Tuna are magnificent fish. They are large, stealth predators with powerful, stream-lined bodies that can out-perform even the most sophisticated machine (of comparable size) in strength, resilience, and vigor.

Unfortunately for them, they are also incredibly tasty and one of the most desirable ocean catches worldwide. Unfortunately for humans, they are not nearly as abundant as they once were, and nor are they as nutritious, because over-fishing threatens their survival and because they are becoming increasingly contaminated with pollutants such as heavy metals.

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I’m proud and fortunate to be a co-inhabitant of Earth … I think everyone should feel that sense of pride –- not quite patriotism or nationalism … just Earthism …

I think I’ve coined a new word …

it sounds awkward, but the sentiment is, I believe, noble … if we all inspire a swelling of honour for being alive on this stupendous host planet, then respecting our home would be an innate habit, an inevitable consequence of our mundane routines … we wouldn’t have to think about taking care of the Earth, it would be automatic … as parents love their child, as siblings care for each other, as friends look out for one another, each human would have the same concern for Home … it would be effortless and intrinsically rewarding … it would be a necessity and a natural way of living …

it’s not a primitive mind-set, nor does it imply sacrifice … for we are sacrificing more if we ruthlessly imperil life on the planet … it isn’t difficult to live conscientiously … a “simple life” doesn’t mean “boring” or even “deprived” … i think it suggests respect more than anything … respect for oneself as well as for other living beings …

You’re not the only one who enjoys the sweetness of agaves. Desert bats have been feasting on the ephemeral flower nectar long before humans even existed!  

Recently, the explosion of agave nectar consumption has dramatically increased demand for the agricultural production of agave crops.  Agave nectar is advertised as a safe and nutritious alternative sweetener that can be enjoyed by everyone, especially diabetics, without the potential side-effects suffered from consuming sugar cane, honey, corn syrup, and sugar alcohols.  However, agave agriculture is not an ecologically sustainable practice.  The biodiversity of agave plants, their native desert ecosystems, and the pollinator bat species that depend on agave for food are all at risk.

It has become widespread knowledge that the world’s pollinators are dwindling.  Thanks to the global voices of entomologists (scientists who study insects) and ornithologists (scientists who study birds), public concerns about the precipitous decline in pollinator populations have motivated successful conservation strategies to help protect commonly loved species such as honey bees, Monarch butterflies, and various hummingbirds.

However, the number of plant pollinators whose existence is under threat is, sadly, far greater than what most people realize.  One very important group of pollinators, bats, is often overlooked; yet, in many ecosystems bats are primary pollinators and dispersers of seeds for thousands of plants, including plants used and consumed by humans.

Agaves are among the plants that some species of bats pollinate. However, what makes this relationship especially unique is that bats and agaves are reliant upon each other—loss of one will effect dire consequences for the other. So how does the agave nectar industry affect the ecology of bats and of agave? Let’s take a closer look at the biology of agaves and bats in South America.

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