BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012

http://blogs.openaccesscentral.com/blogs/bmcseriesblog/entry/bmc_ecology_image_competition_2012

FRIDAY JUL 06, 2012

BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012

BMC Ecology wants to see your visual interpretations of ecological processes. The “BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012” is open to everyone affiliated with a research institution. So from muddy-boots fieldworkers to desk-based computational modellers, we want to know how you see the science of ecology.

Entries should depict a specific ecological interaction, and should be submitted to one of five categories that reflect the editorial sections of the journal. 

We will consider all images from photos to data visualizations, or a mixture of both – as long as they are striking, meaningful, and creative. The winner of each category will be chosen by each of the journal’s  Section Editors (Michel Baguette, Michael Bonsall, Jean Clobert, Nick Royle and Josef Settele). The categories are:

Behavioural and physiological ecology

Conservation ecology and biodiversity research

Community, population, and macroecology

Landscape ecology and ecosystems

Theoretical ecology and models

The overall winner will receive a cash prize of £250 (€300/$400) and their image will be used as the journal’s main promotional image for 2013 – featuring prominently on the journal ‘s website and in its printed and online marketing material. The runner-up will receive £100 (€125/$150), and additional prizes of £50 (€65/$75) will be awarded for those images selected by the Section Editors that best represents their section.

Please ensure that you provide a description of the ecological processes depicted in your image, as well as the category you feel the image best embodies. Please also ensure that you correctly cite any data sets that were used to generate your image.

In line with our policies on Open Access, entry to the competition implies release of the images under a creative commons licence, to allow file sharing with proper attribution. We strongly encourage everyone to upload their images onto our Flickr group page “Imaging Ecology”, where you can view other entries and post your comments.

We would also encourage entrants to submit their images for consideration by our partners at the Biology Image Library, subject to peer-review.

Please email your entries to the Executive Editor of BMC Ecology atsimon.harold@biomedcentral.com

All entries should include as the subject line “BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012”, together with the following completed form:

Name:

Section:

Image Description (Max. 300 words):

File type:

Data attribution (if applicable):

Affiliation:

Contact details of Research Institute:

I agree to release this image under a Creative Commons License:  Y/N

I would like my image to be considered for inclusion in the Biology Image Library: Y/N

Please attach your image entry to your email, which should conform to the following criteria:

Images must be a minimum 300dpi (1831 x 1831 pixels for a raster image).

Allowable formats - EPS, PDF (for line drawings), PNG, TIFF,  JPEG, BMP, DOC, PPT

Please note that it is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain permission from the copyright holder to reproduce figures or tables that have previously been published elsewhere.

Help us spread the word by downloading a flyer and displaying it prominently in your research department. We’ll also be posting regular updates on the competition throughout the coming months, so don’t forget to keep up to date by reading ourblog or by following us on Twitter @BMC_series using #ImagingEcology

Closing date for entries is 1^st December 2012 and winners will be announced in the New Year.

We look forward to receiving your entries!

Posted by Simon Harold at 09:58    Comments (0)

Seagrass-Watch Magazine featuring Secret Dugongs in Singapore

The latest issue of Seagrass-Watch news (the official magazine of the global seagrass and assessment program) is now available online at http://www.seagrasswatch.org/magazine.html  Both low and high resolution versions of the magazine are available. Please note that the high resolution version is 23.1Mb.


This is a special bumper double issue focusing on dugongs (Issue 45) and manatees (Issue 46) and our guest editor was Distinguished Professor Helene Marsh. Helene is an international authority on the conservation biology of dugongs, sea turtles and coastal cetaceans. Helene also co-authored the recent publication " Ecology and Conservation of the Sirenia: Dugongs and Manatees" (see magazine for more info).


There's an article featuring the good work of TeamSeaGrass on page 12 issue 45 on the 'secretive' Dugongs in Singapore. Sadly no live sightings have been found but the distinctive feeding trails are signs that they haven't all but disappeared ...

a frank post on the state of ignorance

Not to know is bad. Not to wish to know is worse. African Proverb

I am flabbergasted to say the lest when I read this post on media censorship in the land of free speech. Discovery channel bought only 6 of the 7 eps of David Attenborough's latest, Frozen Planet, because the last ep talks about global climate change.
I don't know to congratulate BBC in anticipating this and limiting seditious material to the last ep to prevent the entire series from being banned or throw my hands up in despair when global climate change can be a sensitive to broach when so many other stuff is deemed open topics.
Go figure

Want to know more about Raffles Lighthouse?

RafflesLighthouse-exhibition

Chanced upon this art exhitbition that curated information on Raffles Lighthouse which I think is very well done! There will be nuggets of information that you wouldn't have realised about Raffles Lighthouse.

Dr Hass filmed the underwater life in Singapore in 1958, recalling the sidghts that he saw at Raffles lighthouse , "it was simply beautiful and enchanting. there were so much tropical sea animals and fish"

There's even a publication list which features our coral reproduction guru Dr James Guest (ah hem one publication is sadly missing)
This exhibition closes on 31st Dec 2011 I believe. Wonder if anyone wants to adopt the printed materials.

by:

NUS Museum
University Cultural Centre, 50 Kent Ridge Crescent, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119279
10am - 7:30pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays)
10am - 6pm (Sundays)
Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays

when:

- Sat, 31 Dec

Cars, Carparks and Parks, a matter of Perspective

Cars, Carparks and Parks, a matter of perspective on Prezi

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was reading the news on Rochor Center making way for a new expressway, and wondering about the fate of the 570 families and 190 retailers and eateries who will have to move out of Rochor Centre.

Cars.

Hands up for those who wish to own one; know someone that fervently chase the monthly COE trends more than trends in global economy; Someone recently recounted to me about a friend's good fortune who actually gained a profit from selling their 2nd hand BMW. Who would have thought cars, which are traditionally a liability can turn in a handsome profit?

Environmental issues aside, I don't know if anyone took a long hard look at the amount of space that cars are occupying in land scarce Singapore. So I decided to see what I can find online.

According to LTA's figures on motor vehicle (MV) population by COE,  we have 945,829 motor vehicles in 2010 ** Assuming 2.5 x 5 m size for each carpark lot, this translates into 8.74 sq km of usable land area that stationary motor vehicles occupy.
What's 8.74 sq km to you?
To put things in perspective, Singapore's total land area is 694 sq km, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) occupies only 0.2% of our country's total area or 1.63 sq km, but it is amazingly rich in biodiversity with about 40% of the nation's flora and fauna.
BTNR together with Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) covers an area of approximately 30.43 sq km, according to National Parks Board. #

Maybe the idea that we have enough motor vehicles to cover 28% of CCNR isn’t shocking enough.
Singapore has a road system covering 3,356 kilometres which includes 161 kilometres of expressways according to Wikipedia.
Assuming the roads are single lane dual carriageways the width of 2.5m, and 3 lanes dual directional expressway, we have about 16 sq km in roads and 2.4 sq km in expressways. The new 21.5 km NSE that will be built at Rochor centre site might possibly occupy only 0.3225 sq km. But it represents a 1.75% increase in overall road area. Construction is planned to start at 2015, and end at 2020. Assuming that we have been growing our roads by 1.75% every 5 years and carparks by 3.18% yearly (average growth rate of MV for past decade), we would have created enough motor vehicle infrastructure that will be bigger than CCNR by 2017( 30.6 sq km ). By 2050, the combined area for carparks would have rivaled CCNR in area!(30.57 sq km)

I have to applaud LTA’s vision to ‘cut peak-hour travelling time by up to 30 per cent’ with the NSE project. But honestly, if I was in a rush for time, I would go public to save time, instead of waiting 9 years for the NSE and suffering 5 years of even more horrendous jams due to construction works. I understand that LTA is under pressure, e.g. they have been receiving “an average of 10 complaints a month from motorists about the Lornie Road jam in recent years.” However, to exhume 5,000 graves (inconveniencing 5,000 families) for the benefit of a vocal 120 (hopefully unique) individuals sounds a tad reactionary. Similarly, I hope that LTA did an excellent cost benefit analysis that fought for saving 30% of peak hour travel time of a group of car drivers of unknown size over the 570 families and 190 retailers.

The aforementioned are only the ones directly affected. You and me? We may not benefit from the time savings (especially since majority of Singaporeans do not drive a car) but we are going to pay for the construction and maintenance through taxes. Furthermore, all of these actions to improve traffic have to take land away from land scarce Singapore. I would hate to see the government regret only when citizens start staging the equivalent of http://parkingday.org to convert parking lots into temporary public parks. 

We need the outdoors:  local researchers in childhood myopia have advocated outdoor activity to reduce short sightedness.

For your personal health, unless you aim to do your 150 minutes of physical activity a week in a carpark, I think you would agree that parks are more important. I would urge everyone to reevaluate the true cost of smooth traffic, that whether your need to save 20 mins might affect others unfairly.

By the way, two cyclists are hit by a motor vehicle everyday@ and 16 pedal cyclists died in 2010.  Assuming that all the cyclists write to LTA to ask for bicycle lanes, we might have 59.5 complaints every month and some action (that hopefully doesn’t require moving dead people).

References
# On Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=naturereserves&id=46&Itemid=75

**source: LTA 2011 motor vehicle population by COE report 
http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/doc/MVP01-2%20%28MVP%20by%20COE%29.pdf

 @ Ride of Silence is in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
http://www.rideofsilence.sg/rideofsilence/ROS.html

Transport in Singapore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com

wildsingapore news: Nothing concrete in earlier plans for Bukit Brown

Bukit Brown Road Project can't wait

Notes: One might argue that most carparks are multi storey and it's unfair to calculate the area as such. I think my figures are only to be taken as a rough guide till some others improve on it, so I have adopted a KISS approach to the numbers, and I could have doubled the carpark areas, since most people have 2 carparks (home and workplace)
I have collated these numbers from the web, and as everyone knows, the web can be WRONG .. so ...

Clause for using info from this post.

While I try to provide precise and dependable data, statistics on this website are subject to revisions, made with the intent to accurately depict current trends.

As a consequence of change, I can provide no guarantee, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of furnished statistics at specific points in time.

Please use the statistics from the website knowing that you will need prior verification of facts. If I was wrong, it would be nice to let me know. The Prezi is published on Prezi.com/exploreyou may save a copy of it.

I shall not be held accountable for inaccurate depiction ensuing from disregarding this clause.

OtterWatch: a baseline ecological knowledge of the species must first be established. And YOU can contribute to otter research in a ...See more

About	A project to consolidate otter sightings in Singapore.

Description

Wild otter populations occur along our coastlines and mangroves. Two species currently exist in Singapore: namely the more common smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the smaller small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea). In order to ensure their continued presence here, a baseline ecological knowledge of the species must first be established. And YOU can contribute to otter research in a ...See more

Website	http://blog.nus.edu.sg/sgotters/   https://www.facebook.com/pages/OtterWatch/1

A commentary on Singapore's Natural Landscape

Left a comment on this post
But neglected to include this other link




http://datedue.blogspot.com/2011/07/singapore-biodiversity-encyclopedia-of.html


Seeking Singapore Elsewhere
WRITTEN BY CAYENNE HO ON AUG 11, 2011

I am glad that you refound Singapore at Taiwan... but perhaps you have yet to find out the natural appeal aspect of Sg.

re:
So, that was my philosophy about living in Singapore: it is a plain bore with no natural landscapes and original produce.

I think 'original' produce is hard to claim when you are a state in SEA, where neighbouring countries can do the same at a bigger scale, our vegetation today actually tells of previous farming (rubber) exploits which weren't unsuccessful ONLY because we have a barren land ( any army guy can tell you the effort it takes to bash across the dense vegetation in Lim Chu Kang)

true we do lack looming hills or mountainous landscapes which will no doubt make for a great photo.
and we do not have a BIG bunch of endemic species (that you can't find elsewhere in SEA)

BUT we are situated in the tropics, and I too 'refound' Singapore when making a visit to Kew Gardens, London, it was only there that I realised how our natural tree diversity easily beats that of temperate countries but to everyone , a green tree is a tree but coniders and maple leaves are prettier as a tree species. But yet Kew Garden's collection is impressive because of the palms and plants they have collected from the tropics and house in a (very likely expensive to maintain greenhouse)

I do hope you will find the natural landscapes of Singapore fascinating one day before we lose them to urbanisation and it's too late.

11 Tips For Eco-friendly Trail Photography

 

 

Sent to you by Kevin via Google Reader:

 

 

11 Tips For Eco-friendly Trail Photography

via Digital Photography School by Guest Contributor on 9/03/11

A Guest Post by Aaron Barlow from Delineations of Eye.

Are you thinking of hitting the trail for a grand adventure? Want to fill your camera with hundreds of beautiful shots of the great outdoors? I have some tips to keep that adventure eco-friendly and help ensure you have locations to photograph for years to come.

Image by Rick Harrison

Let's start out with something that everyone has heard before but can't be said enough (mostly because it's catchy)
 

1. Take Photos, Leave Only Footprints

 
Of course! Simple enough, right? Essentially don't leave with anything you didn't come with.
 

2. Make a List

 
Make a list of what you will be taking. Making a list puts those items in your mind and helps you not forget anything you may need. That's the obvious. However, it also helps you remember everything you brought with you! Leaving a lens – God forbid – a filter, or any other equipment behind is not only bad for the bunnies; it's probably expensive and let's not forgot frustrating! 
 

3. Leave It Cleaner

 
Leave the trail cleaner than you found it. For me, this normally means bringing a spare grocery bag strapped to my pack for callously discarded bottles, cans, and various other refuse. It sometimes takes a bit extra work depending on the gear I have with me, but getting hi-fives from other appreciative photogs and hikers is well worth it.
 

4. Remember The Snacks

 
If you're going out on any trail for an extended period of time, it's always a good idea to bring a snack. Just remember snacks have packaging that can end up on the trail. I can't tell you how many times I have seen wrappers blown right out of people's hands. I recommend using reusable Tupperware containers. No wrappers, easy to pack and handle, and you are far less likely to leave it behind. 

5. Bottles

 
You should always take water on the trail. ALWAYS. This tip though is more of an odd one that is just my personal preference. I find it better to take reusable bottles. Why? Well, why pay for a bottle of water when it's FREE from the tap! Not to mention, just like the Tupperware, you're less likely to leave it behind.

6. Man's Best Friend

 
If you take your best friend… the furry one. OK, if you take your dog with you on trail, keep it leashed and by your side. Dogs left to roam unleashed can cause pretty serious unseen damage to the trail and surrounding eco-system. Not to mention it can be stressful for some to come across a strange unleashed dog. Oh, and please ensure you clean up after your friend. Add doggy bags to your list!
 

7. Look Out For Hitchhikers

 
This is probably the number one thing many hikers and outdoor photogs do not think about. It is a sad fact that these days there are many invasive plants in locations ripe for photography. These plants love to hitch a ride on your boots which you may inadvertently transplant someplace else. Always inspect your shoes (including underneath), socks, and other gear before leaving the trail.  If you brought a pet with you, and even if you followed tip 6, It's a good idea to inspect them for hitchhikers also.
 

8. Watch Your Step

 
Watch your step! That plant or flower you just walked on could have been another photographers dream shot, or at least an inspiration. This is usually achieved by staying on trail. I know, as a photographer you may have the urge to run off with the perfect shot in your mind, just remember to look down!
 
Many of the locations I go shooting are often environmentally sensitive areas, so even stepping on one plant can have a major impact. In many locations you can also get slapped with a steep fine for going off trail and damaging the landscape.
 

9. Animal Interactions

 
Keep your interactions with animals to a minimum, especially the big ones! Photograph them; enjoy their presence and natural beauty, just leave it at that. Wild animals are wild, keep them that way. I suppose it may be tempting to try novel approaches at getting that shot – like the guy who was recently arrested for baiting animals – be smart, don't try that. If one decides you look tastier than the bait, don't say I didn't warn you!
 

10. No Smoking Please

 
Don't worry, not going to preach about its health effects. I will say though that smoking on a trail is potentially dangerous when you think of it as a major fire hazard. It's better to wait till you're someplace less susceptible to fire.
 

11. Keeping Water Clean

 
This means that you or your best friend should not have any emergencies within 40 yards of a water source. Strange tip right? Well, think of it this way; animals drink that water and depending on the water source, you may eventually as well.
 
I hope these tips help you when you're out in the wild on a trail, and remember, if you have any tips of your own, please share them in the comments below.  We always love learning something new!

Check out more of Aaron Barlow's work at Delineations of Eye.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

11 Tips For Eco-friendly Trail Photography

 

 

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New Smithsonian database of wildlife photos captured with automated cameras
Xeni Jardin at 6:02 AM Wednesday, Mar 9, 2011


The Smithsonian today launched a new searchable website, siwild.si.edu, that presents more than 202,000 wildlife photos taken with camera traps--automated cameras with motion sensors. These images "record the diversity and very often the behavior of animals around the world." Launch announcement here.

Seagrassy Collage

Here's a video collage I did for teamseagrass! Been a while, since I have joined in nice clean seagrassy fun!

Bronze Cuckoo taken by [madmartian]

Bronze Cuckoo   [madmartian]
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=782822

Nice sharp shots!

Snakes and Spideys @ Wallace trail

Haven't been posting much. Think I shall relax some self imposed rules on the blog posts to increase frequency.

Do check out the CS thread for some interesting critters spotted on Wallace trail. Have yet to explore there. Id coming up soon!

Smooth Otters at Pasir Ris Park

Check out syazkal excellent pics of the smooth otters fishing!
All copyrights belong to Azman Ariffin!

You can see more of his pics here
http://s25.photobucket.com/home/syazkal_man/allalbums

Colugo baby

Check out these closeup shots of a colugo baby with it's mom by Francis Yap!
He has a flickr account with more nature shots. Do check it out! All shots' copyrights belong to Mr Francis Yap.

BiodiverCity - A Photo compeition of Local Biodiversity

Singapore BioDiverCity - a photo competition

Singapore is often known as a bustling metropolis and a centre for commerce. Through the lenses of residents, we hope to show that it is also a haven for biodiversity.
Share YOUR photos of our wonderful biodiversity! Winning entries will be showcased in roving exhibitions around Singapore, including the World Cities Summit. What a great way to tell everyone that Singapore has wild places and wildlife!

"BiodiverCity" - a photo competition and exhibition - is organised to support the International Year of Biodiversity by celebrating the rich biodiversity found in our urban environment.

Year 2010 has been designated worldwide by United Nations as the International Year of Biodiversity. The term “biodiversity “ refers to the variety of all living things, be it plant or animal species.

Winning entries will win attactive prizes and be exhibited in roving exhibitions around Singapore, including the World Cities Summit at the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort in June 2010.

Categories:
Students (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary)
Open (General Public)

Submissions close Sunday 14 March 2010. Please click here to read the terms and conditions
Extended to 28th March!

Opportunities to have your photographs and art pieces showcased around the island! Attractive prizes await all winning submissions, such as Apple iPods, camera equipment, art and photographic courses, as well as cash vouchers!


Open Category:

Grand Prize $6,000 plus a 4D3N stay for two at Banyan Tree Resort in Maldives. The winner also gets to participate in Banyan Tree's Green Sea Turtle Conservation programme in Maldives.
5 Merit Prizes $3,000 each
Student Category:

Grand Prize $3,000
5 Merit Prizes $1,000 each

Check out the NParks webpage on this event for online submission of photos, to download application form and read terms and conditions.

To find out more about this competition, call or email Lim Wei Ling
(Tel: 64651682/BiodiverCity@nparks.gov.sg).


Updated with prizes

Emerald cockroach wasp (Ampulex compressa) attacking American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

Chanced upon this during lunch!

Amazing I never knew there's a wasp that targets the american cockroach!

Author's note: I cannot positively id the wasp but it seems to match.

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) @ P. Ubin

Patrick spotted this pair of Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) moths at Pulau Ubin. I am not sure if they are mating or if this is a male female pair though! Comments from readers are welcome.

Thanks Patrick for allowing me to reproduce your beautiful pics here! Pictures are copyright of Patrick. Read his original post here

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) on (Melastoma malabathricum) @ SBG

John Tie has some nice pics of the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) perched on a Straits Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum). The red is quite appropriate for Singapore's National Day eh?

Check out John's Flickr for more of his pics :)

Thanks John for letting me post your pics here. All photos are copyright of John's

Long-tailed macaque @ Bishan Park feeding on myna

Ewww this is possibly disturbing for those who can't handle gory details..
for those interested you can c the photos at
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=557691

istDeS from clubsnap spotted this macaque feeding on the remains of a myna at Bishan Park. No details as whether the macaque caught a live prey or that it was dead when the macaque got to it.
Meat is definitely a good source of proteins. But I wonder if it was desperation that drove the macaque to eat carrion(?) hmmmm food for thought..

Grey-headed Fish Eagle @ MacRitchie

Sharing this amazing shot by Yih Yeong who has graciously allowed me to reproduce his shots here. Check out his flickr gallery for more amazing birding shots!