Adventure Ausrama Blog

Australians tend to be early adopters of new technology because they have inquisitive minds. Our old enemy, the shark, will always be around, so it is not surprising that drone technology is being used to solve this problem. It is not the buzzing sound that will scare sharks off. Drones are being used to gather visual information about where sharks are and the number swimming around, the theory being that if we know this we can be more careful. At the moment hooks are baited on lines attached to floating drums. This method is a simple way to catch sharks. Unfortunately, sharks not tempted by the bait remain in the area. Baited hooks have warning devices in them that notify watchers on a boat when sharks take them. This is a clumsy way to keep sharks at bay. Targeting sharks observed by drones is a better solution. Drones are far cheaper than helicopters and do a better job, going right down to sea level to collect data. ◆   Technology by Ty Buchanan   ◆ Adventure Aus...

Sharks are not the indestructible creatures many think they are.  There is a myth surrounding sharks that they are virtually made of steel.  They can bite through anything and withstand great hardship. A strong four-meter long white pointer was washed up dead on a Western Australian beach.  It certainly did bite off more than it could chew.  The cause of death was choking on a sea lion. There was no sign of any major injury to its body, just a large sea lion lodged in its throat.  It was observed jostling around in the shallows shortly before being washed up on a Coronation Beach, apparently trying to dislodge the sea lion. A man walking his dog first saw the shark and thought it was a diver.  There was an attempt to save the shark by towing it out to sea.  It was not known then what was the cause of its distress.  However, it later washed up dead on the beach. Biology by Ty Buchanan http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com...

Like South Africa, Australia is known as a region of frequent shark attacks. A lot of research has been done over the years in an attempt to reduce such attacks. Humans are not normal food for sharks. It is when humans behave in a similar way to injured fish that attacks occur. Electronic pulses and sounds have been tried with limited success. Colored diving suits have also proven to be ineffective, until now. It has been discovered that blue lines on wetsuits disrupts the vision of sharks because they are color-blind. White stripes also work as a deterrent but in a different way. Poisonous fish have white on their bodies. It tells potential predators that eating them will have dire consequences. The cryptic wetsuit that "blinds" sharks is aimed at divers, while the white stripped warning suite is for those close to the beach. Diving equipment and surfing gear is also being colored to match the wetsuits. Though shark attacks cannot be stopped entirel...

A study on lungfish, bony fish and cartilaginous fish has a great deal to offer in understanding development of legs for life on land. Lungfish are ancient ancestors of tetrapods - four legged animals. Walking on their fins and breathing air, lungfish bravely moved onto the land. Research has relied on bones preserved as fossils, but muscles cannot be "saved" in this way. A fetus shows ancient stages in a creatures development. This is why a human fetus seems to be reptile-like in its early stages. Examining muscle development of modern lungfish is very informative. Tests were also done on cartilaginous fish such as sharks and ordinary fish. Embryos of cartilaginous and bony fish were genetically altered to promote growth of precursor pelvic fins that in lungfish became legs. Engineered cells were made to emit red and green light. The study on muscles highlighted the fact that bony fish evolved legs while cartilaginous fish did not. Pelvic muscles of bony fish are a ...