From the Shore

Video from the world's first shark preserve

2011-07-19T11:24:00.001-04:00

Check out this wonderful conservation video from the world's first shark preserve in Palau.

Click here.

How fresh is your fish?

2011-05-05T09:19:00.002-04:00

In seafood markets, the look of a fish used to be the best sign of how fresh it is. That's not always true anymore as described in this NYTimes article.

When ‘Fresh’ Fish is Really Frozen
By ELISABETH
ROSENTHAL

The tilapia arrayed between the salmon steaks and flounder filets at an upscale supermarket down the block from my home in Manhattan looks as if it were plucked out of the water yesterday, and it costs far less than those other fish.

But if you ask about the provenance of tilapia at your own market, you may discover what I did: that it was previously frozen and then thawed and put on display among fresh fish. And it was farmed in China.

How can it look so good after that kind of journey? Much of the tilapia farmed in China is frozen and then treated with carbon monoxide, a gas that prevents meat and seafood from discoloring as it ages. When it is thawed, it looks like new.

A shark in the water is worth hundreds in soup

2011-05-03T08:55:00.003-04:00

Sharks are like lions: big predators that control populations of prey (fish). When people kill sharks (mostly to make soup out of their fins), shark populations decline quickly and recover slowly because they have low birth rates. Shark finning is a major problem in the ocean, having reduced global shark populations by as much as 90% over the last few decades. A new economic study in Palau suggest that sharks may be much more valuable to local communities if they are left alone to swim the ocean (and be observed by SCUBA divers) than if they are caught, finned, and sold. Click here to view the full NYTimes article.

Priced Off the Menu? Palau’s Sharks Are Worth $1.9
Million Each, a Study Says
By DAVID JOLLY
Published: May 2, 2011

PARIS — Sharks can be worth far more when they are
swimming around the reef than when they are in a bowl of soup — as much as
nearly $2 million each, in fact, according to the results of a study released Monday.
Shark fins are culinary luxuries in places like Hong Kong, but live sharks are
generally worth more to national economies.

For the
study, researchers from the Australian Institute of
Marine Science considered the expenditures of
divers who travel from around the world to the tiny Pacific nation of Palau to
dive with the mainly gray reef and reef whitetip sharks that inhabit its waters,
which were declared a shark sanctuary in 2009.

As a remote country of more than 300 islands —
Manila, 530 miles away, is the closest city of consequence — Palau does not have
many attractions beyond diving, so spending by international tourists on
airfare, lodging and diving makes up an important part of the nation’s economy.

Increased variation in Southeast US rainfall

2010-11-14T22:27:00.002-05:00

It seems the Bermuda High does more than give us nice summertime weather on the southeast US coast...

Southeast rainfall more variable as climate warms

In recent years the southeastern U.S. has had a string of summers with unusual amounts of rainfall. There was the withering drought in 2007, during which Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue famously held a prayer service for rain. This eventually worked -- albeit too well. Late last summer the drought-stricken region was hard hit by record flooding.

See entire artice here.

Really???

2010-10-05T09:24:00.003-04:00

Trash is an increasing problem in our oceans and there are many ways it gets there. What I saw yesterday takes the cake. As I drove past in my car, someone reached down and tossed the plastic cup they were drinking from directly into a storm drain!

Census of Marine Life announces findings!

2010-10-04T10:01:00.002-04:00

The 10 year Census of Marine Life announced its findings today (CNN). Census scientists estimate that only 1/4 of marine species (not including microbes) have been described by science. That leaves a lot of work to be done to fully learn what creatures inhabitat the 70% of our planet that is ocean.

A wet week for the east coast

2010-10-03T12:34:00.002-04:00

It was a very wet week for east coast due to the moisture associated with tropical storm Nicole. It is a perfect time to add one of my favorite blogs to the blogroll. It is Jeff Masters blog at WeatherUnderground, which focuses on tropical weather, but also other major weather events and climate change.

What can be worse than a massive oil spill?

2010-07-31T10:00:00.003-04:00

I'm back from getting married at the end of June. It was wonderful, but really made it difficult to find time to sit down and blog. The last time I had the chance to write, the oil spill in the Gulf was being called one of the worst disasters of all time. It has, of course, been a horrible mess and will continue to cause problems for years to come. When the well is finally plugged (hopefully soon), I fear that our failure to ever measure the flow of oil from the well will prevent a full accounting of the damage to Gulf ecosystems. The damage from large plumes of oil confirmed to have leaked from the well will probably never be known because it is difficult to document and there is too little information on the natural state of the deep Gulf to know how things have changed.

As frightening as the effects of the Deepwater Horizon spill have been, our dependence on fossil fuels appears to be having an even greater, though subtle, effect on our oceans. A new study reported in the journal Nature documents a 40% decline in ocean phytoplankton since 1950 that appears to be related to global warming. Whatever the cause, the decline indicates that massive changes are occurring in the oceans that could dramatically affect ecosystems, species, fisheries and people who depend on the ocean on a global scale.

All this, and we in the US still can't seem to work together to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels (climate bill dead).

Will oil reach the US Atlantic Coast?

2010-06-03T15:01:00.003-04:00

The effects of the oil spill on the coast have been limited to Gulf Coast states including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and will probably extend to teh Florida Panhandle later today or tomorrow.

There has been much discussion about oil reaching the east coast after entering the Loop current that wraps around Florida and becomes the Gulf Stream, which most of it fortunately has not. Recent model runs suggest that oil could quickly reach East Coast beaches (especially in NC) if it enters the loop current. There are a lot of caveats to the model runs including that currents are forced by average winds, not actual wind conditions, and that coastal currents are poorly resolved. In Georgia, it is less likely that oil will reach the coast (see Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Brief), but it is not outside of the realm of possibility.

One of the biggest impacts has been on the commercial and recreational fishing industries, which are now restricted from operation in over 1/3 of the Gulf. It is a huge area, and will result in significant economic issues for many coastal communities (NYTimes).

Follow the latest oil spill research

2010-06-02T09:17:00.002-04:00

Now that it is clear that the Deepwater Horizon spill is one of the worst US environmental disasters, scientists are working hard to understand what is happening at the surface, along the coast where oil is washing up, and especially in the deep ocean where plumes of oil spread unseen.

BP CEO Tony Hayward recently claimed that all of the spilled oil will reach the surface, saying "The oil is on the surface. There aren't any [deepwater] plumes." AP story If BP did participate in tests showing that oil released in deepwater could form deepwater plumes (NYTimes Green blog), he will have a lot to answer for.

A team led by Dr. Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia is in the Gulf right now studying the deepwater oil plumes. Follow their work and see preliminary results at their Gulf Oil Blog.

Offshore drilling not so safe after all

2010-04-28T09:14:00.002-04:00

When President Obama announced in March that new areas of the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts would be opened to offshore drilling, he stated that "we will protect areas that are vital to tourism, the environment, and our national security (source)." Worries that deepwater offshore drilling is not as safe as the oil industry claims came to fruition when the Deepwater Horizon rig recently exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico. The well is spilling oil at a rate of 42,000 gallons per day into the Gulf, creating a slick that is 40 by 80 miles in size and expanding rapidly. The slick is nearing the coast of Louisiana and could first reach shore within a few days, possibly in the ecologically sensitive Mississippi Delta region. If current efforts to shut off the well using remotely operated vehicles are not successful, oil may continue to leak into the Gulf unimpeded for months. One option to limit the amount of oil that reaches land may be to set the Gulf on fire, but this option presents air pollution problems (NYTimes). Will one of the outcomes of this disaster be a more detailed review of the risks of offshore drilling? That increasingly appears to be the case, as Congress takes a careful look at climate change legislation (NYTimes).

One result of the Gulf oil spill may be a shift in public opinion of offshore wind farms. Certainly wind farms are not without environmental impacts, but I prefer a future with wind turbines on the horizon generating clean, renewable energy than one with oil washing up on the beach. In that vein, it appears that the Cape Wind project, possibly the first US offshore wind farm, will receive approval today from the Department of Interior (NYTimes).

Trashing the Atlantic

2010-04-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

Hi fellow Atlantic coast plastic users,

If you thought we were safe from contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it's time to recognize that we too are creating a garbage patch. Two groups of scientists recently documented concentrations of plastic in the North Atlantic Gyre (Washington Post Article) now called the Atlantic Garbage Patch.

Of course, plastic doesn't just stay in one place but is carried around the world wherever the wind and ocean currents take it. For a global perspective on plastics in our oceans, visit the 5 Gyres project.

Little hope for Bluefin?

2010-03-21T10:26:00.002-04:00

The bluefin tuna is one of the world's largest and most heavily overfished species. Prized for sushi, the bluefin is caught primarily by European countries and over 80% of fish are shipped to Japan.

Last week, a US proposal to ban international trade in bluefin under the United Nations CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) was voted down (NYTimes). It would have been the first UN action to protect a marine species. Talks shift now to trade on several shark species that have also suffered dramatic declines in numbers.

World's Longest (recorded) Migrator

2010-01-12T09:24:00.004-05:00

A tiny arctic tern, fitted with a tinier tracking device, has made a 50,000 mi trip from Greenland to Antartica and back (NYTimes article). Although the general migration pattern has been known for a while, the route is about twice as long as scientists had guessed they travel.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T16:06:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

My posts were sparse as 2009 wrapped up. This is in part because I have been developing an idea for a new blog. I finally launched it yesterday. It is the Blue Crab Blog. I'll be adding more to it soon.

I will continue writing From the Shore, and while the posts will be less frequent I hope to make them more interesting and in depth.

What's in the water

2009-11-23T10:35:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about water quality since the Savannah River was ranked the 4th most polluted river in the country earlier this fall. If you consider the entire watershed it's actually the second most polluted. The top three, the New, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, are all part of the same drainage system.

In stark contrast to this rating is the fact that Tybee Island, at the mouth of the Savannah River, is said to have very good water quality. A swim advisory posted last week was the first in over two years.

Which of these views is correct? Probably both are. They are, of course, based on different data; the former is based on permitted toxic discharges and the latter on fecal coliform counts in water samples taken each week.

On the water, the river shows it's two sides as well. It is at once industrial (above left) and idyllic (right).

This dichotomy is by no means limited to the Savannah River. Despite efforts to clean up our waterways under the Clean Water Act, toxic substances and raw sewage continue to flow into streams and rivers across the country.

How can we know it is safe to swim? Your best bet is to find out about water quality at your favorite spot and stay out of the water for a few days if it rains.

Smart fish

2009-10-21T13:11:00.002-04:00

At work we have a flounder that has learned to eat pieces of frozen shrimp from a set of tongs, but we haven't tried anything like this...

For Fish in Coral Reefs, It's Useful to Be Smart (NYTimes)

new video supporting MPA's

2009-10-13T16:50:00.002-04:00

Marine protected areas (MPA's) have proven effective at helping preserve and restore marine communities. Here's a new public service announcement supporting California's system of MPA's. Thanks to Guilty Planet for the tip.

Eye of the Albatross

2009-10-12T09:07:00.004-04:00

I wonder if this is what Carl Safina had in mind when he wrote his book: "Eye of the Albatross?"

Researchers attached cameras to the backs of 4 black-browed albatrosses on South Georgia Island that recorded still photos every 30 sec. One bird spent several minutes following a killer whale with other birds and another spent much of its time near icebergs. There were also indications of birds spending some time around fishing vessels. Follow this link to the Open Access journal article. The photos in Figure 1 are definitely worth a look. A brief NYTimes article is linked here.

Walruses and Warming

2009-10-05T09:44:00.006-04:00

Like the polar bear, it seems that walruses might lose out as summer sea ice declines in the arctic. Scientists expect the animals to become more stressed, but maybe not to suffer great declines as is feared for the polar bear. The NYTimes has a couple of articles up about walruses and ice loss (here and here) including a great video of stampeding walruses.

I wouldn't want to get caught in THEIR way!

Deepwater Corals Protected in Southeast US

2009-09-21T12:31:00.002-04:00

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has banned bottom trawling in a large area where deepwater corals are found (article). Find out more about these corals here.

Sharks on my mind

2009-09-19T09:23:00.006-04:00

Sharks have come up in the news a number of times lately. First was the Labor Day weekend sightings of great whites off Cape Cod (link). Next was an article about the evolutionary history of great whites based on research by an old friend of mine from undergrad (link). The jist: great whites descended from extinct mako sharks, not the giant megalodon as had previously been suspected.

It was only natural then, that I celebrate the 1-year anniversary of my postdoc position by helping out a friend on a Georgia Department of Natural Resources tagging study for red drum that also catches a lot of (fortunately small) sharks.

the boat

the bait (squid)

blacknose shark

spinner shark

bonnethead shark

JAWS (Atlantic sharpnose)

Interim report on comprehensive ocean management plan

2009-09-18T10:30:00.002-04:00

The Obama administration has released an interim report from the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force (view it here). I haven't had time to read it yet, but the NY Times is reporting that it calls for regional planning and management, consideration of ocean ecosystem health, and the creation of a National Ocean Council to oversee management (NYTimes article).

Warmest (Ocean) Summer on Record

2009-09-16T14:38:00.002-04:00

This summer has been a relatively cool one in Savannah (no 100 degree temperatures in August).

For the world as a whole it is a different story (Dot Earth story). The period of June - August was the warmest on record for the world's oceans. The record extends all the way back to the 1880's.

Featured Publication: Ocean Acidification and Fisheries

2009-09-09T20:28:00.003-04:00

Anticipating ocean acidification's economic consequences for commercial fisheries.

Sarah R. Cooley and Scott C. Doney
Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institution

Abstract: Ocean acidification, a consequence of rising anthropogenic CO2 emissions, is poised to change marine ecosystems profoundly by increasing dissolved CO2 and decreasing ocean pH, carbonate ion concentration, and calcium carbonate mineral saturation state worldwide. These conditions hinder growth of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons by many marine plants and animals. The first direct impact on humans may be through declining harvests and fishery revenues from shellfish, their predators, and coral reef habitats. In a case study of US commercial fishery revenues, we begin to constrain the economic effects of ocean acidification over the next 50 years using atmospheric CO2 trajectories and laboratory studies of its effects, focusing especially on mollusks. In 2007, the $3.8 billion US annual domestic ex-vessel commercial harvest ultimately contributed $34 billion to the US gross national product. Mollusks contributed 19%, or $748 million, of the ex-vessel revenues that year. Substantial revenue declines, job losses, and indirect economic costs may occur if ocean acidification broadly damages marine habitats, alters marine resource availability, and disrupts other ecosystem services. We review the implications for marine resource management and propose possible adaptation strategies designed to support fisheries and marine-resource-dependent communities, many of which already possess little economic resilience.

Interview with lead author Sarah Cooley:

FTS: What do you see as the take-home message from this research?

SC: The bottom line is that even using very simple oceanographic and economic assumptions, we obtained results showing that ocean acidification could cause significant economic losses for communities that depend on mollusk harvests. It's possible that these economic losses could then drive social changes, which would have additional costs. Because we don't yet know exactly how ocean acidification will affect ecosystems and food webs, our estimates provide starting ranges that will need to be refined in the future once more specific data are available.

FTS: Your research focused primarily on the economic losses of mollusk fisheries, do you think it is possible to extend the analysis to other fisheries at this time?

SC: It might be a little early to begin making projections about many fisheries. The scientific community is now studying species-specific responses to ocean acidification for a range of marine organisms, and we are starting to learn more about which biological processes will be impacted by changes in pH, carbonate ion concentrations, or saturation state. From there, we still need to understand how these individual-scale responses will play out in populations and in ecosystems. As it is, we don't even yet understand population-scale responses to ocean acidification in wild mollusks. Organisms that are more motile than mollusks also may more away from unfavorable chemical conditions, adding another dimension that we need to understand. Developing economic loss estimates for a wide range of fisheries will likely require ecosystem-scale models that include socioeconomic components.

FTS: What do you think will be the best way to convince managers and policy-makers of the need to address acidification now, when large economic impacts may not be seen for decades?

SC: We hope that by using fishing and other ecosystem services to connect abstract chemical concepts - pH and mineral saturation - to concrete outcomes - dollars and jobs, we can forecast ocean acidification's effects in terms that are most useful to policymakers. This "ecosystem valuation" perspective, developed in recent decades by social scientists and economists, provides quantitative information that policymakers can compare directly to socioeconomic costs when weighing options.

Ecosystem valuation and long-term economic projections also may help managers overcome some of the mismatches that arise when planning for ocean acidification. Global CO2 emissions policies cause ocean acidification, but it affects ecosystems on local scales. Understanding the community-scale potential consequences of ocean acidification will help managers make regionally appropriate plans. Currently, regional management plans are developed for years to decades, not decades to centuries. Ecosystem valuation will also help managers understand the long-term consequences of choices made during their appointed terms, encouraging more holistic lifecycle analyses of the best choices.

FTS: Your article has received a lot of press. What has that experience been like?

SC: It's been a very positive experience. One of the goals for this project was to recast the ocean acidification debate into terms that are meaningful to non-scientists, and it seems from the interest surrounding the paper that we've succeeded. It's hard for people to put the notion of chemical equilibria in perspective over space and time, but when we start talking about how these shifts could impact the $4 billion U.S. commercial fishing industry over the next 50 years, heads begin to nod. It's much easier then for people to connect ocean acidification to other national-scale issues, or relate it to a friend's or relative's losing a job.

FTS: How has your experience at Wood's Hole shaped this research or other projects you are working on?

SC: My background is in ocean carbon chemistry and modeling, but I also have a strong interest in communicating science advance to non-scientists. My work at WHOI has allowed me to combine these two specialties while examining ocean acidification's consequences on ecosystems and communities. In addition to helping educate WHOI visitors about ocean acidification, I've been able to develop collaborations for future work with WHOI biologists studying ocean acidification's effects on mollusk larvae, marine policy and economics specialists here at WHOI, and fisheries experts down the road at NOAA's NMFS. Our location on Cape Cod also provides us access to local shellfisher and aquaculturist groups, who are eager to learn more about ocean acidification so that they can plan better for the future.

A mixed bag for salmon this summer

2009-08-27T13:01:00.005-04:00

Where salmon have been plentiful, declines are causing concern:

"Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery closed again"

"35 to 45 percent drop in juvenile salmon surveyed off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and Canada’s British Columbia"

"Alaskan king salmon population disappears"

Where salmon have been missing for generations, new arrivals bring hope:

"Salmon return to cleaner Paris river"

"Wild Atlantic salmon found in New York's salmon river"

These headlines only represent the beginnings of possible trends. Here's to hoping the bad news is short-lived and the good news continues!

Thanks to Blogfish and Guilty Planet for tips on some of these articles.

How ancient man may have impacted the coast

2009-08-21T12:54:00.002-04:00

Here's a link to an interesting NY Times article about the impact ancient man may have had on US coastlines 4000-12000 years ago.

Fall 2009 class - Research Methods in Marine Ecology

2009-08-19T13:19:00.002-04:00

I'm teaching a course on basic research methods used in the study of marine ecology to graduate students at Savannah State University this fall. Follow our class blog as we get out on the water and into the marshes.

Georgia Tech researchers hit (fake) sea turtles with boats

2009-08-19T13:13:00.002-04:00

Protecting sea turtles from boat strikes is not easy, given the turtles' tendency to hang out just below the surface. This article from the Savannah Morning News highlights research by Dr. Paul Work and others that aims to develop recommendations for boating practices that can reduce turtle mortality due to boat strikes.

A better forecast for ocean fish

2009-07-31T12:53:00.002-04:00

A new study published today in Science suggests that ocean fisheries can be rebuilt with enough political will and appropriate management strategies. These include catch restrictions, modification of fishing gear, and closed areas. Jump to the NYTimes article here.

Arctic shipping lanes and other interesting notes

2009-07-28T16:39:00.003-04:00

There's a trio of interesting ocean articles up today on NYTimes.com.

1) A German ship is attempting to transport goods through the arctic for the first time in history (link).

2) The Gulf of Mexico dead zone may be smaller than expected this year (link).

3) The ocean surface may be more than what meets the eye. Researchers are discovering a distinct bacterial community at the ocean surface compared to the water below (link).

Benefits of rebuilding fisheries

2009-07-24T12:32:00.002-04:00

A new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts indicates that rebuilding fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic would have substantial economic benefits. I haven't had time to read the full report, but you can find a summary and the full report here. The report is from their Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic.

Play in the sand? Wash your hands!!!

2009-07-21T10:45:00.003-04:00

If your local beach has warnings for high counts of fecal coliform bacteria, be sure to wash your hands after playing in the sand. New research suggests that beach sand can harbor bacteria even when the water is safe (NYTimes article).

Giant jellyfish

2009-07-20T09:24:00.003-04:00

The giant, 450 lb, Nomura's jellyfish is back in Japanese waters (CNN article). Although they can destroy fishing nets, I think it's a bit dramatic to say they are "causing untold devastation to coastal villages and leaving a trail of destruction and human misery behind." Then there is this: "The good news is that previous attacks have prompted Japan to put in place a warning system for fishermen. " While a warning system is a good idea, I'm not sure I'd give the jellyfish credit to staging coordinated "attacks" on Japan as they float along with ocean currents.

ABANDON SHIP

2009-07-07T16:18:00.003-04:00

What do you do with an aging fishing vessel that nobody wants to buy? The simple answer is to run it up on the shore and leave it to rot/rust. Such derelict ships can be photogenic, seeming a symbol of life on the water. They can also obstruct boat traffic and release old fuel, oil, heavy metals from bottom paint and other toxins into waterways and marshes.

Savannah is home to a number of such vessels, but a solution has been reached in the form of a rather clever metropolitan police derelict vessel removal program. Read the Savannah Morning News article here. By following the link you can also view an excerpt from the short film Cast Offs that was a finalist at the Blue Ocean Film Festival. The film was created by students at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD website).

June 2009 is National Oceans Month

2009-06-22T21:53:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, President Obama declared June 2009 National Oceans Month (view text of memorandum here). In doing so, he established an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force that will develop, within 90 days, 1) "A national policy that ensures the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources, enhances the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies, preserves our maritime heritage, provides for adaptive management to enhance our understanding of and capacity to respond to climate change, and is coordinated with our national security and foreign policy interests." 2) "A United States framework for policy coordination of efforts to improve stewardship of the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes" and 3) "An implementation strategy that identifies and prioritizes a set of objectives the United States should pursue to meet the objectives of a national policy for the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes". Most interestingly for those interested in place-based and spatial management, the Task Force will "Within 180 days from the date of this memorandum, ... develop, with appropriate public input, a recommended framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning. " Perhaps this is a glimmer of hope that our nation will move towards responsible stewardship of our oceans along the lines of the recommendations put forth several years ago by the Pew Oceans Commission and US Commission on Ocean Policy.

How to choose the right fish?

2009-06-13T09:00:00.003-04:00

A lot has been written lately about how to find and buy fish and shellfish that are sustainably caught. There are sustainable fish guides (Monterey Bay Aquarium or Environmental Defense Fund, for example) to help you make choices at restaurants or fish markets. Buying local may also help (for fellow Savannahians there is Wild Georgia Shrimp). More recently, there is a growing movement suggesting that the only way to save fish is to stop eating them altogether (Jennifer Jacquet of Guilty Planet is one of the leading proponents).

Mark Bittman, the chef and author of numerous cookbooks, has a article in the NYTimes describing his current perspective on buying and eating seafood.

So how do we choose the right fish to eat, or whether to eat fish at all? I suggest finding out about overfishing and sustainable seafood options and making a personal choice (see here for more perspectives). In the end, fish consumption, and therefore overfishing, results from the daily food choices that each of us makes.

World Oceans Day and Ocean Film Festival

2009-06-08T13:12:00.003-04:00

Today has been declared World Oceans Day by the U.N. and ocean activist and actor Ted Danson takes a look at the plight of ocean fish in this CNN article.

Here in Savannah, we are lucky enough to have the first global gathering of ocean filmmakers this week at the first Blue Ocean Film Festival (June 10-14). Find out more here.

Ocean trash and the Air France crash

2009-06-06T06:47:00.003-04:00

The crash of Air France Flight 447 is a great tragedy and I can hardly imagine what a painful time it is for the families of the passengers. It is difficult enough to find a downed airplane in the middle of the ocean, but floating trash is apparently making it even harder to find wreckage from the crash (CNN article). The problem of ocean trash seems to be gaining additional attention in some areas (see The Bay vs. The Bag on YouTube) and is a relatively simple problem to solve (i.e. make sure trash ends up in the landfill). On the other hand, with 50 % of the global population living in coastal areas, stopping the flow of trash into our oceans will require a massive international effort of individual actions (each of us taking responsibility for our own trash) and coordinated cleanups such as the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.

The importance of failure in conservation

2009-05-29T14:41:00.003-04:00

Attempts at habitat conservation and restoration are not always successful. That is to be expected for methods that are new and difficult. Unfortunately, projects that don't meet objectives are rarely reported in academic literature. A group of scientists is urging increased reporting of negative results in conservation and restoration so that we can learn from these experiences. The Journal of Restoration Ecology is hosting a special section entitled "Set-backs and Surprises" to address the problem. Nature article.

Global Decline of Shellfish Reefs at 85%

2009-05-28T13:02:00.002-04:00

This Nature Conservancy study came out last week, but it's worth writing about. Shellfish reefs are vital components of many estuarine ecosystems, but overharvesting, disease, pollution, and other problems have led to dramatic declines worldwide. In some places, such as the Chesapeake Bay, we continue to harvest shellfish from reefs (e.g. oysters) even though current populations are only 1% of historical levels and the ecosystem services (clean water, habitat, food resource) they provide have nearly completely been lost. In addition, a lot of money has been spent on restoration with relatively little success in many areas, necessitating a review of past restoration techniques and continued development of new approaches that will yield better results. If you don't have much time, at least read the executive summary (report website). Link to the AP article here.

Tracking the 2nd biggest shark

2009-05-08T14:41:00.003-04:00

Giant basking sharks, which feed on plankton, had only been seen during summer in northern latitudes but disappeared during winter (CNN article). Recent satellite tracking data have revealed that these sharks travel to the tropics where they elude detection at depths of 200-1000 m. The long-distance migrations of marine animals never cease to amaze! You can follow some of these animals (but not basking sharks just yet) on Google Earth (free download) using the 'Animal Tracking' layer under 'Oceans'. Follow others at the TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators) website.

A perspective on teaching ecology

2009-04-30T09:00:00.002-04:00

" We would not first bring the student the liver of the frog (or the stamen of the plant), have him study that, then next day bring him the isolated stomach or each individual muscle one by one - and finally during the last week of the course attempt to assemble all the parts into a frog. For one thing we would probably find that there was not enough time to study all the parts. Our poor frog would be most incomplete and probably bear little resemblance to the real frog when we tried to assemble the parts we did study! Yet amazing at it may seem many attempt to teach ecology using this backwards "parts-before-the-whole" procedure."

Eugene Odum, Basic Ecology as quoted in Eugene Odum, Ecosystem Ecologist and Environmentalist by Betty Jean Craige

Alaskan Eskimos uprooted by warming climate

2009-04-29T11:24:00.003-04:00

Residents of Newtok, Alaska voted to move their village in response to flooding due to rising sea levels and melting ice and permafrost (CNN article). Global warming is affecting Americans NOW and it is a relief to see our government finally acting to reduce CO2 emissions.

European Commission looks toward market-based fisheries

2009-04-28T09:20:00.002-04:00

I missed this last week. Support for market-based fisheries reforms is increasing in Europe (see my previous post for info on catch shares in New England fisheries). The European Commission adopted a Green Paper on April 22 to "trigger and encourage public debate and elicit views on the future Common Fisheries Policy." The report says that a remarkable 88 % of fish stocks in the EU are overfished, yet fishing quotas are regularly set above levels recommended by scientists and reported catches often underestimate the actual catches. In addition, many fisheries are overcapitalized (have more boats than needed to reach catch quotas) and therefore inefficient. See articles about the report from the Economist and the BBC for more details.

New England begins transition to catch share fisheries

2009-04-09T09:07:00.002-04:00

The crash of cod and groundfish stocks in New England has long been the prime example of overfishing due to the 'Tragedy of the Commons' in which individuals benefit from continued fishing even when the resource is diminishing and overall catches decline. NOAA is funding initial steps to shift New England fisheries toward a catch share system. Well-designed catch share programs can be used to reduce wasteful fishing practices, prevent fishery collapse, improve safety and increase profits.

Asian oyster to be removed from Chesapeake Bay

2009-04-07T13:41:00.003-04:00

"Good" non-native species introduced to solve pest outbreaks, stabilize soils, or fix other environmental problems often become problems themselves (cane toad example). Managers and scientists are rarely able to predict the consequences of the introduction of these species (review).

Maryland, Virginia and the US Army Corps of Engineers decided not to introduce the Asian oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) to the Chesapeake Bay. Instead, they plan to redouble efforts to restore populations of the native Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) following declines of 99 % due to overfishing, pollution and disease. This is a difficult issue because historical efforts to restore native oysters have largely been unsuccessful and culturing Asian oysters could have provided a much-needed source of income for watermen in addition to helping filter the murky Bay waters.

The key question is whether the Asian oyster would proliferate, wipe out the native oyster and alter the Bay's ecosystem in harmful ways or work alongside the native oyster to clean up the Bay. Despite several years of research, scientists were unable to come up with a satisfactory answer to this question. Roger Mann was quoted as saying, "The problem is ... that you don't really know until you do the experiment [of releasing the Asian oyster]."

My personal belief is that there must be a better (but perhaps more difficult and expensive) solution to the Bay's problems than releasing non-native species. Although prohibiting introduction of the Asian oyster could delay the recovery of water quality in the Bay, this outcome is far preferable to the unanticipated and probalby irreversable ecological problems that could have resulted if Asian oysters had taken over the Bay.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this important coastal issue!

Everglades restoration plan shrinks

2009-04-07T13:27:00.002-04:00

For the second time since its initial approval in June, Florida has reduced the area of land it will purchase from US Sugar for restoring water flow to the Everglades. As reported in the Miami Herald, Florida will buy 72,500 acres for $533 million instead of the 181,000 acres for $1.35 billion agreed to in November. The new proposal includes only about half the area deemed necessary by scientists to restore freshwater flows to the Everglades and divert polluted runoff from Lake Okeechobee.

dolphins and penguins

2009-04-01T12:46:00.003-04:00

There are two interesting ocean articles up today on the NYTimes Science page about Wildlife Conservation Society projects.

1) Irrawaddy River dolphins are more abundant than previously thought thanks to an estimated 6000 individuals thought to be living along the coast of Bangladesh.

2) Interview with Dee Boersma on her population studies of Magellanic pengiuns in Argentina from 1982 to the present.

More from new NOAA Director

2009-03-30T09:24:00.003-04:00

Here's a NYTimes article on Dr. Jane Lubchenco, new NOAA Director, including her goal to set up a national climate information service and her thoughts on efforts to end overfishing by 2011-2012 (as mandated by Congress).

The Future of NOAA

2009-03-20T15:39:00.001-04:00

First glimpse at the policies of new NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco discussed on Dot Earth.

Fisheries Symposium Roundup

2009-03-20T14:51:00.003-04:00

The 25th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium on Biology and Management of Exploited Crab Populations under Climate Change wrapped up a week ago and I'm left with a both a greater appreciatian for the variety of challenges facing managers of crab stocks and a sense that assessing the impacts of climate change on fisheries will be an incredibly difficult task.

Why do I think that the effects of climate change will be so difficult to identify? Many discussions at the symposium centered around whether cycles and declines in fishery catches were due to overfishing or environmental changes. There are data to support each of these hypotheses, although I find it hard to believe that fishing did not play some role in all of the declines discussed at the meeting. If it is difficult to determine the impacts of large-scale fisheries removals (even with annual harvest rates sometimes over 70 % of the total fishable biomass), how can we possibly detect the impact that a relatively gradual process such as climate change might have on landings?

That is not to say that climate won't impact fisheries and that fishery managers shouldn't plan for changes.

The top four points I took away from the meeting were:

1. Understanding the biology of fished species is crucial to understanding changes in abundance, size, range, etc.

2. Effective precautionary approaches (including fishery closures) are necessary to prevent declines or rebuild stocks.

3. High harvest rates are not sustainable despite high fecundity.

4. Ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management are necessary to understand the variety of factors that can affect population size.

Greetings from Alaska

2009-03-12T21:57:00.003-04:00

We're most of the way through the Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium on Biology and Management of Exploited Crab Populations under climate change. There are several general themes emerging of which I'll mention a few today and discuss in more depth after the conclusion of the meeting.

1) It is possible (possibly easy) to crash stocks of crab by overharvesting. It has often been suggested that crab stocks (especially those like US east coast blue crabs with relatively short life cycles) are robust to high levels of fishing pressure because they produce immense numbers of larvae per individual. Some stocks have withstood fishing pressure that removes as much as 70 - 80 % of the potential spawning stock each year. Nearly every stock that has been discussed at the meeting has experienced a significant decline in landings representing a fishery collapse. I think it is time that fishery managers recognize that it is possible for any crab stock to collapse and that conservative harvest limits are needed if collapse is to be prevented.

2) Temperature, one of the more obvious signals of climate change, can impact the size at which crabs reach maturity. Cold water species such as king, snow, and tanner crabs tend to be larger in warmer temperatures despite a demonstrated habitat preference of cold temperatures. Blue crabs, on the other had, mature at much smaller sizes in warmer waters. It is not clear what the cause of this difference is.

3) There is some evidence for sperm limitation in fisheries for king, snow and tanner crab that target only males. It is not clear whether this apparent sperm limitation is strong enough to affect fecundity (reproductive output).

More later!

It's conference season...

2009-03-06T12:45:00.002-05:00

I've been out sick and otherwise occupied getting ready for conferences this month and haven't posted in a while. I plan to do some blogging from two conferences in March. Next week I'll be at the 25th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium in Alaska focusing on "Biology and management of exploited crab populations under climate change." In a few weeks I'll be here in Savannah at the National Shellfisheries Association meeting.

Wave-powered data-collecting platform

2009-02-24T12:32:00.002-05:00

The NYTimes has an article up about the Wave Glider, a wave-powered platform for collecting oceanographic data created by Liquid Robotics. This platform has great potential due to its ability to both maintain position (without an anchor), patrol an area or travel long distances.

"Living with the ocean" lecture series in Savannah

2009-02-20T12:51:00.002-05:00

Scientists from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, GA will present a lecture series on man's relationship with the ocean. There will be 4 lectures beginning on Tuesday, March 10 and running through May. Additional details can be found here.

Fish migrate to cooler waters

2009-02-20T12:48:00.002-05:00

A new study suggests that rising ocean temperatures will cause fish to migrate poleward 25-28 miles per decade and may result in extinction of some species. View CNN article here.

Endangered right whales featured on CNN.com

2009-02-20T12:26:00.003-05:00

One of the most critically endanged species in the ocean is the North Atlantic right whale. Only about 400 individuals remain of this species that earned its name from being the easiest whale to harvest. This is the calving season for right whales and many of them are in the calving grounds off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. CNN has featured efforts to study and protect these whales over the last several days. Below are links to some of the articles and blog posts.

Spotting endangered whales from the sky
Volunteers, scientists guard endangered whales - check out the photo and interactive sections for additional information about some of the whales and the researchers involved
video:Right whale protection - the rule under consideration has been passed
blog:Shooting endangered whales with a crossbow (to collect tissue samples)

Battling invasive algae on coral reefs

2009-02-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

Here's a cool video from the NYTimes showing efforts to remove invasive algae from Marine Protected Areas in Hawaii (link). According to the video, populations of herbivorous fish are high enough to maintain low algal cover for several years after removal.

Precautionary Approach applied to Arctic fishing

2009-02-08T11:14:00.005-05:00

Historically, the discovery or opening of new fishing grounds has led to rapid exploitation of resources. Such rapid development of new fisheries has often led to similarly rapid stock declines and fishery failures.

In an unprecedented move last week, the US North Pacific Fishery Management Council closed federal waters north of the Bering Strait to commercial fishing (Fishery Management Plan). There are no current commercial fisheries in this area, but exploitation may become possible as the extent of arctic sea ice continues to decrease. The closure will give fishery managers time to assess fish populations and the potential impacts of ecosystem changes during climate change prior to allowing commercial fishing in this area (NYTimes).

Hopefully this will be the first of many efforts to slow the rush for exploitation of arctic resources as the arctic ocean loses it's icy cover.

Google Earth finally shows a true blue planet!

2009-02-02T20:29:00.003-05:00

I haven't had the chance to play with it yet, but Google Earth has added the oceans in a new update! This could be one of the best new tools for connecting people to the oceans we all depend on and affect and a wonderful tool for classrooms. For now, here's the NYTimes article and link to the free download (Google Earth). I'll try to write more when I have a chance to explore the new features.

Ocean acidification an imminent threat

2009-01-31T09:37:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week I linked an article stating that the climate will continue warming for generations even if CO2 emissions stopped increasing or were slightly reduced. That in no way means that we should give up on reducing emissions.

One of the most pressing reasons is that the ocean is becoming more acidic at rates 100 times greater than background levels as about half of CO2 released into the atmosphere dissolves into seawater. Corals, shellfish, and many other marine organisms build shells of calcium carbonate (or aragonite) that they extract from seawater. Increased acidity makes these processes more difficult, leading to decreases in shell weight and interfering with coral growth. In addition to corals and shellfish, many small organisms that make up the basis of marine food webs that fuel commercial fisheries will are also affected. In the Monaco Declaration on Ocean Acidification released Friday, 155 leading scientists warned that acidification has the "potential, within decades, to severely affect marine organisms, food webs, biodiversity and fisheries." For more on the declaration, see these articles from the NYTimes and BBC.

Featured Publication: The impacts of fisheries on marine ecosystems and the transition to ecosystem-based management

2009-01-29T13:23:00.005-05:00

This is the first installment of what I hope will be a monthly post on recent ocean research. As part of each feature, I plan to include a brief interview with one of the authors. Disclosure statement: My co-authorship of this review may have biased its selection as the first featured article.

L.B. Crowder, E.L. Hazen, N. Avissar, R. Bjorkland, C. Latanich, M.B. Ogburn. 2008. The impacts of fisheries on marine ecosystems and the transition to ecosystem-based management. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 39:259-278.

Abstract:
Fishing remains one of the largest factors modifying marine ecosystems. Because fisheries constitute only one of many anthropogenic effects, management is shifting from single-species approaches toward ecosystem-based management. Interaction webs are a critical nexus to understand linkages, to model ecosystem change, and to apply management directives. Ecosystem-based management requires consideration of both direct and indirect effects of commercial fisheries. But it must also include impacts of bycatch, recreational fisheries, artisanal fisheries, and environmental change that can be large but unanticipated. Synergistic effects of fishing, environmental variation, and climate change increasingly threaten marine ecosystems and complicate management. Here we review the global effects of fisheries and propose an integrated framework for managing biophysical processes and human ecology. To incorporate the multitude of effects, this emerging approach focuses on the dynamics of interaction webs in a spatially explicit or place-based framework.

This review article originated as a group research paper in Larry Crowder's Marine Fisheries Ecology Course in spring 2006 at the Duke University Marine Laboratory.

Interview with Elliott Hazen (lead co-author):

From the Shore (FTS) - What was the original inspiration for putting together this review of the ecosystem impacts of fishing?

EH - The original inspiration came from a discussion with Larry. He was discussing the upcoming course and the idea of having it target the subject of the ecosystem effects of fishing. When he wrote a proposed outline to the editor, it made it a much more real project.

FTS - What new information does this article add to the discussion about fisheries management?

EH - I think there are two real issues we will need to face in order to transition towards ecosystem based management. 1) Most of the data collected are on a single species with little attention paid to their interactors (food web and competitors). 2) Humans have been treated as external to fisheries management. Management should not focus solely on the target species relative to arbitrary governmental boundaries, but instead should focus on biological or human use boundaries.

FTS - If you had to choose a single take-home message from the review, what would it be?

EH - Transitioning to ecosystem based management will require a broad regime shift so that species will be managed in concert with environmental change.

FTS - This is the most co-authors I have worked with. What in your opinion were the advantages and disadvantages to developing a paper from a class project?

EH - The advantage of having more authors is that it gives you a broader perspective on the issue. For example, one of the sections changed dramatically from our initial thoughts as a result of the co-author's work.

FTS - If you could ask President Obama to change one aspect of US Ocean Policy, what would it be and why?

EH - Fisheries management needs to move away from a Maximum Sustainable Yield approach to one balancing yield with ecosystem function and a precautionary target. Current management acts retro-actively only focusing on species that are believed to be overfished. This burden of proof needs to be reversed.

Dubai pollution, albatrosses, global warming

2009-01-29T12:49:00.002-05:00

What do these topics have in common? Maybe not much, but here are three interesting links for your enjoyment (productive procrastination).

1) The "desert paradise" of Dubai is apparently having greater problems with its beaches than drunk westerners having relations. Untreated sewage and industrial wastewater have polluted waters and washed up on beaches (TimesOnline article), in part because sewage truck drivers are paid so poorly that they don't deliver their loads to the treatment plant.

2) Students from the Duke University Marine Lab are exploring Midway Island in the Papahanaumokuakea (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) National Monument as part of a Marine Conservation Biology course. View their blog here, which incidently also talks about trash on the beach (and in albatross stomachs). Of particular interest is the post on conservation of Laysan ducks, which once declined to a SINGLE breeding female, but now number in the hundreds.

3) Finally, the NYTimes has two interesting articles up on the persistent effect that CO2 is likely to have on global warming. They highlight research that suggests that leveling off or even slightly reducing CO2 emissions may lead to continued increases in global warming. This could occur because carbon is removed from the atmosphere at a rate slower than the current rate of production. "Emissions cut won't bring quick relief, scientists say"; "The greenhouse effect and the bathtub effect"

The Most Important Fish in the Sea - New book added to Ocean Reads

2009-01-20T18:12:00.004-05:00

For all the press devoted to American fisheries for cod, oysters, crabs, shrimp, salmon, pollock and others, you wouldn't think that the largest fishery by both weight and numbers of fish has been the fishery for menhaden. Most likely, this is because they are not for sale in the fish markets. Menhaden are an oily, smelly fish useful primarily for fertilizer and industrial oils which have numerous cheap alternatives. Yet they provide the essential services of removing algae from coastal waters and feeding most of the fish we do eat along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Massive schools (some over 25 miles long) of these small fish once patrolled the Atlantic coast from Florida to Maine, but most have now been captured and the once grand menhaden fishery has been reduced to a single large corporation (and one minor 'competitor') taking most of its catch from the Gulf of Mexico. Concurrent with the decline in menhaden, coastal waters have seen dramatic increases in algae whose decomposition takes up oxygen and has created oxygen-poor "dead zones" in the Chesapeake Bay, Pamlico Sound, Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the menhaden fishery remained the only unregulated, federally managed fishery on the Atlantic coast until 2006. Current limits are higher than what the company is able to catch.

The menhaden story has been thoroughly researched and chronicled in the 2007 book "The Most Important Fish in the Sea" by H. Bruce Franklin. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in coastal or ocean conservation, fisheries, and wise use of the natural resources we are blessed with. Restoring menhaden populations could play a key role in improving and sustaining the health of our estuaries and coasts.

Many historical accounts are unimaginable to modern inhabitants of the coast. Take this excerpt from the reports of G. Brown Goode: "A party of New London manufacturers, visiting the Chesapeake in 1866, found menhaden in almost incredible quantities... They were so thick that for 25 miles along the shore there was a solid flip-flap of the northward-swimming fish... One enthusiastic member of the party jumped into the water and with a dip-net threw bushels of fish upon the beach."

Sadly, this part sounds familiar: "[Spencer] Baird was soon able to compile a convincing report finding that fully nine-tenths of the fish population available in 1800 had already disappeared [by 1871], that the remaining numbers were constantly declining, and that the evident cause was unbridled overfishing."

Why then is it still newsworthy (and sometimes hotly debated) when scientists release reports like the one I linked in my previous post indicating that fishing may have caused dramatic declines in fish populations? Why was the menhaden industry not regulated (and barely at that) until 2006? How can we change the scope of fisheries management to include the ecosystem impacts of fishing? Perhaps the hope offered by a new administration that values scientific information can change the way we use our marine resources. As President Obama said today, these challenges "will not be met easily or in a short span of time." As a resident of the Atlantic coast, I hope that they will be met sooner rather than too late.

Decline of reef fish

2009-01-20T15:55:00.002-05:00

The experience of those who dive or snorkel on tropical coral reefs in populated areas is that reef fish are small, beautifully colored inhabitats of often crumbling, algae covered habitats. This was not always the case. Many of the large reef fish have been caught for local use or sale to global fish markets. This NY Times article (link) highlights the decline of Pacific reef fish, many of which are sold live to restaurants in Asia and elsewhere. These species can be particularly vulnerable because they come together to spawn in large aggregations. Fisherman often target these aggregations because it is easier to catch large numbers of adult fish, but this practice effectively wipes out the breeding population of large expanses of reef. In some areas, spawning has declined a remarkable 80 % over just the last 5-20 years.

Bush's Ocean Legacy: Episode II - The Line Islands and the Deepest Deep

2009-01-07T13:00:00.003-05:00

A day ago, in an ocean far, far away... President Bush added the second installment of Pacific Islands to his ocean protection legacy. After designating the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a National Monument several years ago, he provided protection to Rose Atoll, Wake Island, Johnston Island, Palmyra Island, Kingman Reef, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, and waters of the Marianas Island and the Mariana Trench. Commercial fishing will be prohibited to the 50 mile limit from each island (see CNN article). Preserving these areas, some of which (the Line Islands: Johnston, Palmyra and Kingman) have recently been featured in National Geographic, will support efforts to understand the dynamics of coral reef ecosystems prior to human impacts. As such, they will serve baselines for marine protected areas throughout the tropics. Unfortunately, I can't help but think how sadly ironic it would be if the reefs that President Bush protected succomb to increasing temperatures and acidification due to climate change that he failed to address. Here's to hoping for better!

Blue Vision Summit

2009-01-07T10:06:00.003-05:00

In my first blog post on 4 November 2008, I suggested that Barack Obama's election signalled a new opportunity to improve US ocean policy. A group called the Blue Frontier Campaign is hosting the second Blue Vision Summit in Washington, D.C. from 7-10 March 2009 to do just that. The goals of the summit are: "To influence the new President and Congress to take leadership on our endangered ocean and coasts. To inform and inspire the Public about Solutions that work. To find a common voice on the Ocean and Climate and other emerging issues." Participants include Philippe Couseau, Jeremy Jackson, NOAA Director nominee Jane Lubchenco, former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, 'Sherman's Lagoon' cartoonist Jim Toomey and many others. Visit the links above for more information or to register for the summit.

A good review of ocean issues

2009-01-04T09:12:00.003-05:00

Our oceans face a multitude of problems as we head into 2009, from destructive fishing practices to rising temperatures, acidification, pollution and dead zones. Similarly, we humans may face problems stemming from the changing oceans as diverse as coastal inundation, increasing severity of storms, loss of an important source of protein, and international conflicts over territory, fishing practices, and resource extraction. Although there is reason to hope that some of these problems can be addressed over relatively short time scales - for example, the apparent success of fishery management policies that are based on individual transferable quotas and property rights and the recovery of some fish stocks following harvest bans - pollution, acidification, warming and many other problems will persist for hundreds or thousands of years even if their causes were removed today. A 16-page special report on ocean issues was published in the 3-9 January 2009 issue of the Economist magazine that would serve as a useful review for anyone concerned about our oceans and would be effective for high school or introductory college level courses.

Jane Lubchenco chosen to head NOAA

2008-12-19T11:40:00.003-05:00

President elect Obama has chosen Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State University as the new head of NOAA! More details here.

Two new arctic warming reports

2008-12-17T12:50:00.002-05:00

1. Rapid warming has been observed this summer off Greenland and northern Siberia. Findings include high levels of methane (a potent global warming gas) release from permafrost along areas of the coast and continental shelf (Nature.com article).

2. Accelerating rate of continental glacier melting in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska since 2003 (CNN article).

Positive step for everglades restoration plan

2008-12-17T12:36:00.002-05:00

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (see CERP website) is one of the largest (if not the largest) environmental restoration plans ever attempted. If successful, the plan will restore water flow from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades and into Florida Bay, most of which is currently diverted to eastern Florida for agricultural and municipal uses. In a major decisiion, the board of the South Florida Water Management District approved the sale of nearly 300 square miles of United States Sugar property to the State of Florida for $1.34 billion (NYTimes article). The property, if acquired, would become part of the pathway for water flowing from Lake Okeechobee.

Ghost of fishing past....

2008-12-12T10:22:00.002-05:00

Seal hunters (inadvertently) brought mice with them to the remote Gough Island in the South Atlantic. Their visits to the island are still felt today as mice eat chicks of the Tristan albatross and bunting, driving the species close to extinction. Photos of the albatross and additional information can be found here.

19% of Coral Reefs lost!

2008-12-12T09:38:00.004-05:00

Coral reefs and their diversity of colorful fish inspire millions to travel to tropical islands throughout the world. Reefs provide shelter for an incredible diversity of marine life and support fisheries that provide an important source of protein and employment for island communities throughout the tropics. Yet a variety of human impacts, including rising water temperatures and acidification of seawater due to global warming (acidification makes the formation of calcium carbonate shells and structures more difficult), pollution, and destruction of reefs through fishing (dynamite, cyanide, trawling, etc.), are threatening these important ecosystems.

A report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and released by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature concludes that 19 % of the world's reefs have disappeared (View report). Although the report's suggestion that all remaining reefs could be gone by 2050 may be a bit overstated, it is clear that additional reef loss will occur. My own experience is that few of the reefs I have visited in Florida or the Caribbean appear anything like the pristine reefs in places such as Palau and the Red Sea or in old photographs of Florida Keys and Caribbean reefs. I have only seen reefs that are devoid of large fish, are composed primarily of coral rubble, or have many areas that have been damaged by divers, fishing activities, or boat anchors. There are some encouraging reports that reefs are recovering in some areas (as in the CNN article covering the IUCN report) but more work toward restoration and recover is needed. One interesting effort towards this end is Biorock, an electrified metal structure that enhances coral growth and may be particularly useful for restoring reefs near resorts that are heavily visited by tourists.

Discovery challenges view of Precambrian life

2008-12-03T11:26:00.003-05:00

A one inch diameter, spherical amoeba discovered off the Bahamas last year has challenged the view that bilaterally symmetrical animals slowly evolved during the Precambrian prior to the Cambrian explosion (view NYTimes article). The unicellular organism rolls along the bottom making tracks in the mud that appear similar to Precambrian fossil tracks that many scientists had thought were created by bilaterians. Hopefully this bite-sized beast won't be found on sushi menus any time soon.

Advice for ocean educators

2008-12-02T20:54:00.003-05:00

It is rare to meet a professor in the marine sciences whose choice of profession was not due (at least in part) to an encounter with an inspiring teacher. My own career path began during a semester of study under Dr. Dan Rittschof at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. For an undergrad with a general interest in biology, learning to catch blue crabs and flounder by hand at night was easily enough to gain my interest.

As global warming, ocean drilling, fishery collapses and other global ocean issues come to the forefront, effective ocean education will be critical to ensuring that policy and management decisions are made using the best available information. During the Thanksgiving holiday I read some helpful advice toward this end by E.O. Wilson in his book The Creation. Wilson's five principles for good teaching in biology are (1) Teach top-down - from broad topics to specific ones, (2) Reach outside biology - exploring how biology relates to society, relationships, religion, etc., (3) Focus on problem solving, (4) Cut deep and travel far - cover a broad range of topics, but delve deeply into some, and (5) Commit yourself - "a teacher's dedication is most effective when expressed through both the art of teaching and the demonstrated love of the subject for its own sake."

Two depressing ocean reports on Nature's blog...

2008-11-25T09:48:00.004-05:00

1. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas has announced a new quota of 22,000 tonnes, substantially higher than the 15,000 tonnes recommended by scientists.

2. Ocean acidification is progressing faster than IPCC predictions.

View the posts at The Great Beyond.

A victory for environmental responsibility in offshore drilling...

2008-11-21T09:21:00.004-05:00

"Drill here, drill now!" became a mantra of the McCain campaign earlier this year as part of a push to open up new areas of the continental shelf and slope to offshore drilling. Support for drilling increased as Republican candidates around the country adopted the issue (see this from Elizabeth Dole for example). Barack Obama now has an opportunity to ensure that any new offshore drilling is environmentally responsible.

A ruling by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked Royal Dutch Shell from drilling on Alaska's North Slope. According to the New York Times, the Minerals Management Service (part of the Interior Department) "had violated the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act by failing to take a 'hard look' at the impact that offhore drilling would have on bowhead whales in the Beaufort Sea as well as indigenous communities on the North Slope." Shell must now restart the review process, which should allow the Obama administration to establish a new policy on offshore drilling in Alaska.

The advancing sea.

2008-11-18T21:55:00.003-05:00

Would you move if the water crept closer to your home? Would you move your entire town or country? Or like New Orleans and The Netherlands, would you build higher walls to keep the water back? The earth is warming (whatever you believe the cause is) and sea levels are rising at an increasing rate.

Google the Maldives and the first several items that appear are luxury hotels and photos of white sand beaches, palm trees and clear blue tropical water. A little further down you will find the headline 'Maldives looking to buy new homeland.' Mohamed Nasheed, the new leader of the Maldives, plans to save tourist dollars to purchase a new homeland for his 350,000 citizens. Global sea level rise is currently at 3.1 mm/year, and sea levels are projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to increase 2 feet or more by the end of this century (2007 Report). If this happens, many nations (including the United States) will have to build new seawalls or even move coastal residents further inland.

Sea level rise was a topic of discussion at the meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society last week in Tampa, Florida. Many National Wildlife Refuges protect low elevation coastal habitats that are susceptible to rising sea levels. Will these refuges disappear as they are inundated? Can the refuges be moved inland as shorelines recede so that they protect the habitats and species they were originally designated for?

As sea levels continue to rise, we will be forced to address many more difficult questions than those posed here that will require new and innovative solutions.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

2008-11-16T10:43:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, I spent an afternoon at theSavannah National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is a series of fresh and brackish water marshes surrounded by lowland hardwood forests that were once part of a rice plantation. A four mile loop road provides easy access to each of the different habitats. Alligators are common in summer, but with the cooler fall weather there was only one large gator visible from the road. The refuge serves as the winter home for a variety of ducks. Hundreds of coots were in the ponds near the entrance to the refuge, and a number of common moor hens were somewhat less visible in vegetated areas. Snowy egrets, great white herons, great blue herons, and little blue herons were also abundant.

The first post!

2008-11-04T13:49:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the first post on 'From the Shore'! In honor of Election Day and new beginnings, I would like to suggest that this is an ideal time to renew efforts to improve US ocean policy. Since the Pew Oceans Commission and US Commission on Ocean Policy released their reports in 2003 and 2004, their recommendations have been largely ignored. Our next President has the opportunity to stop ignoring the advice of top ocean experts and advance ocean policies that protect resources, promote sustainable use, and restore damaged ecosystems.