Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

NZ scientists to test the water at Loch Ness


Still Waters

Recommended Posts

A team of scientists and researchers are to test the water at Loch Ness to find out what animals, plants and bacteria live in it. Professor Neil Gemmell, who will lead the team, talks to John Campbell.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018645865/nz-scientist-to-discover-what-lies-within-loch-ness

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From another research.... 

Quote

Our research has shown that the nature of Loch Ness plankton and bottom-feeders may be very different to the known species found elsewhere on our planet. This could be due to background radiation or other factors we do not yet fully understand. Certainly, traces of Chernobyl radiation and other unique gamma-sources have been found in the sediment that lies at the loch’s bottom and this may have an effect upon the DNA structures of its largely captive fish and eel stocks.

http://www.lochness.co.uk/exhibition/bottom-feeder.html

Gemmell says " nessy dandruff" did i hear that right?

Anyway,  - there is no nessy, much does live in the loch and lots of research has been done, maybe Gemmell can find some DNA which has not been contaminated over the centuries. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The remarkable sensitivity of modern DNA testing should apparently make it possible to detect anything living in the storied Loch. And if that DNA report comes back 'unknown reptile',  that sense of wonder about what could be hidden in Loch Ness will be given a major boost. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, bison said:

The remarkable sensitivity of modern DNA testing should apparently make it possible to detect anything living in the storied Loch. And if that DNA report comes back 'unknown reptile',  that sense of wonder about what could be hidden in Loch Ness will be given a major boost. 

From what i understand, he is not looking for a nessy as he does not believe there is one there...he is testing to see what could have lived there many years back..eg:  larger creatures.

The loch has been researched, what has not been fully done is the dna tests on what has been found living there. 

There need to be more tests, in the above link,  they needed more funding. Hopefully he can tell us more, if contamination does not hinder the tests.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If scientists had found only what they were looking for, we'd be living in a very different, and rather duller world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RTE have reported a team from New Zealand, are going to spend two weeks collecting biological samples from the water of Loch Ness in order to establish water sort of life is in the lake.

I wonder what they will find.

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2018/0523/965440-loch-ness/

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isnt the lake way too small for something the size of Nessie to be in?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly it just appears the team are conducting research or trying new technologies and techniques with water sampling and probably the only way to gather funds was to use the publicity of Loch Ness and incite the monster legend.

There is no monster.

I don't think there aim is to establish if or if not Nessy is in there. It just happens to be a consequence of there tests.

Edited by danydandan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Legend of Loch Ness Monster will be tested with DNA samples

The stories seem as tall as the lake is deep. For hundreds of years, visitors to Scotland’s Loch Ness have described seeing a monster that some believe lurks in the depths. But now the legend of “Nessie” may have no place left to hide. A New Zealand scientist is leading an international team to the lake next month, where they will take samples of the murky waters and conduct DNA tests to determine what species live there. University of Otago professor Neil Gemmell says he’s no believer in Nessie, but he wants to take people on an adventure and communicate some science along the way.

Read more: https://nypost.com/2018/05/23/legend-of-loch-ness-monster-will-be-tested-with-dna-samples/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe they will find some DNA from a visitor like a seal that have swam up the river ? Fun study !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Baldylocks said:

Isnt the lake way too small for something the size of Nessie to be in?

Still something can have came up the river connecting it to the sea in the past ? I think the river is blocked with locks for boat now...

Edited by Jon the frog
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, danydandan said:

Honestly it just appears the team are conducting research or trying new technologies and techniques with water sampling and probably the only way to gather funds was to use the publicity of Loch Ness and incite the monster legend.

There is no monster.

I don't think there aim is to establish if or if not Nessy is in there. It just happens to be a consequence of there tests.

Nope the technology is used elsewhere to find presence of species:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/asian-carp-dna-found-in-lake-michigan-1.2416488

but I don't know how they find unknown species with that ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Jon the frog said:

Nope the technology is used elsewhere to find presence of species:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/asian-carp-dna-found-in-lake-michigan-1.2416488

but I don't know how they find unknown species with that ?

Because if any DNA analyzed doesn't match up to any known species then it would qualify as previously unknown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, NicoletteS said:

Because if any DNA analyzed doesn't match up to any known species then it would qualify as previously unknown.

Yeah... in any sample you will have unidentified DNA chain... even in an aquarium. You need some kind of marker first to identify something, so it's good to search for something you know but hard to say ''eureka ! Monster DNA !''

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Jon the frog said:

Yeah... in any sample you will have unidentified DNA chain... even in an aquarium. You need some kind of marker first to identify something, so it's good to search for something you know but hard to say ''eureka ! Monster DNA !''

True. If an unknown sequence was found however odds are it would have similarities to other species and at least be assessed categorically. I may be no expert but if DNA was found that was dissimilar to any known inhabitants of the lake or related any non-native species it would be a pretty obvious clue. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The results of this testing doesn't matter.  If the scientists find something odd, the believers will say "see, I told you so!".  If they find nothing unidentifiable the same people will say "The tests are wrong. Nessie Lives!!!".

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good PR. I hope it brings in a few extra duckets for their research, which (Nessie aside) sounds fascinating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope they find the DNA of an unknown ape species, that way the folks who believe in 'Ol Footy AND the Aquatic Ape theory people can have a Battle Royal with the Nessie Nerds. It would be epic, we could call it "Lunacy at the Loch", or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/05/2018 at 9:36 AM, Baldylocks said:

Isnt the lake way too small for something the size of Nessie to be in?

No. Loch Ness is the largest lake in the UK by volume, containing more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. It is the fourth largest UK lake by area, and has a length of over 24 miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Black Monk said:

No. Loch Ness is the largest lake in the UK by volume, containing more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. It is the fourth largest UK lake by area, and has a length of over 24 miles.

Ah I see but still, if there was such thing we would know by now, like big foot etc.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Baldylocks said:

Ah I see but still, if there was such thing we would know by now, like big foot etc.

Why would we have done? New species are discovered every year. Several new species were discovered in Loch Ness a few years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Black Monk said:

Why would we have done? New species are discovered every year. Several new species were discovered in Loch Ness a few years ago.

Seen the size of it? and exactly they are finding new stuff all the time. Small to big, yet cant find the so called Nessie? maybe its shy...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.