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Fish in the News, by Annie, on July 16, 2010
 Photo by Arthur Kingdon, source: guardian.co.uk The 2010 British Society of Underwater Photographers annual prize has been awarded to Arthur Kingdon for his photo of a rare black face benny fish. The competition is judged by The Wildlife Trusts in England and Ireland. “Photographers are urged to capture the essence of ‘living seas’ – the colourful, diverse and often surprising wildlife and habitats found around UK coasts.” —Source, The Guardian
Click here to see a slideshow of other amazing underwater photos. There’s some really cool stuff!
Fish in the News, by Annie, on July 13, 2010
 A Tub Gurnard - Photo by wwarby Scientists are doing research on the language of fish! Shahriman Ghazali, a researcher in New Zealand, started listening to the sounds made by fish two years ago. He isolated different species and listened to them with a microphone. It turns out some of them, like the Gurnard, a winged fish in the north of New Zealand, make grunting noises that change throughout the day. Other nocturnal fish (the Bigeye) made popping sounds that Ghazali compared to morse code and were used for a variety of potential reasons: “It was possible they made sounds in response to divers approaching, and that other fish used sound for functions including communicating and orienting themselves around reefs.”
But then I read this quote from Ghazali: “Goldfish have excellent hearing, but excellent hearing doesn’t associate with vocalization – they don’t make any sound whatsoever.” And now I’m sad.
Annie, by Annie, on June 28, 2010
I can’t believe I haven’t written anything on this blog for almost six weeks! I just finished school, and I had four exams to do, one for social studies class, chemistry, algebra and French. I had to write an “in depth analysis” about one book I read this year, I did “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman, and I had to finish the fish-shaped bird-house I was making in industrial arts.
But you guys don’t want to hear about the seventh grade. You want to hear about fish!
 Which one will it be? - photo by hapal Well, here’s some news! This weekend I’m going to go to Bob’s Fish down on Stroudwater Road to finally buy the goldfish I’ve been saving up for. I know what you’re thinking, saving up for a goldfish? It’s not like they’re expensive or anything. Well, that’s what I thought too, but when I told Gam I wanted to get a goldfish, she told me I had to get a good tank with a pump and a filter. My Dad said every goldfish he ever had died within a month, but according to Gam (my grandmother, an ichthyologist, so she knows), you can’t just plop a goldfish in a fish bowl and expect it to live. Their water gets too dirty too fast that way.
So I’ve been saving my babysitting money so I can afford this aquarium starter kit. It costs $39.99 and I almost have it. Plus another $3.99 for George. I’ve already named him. George the Goldfish – nice, right?
Then I’ll start saving for the next thing, my trip to visit Gam in Africa next year. This summer I’m going to be working as a junior counselor at a summer camp for gifted and talented kids. I used to go to the camp when I was little but it was a bit too nerdy, even for me. Who wants to do computer science classes in the middle of the summer? Working there will be different. And every penny I earn will go toward my trip to Tanzania next summer. I have to pay for scuba classes, scuba gear, clothes, vaccinations, my plane ticket (like, over $2000 dollars I think), and whatever else I need. I don’t even know yet.
But I’m going to keep writing. I’m so excited to go on my trip and it’s so far away, so I have to talk to someone about it. Stay tuned!
–Annie
Fish in the News, by Annie, on May 17, 2010
 Photo by Nataraj Metz I always knew that coral was alive, but I never imagined it as a baby, or as a group of babies, swimming around in the ocean, away from their reefs. But that’s what happens. Baby coral, in their larval form (which, according to Science Daily looks like “an egg with hairs”) search their surroundings to find a nice coral reef to settle in and grow up. The question is, how do they find their new home?
In a recent study published in PLoS ONE, Dutch scientists have discovered that coral larvae do this by using sound. It is not clear how they detect sound, but it is very important to understand how they operate in order to help maintain the world’s threatened coral reefs.
Read the Science Daily article.
Fish in the News, by Annie, on May 3, 2010
 Image by Lab2112 It had long been wondered whether the animals in the ocean; whales, fish, even jellyfish, could have an effect on the movement of waters. In July of 2009, Kakani Katija and John Dabiri from the California Institute of Technology did an experiment that showed just how jellyfish moved water around. The shape of the waters’ movement was not what they expected, and plays a role in of ocean mixing.
See a video and learn more about it here
Uncategorized, by Gudrun, on April 5, 2010
The artist was unexpectedly whisked away to Montreal, and in the upheaval of preparing for an overseas flight on 14 hours’ notice, and dealing with jetlag, she was unable to complete page 10 of The Lake Bound Adventures of Chinku and Jabari. Please stay come back next week to read Page 10.
Fish in the News, by Annie, on March 31, 2010
 I'm not sure exactly which zebrafish they're talking about, but this picture is a pretty one of "zebrafish". Photo by Saspotato Zebrafish have the ability to grow back missing parts of their hearts, or at least that’s what a new study in the March 25 issue of Nature implies. “…researchers working at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMRB) identified a fish heart cell population that is the source of this astonishing healing feat, a finding that could provide insight into how mammalian hearts might be coaxed into repairing themselves after injury brought on by heart attack.”
Source: Underwater Times
Resources, by Annie, on March 24, 2010
 The Glacier Lily, the first plant to resurface after a destructive event high in the Rocky Mountains is the emblem of the Barron Prize. Photo by Wildphotons. “The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is an annual award that honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Each year, the Barron Prize selects ten winners nationwide. Half of the winners have focused on helping their communities and fellow human beings; half have focused on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment. Since its founding, the Barron Prize has won the support of the National Geographic Education Foundation, Girl Scouts of America, National Youth Leadership Council, and many other national organizations.”
If you or a friend of yours is such a young hero, perhaps you should ask an adult to nominate you! You have to be aged 8-18 at the time of nomination, and have “shown leadership and courage in developing and implementing an extraordinary service project” that has either helped other people or the environment. The nomination deadline is April 30 of every year. Nominations must be made by adults who are not related to the nominee but are very familiar with the work of the nominee, such as teachers, librarians, civic leaders, etc.
Learn more about the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
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This blog is for… fish fans young and old. Check out our columns, at left, and don't forget the bi-weekly comic! Feel free to comment and share. Fish are fun!
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