19 August 2009
Moved
23:09
19 December 2008
deep-sea reefs!
think sea, hundreds of meters down, and coral reefs.everyone's heard about coral reefs. tropical islands, colourful fish, and snorkelling - these are usually the first images that pop into the mind at the mention of this two words. unfamiliar to most people, there indeed exists reef habitats beyond the depths which divers are allowed to explore. there, light is either scarce or absent, and strange-looking creatures abound.
Blob Sculpin (Cottidae or Psychrolutidae), Davidson Seamount, Pacific Ocean.Credit: NOAA and MBARI
deep-sea coral reefs were only discovered by scientists in the 19th century (presumably when technology allowed for sonar/unmanned underwater vehicles?)! they can be found in high densities in regions like alaska, norway and colombia and are estimated to be able to live for hundreds or thousands of years. three large ones were recently identified off the coast of florida with the help of high frequency sonar (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081215-deep-sea-reefs-missions.html)
Intact Lophelia pertusa reef or mound with a redfish (Sebastes sp.) peering outCredit: Fisheries and Oceans Canada/Peches et Oceans Canada
to thrive in deep and cold waters, deep-sea corals filter-feed, meaning they pump water through their bodies to extract whatever plankton or organic material is present. by constantly laying down calcium carbonate with their skeletons, these marine animals contribute to the growth of the reef structures and provide refuge for many other organisms. it is believed that deep-sea coral communities, just like their shallow water relatives, support oceanic biodiversity (and sustainability of fisheries). scientists also propose these habitats to be potential goldmines for pharmaceutical and chemical compounds that could be used in the treatment of illness like cancer and high blood pressure.
Trawl Marks on Lophelia reef, Norway Photo Credit: Jan Helge Fossaa, IMR
sadly, the reach of human activities has unmistakably extended into the deep-sea territory. it is ironic how deep-sea species, in the process of discovery, are damaged at the same time. oil/gas prospecting, deep-sea mining and (highly destructive) bottom-trawling are the main threats which currently plague deep-sea reefs (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0219_040219_seacorals.html)
large-scale mapping projects, like the one conducted by the waitt institute for discovery can help elevate the situation by identifying deep-sea reefs and proposing areas to be protected under the law. by doing so, oil prospectors and bottom trawling activities will hopefully be guided away from further trashing of these intriguing habitats.
10:45
07 December 2008
movement ecology
have you heard of movement ecology?the greek philosopher aristotle apparently pioneered this field when he attempted to uncover the common characteristics of animal movements. more than 2000 years on, the study of movement ecology continues to generate theories on how animals move, as well as explain their evolution and extinction patterns. i don't know about you, but i find it fascinating how animals like sea turtles and whales manage to navigate through thousands of miles back to their birth place every breeding season.
a recent article in national geographic news elaborates on how scientists hope to use movement ecology theories to predict how animals might respond to small and large scale climate changes, and prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081204-movement-ecology.html
22:20
03 December 2008
subic bay 4th-7th December
subic bay (yellow cross). beach. dive. rest.ST Life, 18th August 2008: Once the biggest United States military base in Asia, Subic Bay in Zambales province on the west coast of Luzon island is now an economic zone cradled by rich greenery and coastal wonders.
--------------------------------------------
those are the only words that fill my head right now! my family and i will be on a flight to the philippines tomorrow for a very short getaway. the last holiday we had as a family of four was to canada in 2002, after my o levels. though we'll only be spending effectively three days in subic bay, i'm more than thankful for a real break from the madness of honours project/school. over the past few months, from june onwards, the definition of the term "busy" has re-defined itself in my dictionary. i have never been so physically and mentally exhausted ever, thanks to the twice-a-week trips to st. john's island in particular. that's why i'm more than just looking forward to this holiday - i positively need this time to get good and proper rest before starting on my honours project again, and before the very last semester begins (which i don't want to begin because it means one semester left till we graduate... noooooooooo...)!
wants to dive...wants to dive...wants to dive...
10:32
01 December 2008
did-you-know
i love to flip through photo books of animals, especially of marine life, and i had the chance to do that this afternoon - thanks to the stunning national geographic pictorial borrowed (from the science library!) by yan xiang. i heart national geographic :)5 quick did-you-know facts about coral reels, one of the most biologically diverse habitats:
1. corals are not rocks, plants or dead. they are living animals!
2. coral reefs are built up when reef-building/hermatypic organisms, like hard corals and crustose coralline algae, lay down calcium carbonate in their skeletons, tissues, tests, etc.!
3. credit for the brilliant psychedelic mix of colours you see on corals while snorkelling or diving goes to the zooxanthellae (photosynthetic algae) and photo-protective pigments (think sunscreen) found inside them!
4. coral reefs occupy less than 1% of our earth's waters, but are home to more than 1/4 of of known marine fish species!
5. many fascinating examples of symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism, parasitic) can be found on reefs!
...to be continued...
10:53
29 November 2008
le fin du premier semestre
okay, i think i'll make a come-back for this december holidays.
as always, after every block of exams, i'll make a "things to do" list,
and sometimes, a "what i learnt from my module" sharing.
childhood and youth:
from the time i heard about this module, i've been wanting to take it up! aside from marine biology, my other big love is children. the psychology and sociology behind the development of children/youth has fascinated me for the longest while, and i guess it stems partially from a yearning to understand why children/youth behave the way they do at different stages. prof. ho didn't disappoint! although SC2213 is meant to be like an introductory course for students from all faculties and didn't go terribly in-depth into all the topics, it was definitely an eye-opener as to the ways in which agents of socialization (e.g. family, peer, school, community, media, etc.) shape childhood and youth. theories like laureau's "concerted cultivation vs. natural growth" and cote/arnette's "arrested adulthood" make so much sense, and kinda affirmed a number of my personal thoughts on socialization in the context of singapore.
marine biology - haha, i can't believe my crazy mind mistook pandan mangrove for mandai mangrove, and mentioned fur seal culling in an essay on the conservation status of cetaceans (and i'm like a cetacean fan)! okay, enough about exam madness. marine biology caught my eye from the moment i scrolled through the list of life sciences modules available in year 1. with fluffy dreams of being a marine biologist/killer whale researcher, it was a module i naturally couldn't wait to take! having your supervisor/mentor teaching it was initially a little daunting, especially when his response to pre-module pleas not to pick on his students was "of course i'm going to pick on you guys!". haha, i have to say, pete has surpassed my (already high) expectations. just before the semester started, a few of us helped pete to sort some stuff from previous marine bio class batches: literature reviews (as part of their numerous CAs). i remember lamenting somewhat about how boring it'd be if we had to do this for our batch, and he curiously asked for suggestions. haha, i couldn't think of much then so i mentioned field trips (which are admittedly tough to organize)! that's probably why i was pretty impressed with how pete sprinkled fun into our lessons - tickling personal anecdotes, sharing field experiences, photo quizzes, letting us play around with marine research toys, charades for marine biology terms, shark fin debate, predator drawing competition, and running around underwaterworld like mad people. the last lecture was positively memorable, and the prize presentation was certainly the icing to the cake. way to go team red underwear and cedric, our captain! i wish i could copy the short paragraph i came up with to explain why i voted for him for the teacher's award thing. in essence, aside his outward brashness (quoting angie) and weirdness (quoting danwei), pete makes for an excellent mentor/prof./researcher/teacher (brownie points for being such a doting father)! :)
tumour biology - carcinogenesis is scary, and the stats will scare you even more. if we weren't forced to take an outside-concentration module, i wouldn't have taken LSM4243. that said, i don't regret picking it over the ROS/free radical one. prof. pervaiz and dr. ong have strangely managed to pique my touch-and-go interest with cancer, especially having heard so many instances from church people and their relatives/friends. prof. hande, on the other hand, is an example of how some professors may be undoubtedly gifted in research, but not perfected suited for lecturing. i don't usually like having a negative impression about lecturers, but he certainly has room for improvement in the teaching department. what did i learn from these three people? multi-step tumourigenesis, c-myc, 7 hallmarks of cancer, genetic alterations, genomic (chromosomal, microsatellite) instability metastasis and its biology, caspase cascades, molecular cross-talk, cell adhesion molecules and current literature on p53/CIN/how to induce neoplastic transformation in normal human cells/experimental techniques on how to study the mechanisms behind cancer. in the midst of exam preparation, i came to a realization as i flipped through page after page of experimental results on cancer genes: while i believe biomedical studies are essential for therapy breakthroughs and cures for human diseases, i know my interest does not lie within this field.
things to do (this holiday):
check out the 2nd generation casio-exilim pro f1 for pete (urgent!)
shop for pete's lucas/aileen gift with pete's slaves
decorations for christmas service on 21st december
bible class christmas party on boxing day
generate a new list of possible behaviour experiments for the clams (ahhh!)
analyze my geotrophism experiment photos (ahhh!)
update pete on experimental results (ahhh!)
settle receipt claims
botanical gardens picnic with the girls
plan ya cell group for the next few months with val
bbbaaakkkiiinnnggg (can't wait, esp. with my birthday cookie cutters!)
dinner with tioman team, and bake a thank-you-for-lying-for-me something for jeff
catch up with huiping, charmian, dennis,
check out mark's three t. maxima babies, and new tank
check out clam stocks at iwarma/coralfarm
weili's graduation card
let the brain and body relax in peace (by philippine beaches) for the first time in months
christmas is my most favouritest time of the year :) :) :)
as always, after every block of exams, i'll make a "things to do" list,
and sometimes, a "what i learnt from my module" sharing.
childhood and youth:
from the time i heard about this module, i've been wanting to take it up! aside from marine biology, my other big love is children. the psychology and sociology behind the development of children/youth has fascinated me for the longest while, and i guess it stems partially from a yearning to understand why children/youth behave the way they do at different stages. prof. ho didn't disappoint! although SC2213 is meant to be like an introductory course for students from all faculties and didn't go terribly in-depth into all the topics, it was definitely an eye-opener as to the ways in which agents of socialization (e.g. family, peer, school, community, media, etc.) shape childhood and youth. theories like laureau's "concerted cultivation vs. natural growth" and cote/arnette's "arrested adulthood" make so much sense, and kinda affirmed a number of my personal thoughts on socialization in the context of singapore.
marine biology - haha, i can't believe my crazy mind mistook pandan mangrove for mandai mangrove, and mentioned fur seal culling in an essay on the conservation status of cetaceans (and i'm like a cetacean fan)! okay, enough about exam madness. marine biology caught my eye from the moment i scrolled through the list of life sciences modules available in year 1. with fluffy dreams of being a marine biologist/killer whale researcher, it was a module i naturally couldn't wait to take! having your supervisor/mentor teaching it was initially a little daunting, especially when his response to pre-module pleas not to pick on his students was "of course i'm going to pick on you guys!". haha, i have to say, pete has surpassed my (already high) expectations. just before the semester started, a few of us helped pete to sort some stuff from previous marine bio class batches: literature reviews (as part of their numerous CAs). i remember lamenting somewhat about how boring it'd be if we had to do this for our batch, and he curiously asked for suggestions. haha, i couldn't think of much then so i mentioned field trips (which are admittedly tough to organize)! that's probably why i was pretty impressed with how pete sprinkled fun into our lessons - tickling personal anecdotes, sharing field experiences, photo quizzes, letting us play around with marine research toys, charades for marine biology terms, shark fin debate, predator drawing competition, and running around underwaterworld like mad people. the last lecture was positively memorable, and the prize presentation was certainly the icing to the cake. way to go team red underwear and cedric, our captain! i wish i could copy the short paragraph i came up with to explain why i voted for him for the teacher's award thing. in essence, aside his outward brashness (quoting angie) and weirdness (quoting danwei), pete makes for an excellent mentor/prof./researcher/teacher (brownie points for being such a doting father)! :)
tumour biology - carcinogenesis is scary, and the stats will scare you even more. if we weren't forced to take an outside-concentration module, i wouldn't have taken LSM4243. that said, i don't regret picking it over the ROS/free radical one. prof. pervaiz and dr. ong have strangely managed to pique my touch-and-go interest with cancer, especially having heard so many instances from church people and their relatives/friends. prof. hande, on the other hand, is an example of how some professors may be undoubtedly gifted in research, but not perfected suited for lecturing. i don't usually like having a negative impression about lecturers, but he certainly has room for improvement in the teaching department. what did i learn from these three people? multi-step tumourigenesis, c-myc, 7 hallmarks of cancer, genetic alterations, genomic (chromosomal, microsatellite) instability metastasis and its biology, caspase cascades, molecular cross-talk, cell adhesion molecules and current literature on p53/CIN/how to induce neoplastic transformation in normal human cells/experimental techniques on how to study the mechanisms behind cancer. in the midst of exam preparation, i came to a realization as i flipped through page after page of experimental results on cancer genes: while i believe biomedical studies are essential for therapy breakthroughs and cures for human diseases, i know my interest does not lie within this field.
things to do (this holiday):
check out the 2nd generation casio-exilim pro f1 for pete (urgent!)
shop for pete's lucas/aileen gift with pete's slaves
decorations for christmas service on 21st december
bible class christmas party on boxing day
generate a new list of possible behaviour experiments for the clams (ahhh!)
analyze my geotrophism experiment photos (ahhh!)
update pete on experimental results (ahhh!)
settle receipt claims
botanical gardens picnic with the girls
plan ya cell group for the next few months with val
bbbaaakkkiiinnnggg (can't wait, esp. with my birthday cookie cutters!)
dinner with tioman team, and bake a thank-you-for-lying-for-me something for jeff
catch up with huiping, charmian, dennis,
check out mark's three t. maxima babies, and new tank
check out clam stocks at iwarma/coralfarm
weili's graduation card
let the brain and body relax in peace (by philippine beaches) for the first time in months
christmas is my most favouritest time of the year :) :) :)
12:12
07 August 2008
a change in the wind
prof. chou: so how's your "marine biology" project coming along?
me: haha! mmm...
to put it very simply:
yesterday, i was working on a freshwater honours project.
from today, i'll be working on a marine honours project.
some of you may have already heard about my struggle to reconcile my (now ex) freshwater project with my primary interest in marine biology, as well as my place in the marine biology lab. when i decided to join the freshwater gang back in may, i was at the point where i just wanted to take on any experimental project. my prof. (peter todd) and i had discussed earlier about other project ideas like crab behaviour, turtle research (which he claimed would be too 'glamourous' with all that need for licensing) and nation-wide conservation awareness survey - but we couldn't seem to settle on one, though he left the decision completely to me. so in the end, i sort of gave up thinking of marine related projects and agreed to slip into freshwater work. like the prof. said, it'd be novel material for publishing and working with a team has its perks. i never knew taking that step would lead pretty much downhill.
to put it very simply:
yesterday, i was working on a freshwater honours project.
from today, i'll be working on a marine honours project.
some of you may have already heard about my struggle to reconcile my (now ex) freshwater project with my primary interest in marine biology, as well as my place in the marine biology lab. when i decided to join the freshwater gang back in may, i was at the point where i just wanted to take on any experimental project. my prof. (peter todd) and i had discussed earlier about other project ideas like crab behaviour, turtle research (which he claimed would be too 'glamourous' with all that need for licensing) and nation-wide conservation awareness survey - but we couldn't seem to settle on one, though he left the decision completely to me. so in the end, i sort of gave up thinking of marine related projects and agreed to slip into freshwater work. like the prof. said, it'd be novel material for publishing and working with a team has its perks. i never knew taking that step would lead pretty much downhill.
trying to get my head around freshwater community ecology was my first big hurdle. convincing myself that i would eventually grasp esther's style of experimental design discussions was another mistake (esther's the post-doc in charge of the PUB-NUS freshwater project). also, i found myself struggling to explain to my friends (and myself) why i was doing freshwater stuff for my honours when i'm in the marine lab. after weeks of literature reading and futile attempts to develop my methodology, i unknowingly found myself losing motivation for my honours project. it's definitely not the nicest feeling around. the friday before the tioman field trip, i finally shared my dilemma with my prof., and it got him pretty concerned. he explored some marine-related project openings with me on the spot, but i told him that since i agreed to get on board the freshwater project, i won't jump ship and that it's probably just time i need to get back that motivation. that evening, while esther and i were talking about how i might want to shift my project focus away from being too technical with macrophyte fractal dimensions (which was another reason behind my dip in interest), i nearly started tearing. i guess the internal wall just cracked under the entire load of 'why in the world did i get myself into freshwater?!' feelings. the conclusion from that session was to just take a break and discuss the project again after tioman.
unexpected, my marine project at tioman turned out to be somewhat similar with the freshwater one in the sense that both involve studies how habitat influences community structure. so when i returned from that field trip and started getting my head back into developing a methodology for reservoir sampling, it felt like things were turning around. haha i don't know, maybe i was deceiving myself. in any case, if there was one word to describe where i was with my freshwater project, "stuck" would be perfect.
last thursday, my prof. opened up a God-send opportunity for me.
he asked (for the second time) if i'd be interested in working on a giant clam behaviour literature review as well as a few small experiments. wasn't quite what i expected when he said "can i a word with you?", but absolutely what i needed. and this resonates in the way God made my montreal sep work.
there'll be many moments in your life when you feel like you've no control of anything and the unexpected just keeps popping up, but these are also the moments that serve to remind you of our Creator - the writer of our lives, from beginning till end. God has only the best in mind for each and every one of us,. still, we sometimes question why things don't go our way, why we have to face the downs or why bad things happen. i don't think we will ever come to fully understand all that because God works in ways far beyond our imagination. i always remember this illustration i heard years back: for every piece of stitching, there are two sides, and the same goes for life. we see the messy threads that define the underside, but God is working on weaving our paths together to create a beautiful artwork - His bigger plan.
the evening i lost my nokia slide (and squishy) was a wet one. in the midst of the tears, i was reminded of other unpleasant experiences that have taken place during this summer holidays: losing karenne's underwater camera at tioman and being stuck with freshwater. whywhywhy?? but before i ended up wallowing in them, God placed a few things on my heart:
You give, and take away,
but my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name.
You are the writer of my life,
You know what's best for me,
and there's nothing more i can do
but to humbly admit that i'm not the one in control.
all things work for our good,
though sometimes we can't see how they could.
struggles that break our hearts in two,
sometimes blind us to the truth.
our Father knows what's best for us,
His ways are not our own,
so when you don't understand,
when you don't see His plan,
when you can't trace His hand,
trust His heart.
Jesus, take the wheel.
unexpected, my marine project at tioman turned out to be somewhat similar with the freshwater one in the sense that both involve studies how habitat influences community structure. so when i returned from that field trip and started getting my head back into developing a methodology for reservoir sampling, it felt like things were turning around. haha i don't know, maybe i was deceiving myself. in any case, if there was one word to describe where i was with my freshwater project, "stuck" would be perfect.
last thursday, my prof. opened up a God-send opportunity for me.
he asked (for the second time) if i'd be interested in working on a giant clam behaviour literature review as well as a few small experiments. wasn't quite what i expected when he said "can i a word with you?", but absolutely what i needed. and this resonates in the way God made my montreal sep work.
there'll be many moments in your life when you feel like you've no control of anything and the unexpected just keeps popping up, but these are also the moments that serve to remind you of our Creator - the writer of our lives, from beginning till end. God has only the best in mind for each and every one of us,. still, we sometimes question why things don't go our way, why we have to face the downs or why bad things happen. i don't think we will ever come to fully understand all that because God works in ways far beyond our imagination. i always remember this illustration i heard years back: for every piece of stitching, there are two sides, and the same goes for life. we see the messy threads that define the underside, but God is working on weaving our paths together to create a beautiful artwork - His bigger plan.
the evening i lost my nokia slide (and squishy) was a wet one. in the midst of the tears, i was reminded of other unpleasant experiences that have taken place during this summer holidays: losing karenne's underwater camera at tioman and being stuck with freshwater. whywhywhy?? but before i ended up wallowing in them, God placed a few things on my heart:
You give, and take away,
but my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name.
You are the writer of my life,
You know what's best for me,
and there's nothing more i can do
but to humbly admit that i'm not the one in control.
all things work for our good,
though sometimes we can't see how they could.
struggles that break our hearts in two,
sometimes blind us to the truth.
our Father knows what's best for us,
His ways are not our own,
so when you don't understand,
when you don't see His plan,
when you can't trace His hand,
trust His heart.
Jesus, take the wheel.
---------------------------------------------------
Project No:
08057
Title:
Giant clam behaviour
Giant clam behaviour
Area of Concentration:
BIO
Description:
Behaviour is not usually a word associated with giant clams, yet they display a range of activities from movement and aggregration to anti-predator responses as adults plus various other behaviours as larvae.
Objectives:
1) Review the literature on giant clam behaviour.
2) Fill in gaps in knowledge through experimental work on both larvae and adults.
References:
Huang, D., Todd, P.A. and Guest, J.R. (2007) Locomotion and aggregation in the fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa L.). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 342: 269–281. Han, L., Todd, P.A., Chou, L.M., Yap, V.B. and Sivalonganathan, B. (2008) The defensive role of scutes in juvenile fluted giant clams (Tridacna squamosa). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 359: 77–83.
BIO
Description:
Behaviour is not usually a word associated with giant clams, yet they display a range of activities from movement and aggregration to anti-predator responses as adults plus various other behaviours as larvae.
Objectives:
1) Review the literature on giant clam behaviour.
2) Fill in gaps in knowledge through experimental work on both larvae and adults.
References:
Huang, D., Todd, P.A. and Guest, J.R. (2007) Locomotion and aggregation in the fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa L.). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 342: 269–281. Han, L., Todd, P.A., Chou, L.M., Yap, V.B. and Sivalonganathan, B. (2008) The defensive role of scutes in juvenile fluted giant clams (Tridacna squamosa). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 359: 77–83.