Nations Face Off Warily on Bluefin Tuna

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/nations-face-off-warily-on-the-bluefin-tuna/

It is great and all that people are trying to save the Bluefin tuna from extinction but if no one wants to compromise than we are going to get nowhere. Officials were to gather for 10 days in Paris under the auspices of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, a regional fisheries management organization. Scientists in this organization say the blue tuna is near extinction and the ICCATS itself has been ineffective in controlling overfishing. For conservationalists, this means the quota should be zero because they are fed up with the commisions inability to actually help stop the decline of the tuna's population. They argue that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico heighten the need for action. The entire congressional delegation of Massachusetts, a key bluefin fishing state, called on NOAA to reject a proposal by the Center for Biological Diversity to have the bluefin treated under American law as an endangered species like the bald eagle. They say how we should be helping the fisherman get back on their feet. ...Are they kidding me? Well in my opinion, they are going to need a lot of help if they bring the tuna to extinction. Japan officials, the country with the largest consumption of the tuna, have said they will support a fishing moratorium if ICCAT nations call for it. I guess we will have to see where this situation leads us.

Birds' beak deformities increase in Northwest

http://www.app.com/article/20101109/INSIDE/101109020/Birds-beak-deformities-increase-in-Northwest-

Studies have shown in Alaska and the Northwest that beak abnormalities in wild bird populations is at its highest rate. For this study, they used Alaska crows in six coastal locations. These beak deformities follow a trend that was found earlier in Alaska's black-capped chickadees. The cause of this disorder is called avian keratin disorder. The keratin layer of the beak becomes overgrown, resulting in elongated and often crossed beaks. It shows up in adult birds sometimes causing elongated claws, abnormal skin or variations in feather color as well. Even though the chickadee and the crows live in different habitats and eat different things, they are still being affected by this same deformity. These birds usually need to rely on humans and bird feeders to eat now. Scientists say beak deformities can be caused by environmental contaminants, nutritional deficiencies, and bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infections. This deformity is spreading and there isn't much at all we can do about it.

Jellyfish cells 'diagnose' cancer, York scientists say

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-11667447

Look at that, another organism that helps humans medically. Scientists have found that the green florecent protein (GFP) in jellyfish are able to reveal cancer in the body. GFP enables the jellfish to glow in the dark so this protein targets the cancerous cell allowing them to be spotted with a special camera. Scientists also say that this will help detect cancer earlier on which is crucial. When the cells flare up from the protein, its called Virmaging. I think that this can help treat cancer because it allows doctors to know where it is early and therefore they can treat it.