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– A first-of-its-kind study reveals that humans make up a minuscule portion of life on the planet. As in 0.01%, reports the Guardian. The flip side of that? Despite the scant figure, humans have reshaped the animal kingdom, helping wipe out about 83% of mammals and half of all plants since civilization began, according to the comprehensive survey in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For this study, researchers weren't counting individual members of species. This is all about weight—they surveyed the Earth's biomass, meaning the carbon content in living creatures. Start with this: All life on the planet weighs about 550 gigatons, notes Science. The new study breaks down that figure, including these highlights: Plants account for an astounding 82% of the planet's biomass Bacteria make up 13%—leaving just 5% for everything else beyond plants and bacteria Fungi (think yeast, mold, and mushrooms) make up 2% Ocean life makes up a surprisingly small 1% Chicken and other poultry make up 70% of all birds on the planet; only 30% are wild Livestock (mostly cows and pigs) make up 60% of all mammals; humans account for 36% of mammals, leaving only 4% as wild "The fact that the biomass of fungi exceeds that of all animals sort of puts us in our place," says Harvard biology professor James Hanken, who wasn't part of the study, per a release at Phys.org.

Plants outweigh all other life on Earth

 Plants pack more heft than any other kingdom of life on the planet, making up 80% of all the carbon stored in living creatures. That’s just one surprise in a comprehensive new survey of Earth’s biomass, which finds that groups with the greatest number of species—such as arthropods—aren’t necessarily the heaviest.

 version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"? Archaea Viruses Bacteria Protists Fungi Animals Arthropods Molluscs Nematodes Annelids Wild birds Fish Wild Humans Livestock Cnidarians Kingdoms of life Animals Plants 450 GT C 0.1 0.1 0.06 mammals 0.007 0.7 0.002 0.2 0.02 0.2 1 GT C 2 12 4 70 0.2 8

 Measured in terms of carbon content (to factor out variable components like water), all life on Earth weighs about 550 gigatons. Of that, plants make up 450 gigatons of carbon (GT C), followed by bacteria at 70 GT C and fungi at 12 GT C, scientists report today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . Animals comprise a mere 2 GT C, of which half are arthropods—including insects, spiders, and crustaceans. And although humans weigh in at just 0.06 GT C—on par with krill and termites—our impact on biomass since the beginning of civilization has been huge, scientists say. Humans and their cattle, pigs, and other livestock outweigh wild mammals by more than 20-fold; similarly, domesticated fowl surpass all other birds. Humans have also had an impact on plant biomass, which has been cut in half in the past 10,000 years.

 To figure out the biomass of each creature, quantitative biologists spent 3 years combing the scientific literature. But their ultimate goal wasn’t to figure out how much life weighs—it was to discover the most abundant protein on the planet. They’re still working on that question (subsurface microbes presented them with a particular challenge), but they hope to answer it within the coming year. ||||| In this April 11, 2018, file photo, two boys push their scooters through a park with green blossoming trees in Frankfurt, Germany. When you weigh all life on Earth, billions of humans don't amount to much compared to trees, earthworms or even viruses, according to a study in the Monday, May 21, 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) When you weigh all life on Earth, billions of humans don't amount to much compared to trees, earthworms or even viruses. But we really know how to throw what little weight we have around, according to a first-of-its-kind global census of the footprint of life on the planet.

 Humans only add up to about one ten-thousandth of the life on Earth, measured by the dry weight of the carbon that makes up the structure of all living things, also known as biomass.

 The planet's real heavyweights are plants. They outweigh people by about 7,500 to 1, and make up more than 80 percent of the world's biomass, a study in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said.

 Bacteria are nearly 13 percent of the world's biomass. Fungi—yeast, mold and mushrooms—make up about 2 percent. These estimates aren't very exact, the real numbers could be more or less, but they give a sense of proportion, said study lead author Ron Milo, a biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

 "The fact that the biomass of fungi exceeds that of all animals sort of puts us in our place," said Harvard evolutionary biology professor James Hanken, who wasn't part of the study.

 Still, humans have an outsized influence on its more massive fellow creatures. Since civilization started, humans helped cut the total weight of plants by half and wild mammals by 85 percent, the study said.

 In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, John Locke works to move a herd to another field at his family's ranch in Glen Flora, Texas. Now domesticated cattle and pigs outweigh all wild mammals by 14 to 1, while the world's chickens triple the weight of all the wild birds, according to a study in the Monday, May 21, 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

 Now domesticated cattle and pigs outweigh all wild mammals by 14 to 1, while the world's chickens are triple the weight of all the wild birds. Instead of children's books about elephants and lions, a more honest representation of Earth's animals would be "a cow next to another cow, next to another cow next to a chicken," Milo said.

 Milo and colleagues took earlier research that looked at biomass for different types of life, combined them, factored in climate, geography and other environmental issues, to come up with a planetwide look at the scale of life on the planet. Taking water out of the equation and measuring only dry carbon makes it easier for scientists to compare species. About one-sixth the weight of a human is dry carbon. Humans are about two-thirds water.

 "Even though short in numbers, we have managed to throw a lot of sand in the air and mess up a lot of things," said noted Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson, who wasn't involved in the study.

 Explore further: Humans may influence cancer in many other species on the planet

 More information: Yinon M. Bar-On el al., "The biomass distribution on Earth," PNAS (2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1711842115

  ||||| Groundbreaking assessment of all life on Earth reveals humanity’s surprisingly tiny part in it as well as our disproportionate impact

 Humankind is revealed as simultaneously insignificant and utterly dominant in the grand scheme of life on Earth by a groundbreaking new assessment of all life on the planet.

 The world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, according to the study. Yet since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants, while livestock kept by humans abounds.

 The new work is the first comprehensive estimate of the weight of every class of living creature and overturns some long-held assumptions. Bacteria are indeed a major life form – 13% of everything – but plants overshadow everything, representing 82% of all living matter. All other creatures, from insects to fungi, to fish and animals, make up just 5% of the world’s biomass.

 Another surprise is that the teeming life revealed in the oceans by the recent BBC television series Blue Planet II turns out to represent just 1% of all biomass. The vast majority of life is land-based and a large chunk – an eighth – is bacteria buried deep below the surface.

 “I was shocked to find there wasn’t already a comprehensive, holistic estimate of all the different components of biomass,” said Prof Ron Milo, at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, who led the work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 “I would hope this gives people a perspective on the very dominant role that humanity now plays on Earth,” he said, adding that he now chooses to eat less meat due to the huge environmental impact of livestock.

 The transformation of the planet by human activity has led scientists to the brink of declaring a new geological era – the Anthropocene. One suggested marker for this change are the bones of the domestic chicken, now ubiquitous across the globe.

 The new work reveals that farmed poultry today makes up 70% of all birds on the planet, with just 30% being wild. The picture is even more stark for mammals – 60% of all mammals on Earth are livestock, mostly cattle and pigs, 36% are human and just 4% are wild animals.

 “It is pretty staggering,” said Milo. “In wildlife films, we see flocks of birds, of every kind, in vast amounts, and then when we did the analysis we found there are [far] more domesticated birds.”

 The destruction of wild habitat for farming, logging and development has resulted in the start of what many scientists consider the sixth mass extinction of life to occur in the Earth’s four billion year history. About half the Earth’s animals are thought to have been lost in the last 50 years.

 But comparison of the new estimates with those for the time before humans became farmers and the industrial revolution began reveal the full extent of the huge decline. Just one-sixth of wild mammals, from mice to elephants, remain, surprising even the scientists. In the oceans, three centuries of whaling has left just a fifth of marine mammals in the oceans.

 “It is definitely striking, our disproportionate place on Earth,” said Milo. “When I do a puzzle with my daughters, there is usually an elephant next to a giraffe next to a rhino. But if I was trying to give them a more realistic sense of the world, it would be a cow next to a cow next to a cow and then a chicken.”

 Despite humanity’s supremacy, in weight terms Homo sapiens is puny. Viruses alone have a combined weight three times that of humans, as do worms. Fish are 12 times greater than people and fungi 200 times as large.

 But our impact on the natural world remains immense, said Milo, particularly in what we choose to eat: “Our dietary choices have a vast effect on the habitats of animals, plants and other organisms.”

 “I would hope people would take this [work] as part of their world view of how they consume,” he said. ”I have not become vegetarian, but I do take the environmental impact into my decision making, so it helps me think, do I want to choose beef or poultry or use tofu instead?”

 The researchers calculated the biomass estimates using data from hundreds of studies, which often used modern techniques, such as satellite remote sensing that can scan great areas, and gene sequencing that can unravel the myriad organisms in the microscopic world.

 They started by assessing the biomass of a class of organisms and then they determined which environments such life could live in across the world to create a global total. They used carbon as the key measure and found all life contains 550bn tonnes of the element. The researchers acknowledge that substantial uncertainties remain in particular estimates, especially for bacteria deep underground, but say the work presents a useful overview.

 Paul Falkowski, at Rutgers University in the US and not part of the research team, said: “The study is, to my knowledge, the first comprehensive analysis of the biomass distribution of all organisms – including viruses – on Earth.”

 “There are two major takeaways from this paper,” he said. “First, humans are extremely efficient in exploiting natural resources. Humans have culled, and in some cases eradicated, wild mammals for food or pleasure in virtually all continents. Second, the biomass of terrestrial plants overwhelmingly dominates on a global scale – and most of that biomass is in the form of wood.” ||||| Significance The composition of the biosphere is a fundamental question in biology, yet a global quantitative account of the biomass of each taxon is still lacking. We assemble a census of the biomass of all kingdoms of life. This analysis provides a holistic view of the composition of the biosphere and allows us to observe broad patterns over taxonomic categories, geographic locations, and trophic modes.

 Abstract A census of the biomass on Earth is key for understanding the structure and dynamics of the biosphere. However, a global, quantitative view of how the biomass of different taxa compare with one another is still lacking. Here, we assemble the overall biomass composition of the biosphere, establishing a census of the ≈550 gigatons of carbon (Gt C) of biomass distributed among all of the kingdoms of life. We find that the kingdoms of life concentrate at different locations on the planet; plants (≈450 Gt C, the dominant kingdom) are primarily terrestrial, whereas animals (≈2 Gt C) are mainly marine, and bacteria (≈70 Gt C) and archaea (≈7 Gt C) are predominantly located in deep subsurface environments. We show that terrestrial biomass is about two orders of magnitude higher than marine biomass and estimate a total of ≈6 Gt C of marine biota, doubling the previous estimated quantity. Our analysis reveals that the global marine biomass pyramid contains more consumers than producers, thus increasing the scope of previous observations on inverse food pyramids. Finally, we highlight that the mass of humans is an order of magnitude higher than that of all wild mammals combined and report the historical impact of humanity on the global biomass of prominent taxa, including mammals, fish, and plants.

 One of the most fundamental efforts in biology is to describe the composition of the living world. Centuries of research have yielded an increasingly detailed picture of the species that inhabit our planet and their respective roles in global ecosystems. In describing a complex system like the biosphere, it is critical to quantify the abundance of individual components of the system (i.e., species, broader taxonomic groups). A quantitative description of the distribution of biomass is essential for taking stock of biosequestered carbon (1) and modeling global biogeochemical cycles (2), as well as for understanding the historical effects and future impacts of human activities.

 Earlier efforts to estimate global biomass have mostly focused on plants (3⇓–5). In parallel, a dominant role for prokaryotic biomass has been advocated in a landmark paper by Whitman et al. (6) entitled “Prokaryotes: The unseen majority.” New sampling and detection techniques (7, 8) make it possible to revisit this claim. Likewise, for other taxa, such as fish, recent global sampling campaigns (9) have resulted in updated estimates, often differing by an order of magnitude or more from previous estimates. For groups such as arthropods, global estimates are still lacking (10, 11).

 All of the above efforts are each focused on a single taxon. We are aware of only two attempts at a comprehensive accounting of all biomass components on Earth: Whittaker and Likens (12) made a remarkable effort in the early 1970s, noting even then that their study was “intended for early obsolescence.” It did not include, for example, bacterial or fungal biomass. The other attempt, by Smil (13), was included as a subsection of a book intended for a broad readership. His work details characteristic values for the biomass of various taxa in many environments. Finally, Wikipedia serves as a highly effective platform for making accessible a range of estimates on various taxa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_(ecology)#Global_biomass) but currently falls short of a comprehensive or integrated view.

 In the past decade, several major technological and scientific advances have facilitated an improved quantitative account of the biomass on Earth. Next-generation sequencing has enabled a more detailed and cultivation-independent view of the composition of natural communities based on the relative abundance of genomes (14). Better remote sensing tools enable us to probe the environment on a global scale with unprecedented resolution and specificity. The Tara Oceans expedition (15) is among recent efforts at global sampling that are expanding our view and coverage. Continental counterpart efforts, such as the National Ecological Observatory Network in North America, add more finely resolved, continent-specific details, affording us more robust descriptions of natural habitats.

 Here, we either assemble or generate estimates of the biomass for each of the major taxonomic groups that contribute to the global biomass distribution. Our analysis (described in detail in SI Appendix) is based on hundreds of studies, including recent studies that have overturned earlier estimates for many taxa (e.g., fish, subsurface prokaryotes, marine eukaryotes, soil fauna).

 Discussion Our census of the distribution of biomass on Earth provides an integrated global picture of the relative and absolute abundances of all kingdoms of life. We find that the biomass of plants dominates the biomass of the biosphere and is mostly located on land. The marine environment is primarily occupied by microbes, mainly bacteria and protists, which account for ≈70% of the total marine biomass. The remaining ≈30% is mainly composed of arthropods and fish. The deep subsurface holds ≈15% of the total biomass in the biosphere. It is chiefly composed of bacteria and archaea, which are mostly surface-attached and turn over their biomass every several months to thousands of years (18⇓⇓⇓–22). In addition to summarizing current knowledge of the global biomass distribution, our work highlights gaps in the current understanding of the biosphere. Our knowledge of the biomass composition of different taxa is mainly determined by our ability to sample their biomass in the wild. For groups such as plants, the use of multiple sources to estimate global biomass increases our confidence in the validity of current estimates. However, for other groups, such as terrestrial arthropods and protists, quantitative sampling of biomass is limited by technical constraints, and comprehensive data are thus lacking. Beyond specific taxa, there are entire environments for which our knowledge is very limited, namely, the deep subsurface environments such as deep aquifers and the ocean’s crust, which might hold the world largest aquifer (38). Studies in these environments are scarce, meaning that our estimates have particularly high uncertainty ranges and unknown systematic biases. Main gaps in our knowledge of these environments pertain to the distribution of biomass between the aquifer fluids and the surrounding rocks and the distribution of biomass between different microbial taxa, such as bacteria, archaea, protists, and fungi. Scientists have closely monitored the impact of humans on global biodiversity (39⇓–41), but less attention has been given to total biomass, resulting in high uncertainty regarding the impact of humanity on the biomass of vertebrates. Our estimates for the current and prehuman biomasses of vertebrates are only a crude first step in calculating these values (SI Appendix, Prehuman Biomass). The biomass of amphibians, which are experiencing a dramatic population decline (42), remains poorly characterized. Future research could reduce the uncertainty of current estimates by sampling more environments, which will better represent the diverse biosphere on Earth. In the case of prokaryotes, some major improvements were recently realized, with global estimates of marine deep subsurface prokaryote biomass reduced by about two orders of magnitude due to an increased diversity of sampling locations (7). Identifying gaps in our knowledge could indicate areas for which further scientific exploration could have the biggest impact on our understanding of the biosphere. As a concrete example, we identify the ratio between attached to unattached cells in the deep aquifers as a major contributor to the uncertainties associated with our estimate of the biomass of bacteria, archaea, and viruses. Improving our understanding of this specific parameter could help us better constrain the global biomasses of entire domains of life. In addition to improving our reported estimates, future studies can achieve a finer categorization of taxa. For example, the biomass of parasites, which is not resolved from their hosts in this study, might be larger than the biomass of top predators in some environments (43). By providing a unified, updated, and accessible global view of the biomass of different taxa, we also aim to disseminate knowledge of the biosphere composition to a wide range of students and researchers. Our survey puts into perspective claims regarding the overarching dominance of groups such as termites and ants (44), nematodes (45), and prokaryotes (6). For example, the biomass of termites [≈0.05 Gt C (25)] is on par with that of humans but is still around an order of magnitude smaller than that of other taxa, such as fish (≈0.7 Gt C; SI Appendix, Table S15). Other groups, such as nematodes, surpass any other animal species in terms of number of individuals (SI Appendix, Fig. S2) but constitute only about 1% of the total animal biomass. The census of biomass distribution on Earth presented here is comprehensive in scope and based on synthesis of data from the recent scientific literature. The integrated dataset enables us to draw basic conclusions concerning kingdoms that dominate the biomass of the biosphere, the distribution of biomass of each kingdom across different environments, and the opposite structures of the global marine and terrestrial biomass pyramids. We identify areas in which current knowledge is lacking and further research is most required. Ideally, future research will include both temporal and geographic resolution. We believe that the results described in this study will provide students and researchers with a holistic quantitative context for studying our biosphere.

 Materials and Methods Taxon-Specific Detailed Description of Data Sources and Procedures for Estimating Biomass. The complete account of the data sources used for estimating the biomass of each taxon, procedures for estimating biomass, and projections for the uncertainty associated with the estimate for the biomass of each taxon are provided in the SI Appendix. To make the steps for estimating the biomass of each taxon more accessible, we provide supplementary tables that summarize the procedure as well as online notebooks for the calculation of the biomass of each taxon (see data flow scheme in SI Appendix, Overview). In Table 1, we detail the relevant supplementary table that summarizes the steps for arriving at each estimate. All of the data used to generate our estimates, as well as the code used for analysis, are open-sourced and available at https://github.com/milo-lab/biomass_distribution. Choice of Units for Measuring Biomass. Biomass is reported in gigatons of carbon. Alternative options to represent biomass include, among others, biovolume, wet mass, or dry weight. We chose to use carbon mass as the measure of biomass because it is independent of water content and is used extensively in the literature. Dry mass also has these features but is used less frequently. All of our reported values can be transformed to dry weight to a good approximation by multiplying by 2, the characteristic conversion factor between carbon and total dry mass (46⇓–48). We report the significant digits for our values throughout the paper using the following scheme: For values with an uncertainty projection that is higher than twofold, we report a single significant digit. For values with an uncertainty projection of less than twofold, we report two significant digits. In cases when we report one significant digit, we do not consider a leading “1” as a significant digit. General Framework for Estimating Global Biomass. In achieving global estimates, there is a constant challenge of how to move from a limited set of local samples to a representative global value. How does one estimate global biomass based on a limited set of local samples? For a crude estimate, the average of all local values of biomass per unit area is multiplied by the total global area. A more effective estimate can be made by correlating measured values to environmental parameters that are known at a global scale (e.g., temperature, depth, distance from shore, primary productivity, biome type), as shown in Fig. 3. This correlation is used to extrapolate the biomass of a taxon at a specific location based on the known distribution of the environmental parameter (e.g., the temperature at each location on the globe). By integrating across the total surface of the world, a global estimate is derived. We detail the specific extrapolation procedure used for each taxon in both the SI Appendix and supplementary tables (SI Appendix, Tables S1–S23). For most taxa, our best estimates are based on a geometric mean of several independent estimates using different methodologies. The geometric mean estimates the median value if the independent estimates are log-normally distributed or, more generally, the distribution of estimates is symmetrical in log space. Fig. 3. General framework for estimating global biomass. The procedure begins with local samples of biomass across the globe. The more representative the samples are of the natural distribution of the taxon biomass, the more accurate the estimate will be. To move from local samples to a global estimate, a correlation between local biomass densities and an environmental parameter (or parameters) is established. Based on this correlation, in addition to our knowledge of the distribution of the environmental parameter, we extrapolate the biomass across the entire globe. The resolution of the resulting biomass distribution map is dependent on the resolution at which we know the environmental parameter. Integrating across the entire surface of the Earth, we get a global estimate of the biomass of the taxon. Uncertainty Estimation and Reporting. Global estimates such as those we use in the present work are largely based on sampling from the distribution of biomass worldwide and then extrapolating for areas in which samples are missing. The sampling of biomass in each location can be based on direct biomass measurements or conversion to biomass from other types of measurement, such as number of individuals and their characteristic weight. Some of the main sources of uncertainty for the estimates we present are the result of using such geographical extrapolations and conversion from number of individuals to overall biomass. The certainty of the estimate is linked to the amount of sampling on which the estimate is based. Notable locations in which sampling is scarce are the deep ocean (usually deeper than 200 m) and deep layers of soil (usually deeper than 1 m). For some organisms, such as annelids and marine protists and arthropods, most estimates neglect these environments, thus underestimating the actual biomass. Sampling can be biased toward places that have high abundance and diversity of wildlife. Relying on data with such sampling bias can cause overestimation of the actual biomass of a taxon. Another source of uncertainty comes from conversion to biomass. Conversion from counts of individuals to biomass is based on either known average weights per individual (e.g., 50 kg of wet weight for a human, which averages over adults and children, or 10 mg of dry weight for a “characteristic” earthworm) or empirical allometric equations that are organism-specific, such as conversion from animal length to biomass. When using such conversion methods, there is a risk of introducing biases and noise into the final estimate. Nevertheless, there is often no way around using such conversions. As such, we must be aware that the data may contain such biases. In addition to describing the procedures leading to the estimate of each taxon, we quantitatively survey the main sources of uncertainty associated with each estimate and calculate an uncertainty range for each of our biomass estimates. We choose to report uncertainties as representing, to the best of our ability given the many constraints, what is equivalent to a 95% confidence interval for the estimate of the mean. Uncertainties reported in our analysis are multiplicative (fold change from the mean) and not additive (± change of the estimate). We chose to use multiplicative uncertainty as it is more robust to large fluctuations in estimates, and because it is in accord with the way we generate our best estimates, which is usually by using a geometric mean of different independent estimates. Our uncertainty projections are focused on the main kingdoms of life: plants, bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and animals. The general framework for constructing our uncertainties (described in detail for each taxon in the SI Appendix and in the online notebooks) takes into account both intrastudy uncertainty and interstudy uncertainty. Intrastudy uncertainty refers to uncertainty estimates reported within a specific study, whereas interstudy uncertainty refers to variation in estimates of a certain quantity between different papers. In many cases, we use several independent methodologies to estimate the same quantity. In these cases, we can also use the variation between estimates from each methodology as a measure of the uncertainty of our final estimate. We refer to this type of uncertainty as intermethod uncertainty. The way we usually calculate uncertainties is by taking the logarithm of the values reported either within studies or from different studies. Taking the logarithm moves the values to log-space, where the SE is calculated (by dividing the SD by the square root of the number of values). We then multiply the SE by a factor of 1.96 (which would give the 95% confidence interval if the transformed data were normally distributed). Finally, we exponentiate the result to get the multiplicative factor in linear space that represents the confidence interval (akin to a 95% confidence interval if the data were log-normally distributed). Most of our estimates are constructed by combining several different estimates (e.g., combining total number of individuals and characteristic carbon content of a single organism). In these cases, we use intrastudy, interstudy, or intermethod variation associated with each parameter that is used to derive the final estimate and propagate these uncertainties to the final estimate of biomass. The uncertainty analysis for each specific biomass estimate incorporates different components of this general scheme, depending on the amount of information that is available, as detailed on a case-by-case basis in the SI Appendix. In cases where information is ample, the procedure described above yields several different uncertainty estimates for each parameter that we use to derive the final estimate (e.g., intrastudy uncertainty, interstudy uncertainty). We integrate these different uncertainties, usually by taking the highest value as the best projection of uncertainty. In some cases, for example, when information is scarce or some sources of uncertainty are hard to quantify, we base our estimates on the uncertainty in analogous taxa and consultation with relevant experts. We tend to round up our uncertainty projections when data are especially limited. Taxonomic Levels Used. Our census gives estimates for the global biomass at various taxonomic levels. Our main results relate to the kingdom level: animals, archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants, and protists. Although the division into kingdoms is not the most contemporary taxonomic grouping that exists, we chose to use it for the current analysis as most of the data we rely upon does not provide finer taxonomic details (e.g., the division of terrestrial protists is mainly based on morphology and not on taxonomy). We supplement these kingdoms of living organisms with an estimate for the global biomass of viruses, which are not included in the current tree of life but play a key role in global biogeochemical cycles (49). For all kingdoms except animals, all taxa making up the kingdom are considered together. For estimating the biomass of animals, we use a bottom-up approach, which estimates the biomass of key phyla constituting the animal kingdom. The sum of the biomass of these phyla represents our estimate of the total biomass of animals. We give estimates for most phyla and estimate bounds for the possible biomass contribution for the remaining phyla (SI Appendix, Other Animal Phyla). Within chordates, we provide estimates for key classes, such as fish, mammals, and birds. We estimate that the contribution of reptiles and amphibians to the total chordate biomass is negligible, as we discuss in the SI Appendix. We divide the class of mammals into wild mammals and humans plus livestock (without a contribution from poultry, which is negligible compared with cattle and pigs). Even though livestock is not a valid taxonomic division, we use it to consider the impact of humans on the total biomass of mammals.

 Acknowledgments We thank Shai Meiri for help with estimating the biomass of wild mammals, birds, and reptiles and Arren Bar-Even, Oded Beja, Jorg Bernhardt, Tristan Biard, Chris Bowler, Nuno Carvalhais, Otto Coredero, Gidon Eshel, Ofer Feinerman, Noah Fierer, Daniel Fisher, Avi Flamholtz, Assaf Gal, José Grünzweig, Marcel van der Heijden, Dina Hochhauser, Julie Huber, Qusheng Jin, Bo Barker Jørgensen, Jens Kallmeyer, Tamir Klein, Christian Koerner, Daniel Madar, Fabrice Not, Katherine O’Donnell, Gal Ofir, Victoria Orphan, Noam Prywes, John Raven, Dave Savage, Einat Segev, Maya Shamir, Izak Smit, Rotem Sorek, Ofer Steinitz, Miri Tsalyuk, Assaf Vardi, Colomban de Vargas, Joshua Weitz, Yossi Yovel, Yonatan Zegman, and two anonymous reviewers for productive feedback on this manuscript. This research was supported by the European Research Council (project NOVCARBFIX 646827), the Israel Science Foundation (Grant 740/16), the ISF-NRF Singapore Joint Research Program (Grant 7662712), the Beck Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research, Dana and Yossie Hollander, the Ullmann Family Foundation, the Helmsley Charitable Foundation, the Larson Charitable Foundation, the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust, Charles Rothschild, and Selmo Nussenbaum. This study was also supported by the NIH through Grant 1R35 GM118043-01 (MIRA). R.M. is the Charles and Louise Gartner Professional Chair.

 Footnotes Author contributions: Y.M.B.-O., R.P., and R.M. designed research; Y.M.B.-O. and R.M. performed research; Y.M.B.-O. and R.M. analyzed data; and Y.M.B.-O., R.P., and R.M. wrote the paper.

 The authors declare no conflict of interest.

 This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.

 Data deposition: All of the data used to generate our estimates, as well as the code used for analysis, are available on GitHub at https://github.com/milo-lab/biomass_distribution.

 This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1711842115/-/DCSupplemental.

 This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND). |||||


– Bragging rights for the world's most valuable brands are usually controlled by US companies, but in this year's ranking by BrandZ, one of China's own cracked the top 10, CNN reports. Tencent, which makes online games, apps, and other digital add-ons, rode on the coattails of its WeChat app to make the list, which saw the familiar names of Google, Apple, and Microsoft dominate the first three slots, respectively. The top 10 brands, along with brand value: Google, $246 billion Apple, $235 billion Microsoft, $143 billion Amazon.com, $139 billion Facebook, $130 billion AT&T, $115 billion Visa, $111 billion Tencent, $108 billion IBM, $102 billion McDonald's, $98 billion See the entire list here. (Do we even care about brands anymore?)


Shooting suspect, woman, in critical condition at hospital; Officials: Anyone still hiding at scene should call 911

 Several people were killed and others were injured in a workplace shooting Thursday morning at a warehouse in Harford County, law enforcement officials say.

 "(It's) another tragic event for us here in Harford County," Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.

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 Harford County Sheriff's Office officials said deputies were called to reports of a shooting at 9:06 a.m. at the Rite Aid Distribution Center along the 1500 block of Perryman Road, in the area of Spesutia Road.

 Gahler said deputies and first responders were on the scene in just over five minutes, and rendered first aid where appropriate.

 "There's a lot of police activity and ambulances and fire engines. They have the whole area blocked off. We've not been able to get in and out. We have our business locked down, since we're so close. There's not any way to get out of the area," said David Graf, with New German Performance.

 WBAL-TV lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller said a law enforcement source said the shooting suspect is a woman who has been taken to a hospital. She was listed in critical condition. She has not yet been identified.

 There are multiple fatalities and wounded victims, less than 10, according to a law enforcement official. Several victims were taken Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

 Johns Hopkins Bayview Trauma director Dr. Raymond Fang said four people with gunshot wounds were brought by ground transportation to their level 2 trauma facility.

 The families of the victims, who are all adults, still need to be notified, Fang said. He would not confirm whether one of the patients being treated is the suspected shooter.

 Officials said another victim was taken to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. The Associated Press is reporting that three people were killed. No further details about the victims were immediately available.

 White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company said its paramedics responded to the incident.

 Gahler said a single weapon -- a handgun -- was used in the incident and that no shots were fired by law enforcement at the scene. He said authorities do not believe there is any additional threat to the community.

 "We have responders here from the federal government who were on scene within minutes -- the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, the (Maryland) State Police, the MDTA Police, the Natural Resources (Police), the local municipal departments of Aberdeen, Havre de Grace and Bel Air," Gahler said. "You can't have enough police, and you can't have them fast enough."

 Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said he provided Gov. Larry Hogan an update on the situation.

 "(Hogan) offered all of his resources available under state government," Glassman said.

 Glassman said that first responders in the county train for this type of incident.

 "Every agency performed at the top of their profession and the response from all our allied agencies was great," Glassman said. "I am thankful to all agencies that came out to help us today."

 Authorities are working to reunite displaced workers with loved ones.

 "We really reach out to those families that are suffering right now that lost loved ones and offer our services as we begin to get them reunified, not only with loved ones lost, but with workers that have been displaced," Glassman said.

 At this time the Harford County Sheriffs Office would anyone that may still be in the building to dial 911 so deputies can locate you — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 Witness describe harrowing scene

 A witness, Bo, who did not want to share his last name, described the scene.

 "We were like two blocks over when we got completely bombarded by -- I'm not exaggerating -- 20-30 cops, and then ambulances and everything started pouring in. At that point, they blocked us in and we tried to turn around," Bo said. "They're telling us that there is an active shooter."

 Alexi Scharmann told WBAL-TV 11 News her mother works inside the Liberty building at the distribution center. She said her mother texted her that there was a shooter inside the building.

 "Everybody there is so tight-knit. There's not that many people that work there. Everybody is so nice over there, that's why it's a shock," Scharmann said.

 While there is security and metal detectors in an adjacent building, Scharmann said the Liberty building where her mother works does not have the same safeguards.

 Scharmann said she heard from her mother in a text at 10:33 a.m., saying, "I am outside and safe. I love you."

 There is a family reunification center at the Level Fire Company at 3633 Level Village Road in Havre de Grace. The Harford County Emergency Operations Center is partially activated due to the situation and the Harford County Information Hotline at 410-838-5800 has been activated for people trying to get in touch with family and loved ones.

 Bo, who said he lives on Aberdeen Proving Ground, said the area is wooded and has nearby schools.

 "This happened inside the warehouse (on Perryman Road)," Bo said. "They called a bunch of EMS and they told us they were carrying out another five victims."

 Bo said the response from police and paramedics was swift.

 "We didn't know what to do. They were coming in groups of 10. I am not joking, and they were running people off the road. There was even an accident and a head-on collision dead in front of us at a stoplight because they were literally throwing people off the road. They were going," Bo said.

 Church Creek Elementary School is on modified lockdown. Motorists are asked to avoid the area.

 No further details were immediately available.

 Stay with WBALTV.com and 11 News for more on this developing story.

 Thanks to our @Harford_Sheriff department and allied agencies for a tremendous response to the workplace shooting this morning. @HarfordCountyMD is grateful. Our prayers go out to our victims and their families. — Barry Glassman (@HarfordExec) September 20, 2018

 4 victims taken to @hopkinsbayview priority 1. No update on conditions- patients families are still being notified #wbal — Kim Dacey WBAL (@kimdaceywbal) September 20, 2018

 HCSO would like to thank the following partners. FBI, DEA, MSP, MDTA, Aberdeen Police, Bel Air Police, and Havre de Grace Police — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 HCSO is still in the early stages of this investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available. — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 A family reunification center is set up at the Level Volunteer Fire House, 3633 Level Village rd Havre de Grace — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 Based on what we know, thus was a lone suspect. The suspect is in custody and in critical condition at the hospital — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 At this time we can confirm multiple wounded and multiple fatalities — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 HCSO is still in the preliminary stages of this investigation. 1 suspect is in custody at this time — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 Sheriff Gahler expresses that thoughts and prayers go out to all involved and their families — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 Harford Co Sheriff confirms multiple fatalities and wounded in shooting at Aberdeen warehouse building..says suspect in critical condition..says no officer fired pic.twitter.com/GrdvTLYyg0 — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) September 20, 2018

 Family reunification center pic.twitter.com/Qd7WDqD61m — Kate Amara (@kateamaraWBAL) September 20, 2018

 Huge law enforcement on scene at multiple shooting in Aberdeen. But urgency has died down since it was active. #wbal pic.twitter.com/IfBKspuoXz — Lowell Melser (@MelserWBAL) September 20, 2018

 At Level Hall in Havre de Grace pic.twitter.com/uOfC26DPgD — Kate Amara (@kateamaraWBAL) September 20, 2018

 At Level Fire co in havre de grace: family reunification center to family members slowly trickling in, see some clergy members. IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT A LOVED ONE...this is the place to go. — Kate Amara (@kateamaraWBAL) September 20, 2018

 BREAKING: Law enforcement official: Multiple people killed in a shooting in Harford County, Maryland. — The Associated Press (@AP) September 20, 2018

 Update: law enforcement source says Aberdeen shooting suspect is a woman, has been taken to a hospital..multiple dead and wounded victims, less than 10 — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) September 20, 2018

 I just spoke with @HarfordExec Barry Glassman and @Harford_Sheriff Jeff Gahler to express our continued support. https://t.co/Wp9fDjitE3 — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 20, 2018

 Just spoke w @GovLarryHogan and updated him. @Harford_Sheriff Gahler will update everyone on this incident shortly. — Barry Glassman (@HarfordExec) September 20, 2018

 Medic leaving area of shooting with multiple victims in business park in Aberdeen. Aberdeen police just told me shooter not apprehended, situation "fluid" pic.twitter.com/8FmRRA7WnE — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) September 20, 2018

 ALERT Harford Co. - Police activity closes Perryman Road (MD 159) and Old Philadelphia Road (MD 7). Please avoid the area. VJ #MDOTNews #MDTraffic — MD State Highway Adm (@MDSHA) September 20, 2018

 .@MDSP is on the scene assisting @Harford_Sheriff. We stand ready to offer any additional support needed. https://t.co/1eTpLcUzQx — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 20, 2018

 WBAL-TV\Julian Ingram

 WBAL-TV\Julian Ingram

 We are closely monitoring the horrific shooting in Aberdeen. Our prayers are with all those impacted, including our first responders. The State stands ready to offer any support. https://t.co/fzugpo8C1Z — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 20, 2018

 FBI Baltimore is responding & assisting @Harford_Sheriff with an Active Shooter situation. For updates please follow @Harford_Sheriff. — FBI Baltimore (@FBIBaltimore) September 20, 2018

 Our thoughts are with first responders and everyone impacted by the incident in Aberdeen. #BeSafe @CecilCoGov — CecilCoGov (@CecilCoGov) September 20, 2018

 We can confirm there was a shooting in the area of Spesutia Road and Perryman Road. Multiple victims. The situation is still fluid. Please avoid the area. Media staging area still TBD. — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 HCSO is investigating the report of shots fired in the area of Spesutia Road and Perryman Road. Please avoid the area. PIO is responding. — Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018

 AlertMe ||||| Shirley Pollack, of Perryville, Md. reacts to what authorities have called a shooting with multiple victims in Perryman, Md. on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. Authorities say multiple people have been shot... (Associated Press)

 Shirley Pollack, of Perryville, Md. reacts to what authorities have called a shooting with multiple victims in Perryman, Md. on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. Authorities say multiple people have been shot in northeast Maryland in what the FBI is describing as an "active shooter situation." Pollack,was... (Associated Press)

 ABERDEEN, Md. (AP) — Three people were killed Thursday morning in a shooting at a Rite Aid distribution center in northeast Maryland, officials said.

 A law enforcement official with knowledge of the shooting stressed that the number of dead is based on preliminary information. The official wasn't authorized to discuss details by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

 A suspect was taken into custody and was in critical condition, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a news conference.

 It appears there was only one weapon, a handgun, that was used and there were no shots fired by responding law enforcement officers, Gahler said. Gahler also said multiple people had been killed and wounded in the shooting, without giving any other details on casualties.

 Gahler said the call about shots fired came in from the Rite Aid distribution center at about 9:06 a.m. and deputies and other officers were on the scene in just over five minutes.

 "We are so preliminary in this investigation," Gahler said. "It's so important that we deal in facts." He said authorities don't want to "make it worse" for the families involved by giving out incorrect information.

 The attack came nearly three months after a man armed with a shotgun attacked a newspaper office in Annapolis, Maryland, killing five staff members. Authorities accused Jarrod W. Ramos of attacking The Capital Gazette because of a longstanding grudge against the paper.

 The FBI described the Aberdeen incident as an "active shooter situation" and said its Baltimore field office was assisting.

 In a tweet, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said his office is monitoring the situation in Aberdeen and that the state stands ready to offer any support.

 Susan Henderson, spokesman for the drugstore chain Rite Aid, said the shooting happened on the campus of a company distribution center in Aberdeen. She described it as a support facility adjacent to a larger building.

 Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said that unfortunately, incidents like this are "becoming a too-often occurrence not only in Harford County but in the country."

 ___

 Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. |||||

Write a summary.

– Multiple people are dead and others wounded after a shooting at a Rite Aid distribution center outside Baltimore, reports the Baltimore Sun. The AP says three are dead, but authorities have not confirmed. Police say the shooter is in custody and has been taken to a local hospital in critical condition. WBAL-TV reports that the suspect is a woman. The shootings occurred at a warehouse complex in Perryman, near Aberdeen, about 30 miles from Baltimore. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said he doesn't think officers fired any shots at the scene, and they recovered a handgun, believed to be the only weapon used. The sheriff's office says deputies responded a little after 9am, getting there within 5 minutes of the first call. "We were like two blocks over when we got completely bombarded by—I'm not exaggerating —20-30 cops, and then ambulances and everything started pouring in," a witness tells the Baltimore station.


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 Please take a minute to register. After you register and pick a screen name, you can publish your comments everywhere on the site. Posting Policy . Register ||||| To begin talking about the new indie film "The Way, Way Back," I want to go way, way back.

 Praise for the movie's excellent cast, anchored by Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Allison Janney and teenage rock Liam James, will come later. As good as the actors are, we must begin with the originality of the screenplay by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.

 The writers, who also co-direct and have small roles in the film, take a fairly straightforward story of coming of age in a time of divorce, with all the frictions that arise as kids find themselves dealing with mom and dad's new loves, but they make it feel fresh.

 PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments

 And real. Authenticity gives the movie its witty, heartwarming, hopeful, sentimental, searing and relatable edge. It is merciless in probing the tender spots of times like these, and tough-guy sweet in patching up the wounds. A nifty balancing act by the first-time directors, who almost didn't get to make their film.

 Way back in 2007, "The Way, Way Back" was on that year's Black List of best, unproduced scripts. The characteristics that put it there haven't been lost either. The dialogue remains too pure, too quirky, too conversational to have been tampered with by studio execs or nervous backers — so a shout-out to all of the folks who kept their notes to themselves.

 The sting is there from the film's opening moments — one of those summer red-eye car rides to the beach. The only ones awake are Duncan (James) and Trent (Carell), the car salesman who hopes to marry Duncan's mom, Pam (Collette). Trent's frustrated eyes in the rearview mirror are all we see as he digs into the kid.

 "Hey buddy," he taunts, "on a sliding scale of 1 to 10, where would you put yourself?"

 When the 14-year-old finally ventures a "6," Trent's reaction reveals exactly what Duncan is up against. The crushed curl of Duncan's shoulders, the headphones that can't block out that voice, the hurt in his eyes capture how unprepared the boy is for Trent's treatment. James, whom you may know from the AMC hit drama "The Killing," is a standout. Carell should play bad guys more often.

 The movie itself will roll between two worlds. Ground zero for conflict is Trent's beach house on the Boston shore, where a full assault is underway. Trent's out to squash any resistance to his plans to marry Pam.

 PHOTOS: Billion-dollar movie club

 Kid paradise, or something close, is the Water Wizz Water Park, one of those local spots that give small-town life its charm. Owen (Rockwell) runs the place in the way of a cool dude forever giving into his inner Peter Pan.

 Rockwell, most acclaimed for his nearly silent tour de force a few years ago in "Moon," is a comic revelation as the wisecracking good guy who takes Duncan, and other strays, under his wing. In that punch-him-in-the-arm playground style of support, he tries to help the kid find himself and some self-esteem. A flunky job at Water Wizz will work wonders.

 The core of the film rests in the contrast between Owen and Duncan's who-you-really-are heart-to-hearts and the tension played out on the home front with Trent. A meltdown over Candy Land is classic.

 Even the small turns are not slighted. Comic Maya Rudolph's Caitlyn is a nice aside as the one who loves Owen but with reservations. Faxon and Rash are Water Wizz characters, one's eyeing bikini bods, the other escape. Owen and the gang soon represent the family Duncan feels the divorce cost him.

 The difficult dynamics at Trent's become apparent as soon as the car parks at the beach house, aptly named Riptide. Pam, barely a year past divorce and desperate to make a new family with Trent work, comes alive as Collette walks that wire. All her insecurity is immediately embraced by Trent's outrageously naughty narcissist next-door neighbor, Betty. Janney is a total gas in the role, playing Betty in tight pants and with nonstop patter that, like shots of tequila, is better in small doses.

 Betty's daughter Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) is one of the cool kids who begins to redefine Duncan's life. Their awkward attempts at teasing is a lovely first flirt. Trent's daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin), like most of the girls, is there to be beautiful, sullen and dismissive. Rob Corddry and Amanda Peet play Kip and Joan, Trent's best friends and complicating factors.

 Though Trent represents the torturer dealing out daily humiliations and Owen the savior, what really drives Duncan and the movie is his mother's indecision. What he sees so clearly, and what she refuses to admit, becomes the dividing line that the film keeps working toward. How Pam and Duncan eventually cross it comes as close as the movie ever gets to giving into a Hollywood moment.

 I'm guessing the top-notch crew, including veteran cinematographer John Bailey, production designer Mark Ricker, and costume designers Ann Roth and Michelle Matland, took on the project more for love than money. Rob Simonsen's infectious original score, with Linda Cohen supervising, gives the movie that seductive summer-on-the-shore vibe that helps in riding out the storms.

 Meanwhile Faxon and Rash are one of those unlikely Hollywood success stories. Met at the Groundlings in 1999, knocked around as actors, seemingly came out of nowhere to win an Oscar in 2012 for their first screenplay, adapting "The Descendants" with director Alexander Payne. They do deft work navigating between the humor and the pain of relationships, slipping in substance where you least expect it. In other words, don't be fooled by the sun-drenched beach where "The Way, Way Back" unfolds — not even the angst escapes the burn.

 betsy.sharkey@latimes.com

 ------------------------------------

 'The Way, Way Back'

 MPAA rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material

 Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

 Playing: At ArcLight Hollywood; Landmark Theatre, West Los Angeles ||||| Pick of the week: “The Way, Way Back” is a wistful summer escape The new indie comedy gets adolescence and adulthood just right

 There’s nothing strikingly new or different about “The Way, Way Back,” which is a sweet-natured teenage coming-of-age story set in a beach town on Cape Cod. It’s classic summer counter-programming, a low-tech indie comedy driven by its strong cast and eccentric characters, and flavored with a wistful mixture of romance, loneliness and sea spray. But the directing debut of actors-turned-filmmakers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (who previously co-wrote the screenplay for Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants”) is beautifully executed, loaded with sharp observational moments, and never cheats either its characters or its audience by descending into raunchy teen-movie cliché. This is a delicately balanced and often very funny holiday alternative suitable for pretty much the entire family; there’s some adult-oriented humor, but nothing that would pose a problem for kids older than 11 or 12.

 Almost anyone who has ever been a teenager will identify with Duncan (Liam James), the nominal protagonist of “The Way, Way Back.” He’s 14, and stuck in that period of early adolescence when you’re no longer a child but aren’t quite prepared, by age or temperament or both, to join the ravening, Darwinian packs of hormone-driven teens. There’s a wordless but marvelous scene when Duncan watches, from inside the beach house, while his mom (the great Toni Collette), his would-be stepdad (Steve Carell) and two of their drunken friends stumble through the dunes for a late-night swim. Simply in the framing of the shots, and Duncan’s splendid, miserable isolation, Faxon and Rash capture something essential about the gulf between teenage certainty and murky adult experience, with considerable sympathy for both.

 These guys write domestic comedy really well, especially when it’s right on the edge of domestic tragedy. I had a mixed response to “The Descendants” overall, but remember that scene when George Clooney shows up at his friends’ house, uninvited, interrupting a marital spat to demand answers about his wife’s infidelity? That was masterful. As Duncan’s mom, Pam, Toni Collette doesn’t get all that much screen time, but she makes every second pay off with a brilliant, understated performance as a once-burned divorced mom who’s hoping for the best but afraid of the worst. Her boyfriend, Trent (Carell), seems to be aiming toward marriage and stepfatherhood, but he’s also a guarded, angry person whose attempts to bond with Duncan are almost nakedly aggressive. Say this for Carell in his post-“Office” phase: He’s proven he’s a real actor, and he’s unafraid to take on unlikable characters who aren’t the center of the movie.

 While Pam and Trent work on their possibly collapsing relationship and drink way too much with Kip (Rob Corddry) and the suspiciously friendly Joan (Amanda Peet, in full-on home-wrecker danger-girl mode), Allison Janney nearly steals the entire film as Betty, the boozy, horny, blue-eyeshadow lady next door. I almost wanted the whole movie to be about her! Even with Betty, Faxon and Rash resist easy caricature: She’s not so much the cartoonish slutty divorcee as a lonely single mom who’s adopted that role, in hopes of making an actual human connection. Anyway, Duncan has had quite enough of being the misfit adjunct to this group of dysfunctional adults who are acting way more like teenagers than he is. He has met Owen (Sam Rockwell), he of the aviator shades, early-‘90s Chevy convertible, blue windbreaker and ready quips. Owen, you see, is the manager of Water Wizz.

 If someone hasn’t written a doctoral dissertation on theme parks and amusement parks as magical space in coming-of-age movies, they certainly should. “The Way, Way Back” certainly owes a debt to “Adventureland,” among others (although Jesse Eisenberg’s character in that movie is a recent college graduate, not a teenager). But the decaying, early-‘80s water park run by Owen is a near-perfect example. To Duncan, it’s a demi-paradise where he gets to be around adult role models who aren’t his parents. He isn’t quite able to see that it’s also a cement-lined Land of the Lotus Eaters, where one-time “cool guy” types like Owen lead a "Matrix"-like teen existence into their 30s and beyond without ever growing up.

 In a career of playing raffish, rumpled guys who misjudge their own awesomeness, Rockwell may never have been better or funnier than he is here. Yes, Owen is pushing 40 and running a water park (and making ends meet in the off-season through mysterious means) and yes, he’s more interested in ogling hot girls and running his comedy patter on preteen boys than in actually working. There are worse things than that; even here the satire of Faxon and Rash’s screenplay is genial rather than cutting. Maybe an irresponsible Peter Pan class-clown type – who’d better hope the IRS never decides to notice him -- doesn’t make the ideal male role model. But Owen’s also a kind and generous person, who sees things in Duncan that Duncan can’t see in himself. As surrogate dads go, anyone would take him over a smoldering dickhead like Trent.

 Anyway, this wouldn’t be a summer comedy if Duncan weren’t capable of changing Owen, almost as much as the other way around. Maya Rudolph gets a nifty supporting part as the long-suffering water-park lieutenant who’s been waiting for Owen to come to his senses, while AnnaSophia Robb plays the cute girl next door (literally), whom Duncan can barely muster the courage to talk to. (Faxon and Rash, both TV comedy veterans, give themselves funny sidekick roles at Water Wizz.) But “The Way, Way Back” really isn’t a teen romance, nor is it an adult sex farce. Those are flavoring ingredients in a movie that’s mostly about atmosphere, about moments of knowledge or connection that may not last but can shape a lifetime. It’s as welcome as the sea air, or a plunge in the Harpoon Lagoon on a sweltering afternoon.

 “The Way, Way Back” opens this week in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. It opens July 12 in Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, with wide national release to follow. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– The coming-of-age indie flick The Way, Way Back has been compared to Little Miss Sunshine and Adventureland. Starring Steve Carell, Allison Janney, and Toni Collette, it's certainly got the acting chops to make it a hit—but is it a hit with critics? The consensus is yes, even though it doesn't offer viewers anything new. It's expected but charming, with a few laughs thrown in the mix, too. "The film is awash in safe choices, from indie-pop-accompanied montages to sitcom one-liners and black-and-white characters," Liam Lacey writes at the Globe and Mail. Though he compares the plot to that of Little Miss Sunshine, he argues The Way, Way Back is "way underdeveloped." Betsy Sharkey at the LA Times appears to have been watching a different film entirely. She says the flick has a "witty, heartwarming, hopeful, sentimental, searing, and relatable edge." Though she admits it's a "fairly straightforward story of coming of age in a time of divorce," the writers "make it feel fresh." It's a "minor pleasure," as opposed to a "major work," concedes Ty Burr at the Boston Globe. But isn't that nice during the summer? "This one goes down like a popsicle on a hot day," even as it moves along "genially if not always freshly." Sure, "there's nothing strikingly new or different about The Way, Way Back," writes Andrew O'Hehir on Salon. "It's classic summer counter-programming, a low-tech indie comedy driven by its strong cast and eccentric characters." But it's done well, and it stays away from "raunchy teen-movie cliché" territory. O'Hehir liked the film enough to make it Salon's "pick of the week."


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– Welcome to the year that the Eurozone begins its breakup and slides into certain doom—or so says one economic think tank in Europe. There is a 60% chance that "at least one country (and probably more) will leave" the euro in 2012, the head of the Centre for Economics and Business Research says. He adds that Greece's departure seems "pretty certain" and Italy will "more likely than not" follow suit, the Telegraph reports. CEBR gives the euro currency a 99% chance of failing over the next 10 years, and warns that a global depression may follow. Along the way, the think tank says, French and German banking systems could seek bailouts and even be nationalized, the Financial Post reports. For now, European leaders are trying to give Spain and Italy time to gain control over their debt. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday that 2012 will be turbulent but that she will "do everything to strengthen the euro," Bloomberg reports. (Read about S&P's plan for the Eurozone.)

By Adam Haigh

 LONDON — At least one country will pull out of the euro area this year as the breakup of the single currency begins, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

 “It now looks as though 2012 will be the year when the euro starts to break up,” the London-based CEBR said in a statement today. “It is not a done deal yet — we are only forecasting a 60 percent probability — but our forecast is that by the end of the year at least one country (and probably more) will leave.”

 CEBR said the likelihood of a euro breakup in the next decade has increased to 99 percent.

 European leaders return to work this week seeking to buy time for the Spanish and Italian governments to wrest control over their debt and rescue the euro from fragmentation in its 10th anniversary year.

 Ten years after euro bank notes replaced national currencies on Jan. 1, 2002, the euro has for the first time recorded two consecutive annual losses against the U.S. dollar while plunging to a record low against the yen. That raises the pressure on leaders as they struggle to hold the monetary union together in the face of credit downgrades, European Union splits and a looming recession that might compound rising debt.

 The crisis may force “most of the French and German banking systems” to seek bailouts to compensate for writedowns on their holdings of sovereign debt, CEBR said. “They might even be nationalized as well. Many other European banks will go back into crisis.”

 The euro was trading at $1.2946 at 1:26 p.m. in Brussels, down 0.1 percent on the day.

 Bloomberg.com ||||| Jan. 1 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she expects turbulence in 2012 as she does “everything” to save the euro and end Europe’s sovereign debt crisis.

 “The path to overcoming this won’t be without setbacks but at the end of this path Europe will emerge stronger from the crisis than before,” Merkel said in a New Year’s television speech yesterday. In his New Year’s message, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said his nation will confront a “difficult” 2012 and must continue efforts to stay in the euro.

 Merkel will meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin on Jan. 9 to discuss revisions to Europe’s fiscal rulebook following decisions made at a Dec. 9 summit. A final accord by euro leaders on the German-French proposals agreed at the summit is due in March.

 “Today, you can trust that I will do everything to strengthen the euro,” Merkel said. “This will only succeed if Europe learns from the mistakes of the past. One of these is that a common currency can only be successful if we cooperate more than in the past in Europe.”

 The euro had a second consecutive annual loss against the dollar in 2011 for the first time in a decade as rising yields on the region’s sovereign debt reflected speculation about defaults and stalling economic growth.

 In its 13th year of existence, the 17-nation currency fell below 100 yen for the first time since 2001 as the region’s leaders bailed out Portugal, and Italy, with the world’s third- largest bond market, had its worst year since at least 1992. The Swiss franc rose against a majority of its most-traded counterparts as Europe’s debt crisis spurred demand for safety.

 ‘Crucial’ Months in Greece

 A crisis that began in Greece two years ago has moved to the euro-area’s core and leaders are struggling to convince investors they can contain the risk and assure the euro’s survival.

 For Greece, “the next three months will be particularly crucial,” Papademos said in an e-mailed statement yesterday sent from his Athens-based office. “The decisions taken will determine the course of Greece in the coming decades.”

 Papademos, appointed on Nov. 11 as head of a government backed by three of the five parliamentary parties, is trying to secure loans under a 130 billion-euro ($168.5 billion) bailout for Greece agreed to in October by European Union leaders before elections are held. Measures include negotiating a debt swap with private creditors that will cut 100 billion euros off Greece’s burden.

 Germans are split over whether the debt crisis can be fixed, with 52 percent of voters saying that a “fundamental solution” can be found to the euro-region’s woes, according to a Forsa GmbH poll for financial consultants AWD Holding AG published on Dec. 29.

 German Polls

 Some 22 percent of the respondents expect the region to abandon the euro and return to national currencies while 90 percent said in response to a separate question that other euro member states would join Greece, Portugal and Ireland in needing aid.

 Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged Germans to show more “calm” over the crisis in 2012, saying in a Dec. 24 interview in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that it is “manageable.” Germany plans to speed up paying installments to Europe’s permanent bailout fund to boost market confidence in the euro area’s resolve to beat the crisis.

 The euro-region is “close to a turning point” in the crisis, Norbert Barthle, the budget spokesman for Merkel’s Christian Democrats, said in an interview on Dec. 29, adding that Germany may not even be forced to raise its net borrowing next year to accommodate increased payments to the European Stability Mechanism due to rising tax revenue.

 --With assistance from Tom Stoukas in Athens and Allison Bennett and Catarina Saraiva in New York. Editors: Leon Mangasarian, Dick Schumacher.

 To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Parkin in Berlin at bparkin@bloomberg.net

 To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net |||||


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– Not a bad result for Roseanne Barr: Only five people finished ahead of her in this year's presidential election, notes the Independent Political Report. The comedian ran on the pro-pot Peace and Freedom ticket and drew more than 49,500 votes, according to PBS election results. That puts her in sixth, behind Obama (61 million), Romney (58 million), Gary Johnson (1.2 million), Jill Stein (410,000), and Virgil Goode (115,000). Note: an earlier version of this file based on Google's election results said she placed fifth, but those results left out Goode.) MyFox Tampa Bay notes that Barr drew about 8,000 votes in Florida, which, by the way, remains too close to call for either Obama or Romney. (Don't hold your breath for a result tonight—the Miami Herald says votes in Miami-Dade won't be fully counted until tomorrow.) No hard feelings from Roseanne, though. She tweeted congratulations to President Obama, notes the Huffington Post.

Paul commandeers Senate to protest Patriot Act Paul commandeers Senate to protest Patriot Act The Justice Department is warning lawmakers that the National Security Agency will have to wind down its bulk collection of Americans' phone records by the end of the week if Congress fails to reauthorize the... Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul commandeered the Senate floor Wednesday to deliver a nearly 11 hours-long protest against renewal of the Patriot Act, calling the post-Sept. 11 law government intrusion on...

 Clinton says childcare needs to be a national priority Clinton says childcare needs to be a national priority Hillary Rodham Clinton says child care needs to become a national priority and is urging Republicans in Congress to provide more federal money to help working families care for their children. Improving child care needs to become a national priority, Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday, and she urged Republicans in Congress to provide more federal money to help working families care for their children.

 Bush faults Obama about Iraq, stops short on more troops Bush faults Obama about Iraq, stops short on more troops Jeb Bush sharply criticized President Barack Obama on Tuesday for withdrawing troops from Iraq, but he declined to say whether he would order additional ground forces into the country to repel Islamic State militants. Jeb Bush sharply criticized President Barack Obama on Tuesday for withdrawing troops from Iraq, but he declined to say whether he would order additional ground forces into the country to repel Islamic State militants.

 10 Things to Know for Thursday 10 Things to Know for Thursday By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:

 1 dead in Burundi unrest; leader delays parliamentary vote 1 dead in Burundi unrest; leader delays parliamentary vote A Burundian official says the president has signed a decree to postpone parliamentary elections for a week from May 26 until early June. Burundi police fired live bullets, tear gas and tossed a grenade Wednesday to disperse hundreds of protesters angry over the president's bid for a third term in office. One soldier died while trying to stop the police...

 Catholic soul-searching in Ireland over vote on gay marriage Catholic soul-searching in Ireland over vote on gay marriage Barely a generation ago, Ireland outlawed homosexual acts and gays often faced a stark choice between leading secret lives or emigrating to more liberal lands. This week, in the world's first national... Gays in Ireland often have faced a stark choice between leading secret lives or emigrating to more liberal lands. This week, the Irish could turn that tradition on its head and vote to legalize same-sex marriage in the...

 Amid criticism, Clinton sticks to low-key campaign strategy Amid criticism, Clinton sticks to low-key campaign strategy Campaigning this week in Iowa, Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't make a formal speech. She answered questions from reporters, but only for five minutes. Pressed by a moderator at her own event to say where she... During two days of campaigning this week in Iowa, Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't make a formal speech. She answered questions from reporters, but only for five minutes. Pressed by a moderator at her own event to say...

 GOP primary for governor remains undecided in Kentucky GOP primary for governor remains undecided in Kentucky James Comer's request to review the razor-thin results of Kentucky's Republican primary for governor could delay the party's efforts to coalesce around a single candidate, giving Democratic nominee Jack... Kentucky's Republican nominee for governor could be in limbo for weeks following a close primary, but either possible winner will offer voters a stark contrast to Democrat Jack Conway in a rare off-year election. ||||| Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. ||||| Add a location to your Tweets

 When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| The final minutes of turning absentee ballots at Miami-Dade election headquarters. Staffers scrambled to check in as many outstanding ballots as they could before the 7 pm deadline.

 The Miami-Dade Elections Department is counting absentee ballots a day after the election. They hope to finish today.

 Dont expect election results from Miami-Dade County anytime soon.

 The countys beleaguered elections supervisor told reporters Wednesday night that her employees, still processing thousands of absentee ballots, wont finish until Thursday.

 Supervisor Penelope Townsley acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the elections process, according to Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS4. She spoke after another day during which elections workers fed thousands of pages of ballots into scanning machines.

 With the presidential race settled  but Florida still too close to call  Miami-Dades lack of final results have left a much-mocked blank spot on the long-decided electoral map.

 Earlier Wednesday, the county had said 20,000 absentee ballots still needed to be counted. The office of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued a news release insisting that the unprecedented length of the ballot represents over 100,000 pages that need to be reviewed and verified, one by one.

 This in no way is representative of any issues or delays, but a matter of unprecedented volume, the release said, noting that the countys canvassing board is continuing to examine suspect absentee ballots.

 Overall, President Barack Obama had more than 61 percent of the vote in Miami-Dade, or 521,329 votes, while Mitt Romney had 317,382, or 37.6 percent, according to the election departments website. The county was plagued Tuesday by embarrassing delays and long lines preventing the state to be called for Obama or Romney.

 Deputy Elections Supervisor Christina White insisted Wednesday morning that an unusually long ballot and high voter turnout, which was 64 percent, was to blame, not a lack of resources.

 Its not that there were any problems or glitches, White told reporters. Its about volume and paper left to be processed.

 Miami-Dade elections staffers worked overnight Tuesday and through Wednesday to count some 30,000 absentee ballots that had been dropped off or mailed to the Doral headquarters and county government center in downtown Miami at the last minute. The ballots had to be turned in by 7 p.m. Tuesday to be eligible for counting.

 Teams of staffers counted 10,000 overnight, but still had another 20,000 to review Wednesday afternoon at the Doral headquarters.

 The process is slow and tedious. To start, a dozen elections staffers must electronically compare images of voters signatures on absentee ballots with the signatures on the voters registration cards. Then the workers must determine whether the ballots have been properly filled out before counting them in scanning machines.

 If staffers reject any ballots, they set them aside for the Miami-Dade canvassing board to make the final call. The board, sitting in an adjacent room, consists of the chair, County Judge Shelley Kravitz, County Judge Andrew Hague, and the county supervisor of elections, Penelope Townsley.

 The elections office must also count all provisional ballots by 5 p.m. Thursday. White said she did not know the total number of provisional ballots.

 Obama wont lose the lead in Miami-Dade, where his campaign had a massive grass-roots operation. But how the final batch of ballots affects the overall number in Florida remains to be seen  Obama leads by just over 46,000, according to the state election departments most recent numbers.

 The race could still be close enough to trigger a recount in Florida, unless it is waived by Romney, who lost the overall election to the president.

 On Wednesday afternoon, the total difference between the candidates hovered just above the .5 percentage point needed to trigger a recount as the final absentee and early voting numbers trickled in across the state. With such a razor-thin margin, no media outlets had called Florida for Obama or Romney.

 Overall in Florida, at least 8,307,749 voters cast ballots for president, just under the number cast in 2008, when Obama won handily.

 In Miami-Dade, so far, it appears the number of voters who cast ballots for president will be just shy of the 864,636 who did so four years ago.

 Lines were so long in some polling places here that the last voter did not leave the West Kendall Regional Library until a few minutes after 1 a.m.

 When polls officially closed at 7 p.m. hundreds of people were still waiting to cast ballots in precincts around South Florida, in an election that was marked by long lines and the occasional problem. Even after the networks called the race for President Obama, people in South Florida remained in line.

 Voters complained that many stations lacked enough poll workers, scanning machines and privacy booths to address the crowds. Dozens of workers were diverted from closed polling places to others that faced daunting queues, and 150 extra optical scanners were distributed throughout the day.

 This article will be updated as more information becomes available. ||||| Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. ||||| Most people are aware now that Governor Gary Johnson received over 1% of the vote, including over 1.1 million raw votes. However, it has been harder to find information about the Presidential candidates who did not perform as well.

 Jill Stein currently has 396, 684 votes–she is expected to clear 400k easily once all votes are in, including write-ins.

 Virgil Goode currently has 108,195 votes–he is expected to clear 115k votes in total, including write-ins. That number could go as high as 130k.

 Roseanne Barr, without any write-in votes included, has polled 49,412 votes, which will likely be good enough for sixth place. With write-ins and remaining votes to be counted, Barr is expected to get over 50k.

 Rocky Anderson’s vote total currently stands at 34,521. With remaining votes and write-ins, he might reach 40k.

 Thomas Hoefling scored 28,593 votes so far, with 94.6% of those votes coming from California.

 So far, no other candidate has received more than 15k votes. All of this information is from Google (except Goode’s numbers), so it should be taken with a grain of salt. These are not final numbers. Richard Winger suspects as many as 8% of votes are left to be counted. |||||


– Firefighters at Disney World were warned to stop feeding alligators two months before a gator killed 2-year-old Lane Graves, according to employee emails. Emails from employees of Reedy Creek Emergency Services—which operates inside the park—show firefighters had been feeding at least one of two gators apparently living in a pond near their fire station, less than a mile from where Lane was killed, reports the Orlando Sentinel. One alligator was believed to be four or five feet long, and the other was a juvenile. In one email to the fire station's commanders, a communications rep said an alligator had been spotted near the station where communications staff parked their cars, and some "expressed concern of becoming alligator food. ... (C)ould you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator." A Reedy Creek dispatcher later complained about two gators in the parking lot. "They are not docile gators, they are mean and they are out looking for food because people are feeding them," he wrote. "It's getting uncomfortable." A Reedy Creek district administrator says firefighters received "just a talking to"—though feeding gators is illegal in Florida. It's not clear whether these gators have any connection to Lane's death. The administrator is skeptical because they would have had "to travel across a couple roadways" to get to the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where the June 14 incident took place. Still, notes the Washington Post, trying to avoid such attacks is "one reason it is illegal to feed alligators in Florida." The resort area has since added signs warning people about feeding them, reports People. (The June attack was the result of a "perfect storm" of circumstances.)

Expand this summary.

Disney’s new signs warn about alligators and snakes near its lagoon beaches, in a photo taken on June 18, 2016. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

 It was not unusual for the two alligators to lurk in the pond behind Fire Station 3 in Reedy Creek, Fla. Neither reptile was full-grown — one was a young juvenile and the other was about four or five feet long, whereas an adult male American alligator can stretch to about 11 feet.

 Perhaps it was the gators’ smallish size. Perhaps it was ignorance about the dangers of feeding alligators. Whatever the reason, two Reedy Creek firefighters were spotted giving the predators food.

 Reedy Creek is the tax district, the equivalent of a county government, for Walt Disney World Resort. Fire Station 3 sits just outside the Magic Kingdom, to the west of Splash Mountain. It is about half a mile from Seven Seas Lagoon, which curves around Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

 There, two months after the firefighters were admonished for feeding the animals, a gator — thought to be between four and seven feet long — fatally attacked a boy wading in the lagoon.

 [Disney’s Magic Kingdom has made its gator and crocodile characters disappear]

 Claude Rogers, a communications captain, had warned that staff needed to stop giving food to the animals, in an email obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.

 “It was brought to our attention firefighters are feeding the alligators (this is illegal),” Rogers wrote on April 20. “The communicators have found [one alligator] by the station, near the dumpster, and where they park their cars. As you can imagine this is making the communicators nervous because they are fearful of walking to their car and their leg becoming dinner. We have notified Animal Control to remove the alligator. In the interim could you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator.”

 Here are tips for dealing with "nuisance alligators" in this PSA from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

 This was on the heels of another email from Dan Lewis, a Fire Station 3 dispatcher, who complained that the animals were scampering into the parking lot. “WE are the ones who have to walk in that parking lot every day and in the dark,” said Lewis in an email, per the Sentinel. “They are not docile gators, they are mean and they are out looking for food because people are feeding them. It’s getting uncomfortable,” he wrote.

 Two months later, for the first time in Disney World history — and a rare event in all of Florida — an alligator killed a child, a Nebraskan boy visiting with his family.

 On a Tuesday night in June, an alligator ambushed a 2-year-old boy, Lane Graves, who was wading in the artificial lagoon very close to shore. Matt Graves, Lane’s father, attempted to save his son from the animal, believed to be between four and seven feet long. But it succeeded in pulling Lane into the dark water. During the attempted rescue in the lagoon, Matt was bitten by a second alligator, requiring antibiotics and stitches.

 In the wake of the tragedy, Disney installed warning signs about the presence of alligators and snakes, and removed crocodilian characters. Lane’s parents sought privacy.

 [‘We are devastated,’ family says of toddler killed in alligator attack at Disney resort]

 It is not apparent if the firefighter feedings in the station pond, which is an isolated body of water, are connected to the June attack. But avoiding attacks like this are one reason it is illegal to feed alligators in Florida. “No person shall intentionally feed, or entice with feed, any crocodilian unless held in captivity under a permit issued by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission …,” according to a Florida rule.

 Crocodilians, which include alligators, are instinctively wary of people. When people feed gators, however, the animals may lose their fear of humans. So-called nuisance gators can in turn become aggressive, including biting off the hand that feeds them. Throughout Florida, environmental activists warn that feeding wild gators, particularly as a tourist attraction, has become too common.

 Should an alligator be spotted on park premises, Disney World told the AP in June its policy was to relocate small gators and call in a licensed trapper for larger animals.

 In an interview with the Sentinel, John Classe, the district administrator for Reedy Creek, said that he did not know if the larger gator behind the fire station had been removed. But he was skeptical the fire station animal was the killer.

 “The gator would have to travel across a couple roadways … to get over to the Seven Seas water body system, so it’s not likely,” he said.

 A half-mile is a feasible travel distance for an alligator, though the creatures spend the vast majority of time in water. And the wanderlust of any given gator can vary. A 2013 study tracking alligators as they moved through western Florida Everglades found quite a bit of diversity in river ranges. Many alligators were unable to be tracked either because they did not move far enough or their acoustic tags broke.

 [Alligators found eating human remains in Florida Everglades, police say]

 Of those that were tracked, some barely shifted in location, staying within a third of a mile. Others were roamers, using 40 miles as a home range over the course of the study. The average gator stuck to about a 10-mile stretch of river.

 A Disney representative said Wednesday she did not know if the larger alligator had been relocated, according to the Associated Press. Disney World’s security team, when contacted late Wednesday night by The Washington Post, declined to comment as the public relations department had gone home for the day. ||||| Two months before an alligator killed a toddler at Walt Disney World, firefighters were warned to stop feeding the reptiles at one of the resort's fire stations.

 The admonitions were in emails from employees at Reedy Creek Emergency Services. Reedy Creek is the Disney-controlled taxing district that provides government services to the theme parks and surrounding areas.

 The emails were obtained through a public-records request made after an alligator snatched 2-year-old Lane Graves from the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon on June 14 and drowned him while he was on vacation with family from Nebraska. The attack took place at Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

 After that, many tourists came forward with their own stories of alligator sightings at Disney. One employee at the resort said at the time there was a problem with guests feeding the animals.

 According to the emails, firefighters were feeding at least one of two alligators hanging around Fire Station 3, located off Floridian Way on Maple Road less than a half mile from Seven Seas Lagoon and less than a mile from Grand Floridian. One gator was a baby. The second was estimated to be between 4 and 5 feet long.

 Reedy Creek District Administrator John Classe said he believes the feedings were not widespread throughout the resort.

 Feeding alligators is illegal because it causes the animals to lose their natural fear of humans.

 "You would think that the firefighters would be a little bit more in tune with the trouble that could cause and not do it," said David Hitzig, executive director of the Busch Wildlife Center, a refuge and nature center in Jupiter. "You would figure they would have more common sense than that. … When you feed an alligator, you're attracting it to people."

 On April 20, communications captain Claude Rogers sent an email to Reedy Creek's fire command staff.

 "It was brought to our attention firefighters are feeding the alligators (this is illegal)," Rogers' email said. "The communicators have found [one alligator] by the station, near the dumpster, and where they park their cars. As you can imagine this is making the communicators nervous because they are fearful of walking to their car and their leg becoming dinner. We have notified Animal Control to remove the alligator. In the interim could you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator."

 Classe said Disney's animal-control department was contacted but he did not know whether either alligator was ever removed. Classe said the firefighters received "just a talking to and reminding — `Guys and gals, we know this isn't right, so just don't.'"

 A Disney spokeswoman did not know Wednesday afternoon whether the gator had been removed.

 Typically nuisance gators under 4 feet are relocated. Larger ones are trapped and killed by the state. The alligator that attacked Lane was estimated to be between 4 and 7 feet.

 After Rogers' initial email, he sent another one to Reedy Creek communications employees. "Several people have expressed concern of becoming alligator food because the alligator is seen out of the pond near the building, by the dumpster, and near the cars," he wrote. "The firefighters feeding the alligator only aggravates the situation..... Animal Control has been notified and I have spoken to B/C Brown requesting they tell the firefighters to stop feeding the alligator. He has already spoken to members of his crew and has passed this on to the other shifts."

 Reached by phone Wednesday, Rogers told the Orlando Sentinel he could not remember who pointed out that firefighters were feeding alligators. "Someone told me, I think," he said. "I don't remember specifics as to who or what. Obviously it was by word of mouth."

 A few days before Rogers' emails, Reedy Creek dispatcher Dan Lewis alerted Rogers and another official about a problem with the gators.

 "Could yall tell the ops side to stop feeding these alligators, we think we have 2," Lewis wrote in an email. "They are coming out in the parking lot much more than others in the past and WE are the ones who have to walk in that parking lot every day and in the dark. They are not docile gators, they are mean and they are out looking for food because people are feeding them. It's getting uncomfortable"

 Classe said he doubts the larger gator would have been involved in the attack on Lane Graves. "The gator would have to travel across a couple roadways … to get over to the Seven Seas water body system, so it's not likely" it got over there, Classe said.

 There is a pond behind the fire station that does not appear connected to other waterways.

 Tim Stromsnes, president of the Reedy Creek firefighters' union, said he had heard in the past about a small alligator — about 4 feet — in that pond.

 "I've never seen anybody or heard of anybody feeding it," he said. "I think he's been in there forever in that little retention pond there."

 spedicini@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5240 |||||