Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

For those out there encountering catfishes in the wild, post your experiences here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jools
Expert
Posts: 15969
Joined: 30 Dec 2002, 15:25
My articles: 197
My images: 943
My catfish: 238
My cats species list: 87 (i:13, k:1)
My BLogs: 7 (i:7, p:202)
My Wishlist: 23
Spotted: 446
Location 1: Middle Earth,
Location 2: Scotland
Interests: All things aquatic, Sci-Fi, photography and travel. Oh, and beer.
Contact:

Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by Jools »

During my trip there last year, I witnessed first hand the work Pablo, Margaret and Oliver did using drones to survey many areas of the river. Oliver and Margaret are due to return this week and are releasing some preview videos etc which I will post here.

The Fish + Forest Project based out of McGill University in Montreal, Canada was created to look at the disappearing habitat of endemic species all over the world. They have a special focus on highly endemic fishes, as they are easily affected by human encroachment, deforestation, mining, agriculture and global warming. Using remote sensing and geographic information systems we can track forest and aquatic habitat changes over time, and visualize how habitat is shrinking or disappearing completely.

Besides larger global studies, they focus on rare and well known species all over the world to show the plight of their habitats as individual case studies.



Their website provides more in terms of background;
Fish + Forest Project wrote:A river in peril - the Rio Xingú rapids

The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, the second largest hydroelectric project on the planet, will significantly change the Xingú river, using up to 80% of its water to power the turbines, significantly reducing the flow of one of Brazil’s most diverse and spectacular rivers. Rheophile fish species, especially catfishes of the family Loricaridae, found only in the rapids of the Rio Xingú may not survive the human encroachment to their habitat. Sciencists have not yet described many of the endemic species already under threat in the river. How will the mega-project affect the river’s ecosystem, and the forests along the banks?

Many of the river’s endemic species such as , , , , , and many others now face a significant loss of habitat, with the looming threat of extinction for those species found only below the dam, or in the flooded reservoir above it.

Vast sections, including 400 km2 of untouched forest in the region will be lost in the initial stage of construction alone. INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia) calculated that during its first 10 years, the Belo Monte-Babaquara dam complex will emit 11.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (CDE) and nearly an additional tonne CDE during the construction phase.

Using satellite images and data collected on the ground we plan to track the change and how it is affecting the river.
User avatar
Jools
Expert
Posts: 15969
Joined: 30 Dec 2002, 15:25
My articles: 197
My images: 943
My catfish: 238
My cats species list: 87 (i:13, k:1)
My BLogs: 7 (i:7, p:202)
My Wishlist: 23
Spotted: 446
Location 1: Middle Earth,
Location 2: Scotland
Interests: All things aquatic, Sci-Fi, photography and travel. Oh, and beer.
Contact:

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by Jools »

There will also been a opportunity for a live Q&A session, more details to be posted here,

Jools
fishandforest
Posts: 7
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 14:13
Location 1: Xingu River
Location 2: Brazil

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by fishandforest »

Join us today at noon EST for our live broadcast from the Xingu River. The broadcast can be seen on Youtube via the amazonbelowwater channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBDvE ... 6qJDnY2F7Q ), the Fish and Forest Facebook Group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/fishandforest/ ) or http://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-an ... ng=default

The footage will also be archived at: http://sciencelive.geog.mcgill.ca
User avatar
Jools
Expert
Posts: 15969
Joined: 30 Dec 2002, 15:25
My articles: 197
My images: 943
My catfish: 238
My cats species list: 87 (i:13, k:1)
My BLogs: 7 (i:7, p:202)
My Wishlist: 23
Spotted: 446
Location 1: Middle Earth,
Location 2: Scotland
Interests: All things aquatic, Sci-Fi, photography and travel. Oh, and beer.
Contact:

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by Jools »

That's 5pm in the UK folks!

Jools
User avatar
TwoTankAmin
Posts: 1471
Joined: 24 Apr 2008, 23:26
I've donated: $4038.00!
My cats species list: 6 (i:0, k:0)
My BLogs: 2 (i:0, p:48)
Location 1: USA
Location 2: Mt. Kisco, NY
Interests: Fish and Poker

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by TwoTankAmin »

Is this running? I am at the youtube link above and all I see is: "Please stand by. Starting Soon..." It is now 12:09 pm and it should have started at noon.
No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anonymous
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”" Daniel Patrick Moynihan
"The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
fishandforest
Posts: 7
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 14:13
Location 1: Xingu River
Location 2: Brazil

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by fishandforest »

Here is the permanent link:
https://youtu.be/PgVbhYvxLXU
fishandforest
Posts: 7
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 14:13
Location 1: Xingu River
Location 2: Brazil

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by fishandforest »

The live flight with the UAV is on Facebook in the Fish and Forest Group.
User avatar
TwoTankAmin
Posts: 1471
Joined: 24 Apr 2008, 23:26
I've donated: $4038.00!
My cats species list: 6 (i:0, k:0)
My BLogs: 2 (i:0, p:48)
Location 1: USA
Location 2: Mt. Kisco, NY
Interests: Fish and Poker

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by TwoTankAmin »

@fishandforest
That link you provided above I watched before when the live vid did not load? I was looking for the live event which I could not access no matter which of the potential links you posted above. I tried them. (The FB one was useless for me as all I got was a request to log on.)

I am not on Facebook or Twitter nor am I registered with Google. So if something is not available without such a membership, I cannot access it.
No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anonymous
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”" Daniel Patrick Moynihan
"The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
fishandforest
Posts: 7
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 14:13
Location 1: Xingu River
Location 2: Brazil

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by fishandforest »

Hi,

Here is the link to watch the live flight on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gC525tuP-u8 Thanks for letting us know about the issue. We had planned to post entirely to YouTube but the live encoder from the UAV for YouTube has stopped working after the latest software update.

We will post a high definition video from the breeding facility in at the U. of Para, Altamira later today - tomorrow at the latest on YouTube, with a link to it here.
User avatar
jac
Posts: 1224
Joined: 19 Apr 2008, 13:56
My articles: 3
My images: 71
My cats species list: 82 (i:0, k:26)
My BLogs: 15 (i:16, p:755)
Spotted: 43
Location 1: Ede
Location 2: Holland
Interests: Fish of all types but mostly Loricariidae, Callichthyidae and Auchenipteridae. My awesome dogs and walking through nature and taking pictures.

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by jac »

I have been watching the great and inspiring video's on this Facebook page this morning. Thank you very much for sharing and keep up the good work :-BD
Every great achievement begins with a dream ;-)
User avatar
naturalart
Posts: 724
Joined: 07 Jan 2006, 05:38
I've donated: $45.00!
My images: 3
My cats species list: 37 (i:18, k:10)
My aquaria list: 6 (i:3)
My Wishlist: 3
Spotted: 14
Location 1: Oakland
Location 2: California
Interests: catfish, nature

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by naturalart »

This work is soo important. Hats off to the "Fish + Forest Project!!
fishandforest
Posts: 7
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 14:13
Location 1: Xingu River
Location 2: Brazil

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by fishandforest »

Hi Everyone,

Here is a link to the higher quality full video tour given by Dr. Melo do Sousa of the Xingu fish breeding facility at the U. Para, Altamira. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/eJlSBUkt5wo
User avatar
TwoTankAmin
Posts: 1471
Joined: 24 Apr 2008, 23:26
I've donated: $4038.00!
My cats species list: 6 (i:0, k:0)
My BLogs: 2 (i:0, p:48)
Location 1: USA
Location 2: Mt. Kisco, NY
Interests: Fish and Poker

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by TwoTankAmin »

@fishandforest
Thanks for posting that link. In the course of watching it I got the answer to a question I have wondered about but never really found an answer to until now. When the vid came to the zebra pleco tank he indicated the ideal sex ratio for breeding zebras is 2 fm for every male.
No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anonymous
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”" Daniel Patrick Moynihan
"The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
User avatar
naturalart
Posts: 724
Joined: 07 Jan 2006, 05:38
I've donated: $45.00!
My images: 3
My cats species list: 37 (i:18, k:10)
My aquaria list: 6 (i:3)
My Wishlist: 3
Spotted: 14
Location 1: Oakland
Location 2: California
Interests: catfish, nature

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by naturalart »

So happy that the university is doing something. Really feel for those killifishes, Fish without a home.
fishandforest
Posts: 7
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 14:13
Location 1: Xingu River
Location 2: Brazil

Re: Rio Xingu: Fish + Forest Project

Post by fishandforest »

Thank you everyone for the positive response to our project!
We've posted an interactive 3D model of one of the areas we mapped with the UAV (use your mouse to zoom and navigate the model) :http://arls3d.geog.mcgill.ca/potree/exa ... orest.html

Enjoy!
Post Reply

Return to “Travellers note book”