|
Scientists have discovered a way of mimicking
the stunningly bright and beautifu l colours found on the wings
of tropical butterflies. The findings could have important
applications in the security printing industry, helping to make
bank notes and credit cards harder to forge.
The striking iridescent colours displayed on
beetles, butterflies and other insects have long fascinated both
physicists and biologists, but mimicking nature’s most
colourful, eye-catching surfaces have proved elusive. This is
partly because, rather than relying on pigments these colours
are produced by light bouncing off microscopic structures in the
insects’ wings. The scientists said, 'We have unlocked one of
nature’s secrets and combined this knowledge with
state-of-the-art nanofabrication to mimic the intricate optical
designs found in nature'.
 When a seal sets off in pursuit
of fish for dinner it has a secret weapon in its arsenal: its
whiskers.
Detecting hydrodynamic trails in water with
their sensitive whiskers, seals easily track passing fish even
in the most turbid conditions. Scientists at a German University
found that a blindfolded seal could pick up a fish trail as long
as 35 seconds after the fish had passed. A fish can travel
hundreds of metres in that time, but they found that the
blindfolded trained seal could detect the trail with over 90%
accuracy. The scientists suspect that seals sense the structure
of the wake’s vortices and jets to determine which way the fish
went and were amazed that they could still detect the movement
up to half a minute later. They consider the whiskers compare
well with the performance of whale and dolphins by
echolocation.
On July 6th Scientists returned from a voyage
with samples of rare animals and more than 10 possible new
species which revolutionised their thinking about deep-sea life
in the Atlantic Ocean. One group of creatures they observed -
and captured - during their six weeks in the Atlantic is
believed to be close to the missing evolutionary link between
backboned and invertebrate animals. They used “Isis” the UKs
deepest diving ROV for more than 300 hrs of diving to depths of
between 700 metres right down to 3,600 metres, surveying flat
plains, cliff faces and slopes of the giant mountain range that
divides the Atlantic Ocean into two halves - east and west.
The north west plains were the home of deep
sea enteropneust acorn worms, a little known group of animals
which are close to the missing link in evolution. The picture
shows one of three, thought to be new species of acorn worms.
There were 10 reported sightings of
Bottlenose Dolphins during July, from Newquay on the north coast
to Falmouth on the south; the largest pod was 15. Three other
reports of unidentified dolphins were probably also
Bottlenose.There were 11 reports of Common Dolphins from
Crackington Haven on the north coast to The Manacles on the
south; largest pod about 50. Just 1 report of 2 Risso's Dolphins
and 1 report of 5 Whitebeaked Dolphin, both off Gwennap Head.
Harbour Porpoises were reported 11 times with
the largest number in one area, again off Gwennap Head, of 10
animals. Both reports of Minke Whales were off Gwennap Head, one
was seen on the 18th and two were seen on the last day of the
month.
There were 25 sightings of Basking Sharks
from Newquay westward around to Perranuthnoe in Mounts Bay.
Twelve
reports of Ocean Sunfish were
from Bude on the north coast around to Gwennap Head on the
south. Quite large numbers of Moon Jellyfish were seen in an
area north of Newquay on several days with a few Compass
Jellyfish and the blue jellyfish
Cyanea lamarckii.
Also in that area were several cluster of Buoy
Barnacles attached to birds feathers floating
on the surface.
|
