Suddenly after years of decline the eels are back swimming up the rivers in the west coasts of Europe in their millions. We think that their arrival is the result of a truly remarkable journey from their breeding grounds in the Saragossa Sea off Bermuda.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel_life_history for more history.
There is also the Sustainable Eel Group www.sustainableeelgroup.com
The Cuckoo is one of the migrants we know least about once it leaves the UK, however the BTO track, on their amazing site, the movements of five Cuckoos from breeding grounds in East Anglia to their winter quarters in Africa. http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking Cuckoo tracking what we’ve learnt so far: http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking/what-have-we-learnt Latest Cuckoo tracking news: http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking/european-cuckoo-study…
Whilst the outbound track for these seals is random in search of food. When the seals feel it is time to return home they choose a perfect straight great circle route home. (A great circle route is the one that modern airliners use as this is the shortest distance between two points on the globe). This…
How animals navigate has been a mystery forever. At present, the prevailing theory is that animal navigation is based on magnetic information. But there are huge problems with this approach. In order to use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate by, you need to know where you are and where you are going, as well…
Here is a link to Monarch Butterflies http://phys.org/tags/monarch+butterflies/ Editor’s remark I have difficulty understanding these results which suggest that Cryptrochromes are involved which I am fairly clear is impossible as there is not enough time for the quantum coherence to take place. Inclination compasses are very inaccurate as there can be huge changes locally due to…
The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us This is a snippet from the book, In Praise of Walking by Shane O’Mara, which examines the science behind one of the basic skills that defines us as human beings. Scientists are slowly working out how our sense of direction works. It’s…
Wild Dolphin “Asks” Divers to Help Free Itself from Hook