Visions of Green and Blue: ocean

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Seafood Ecolabels: For Whom and to What Purpose?

Sad News: Death of a Great White Shark

Labels: finning, fisheries, ocean, shark

Taken from: http://montereybayaquarium.typepad.com/sea_notes/2011/11/sad-news-death-of-a-great-white-shark.html

We're saddened to announce that the young great white shark we released on October 25 off the coast of southern California has died. This is a very difficult day for all of us at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and for everyone who saw and cared about this animal.

Based on the shark’s behavior and overall condition prior to release, our white shark team had every confidence that he would do well back in the wild -- as was the case with five other young great whites released from the aquarium.

Unfortunately, according to data from the tracking tag he carried, the shark died shortly after he was released.

"Our Husbandry team is unrivaled in its knowledge of young great white sharks, and I’m so proud of the passion and dedication they demonstrate each day," said aquarium Managing Director Jim Hekkers. "This is a difficult time for all of us –- and especially for the team members who devoted so much attention and care to an animal that had such a powerful impact on the attitudes of our visitors toward conservation of ocean wildlife."

While this is a setback, in the weeks to come, our white shark team will review its procedures and protocols to see if there are any changes we should consider so we can continue to do what we do best: give our animals exceptional care and, through our living exhibits, inspire visitors from around the world to care about –- and care for -– ocean wildlife.

Right now, while we are shocked and saddened by this loss of this shark, we remain fully committed to our white shark work.

Five other great white sharks have been successfully returned to the wild after spending periods between 11 days and six-and-a-half months at the aquarium. One other animal –- a small shark that fed only once during its 11 days on exhibit –- was also transported south to Goleta for release. Four other sharks were released in Monterey Bay.

Tracking data from all five sharks confirmed they survived their release, though one of the sharks died four months later in a fisherman’s net in Baja California.

Exhibit of young great white sharks is one element of Project White Shark, our work with research colleagues to learn more about white sharks in the wild as well as to inspire visitors to become advocates for shark conservation by bringing them face to face with sharks on exhibit.

Since 2002, we've tagged and tracked 47 juvenile great white sharks off southern California. Earlier this year, we were the lead sponsor of legislation enacted in California that outlaws the shark fin trade –- a major factor in the global decline of shark populations.

In the past decade, we've allocated nearly $2 million toward studies of adult and juvenile great white sharks in the wild –- research aimed at better understanding and protecting white shark populations.

Coastal Vulnerability Assessment

Labels: climate change, coast, ocean

Coastal zones are extremely vulnerable to the effects of global climate change and accelerated sea-level rise. Coastal areas that are exposed to human impacts and natural changes are at increased risk of shoreline retreat and land loss, which can lead to increased hazard potential for coastal populations, infrastructure, and investment (Klein & Nicholls, 1998). Over the past 100 years, global sea-level has risen by 1.0-2.5 mm yr-1 (Klein & Nicholls, 1999) and it has been estimated that by 2100 there will be an increase in sea-level of between 15 and 95 centimetres (USGS, 2000), with a best estimate of 50cm (IPCC, 2005). Predicting future impacts to coastal zones is a difficult task, as there are a number of variables that influence coastal evolution, such as socio-economic impacts and natural changes. Over the past twenty years there has been an increased effort in developing guidelines and methodologies to assess coastal vulnerability (Klein & Nicholls, 1999). In 1992, the former Coastal Zone Management Subgroup of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its Common Methodology for Assessing the Vulnerability of Coastal Areas to Sea-Level Rise (IPCC CZMS, 1992). In 1994 the IPCC developed Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations (Carter et al., 1994) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) used the IPCC Technical Guidelines to develop the Handbook on Methods for Climate Change Impact Assessment and Adaptation Strategies (Klein et al., 1998), which contains an entire chapter on coastal zones. A fourth methodology, Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) was developed by Gornitz et al. (1994) and was later modified by Hammar-Klose & Thieler (2001). Each of these publications provide generic frameworks, which were designed to assess the potential consequences of climate change in any natural or socio-economic system and to identify options to respond to the effects (Klein & Nicholls, 1999). This report will focus on the IPCC Technical Guidelines, CVI, and the IPCC Common Methodology, which has been the most widely used methodology to assess coastal vulnerability, and their application to the assessment of Nova Scotia’s coastal zones, specifically the issue of sea-level rise and its effects on coastal development.

According to Klein and Nicholls (1999) “vulnerability of coastal zones has been defined as the degree of incapability to cope with the consequences of climate change and accelerated sea-level rise” (p. 183). Based on this definition coastal vulnerability assessments must include the assessment of anticipated impacts, as well as the assessment of available adaptation options (Klein & Nicholls, 1999). Vulnerability assessment processes can be structured into three levels of increasingly complex assessment: screening assessment (SA); vulnerability assessment (VA); and planning assessment (PA) (CPACC, 1999). SA is a screening process, which uses existing data and the judgement of local experts and focuses on susceptibility (CPACC, 1999 and Klein & Nicholls, 1999). VA is a more comprehensive analysis and includes socio-economic changes and other climate change, and requires a previous SA or VA (CPACC, 1999 and Klein & Nicholls, 1999). PA requires a high level of detail, includes socio-economic, climatic changes, as well as non-climate changes, and would take place in the wider context of coastal management (CPACC, 1999 and Klein & Nicholls, 1999). The IPCC Common Methodology consists of seven main steps of analysis, which take into account the assessment of both the impacts as well as the possible responses to the impacts. The Common Methodology framework “incorporates expert judgement and data analysis of socio-economic and physical characteristics to assist the user in estimating a broad spectrum of impacts from sea-level rise, including the value of lost land and wetlands” (IPCC Common Methodology, 1991). The seven steps of the frame work include: (1) delineate the case-study area; (2) inventory study area characteristics; (3) identify the relevant socio-economic development factors; (4) asses the physical changes; (5) formulate response strategies; (6) assess the Vulnerability Profile; and (7) identify future needs. These steps are suggestions of analysis that should be done; however, with the Common Methodology there are no specific instructions on how the analysis should be performed, which is meant to encourage users to apply the framework appropriately to their specific situation. The key output of the Common Methodology includes the vulnerability profile for the specified case-study area and a list of future policy needs to adapt both physically and economically (IPCC Common Methodology, 1991). The IPCC’s Technical Guidelines were developed to serve as a more generic framework for any natural or socio-economic system, unlike the Common Methodology, which was developed specifically for coastal zones (Klein & Nicholls, 1999). The Technical Guidelines consist of seven steps, which are very similar to the Common Methodology: (1) define the problem; (2) select method; (3) test method/sensitivity; (4) select scenarios; (5) assess impacts; (6) assess autonomous adjustments; and (7) evaluate adaptation strategies. As stated in the objectives of the Technical Guidelines “the ultimate purpose of the Guidelines is to enable estimations of impacts and adaptations which will allow comparable assessments to be made for different regions/geographical areas, sectors and countries” (pg. v). Three coastal adaptation strategies have been identified when discussing sea-level rise: protect (defend vulnerable areas, especially population centres, economic activities, and natural resources), accommodate (strike a balance between preservation and development), and retreat (abandon structures in developed areas and ensure that new developments are set back from the shore) (Shaw et al., 1998).

Shaw et al. (1998) published a report titled Potential Impacts of Global Sea-Level Rise on Canadian Coasts, which concluded that 3% of the total Canadian coastline was at high sensitivity to sea-level rise, with sensitivity being defined as the likelihood that physical changes due to sea-level change will occur at the coast. To assess the sensitivity of the Canadian coastline Shaw et al. used a method that combined data on seven variables: relief, rock type, coastal landform, sea-level tendency, shoreline displacement rate, mean tidal range, and mean annual maximum significant wave height, and assigned each variable a risk value in the range of 1 to 5. Through the use of the methodology it was discovered that the Maritime region makes up a large portion of the high sensitivity coastal area. These areas of high sensitivity will likely be subjected to a series of opposed effects with sea-level rise, including: more frequent overwashing of beaches and higher rates of beach retreat and in other areas the formation of new beaches will take place (Shaw et al., 1998). Rates of unconsolidated cliff erosion could increase, but erosion would be interspersed with intervals of stability and small parts of the Atlantic coast of Canada would be permanently submerged (Shaw et al., 1998).

To deal with the impending sea-level rise in Nova Scotia, in 2009 the provincial government developed The State of Nova Scotia’s Coast Report, which provides an overview of the condition of the coastal areas and resources and has the ultimate goal of ensuring the sustainable development and conservation of the coastal areas and resources of Nova Scotia. The report identifies six priority coastal issues in the province: coastal development, working waterfronts, public coastal access, sea-level rise and storm events, coastal water quality, and sensitive coastal ecosystems and habitats.

In Atlantic Canada sea-level rise is occurring due to a number of factors, including: general rise in average sea-level, regional subsidence, and global warming associated with climate change (Nova Scotia’s Coast Report, 2009). Some of the greatest areas at risk of sea-level rise in Nova Scotia are low lying areas, areas with frequent storm conditions and high storm-surge potential, areas with coastal infrastructure and property, areas of sensitive ecology, and areas of rapid coastal erosion (Nova Scotia’s Coast Report, 2009). Sea-level rise occurring on the coast of Nova Scotia will have large effects on human development taking place along the coastlines. According to Nova Scotia’s Coast Report “coastal development is defined as the human-induced alteration of the landscape, including the erection of structures, within sight of the coastline” (p. 91). High sensitivity exists around residential development along the coast of Nova Scotia, with 11 percent of the coastline being intensely developed urban and industrial areas (Nova Scotia’s Coast Report, 2009). According to the Nova Scotia’s Coast Report “the most densely developed coastal areas are associated with ports and harbours”, which exist in areas such as Halifax, Antigonish, and Yarmouth. The assessment of sea-level rise and its effects on coastal development in the province could be done through the use of the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) in combination with the Common Methodology. Using the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) methodology allows for the assessment of various factors and their relative contributions and interactions. Hammar-Klose and Thierler’s (2001) CVI looks at six variables: tidal range, wave height, coastal slope, shoreline erosion rates, geomorphology and historical rates of relative sea-level rise. Scientists using CVI apply a mathematical formula (CVI = ((a*b*c*d*e*f)/6)1/2 ) to relate the different types of data to each other to calculate an index value. “The index allows the six physical variables to be related in a quantifiable manner that expresses the relative vulnerability of the coast to physical changes due to sea-level rise. This method yields numerical data that cannot be equated directly with particular physical effects. It does, however, highlight those regions where the various effects of sea-level rise may be the greatest” (Hammar-Klose & Thierler, 2001). Each physical variable evaluates specific physical effects that occur on the coast in response to sea-level rise and each variable is calculated in a unique way. The geomorphology variable indicates the relative erodibility of different sections of shoreline and is ranked qualitatively according to the relative resistance of the coastal landforms and rocks to marine erosion. Data concerning geomophology is collected through detailed maps (geological, topographic, and geomorphological) and is used in combination with descriptive information (Hammar-Klose & Thieler, 2000). The regional coastal slope (steepness or flatness of the coastal region) evaluates both the relative risk of inundation and the potential rapidity of shoreline retreat and can be calculated through the use of a Digital Elevation Model that is created from topographic diagrams (Hammar-Klose & Thieler, 2000 & Gaki-Papanastassiou et al., n.d.). The relative sea-level change variable corresponds to the increase or decrease in mean water elevation over time as measured at tide gauge stations and the data is usually collected from historical records, and therefore only show change for recent time scales (Hammar-Klose & Thieler, 2000 & Gaki-Papanastassiou et al., n.d.). Shoreline erosion rates evaluate how fast a section of shoreline has been eroding, the data can be collected from a variety of sources including published reports, historical shoreline change maps, field surveys and aerial and satellite photo analyses (Hammar-Klose & Thieler, 2000 & Gaki-Papanastassiou et al., n.d.). Mean tide is linked with inundation hazards and the data is usually collected from published information (Hammar-Klose & Thieler, 2000 & Gaki-Papanastassiou et al., n.d.). The final variable is wave height, which is also linked to inundation and the data can be collected from published information in addition to the use of a sea-level tidal gauge (Hammar-Klose & Thieler, 2000 & Gaki-Papanastassiou et al., n.d.). Using the collected information and data, maps could be created and used to provide insight into the relative potential of coastal change due to future sea-level rise.

The information concerning Nova Scotia’s coasts provided through the CVI could be used in conjunction with the Common Methodology to reveal the physical and socio-economic impacts of sea-level rise and to assist with furthering physical and economic modeling. As previously mentioned 11 percent of Nova Scotia’s coast line is intensely developed with urban and industrial areas and roughly 70 per cent of the province’s population lives in coastal communities (Nova Scotia’s Coast Report, 2009). Applying the Common Methodology will “allow for the identification of populations and resources at risk, and the costs and feasibility of possible responses to adverse impacts” (Klein & Nicholls, 1999). It will also provide information regarding elements of the natural coastal system, such as beaches cliffs, estuaries and tidal rivers, freshwater marshes, salt marshes, small islands, aquifers and species and ecosystems. It will also highlight the socio-economic impacts of sea-level rise such as direct loss of economic, ecological, cultural and subsistence values through loss of land, infrastructure and coastal habitats; increased flood risk of people, land and infrastructure; and impacts related to changes in water management, salinity and biological activity (Klein & Nicholls, 1999). These findings will assist in the development and application of long term coastal management plans.

Climate change and rising sea-levels will have a large effect on many coastal zones in the near future. Coastal Vulnerability Assessments can assist with predicting future coastal evolution and the impacts that may occur due to sea-level rise. Coastal Vulnerability Assessments also allow scientists and researchers to examine a number of coastal variables that are affected by climate change and relate them to one another to provide the most effective adaptation strategies. The information that is provided through the assessments can be used to help identify the risks for natural systems, government systems, as well as socio-economic and cultural systems as well as in the development of national, provincial, or municipal coastal management plans.

References

Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change (CPACC) Project (1999). Coastal Vulnerability Assessment for Sea-Level Rise: Evaluation and Selection Methodologies for Implementation. Retrieved from http://fama2.us.es:8080/turismo/turismonet1/economia %20del%20turismo/turismo%20de%20costas/COASTAL%20VULNERABILITY%20LEVEL%20SEA.PDF

Carter, T., Parry, M., Nishioka, S., & Harasawa, H. (1994). IPCC Technical guidelines
for assessing climate change impacts and adaptations. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/special-reports/ipcc-technical-guidelines-1994n.pdf

Gaki-Papanastassiou, K., Karymbalis, E., Poulos, S., Seni, A. & Zouva, C. (n.d.). Coastal vulnerability assessment to sea-level rise bαsed on geomorphological and oceanographical parameters: the case ofArgolikos Gulf, Peloponnese, Greece. Retrieved from http://hua.academia.edu/EfthimiosKarymbalis/Papers/398105/Coastal_ vulnerability_assessment_to_sea-level_rise_based_on_geomorphological _and_oceanographical_parameters_the_case_of_Argolikos_Gulf_Peloponnese_Greece

Gornitz, V., Daniels, R., White, R. & Birdwell, K. (1994). The development of a coastal vulnerability assessment database: Vulnerability to sea-level rise in the U.S. southeast. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 12, 327-338.

Government of Nova Scotia. (2009). The 2009 state of Nova Scotia’s coast technical report. Retrieved from http://www.gov.ns.ca/coast/state-of-the-coast.htm

Gutierrez, B., Williams, S. & Thieler, R. (2009). Appendix 2. Basic approaches for shoreline change. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/app2.pdf

Hammar-Klose, E. & Thieler, E. (2001). Coastal Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise, A Preliminary Database for the U.S. Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico Coasts. Retrieved from http://geology.uprm.edu/MorelockSite/morelockonline/3_image/cstvulnGoM.htm

IPCC. (2005). IPCC second assessment – Climate change 1995; A report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/climate-changes-1995/ipcc-2nd-assessment/2nd-assessment-en.pdf

IPCC CZMS. (1992). A common methodology for assessing vulnerability to sea level rise. Global climate change and the rising challenge of the sea. Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, The Hague, The Netherlands, Appendix C.

Klein, R. & Nicholls, R. (1998). Coastal Zones. In: Handbook on methods for climate change impact assessment and adaptation strategies. Retrieved from http://research.fit.edu/sealevelriselibrary/documents/doc_mgr/465/Global_Methods_for_CC_Assessment_Adaptation_-_UNEP_1998.pdf

Klein, R. & Nicholls, R. (1999). Assessment of coastal vulnerability to climate change. Ambio, 28(2), 182-187.

Shaw, J., Taylor, R., Solomon, S., Christian, H. & Forbes, D. (1998). Potential impacts of global sea-level rise on Canadian coasts. The Canadian Geographer, 42(4), 365-79.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (2000). National assessment of coastal vulnerability to future sea-level rise. Retrieved from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs76-00/fs076-00

This was written for my Biophysical Dimensions of Resource and Environmental Management class.

Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and the Iceberg Model

Labels: fisheries, hypoxia, ocean

Hypoxia is a term used to describe an environmental phenomenon where very low levels of oxygen become present in a water column. These areas are known as ‘hypoxic zones’ or ‘dead zones’ (LUMCON, 2010). Hypoxia is primarily a problem for estuaries and coastal waters and are indicated by the areas having dissolved oxygen concentrations of less than 2-3 ppm (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, 2010). Hypoxic areas have naturally occurred throughout history; however, it was not until recently that dead zones began appearing in shallow coastal and estuarine areas (NOAA, 2009). One of the causes of hypoxia in these areas today is nutrient over-enrichment (nitrogen and phosphorus) from anthropogenic sources (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Assessment, 2003). The nutrients are used to encourage plant growth on the farm, once in the Gulf these nutrients fertilize the growth of algae, which soon die, settle to the seafloor, and decay. Bacteria feeding on the algal corpses consume such a large amount of oxygen that the water becomes unsuitable for most forms of life (Raloff, 2004). Some of the major effects of hypoxia include: long term weakening of species also stressed by overfishing, habitat loss, long-term changes in ecology, and economic loss (ESA, n.d.). Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico has emerged as a major area of environmental concern for the U.S. The size of the dead zone fluctuates throughout any given year, with the largest dead zones appearing in the warm summer months (NOAA, 2009). The largest dead zone in the world is found in the Baltic Sea (Larsen, 2004), while the annual hypoxic area in the Gulf is the second biggest in the world and is believed to be caused primarily by excess nutrients delivered from the Mississippi River in combination with seasonal stratification of Gulf waters (USGS, 2010). Approximately forty one percent of the land area of the continental US (1.2 million square miles) drains into the Mississippi River basin (NOAA, 2009). The average size the Gulf of Mexico dead zone is approximately 17,000 square km, roughly the size of Lake Ontario, but has reached sizes of approximately 22,000 square km (LUMCON, 2010). It has been estimated that together, the cities, suburbs, and farms along the Mississippi River watershed contribute 90% of the nutrient flow into the Gulf of Mexico (ESA, n.d.). There has been a great deal of scientific research concerning the causes of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico; however, there is a lack of information regarding the underlying issues that affect hypoxia, such as American policy which allows large amounts of nitrogen to be used on crops, increased agricultural demands from farmers due to issues relating to cheap food and food security, the correlation between social dependence on corn and the corn growing areas being located along the Mississippi River watershed, farmers having to try to make farming a feasible career option, global warming, fishers being effected by low catch levels, etc. All of these issues play a role in the larger system of the Gulf and need to be accounted for to develop and implement a successful management plan.
The Iceberg model takes a close look at the various parts of a system and how they come together to work as a whole. The model states that similar to an iceberg, 90% of the issues surrounding a problem remain unseen. The major event represents the 10% that
we see above water, whereas below the water there are issues such as trends and
patterns, structure and mental models all of which need to be taken into account (Yates, n.d.). The objective of the model is to understand that things within a system influence one another within a whole, and that it is easier to understand a system by looking at the relationships between the parts rather than looking at them in isolation (Ambler, 2006). Using the Iceberg model to examine the issue of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico will allow managers to take a closer look at the social, political, and economic issues that are embedded in the American system, which affect the Gulf of Mexico as a whole. In the past, these underlying issues have prevented managers from developing successful plans to control this environmental issue. The Iceberg model will help to uncover the interrelationships between outside factors that contribute to the overall system of the Gulf of Mexico, which will bring these factors to light and uncover the patterns of change within the system and help us work towards a positive management solution.
Over the years the size of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has varied, which is a result of a variety of reasons, including amount of rainfall, temperature and the amount of sunshine, and most importantly the amount of nutrients that have been applied to crops along the Mississippi river. Each of these issues on their own present difficulties for the Gulf. Higher rainfall results in increased runoff from farm fields, large amounts of sunlight warms the water and provides energy for algae growth, and excess nutrients applied to crops wash into rivers and streams and end up in the Gulf. When these issues are looked at together as part of the overall system, it becomes clear that in combination these three elements present a large hurdle that the Gulf must overcome to return to a healthy normoxic state. The pattern of these three elements contributing to the growth of the dead zone is apparent when we start to look at how things have been changing as gulf pollution increases. Global warming is an important issue that is causing worldwide change and playing a part in the growth of the Gulf dead zone. As the world’s climate continues to rise in temperature, the sun becomes stronger which increases the stratification of the water column and as a result the algae are provided with more energy to thrive on (Diaz, 2008). As the temperature continues to increase globally we will see more instances of algae blooms, which is a rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system (Science Daily, 2010), resulting in larger dead zones. It is also believed that global warming will affect rainfall. Increased rainfall will result in more flooding and higher volumes of runoff (Water Encyclopedia, 2010). It has been noted that in years of drought the hypoxic area decreases and increases during years of flood (Rabalais, 2001). More rain will also present negative effects to agricultural production as it will cause more soil erosion, which implies relatively less soil infiltration (Water Encyclopedia, 2010). A slight possibility does exist of climate change helping to ease hypoxia. If the weather becomes stormier it could mix the fresh and salt water decreasing stratification, which would help to limit the risk of oxygen depletion. The mixing that would occur through storms would not be enough to eliminate hypoxic zones, only dissipate them for a short time (Diaz, 2008). Aside from increased temperatures and higher rainfalls, the Gulf has also had to deal with the large amounts of nitrogen that runs off of the agricultural crops, estimated at approximately 1.5 million metric tons annually (Greenhalgh, 2001). Over the years farmers have been applying more nitrogen rich fertilizer than their crops need to avoid the possibility of any decreased productivity (Raloff, 2004). Nutrient influxes in estuaries have increased up to tenfold since the beginning of this century, with the greatest increase occurring after 1950 (Greenhalgh, 2001). It has been estimated that nitrate releases throughout the Mississippi River watershed would have to be cut in half from current amounts to significantly minimize the annual Gulf dead zone (Raloff, 2004). According to the NOAA (2009) “Recent research suggests that more hypoxia is resulting from the same level of nutrients going in to the water” (p. 2), which suggests that there has been such a large shift in the system which will make it harder to shrink the size of the dead zone (NOAA, 2009). The large amounts of excess nutrients entering into the Gulf is linked not only to hypoxia but also habitat loss, fish kills, and blooms of toxic algae (NOAA, 2008). Aside from issues related to climate change and excess nutrients, hypoxia has also created a pattern of change within the fishery of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is the source of 72 percent of the total U.S. harvested shrimp, 66 percent of the harvested oysters, and 16 percent of the U.S. commercial fish harvest (News & Views, 1999). The hypoxic area in the Gulf of Mexico appears in the same place as shrimp habitat and shrimp fishing grounds. Studies have found that the hypoxic areas are having a negative effect on the shrimp fishery (Zimmerman, 2001 & O’Connor, 2007) and that the catch per unit of effort for brown shrimp in the Gulf has trended down since the late 1970’s (Zimmerman, 2001). This is unfortunate news not only for the species itself, but also for the fishermen and the economy, to which the fishery generates $2.8 billion annually (NCDDC, 2010). Effects of hypoxia on fishery resources include direct mortality, altered migration, reduction in suitable habitat, increased susceptibility to predation (including by humans), changes in food resources, and disruption of life cycles (Rabalais, 2001).
There are many variables within the structure of the American political, economic, and social systems that have played a role in the continued destruction of the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. government has created limits for major releases of nitrate into the environment because high concentrations can be toxic to wildlife and humans; however, low, diffuse nitrate emissions, from such sources as farm runoff are largely unregulated (Raloff, 2004). Aside from limited federal regulation there are also issues with localized legislation and few agricultural subsidy incentives for land stewardship, which are preventing action being taken to resolve the issue of the dead zone (Mississippi 1, 2010). This lack of regulation results in nutrient concentration in waterways where they damage ecosystem and increase the risk of hypoxia (Raloff, 2004). In 1994 the U.S. government recognized that a problem existed in the Gulf of Mexico and passed the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (NOAA. 2004). In 1997 the Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force (a branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) was established to study the causes and effects of
eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico; coordinate activities to reduce the size, severity, and duration of the dead zone; and to improve the effects of hypoxia (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, 2010). In 2001 The Task Force released the Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico to assist with the management of the problem, which was updated in 2008 (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, 2010). However, despite the recognition of the problem, according to the NOAA (2007) “management of the dead zone is hampered by poor understanding of the quantitative relationship between hypoxia and populations of commercially and recreationally important living resources”. Agricultural runoff into the Gulf of Mexico is difficult to regulate and manage because there is such a large number of sources and it has been found that individual producers do not always recognize their own contribution to the larger problem (Hudson et al. 2005). It is also difficult to create new policies that reduce the amount of fertilizer used as it is a key input that has enabled U.S. agriculture to achieve its present capability for producing vast quantities of inexpensive food, such as corn, wheat, and sorghum (Papendick, 1987). Corn is a high nitrogen-demanding crop and has become a key element of the American food supply, which has increased the number of problems for the Gulf as the Corn Belt states in the upper Mississippi are the largest contributors of nitrate and phosphate pollution in the river (1 Mississippi, 2010). Using the example of corn production, it is easy to see how the dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico is closely related to the social, economic, and political structures of America; consumers demand vast amounts of low-cost food; the government continues to subsidize corn to keep prices low and to keep other products such as beef or high-fructose corn syrup cheap (MacLean, 2002); and the farmers are forced to grow large crops that can materialize quickly, which increases the amount of fertilizer used. Due to the fact that the application of nutrients on crops for food production has become such an large factor for food production for the U.S. it is important to realize that the complete elimination of fertilizers is unrealistic and that policy makers and managers need to look at ways to improve nitrogen efficiency to minimize environmental damage and costs to farmers (Papendick, 1987). The fact that the U.S. ranks among the richest and most powerful nations in the world has created a disconnect between the American lifestyle and the effects that this lifestyle has on the environment. When an entire nation’s society depends on cheap and abundant food, stress is placed on all of the systems that are connected to food production, and one of those systems happens to be the Gulf of Mexico. To effectively combat the dead zone in the Gulf the general public needs to become aware and educated on the topic of hypoxia. In a recent study, when asked the question “Have you heard of hypoxia or the hypoxic zone” only 12.4% of respondents reported awareness, showing that in fact, many Americans are unaware that their current lifestyle is having a major effect on the global environment (Hudson et al, 2005). These negative patterns of lack of government and public involvement have increased the size of the dead zone over the years, but could be resolved with the implementation of stronger policy and increased public education.
These political, economic, and social structures have remained in place, causing the dead zone to grow, due to the fact the majority of American citizens have given up their voice and allowed industry and government to make decisions for the individual. Industry has accepted this offering of power and now makes the bulk of decisions that affect communities and individuals alike. North Americans live in a consumer driven society which can be manipulated by mass media (Brooks, 2007), and in many cases to go against the grain results in a negative image. This results in the creation of a passive society, where having a 61.6% voter turnout is considered to be a good year (US Elections Project, 2010). We live in an age where life is fast paced and to keep up we have made certain sacrifices: overpopulated cities, fast food, excessive amounts of waste and pollution, etc. With all of these sacrifices public stakeholders should be taking greater responsibility and getting more involved and taking greater action. When industry bombards consumers with ads and images of cheap corn based products instead of rushing out to buy a big mac, American citizens need to take a step back and be able to make the association between the products and the effects that they are having on their personal and environmental health. Stakeholders need to assume their rights and demand improved environmental conditions concerning food production. Stakeholders need to demand increased government policy surrounding land use and water quality. Finally, stakeholders need to demand improved management plans of the Mississippi River basin. The cycle of applying excessive nutrients to crops, causing runoff into the river, which ends up in the Gulf, where hypoxia forms, needs to become a household issue if it is to be resolved. By applying pressure on fellow stakeholders, government, and industry it will become evident that land use and water quality are issues that citizens must be involved in during the discussion and decision-making process. Stewardship, the efforts to create, nurture, and enable responsibility in landowners and resource users to manage and protect land and its natural and cultural heritage (Brown, 2000), is an important approach that can help minimize issues in the Gulf. To be effective environmental stewardship must become closely intertwined with American culture. Environmental stewardship can help rekindle the feeling of community and encourage others to take action and responsibility for the health of their water. In the end it is up to the average citizen to transform the existing social beliefs by becoming more aware of the issues and areas of concern that industry and government make decisions on without consulting the general public. Without the acceptance of responsibility for the current environmental situation of the planet, stakeholders need to realize that in the end they are the people that must deal with the outcome of the final decisions that are made.
Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico has grown at an alarming rate over the past 50 years
and will continue to do so if the political, social, and economic systems involved in the Gulf of Mexico do not change. The Iceberg model has allowed for a closer look at the topic of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and has revealed that this environmental concern goes beyond the scientific issues consistently mentioned in research, but also includes a deeply rooted interrelationship with the social system involving the citizens and their lack of acceptance of environmental stewardship. In the past, management of the Gulf was focused on the scientific aspects that affect the dead zone, such as weather, rainfall, and nutrient runoff. The social, political, and economic structures within the American system also play a large role in the management, or lack of management of the Gulf and must be addressed to develop a suitable management plan. These structures have remained in place due to the beliefs held by the American citizens, in terms of their ability to take action in regards to decisions that are being made by industry and government, which affect the environmental system of America. In the end, the issue of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico exists because of the dependence on cheap food and America’s push to produce crops as quickly as possible with reliance on fertilizer and limited policy protecting the environment from these issues. In order to ensure proper management of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico it is up to the citizens of the U.S. to take the initiative and become educated on the subject and involved in the decision-making process.

References

Ambler, G. (2006). Systems thinking as a leadership practice. Retrieved from http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2006/01/14/systems-thinking-as-a-leadership-practice/
Brooks, K. (2007). The modern consumer: Overtaxed, overwhelmed, and overdrawn. Retrieved from http://www.yorku.ca/robarts/projects/gradpapers/pdf/ Brooks_Modern _Consumer.pdf
Brown, J. & Brent, M. (2000). The stewardship approach and its relevance for protected landscapes. The George Wright Forum, 17(1), 70-79
Diaz, R. & Rosenberg, R. (2008). Spreading dead zones and consequences for marine ecosystems. Science, 321(1), 926-929.
Ecological Society of America (ESA). (n.d.). Hypoxia. Retrieved from http://www.esa.org/ education_diversity/pdfDocs/hypoxia.pdf
Greenhalgh, S., & Faeth, P. (2001). A potential integrated water quality strategy for the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico. The Scientific World Journal, 1, 976-983.
Hudson, D., Hite, D., & Haab, T. (2005). Public perception of agricultural pollution and Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. Coastal Management, 33(1), 25-36.
Larsen, J. (2004). Dead zones in the world’s ocean. Retrieved from http://www.theglobalist. com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3993
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). (2010). Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Retrieved from, http://www.gulfhypoxia.net/News/
MacLean, M. (2002). When corn is king. Retrieved from, http://www.csmonitor.com/ 2002/1031/p17s01-lihc.html
Mississippi 1. (2010). Corn Belt Governor plants seed for change, opens discussion on fertilizer pollution in the River. Retrieved from, http://www.1mississippi.net/river-citizen-forums/mississippi-river-news/corn-belt-governor-plants-seed-change-opens-discussion-f
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. (2010). Hypoxia 101. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/msbasin/
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Assessment. (2003). Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Progress towards the completion of an Integrated Assessment. Retrieved from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/products/pubs_hypox.html
National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC). (2010). The Problem of Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Retrieved from http://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/hypoxia/moreinfo
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2004). Harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research and control act. Retrieved from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/redtide/pdfs/habhrca_fact_sheet.pdf
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2007). Ecological Impacts of Hypoxia on Living Resources Workshop. Retrieved from http://www.ngi.msstate.edu/ hypoxia/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2008). Oxygen depletion in Coastal waters. Retrieved from http://state_of_coast.noaa.gov/bulletins/html/hyp_09/hyp .html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2009). Dead Zones, Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Retrieved from www.noaa.gov/factsheets/new%20version/dead_ zones.pdf
News and Views. (1999). Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and fertilization facts. Retrieved from http://www.back-to-basics.net/fertilityfacts/pdf_files/99176-Hypoxia.pdf
O’Connor, T. & Whitall D. (2007). Linking hypoxia to shrimp catch in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Retrieved from, linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S002532 6X07000434
Papendick R., Lloyd F. & Power J. (1987). Alternative production systems to reduce nitrates in ground water. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 2(1), 19-24.
Rabalais, N., Turner, R., & Wiseman, W. (2001). Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Environmental Quality, 30(2), 320-329.
Rabalais, N. & Turner, E. (2007). Causes of Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia. Retrieved from http://www.ngi.msstate.edu/hypoxia/marchPresentations/RabalaisCauses.pdf
Raloff, J. (2004). Limiting dead zones - How to curb river pollution and save the Gulf of Mexico. Science News, 165(24), 378-380.
Science Daily. (2010). Algal Blooms. Retreieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/ articles /a/algal_bloom.htm
Steele, G., Johnsonb, H., Sandstrome, M., Capeld, P. & Barbashe, J. (2007). Occurrence and fate of pesticides in four contrasting agricultural settings in the United States. Journal of Environmental Quality. 37(3), 1116-1132.
United States Elections Project. (2010). 2008 General Election Turnout rates. Retrieved from http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2008G.html
United States Geological Survey. (2010). The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone. Retrieved from http://toxics.usgs.gov/hypoxia/hypoxic_zone.html
Water Encyclopedia Science and Issues. (2010). Global warming and the hydrologic cycle. Retrieved from, http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Ge-Hy/Global-Warming-and-the-Hydrologic-Cycle.html
Yates, J. & Davidson, A. (n.d.). Seeing below the surface: Systems thinking. Retrieved from http://www.watersfoundation.org/webed/library/articles/STarticle-07.pdf
Zimmerman, R., Nance, J. (2001). Coastal hypoxia: Consequences for living resources and ecosystems. Coastal Estuarine Studies, 53, 293-310.

(This paper was written for my Management Without Borders class.)

Canada's Oceans Action Plan

Labels: ocean

Below is a Plan Evaluation which I had to do for one of my classes. I chose to evaluate Canada's Oceans Action Plan:

Canada’s Oceans Action Plan

1. Introduction

In the management world, plans are necessary to help develop new ideas and to enact change. They allow us to look at current situations, try to assess the challenges that managers face and what is needed to resolve current issues, as well as to determine what is working within a system. For this project we have been asked to review and evaluate a management plan to try to determine what is and is not working the chosen plan. I have chosen to look at Canada’s Oceans Action Plan (OAP), which focuses on coordinating and implementing ocean activities, including related legislation and policy. The OAP also acts as the framework to sustainably develop and manage Canada’s oceans. Within this report I plan on determining what aspects of the plan work in its favour as well as uncover any issues that may present themselves. I will also assess whether these issues may hinder the performance of the plan or if they could be resolved to allow managers to use the plan successfully.

2. The Oceans Action Plan

The OAP was developed in 2005 in response to the challenges that current managers were facing under the Oceans Act. The Oceans Act was passed in 1996 and the Oceans Strategy was passed in 2002. The Oceans Act deals with issues of conservation and development and is founded on three principles: 1) Sustainable Development 2) Integrated Management, and 3) Precautionary Approach (DFO, 2005). However, even after the implementation of the Oceans Act, we continued to see poor governance of Canadian oceans; for example declining fish stocks (the continued misinterpretation of the cod stock after the collapse), ocean user conflicts (the dispute over the ‘Grey Zone’ lobster fishery between Canada and the U.S.) and a weakening oceans industry sector (the government had to provide a $65 million investment to the Atlantic lobster fishery in 2009). With all of these negative issues surrounding the management of the oceans, the Government realized that action needed to be taken and so the OAP was developed. The Plan is applied to all three oceans that border the Canadian coastline (Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic), which measures approximately 244,000km. Canada’s total ocean estate covers approximately 7.1 million square kilometers, which is equivalent to approximately 70% of Canada’s landmass (DFO, 2010). In the first section of the Oceans Action Plan, there is a brief overview of Canada’s oceans and their important role to the country, as well as some of the legislation that is directly involved with the governance of the oceans. The plan states that it has committed to managing our oceans wisely, as they play such an important role in the environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects of Canadian’s lives. The plan will be implemented in phases, with the first phase taking 24 months to build the foundation for future success, beginning with integrated management under the Oceans Act, as well as focusing on ecosystem science to improve marine environment management. The second section of the OAP talks about how it is based on four pillars: 1) International Leadership, Sovereignty and Security; 2) Integrated Oceans Management for Sustainable Development; 3) Health of Oceans and; 4) Ocean Science and Technology, all of which are discussed in detail in terms of how they are applied to each of Canada’s three oceans. The third section of the plan talks about the four pillars discussed in the second phase and the 18 initiatives that are being implemented under the pillars during Phase I of the Oceans Action Plan.

3. Evaluation

3.1 Vision and general goals of ocean management

The goal of the OAP is to develop and implement an integrated management system that can be applied to all Canadian oceans. By using an integrated management system based on both ecosystem and precautionary approaches, the government wants to achieve a healthy, productive ocean system for the future, and to continue developing the ocean economy. This plan is a step in the right direction for Canada in terms of taking action and trying to develop a management plan that will help us to sustain and protect one of our most integral resources, our oceans. However, this plan is too broad and all encompassing. There are too many departments, communities and individuals involved in the implementation of the plan; I feel as though any data that will come out of the plan will become lost in a sea of information. The plan is too large and requires such a large sum of money that to fund Phase II (which requested hundreds of millions of dollars) seems like a long shot. It would have been more realistic to develop individual plans for each maritime region, or each initiative to ensure smaller amounts of funding required for each individual section instead of one large sum.

3.2 Description of ocean management under OAP and current state of knowledge

The ecosystems that are being managed under the OAP are Canada’s oceans (Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic). The Oceans Act was passed in 1996 and the Oceans Strategy in 2002. Even with these policies in place, Canada has fallen far behind other developed nations when it comes to meeting its ocean strategy commitments. Throughout the plan it is stated that “Canada will continue to play a leadership role in international oceans management”(p. 11); however, when it comes to issues such as Marine Protected Areas (MAPs), Canada lacks initiative. Canada has legally protected less than 1% of its marine environment, while Australia and the U.S. federally designated MPAs are 32 and 16 times larger than Canada’s, respectively (Living Oceans Society, 2008). The Canadian government is required under national and international law to establish a network of MAPs by 2012 (CPAWS, 2008), and even with the OAP in place, that goal is looking unattainable. This is only one example of how the Canadian government has not played a leadership role in ocean conservation and management, as it claims it does.

3.3 Details of and commitment to monitoring, evaluation and research activities

Under the OAP there are 18 interrelated initiatives under four pillars. Each of these 18 initiatives focuses on a specific area or issue in Canadian oceans and was allocated a portion of the $28.4 million that was used to fund the project. Each initiative will be monitored for 24 months and the collected data will be used to assess current management practices, as well as to help work towards the long-term objectives of the Oceans Act. Seven governmental departments and agencies were involved with the funding and monitoring of the initiatives. There is no discussion in the plan of how the monitoring and data collection was going to be standardized across the seven departments and 18 initiatives. There was also no mention of the inclusion of some sort of progress report from each initiative, which would have been helpful to determine whether the initiatives were on track over the course of the 24 months. The plan also fails to mention whether during the research if it included Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK), or local fishermen knowledge, which is an important issue in terms of the collection of important applicable knowledge as well as the inclusion of the local community in the project.

4. Conclusion

Overall the Oceans Action Plan shows that the Canadian government realizes the importance and the necessity of developing a successful management plan that will accomplish the goals set out in the Oceans Act. The government has taken the initiative to try to develop a plan that takes each of the three oceans into account, as well as some of the important and sensitive areas in those oceans (the 18 initiatives). Phase I of the plan was completed in just over the 24 months; however, Phase II has not received the funding to continue on with the project. With the completion of Phase I, some critical data were collected and important lessons learned, yet no solidified management plan for the oceans was developed. In the end I believe that the Oceans Action Plan has greatly helped Canadian ocean research, and that a lot of the studies that were made possible due to the funding from the OAC would have never taken place under any other circumstances. However, I believe that it would have been easier to determine a successful management approach if the $28.4 million had been allocated to individual plans developed by regions, and that those plans would have had a better chance at receiving funding for ‘Phase II’. If the plans had been developed in this manner, there could have been a possibility of using the information and data collected to develop a final plan to determine the proper management approach for Canadian oceans.

References

Department of Fisheries and Oceans. (2005). Canada’s Ocean Action Plan. Retrieved from http://www.omrnrrgo.ca/docs/main/Oceans%20Action%20Plan% 20for%20Present%20&%20Future%20Generations%20-%20English.pdf

CPAWS. (2008). Challenges and opportunities in progress towards Canada’s commitment to a national network of MPAs by 2012. Retrieved from http://www.cpaws.org/files/report_mythandmadness.PDF

Department of Fisheries and Oceans. (2010). Canada’s ocean estate
a description of Canada’s maritime zones. Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/canadasoceans-oceansducanada/marinezones-zonesmarines-eng.htm

Department of Fisheries and Oceans. (2010). Formative evaluation of the oceans action plan – Phase 1. Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ae-ve/evaluations/07-08/6B048-eng.htm

Department of Fisheries and Oceans. (2010). St. John’s 2005 conference – another step in stopping global overfishing. Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fgc-cgp/index_e.htm

Living Oceans Society. (2008). New marine protected areas report card gives Canada a failing grade. Retrieved from http://www.livingocea ns.org/media/news06060801.aspx

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. (2010). RPP 2006-2007
fisheries and oceans Canada. Retrieved from http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/2006-2007/fo-po/fo-po01-eng.asp

Don't worry about overfishing....

BP Deepwater Horizon rig disaster continues to spill oil

Labels: energy, ocean, water

On April 20th a massive blast on the BP Deepwater Horizon rig began a raging fire and caused 11 workers to go missing. On April 22nd the rig sunk and has since caused a major oil spill that continues to grow and spread with each passing day. It is estimated that the ruptured well is spewing 200,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day. On Friday oil began washing up on Louisiana shores threatening pristine habitats, fisheries, and the livelihoods of the local residents. Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi have declared a State of Emergency and have dispatched clean-up crews. Strong winds and waves are making the 'cleanup' difficult with some environmental groups claiming that if BP manages to cleanup 20% of the leaked oil it would be miracle. What is truly frightening is that because the US does not require the oil companies to install pricey fail safe systems, their blowout preventer failed and now they do not know how to stop the spill of oil. BP sent robotic submarines 1,5000 meters down to try to cap the leaks; however, it did not work and now they have warned that it may take several months to stop the flow of oil. At this rate BP could overtake Exxon Valdez which is the worst recorded oil spill in US history.
Perhaps this is the environmental disaster that the US needs to help it steer away from fossil fuels and begin focusing on environmentally safe forms of energy.

Click here to view a collection of news reports about the BP oil spill.

Fish 2 Fork

Labels: fish, fisheries, ocean, seafood

If you live in the US or the UK eating sustainably caught seafood in restaurants just for a lot easier. Charles Clover the author of The End of the Line has created a new rating system based on the effects the restauarants are having on the ocean: " The fish2fork rating system is designed to inform customers whether a restaurant is doing all it can to serve sustainable seafood and reduce its impact on our oceans at a time when overfishing is perhaps the greatest threat to marine life on 70 per cent of the planet’s surface."

Restaurants are rated based on the amount of information they provide to the customers regarding seafood, as well as wether any of the fish they serve is on the IUCN Red List.

The most sustainable restaurants are awarded with 5 Blue Fish, while the worst restaurants are given 5 Red Fish. The website also allows readers to write reviews and share their experiences.
Fish2Fork also provides up to date information regarding the lastest headlines concerning fisheries and the ocean.

I hope that Fish2Fork starts rating restaurants in Canada, especially in Vancouver where there are so many seafood restaurants that offer so little information.

Ocean Acidification - The effects of global warming.

Labels: climate change, ocean

'Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification' is an interesting video from the Natural Resource Defense Council. The documentary was made to help raise awareness about ocean acidification and its effects on all living organisms within the ocean and the dangers that it poses for the future.
The video serves as a good starting off point for anyone who is interested in the effects that the increasing amount of carbon dioxide has on our oceans.

Bluefin tuna - greed trumps science.

Labels: fish, fisheries, ocean, seafood

Photo: Seaway

Bluefin tuna is one of the most over exploited fisheries in the world. Its current biomass is estimated to be less than 15% of its original stock, before industrial fishing. In October, scientists working for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommended a ban on fishing to give the stocks a chance of recovering.
On November 15th ICCAT dismissed the information provided by their own scientists and agreed to set the new quota at 13,500 tons of fish, down from 19,950 tons last year. This does not come as a complete surprise as ICCAT has a history of setting their quotas far beyond what their researchers recommend. This quota not only creates risk of commercial extinction to the critically endangered fish from 'legal' fishing, it does not account for the overfishing and illegal fishing that takes place.
The continued failure of ICCAT to manage the bluefin stock has forced the Principality of Monaco into action. Last month Monaco submitted a proposal to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species(CITES) to list bluefin tuna under Appendix I, which would make fishing it illegal. CITES will meet in March 2010, which is when the fate of bluefin tuna will be decided.

Resources:
Greenpeace
Mongabay
EUobserver
Treehugger
Pew Charitable Trust

Mucilages, also known as Sea Blobs.

Labels: climate change, ocean, water

As global temperatures continue to rise, the temperature of our oceans steadily increases. The warmer than average sea-surface temperatures provide ideal conditions for the development of sea blobs. Mucilages begin as 'marine snow', which are clusters of minuscule pieces living and dead organic matter. They have mainly appeared in the Mediterranean, where the sea is relatively still and shallow, and were first identified in 1729. The sea blobs have been appearing more often and have been lasting longer, as the weather remains warmer into the winter months.

Photo: news.nationalgeographic.com

New studies have shown that the mucilages harbor bacteria and viruses, including E.coli. The issue that I find the most alarming regarding the 'sea blobs' is the threat that they pose for marine animals. The blobs can suffocate animals by coating their gills and the biggest blobs can sink to the sea floor, where it acts like a blanket smothering everything that it covers.

Click here to watch a video about the blobs.

Sources:
http://www.civilianism.com/futurism/?p=3273
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091008-giant-sea-mucus-blobs.html

Blog Action Day: Ocean Acidification

Labels: climate change, ocean

With each passing year humans are emitting more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We do this through burning coal, driving cars, deforestation, and the list goes on. We have been told repeatedly through the news that emitting C02 into the atmosphere is bad for the environment, but did you know that it is having a serious effect on the oceans and all of the animals that live in it?
The level of carbon Dioxide in the environment is measured in parts per million (PPM), in the pre-industrial age the level was around 280ppm, we are now hovering around 380ppm, and it is said that by 2065 levels will reach 560ppm.
Oceans absorb a large portion of the CO2 that humans put into the atmosphere; however, this absorption of CO2 is now altering the pH level of the oceans around the world. We are literally changing the chemistry of the oceans. Scientists and researchers have just begun tackling this subject and are finding horrifying results. Ocean creatures are very sensitive to pH levels and any small change can have catastrophic effects. An example is that some plankton (which produce half of the oxygen in the atmosphere) are having trouble creating their calcium based shells, if they do not create shells, they cannot survive, and if they do not survive they will not create oxygen...
The chemistry of the ocean will continue to change as the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere continues to rise. It is easy for humans to ignore the issues surrounding the oceans because they are not visible to us in our daily lives; however, it is important for us to remember that the oceans are the key to life, without them we will not survive.

Image from: http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/top-20-greenhouse-gas-emitter
s-including-land-use-change-and-forestry

Aquacalypse Now

Labels: fish, Interesting people, ocean

'Aquacalypse Now' is yet, another important article written by Daniel Pauly, which everyone should read. The piece focuses on the overfishing and careless destruction of the worlds oceans, on behalf of our governments* irresponsible decision making.
For Daniel Pauly eating a tuna roll is the equivalent of harpooning a manatee; and to be honest, after reading more on the topic of overfishing, I couldn't agree with him more.

Click on the link below to read the article:

Aquacalypse Now | The New Republic

Shared via AddThis

* our governments: governments around the world.

An Interesting listen: Oceans of Trouble

Labels: fish, garbage island, Interesting people, ocean, plastic

CBC radio one's 'Quirks and Quarks' had an excellent show on September 12th 2009: 'Oceans of Trouble'. The host Bob McDonald talked with Alanna Mitchell, author of 'Sea Sick, the global ocean in crisis', about the impact of climate change on our oceans. They discussed the five main areas that Mitchell sees as the biggest problems for our oceans: dead zones, acidification, coral reef decline, overfishing and marine debris. McDonald also talks with a number of specialized scientists regarding these five problem areas.
It's a great listen for anyone who is interested in the state of our oceans.

http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/09-10/qq-2009-09-12.html

What's in your Exfoliant?

Labels: ocean, plastic

Using an exfoliant can leave your skin feeling great; however, have you ever taken a moment to think about what those tiny 'bits' in exfoliant actually are?

Unless the product is marked 100% natural (even then you have to read the lable), those tiny 'bits' are most likely pieces of plastic. Yes, you are washing your face and body with little balls of plastic that will rinse down your drain, into the sewer system, then into a river, and ultimately into the ocean. Once these pieces of your exfoliant reach the ocean they become bitesize meals for small sea creatures which mistake them for plankton. These plastic particle eventually build up and get lodged in the animals intestines, which most often results in terminal constipation.

The main problem with plastic is that it has not been around long enough to know what the long term issues surrounding it are. As the plastic works itself up the food chain do the chemical properties change or increase enough so, that we are ultimately poisoning ourselves? There have been studies surrounding PCB's (which were banned in the 1970's but continues to leak out of pre-1970's platics) sticking to floating plastic in the ocean. When these platic particles are ingested the poison levels become much higher then when they were floating in the water.

So, if you are an avid user of exfoliants, before you purchase your next bottle read the label. If it contains any of the following ingredients: micro-fine polyethylene granules, polyethylene micro-spheres, polyethylene beads, or polyethylene, return it to its place on the shelf and look for a bottle that is marked 100% natural exfoliant. The natural exfoliants contain granules of walnut shell, jojoba seeds, grape seeds, apricot hulls, sea salt, or coarse sugar. The natural options may cost a little more, but they are easier on the environment and most likely on your face as well. Do you really want to be scrubbing your face with plastic?

Whales being attacked by seagulls.

Labels: ocean, whales

Photo: Mariano Sironi, Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas, Argentina.

Another threat to the survival of southern right whales off the coast of Argentina has been added to the list; seagull attacks.
As the whales surfaces the gulls land and peck through the skin in search of blubber, which is an important source of calories. The bites leave big open wounds, which can reach a half a meter across and have a possibility of transmitting germs. This is not the first time that these attacks have been witnessed. "The attacks around Peninsula Valdes were first noted about 35 years ago but systematic studies have only recently begun. The proportion of whales attacked annually has soared from 1% in 1974 to 78% today"1.
The attacks focus on mothers and calves, as they spend more time at the surface and the calves have softer skin. "The gulls attack force whales to dive and flee, interrupting resting and feeding periods. The animals lose energy normally used to fatten for long migrations or milk production"2. "The mothers spend less time nursing, and we're seeing thinner calves"3.
The gull populations increased with the supply of food from landfills and development of fish processing plants in the areas. Researches fear that if the problem of the gulls is not solved the whales will attempt to travel elsewhere where they could be placing themselves in greater danger.

Photo: Mariano Sironi, Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas, Argentina.

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8116551.stm
2. Marcelo Bertellotti of Argentina's Patagonia University. http://news.softpedia.com
3. Roxana Schteinbarg Director of the Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8116551.stm

Edible and not-so-edible fish

Labels: fish, ocean, seafood

There is an incredible amount of information available on the subject of the declining fish populations of our planet; yet many people continue to consume vast amounts of seafood, ignoring the inherent danger of destroying our oceans as we know them.
Below are two quick lists of the seafood we should and should not consume.

Fish we should not consume:
Atlantic cod
Atlantic halibut
Atlantic haddock
Atlantic salmon (farmed)
Bluefin tuna
Caviar
Chilean sea bass (Patagonian toothfish)
Grouper
Orange roughy
Sharks, skates, and rays
Snapper
Swordfish

Fish that is okay to consume (occasionally):
Blue whiting
Herring
Hoki
Horse mackerel
Lobster
Mussles and Oysters
Pacific halibut
Pacific salmon
Pollock
San eel/sand lance
Sardine
Striped bass
Tilapia

There are also many sites that offer endless amounts of information on the ethical consumption of seafood as well as printable seafood and sushi guides.
http://www.blueocean.org/sushi
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_whatsnew.aspx

Just incase you haven't heard about Garbage Island

Labels: garbage island, ocean, plastic

1 mile trawl sample of plastic debris of the North Pacific Gyre in 2005.
Image from: www.algalita.org

Garbage Island - these words conjure up an instant mental image of a vast area of ocean covered in a mass of floating trash- plastic bags, beer cans, water bottles, bike parts, toys, shoes... The truth is, garbage island is a much more terrifying issue. It is not composed of solid waste floating in the water but the tiny fragments of plastic that will never biodegrade, which are ingested by marine animals and travels through the food-chain. Each year more than one million birds and marine animals die from consuming or becoming caught in plastic and debris.

Albatros carcass with ingested plastics.
Image from: www.algalita.org

Lying in the central North Pacific ocean, garbage island is estimated to be twice the size of Texas and may contain over 100 million tons of debris. The floating debris is accumulated in the slow moving clockwise currents of the North Pacific Gyre. It is believed that 80% of the garbage is land-based and the remaining 20% come from ships at sea. The land-based trash traveling from the west coast of North America arrives at the center of garbage island in about 5 years and trash from the East coast of Asia arrives in a year or less.

One of the first people to discover and take action in regards to garbage island was Charles Moore, a California based sea-captain and ocean researcher. On his return from a yachting competition he traveled through the North Pacific Gyre where he stumbled upon the worlds largest landfill. Since his discovery he has developed the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and has researched and studied the development of the trash and its effects on marine life.

Most scientist have deemed it impossible to thoroughly clean up the floating waste, as it spans such a great distance and extends 100 feet below the oceans surface. What we can do is make the effort to use alternative materials to plastic. Purchase an aluminum reusable water bottle in place of plastic bottles, bring cloth bags to the grocery store, if you see a plastic bag or bottle pick it up instead of letting it get carried to the closest body of water. It is up to us to make a difference; Garbage Island will not go away, but we can change the amount of trash that we produce and improve our methods of recycling so that we can eliminate its growth.

Captain Charles Moore at TED:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

VBS Toxic Garbage Island: an excellent 12 part documentary that everyone should watch.
http://www.vbs.tv/shows/toxic/garbage-island/index.php

The UN Environment Program: Plastic Ocean Report
www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/plastic_ocean_report.pdf

Sources:
www.algalita.org
www.science.howstuffworks.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch
www.unep.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

Shark!

Labels: finning, longlines, ocean, shark

Photo by: Rob Stewart (sharkwater.com)

Sharks have been around for 400 million years and in the past few decades humans have managed to decimate shark populations by 90%. The fishing practices that are used to catch these beautiful animals is horrifying. They are caught on longlines then hauled onto the fishing vessel, (many still living and breathing) where their fins are hacked off. The helpless shark is then tossed back into the sea and sinks where it either suffocates or gets eaten alive. It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed this way each year. There is little monitoring of shark fishing and too few regulations are in place.
We know so little about the 375 types of sharks, yet their population numbers continue to fall as wealth and greed drive the hunt for fins which are used for sharkfin soup and traditional cures.