Aroma Pets

Giant mussels found in UK waters under threat due to conservation ‘failures’

A species of large mollusc could be at risk due to unprotected areas of the sea near its bed, a new study has found.

Marine Scotland:Horse mussels have been known to be in decline since the 1990s

Measuring up to 20cm in length, horse mussel can live for several decades and are found mainly around the north of the British Isles.

Marine experts have described their beds as “biodiversity hotspots”, providing foundations for soft corals and barnacles, as well as shelter for many small sea creatures and habitat for shellfish.

Their decline has been known about since the 1990s, and marine protected areas (MPAs) were introduced to protect their numbers.

But a new study by scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh shows the species is at risk due to a “failure” to consider gaps between protected areas of the sea where their beds lie.

Dr Jo Porter, based at Heriot-Watt’s Orkney campus, worked alongside a team of scientists and researchers to sample horse mussel beds around Scotland and analyse their DNA.

She said: “We wanted to find out whether these areas are actually doing their job of protecting the horse mussels and how they operate as a network.

“This is especially important because, like many protected marine species, the larvae spend time travelling in the plankton before they settle. 

5 spring flowers that are poisonous to dogs

Every gardener dreams of spring colours in abundance, but the toxicity in many common flowers found across the UK could make your dog ill. From sunshine-yellow daffodils to beautiful bluebells, ensure you keep your pups from nibbling on these spring flowers and their bulbs.

'It's important to be aware of the flowers and bulbs which could prove to be poisonous or toxic to dogs in order to keep them safe in the garden, or on walks, especially now that spring is upon us,' Shannon Keary, Digital PR Manager at Canine Cottages, says.

Do remember that if your pet does manage to eat a plant or flower that is known to be toxic, call your vet while getting ready to take your dog directly to them. If you are too far from your local vet, look one up located close to where you are and let them know you're on your way.

Take a look at the popular spring flowers that are poisonous to dogs: 

Reference: House Beautiful:  Lisa Joyner

Why are free range eggs unavailable in UK? Bird flu rules and meaning of barn eggs explained

Free-range eggs will go missing from supermarket shelves from Monday after government vets warned farmers to keep their hens indoors amid a spike in bird flu cases.

In December the UK’s chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss ordered poultry keepers to keep all their birds housed inside following the “largest-ever outbreak of bird flu”, with more than sixty cases confirmed across Britain since the start of November.

With further outbreaks, this order to keep birds indoors has been extended, which means eggs usually sold as free-range must now be classed as “barn eggs” as hens remain unable to go outside.

The labelling changes are required by law, which states that eggs cannot be described as free-range if hens are housed for more than 16 weeks.

The British Egg Industry Council said it supports the Government’s decision.

Mark Williams, chief executive, said: “Free-range farmers love to see their hens enjoying the outdoors and exploring the range. However, we need to ensure that it’s safe before they venture outside and hopefully it will only be a very short period before they can do so again.”

Each pack of usually free range products will be marked with the words ‘barn eggs’ and the identifying number printed on each egg will change, starting with a number 2 to signal to shoppers that it is a barn egg.

Mr Williams added: “We undertook research that showed consumers want to support free range hens and free range farmers. Marking free range packs and eggs temporarily as Barn is not only the practical solution, but it also means consumers can continue to buy eggs from free range hens, albeit temporarily housed, while farmers can ensure the hens are safe and well.”

The Food Standards Agency has said that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk to consumers, and “it does not affect the consumption of poultry or eggs”.

The National Farmers’ Union’s chief poultry adviser, Aimee Mahony, told the Guardian that “once the risk levels have reduced and the housing measures have been lifted by Defra, birds will be able to go outside again.” 

Dodo could be brought back from extinction

he dodo could be brought back from extinction in a new experiment.

Researchers have been successfully able to map the gene sequence of the flightless bird after years of failed attempts.

Professor Beth Shapiro, from the University of California, said: "The dodo genome is entirely sequenced because we sequenced it.

"It's not been published yet but it does exist and we're working on it right now."

Shapiro did warn that it will not be easy to bring the bird back to life again and said the cloning may be the dodo's best hope.

She explained: "The way we can do this is to clone it, the same approach that was used to create Dolly the Sheep. But we don't know how to do that with birds because of the intricacies of their reproductive pathways.

"There are groups working on different approaches for doing that and I have little doubt that we are going to get there eventually."