Skin cancer found in fish, for the first time

 

For the first time, a case of widespread skin cancer has been identified in the wild marine life. These are called as "RAMBO FISH" by the local fishermen; their scarred and blackened skin makes them look as if they have survived wars.

These species called coral trout, found on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, were brought to the attention of Dr.Michael Sweet at the University of Newcastle in the UK last year.

Dr.Sweet and his colleagues after a collaborative study ruled out the speculations of any fungal disease and said that the black scars, which look like human melanomas, are in fact the symptoms of skin cancer. Of the 136 fish sampled, 20 (15%) showed dark lesions on the skin .


Source: New Scientist
Image Source: MSNBC

A letter by Late Smt. Indira Gandhi on Environment

By:

Smt. Indira Gandhi
(late Prime Minister of India)
Plenary Session of United Nations Conference on Human Environment
Stockholm 14th June, 1972

It is indeed an honor to address this Conference-in itself a fresh expression of the spirit which created the United Nations-concern for the present and future welfare of humanity. It does not aim merely at securing limited agreements but at establishing peace and harmony in life-among all races and with Nature. This gathering represents man's earnest endeavour to understand his own condition and to prolong his tenancy of this planet. A vast amount of detailed preparatory work has gone into the convening of this Conference guided by the dynamic personality of Mr. Maurice Strong the Secretary General.

I have had the good fortune of growing up with a sense of kinship with nature in all its manifestations. Birds, plants, stones were companions and, sleeping under the star-strewn sky, I became familiar with the names and movements of the constellations. But my deep interest in this our `only earth' was not for itself but as a fit home for man. 

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Man and His Environment

Every year millions of people flock to the sandy beaches of Florida in hopes of surf, sun and fun.  The things that one can do at the beach are almost unlimited: picnicking, touring the ocean on a motor boat, fishing, snorkeling, or just playing games on the beach. Amidst all the fun it is hard to think about the effects this has on the environment.  Even the simplest picnic is problematic to the ecosystem; there is almost always litter left behind, either accidentally or purposely.  With a high gust of wind a sandwich bag could fall into the water and pose a threat to wildlife.  Eighty percent of all marine pollution comes from human activities on land.  According to Scholastic Update, five major sources of ocean pollution are: runoff from land 44%, air pollution 33%, shipping 12%, dumping wastes 10%, offshore oil production 1%.

A prime example of this would be human impact on the loggerhead sea turtle which may mistake a sandwich bag for a jellyfish, one of their primary sources of food, and try to eat it.  Upon ingestion, however, the turtle may choke and die. 

Man and Environment

By Asst. Dr. Nantana Gajaseni 


Life = biosystems organized by interactions between biological components interacting with physical environments, and become a unified whole with capacity to maintain homeostasis and self-perpetuation

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