Cyborg – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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A cyborg, short for "cybernetic organism", is a being with both organic and artificial parts. See for example biomaterials and bioelectronics. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space.[1] D. S. Halacy's Cyborg: Evolution of the Superman in 1965 featured an introduction which spoke of a "new frontier" that was "not merely space, but more profoundly the relationship between 'inner space' to 'outer space' a bridge...between mind and matter."[2]

The beginning of Cyborg creation began when HCI (human-computer interaction) began. There is a clear distinction between the human and computerized technology in HCI, which differs from cyborgs in that cyborgs act out human functions.

The term cyborg is often applied to an organism that has enhanced abilities due to technology,[3] though this perhaps oversimplifies the necessity of feedback for regulating the subsystem. The more strict definition of Cyborg is almost always considered as increasing or enhancing normal capabilities. While cyborgs are commonly thought of as mammals, they might also conceivably be any kind of organism and the term "Cybernetic organism" has been applied to networks, such as road systems, corporations and governments, which have been classed as such. The term can also apply to micro-organisms which are modified to perform at higher levels than their unmodified counterparts. It is hypothesized that cyborg technology will form a part of the future human evolution.

Fictional cyborgs are portrayed as a synthesis of organic and synthetic parts, and frequently pose the question of difference between human and machine as one concerned with morality, free will, and empathy. Fictional cyborgs may be represented as visibly mechanical (e.g. the Cybermen in the Doctor Who franchise or The Borg from Star Trek); or as almost indistinguishable from humans (e.g. the Terminators from the Terminator films, the "Human" Cylons from the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica etc.) The 1970s television series The Six Million Dollar Man featured one of the most famous fictional cyborgs, referred to as a bionic man; the series was based upon a novel by Martin Caidin titled Cyborg. Cyborgs in fiction often play up a human contempt for over-dependence on technology, particularly when used for war, and when used in ways that seem to threaten free will. Cyborgs are also often portrayed with physical or mental abilities far exceeding a human counterpart (military forms may have inbuilt weapons, among other things).

According to some definitions of the term, the metaphysical and physical attachments humanity has with even the most basic technologies have already made them cyborgs.[4] In a typical example, a human fitted with a heart pacemaker or an insulin pump (if the person has diabetes) might be considered a cyborg, since these mechanical parts enhance the body's "natural" mechanisms through synthetic feedback mechanisms. Some theorists cite such modifications as contact lenses, hearing aids, or intraocular lenses as examples of fitting humans with technology to enhance their biological capabilities; however, these modifications are as cybernetic as a pen or a wooden leg. Implants, especially cochlear implants, that combine mechanical modification with any kind of feedback response are more accurately cyborg enhancements.

The term is also used to address human-technology mixtures in the abstract. This includes not only commonly used pieces of technology such as phones, computers, the Internet, etc. but also artifacts that may not popularly be considered technology; for example, pen and paper, and speech and language. Augmented with these technologies, and connected in communication with people in other times and places, a person becomes capable of much more than they were before. This is like computers, which gain power by using Internet protocols to connect with other computers. Cybernetic technologies include highways, pipes, electrical wiring, buildings, electrical plants, libraries, and other infrastructure that we hardly notice, but which are critical parts of the cybernetics that we work within.

Bruce Sterling in his universe of Shaper/Mechanist suggested an idea of alternative cyborg called Lobster, which is made not by using internal implants, but by using an external shell (e.g. a Powered Exoskeleton).[5] Unlike human cyborgs that appear human externally while being synthetic internally, a Lobster looks inhuman externally but contains a human internally. The computer game Deus Ex: Invisible War prominently featured cyborgs called Omar, where "Omar" is a Russian translation of the word "Lobster" (since the Omar are of Russian origin in the game).

The concept of a man-machine mixture was widespread in science fiction before World War II. As early as 1843, Edgar Allan Poe described a man with extensive prostheses in the short story "The Man That Was Used Up". In 1908, Jean de la Hire introduced Nyctalope (perhaps the first true superhero was also the first literary cyborg) in the novel L'Homme Qui Peut Vivre Dans L'eau (The Man Who Can Live in the Water). Edmond Hamilton presented space explorers with a mixture of organic and machine parts in his novel The Comet Doom in 1928. He later featured the talking, living brain of an old scientist, Simon Wright, floating around in a transparent case, in all the adventures of his famous hero, Captain Future. He uses the term explicitly in the 1962 short story, "After a Judgment Day," to describe the "mechanical analogs" called "Charlies," explaining that "[c]yborgs, they had been called from the first one in the 1960s...cybernetic organisms." In the short story "No Woman Born" in 1944, C. L. Moore wrote of Deirdre, a dancer, whose body was burned completely and whose brain was placed in a faceless but beautiful and supple mechanical body.

The term was coined by Manfred E. Clynes and Nathan S. Kline in 1960 to refer to their conception of an enhanced human being who could survive in extraterrestrial environments:

Their concept was the outcome of thinking about the need for an intimate relationship between human and machine as the new frontier of space exploration was beginning to take place. A designer of physiological instrumentation and electronic data-processing systems, Clynes was the chief research scientist in the Dynamic Simulation Laboratory at Rockland State Hospital in New York.

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Cyborg (comics) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Prez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980). Cyborg is best known as a member of the Teen Titans.[1] However, in September 2011, Cyborg was established as a founding member of the Justice League as part of DC's 2011 reboot of its continuity.

Victor Stone is the son of Silas and Elinore Stone, a pair of scientists who decide to use him as a test subject for various intelligence enhancement projects. However, while these treatments work and Victor's IQ grows to genius-levels, he begins to resent this treatment and strikes up a friendship with Ron Evers, a young miscreant who leads him into trouble with the law. This is the beginning of a struggle where Victor strives for his own life engaging in pursuits of which his parents disapprove, such as athletics and slacking off in class. In addition, Victor still keeps bad company that leads him into incidents such as when he is talked into participating in a street gang fight in which he is wounded. For the most part, however, Victor still has a largely normal life under the circumstances where he also refuses to follow Evers' grandiose plans of racially motivated terrorism.

When he visits his parents at work at S.T.A.R. Labs, an experiment in dimensional travel goes horribly wrong when a massive gelatinous monster crosses over an experimental portal and kills Elinore. The creature then turns on Victor and severely mutilates him before Silas manages to force the creature back through the portal.[1]

To save his son, Silas outfits him with experimental prosthetics of his own design. However, the equipment can not be worn inconspicuously, thus horrifying Victor upon seeing much of his body and part of his face replaced with sheer metallic limbs and implants. Although Victor wants to die at this shock, he eventually adjusts enough through his resulting physical therapy to control his implants with suitable skill.[1]

However, upon release from medical care, he finds his life is seriously inconvenienced with the fearful reactions of the public at his implants. Even his girlfriend, Marcy Reynolds, rejects him. In addition, he is also disallowed participation in athletics, not only for his implants, but also for his poor grades, which was a result of inattention prior to his accident (rather than a lack of sufficient knowledge) and further exacerbated by his long convalescence. However, when his old friend Ron Evers attempts to use Victor's troubles to manipulate him into participating in a terrorist attack on the United Nations, Victor finds a new purpose as he equips his weapons attachments and stops his friend in a pitched battle on top of United Nations Headquarters.

Victor joins the Teen Titans, initially for the benefit of a support group of kindred spirits and outsiders, and has remained with that group ever since.[1] In addition, Victor finds new friends, who see past his disfigurements, and his own nobility, such as a group of children who are adjusting to their own prosthetics and idolize him with his fancy parts and exciting adventures, as well as their beautiful teacher, Sarah Simms, who has often assisted him. Cyborg and Sarah have a deep relationship that is considered by some fans to be Cyborg's one true love, although writer Marv Wolfman insists it is a deep, caring friendship.

Another person who sees past the cybernetic shell is Dr. Sarah Charles, a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who helps him to recuperate after having his cybernetic parts replaced. Cyborg and Dr. Charles date for some time and, along with Changeling, keeps trying to reach him when he is seemingly mindless following the severe injuries he incurs during the Titans Hunt storyline.

Although Cyborg's body was repaired by a team of Russian scientists after the missile crash he had been in, albeit with more mechanical parts than previously, his mind was not. Eventually, his mind was restored by an alien race of computer intelligences called the Technis, created from the sexual union of Swamp Thing and a machine-planet when Swamp Thing was travelling through space. Cyborg, however, had to remain with the Technis both to maintain his mind and because, in return for restoring him, he had to teach them about humanity. He took the name Cyberion, and gradually started becoming less human in outlook, connecting entirely to the Technis planet.

Eventually, Cyberion returned to Earth, establishing a Technis construct on the moon and a smaller base on Earth. With Vic's consciousness dormant, but his desire for companionship controlling the actions of the Technis' planet, it began kidnapping former Titans members- his conscious mind so suppressed that he was not only searching for deceased Titans, but even sent one probe looking for himself as Cyborg- and plugging them into virtual reality scenarios, representing what he believed to be their "perfect worlds"; for example, Beast Boy was back with the Doom Patrol, Damage was spending time being congratulated by the Justice Society, and Nightwing was confronted by a Batman who actually smiled. Although the Titans were freed, there was a strong disagreement between them and the Justice League over what action to take; the League believed that there was nothing left of Victor to save, whereas the Titans were willing to try, culminating in a brief battle, where the Atom and Catwoman (who had followed the Justice League to investigate) sided with the League while the Flash fought with the Titans. While Vic was distracted trying to aid his friends, a Titans team consisting of Changeling and the original five Titans were sent by Raven to try making contact with Vic's human side, while Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, Power Girl, Captain Marvel, and Mary Marvel moved the moon back to its proper place. Eventually, thanks primarily to Changeling's encouragement, and Omen and Raven holding Vic together long enough to come up with a plan, Vic's consciousness was restored, and "downloaded" into the Omegadrome, a morphing war-suit belonging to former Titan Minion. In the wake of this event, the Titans reformed and Vic was part of the new group.[1] However, he felt less human than ever before.

Shortly after this, Nightwing revealed he had cloned Vic's body, and by flowing the Omegadrome through the clone, Vic regained his human form, but still had the abilities of the Omegadrome. He often used the Omegadrome to recreate his original look in battle. With his newfound humanity, Vic took a leave of absence, moving first to L.A. with Beast Boy and then to Central City. While in Central City, Vic was involved in one of the Thinker's schemes, helping Wally hack the Thinker's attempt to plug himself into the minds of Central City's population so that Wally could outthink his opponent, though Vic lost the abilities of the Omegadrome in the process.

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KLAUS SCHULZE Cyborg reviews and MP3 – Progarchives.com

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"Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster; and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you." -Friedrich Nietzsche

This is probably the most famous Nietzsche quote ever, and to the best of my knowledge also the most misinterpreted of all of his guru sentences. Roughly spoken, it means that we should be careful not to become the very thing we fight against.

Just to be totally obnoxious and join those hipster flocks, who read Nietzsche like children read the newspaper, - Im going with the masses this time, not because I want to, but rather because the music within Cyborg is telling me to. When you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss will gaze back into you. Oh yes my friends - with all the metaphysical madness attached to that very sentence. Oh yeah, thats Cyborg for ya.

The music here is what happens when youve sat around a pitch black room for a while, and it suddenly starts speaking to you. The very moment the room starts evolving a language, and you question whether youre mad and slightly overtired, or if there indeed is some kind of other world in existence next to ours - one which is dark and magical - summoning all that you can possibly muster to fathom what little of it you can pick up from the silence. -That very moment is the catalyst of Klaus Schulzes brooding voyage into the spaces between the blackness. Its like catching air with your hands.

This is Schulzes second album, and like others here have mentioned, the structure or indeed the lack thereof highly reflects that of Tangerine Dreams Zeit, which was recorded a year earlier. The music is very slow and brooding - moving like Sisyphus and his pet boulder up the never ending mountain. Again highly reminiscent of Zeit, but I must confess, that I find far more pleasure and emotion in this album, and to tell you why would be like explaining to a blind man the differences between the paintings of Wassily Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock...(Come to think of it, theres a distinct laissez faire approach/casual improv going on in both artists that mirrors the feel of Cyborg very well)

Klaus Schulze was a true pioneer of the electronic genre, and what I find most gratifying, is his knowledge of "the beat" and how to work with it. This sounds like some crazy mumbo jumbo, but seeing as Klaus started out behind the drum-kit with Ash Ra Tempel, and then moved on from there into what he has become now - a synthesizer deity, - I think its perfectly natural to look at his work in that context. You could obviously forget about his drumming skills listening to the sluggish drones of his first solo albums, but underneath - what really makes them flow the way they do with such elegance and grace, - is in my opinion his love of the beat, and how you can be without it, and still create music that moves.

On Cyborg the synth sounds all come from the VCS3, and much like my Italian buddy Franco Battiato - they often take on mystifying caricatures of real life images - such as sounding like a common pair of Reebok shoes running over a wet gym floor. Sometimes they sound like a stuttering nightingale trying to voice its joy over something as mundane as the colour red. Although Klaus is known for these bleep bleeps more than anything else, what Cyborg really is all about, is the organs. Often soaked in melancholic cello-like treatments - and other times powering an unnerving and distressing tone that inches its way into your subconsciousness. I guess were back at Nietzche again now arent we? These organs are at the heart of these improvisations, because that is really what they are, and quite frequently theyll present themselves as long drawn out wails that push the boundaries of just how far you can go in a certain musical note without changing it. It feels much like a billion muscles contracting all at once, for then to be released with a huge sigh as the chords change. Breathe out.

Cyborg is some kind of matter in itself - as mad as that sounds. Or maybe just a metaphor for things in the dark that we cant see with the naked eye. Telling you how it actually sounds, gets me back to the start of my review and that darkened room talking back across the silence. It sounds like 2 enormous oil tankers dancing cheek to cheek in a slow-motion dance of death, life and love. It sounds like the universe breathing heavily into your ear. It sounds like the soundtrack of the first hour after the big bang.

It takes time and patience to unravel Cyborgs mysteries, but once you get past the strange and cold ambiance of this record, chances are that youll be persuaded and enamoured by it. So by all means: take the step into whatever lies in that alluring and frightening abyss - without any hesitations. 4.5 stars.

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Law enforcement seeking identity of ‘Cyborg Bandit’

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This is an image provided through security footage at the Key Bank in Bellevue, which the 'Cyborg Bandit' is suspected of robbing on Sept. 24.

image credit: Courtesy Photo

Wells Fargo is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of a bank robber nicknamed the "Cyborg Bandit" by law enforcement who has been linked to several robberies in the King County area since September.

The "Cyborg Bandit" gets his name from a distinctive cloth he wears over his face during the commission of robberies, and also wears a hooded sweatshirt and clear, latex gloves. He is described as being a white male between five-foot-nine-inches and six-feet tall with a thin build.

He has been linked to at least six robberies, the first occurring Sept. 24 at the Key Bank in Bellevue. The "Cyborg Bandit" is also believed to have robbed a Banner Bank, US Bank and Whidbey Island Bank in October, robbing a Wells Fargo Bank on Nov. 30. The Sterling Bank Northgate in Seattle was the site of his latest robbery on Dec. 4, according to the FBI.

Anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of the suspected robber is advised not to approach him and to contact law enforcement immediately. Anyone with information that may help identify the "Cyborg Bandit" is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and are eligible to receive a $1,000 cash reward should it lead to an arrest and charges. Callers may also reach detectives Mike Mellis and Steve Hoover at 206-263-2086 and 425-452-7868 respectively.

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Law enforcement seeking identity of 'Cyborg Bandit'

Beach – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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A beach is a landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake, or river. It usually consists of loose particles, which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, or cobblestones. The particles comprising the beach are occasionally biological in origin, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae.

Wild beaches are beaches that do not have lifeguards or trappings of modernity nearby, such as resorts, camps, and hotels. They are sometimes called undeclared, undeveloped, or undiscovered beaches. Wild beaches can be valued for their untouched beauty and preserved nature. They are most commonly found in less developed areas including, for example, parts of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, but they are also found in developed nations such as Australia and New Zealand.

Beaches typically occur in areas along the coast where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments.

Although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach, beaches are found by lakes and alongside large rivers.

Beach may refer to:

The former are described in detail below; the larger geological units are discussed elsewhere under bars.

There are several conspicuous parts to a beach that relate to the processes that form and shape it. The part mostly above water (depending upon tide), and more or less actively influenced by the waves at some point in the tide, is termed the beach berm. The berm is the deposit of material comprising the active shoreline. The berm has a crest (top) and a face the latter being the slope leading down towards the water from the crest. At the very bottom of the face, there may be a trough, and further seaward one or more long shore bars: slightly raised, underwater embankments formed where the waves first start to break.

The sand deposit may extend well inland from the berm crest, where there may be evidence of one or more older crests (the storm beach) resulting from very large storm waves and beyond the influence of the normal waves. At some point the influence of the waves (even storm waves) on the material comprising the beach stops, and if the particles are small enough (sand size or smaller), winds shape the feature. Where wind is the force distributing the grains inland, the deposit behind the beach becomes a dune.

These geomorphic features compose what is called the beach profile. The beach profile changes seasonally due to the change in wave energy experienced during summer and winter months. In temperate areas where summer is characterised by calmer seas and longer periods between breaking wave crests, the beach profile is higher in summer. The gentle wave action during this season tends to transport sediment up the beach towards the berm where it is deposited and remains while the water recedes. Onshore winds carry it further inland forming and enhancing dunes.

Conversely, the beach profile is lower in the storm season (winter in temperate areas) due to the increased wave energy, and the shorter periods between breaking wave crests. Higher energy waves breaking in quick succession tend to mobilise sediment from the shallows, keeping it in suspension where it is prone to be carried along the beach by longshore currents, or carried out to sea to form longshore bars, especially if the longshore current meets an outflow from a river or flooding stream. The removal of sediment from the beach berm and dune thus decreases the beach profile.

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Cape beach battle: The curious case of the piping plover

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Revere Beach has a new breed of summer resident. An inconspicuous sort, they are particularly fond of an area at the north end of the beach, where they huddle in the narrow strip of sand between a concrete sea wall and the sound. For five years now, young couples have made the trip here to enjoy the saltwater, to dine alfresco, and to well, to hook up.

In residence this summer are three pairs of piping plovers, a species of migratory shorebird that was in danger of disappearing just a few decades ago. Plovers are still among the rarest birds in North America there are only about 1,800 pairs on the Atlantic Coast but for the last 25 years theyve had an outsize influence on how New Englanders can and cant use our beaches.

Since the United States first listed them as a threatened species in 1986, plovers, which nest on the sand, have been entitled to a variety of habitat protections. Driving off-road vehicles on many beaches is often banned between the time the plovers lay their eggs (as early as April) to when their chicks can fly (sometime in July). Sections of sand get fenced off to protect nests, and entire beaches are often shut down altogether for months at a time. For some of the frustrated people whod like to enjoy those beaches, too, the inconvenience has come to represent environmental do-gooding run amok. The plovers defenders, though, think differently.

Theres a whole sector of society that would argue that the habitats that these species require have changed in such a significant way that its not possible to save them, says Katharine Parsons, director of Mass Audubons Coastal Waterbird Program. But as humans, she says, we have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to rescue them.

The Revere Beach plovers have been doing all they can to help themselves. Wildlife officials would like plovers to fledge an average of 1.5 chicks per nest over five years, though these days even getting one chick out of four to survive is considered cause for celebration.

In Revere, however, the plovers have been posting extraordinary numbers. The 2009 pair fledged all four of their chicks, and the three pairs in 2010 fledged 11 of 12, or 3.66 per nest. Although its too early to say for sure, it looks like theyre set to do just as well this summer. Many other beaches may have higher plover populations, but few can claim Reveres productivity rates.

This unlikely level of success has left biologists and beach managers scratching their heads. Were flabbergasted, says Cathy Garnett, director of the ecology program at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The conventional wisdom regarding threatened species has always been pretty straightforward: Since human meddling is the thing that nearly drove the animals into extinction, the best way to save them is to keep people far away.

But crowded places like Revere Beach, with its 2.5 million annual visitors, have been forcing environmentalists to reconsider their assumptions. Even on raucous Sandwich beaches in 2008, when bonfires and fireworks werent uncommon, 41 plover pairs fledged 87 chicks (thats 2.12 per nest for folks keeping score at home).

With all this productivity, you might think the plover was on its way to coming off the threatened species list. But the Atlantic Coast population overall has curiously been stuck at a plateau for the past five years. This despite intensive efforts by wildlife agencies and communities all along the East Coast and millions of dollars spent every year on protection and management.

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Cape beach battle: The curious case of the piping plover

Lifesavers needed to avert tragedy

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Lifesavers needed to avert tragedy

Bunbury beaches need full-time lifeguards to avoid someone being seriously injured or killed, warns City of Bunbury Surf Life Saving Club president Peter Duncan.

Mr Duncan said while the clubs volunteer lifeguards patrolled on weekends, if an incident occurred on a weekday during the busy holiday period, it could have serious consequences.

He said there needed to be more livesaver patrols at the popular Koombana Bay because the club could only visit the area a few times on weekends.

At Koombana Bay there are no regular lifeguards around, so if someone is in need of help they are in trouble as we are a few kilometres away, he said.

In Perth, councils have paid beach inspectors and ideally it would be nice in Bunbury, but we have to rely on rangers and they dont always have the capacity.

People are always at the beach over summer and our workload while on patrol is overloaded.

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said the council would look into employing lifeguards if approached.

A spokesman for Surf Life Saving WA said it aimed to patrol as many beaches as possible.

We are happy to look into it with the council if they determine it as a priority, he said.

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Beaches that are still warm

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The snow is piling up and all you want to do is escape to a warm beach? These islands are perfect for a winter beach vacationand closer than you think.

You don't need to splurge on a trip to the Caribbean to spend time on the beach this winter. These eight U.S. islands have the sandy shores, seafood shacks, and sunny skies that will have you thinking it's summereven when there's snow on the ground back home.

Take a tour of the islands

AMELIA ISLAND, FL Average highs of 65/71 in February/March

About as far north as you can go and still be in the Sunshine State, Amelia Island's 13 miles of beaches are mostly deserted until Marchso it's easy to find a spot where there are no other people in sight. Horseback riding along the sand is one of the most popular off-season activities. Kids have a blast exploring the nooks and crannies of Fort Clinch, one of the country's best-preserved 19th-century fortifications. It was also one of the last of its kind, as new weapons made brick forts obsolete during the Civil War. Boutiques and lovingly restored Victorian mansions make up the historic district.

Sleep The Seaside Amelia Inn is steps from the beach and has a rooftop terrace perfect for taking in the sunset. Rooms start at just $69 a night.

Refuel Grab one of the umbrella-shaded tables in the courtyard of Joe's 2nd Street Bistro, where the menu leans, naturally, toward seafood.

Easy Escape From Jacksonville (33 miles), Gainesville (101 miles).

AVERY ISLAND, LA Average highs of 65/72 in February/March

Things get hot here, and not just because of the steamy weather. It's home to the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory, where you can taste the fiery mixture during the free daily tours. (If you come on a Friday, you won't see the sauce being made, however.) E.A. McIlhenny, son of the company's founder, converted his private estate into a bird sanctuary, which he opened in 1935 as Jungle Gardens. McIlhenny was intent on saving snowy egrets, then endangered because their plumage was popular for ladies' hats. You can still see the brilliantly white birds inside the sanctuary and out. Surrounded by bayous, the mostly undeveloped island is also a great place to spot alligators, deer, and raccoons. You'll want to base yourself in one of the nearby communities; New Iberia, a half-hour drive north, has a good selection of restaurants and gracious homes transformed into B&Bs.

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Beaches that are still warm

UC research suggests ways to reduce impact of vehicles on beaches

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A University of Canterbury (UC) student who received his doctorate at graduation this week has provided management options to authorities to minimise the impacts of beach users on shellfish resources.

Beaches are increasingly under pressure from a growing population and peoples activities on beaches. As the festive holidays approach, more people will be driving their cars on sandy beaches for a range of activities.

Driving cars on beaches or riding horses on beaches pose a significant threat to shellfish living and feeding in shallow beach water, UC researcher Dr Gareth Taylor says.

My study looked at the impacts of vehicle driving and horse riding on shellfish beds within Pegasus Bay in Canterbury. Tuatua were found to be immediately impacted by both users, and extrapolative modelling predicted that continued disturbance could be highly detrimental to the population.

The results were then used to evaluate current beach management techniques and provide management options to Environment Canterbury to minimise the impacts of beach users on shellfish resources.

While most light leisure activities, such as sunbathing and running, will have no impact on the environment, other heavier activities could. Dr Taylor looked at how beaches can be managed to reduce the impact on shellfish.

The intertidal zone, where most people drive their cars on a beach, contains a wide range of shellfish including juvenile tuatua. In addition to being a food source, tuatua naturally filter the water reducing turbidity. This helps to keep water clear and clean for us to enjoy when visiting the beach.

While adult tuatua are in the subtidal area, juvenile tuatua sit in the top 5 to 10 cm of sediment about 30 metres below the high tide line. This is also where vehicles and horses are frequently are used.

As a vehicle driver on the beach, what can people do to stop this damage occurring? The easiest way is to not drive on the beach; however, if a vehicle is required there are other ways to mitigate impacts.

Driving within the same tracks made by other vehicles will significantly reduce tuatua mortality caused by vehicles. The initial vehicle will cause about five percent mortality, but if motorists drive through the same tracks this will increase by just 0.27 percent. This is in stark contrast to causing five percent mortality when creating new tracks.

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UC research suggests ways to reduce impact of vehicles on beaches