Wallace Coffee Talks - Autumn 2019
24 September - 1pm - Zoology Museum
Harboring aliens: Ports as habitats for non-native species.
Invasive non-native species (INNS) can pose a significant threat to native ecosystems, altering ecosystem services and having a wider impact economically. Ports are frequently at the center of research into aquatic INNS and are often described as ‘hotspots’ for INNS due to links to the global maritime trade industry. Environmental conditions can, however, differ greatly between ports, including ports that are local to one another, meaning communities will often be highly varied from port to port. Continued efforts to monitor port communities are therefore paramount in documenting the introduction, spread and overall distribution of INNS within Wales. The main aim of the current research project, working closely with Associated British Ports (ABP), is to develop an understanding of fouling communities present within five ports in the South Wales region (Newport, Cardiff, Barry, Port Talbot and Swansea), paying particular interest to any INNS present. This presentation will cover some of the reasons why this PhD research project is so important, some of the progress made so far in field surveys as well as a few preliminary findings, focusing on non-native species.
The multiple dimensions of biodiversity – human interest relationships
Activities involving observation of wild organisms (e.g. wildlife watching, tidepooling) can provide recreational and learning opportunities, with biologically diverse animal assemblages expected to be more stimulating to humans. Here we explore whether having more animals in an ecosystem that we can view really does drive more human interest, and if so what is it about more diverse communities that we find so interesting?
The multiple dimensions of biodiversity – human interest relationships
Activities involving observation of wild organisms (e.g. wildlife watching, tidepooling) can provide recreational and learning opportunities, with biologically diverse animal assemblages expected to be more stimulating to humans. Here we explore whether having more animals in an ecosystem that we can view really does drive more human interest, and if so what is it about more diverse communities that we find so interesting?
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