Okay, we get this question from time to time: why don’t we encourage people to develop a palate for invasive species as a way to control them? The usual answer is that encouraging human uses of invasive species encourages people to move them around, either intentionally, to create new populations for exploitation, or accidentally, because they’re bringing them along to cook later and they escape.

But here’s an interesting example from today’s news: Officials from NOAA are encouraging the development of a market for lionfish meat and a fishery to supply it as a way to control explosive population growth of a highly destructive invasive species.

Story at MSNBC

I’d like to know how they taste dredged through a thick beer batter and fried and served on a pile of french fries and a generous slosh of vinegar.

The teams are just back in from BioBlitz 2010 and I’m sure people are working hard to unload gear, hang out sleeping bags and tents out to dry, and catch up on sleep. Thank you all for your tremendous efforts that made the event such a success. Thanks to the Block Island community for their help and hospitality. The preliminary count is 916 species, which is great by any standard and for an island and rainy weather, it is terrific. We have a lot of work to do to cross check the numerous data sheets, especially for the marine organisms, and we look forward to receiving the many specialist reports, so I am confident that the final number will be higher, perhaps approaching the magic 1,000 barrier.

A special shout-out to the art team. It was great to have you with us this year, you added a lot and helped put the biodiversity and the event into a whole new light. Should we be looking forward to a gallery show in the fall? Can’t wait.

Platanthera flava

Notable finds: American burying beetle, pale green orchid, wood duck, spiny skate, jonah crab, citrine forktail. We will post more details on the finds as they come in.

One special and sad note: Doug Greene, who had just done lichens for the BioBlitz, collapsed on his way to the ferry and, despite the best efforts of emergency medical personnel, died on the island. Doug helped in 7 RI BioBlitzes, incl. the 1st one, in 2000, and contributed to many other science efforts. We will be sure to get word out about a service or other memorialization when we know more.

Registration for the 14th annual Ecology of Rhode Island Conference, to be held April 9 at the Quonset O Club in North Kingstown, is open NOW. This year’s subject is Emerging Threats to Amphibians. The conference will examine a range of factors affecting the survival of this delightful group of organisms, and will concentrate on two diseases newly detected in Rhode Island–ranavirus and chytrid fungus. Panamanian amphibian conservation expert Edgardo Griffith is the keynote speaker. Griffith has been on the front line of the battle to save rain forest frogs from chytrid fungus. Other speakers include biologists and veterinarians expert in amphibian rearing. There will be a discussion session to address the management of ponds and wetlands in light of amphibian diseases.  Posters, displays, and good company will round out the day. There is a lot to learn from a frog and, as usual, people with diverse backgrounds and expertise will get a lot out of the RINHS annual conference. It should be of interest to amateur naturalists, conservationists, pet amphibian fanciers, and land managers, as well as vets and researchers. Please plan on coming. Registration closes soon. For registration materials and more details on the program, visit the CONFERENCE PAGE. The program for the day is available HERE.

2010 Conference Registration is NOW OPEN
Emerging Threats to Amphibian Conservation in New England with Attention to Chytrid & Ranavirus
Friday, April 9, 2010 ~ 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Quonset O Club, North Kingston

TO REGISTER, DOWNLOAD THIS FORM AND RETURN IT TO RINHS OR CALL 401-874-5800

For the 2010 RINHS conference, experts in chytrid fungus and ranavirus have been invited to discuss the biology and potential ecological impact of these water-borne pathogens, monitoring strategies, and potential management responses, on amphibian populations. At the end of the conference, a moderated discussion will focus on ways to continue the investigation of the situation in Rhode Island and on possible management responses.

Invited speakers:
Edgardo Griffith, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama. Keynote.
Tim Georoff, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Itraconazole Bath Treatment of Potential Carriers.
Carlos Rodriguez, Wildlife Conservation Society, Captive Surveillance with Necropcsy
Eric Baitchman, Zoo New England, Probiotic Treatment and Pathophysiology in Panama
David Skelly, Yale University, Discussion Moderator – ongoing investigation & management possibilities in RI
Additional talks on the Rhode Island chytrid study, ranavirus in RI wetlands & New York State, historical presence, origin & evolution of chytrid in New England, chytrid prevalence in Honduras, posters & displays.

The 2010 RI Distinguished Naturalist Award presentations will be held at 8:30 a.m. Watch this space for an announcement of the winner(s).

This year’s conference is sponsored by:
EPA Region 1
Roger Williams Park Zoo
American Association of Zoo Keepers
Zoo New England–Franklin Park Zoo/Stone Zoo

For more information on RINHS conferences, including details of past conferences, please visit the Conference Page of our website.

Emerging Threats to Amphibian Conservation in New England, with Special Attention to Chytrid and Ranavirus

Friday, April 9, 2010
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Quonset O Club, North Kingstown, RI

This year, the Rhode Island Natural History Survey’s annual ecology conference is focused on emerging threats to amphibians in New England and potential management responses. Experts in chytrid fungus and ranavirus have been invited to discuss the biology and potential ecological impact of these water-borne pathogens, monitoring strategies, and potential management responses. At the end of the conference, a moderated discussion will focus on ways to continue the investigation of the situation in Rhode Island and on possible management responses.

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has caused population declines and extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South America, eastern Australia, and the Caribbean. Preliminary results of a recent chytrid fungus survey in Rhode Island, sponsored by Roger Williams Park Zoo, documented a widespread, uneven distribution of this globally significant pathogen. Ranavirus, another emerging infectious disease, is also present in isolated wetlands throughout New England and has been implicated in recent catastrophic mortality events.

Keynote Speaker: Edgardo Griffith, Herpetologist and Director of the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama. No one is more experienced with the chytrid devastation or responded to it better than Griffith. His initiatives have been featured in National Geographic and promoted by David Attenborough and Jane Goodall, among others.

Researchers and wildlife managers working on threats to amphibians in New England including pathogens, polluted run-off, habitat loss/fragmentation, and climate change are invited to offer papers for presentation in oral or poster form. The organizers are particularly interested in hearing from researchers working on chytrid, ranavirus, or other pathologies or able to place emerging pathogens among other threats to amphibian conservation in southern New England. Student submissions are encouraged.

Abstracts should be less than 200 words, text only (no tables/graphs), left justified, arranged as follows:
Author(s), Affiliation(s), address, e-mail, phone number
(Skip a line)
Body of abstract

Submit abstracts electronically, attached as a Word file to: abstract@rinhs.org with preference for an “oral presentation” or “poster presentation” indicated in the subject field.

The submission deadline is 5 p.m., Monday, March 1, 2010. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference.

The conference is sponsored by Rhode Island Natural History Survey, Roger Williams Park Zoo, University of Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources Science, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Display space and additional sponsorship opportunities are available, contact RINHS.

RINHS conferences are widely regarded for convening a broad spectrum of people sharing a curiosity about southern New England’s animals, plants, geology, and ecosystems. They are excellent venues for researchers and organizations to showcase what they do in a collegial environment. For information on past RINHS conferences, including abstracts, visit our conference page.

RI Natural History Survey 2009 Annual Meeting
&
Mark D. Gould Memorial Lecture Series kick-off
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
5:00PM  and 7:00PM

RINHS (now in our 15th year!) will host our 2009 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 29th.
Please join us for refreshments & pizza at 5:00pm, followed by a 5:30pm annual meeting during which we will look back at events and discoveries of the past year, and preview several exciting projects which are on the horizon. This is a good opportunity to meet the Survey’s staff and Board of Directors.

The Annual Meeting is free and open to the public, and will be held in room 010 of the new Center for Biotechnology & Life Sciences (CBLS) building on the URI – Kingston Campus. For directions, see below.

Reservations are not required, but if you think you’ll attend, a reply to Kira Stillwell for head count would be helpful.

Mark D. Gould Memorial Lecture Series 2009-10 Kickoff
will follow the Annual Meeting, beginning with a coffee and dessert buffet at 7:00 p.m.

Sharks in New England: A Closer Look
Dr. Gregory Skomal, Massachusetts Shark Research Program

Conservation and management of sharks, often misunderstood creatures, is recognized as an important issue in ocean ecosystems worldwide. This presentation will highlight current research being conducted by the Massachusetts Shark Research Program, and will include new information on the biology and ecology of our local shark species.

Dr. Gregory Skomal, is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer and author. As the Principal Investigator of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program, he has been studying and diving with sharks for over 25 years. He has written numerous scientific research papers and has appeared in a number of film & television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel and PBS. His most recent book, The Shark Handbook, explores the world of sharks, and will be available for purchase and signing following the talk.

This lecture is free and open to the public and will be held in room 100 (auditorium) of the new Center for Biotechnology & Life Sciences (CBLS) building on the URI – Kingston Campus.
Doors open at 7:00pm for fellowship, coffee & dessert buffet. The lecture will begin at 7:30pm.

The 2009-2010 RINHS Mark D. Gould Memorial Lecture Series is sponsored by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

The meeting and lecture will be in the CBLS building, located on Flagg Road in the Kingston Campus of URI. From the west, take Rt 138 to Plains Road. Follow Plains Road to the first stop sign (in front of the Ryan Center) and turn left. Turn right onto Flagg Road. CBLS is on the right halfway up the hill. From the east, take Rt 138 to Upper College Road (the traffic light in Kingston Village). Follow Upper College Road to the end and turn left onto Flagg Road. CBLS is ahead 200 yards on the left. See the handy dandy map below for more information or call 401-874-5800 for assistance.
View RINHS events at URI, Kingston in a larger map

We’ll never know so much about the world around us that there’s nothing left for naturalists to discover and just to prove that point, scientists recently announced the discovery of a new species (in fact it belongs to a whole new genus) of lungless salamander in the hills of Georgia.  Urspelerpes brucei , as it will be known, is the first new genus of four footed vertebrate found in the U.S. since 1961 (another lungless salamander, in fact). You can READ MORE from the BBC or go to the source, the abstract and paper in Journal of Zoology. So get out there and start scrounging around. You never know if the next creature you encounter might be your ticket to immortality! (Immortality among a select community of naturalists, that is.)

Naturalist Skills Workshop—Ants, Wednesday, April 29, 7-9 p.m., Coastal Institute Kingston. Sign up now.

The next Naturalist Skills Workshop will be Wednesday, April 29, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will be on ants. Dr. David Lubertazzi will review ant taxonomy, ant fauna of southern New England, and literature useful for ant identification. He will describe collecting and preparation techniques. The Workshop will meet in the Coastal Institute Kingston, Room 101. If you’ve begun to learn the ants, bring your stumpers! Dr. Lubertazzi is an ant ecologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. The Naturalist Skills Workshops are informal evenings designed to give naturalists an introduction into the taxonomy and methods of study for particular animal or plant groups. Space in Naturalist Skills Workshops is extremely limited and to attend, you must RSVP to RINHS. This workshop is free to RINHS members and $5.00 for non-members. To RSVP, for more information, and for directions, call 401-874-5800 or email info@rinhs.org. RINHS Naturalist Skills Workshops are sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Rhode Island Refuge Complex.

One of our roles at RINHS is to help the naturalist community in Rhode Island keep up to date with emerging issues in natural history, such as new invasive species, new discoveries, or new techniques.  White Nose Syndrome (WNS),  a phenomenon associated with massive die-offs of hibernating bats in the northeastern U.S.,  burst on the public consciousness last winter, although it now appears to have been around for a few years before that. The following is a link to a summary of a WNS research summit held in June. There is lots of interesting information in it. We’ll try to keep you up to date.

PDF of WNS Summit Summary