Bananas and Blue Whales

More than 100 billion bananas are consumed annually in the world. 97% of internationally traded bananas come from one single variety, the Cavendish. This lack of genetic variety makes plants highly susceptible to fungi and diseases. Panama disease has already destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of banana plantations worldwide. Recent experiments show that growing bananas together with Chinese chives helps to control the fungus, but the wider effect on the soil remains unknown. The Eden Project are working with Exeter University to investigate how these chives can stop the fungus growing.

Killer whales are extremely social, long-lived, and intelligent animals that have captured the human imagination for generations - but these fascinating creatures has remained a mystery. Over the last decade, long-term studies have allowed scientists to piece together the social structure of these animals. This talk will bring together an array of findings to describe the wild killer whale’s social life, from the time they are born into adulthood, and to senescence. These findings have given us a better idea of how and why complex societies evolve, and aid our efforts to conserve this species.