Races of Goats and Crabs

Races of goats and crabs will be held in April in the State of Trinidad and Tobago. This scene for almost 100 years attracts numerous visitors.

From 12 to 14 April 2009 on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago will be held of the most anticipated spring events. At this time in the city of Bucca are conducted 2 types of races - the race of goats and races of crabs.

Since 1925, these events always attract many spectators, including tourists. In addition, as would be funny as this sounds, competitions are a serious and profitable business on the island.

In the race goats jockeys serve young people: at a signal they are saddling their precious "runners" and pinch the animals to the finish with bare heels. "Zone of Action" is of 100 meters.

The most strong and long-legged goats are selected to participate in the competitions. They were specially trained for this.

Members of other the same exciting competitions are usually large blue crabs. The owners-jockeys are pushing them, pulling a rope tied to them, making them to move in the right direction.

The fate of "athlete" after the race, quite frankly, is unenviable. They find themselves in a frying pan in a traditional curry dish.

Extinction of Carribean Coral Reefs

Coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea due to global warming are losing their structure, becoming more flat. This process continues for the past 40 years, can lead to the extinction of many species of coral reef ecosystems.

"The complex structures of reefs provide shelter for many organisms from predators. The destruction of " architecture " leads to a fall of biodiversity, which in turn, negatively affect the coastal communities earning with fishing. The destruction of the structure of reefs also reduces the natural protection of the coast from erosion.

Previous studies have shown that corals in the area undergo degradation, but scientists at the University of East Anglia University in Canada for the first time demonstrated how changes the "architecture" reefs and how it might affect the species living there.

The authors analyzed the changes in the 200 coral reefs in the period from 1969 to 2008. They showed two episodes of strong "flattening" of corals. The first of these occurred in the late 1970's and was associated with the spread of the disease, which destroyed 90% of the two types of coral polyps. The second period of vertical structures of coral reefs is happening today. Scientists associate this process with global warming and rising sea surface temperatures.