Where were you on October 29, 2012?

Sandy, one year ago...to me it seems that the past year has flown by.  Although, for sure, the weeks in the immediate aftermath of Sandy here on Long Island, NY, seemed to drag on at a snail's pace.  The damage, the disruption, the turmoil, no electricity, the lack of gas, etc., etc., etc....

Here's a link to NOAA's before and after pics as well as some of their additional resources:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/oct13/sandy-imagery.html

Here's a link to CBS News Radio 880's retrospective (they have other resources on their homepage, too):
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/photo-galleries/2013/10/28/sandy-one-year-later-2/

Retrospectives abound on various other websites.

We remember.  We pray for those still trying to piece their lives back together.  We rebuild.

Coral Helping Protect Against Global Warming?

Check out this article (credit - Science Daily.com) on how new discoveries show that coral might actually help in regulating climate.

Coral Itself May Play Important Role in Regulating Local Climate: Coral Chemicals Protect Against Warming Oceans

Oct. 23, 2013 — A new article reveals coral animals produce the 'smell of the ocean' -- influencing cloud formation and protecting themselves against rising seawater temperatures.

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Australian marine scientists have found the first evidence that coral itself may play an important role in regulating local climate.

They have discovered that the coral animal -- not just its algal symbiont -- makes an important sulphur-based molecule with properties to assist it in many ways, ranging from cellular protection in times of heat stress to local climate cooling by encouraging clouds to form.

These findings have been published in the science journalNature.

The researchers have shown that the coral animal makes dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP). "The characteristic 'smell of the ocean' is actually derived from this compound, indicating how abundant the molecule is in the marine environment. In fact we could smell it in a single baby coral," says AIMS chemist Cherie Motti, and co-author on the paper.

"This is the first time that an animal has been identified as a DMSP producer. Previously it was assumed that the large concentrations of DMSP emitted from coral reefs came solely from their symbiotic algae," says lead author Jean-Baptiste Raina, of AIMS@JCU and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (CoECRS).

Production of DMSP was found to increase when corals are subjected to water temperatures that put them under heat stress. DMSP and its breakdown products act as antioxidants (chemical defence compounds) protecting coral tissues from environmental stress, including that caused by high solar radiation.

The sulphur-based molecules also serve as nuclei for the formation of water droplets in the atmosphere -- and hence help to create clouds. If coral numbers decline, the scientists warn, there could be a major decrease in the production of DMSP and this, in turn, will impede cloud formation.

"Cloud production, especially in the tropics, is an important regulator of climate -- because clouds shade Earth and reflect much of the sun's heat back into space. If fewer clouds are produced, less heat will be reflected -- which ultimately will lead to warmer sea surface temperatures," Dr Raina explains.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is a major hotspot for the emission of sulphur aerosol particles, according to the scientists. "The GBR is the largest biological structure on the planet and the release of these particles along its 2600 km length could constitute a major source of cloud condensation nuclei," the authors write in their paper.

"Considering declining trends in coral cover and predicted increases in coral mortality worldwide caused by anthropogenic stressors, the associated decline in sulphur aerosol production from coral reefs may further destabilise local climate regulation and accelerate degradation of this globally important and diverse ecosystem."

The researchers are from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (CoECRS), the University of Western Australia (UWA), Murdoch University (MU) and the Australian National University (ANU).

The above story is based on materials provided by Science in Public.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jean-Baptiste Raina, Dianne M. Tapiolas, Sylvain Forêt, Adrian Lutz, David Abrego, Janja Ceh, François O. Seneca, Peta L. Clode, David G. Bourne, Bette L. Willis, Cherie A. Motti. DMSP biosynthesis by an animal and its role in coral thermal stress response. Nature, 2013; DOI:10.1038/nature12677

Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:

 APA

 MLA

Science in Public (2013, October 23). Coral itself may play important role in regulating local climate: Coral chemicals protect against warming oceans. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2013/10/131023165248.htm

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Ocean Warming Dangers

I came across this disturbing article from the Environmental News Service earlier today.  The world ocean is at its warmest ever, according to the NCDC in Maryland.  If this is correct, and it continues to warm, what could happen? Read on for some more insights...


Climate Change to Cause ‘Massive’ Ocean Damage by 2100

Posted by News Editor in Air/Climate, Latest News, Oceans, RSS on October 18, 2013 11:47 am / no comments

HONOLULU, Hawaii, October 18, 2013 (ENS) – By the year 2100, about 98 percent of the oceans will be affected by acidification, warming temperatures, low oxygen, or lack of biological productivity, and most areas will be hit by a multitude of these stressors, finds a new study of the impacts of climate change on the world’s ocean systems.

These biogeochemical changes triggered by human-generated greenhouse gas emissions will not only affect marine habitats and organisms, but will often also occur in areas that are heavily used by humans, concludes the international team of 28 scientists.


Bleached fire coral colony at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico (Photo by Joyce & Frank Burek courtesy NOAA)

“When you look at the world ocean, there are few places that will be free of changes; most will suffer the simultaneous effects of warming, acidification, and reductions in oxygen and productivity,” said lead author Camilo Mora, an assistant professor at the Department of Geography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“The consequences of these co-occurring changes are massive – everything from species survival, to abundance, to range size, to body size, to species richness, to ecosystem functioning are affected by changes in ocean biogeochemistry,” said Mora.

Mora and Craig Smith with U-H Manoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology worked with a 28-person international collaboration of climate modelers, biogeochemists, oceanographers, and social scientists to develop the study, which is published in the scientific journal “PLOS Biology.”

The human ramifications of these changes are likely to be massive and disruptive, the scientists predict. Food chains, fishing, and tourism could all be impacted.

The study shows that some 470 to 870 million of the world’s poorest people rely on the ocean for food, jobs, and revenues, and live in countries where ocean goods and services could be compromised by multiple ocean biogeochemical changes.


Humpback whales are among the many whales that feed on krill, which will be subject to multiple climate stressors. (Photo courtesy International Whaling Commission)

The researchers used the most recent and robust models of projected climate change developed for the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to inform their analysis.

They quantified the extent of co-occurrence of changes in temperature, pH, oxygen, and primary productivity based on two scenarios – a business-as-usual scenario wherein atmospheric carbon dioxide, CO2, concentrations could reach 900 ppm by 2100, and an alternative scenario under which concentrations only reach 550 ppm by 2100.

The scientists said this second scenario would only result from a concerted, rapid CO2 mitigation effort, beginning today.

They discovered that most of the world’s ocean surface will be simultaneously impacted by varying intensities of ocean warming, acidification, oxygen depletion, or shortfalls in productivity.

Only a very small fraction of the oceans, mostly in polar regions, will face the opposing effects of increases in oxygen or productivity, and nowhere will there be cooling or pH increase.

“Even the seemingly positive changes at high latitudes are not necessary beneficial. Invasive species have been immigrating to these areas due to changing ocean conditions and will threaten the local species and the humans who depend on them,” said co-author Chih-Lin Wei, a postdoctoral fellow at Ocean Science Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.


A swirling mass of jack mackerel draws feeding seabirds and marine mammals. (Photo courtesy Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, California)

Co-author Lisa Levin, a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, warns, “Because many deep-sea ecosystems are so stable, even small changes in temperature, oxygen, and pH may lower the resilience of deep-sea communities. This is a growing concern as humans extract more resources and create more disturbances in the deep ocean.”

The researchers assembled global distribution maps of 32 marine habitats and biodiversity hotspots to assess their potential vulnerability to the changes.

As a final step, they used available data on human dependency on ocean goods and services and social adaptability to estimate the vulnerability of coastal populations to the projected ocean biogeochemical changes.

“Other studies have looked at small-scale impacts, but this is the first time that we’ve been able to look the entire world ocean and how co-occurring stressors will differentially impact the Earth’s diverse habitats and people,” said co-author Andrew Thurber, a Scripps alumnus and now a postdoctoral fellow at Oregon State University.

“The impacts of climate change will be felt from the ocean surface to the seafloor. It is truly scary to consider how vast these impacts will be,” said co-author Andrew Sweetman, who helped to convene the original team of investigators and now leads the deep-sea ecosystem research group at the International Research Institute of Stavanger, Norway. “This is one legacy that we as humans should not be allowed to ignore.”

Results of the study are published in the current issue of the journal “PLoS Biology.” It was funded by SeaGrant Hawaii, the Norwegian Research Council and the International Network for Scientific Investigation of Deep-sea Ecosystems.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2013. All rights reserved.

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No Algae is a harmless shade of green...

Here's a disturbing article from Environmental News Service.  It's from late August, but I just read it yesterday.  I'm a bit behind in my reading.


Florida Waters Alive With Toxic Algae, Toxic Politics

Posted by News Editor in Land Use, Latest News, RSS, Water on August 21, 2013 7:15 pm / no comments
STUART, Florida, August 21, 2013 (ENS) – Environmental groups rallied today ahead of a Florida State Senate Select Committee public meeting, demanding that government act to stop toxic algae slimes that are sickening people and killing dolphins, manatees, birds and fish in two areas of the state.

On Florida’s southeast coast, the St. Lucie River, its estuary, and the Indian River Lagoon are slimed with algae that grow on excess sewage, manure, and fertilizer runoff released locally and from Lake Okeechobee to the north. Most of the nutrient pollution entering Lake Okeechobee comes from tributaries in the northern Everglades that take runoff from the Everglades Agricultural Area, which grows most of the sugarcane in the United States.


Algae contaminates the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida, August 1, 2013. (Photo © Dick Miller courtesyEarthjustice)

The St. Lucie River also is experiencing unprecedented levels of bacteria; Martin County health officials have warned the public to avoid contact with the water.

Also affected by the slimy mess are the Caloosahatchee River and its Gulf of Mexico estuary on Florida’s southwest coast.

Members of the Sierra Club, Florida Wildlife Federation, Earthjustice, Florida Oceanographic Society and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida said at the rally that state and federal officials have known about these nutrient pollution issues for 30 years, and have yet to take meaningful action to stop the problem at its source.

“This is an emergency,” said Sierra Club Florida Staff Director Frank Jackalone. “We need a statewide emergency management plan to deal with it. We know how to prevent this pollution and we need to start doing it.”

The fluorescent green and black slime of toxic algae is the environment’s response to nutrient runoff made worse by this season’s heavy rainfall. The South Florida Water Management District says July’s soaking of South Florida that capped the wettest start to the wet season since 1968 has made the situation worse. District meteorologists reported the wettest April-July period on record in South Florida since 1932.

State Senator Joe Negron, a Republican who chairs the Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin, is holding a committee hearing in Stuart on Thursday to come up with “short-term” solutions to the toxic algae outbreaks.

On August 7, Negron announced the creation of a website for collecting public comments on the economic and environmental impacts of ongoing releases of nutrient-contaminated from Lake Okeechobee into the Indian River Lagoon as well as accepting suggestions for short-term solutions or alternatives.

“Constituents have the option of leaving a comment related to a specific subtopic, such as pollution or property values, or a general comment about how Florida should address the economic and environmental impacts caused by the ongoing releases from Lake Okeechobee,” said Negron.

The environmental groups have plenty of advice for the Select Committee. “Septic tanks need to be cleaned out and connected to treatment plants, failing sewer lines that pour sewage into the estuary need to be replaced, sewage treatment plants must be upgraded, fertilizer ordinances must be adopted statewide, and, most importantly, agricultural pollution – the primary source of the filthy water into Lake Okeechobee – needs to be regulated,” they said in a statement today.


Algal blooms can look like a thick mat or foamy scum. Blooms can change the water color to blue, green, brown, orange, or red and may give off an unpleasant odor. (Photo © John Moran courtesy Earthjustice)

“Both the state and federal governments have slime on their hands,” said Earthjustice attorney Monica Reimer.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible because it is not fixing a failing 80-year-old reservoir system that’s operated at the behest of Big Sugar, instead of for the citizens of this state,” said Reimer.

“The state is responsible because it is sending filthy water into Lake Okeechobee and refusing to control the pollution at its source,” she said. “Taxpayers end up paying for the cleanup because government isn’t doing its job to prevent this.”

In July, environmental groups filed a lawsuit alleging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has damaged the Caloosahatchee River by failing to release enough fresh, clean water from Lake Okeechobee.

The plaintiff groups, Earthjustice, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Florida Wildlife Federation, hope a federal judge will order the Corps to maintain freshwater flow levels that, they say, are already mandated by state law.

Water testing by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection shows that algae toxin levels in the St. Lucie River estuary have reached levels 287 times the safe limit for human recreational activities.

They also reveal algae is present which produce neurotoxins that affect the brain, but no further testing for those neurotoxins was done.

Published scientific research has confirmed the widespread presence of a type of cyanotoxin linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in Florida coastal waters, yet no testing for that cyanotoxin was performed by the DEP.

Instead of preventing the pollution problem at its source, the Scott Administration “has been allowing polluter lobbyists to write their own loophole-ridden mumbo-jumbo that does little to regulate the sewage, manure and fertilizer pollution that sparks these nasty toxic algae outbreaks,” the environmentalists warn.

The environmental groups contend that the latest Florida standards for nutrient pollution leave two-thirds of the state’s waters without nutrient pollution limits, including all South Florida flowing waters, all canals, all tidal creeks, all intermittent streams, and all “physically altered flowing waters that are used for water management.”

“On the west coast, we have dead oyster beds, poisoned drinking water, and algae outbreaks off Sanibel Island and the Caloosahatchee River,” said Jennifer Hecker, director of Natural Resource Policy, Conservancy of Southwest Florida. “The fact is, the state is not protecting the public.”

The Florida Senate Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin will meet on Thursday, August 22, 2013, from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Charles and Rae Kane Center in Stuart. They will receive expert and public testimony on activities affecting water management in the Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin.


Florida Governor Rick Scott meets with oystermen in Franklin County where algal outbreaks have occurred in the past, August 13, 2013 (Photo by Meredyth Hope Hall courtesy Office of the Governor)

The Select Committee has invited U.S. Senator Patrick Murphy, a Florida Democrat, to speak at the public meeting. Murphy represents Florida’s 18th Congressional District, which includes Stuart and the St. Lucie area.

Senator Murphy has invited Governor Rick Scott to Washington to work with federal officials on correcting the conditions causing the algal outbreaks. His letter of invitation states, “There is no action too big or small to be considered to save our waters, and no one, especially government officials, can say that this isn’t their problem – we must work together to address this multi-faceted crisis on the federal, state, and local levels.”

The governor has not indicated whether or not he will accept Murphy’s invitation.

Today, Scott toured the St. Lucie Lock to view the algal mess for himself, but he ignored some 300 demonstrators who chanted “Save our river,” looking at the water and then leaving without acknowledging them.

On Tuesday, Scott announced a $40 million budget proposal to speed up completion of the C-44 Storm Water Treatment Area project. The project will clean diverted water from Lake Okeechobee and stormwater runoff year-round.

The governor blamed the federal government for failing to meet its obligations in maintaining the federally operated Lake Okeechobee dike system and fulfilling its cost-share obligations to the State of Florida for environmental projects.

Scott said, “We’re here because the Corps is not maintaining the Lake Okeechobee dike system and they’re not fulfilling their financial commitment to Florida. Florida families are paying the price for federal inaction. Despite federal inaction, we are speeding up solutions because Florida’s families and the environment can’t wait any longer.

But the environmental groups today called the governor’s $40 million announcement a “Band-aid” that only treats the symptoms, not the causes, of the toxic outbreaks.

They said the proposed funding would only address a fraction of the contaminated runoff that is sliming Florida’s springs, rivers, lakes and bays, “killing wildlife, hurting property values and devastating tourism revenue.”

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2013. All rights reserved.

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Volcanic Island Growth

Interesting article below, from ScienceDaily.com

Extrusive Volcanism Formed the Hawaiian Islands

Oct. 7, 2013 — A recent study by researchers at the University of Hawaii -- Manoa (UHM) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) and the University of Rhode Island (URI) changes the understanding of how the Hawaiian Islands formed. Scientists have determined that it is the eruptions of lava on the surface, extrusion, which grow Hawaiian volcanoes, rather than internal emplacement of magma, as was previously thought.

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Before this work, most scientists thought that Hawaiian volcanoes grew primarily internally -- by magma intruding into rock and solidifying before it reaches the surface. While this type of growth does occur, along Kilauea's East Rift Zone (ERZ), for example, it does not appear to be representative of the overall history of how the Hawaiian Islands formed. Previous estimates of the internal-to-extrusive ratios (internally emplaced magma versus extrusive lava flow) were based on observations over a very short time frame, in the geologic sense.

Ashton Flinders (M.S. from UHM), lead author and graduate student at URI, and colleagues compiled historical land-based gravity surveys with more recent surveys on the Big Island of Hawaii (in partnership with Jim Kauahikaua of the U.S. Geological Survey -- Hawaii Volcano Observatory) and Kauai, along with marine surveys from the National Geophysical Data Center and from the UH R/V Kilo Moana. These types of data sets allow scientists to infer processes that have taken place over longer time periods.

"The discrepancy we see between our estimate and these past estimates emphasizes that the short term processes we currently see in Hawaii (which tend to be more intrusive) do not represent the predominant character of their volcanic activity," said Flinders.

"This could imply that over the long-term, Kilauea's ERZ will see less seismic activity and more eruptive activity that previously thought. The 3-decade-old eruption along Kilauea's ERZ could last for many, many more decades to come," said Dr. Garrett Ito, Professor of Geology and Geophysics at UHM and co-author.

"I think one of the more interesting possible implications is how the intrusive-to-extrusive ratio impacts the stability of the volcano's flank. Collapses occur over a range of scales from as large as the whole flank of a volcano, to bench collapses on the south coast of Big Island, to small rock falls. " said Flinders. Intrusive magma is more dense and structurally stronger than lava flows. "If the bulk of the islands are made from these weak extrusive flows then this would account for some of the collapses that have been documented, but this is mainly just speculation as of now."

The authors hope this new density model can be used as a starting point for further crustal studies in the Hawaiian Islands.

This is a 3D perspective view of the topography of the Hawaiian Islands (gray shaded) and seafloor relief viewed from just south of the Hawaii's Big Island. The colors show residual gravity anomaly, measured on land and along ship tracks: Red-cyan representing an excess pull of gravity, blue representing a small deficit in the pull of gravity. (Credit: Ashton Flinders, UHM SOEST.)

Molasses

I remember first reading about this spill a few weeks ago, but didn't put it in the blog.  When I think of 'spills' in the marine environment, molasses is not the first thing that comes to mind.

Here's some additional info on this molasses spill in Hawaii.

Matson Spills Molasses Into Honolulu Harbor

Posted by News Editor in Latest News, Oceans, RSS on September 17, 2013 10:02 am / no comments

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HONOLULU, Hawaii, September 17, 2013 (ENS) – Hawaii state and federal officials say they are still assessing the scope of the “severe” environmental damage from a molasses spill that dumped an estimated 233,000 gallons of the dark syrup into Honolulu Harbor, killing thousands of fish and forcing beach closures.

A corroded, faulty pipe that runs under Pier 52 at Sand Island and pumps molasses exports onto Matson Inc. cargo ships likely caused the spill, company representatives and state officials said Tuesday.

Matson will cover the costs associated with the Honolulu Harbor molasses spill response, not Hawaii taxpayers or shipping customers, Matson President and CEO Matt Cox said Monday at a news conference, held at Pier 34.

U.S. Coast Guard members prepare to sample Honolulu Harbor in wake of molasses spill (Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

“We operate the pipeline and it is our transfer operation,” Cox said. “Matson is taking responsibility and we’ll continue to fully cooperate with the state on this response. We’ll be here as long as it takes to get it right.”

The spill happened on September 9 about five miles west of Waikiki in an industrial area of the waterfront where Matson loads molasses and other goods for shipping.

Cox announced that Matson immediately ceased its molasses operations following the incident and will not resume operations until the company is assured that it can do it in a safe and responsible manner.

“Our goal always is to conduct cargo loading operations safely and in an environmentally responsible manner,” he said.

Cox disclosed that his pipeline operations team is already working on a report that will provide him with information needed to determine the future of Matson’s molasses cargo business.

“If it is determined that the system cannot be operated safely or in an environmentally responsible manner, and that repairing and replacing the system would be impractical, we will discontinue our molasses operations,” he said.

Cox said the report would be provided to the Department of Health and other agencies once it is complete.

Crews patrolling the water and coastlines have found roughly 25,000 dead fish and other creatures, officials said Monday.

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard National Strike Force, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are conducting water sampling as part of a joint effort to analyze the effects of the molasses spill.

The combined team departed Coast Guard Station Honolulu Sunday morning aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium. The National Strike Force crewmembers from the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Strike Teams used a water quality instrument to monitor depleted oxygen and pH levels at various locations around the harbor that were affected by the spill.

The National Strike Force team members arrived in Honolulu Saturday after Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received an official request from the Hawaii Department of Health to assist with the response to the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor.

The request for federal assistance allows the Coast Guard to support the lead agency with resources including specialized response personnel, boats and equipment from the Coast Guard and other federal agencies.

Founded in 1882, Matson is a U.S. cargo carrier in the Pacific serving Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia and other South Pacific islands, and operates a service from China to Southern California. The company owns a fleet of 18 vessels including container ships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges.