A new species of tree has been documented in the forests of Southern Belize.

Parasenegalia lundellii (family: Fabaceae) was discovered by plant ecologist Steven Brewer in the pristine Bladen Nature Reserve, which is co-managed by Ya’axché Conservation Trust.

The new species is found in semi-evergreen tropical forests and is restricted to rugged limestone ridges and slopes such as those of the Maya Mountains.

lundellii was first collected by Dr. Brewer in 2002. Recent taxonomic revisions have confirmed that the tree is indeed a species new to science.

Fewer than 10 other individuals of the species have been documented in Belize and Guatemala, implying that the species could be threatened due to its rareness.

In Belize, P. lundellii has been found in the Bladen Nature Reserve, Columbia River Forest Reserve, and Golden Stream Corridor Preserve. This nitrogen-fixing tree is in the same family as rosewood and bri-bri.

Representatives of the species are up to 12 meters tall, with shallowly ridged brown bark. It can be identified from a similar tree known locally as palli by its wide fruit pods and small leaflets that lack stipules.

The species is named in honor of botanist Cyrus Lundell, who first studied chicle in Belize in the 1920’s.

Ya’axché Conservation Trust has been empowering communities and conserving wildlife in southern Belize since 1998. Much of the organization’s effort has focused on researching and protecting tropical broadleaf forests in Toledo. lundellii is the third new tree species to be confirmed in Ya’axché’s reserves in the last year, which is a reflection of the high plant diversity of Toledo forests and indicates the importance of continued research and conservation of these unique ecosystems.

Source: BelizeHub

Images Courtesy: Steven Brewer

International Archeology Day is celebrated on October 21st – that is this Saturday but the Institute of Archeology is commemorating this day with a week of activities. The overall purpose is to recognize the important role archeology plays in our history. Dr. Allan Moore told us more about this observance.

Dr. Allan Moore, Associate Director, Institute of Archeology, NICH
“We decided hey! Why not put it into an archeological week and extend it. Unfortunately not everyone could be involved in this week and for it to be meaningful and kinda get something out of it we decided to take two, three venues, we tried Dangriga but we have postponed that until after so tomorrow we start at Banquitas.”

“Banquitas is in Orange Walk right so they are highlighting a number of what is happening in Orange walk in terms of the history, the culture etc. etc. so we will kinda of support that and augment that with some of the local archeology you know the Quello, the Noh Nul and the Cacabish and the what have you and to show them and highlight what they have in their district. We will have a series of lectures and some exhibits and stuff like that, tomorrow in Banquitas and on Wednesday. On Wednesday evening we pack up and we go to the cayes, we normally don’t go to the cayes but we have to realize and we have to make these guys realize that it is not only the Marco Gonzalez site that they have, they have quite a number of sites out there that they should be aware of that is contributing to their history, their pre-history.”

“It is all about letting us know what we have and let us learn to appreciate it to help us preserve it so that you and I may die but that may continue to going on for your children.”

A series of lectures will also be held on San Pedro.

Source: Channel 7

*Press Release*

After 5 years of scientific research, Keisha Melodi McSweeney has achieved the highest academic degree, a Doctorate of Philosophy in Genetics and Genomics. On Monday, August 21, Dr. McSweeney successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Microelectrode array modeling of genetic neurological disorders in the era of next generation sequencing” to a panel of six accomplished and celebrated scientists at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. McSweeney completed her thesis research in the lab of pioneering human geneticist, Dr. David Goldstein. In his introduction of Dr. McSweeney’s dissertation, Dr. Goldstein remarked that her courage to undertake functional biology in neuroscience, in a genetics lab, shifted the direction of the research in the group from finding mutations that cause diseases, to working out how those mutations cause disease.

Dr. McSweeney’s research now provides a framework for the evaluation of genetic variations that cause neurological disorders and has revealed new insights into the role of neuronal excitability in the development of epilepsy. Keisha McSweeney and her twin sister, Krystal McSweeney-Rosalez, M.S.W., graduated from Belize Elementary School, Saint Catherine Academy, and St. John’s College Junior College before migrating to the USA in 2008 where they completed their undergraduate degrees at Loyola University in Chicago.

As Krystal completed her Master’s degree in Social Work in 2011, Keisha Melodi began research in the Human Genetics department at the University of Michigan where she developed a deeper appreciation for the role of scientific research in combating debilitating human conditions. She later accepted an offer to pursue research and a Ph.D in genetics at Duke University in 2012.

Since then, her work has taken her to Japan, Scotland, England and various locations in the US where she has presented her findings to the scientific community and to families of individuals with debilitating diseases. In September of 2016 her paper, “Inhibition of microRNA 128 promotes excitability of cultural cortical neuronal networks” was published in the Genome Research (Vol 26, No 10) a leading scientific journal published in the USA. Dr. McSweeney is now pursuing postdoctoral research at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

*END*

Belize’s very own Verge of Umbra participated at Wacken 2017.

On Friday,  August 4, 2017, Metal Battle winners were chosen from among almost 30 nations who participated in the finale at Waken 2017.

From Germany to Iceland and from Argentina to the USA – 28 Bands from several countries arrived at Wacken to show the audience, as well as the judges, what they were made of and to get a spot on the winners podium. The finalistes were awarded with amazing money- and endorsement prizes.

Here are the winners:
1st Place – Jet Jaguar from Mexico
2nd Place E-An-Na from Romania
3rd Place – Infernum from the Netherlands
4th Place – Une Misere from Iceland
5th Place – Stengah from France
6th Place – Verge of Umbra from Belize

Congratulations Verge of Umbra, you’ve done us proud!

Follow Verge of Umbra on Facebook.

According to a recent assessment unveiled by UNESCO, World Heritage coral reefs, which include the Belize barrier reef system — still on the list of World Heritage sites in danger — are likely to disappear by 2100 unless carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are drastically reduced.

Countries with responsibility over World Heritage-listed coral reefs should adopt ambitious climate change targets, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions to levels that would keep global temperature increases to just 1.5°C, said UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre (WHC), a UN agency responsible for overseeing World Heritage sites.

The WHC released the first global scientific assessment of climate change impacts on World Heritage coral reefs, highlighting the devastating outcomes that are likely to arise due to escalating ocean temperatures.

In the past three years alone, soaring ocean temperatures have subjected 21 of 29 World Heritage reefs to severe and/or repeated heat stress, and caused some of the worst bleaching ever observed at iconic sites like the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Papahânaumokuâkea (USA), the Lagoons of New Caledonia (France) and Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles).

Belize was among these adversely impacted places, and furthermore, in just about a decade, it is projected that it could be adversely impacted again by severe heat stress.

“The analysis predicts that all 29 coral-containing World Heritage sites would cease to exist as functioning coral reef ecosystems by the end of this century under a business-as-usual emissions scenario,” said UNESCO’s WHC in discussing the report.

It explains that, “Bleaching is a stress response that causes coral animals to expel the microscopic algae (zooxanthellae) whose photosynthesis provides the energy needed to build three-dimensional reef structures. Mass bleaching is caused by rising water temperatures associated with climate change. It only takes a spike of 1-2°C to cause bleaching, and carbon emissions have caused a 1°C increase in global surface temperature since pre-industrial times. This effect has been magnified by strong El Niño and La Niña events. Ocean acidification caused by dissolved atmospheric CO2 weakens corals further.”

“The 29 globally significant coral reefs on UNESCO’s World Heritage List are facing existential threats, and their loss would be devastating ecologically and economically,” Dr. Mechtild Rossler, Director of the World Heritage Centre, is quoted as saying.

“These rainforests of the sea protect coastal communities from flooding and erosion, sustain fishing and tourism businesses, and host a stunning array of marine life,” Rossler explained.

The Belize Barrier Reef system is both economically and ecologically invaluable, and it is prized as an underpinning resource for two of the country’s economic pillars: fisheries and tourism. Furthermore, it has provided protection for the country in buffering the adverse impacts of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes.

The Belize Barrier Reef system is a phenomenal natural asset, the largest such reef system in this Western Hemisphere, and the biggest portion of what is described as the Meso-American Reef System.

According to the WHC, “The social, cultural and economic value of coral reefs is estimated at US$1 trillion. Recent projections indicate that climate-related loss of reef ecosystem services will total US$500 billion per year or more by 2100, with the greatest impacts felt by people who rely on reefs for day-to-day subsistence.”

The assessment was developed with satellite data from the United States National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch and received the support from the French Agency for Biodiversity (Agency Française pour la Biodiversité).

Source: Amandala

Lieutenant Almita Pinelo of the Belize Coast Guard is the first female ever to attend and graduate from the Universidad Naval, Centro de Studios Superiors Navales (Naval University) in Mexico City in the course of Especialidad de Mando Naval’ (Naval Command Specialty). Almita graduated from a 6-month course along with 81 other male naval officers.

“The last three weeks have been so essential and important to my career as a woman in the military,” stated Almita Pinelo in a Facebook Post. She had the honor of being nominated by the William J. Perry Center For Hemispheric Defense Studies to represent Belize as a panelist under the topic of Inclusive Security.

Almita Pinelo representing in Antigua

“Anyone that knows me is well aware of my passion for equal and equitable rights in Belize’s military. Needless to say it I was quite the honor to present such a topic to partner nations during the seminar in Antigua. I also received the directors challenge coin for my presentation that day!”

From Antigua, Almita headed to Mexico City to graduate from their naval university. She completed a junior level staff course that covers different modules in administration, doctrine of tactics and tactics and operations planning.

“For junior officers this is really just a check in the box for our careers but for me it was extra special,” stated Almita. “Not only did I create a bond and friendship with many Mexican naval officers but I was THE FIRST female to ever attend and graduate from the course. I know now I can say at least once I’ve made history.”

“I wish I would have taken more pics, but I tend to live and cherish the moment instead.”

Congratulations Almita Pinelo, you make San Pedro and your country Belize so proud!

Source: Ambergris Today