make a difference in the world?
Every contribution to this crowdfunding campaign helps, be it $1 or $50 dollars, it all adds up and bring us closer to our goal.
Even if you cannot afford a donation, please help by sharing this campaign with your friends and family on social media. The more people that know about the campaign the better!
Thanks everyone for taking the time to check out our campaign!
FOR CLEANER OCEANS!
Archie
FAQS SHEET
Seabin Project FAQs
Q: Can someone pay out the crowdfunding campaign goal?
A: Yes! We need help! The more money we can raise, the more Seabins we can buy.
Q: Why crowdfund a Seabin?
A: Until now, the Seabins were not for the everyday person to purchase because marinas ports and yacht clubs are the target market for Seabin Group. This is a way where everyday people can give something back to the oceans.
Q: How do Seabins work in tidal areas?
A: Seabins at present are designed for floating docks and pontoons. The Seabins move up and down with the tide on the floating dock.
Q. How are the pumps run?
A. The pumps are currently electric, and around $2-$3 a day to run.
Q: When are the Seabins available?
A: Depending on your countries location, Seabins will be available Feb 2019.
Q: Do any fish get sucked into the Seabins? What about smaller marine life?
A: There is a possibility of fish to enter the Seabins, however in the last 2 years of development, the Seabins have only caught a handful of small bait fish. Most of which have been thrown back into the water alive. The fish simply stay away from the flow of water entering the Seabin and with the current fine tuning of the Seabin, the risk is now minimal.
Q: I don’t have any money to donate, how can I help?
A: Don’t worry! Your amazing anyways and thanks for even contacting us. We need help to share this project around with any media we can. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, websites, bloggers. Also with newspapers, magazines, tv, radio and journalists. Also friends and family!
New Microfluidics Device Can Detect Cancer Cells In Blood
February 25, 2019
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Queensland University of Technology of Australia, have developed a device that can isolate individual cancer cells from patient blood samples. The microfluidic device works by separating the various cell types found in blood by their size. The device may one day enable rapid, cheap liquid biopsies to help detect cancer and develop targeted treatment plans. The findings are reported in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.
"This new microfluidics chip lets us separate cancer cells from whole blood or minimally-diluted blood," said Ian Papautsky, the Richard and Loan Hill Professor of Bioengineering in the UIC College of Engineering and corresponding author on the paper. "While devices for detecting cancer cells circulating in the blood are becoming available, most are relatively expensive and are out of reach of many research labs or hospitals. Our device is cheap, and doesn't require much specimen preparation or dilution, making it fast and easy to use."
The ability to successfully isolate cancer cells is a crucial step in enabling liquid biopsy where cancer could be detected through a simple blood draw. This would eliminate the discomfort and cost of tissue biopsies which use needles or surgical procedures as part of cancer diagnosis. Liquid biopsy could also be useful in tracking the efficacy of chemotherapy over the course of time, and for detecting cancer in organs difficult to access through traditional biopsy techniques, including the brain and lungs.
However, isolating circulating tumor cells from the blood is no easy task, since they are present in extremely small quantities. For many cancers, circulating cells are present at levels close to one per 1 billion blood cells. "A 7.5-milliliter tube of blood, which is a typical volume for a blood draw, might have ten cancer cells and 35-40 billion blood cells," said Papautsky. "So we are really looking for a needle in a haystack."
Microfluidic technologies present an alternative to traditional methods of cell detection in fluids. These devices either use markers to capture targeted cells as they float by, or they take advantage of the physical properties of targeted cells -- mainly size -- to separate them from other cells present in fluids.
Papautsky and his colleagues developed a device that uses size to separate tumor cells from blood. "Using size differences to separate cell types within a fluid is much easier than affinity separation which uses 'sticky' tags that capture the right cell type as it goes by," said Papautsky. "Affinity separation also requires a lot of advanced purification work which size separation techniques don't need."
The device Papautsky and his colleagues developed capitalizes on the phenomena of inertial migration and shear-induced diffusion to separate cancer cells from blood as it passes through 'microchannels' formed in plastic. "We are still investigating the physics behind these phenomena and their interplay in the device, but it separates cells based on tiny differences in size which dictate the cell's attraction to various locations within a column of liquid as it moves."
Papautsky and his colleagues 'spiked' 5-milliliter samples of healthy blood with 10 small-cell-lung cancer cells and then ran the blood through their device. They were able to recover 93 percent of the cancer cells using the microfluidic device. Previously-developed microfluidics devices designed to separate circulating tumor cells from blood had recovery rates between 50 percent and 80 percent.
When they ran eight samples of blood taken from patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer, they were able to separate cancer cells from six of the samples using the microfluidic device.
In addition to the high efficiency and reliability of the devices, Papautsky said the fact that little dilution is needed is another plus. "Without having to dilute, the time to run samples is shorter and so is preparation time." They used whole blood in their experiments as well as blood diluted just three times, which is low compared to other protocols for cell separation using devices based on inertial migration.
Papautsky and colleague Dr. Alicia Hubert, assistant professor of surgery in the UIC College of Medicine, recently received a $125,000, one-year grant from the University of Illinois Cancer Center to develop a microfluidics device that can separate out circulating tumor cells as well as detect DNA from cancer cells in blood from lung cancer patients. They will use blood from patients being seen at the University of Illinois Cancer Center to test the efficacy of their prototype device.
Jian Zhou, Arutha Kulasinghe, Amanda Bogseth, Ken O’Byrne, Chamindie Punyadeera, Ian Papautsky. Isolation of circulating tumor cells in non-small-cell-lung-cancer patients using a multi-flow microfluidic channel. Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2019; 5 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41378-019-0045-6
Diagram shows how the microfluidics device separates cancer cells from blood. The green circles represent cancer cells. Credit: Ian Papautsky
THC Found More Important For Therapeutic Effects In Cannabis Than Originally Thought
February 26, 2019: University of New Mexico
Researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) recently solved a major gap in scientific literature by using mobile software technology to measure the real-time effects of actual cannabis-based products used by millions of people every day.
Contrary to popular media-reports and scientific dogma, the psychoactive chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol or "THC," showed the strongest correlation with therapeutic relief and far less evidence for the benefits of relying on the more socially acceptable chemical, cannabidiol or "CBD."
In a new study titled, "The Association between Cannabis Product Characteristics and Symptom Relief," published in the journal Scientific Reports, UNM researchers Sarah See Stith, assistant professor in the Department of Economics, and Jacob Miguel Vigil, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, found that THC and CBD contents were the most important factor for optimizing symptom relief for a wide variety of health conditions.
The findings were based on the largest database of real-time measurements of the effects of cannabis in the United States, collected with the ReleafApp, developed by co-authors Franco Brockelman, Keenan Keeling and Branden Hall.
Since its release in 2016, the commercially developed ReleafApp has been the only publicly available, incentive-free app for educating patients on how their type of product (e.g., flower or concentrate), combustion method, cannabis subspecies (indica, sativa, and hybrid), and major cannabinoid contents (THC and CBD) affect their symptom severity levels, essentially providing invaluable user feedback on their health status, medication choices, and the clinical outcomes of those choices as measured by symptom relief and side effects.
The study aimed to address the practical questions of knowing how fundamental characteristics of currently available and frequently used cannabis products, characteristics that often influence consumer choices, affect health symptom intensity levels. The average patient, across the roughly 20,000 measured user sessions and 27 measured symptom categories ranging from depression to seizure activity, showed an immediate symptom improvement of 3.5 points on a 0-10 scale. Dried flower was the most commonly used product and generally associated with greater symptom improvement than other types of products.
Cannabis is rapidly gaining popularity as a mid-level analgesic and promising substitute for prescription opioids and other classes of medications, which often carry undesirable side effects, dangerous drug interactions and risk of death. Presently, federal barriers restrict researchers from conducting cannabis administration studies in the U.S.
"We were able to fill the most significant absence in the previous medical literature, understanding the 'efficacy, dose, routes of administration, or side effects of commonly used and commercially available cannabis products in the United States,'" said Vigil, quoting from the recently released report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Committee on the Health Effects of Marijuana.
By studying products containing both THC and CBD, the authors were able to analyze the relative importance of these cannabinoids for symptom relief and side effect prevalence, advancing previous research examining either chemical in the absence of the other. One of the most striking patterns in the current results was that THC was generally associated with a more intense user experience, as measured by symptom relief and the prevalence of both positive and negative side effects.
"Despite the conventional wisdom, both in the popular press and much of the scientific community that only CBD has medical benefits while THC merely makes one high, our results suggest that THC may be more important than CBD in generating therapeutic benefits. In our study, CBD appears to have little effect at all, while THC generates measurable improvements in symptom relief. These findings justify the immediate de-scheduling of all types of cannabis, in addition to hemp, so that cannabis with THC can be more widely accessible for pharmaceutical use by the general public," said Vigil.
"More broadly understanding the relationship between product characteristics and patient outcomes is particularly important given the lack of medical guidance received by medical cannabis patients," said Stith. "Most receive only a referral for cannabis treatment from their healthcare provider with all other treatment advice coming from prior recreational experience, the internet, social interactions, and/or often minimally trained personnel working in dispensaries.
"This is very different from how patients receive treatment using conventional pharmaceuticals that come with clear dosing instructions and a standardized, uniform product," she added.
The authors caution that cannabis use does carry the risks of addiction and short-term impairments in cognitive and behavioral functioning, and may not be effective for everyone.
"However, I have seen many people use it as a primary medication for a full spectrum of health conditions as part of their broader desire to gain more control over their healthcare treatment," says Vigil, a perspective that seems to gaining momentum as cannabis appears to be re-emerging as one of the most widely used medications in the U.S.
This investigation was supported in part by public donations to the University of New Mexico Medical Cannabis Research.
Sarah S. Stith, Jacob M. Vigil, Franco Brockelman, Keenan Keeling, Branden Hall. The Association between Cannabis Product Characteristics and Symptom Relief. Scientific Reports, 2019; 9 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39462-1
Ancient Rocks Provide Clues To Earth's Early History
February 25, 2019
Oxygen in the form of the oxygen molecule (O2), produced by plants and vital for animals, is thankfully abundant in Earth's atmosphere and oceans. Researchers studying the history of O2 on Earth, however, know that it was relatively scarce for much of our planet's 4.6 billion-year existence.
So when and where did O2 begin to build up on Earth?
By studying ancient rocks, researchers have determined that sometime between 2.5 and 2.3 billion years ago, Earth underwent what scientists call the "Great Oxidation Event" or "GOE" for short. O2 first accumulated in Earth's atmosphere at this time and has been present ever since.
Through numerous studies in this field of research, however, evidence has emerged that there were minor amounts of O2 in small areas of Earth's ancient shallow oceans before the GOE. And in a study published recently in the journal Nature Geoscience, a research team led by scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) has provided compelling evidence for significant ocean oxygenation before the GOE, on a larger scale and to greater depths than previously recognized.
For this study, the team targeted a set of 2.5 billion-year-old marine sedimentary rocks from Western Australia known as the Mt. McRae Shale. "These rocks were perfect for our study because they were shown previously to have been deposited during an anomalous oxygenation episode before the Great Oxidation Event," says lead author Chadlin Ostrander of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration.
Shales are sedimentary rocks that were, at some time in Earth's past, deposited on the sea floor of ancient oceans. In some cases, these shales contain the chemical fingerprints of the ancient oceans they were deposited in.
For this research, Ostrander dissolved shale samples and separated elements of interest in a clean lab, then measured isotopic compositions on a mass spectrometer. This process was completed with the help of co-authors Sune Nielsen at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Massachusetts); Jeremy Owens at Florida State University; Brian Kendall at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada); scientists Gwyneth Gordon and Stephen Romaniello of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration; and Ariel Anbar of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration and School of Molecular Sciences. Data collection took over a year and utilized facilities at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Florida State University, and ASU.
Using mass spectrometers, the team measured the thallium and molybdenum isotope compositions of the Mt. McRae Shale. This was the first time both isotope systems had been measured in the same set of shale samples. As hypothesized, a predictable thallium and molybdenum isotope pattern emerged, indicating that manganese oxide minerals were being buried in the sea floor over large regions of the ancient ocean. For this burial to occur, O2 needed to have been present all the way down to the sea floor 2.5 billion-years-ago.
These findings improve scientists' understanding of Earth's ocean oxygenation history. Accumulation of O2 was probably not restricted to small portions of the surface ocean prior to the GOE. More likely, O2 accumulation extended over large regions of the ocean and extended far into the ocean's depths. In some of these areas, O2 accumulation seems to have even extended all the way down to the sea floor.
"Our discovery forces us to re-think the initial oxygenation of Earth," states Ostrander. "Many lines of evidence suggest that O2 started to accumulate in Earth's atmosphere after about 2.5 billion years ago during the GOE. However, it is now apparent that Earth's initial oxygenation is a story rooted in the ocean. O2 probably accumulated in Earth's oceans -- to significant levels, according to our data -- well before doing so in the atmosphere."
"Now that we know when and where O2 began to build up, the next question is why" says ASU President's Professor and co-author Anbar. "We think that bacteria that produce O2 were thriving in the oceans long before O2 began to build up in the atmosphere. What changed to cause that build-up? That's what we're working on next."
Chadlin M. Ostrander, Sune G. Nielsen, Jeremy D. Owens, Brian Kendall, Gwyneth W. Gordon, Stephen J. Romaniello, Ariel D. Anbar. Fully oxygenated water columns over continental shelves before the Great Oxidation Event. Nature Geoscience, 2019; DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0309-7
The 2.5 billion-year-old Mt. McRae Shale from Western Australia was analyzed for thallium and molybdenum isotope compositions, revealing a pattern that indicates manganese oxide minerals were being buried over large regions of the ancient sea floor. For this burial to occur, O2 needed to have been present all the way down to the sea floor 2.5 billion-years-ago. Credit: Chad Ostrander, ASU