Amazing Jellyfish

With the unofficial beginning of summer today, Memorial Day, let us first give thanks for the many men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy our rights and freedoms.  Let us also give thanks for our many troops still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Thirdly, let us give thanks for all of our Veterans now returning home; let us pray that they receive the assistance, medical, psychological, and financial, they so much deserve.  NEVER EVER FORGET.

And on to today's post...
With warming air and water temperatures, I always think of jellyfish.  I came across this list of "the 6 most amazing jellyfish in the ocean."  They are truly amazing! Some are downright scary.  Enjoy...and watch where you swim and walk!

Here's the link to the jellyfish list: Amazing Jellyfish List

Below is a sobering analysis of the state of the world ocean.

Web of Marine Life Dissolving Under Human Onslaught

NEW YORK, New York, May 22, 2012 (ENS) - Oceans cover about 72 percent of Earth's surface area and there are an estimated 250,000 marine species. "Yet, despite its importance, marine biodiversity has not fared well at human hands," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in his message to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity.

The Atlantic Ocean is brown with runoff from the Rio de la Plata flowing between Argentina and Uruguay. (Photo by Kim Jenkins)

More than half of global fisheries are exhausted and a further third depleted, warned the secretary-general. Between 30 and 35 percent of critical marine environments, such as seagrasses, mangroves and coral reefs, have been destroyed.
Plastic debris continues to kill marine life, and polluted runoff from land-based activities is deadening vast areas of coastal waters, leaving these dead zones without oxygen.
"Added to all of this," said Ban, "increased burning of fossil fuels is affecting the global climate, making the sea surface warmer, causing sea level to rise and increasing ocean acidity, with consequences we are only beginning to comprehend."
The UN General Assembly proclaimed May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity, to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme for this year's observance is marine diversity.
Commercial fisheries are the most serious threat facing the world's seabirds, finds the nonprofit advocacy organization BirdLife International, which says fisheries are responsible for the incidental deaths of hundreds of thousands of seabirds each year. Longliners, trawlers and gillnetters are all to blame.

The Waved Albatross, or Galapagos Albatross,Phoebastria irrorata, is Critically Endangered. This mated pair is on Espanola Island, Ecuador. (Photo by D. Gordon E. Robertson)

"For several species of albatross, this level of mortality is unsustainable and they are now perilously close to extinction," says BirdLife. "In addition, the negative impact of overfishing on seabirds continues to increase as fisheries target ever smaller fish."
The IUCN Red List Index for birds shows that nearly half of seabird species are known or suspected to be experiencing population declines. Open ocean bird species are faring particularly badly. Of the 346 known seabird species, 97 species are globally threatened, while 17 are listed as Critically Endangered.
Secretary-general Ban says that on land nearly 15 percent of surface area is under some kind of protection, but at sea, "little more than one percent of marine environments are protected."
"Lately, some progress is being made, particularly with the establishment of large-scale marine reserves and documenting areas of ecological or biological significance in open-ocean and deep-sea habitats," he said.
On Monday, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber made some progress in protecting coastal waters as he signed legislation designating three marine reserves and protected areas off Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, and Cape Perpetua, creating Oregon's first system of marine reserves.

View of the Pacific Ocean from Cape Falcon, Oregon (Photo courtesy Our Ocean Coalition)

Combined with two new sites designated in January, the law creates an initial network of marine reserves and protected areas off the Oregon coast to provide places for plants and animals to reproduce and thrive.
"This is a historic day for Oregon," said the Pew Environment Group's Susan Allen, who directs the Our Ocean Coalition, a statewide association of Oregon conservationists, scientists, ocean users and business leaders. "Our state has a long history of natural resources stewardship. This is the most important law to protect our Territorial Sea since the landmark Beach Bill of 1967."
In the European Union, the International Day for Biological Diversity was marked with a three day series of events centered on sustainable activities for oceans and seas called "Blue Growth."
The starting point was Sunday with a maritime festival in Gothenburg, Sweden. Exhibits focused on: maritime research, threats to the sea environment, the effects of climate change, fishing, shipping, the development of harbors, marine national parks, maritime spatial planning, wind and wave energy.
On Monday, the conference hosted high-level key speakers such as Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, who said, "The dual purpose of Blue Growth [is] creating new jobs in the maritime economy and letting maritime economy grow, but sustainably and inclusively."

Giant bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Libya, 2009(Photo by Manfred Bortoli ideavideo)

Today, there were 26 Blue Growth workshops and an exhibition area, where maritime stakeholders showcased policy initiatives related to seas and oceans.
But the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which maintains the authoritative Red List of Threatened Species, and other marine conservation organizations have warned that bluefin tuna, sea bass and hake are threatened with regional extinction in the Mediterranean Sea because of overfishing and pollution.
Concern is particularly high over the disappearance of the Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, which the IUCN lists as Endangered, saying, "This species has become rare relative to historical levels because of massive overfishing." More than 40 species of marine fish could disappear from the Mediterranean, including many rays and sharks, warns the IUCN, .
Secretary-general of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Anada Tiéga, reminded the world of the direct impact of human activities on ocean health.
"An estimated 60 percent of the world's human population live on or close to the coast, which is directly or indirectly causing many stresses affecting sustainability in the coastal zone, such as loss of habitat, increased pollution, accelerated sea-level rise, and interruption of flow of water and sediments," said Tiéga.
"Many of these problems seriously affect coastal wetlands and their capacity to continue to provide vital functions for people and biodiversity in these areas," Tiéga said.
The global conservation organization WWF, as part of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance, today unveiled a new vision for the creation of the world's largest marine protected area across Antarctic marine habitats.
The new report, "Antarctic Ocean Legacy: A Vision for Circumpolar Protection" calls on governments to support increased marine protection for this unique environment.

Visitors to Antarctica go on a whale watching excursion in a motorized inflatable. (Photo by Alumni Western)

Antarctic waters make up almost 10 percent of the world's seas and are some of the most intact environments left on Earth. They are inhabited by almost 10,000 diverse species such as penguins, seals and whales, yet they are under increasing pressure from commercial fishing and climate change.
The WWF report says that over 40 percent of the Southern Ocean warrants protection and is calling on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, to protect this area now while it remains largely intact.
CCAMLR has agreed to create a network of marine protected areas around Antarctica this year and next.
"The world must act now to conserve our diverse marine environment before it is too late," said John Tanzer, global marine director, WWF International. "The oceans need all the support governments and bodies such as CCAMLR can give in this era of increasing threats."
Secretary-general Ban said that next month Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, will provide an opportunity to safeguard the oceans.
"Rio+20 must galvanize action to improve the management and conservation of oceans through initiatives by the United Nations, governments and other partners to curb overfishing, expand marine protected areas and reduce ocean pollution and the impact of climate change," Ban said.
"By taking action at the national, regional and global levels, including enhancing international cooperation," said Ban, "we can achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Target of conserving 10 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2020, a crucial step in protecting marine biodiversity for the future we want."

Here's an interesting picture and associated caption from WHOI's "Picture of the Day" from yesterday.  Just another sign that the regular monitoring that we're doing through the GLOBE Program is another important aspect of marine science research.

Red White Red, Restricted Ability Ahead

Under a full moon in May 2012, R/VAtlantis stopped in the North Atlantic to lower a rosette samper with aCTD sensor into the ocean as part of the U.S. CLIVAR program. CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability) is an international research effort within the World Climate Research Programme  that focuses on understanding and predicting slowly varying components of Earth's climate system. The instruments collect water samples and data that help scientists understand such phenomena as ocean currents andoverturning circulation. While the instrument is in the water, the ship must remain stationary and display the international indication for restricted ability to move. (Photo by Donglai Gong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

RMS Titanic

With the recent passing of Titanic's 100th anniversary, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution continues to play a leading role in its mapping and preservation.  They have prepared a wealth of information on the ship and its preservation; it's well worth exploring their materials.

WHOI Article on Titanic

Crown of Thorns

One might think this post is strangely titled, a Lenten blog entry during Eastertide?

It's not that Crown of Thorns, but the crown of thorns starfish, a consumer of coral reefs.  Below is an interesting article from a USC student.

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Expeditions

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Field notes from the far reaches of exploration

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USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Crown-of-Thorns Outbreaks and Anthropogenic Pollution

By Jim Haw | April 27, 2012 |  

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by Max Martinez

Coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific Ocean attract thousands of scuba divers from around the globe on an annual basis. However many of these highly diverse and biologically rich ecosystems are at a risk by a seemingly unlikely predator – the crown-of-thorns sea starAcanthaster planci, which makes a living by consuming the polyps of stony corals. Unlike its distant cousin the sun star Pycnopodia helianthoides(commonly found in the waters off Southern California), the surface of A. planci is covered in venomous thorn-like spines, which serve as an effective defense against potential predators (humans included!).

CAPTION: Crown-of-thorns sea star moving across coral rubble in the Ngederrak Marine Conservation Area, Koror State, Palau. (Photo by Jim Haw; May 2011)

Under normal conditions, A. planci can help to improve coral reef biodiversity by eating a variety of fast-growing species of corals, giving the slower-growing ones an opportunity to reach full maturity. However an entire horde of these creatures has ability to devour several acres of reef in a single sitting (Birkeland & Lucas 1990).

Across the Pacific, recent studies suggest that select populations of crown-of-thorns are increasing at an alarming rate (Brodie et al. 2004). For example, more than one thousand A. planci have been found living on a discrete patch of reef at a single time (Keesing & Lucas 1992, Guam DAWR). Considering an individual can eat up to six square meters of living corals per year (Burdick et al. 2008), the potential threat that population outbreaks of crown-of-thorns impose on coral ecosystems is cause for concern.

Although the definitive cause of crown-of-thorns outbreaks is not fully understood there is little debate that blooms of A. planci have increased in both frequency and severity over the last several decades. One of the primary culprits of these outbreaks is attributed to the increasing problem of terrestrial runoff, which includes a concoction of nutrients, sediments, and pollutants that are regularly swept into coastal waters (Fabricius 2005).

Concomitantly, other factors believed to impact crown-of-thorns outbreaks include the removal of their natural predators, which in effect, has allowed them to feed on corals with impunity. On Guam, the most severe outbreaks are believed to arrive in the wake of severe storms such as heavy rains and typhoons (especially those following drought conditions) (Birkekand 1982). With more than 80% of the Guamanian population living along the island’s coastal zone (Burdick et al. 2008) the possibility that anthropogenic pollution can aggravate outbreaks must be addressed.

CAPTION: USC Student holding a Triton's trumpet snail on Guam during the 2010 expedition. (Photo by Jennah Caster)

The two main predators of the crown-of-thorns on Guam’s reefs are the Triton’s trumpet snail (Charonia variegata) and the napoleon wrasse (Chelinus undulatus), both of which are heavily involved in marine trade despite being recognized as species in need of conservation and/or protection (Guam DAWR). “Curiosity kills the wrasse,” or so they say, as this large, slow-swimming fish is known to directly approach divers underwater, making it an easy dinner. The Triton’s trumpet shell is a highly prized commodity amongst the international shell trade – in some cases, fetching prices upwards of $150.

Overall, crown-of-thorns outbreaks are a major threat to the health of coral reef ecosystems and according to research done at the University of Guam Marine Lab, these population booms “have had, and are continuing to have, a severe impact on many Guam’s reefs” (Burdick et al. 2008, Guam DAWR). Urban runoff and overfishing also have the potential to destroy Guam’s reefs, especially considering that little of the island’s terrestrial and marine areas are protected by local and Federal law.

Works Cited:

Birkeland, CE (1982) Marine Biology 69:175

Birkeland, CE, Lucas JS (1990) CRC Press, Boca Raton, 257

Brodie, J et al. (2004) Marine Pollution Bulletin 51:9

Burdick, D et al. (2008) NOAA Technical Report

Brodie, J et al. (2004) Marine Pollution Bulletin 51:9

Burdick, D et al. (2008) NOAA Technical Report

Faabricius, KE (2005) Marine Pollution Bulletin 50:125

Guam DAWR: http://www.guamdawr.org/

Keesing J, Lucas JS (1992) Journal Experimental Marine Biology Ecology 156:89

More Tsunami Debris

It's slowly making its way across the Pacific Ocean.  Millions of tons of debris pulled out into the Pacific Ocean by the Great Tohoku tsunami.

Japan's Tsunami Debris Expected to Hit U.S. Shores

HONOLULU, Hawaii, April 12, 2012 (ENS) - The tsunami touched off by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011 swept about five million tons of debris into the Pacific Ocean, according to the Japanese government. About 70 percent sank off shore, leaving 1.5 million tons floating, Japanese officials say, but there is no estimate of how much debris is still floating today.
At first, the debris included everything from washed out houses, containers, small planes and fishing boats, to pieces of plastic, lumber, rubber, fabric, metal and glass. The heavier items sank close to shore; what stayed afloat has been pushed east and north by winds and currents.
Immediately after the event, satellite sensors focused on the area around Japan picked up tsunami debris. By April 14, 2011, the debris had dispersed to a point where the sensors could no longer detect it, but this doesn't mean it has vanished.

Debris from Japan's tsunami floats in the Pacific Ocean. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord courtesy U.S. Navy)

Oceanographers believe it could begin washing ashore in Canada and the United States later this year or early 2013, but no one can predict exactly when or how much debris will make it across the Pacific.
While not radioactive, the tsunami debris is hazardous to navigation, to fishing vessels, to marine life, and when washed ashore, it is hazardous to coastal lands and waters.
To track where the tsunami debris is headed, a team of scientists and conservationists from the University of Hawaii, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California, and the Ocean Recovery Alliance created a plan to survey the debris and mark it with satellite-tracked drifting buoys.
At the end of November, the team organized an expedition from Honolulu westward to Midway Atoll and beyond. Eleven drifting buoys, designed to simulate the motion of different types of debris, were deployed in a line between Midway and the leading edge of the tsunami debris field.
Satellites are tracking the drifting buoys, and this data, combined with computer models, now allows the movement of the debris field to be monitored remotely, giving scientists and government agencies a better awareness of the status of the debris and of the region's winds and currents.
Among the most important results of the expedition was the recognition that tsunami debris had not advanced towards Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but instead was flowing eastward to the north of these remote islands.
The flow also carries a lot of ordinary debris, mainly old plastic from the Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California. Examination of debris and water samples with a Geiger counter has not revealed any significant radiation.
In March, the governments of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California agreed to coordinate their individual tsunami debris cleanup efforts. They will communicate information to the public, ensure beach cleanups are done safely, and attempt to return anything of sentimental value to Japan.
To answer the questions about tsunami debris pouring in to nonprofit groups and government agencies, coastal communities are holding outreach meetings hosted by federal and state leaders.
Beginning April 11, organizations on the Oregon coast are partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oregon State University Extension, Oregon Sea Grant, state and local agencies, and conservation groups for a series of community meetings to share information and science about the tsunami debris.
"Right now, as a result of the tragic tsunami disaster, Brookings, Oregon is rebuilding, Japan is reeling and the West Coast states are preparing to clean up an unprecedented amount of debris being carried to our coast on the ocean currents," said Oregon's First Lady Cylvia Hayes.
"These workshops are important to helping us effectively deal with the tsunami debris and better protect the health of oceans and coastal communities," Hayes said.
SOLV, Surfrider Foundation, the CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, and the Washed Ashore Project are partnering with Oregon Sea Grant Extension to sponsor the information sessions.
The meetings will take place between April 11 and 20 in coastal communities from Port Orford to Seaside, and inland in Portland and Eugene.
Key speaker will be Nir Barnea, West Coast regional coordinator for NOAA's Marine Debris Program, who will describe what is known about the contents and trajectory of the debris and what is being done across the Pacific to prepare for it.
Barnea will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, County Emergency Managers, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
All events are free and open to the public. After presentations, people will have a chance to ask questions. For a list of meetings with times and places, visit www.solv.org.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2012. All rights reserved.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

A continuation of our discussion of tsunami debris from Japan during our chapter on circulation in the ocean.  The link will take you to NASA's Earth Observatory.  The references linked at the bottom are superb as well.

NASA Earth Observatory

May you and your families be most richly blessed as we will soon begin the Sacred Triduum and ultimately Easter Sunday.