Boiling Point 30th of January; The rise of the female sea turtle; surprising eucalypts and Strava
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_sea_turtle#/media/File:Green_turtle_swimming_over_coral_reefs_in_Kona.jpg CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate change and sex are linked. Changing ecosystems and warming temperatures are altering sex ratios of sea turtles. Sea turtle sex is determined by sand temperature. Warmer temperatures favour females, whereas cooler temperatures favour males. Researchers discovered the sex ratio of the green sea turtle rookery was 116 to 1 with warmer temperatures favouring females. Warming temperatures are threatening all 7 species of sea turtle. But before we assume female sea turtles are going to take over the world, this sex imbalance is not consistent. Different ecosystems such as shade from trees and rain seen in Chagos Archipelago promote sex balanced ratios. To find out more about this fascinating process listen to the podcast and hear what Cat had to say.
Image: Ethel Aardvark 2008 CC 3.0
The 23rd of March is national eucalyptus day with over 900 species of eucalypts it’s no wonder this species has its own day – unfortunately it is not a public holiday, but let’s celebrate the intricacies of eucalypts anyway. Biologist noticed something smelly about eucalyptus trees in 2013. To protect itself, a species of eucalyptus trees changed the aroma of its leaves. Eucalyptus leaves produce oil and contain small particles of gold. The oil and even the bark of eucalyptus trees can cause fires. Fast-moving fire favours eucalypts. Slow moving fires burn the nuts of the eucalypts, which are actually fruit, and no new seeds are spread. This week Chantelle discussed the 10 wonders of eucalypts. Check out the podcast to become the next eucalyptus expert.
Smart devices track us, they are listening to us and are watching us. Every step, every sentence and every search is all data and it is all stored. Strava an American fitness tracking app released a global heatmap which illuminated the movements of users. Unfortunately for armed forces their movements and bases were also illuminated. The concern here is frequency. The heatmap shows which routes and buildings are used more often. This sparks concerns over safety and security. This week Chantelle and Cat chatted about this security concern. Listen to the podcast to hear more.