Making a Killing, free on Amazon on 20 June

Press Release, Iridescent Publishing, 18 June 2012
Summer Reading: Sun, sea, sand and troubled island paradise San Pimente in the Caribbean

In a special one-day promotion, the ebook version of William M Johnson’s critically acclaimed end-of-the-world satire, Making a Killing, will be available free on Amazon on Wednesday 20 June.

Those wishing to take advantage of the offer can download the book from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088CGHRM

The republication of Making a Killing by Iridescent Publishing marks the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit (June 20-22), as some 50,000+ dignitaries, bureaucrats, scientists, nature managers, conservationists, business leaders, celebrities, and the world’s press once again descend upon glamorous Rio de Janeiro for the UN’s “Rio+20” Earth Summit II — billed as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to save the planet. Continue reading “Making a Killing, free on Amazon on 20 June”

Making a Killing, Earth Summit Satire

Press Release, Iridescent Publishing, 12 June 2012

William M Johnson’s critically-acclaimed satire, Making a Killing, has recently been republished by Iridescent Publishing as an Amazon Kindle ebook. The publication marks the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit (June 20-22), when some 50,000+ dignitaries, bureaucrats, scientists, nature managers, conservationists, business leaders, celebrities, and the world’s press will once again converge upon glamorous Rio de Janeiro for the UN’s “Rio+20” Earth Summit — billed as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to save the planet.

With elephant-hunting royalty again in the news, nature managers insisting that endangered species must be made to pay for their own conservation, sea levels on the rise and deserts on the march, the frenetic political escapism, corporate wheeling and dealing, and media frenzy that Making a Killing flayed back in 1996, are if anything even more acute today — and just as deserving of this satire’s poison-tipped pen.

An End of the World Black Comedy, ‘the deepest shade of noir…’ — BBC Wildlife

‘[A] highly original, often unexpectedly witty but frightening tale of man’s destruction of the Earth and his seeming indifference to the fate of all creatures but his own… This sharp, brilliantly observed book deserves a wide audience.’ — Virginia McKenna

‘A mind-blowing and witty exposé… A no-holds barred, no mercy account of the conservation mercenaries’ (Have Bad News — Will Travel — First Class) successful efforts to get a rich living from a dying planet…’ — Ian MacPhail, a founder of World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Excerpts of Making a Killing are available for free download on Iridescent’s new website  www.iridescent-publishing.com, where several monk seal titles are also available.

Age study on Mediterranean monk seals

Recent Publications

Murphy S, Spradlin TR, Mackey B, McVee J and others. 2012. Age estimation, growth and age-related mortality of Mediterranean monk seals Monachus monachus. Endangered Species Research 16:149-163. [PDF 1.4]

ABSTRACT: Mediterranean monk seals Monachus monachus are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with <600 individuals split into 3 isolated sub-populations, the largest in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Canine teeth collected during the last 2 decades from 45 dead monk seals inhabiting Greek waters were processed for age estimation. Ages were best estimated by counting growth layer groups (GLGs) in the cementum adjacent to the root tip using unprocessed longitudinal or transverse sections (360 µm thickness) observed under polarized light. Decalcified and stained thin sections (8 to 23 µm) of both cementum and dentine were inferior to unprocessed sections. From analysing patterns of deposition in the cementum of known age-maturity class individuals, one GLG was found to be deposited annually in M. monachus. Ages ranged from 0.5 to 36 yr for females, 0.5 to 21 yr for males and 0.5 to 25.5 yr for individuals of unknown sex. The majority of seals (65%) were considered adults (≥4 yr), followed by juveniles (20%, <1 yr) and sub-adults (15%, 1−3.9 yr). Thirty percent of the aged sample had died from human-related causes, such as accidental entanglement in fishing gear and direct killings. A single-Gompertz growth curve was generated for both sexes using standard length data, resulting in asymptotic values of 212.3 cm for females and 221.8 cm for males. This study represents the first quantitative glimpse of sex-specific growth in monk seals and the age structure of dead individuals in this rare species’ core range.

Monk seal threat to endangered marine turtles

Recent Publications

D. Margaritoulis & S. Touliatou. 2011. Mediterranean monk seals present an ongoing threat for Loggerheads in Zakynthos. Marine Turtle Newsletter 131 (December 2011): 18-23. [PDF 1.4 MB]

[…] During the 1994 nesting season, 8 loggerhead turtles were found dead in the wider area of Laganas Bay with injuries attributed to predation by monk seals. The observed injuries, as well as direct observations of the predation events, suggested that monk seals were attacking loggerheads from below, snapping off the posterior plastral scutes and feeding on the turtle’s entrails (Margaritoulis et al. 1996). This unique behavior, not documented anywhere else in the world (Fertl & Fulling 2007), was thought to have been triggered by depleted levels of local fish resources during the same season (Karavellas 1995). […]

Aquatic Mammals special edition

Recent Publications

The Aquatic Mammals special edition on Mediterranean and Hawaiian monk seals, whose publication was announced with some excitement in September last year, has finally been made available for public purchase. As far as we can ascertain, those unlucky enough not to have institutional access or public libraries with AA subscriptions, will be paying $12 for each paper they choose to purchase. One author, Giulia Mo (listed below) has, however, asked us to inform interested readers that she will email copies of her paper free of charge to those who request it. Please contact: giulia.mo@isprambiente.it

Abstracts are available via the Aquatic Mammals 37(3): 2011 contents page.

Continue reading “Aquatic Mammals special edition”