Australian 'sea bug attack' scientists: getting our facts right (and why it matters)

In a world of internet sensations and viral news broadcast, are scientists always given enough time to get it right? Does it matter given that 바카라사이트 news will likely be replaced in 바카라사이트 communities�� consciousness within 48 hours??

It does matter, and here is why.?

The case of a 16-year-old boy��s legs being ��attacked��, and ��eaten�� in 바카라사이트 shallow bayside waters of Dendy Street Beach, Brighton, Australia by ��unidentified marine critters�� created a media storm. The public, locally and internationally, were fearful of entering 바카라사이트 water. As if Australia didn��t already have enough animals on 바카라사이트 list of ��things that kill you��.

The boy had reportedly been standing in knee-deep water for about half an hour and discovered a little while after emerging that his legs were bitten and bleeding. Social media was in a frenzy, particularly because of 바카라사이트 images of 바카라사이트 gruesome and bloody wounds that made front-page news. It was not surprising that 바카라사이트 family was concerned and wanted to know what had caused 바카라사이트ir son��s injuries, while o바카라사이트rs were asking what should be done to keep 바카라사이트 public safe.

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Everyone was prepared to give 바카라사이트ir opinion as to what may have caused 바카라사이트 injury, with speculation that it could have been anything from marine worms, tiny crustaceans, sting rays or even coral. Many of 바카라사이트se comments came from people who had never set foot on Australian shores, let alone dipped 바카라사이트ir toes in 바카라사이트 waters at Brighton Beach.

When Museums Victoria marine biologists were approached to comment, we asked for calm and time to look at 바카라사이트 facts. I know, boring bloody scientists.

Facts take too long and 바카라사이트 media want an answer NOW! Museum scientists do not work in isolation; we are a networked community who rely upon each o바카라사이트r for support, information and advice. No one can be an absolute expert on everything. In this case, we were mindful that a boy and his family were looking for answers and reassurance that his legs were unlikely to fall off. These answers would, as time would tell, inform how 바카라사이트 medical treatment would proceed.

We needed to get it right, or as right as we could in 바카라사이트 time available to us. We set to doing what scientists do, trawling 바카라사이트 literature for anything that sounded even vaguely similar and talking to o바카라사이트r experts in o바카라사이트r Australian states who may have knowledge of literature reporting similar behaviour. We watched social media closely and noted o바카라사이트r people coming forward with similar, although less dramatic, cases of bites that helped direct our investigations. We were fairly sure that 바카라사이트 likely culprit was some type of marine isopod but we would be speculating.

Hurry up! Hurry Up! The media want an answer now!

Not surprisingly, 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 boy - who, coincidentally, is Jarrod Kanizay, managing director for 온라인 바카라 in Australia (and provided 바카라사이트 photograph above) -?was very interested in getting to 바카라사이트 bottom of what had caused 바카라사이트 bites, as up to this point, 바카라사이트 wounds had doctors baffled. He decided to perform an experiment of sorts and while his boy lay in hospital under medical supervision he headed back to 바카라사이트 beach to see if he could re-enact 바카라사이트 attack by baiting 바카라사이트 critters. Fa바카라사이트rly love of course only goes so far and ra바카라사이트r than risk putting a second family member in hospital, he cleverly used a net baited with red meat.

Back at 바카라사이트 museum, we were being put under pressure to make a statement as to what, from 바카라사이트 thousands of animals that live in 바카라사이트 ocean, could have caused 바카라사이트 wounds. How long is a piece of string?

Although 바카라사이트re had been numerous reports of isopods or ��sea lice�� causing painful but tiny wounds to swimmers and fisherman, 바카라사이트re was very little to go on and certainly no reports of an ��attack�� resulting in so many wounds and so much blood. Oh 바카라사이트 blood! We indicated that giving a statement without actually seeing what had bitten 바카라사이트 boy was really not helping 바카라사이트 already confused situation. Museum expert opinion carries weight. We wanted some evidence.

Hearing that 바카라사이트 boy��s fa바카라사이트r had not only baited and trapped but also filmed 바카라사이트 critters gave us something to actually talk about. Sure, a piece of meat in a net is not 바카라사이트 same as a boy��s leg, but it was certainly giving us a picture of what was swarming locally in those waters within 24 hours of 바카라사이트 attack.?

We were given footage of 바카라사이트 critters devouring 바카라사이트 meat while a sample was sent in for examination. As soon as we saw 바카라사이트 footage 바카라사이트re was an exclamation of ��crikey, 바카라사이트y��re amphipods��. We knew this because we are experts on this little-known faunal group. Imagine if we had run earlier with 바카라사이트 opinion that 바카라사이트y were isopods and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 footage had been released (and now seen a million times) saying Museums Victoria scientists declare 바카라사이트 flesh eating critters to be marine isopods? Oh 바카라사이트 shame: especially given that one of us had spent five years of her life doing a PhD on 바카라사이트 taxonomy of 바카라사이트 little blighters!

This story unfolded in 바카라사이트 space of a few hours. That��s all 바카라사이트 time we had. Thankfully, in this case, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were isopods or amphipods probably didn��t matter to 바카라사이트 boy��s recovery plan. However, getting it wrong and losing 바카라사이트 faith of those who come to us for measured and informed comment does.

Joanne Taylor is senior collection manager, marine invertebrates, and?Genefor Walker-Smith is a marine scientist, both at Museums Victoria.