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Fish Changes Colors When Detecting Pollution
Ant writes: "Say goodbye to Birkenstock sandals and woolly jumpers -- tomorrow's eco-warrior will like nothing better than swimming naked in defense of
cleaner oceans.
That, at least, is the hope of researchers in Singapore, who are
developing a breed of fish capable of detecting water pollutants by
changing color."
If you ask me, this is a superb idea, as long as the fish can survive in the waters you release them.
Basically, this isn't harming anyone or anything. The fish have been manipulated once, and have very little advantage over other fish in the water. In fact, they probably have no advantage, being that they aren't conscious enough to realize that they're changing color in a certain amount of pollutant.
However, if we're releasing fish into waters they'll surely die just to see, visually, on their new color coded scales, that they'll die... I think that's wrong.
I disagree with the dude who said he was a fish breeder and that he doesn't understand how we evil humans can be altering nature to better suit us. He goes so far as to suggest genetic experiments on humans. Counterpoint: This is an operation useful to human society AND ecological wellbeing, as once the fish in the water can show us where the water is polluted, they can also show us where we need to direct cleaning and research.
Genetic Engineering is one of the most useful and dangerous sciences of our times. Everything with a purpose is dangerous - we just need to be careful.
this is not something that needs to be created/solved through bioengineering. There are many, *many* plants called phytoindicators that change in response to environmental factors. Chinese Maple is a good example, whose leaves change from maroon to green in the presence of lots of nitrogen in the soil. You'll find this a lot when someoen has then in their garden and the fertilize with an artificial fertilizer which doe slittle but burn the soil.....
this is all 'old knowledge' - as in ~6000+ yr and started mostly with the natives of the American continents. It's a shame that this part of the world seems to be mostly ignored
-shpoffo
Just wanted to add a comment on the use of fish in testing water. When discharging waste water, whether from municipal or industrial treatment plants, there are requirements that certain types of tests be performed.
These assays are designed to measure some specific parameter or contaminant in the water, using the usual techniques of analytical chemistry.
However, after testing for specific contaminants, some facilities will then do a "canary in a coal mine" assay, rearing fish in the water to check for overall health. The species used might vary, but will usually be commercially available fish that can breed easily in captivity, so many kinds of common aquarium fish are used, of which the zebrafish is one example. Another bonus of using zebrafish is that the this species of fish is considered a "standard" laboratory animal, like rats and mice, and so the genetics and physiology of the fish has been studied in detail.
Rather than releasing these fish into the wild, I got the impression that these genetically engineered fish would be used to augment this last type of testing in the laboratory, since the fluorescent indicators could be linked to more specific indicators of some aspect of the fish's health.
Obviously you know less about fish as many freshwater fish CAN survive in brackish water and saltwater. Zebra fish are very hardy fish and it is posible that they escape into streams. ,P>Boy didn't any of you people see that sci fi movie where the genitically created bugs that were not supposed to be able to multiply mutated and took over the sewer. I think it was called mimic?? What about the whole theme in Jurasic park, nature will find away. Boy you people are just stupid.
Only 'flamers' flame!
You're the one that's stupid.
1) Oscars are not native to Florida, but because som many have been released or 'flushed' they are now on the Florida fishing tables. Pick one up stupid.
2) Piranas are not allowed in teh US for the reason that they may take over a stream. FACT, stupid!
3) Guppies, and other livebearers have been released to help control algae in some areas. The result is that their fast reproduction causes the ecological balance to shift and natural species disappear.
There are probably dozons of other examples that people could come up with. The movies are not totally off the mark.
Who are you play 'God'?
Did you know that many of the steroids that we feed our livestock suck as cattle steroids to make them larger, beefer, and produce more milk are probably causing people to be more alergic to milk, people to be more aggressive and causing some of the other problems we are having????
I guess natures cows and fish aren't god enough for you you need to make them bigger. Hmm FYI, there are other movies out side of Jurassic park, like Pirannas, Shark Attack, and probably many others. Since you probably wont get the point of any of these movies, I'll tell you.
The point is that no one seems to care weather or not we SHOULD be doing this and is only interested in weather we CAN do this.
Only 'flamers' flame!
First, let me say that I don't really believe in the evils of transgenic manipulation; I fully feel that this is a technology that has its place in the world and will be fundamental to how humanity copes with growing populations in the future.
However, the article says: The Singapore team is working toward producing fish that give off a different-colored glow depending on water temperature, which may lead to using fluorescent fish as temperature indicators.
Wow. They're going to replace a common, cheap, nondestructive technology (thermometers) with living beings. This kind of meddling strikes me as particularly naive; doing science for science's sake with no attention paid to consequences. I really don't see the benefit of this; it strikes me as particularly mad scientist and unethical. Am I out in left-field, or does anyone else agree?
I am disrespectful to dirt! Can you see that I am serious?!
Oh and are you sure they are piranha that you are seeing and not pacu? They are in the same family.
Only 'flamers' flame!