12.27.2010

Drifting Fish Larvae Allow Marine Reserves to Rebuild Fisheries


ScienceDaily
— Marine ecologists at Oregon State University have shown for the first time that tiny fish larvae can drift with ocean currents and "re-seed" fish stocks significant distances away -- more than 100 miles in a new study from Hawaii.

The findings add credibility to what scientists have believed for some time, but until now been unable to directly document. The study also provides a significant demonstration of the ability of marine reserves to rebuild fishery stocks in areas outside the reserves.

The research appears in PLoS ONE, published by the Public Library of Science.

"We already know that marine reserves will grow larger fish and some of them will leave that specific area, what we call spillover," said Mark Hixon, a professor of marine biology at OSU. "Now we've clearly shown that fish larvae that were spawned inside marine reserves can drift with currents and replenish fished areas long distances away.

"This is a direct observation, not just a model, that successful marine reserves can sustain fisheries beyond their borders," he said. "That's an important result that should help resolve some skepticism about reserves. And the life cycle of our study fish is very similar to many species of marine fish, including rockfishes and other species off Oregon. The results are highly relevant to other regions."

The findings were based on the creation in 1999 of nine marine protected areas on the west coast of the "big island" of Hawaii. They were set up in the face of serious declines of a beautiful tropical fish called yellow tang, which formed the basis for an important trade in the aquarium industry.

"This fishery was facing collapse about 10 years ago," Hixon said. "Now, after the creation of marine reserves, the fishery is doing well."

The yellow tang was an ideal fish to help answer the question of larval dispersal because once its larvae settle onto a reef and begin to grow, they are not migratory, and live in a home range about half a mile in diameter. If the fish are going to move any significant distance from where they are born, it would have to be as a larva -- a young life form about the size of a grain of rice -- drifting with the currents for up to two months before settling back to adult habitats.

Mark Christie, an OSU postdoctoral research associate and lead author of the study, developed some new approaches to the use of DNA fingerprinting and sophisticated statistical analysis that were able to match juvenile fish with their parents, wherever they may have been from. In field research from 2006, the scientists performed genetic and statistical analyses on 1,073 juvenile and adult fish, and found evidence that many healthy juvenile fish had spawned from parents long distances away, up to 114 miles, including some from marine protected areas.

"This is similar to the type of forensic technology you might see on television, but more advanced," Christie said. "We're optimistic it will help us learn a great deal more about fish movements, fishery stocks, and the genetic effects of fishing, including work with steelhead, salmon, rockfish and other species here in the Pacific Northwest."

This study should help answer some of the questions about the ability of marine reserves to help rebuild fisheries, the scientists said. It should also add scientific precision to the siting of reserves for that purpose, which is just one of many roles that a marine reserve can play. Many states are establishing marine reserves off their coasts, and Oregon is in the process of developing a limited network of marine reserves to test their effectiveness. The methods used in this study could also become a powerful new tool to improve fisheries management, Hixon said.

"Tracking the movement of fish larvae in the open ocean isn't the easiest thing in the world to do," Hixon said. "It's not like putting a radio collar on a deer. This approach will provide valuable information to help optimize the placement of reserves, identify the boundaries of fishery stocks, and other applications."

The issue of larval dispersal is also important, the researchers say, because past studies at OSU have shown that large, fat female fish produce massive amounts of eggs and sometimes healthier larvae than smaller fish. For example, a single two-foot vermillion rockfish produces more eggs than 17 females that are 14 inches long.

But these same large fish, which have now been shown to play key roles in larval production and fish population replenishment, are also among those most commonly sought in fisheries.

The study was done in collaboration with the University of Hawaii, Washington State University, National Marine Fisheries Services and the Hawaii Department of Natural Resources. It was funded by Conservation International.

"The identification of connectivity between distant reef fish populations on the island of Hawaii demonstrates that human coastal communities are also linked," the researchers wrote in their conclusion. "Management in one part of the ocean affects people who use another part of the ocean."

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101222173105.htm


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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12.24.2010

System for Detecting Noise Pollution in the Sea and Its Impact on Cetaceans


ScienceDaily — The Applied Bioacoustics Laboratory (LAB) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) has developed the first system equipped with hydrophones able to record sounds on the seafloor in real time over the Internet. The system detects the presence of cetaceans and makes it possible to analyze how noise caused by human activity can affect the natural habitat of these animals and the natural balance of oceans. A new EU directive on the sea has ruled that all member states must comply with a set of indicators for measuring marine noise pollution before 2012.

In 2007, the Applied Bioacoustics Laboratory started work on a project called Listening to the Deep Ocean Environment (LIDO). It set out to record sounds on the seafloor and subsequently assess the extent to which artificial noises (maritime traffic, fishing, offshore facilities, military maneuvers, etc.) affect the quality of life of cetaceans in terms of any disorders they may suffer, or even their deaths.

Under the supervision of Michel André, the Applied Bioacoustics Laboratory (LAB) has now developed algorithms that automatically interpret these sounds, classify them in real time by their biological or anthropogenic origins and, within this division, the species of cetaceans present in the area analyzed are identified. Using the data obtained, it is possible to measure the extent to which noise pollution has an impact on the conservation of ecosystems.

This is the first system of its kind in the world and saves considerable analysis time and human resources in the detection and classification of noise, as these processes are completely automated. Thus, the technology prevents a continuous flow of unanalyzed acoustic data from overloading hard drives at research centers. Before now, this was one of the problems in processing uninterrupted data streams.

Finally, the acoustic signals and the result of the analysis can be listened to and seen live over a website that is available to the international scientific community and to laypersons

The importance of noise in the sea

There has always been natural and biological noise in the sea. However, the recent, uncontrolled introduction of artificial noise in the sea on an unprecedented scale poses an even greater threat to its equilibrium than any other source of pollution in the marine environment.

The sense of hearing is vital to cetaceans, as they use it to find prey, navigate in the sea, migrate and distinguish members of the same species. Therefore, their survival depends on their sense of hearing working properly.

Using a set of 13 hydrophones installed in over 10 underwater platforms located all over the world, the UPC's system detects the presence of cetaceans and enables scientists to study the relationship these animals have with other mammals in their habitat. This innovative system therefore opens unexplored avenues in the biological study of these species. However, the importance of the LIDO project lies in the possibility of better understanding the sensitivity of cetaceans to sources of noise pollution, detect the interaction of these animals with human activity and, more importantly, it will make it possible to take decisions for mitigating noise when the lives of these mammals are threatened.

To date, the increase in beached whales, sperm whales and other cetaceans around the world has been put down to the greater noise levels caused by fishing, sea trade, military maneuvers, and the construction of oilrigs and offshore wind farms. Thanks the technology developed by the UPC's research team, based on the Vilanova i la Geltrú Campus, it will now be possible to accurately ascertain whether there is a direct cause and effect relationship between the two events.

Based in this information, governments, institutions and businesses that operate in the sea will be able to establish response protocols to prevent these species from falling victim to exposure to noise of an anthropogenic origin that may cause damage to their hearing and, therefore, an imbalance in marine ecosystems.

First step for regulating noise pollution in the sea

The LAB has in fact written a manual of good practices for managing noise pollution in the sea at the request of the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, within the framework of the eCREM (Effects and Control of Anthropogenic Noise in Marine Ecosystems) project. The manual is the first step for drawing up a draft bill and good practices to regulate noise pollution in the sea in Spain, which is one of the first countries in the EU that intends to introduce regulations to this regard.

It should be taken into account that forecasts show that maritime traffic in the Mediterranean basin will increase significantly over the next few years to mitigate the atmospheric pollution derived from the transport of goods by road. The new EU directive on the sea rules that all member states must comply with a set of indicators for measuring marine noise pollution before 2012. A group of 11 experts from around Europe, one of whom is Michel André, the director of the LAB, are currently working to establish exactly which indicators are to be used.

The LAB has planned to develop alarm technologies in the near future. They are to be installed on various devices, such as autonomous buoys and underwater robots, which would send off warnings that cetaceans are approaching areas with high noise levels and set off response protocols.

The UPC team has devoted 15 years to the study of noise pollution in the sea and to the creation of technological solutions that make it possible to combine human activities and the interests of industry with the conservation of cetaceans and the marine environment.

The LAB is placing particular emphasis on the study of the effects of noise pollution on cetaceans because these marine mammals are at the top of the food chain, and their activities depend on the exchange of acoustic information. Therefore, their reaction to sources of noise pollution helps to determine the general state of marine environments. Cetaceans are considered to be bioindicators of the acoustic balance in oceans.

International network of underwater observatories

The LIDO platform, which records underwater noise in different parts of Europe and North America, is open to the international scientific community.

Noise sources are detected by hydrophones installed on over 10 underwater observatories. Some of the LIDO sensors have been deployed on the European Seafloor Observatory Network (ESONET), one of whose members is the UPC's Expandable Seafloor Observatory (OBSEA) located on the coast of Vilanova i la Geltrú. The LAB has another set of sensors installed in the deep sea infrastructures of the ANTARES project, an international collaboration that focuses on detecting subatomic particles called neutrinos, which move through space without being stopped by matter. Finally, there are another three hydrophones in North America on the seafloor platforms of the NEPTUNE network in Canada.

The LAB is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with Japan to install the technology on 17 platforms designed to detect the risk of earthquakes in the Asian archipelago.


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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Overfishing and Global Warming Killing Billfish and Tuna


ScienceDaily — Billfish and tuna, important commercial and recreational fish species, may be more vulnerable to fishing pressure because of shrinking habitat, according to a new study published by scientists from NOAA, The Billfish Foundation, and University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

An expanding zone of low oxygen, known as a hypoxic zone, in the Atlantic Ocean is encroaching upon these species' preferred oxygen-abundant habitat, forcing them into shallower waters where they are more likely to be caught.

During the study, published recently in the journal Fisheries Oceanography, scientists tagged 79 sailfish and blue marlin with satellite tracking devices in the western North Atlantic, off south Florida and the Caribbean; and eastern tropical Atlantic, off the coast of West Africa. The pop off archival satellite tags monitored horizontal and vertical movement patterns. Researchers confirmed that billfish prefer oxygen rich waters closer to the surface and will actively avoid waters low in oxygen.

While these hypoxic zones occur naturally in many areas of the world's tropical and equatorial oceans, scientists are concerned because these zones are expanding and occurring closer to the sea surface, and are expected to continue to grow as sea temperatures rise.

"The hypoxic zone off West Africa, which covers virtually all the equatorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean, is roughly the size of the continental United States, and it's growing," said Dr. Eric D. Prince, NOAA's Fisheries Service research fishery biologist. "With the current cycle of climate change and accelerated global warming, we expect the size of this zone to increase, further reducing the available habitat for these fish."

Less available habitat can lead to more fish being caught since the fish are concentrated near the surface. Higher catch rates from these areas may give the false appearance of more abundant fish stocks. The shrinking availability of habitat and resulting increases to catch rates are important factors for scientists to consider when doing population assessments.

Researchers forecast that climate change and its associated rise in ocean temperatures will further increase the expansion of hypoxic zones in the world's oceans. As water temperature increases, the amount of oxygen dissolved in water decreases, further squeezing billfish into dwindling available habitat and exposing them to even higher levels of exploitation.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101222162402.htm



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website:www.oceanicdefense.org
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12.19.2010

'Twas an oceanic night before Christmas...

A Christmas Wish for Freedom (image: fineartamerica.com)
by Samantha Whitcraft

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the ocean
All the whales were singing their pods’ sweet devotion.
The Ady Gil II at sea to take care
In hopes one day all would be safe out there...

Shark Savers were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Whites and Blues swam in their heads;
With some in their OD shirts and others in ECO caps
The ocean tribes settled down for a long winter’s nap…

When out in the bay there arose such a clatter

Every diver and snorkeler awoke to check on the matter.
Away to my window I dashed in a flash
Tore open the hurricane shutters and sash.

The moonlight on the bay’s tidal flow

Gave the luster of mid-day to the objects below.
When, what in my grateful gaze should I see,
But an orca, named Lolita, finally wild and free.

With a pod of Taiji dolphins, so lively and quick

I knew in a moment it wasn’t a trick;
Saved, alive and well, from the Cove they certainly came
They were Rissos, Bottlenose, and Pilot whales by name…

Now Humpbacks!, now Tuna! now coastal sharks and more!
Then seals! Then fishes! Then life from the sea floor!
Filling up the bright bay! up to the tallest sea wall!
We’re here to protect you! Each one and then ALL!

As their numbers before me then grew and grew,
I knew my Christmas dreams had finally come true.
So down to the shore I quickly did flee,
And there found the Aquatic Army just waiting for me.

And then, with a roar, I heard the Army exclaim
There’ll be dancing and singing, in victory proclaim!
As I joined the excitement and jumped in the sea
The waters rose up in greeting to thank you and me!

The whales how peaceful; the sharks now care-free,
The tuna and fishes; and corals how key.
Every mother and child rejoicing in warrior style
While sharing the ocean and a huge Christmas smile!

Merry Christmas, Aquatic Army!

Peace for our oceans,
Samantha

For more ocean writings, join me at The Selkie Society



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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12.15.2010

Last Call to Help Pass the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 - TAKE ACTION!

Tell Congress that live sharks are priceless. (Image: www.papercraftcentral.net)

Aquatic Army Call to Action!
12.14.10

This week is the last chance to pass the long-overdue Shark Conservation Act of 2009; ten years over-due. For details on the long, frustrating journey of this important bill and the value of our sharks to maintaining healthy oceans, check out The Selkie Society article, entitled Oh, go on, call your Senators to chat about sharks; you KNOW you want to!
 
Our friends at Ocean Champions - "the only political voice for the oceans" - are working hard on Capital Hill this week to help get this and other important ocean-related bills passed in what is left of this session, and with their guidance we can target our efforts to help them!

Specifically, do you live and/or vote in any of these states; Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, West Virginia, Florida or New Hampshire? Or know someone who does that you can forward this to? If so, PLEASE contact YOUR Senators only with the following simple message:

Maine Residents/Voters only
- Senator Snowe (ME) ph. 202-224-5344
- Senator Collins (ME) ph. 202-224-2523

Massachusetts Residents/Voters only
- Senator Brown (MA) ph. 202-224-4543

Mississippi Residents/Voters only
- Senator Wicker (MS) ph. 202-224-6253

West Virginia Residents/Voters only
- Senator Rockefeller (WV) ph. 202-224-6472

Florida Residents/Voters only
- Senator Bill Nelson (FL) ph. 202-224-5274
- Senator LeMieux (FL) ph. 202-224-3041

New Hampshire Residents/Voters only
- Senator Judd Gregg (NH) ph. 202-224-3324

Ask for the staffer who deals with environmental issues, and quickly, respectfully share your love of sharks and the oceans while being sure to state, "Please tell the Senator that I support passing the lands/water package and hope that he will vote for it." Courteous is always best - they just need to know that their constituents are in favor of the package that includes the Shark Conservation Act of 2009.

Or, you can send a fax directly to your Senators with an activist eBlast from Ocean Champions  in support of "a package of land and water conservation bills, most of which have already been passed in the House. This includes the important Harmful Algal Bloom / Dead Zone bill, which is being used to anchor the package, along with over a hundred others, including bills to protect marine turtles and to end the brutal practice of shark finning in U.S. waters."

And remember, when it comes to oceans you have a voice, use it! You can always reach any of your elected officials at: www.congress.org.

~ For the Oceans,
Samantha Whitcraft
Marine Conservation Biologist

(with guidance from Mike Dunmyer, Ocean Champions)


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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11.30.2010

One Down; How Many More to Go? Fiji Water to Leave Fiji


If you bottle the water outside of Fiji, is it still Fiji Water?

While we Westerners think of Fiji as an idyllic tropical destination with pristine beaches and turquoise waters, the real story of the remote South Pacific island is a much different reality. As TIME reported in September, the tiny island has been under military rule since a coup in 2006, its press is muzzled and it's economy has declined due in part to sanctions imposed by the European Union and its neighbors, Australia and New Zealand.

The latest twist in this saga involves the high-end water brand of the same name. Fiji Water announced Monday that it is shutting down operations in Fiji after the government proposed an “extraction tax” of 15 cents a liter (up from one-third of a cent). The proposed tax hike comes just one week after David Roth, Fiji Water director of external affairs, was deported for allegedly interfering in the domestic affairs and governance of Fiji.

In the company's statement, Fiji Water President John Cochran said they are hoping to work with the junta to resolve the tax dispute, which he called discriminatory as it only applies to their company (the only company in Fiji that bottles more than 3.5 million liters a month). “The country is increasingly unstable, and is becoming a very risky place in which to invest,” the statement said.

Fiji Water, which sells their square-shaped water bottles in more than 40 countries, said hundreds of Fijians would lose their jobs as a result of their decision to leave the country.

Source: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/29/fiji-water-to-leave-fiji/



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
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11.29.2010

10 ways to reduce plastics in your home



It seems like hardly a day goes by without some new report about the health hazards of plastics. If it’s not plastic teethers, it’s baby bottles, or sports bottles or old Tupperware. Trying to tell the polycarbonates from the polyvinyl chlorides is enough to make your head spin.

For an informed yet practical approach to plastics safety, we consulted two experts who also happen to be parents:

Susan Nagel, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at the University of Missouri, who’s been researching plastics for more than 10 years. She’s also the mother of 6-year-old twins. She is slowly but methodically replacing all her plastic food storage containers with Pyrex.

Vincent Cobb, founder of the online store Reusable Bags, which features nonplastic — or at least safer plastic — food-storage products. Cobb has two children, ages 6 and 4. This Thanksgiving, he tossed out the plastic turkey baster. “It’s now a squirt toy for the kids.”

The first bit of advice from our two experts: Don’t panic.

“When people first found out about lead, they were like, ‘Oh my gosh! We have to strip the paint! We have to move out of the house!”‘ Cobb says. “That’s where people are now with plastics.”

Plastics aren’t as toxic as lead, and there’s a lot of research still to be done. But since there are alternatives, it makes sense to limit your exposure. How does that old saying go? Err on the side of caution.

Two problems: BPA and phthalates

The chemical that’s grabbing all the recent headlines is bisphenol A — BPA for short. It’s a synthetic estrogen — yep, like the hormone — and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and behavioral and reproductive problems. Scientists worry that developing fetuses and children younger than 6 are particularly vulnerable.

Canada is planning to ban BPA in children’s products. Consumer groups are calling for a ban in the U.S., and the Food and Drug Administration recently agreed to reconsider the issue.

BPA is found in hard plastic products like baby bottles and sports bottles and in the linings of metal cans for food, soft drinks and beer. It’s also in eyeglasses, bike helmets, CD cases and, well, just about everywhere.

“With BPA, we cannot completely figure out where it’s all coming from,” Nagel says. “If you add up people’s exposure from canned foods, dental sealants, drinking out of polycarbonate bottles, all those things we know about, you still can’t account for as high a level as we find in people.

“It’s in so many products. It’s been found in household air. It’s in dust, then you breathe it in. You can decrease your exposure, but you cannot eliminate it.”

The other buzzword lately is phthalates (the “ph” is silent), additives that make plastic more flexible. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive problems and have been falling out of favor for several years (remember the Great Teether Panic of 1999?). The U.S. began banning several phthalates in children’s products in February, but Nagel warns that phthalates will still lurk in older toys, as well as scented soaps, lotions and cosmetics.

The solution: Reduce your exposure

If you’d like to reduce your family’s exposure to plastics, here are 10 places to start:

  1. Food storage. As you can, replace plasticware with glass, porcelain or stainless steel. Until then, just be cautious in how you use plastic storage containers. Don’t put plastic in the microwave, ever. Heat can break down plastic so that it leaches chemicals into food. Try not to put plastic in the dishwasher — it’s too hot in there, as well — although you do have to clean the stuff. If you put it in the dishwasher, use the top rack, away from the heating element. Older plasticware tends to leach the most, so replace it first.

  2. Other kitchenware. For plastic glasses and sippy cups, see No. 1. There are glass, metal or wooden alternatives to plastic mixing bowls, colanders, funnels, cutting boards, spatulas and spoons. Ditto for plates and silverware. Some blenders and food processors come with glass bowls. Instead of a vinyl tablecloth, use real cloth.

  3. Plastic wrap and bags. There aren’t as many practical alternatives to this one. Try aluminum foil. For microwaving, you can cover foods with paper towels. “I can’t speak to the safety of freezing in freezer bags,” Nagel says, “but I do it because at some point you just don’t have a choice.”

  4. Lunch stuff. Another tricky one, since you can’t send your kids to school with breakable food containers. Reusable Bags has started stocking some options, including snack-size stainless-steel containers and cloth snack bags. “We’ve been waiting for somebody to do this,” Cobb says. “We’ve been looking all over the place."

  5. Water bottles. Yes, Virginia, it’s possible to live without a plastic water bottle. Nalgene, which pioneered the shatterproof sports bottle, is now making BPA-free polycarbonate bottles. “I’d still recommend something else,” Nagel says. “Use stainless steel or glass.”

  6. Canned foods. Many of the metal cans used for food are lined with a resin that contains BPA. Instead of canned fruits and vegetables, buy fresh or frozen. Instead of canned beans, buy dried. Look for tomatoes in glass jars, or try canning your own.

  7. Baby bottles and formula. Use glass baby bottles if possible. If not, several companies make BPA-free bottles. Also avoid liquid baby formula in metal cans, since the liquid can absorb high levels of BPA from the can lining. Powdered formula is a much better choice.

  8. Plastic toys. Remember the uproar over the news that Thomas the Tank Engine was covered in lead paint? We need to bring the same level of awareness to plastic toys. Instead, look for natural products like wood. “One thing I found hard was that I liked to buy secondhand toys from garage sales and whatnot,” Nagel says. “I started focusing more on classic, natural-products toys.”

  9. Cosmetics and baby products. Phthalates are often used in bath and beauty products as carriers for fragrances. Buy unscented soaps, shampoos, lotions and baby powder instead.

  10. Stop buying junk. This is the most important change you can make, according to both of our experts. “This is really hard for Americans, me included, because we’re such consumers,” Nagel says. “If we can, we need to just slow that down and not buy so many products, especially those that are disposable.”
Source: http://thesouthern.com/lifestyles/leisure/article_2e25cb1c-0e21-11df-8b25-001cc4c002e0.html



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website:www.oceanicdefense.org
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11.27.2010

International Fisheries Meeting Moves to Protect Some Sharks

Oceanic white tip shark and diver (photo: Paul Spielvogel, SDM)

November 27, 2010
Half a dozen species of endangered sharks hunted on the high seas to satisfy a burgeoning Asian market for sharkfin soup are now protected in the Atlantic, a fisheries group decided on Saturday.

Scalloped, smooth and great hammerheads, along with oceanic white tip, cannot be targeted or kept if caught accidentally, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announced. [The Washington Post summarized that this was, in part due to the fact that, "Populations of oceanic white tip shark have declined 99 percent in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean, while hammerheads' numbers have dropped 99 percent in the Mediterranean. ]
 
A proposal submitted by the European Union to extend the same level of protection to the porbeagle shark, critically endangered in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, was shot down.
"Canada was adamant that they were not going to let its porbeagle fishery go," said Elizabeth Wilson, a marine scientists at Washington based advocacy group Oceana. The decisions on sharks follow 10 days of closed door haggling at the 48 member ICCAT, which has yet to announce quotas and other measures on bluefin tuna. [CBS News has since reported that "The commission agreed to cut the bluefin fishing quota in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 13,500 to 12,900 metric tons annually." This represents approximately a mere 4% decrease. Most conservationists and many scientists consider this insufficient to prevent continued, unsustainable declines in the species' populations.]

At least 1.3 million sharks were harvested from the Atlantic in 2008 by industrial scale fisheries unhampered by catch or size limits, according to a recent report. The actual figure, it said, is likely several fold higher due to under-reporting. To date, the only other shark species subject to a fishing ban in the Atlantic is the big eye thresher, a measure passed last year.

"These decisions increase the chances that these species will continue to swim in the Atlantic," said Matt Rand, a shark expert with the Pew Environment Group. "But there's a lot more work to be done. Fifty per cent of open water sharks in the world are threatened with extinction," he said, cited the classification of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) [Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species].

A push by the United States to establish quotas for another shark, the shortfin mako, fell short. "Half the countries at the meeting were opposed," said Wilson.While willing to ban the fishing of certain species that are already in sharp decline, these nations do not want to set a precedent of establishing catch limits for sharks with relatively healthy populations, she explained.

There are no multinational quotas on shark fishing anywhere in the world.

ICCAT did, however, call for data collection on the shortfin mako. It also voted a measure requiring commercial fishermen to remove hooks and netting from accidentally caught sea turtles before returning them to the sea, and to keep records.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1. Be an informed consumer about your seafood choices; know about the fishery itself and any associated by-catch and make sustainable purchases; choosing not to eat seafood is a viable and good option. 2. Buy products that are animal-product-free, as those are sure to be devoid of any shark. 3. Be an advocate for the oceans; share your concerns and knowledge with your friends, family, and community; JOIN THE AQUATIC ARMY! 

Compiled and analyzed by,
Samantha Whitcraft
Conservation Biologist

Sources: The Washington Post, Sydney Morning Herald, FishBase,
CBS News Tech


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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11.26.2010

NOAA Enforces Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule


Vessels charged for allegedly speeding where endangered whales calve, feed, migrate

NOAA today announced it is issuing notices of violations proposing civil administrative penalties against seven vessels for allegedly violating seasonal speed limits designed to protect one of the most endangered whales in the world. These civil administrative penalties are the first assessed since the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule was enacted on Dec. 9, 2008.

Because there are as few as 350 North Atlantic right whales still in existence, the whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule restricts vessels of 65 feet or greater to speeds of 10 knots or less in seasonal management areas along the East Coast.

The NOVAs issued this week focus on vessels that allegedly traveled multiple times through the seasonal management areas for right whales at speeds well in excess of the 10 knots allowed under the regulations.

Penalty assessments in these NOVAs range from $16,500 to $49,500, depending on the frequency of the violations. The ships' owners and operators have 30 days to respond to NOVAs by paying the assessed penalty, seeking to have it modified, or requesting a hearing before an administrative law judge.

These seasonal management areas went into effect Nov. 1 in areas from Rhode Island to Brunswick, Ga., and went into effect yesterday for areas from Brunswick, Ga., to St. Augustine, Fla. Designed to reduce the chances of right whales being injured or killed by ships, the speed restrictions are based on the migration pattern of right whales and are in effect through April 30 each year. Maps of these areas and a compliance guide are available at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) focused on outreach during the rule’s first season, sending letters to alleged violators to educate them about the new federal regulation. The Notices of Violation and Assessment (NOVAs) issued by NOAA’s Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation yesterday involve alleged violations of the speed restrictions during the second season the regulations were in place, November 2009 through April 2010.



“Right whales are a highly endangered and important species,” said special agent Stuart Cory, OLE's national program manager for protected resources. “It is important to remind those that use and share the same habitat as right whales that this rule was put into place to protect these mammals. Compliance with this rule is one way NOAA is striving to prevent right whales from extinction. The species' recovery is dependent upon the protection of each remaining whale.”

The mission of NOAA OLE is to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations enacted to conserve and protect our nation's marine resources. To report a suspected violation, contact the NOAA OLE national hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

Source: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20101116_rightwhale.html



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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11.24.2010

New Large Squid Found in Southern Indian Ocean


ScienceDaily — A new species of squid has been discovered by scientists analyzing 7,000 samples gathered during last year's IUCN-led seamounts cruise in the southern Indian Ocean.

The new species, 70 centimeters long, is a large member of the chiroteuthid family -- squids from this group are long and slender with light-producing organs, which act as lures to attract prey. So far, more than 70 species of squid have been identified from the seamounts cruise, representing more than 20 percent of the global squid biodiversity.

"For ten days now 21 scientists armed with microscopes have been working through intimidating rows of jars containing fishes, squids, zooplankton and other interesting creatures," says Alex Rogers, of the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. "Many specimens look similar to each other and we have to use elaborate morphological features such as muscle orientation and gut length to differentiate between them."

The recent discoveries are part of an IUCN-led Seamounts Project, which started a year ago when a team of the world's leading marine experts ventured into a six-week research expedition above seamounts in the high seas of the Indian Ocean. The aim of the cruise was to unveil the mysteries of seamounts in the southern Indian Ocean and to help improve conservation and management of marine resources in the area.

"The new discoveries will not only satiate the appetite of scientists working in the field, but will help improve conservation and management of Indian Ocean resources and future management of deep-sea ecosystems in the high seas globally," says Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head, IUCN Global Marine Programme.

To read the seamounts blog and see the photos, visit: http://seamounts2009.blogspot.com/

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115152534.htm


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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Study into Great Barrier Reef viruses


A SCIENTIST will start the monumental task of sifting through thousands of viruses to determine whether they are friends or foes to the Great Barrier Reef.

While most viruses are considered to be harmful to plants and animals, Australian Institute of Marine Science researcher Madeline van Oppen will examine whether viruses can add any benefit to coral reefs.

It has been estimated 28,000 viruses can live in a single coral colony. However, much is unknown about the effects – if any – they actually have. Some viruses may even contribute to coral bleaching, a condition brought on by stress.

Dr van Oppen has received a prestigious Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, one of 28 awarded across the country, to assist her work.

Much of her field work on coral disease has been carried out on reefs in Far North Queensland.

She hoped her work could provide insights into how corals could respond to climate change.

"What I’ll firstly be doing is describing the diversity of viruses associated with coral disease and trying to figure out what range of roles they play in terms of coral health and disease, and also in the way they can adapt," Dr van Oppen said.

By working out how corals respond to potential stress from viruses, this could, in turn, help contribute to management strategies to strengthen reef health.

Another fellowship recipient was James Cook University researcher Dr Michelle Heupel, who will investigate the migration patterns of sharks and coral trout.

Source: http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/11/22/136471_local-news.html



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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11.22.2010

Oh! Canada! Study: Fishing Allowed In 99% of MPAs On Canada's Pacific Coast


Kim Wright, Marine Planning and Protected Areas Campaign Manager for Living Oceans Society. credit Living Oceans


VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Fishing is allowed in all but one percent of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) on Canada's Pacific coast, according to a study conducted by Living Oceans Society and published in Marine Policy this month. This is in spite of the fact that over half of the MPAs are officially rated as "strictly protected" and are intended to prohibit all fishing.

"Marine Protected Areas should be safe havens where species can regenerate, but the great majority of our MPAs are really just paper parks that offer almost nothing in the way of ocean conservation or sustainable fisheries," says Kim Wright, Living Oceans Society's Marine Planning and Protected Areas Campaign Manager.


To build an effective network of MPAs, federal, provincial and municipal government agencies that designate MPAs need to ensure that the appropriate fishing closures are put in place by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The Marine Policy article, Commercial Fisheries Closures in Marine Protected Areas on Canada's Pacific Coast: The Exception, not the Rule, reveals all levels of government are failing to coordinate their efforts and provide real protection for the ocean ecosystem.

Dr. Isabelle Coté, a Marine Protected Area specialist and professor at Simon Fraser University says that this study emphasizes the need to improve our network of MPAs if we want to reap the benefits. "Marine reserves, in which no fishing is permitted, increase the abundance and diversity of marine life within their boundaries," says Coté. "This study shows that the MPAs on Canada's Pacific coast are less likely to show the same positive effects."

Living Oceans Society is calling on the federal and provincial governments to address this issue coast wide, starting with the region known as the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) which extends from Vancouver Island north to the Alaska Border. The federal government, First Nations governments and stakeholders are currently working together to develop a marine plan for this region. According to Living Oceans Society, this is the perfect opportunity for all parties to work together to upgrade and improve the existing network of MPAs.

This will also help Canada live up to its international commitment, through the Convention on Biological Diversity, to build a network of MPAs by 2012 that encompasses 10 percent of every habitat type globally.

"As the nation with the longest coastline in the world, it is shocking so few MPAs exist and that fishing is allowed in almost all of them, including those classified as strictly protected," says Wright.

Source: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=17509610384

What YOU can do:
Contact Fisheries and Oceans Pacific offices and encourage them to enforce MPAs. Respectfully ask that these areas be protected according to the committements the Canadian government set forth through the Convention on Biological Diversity:

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Contact-eng.htm



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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11.19.2010

Caribbean reef repair likely 'beyond our lifetimes'


A coral bleaching event in 2005 that killed or stressed many Caribbean reefs was the worst on record, said experts who also warned that bleaching this last summer is likely to have proven even worse in some areas.

"As this paper went to press in 2010, major bleaching was again striking reefs in the Caribbean, in some places worse than in 2005," the researchers wrote in their study, published this week in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoS ONE.

"Major bleaching events have returned to the Caribbean every five years or less, and with growing intensity," they added, tying the events to warming ocean temperatures. "With no real sign of recovery after bleaching in Caribbean reefs, these repeated events are likely to have caused reef decline that will extend beyond our lifetimes."

Bleaching happens when corals are stressed and then expel the algae living inside — turning what were colorful reefs into tracts of white. If prolonged, that bleaching can kill coral directly or by allowing diseases to take over.

In the study, experts from 22 countries reported that more than 80 percent of surveyed corals bleached in 2005, and more than 40 percent of the total surveyed died.

That damage made it "the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which helped fund the study.
"This severe, widespread bleaching ... suggests a troubled future for tropical marine ecosystems under a warming climate," the experts wrote.

The researchers noted that other testing had found that the Caribbean's reefs had been stable for at least 200,000 years — until the 1980s when bleaching started to happen more often.
Bleaching has also hit reefs in other parts of the world where waters have warmed, in particularly off Indonesia and Australia.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40239545/ns/us_news-environment/



About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website:www.oceanicdefense.org
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11.18.2010

Fines levied for bombarding reef


A state agency directed a contractor to drop concrete onto coral

The state Division of Aquatic Resources and a private company were fined $400,000 yesterday for dropping concrete blocks on a coral reef off Maui.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources decided the division should pay most of the fine — about $266,666 — for its role in the damage. The contractor, American Marine Corp., faces a $133,333 fine.

Land Board Chairwoman Laura Thielen said the division, which is part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, failed to adequately assess the drop area before allowing American Marine to sink Z-shaped concrete blocks for an artificial reef habitat on Dec. 2.

Before the drop, state divers cleared a circle 100 yards wide for the artificial reef but did not find a coral reef outside the zone only 25 yards away, she said.

In addition, American Marine's barge drifted as much as 300 to 400 feet from the drop zone buoy during the project, and division staff had to ask the contractor at least twice to reposition the barge, according to a report by DLNR.

The 1,452 concrete blocks were supposed to land on barren ocean floor, but 125 of them landed on a natural reef.

The Division of Aquatic Resources will begin a study to repair the reef and determine whether to leave the blocks because they are not causing further damage or remove them to help the reef heal faster, Thielen said. The division will report back to the board in about 60 days.
Thielen said the division could pay its fine by spending future funding or grants on reducing damage to coral reefs.

In a report submitted to the board, the department suggested a fine of about $824,373, but after three hours of discussion, the board settled on the lesser $400,000.

Thielen said she stopped the artificial reef program after the accident and notified a federal agency that the state must update its environmental impact statements before continuing to build artificial reefs.

Source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20101113_fines_levied_for_bombarding_reef.html


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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11.12.2010

Economic Hit in a Mexican Town - a community's sharks killed

Local newspaper article reveals the town's anger (photo: Eli Martinez)
November 12, 2010
by Samantha Whitcraft

There is a lovely town in Mexico's Yucatan called Playa del Carmen; to some people it's one of a series of fun beach spots and a great place to kick back with a beer and watch another Caribbean sunset, but to others it is the place to dive with bull sharks. Every year, around this time, beautiful bull sharks -- up to 20-25 at a time, perhaps remnant of a once bigger aggregation -- show up just off the coast. And because their appearance there is predictable, they became a strong eco-tourism draw. People who love sharks, and their numbers are growing, will pay handsomely to see these amazing animals. And for the past several years, local businesses awaited the arrival of "the bulls of Playa del Carmen" along with the economic boost it brought them and the entire town.
Divers and photographers experiencing "the bulls of Playa del Carmen"
Four days ago, however, nine of  "the bulls of Playa del Carmen", likely some of the same sharks that local dive operators, famous photographers, and even tourists had come to know and love, were killed by a local fisherman from a neighboring town. His name is Humberto Andusi from Puerto Morelos, Mexico, and by all accounts, he knew exactly what he was doing; like all experienced fishermen he knows when and where the fish are. Additionally, the location and value of the sharks to the dive industry there was no secret. Humberto sought out and killed  these sharks, seven of which where reproductive females. And if the loss of reproductive females were not enough of a blow to the current and future population in the area, Eli Martinez, editor of Shark Diver Magazine reports from his contacts in Playa del Carmen that, in fact, approximately 50 pups were pulled from the dead animals. The sex ratio of that entire generation that was wiped out is unknown -- how many future breeding females where also killed? Those pups represented the future success of the only known bull shark aggregation along Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

The biological loss in terms of population recovery, locally, could be significant in that the estimated average number in the aggregation, based on Shark Diver Magazine's trip reports since 2009 is a maximum of 22 animals. The loss of seven females is especially problematic because bull sharks, like most large sharks, have a slow reproductive rate -- specifically, they mature at 10-15 years old and have 1-13 pups at a time. Given these back-of-the-envelope numbers and assuming a low migration rate of 'new' sharks into the area, the bull shark aggregation at Playa del Carmen may not fully recover for a decade or more. Time will tell and responsible dive operators who care about these animals and their livelihood will, hopefully, keep a close count and a watchful eye on the aggregation over the coming years.

There is a a very real human impact too. Martinez, who leads a yearly trip to dive with the sharks at Playa de Carmen, stated that "...9 bull sharks, which was the working population of sharks the dive shops were working with...and all these females were returning which means these were the same females that came to these waters each and every year. Sad, makes me so damn sad." Since the sharks were caught and killed, the local dive operators haven't seen any of the remaining animals in the area. If the sharks don't come back, Martinez estimates a significant economic hit to the town. A rough, low-ball calculation of the numbers looks like this: there are about 10 dive shops in the area of Playa del Carmen that advertise and bring in divers with the draw of their bull sharks; on average, combining all the shops, there are as many as 30 divers per day paying about $120 each for the experience...now multiple that by a 150-day season. Playa del Carmen's dive industry alone stands to lose in the area of $540,000 this year. That number does not include the loss of revenue to supporting industries like local restaurants, bars, and hotels that cater to the divers that come for the sharks.

By comparison, Señor Andusi probably made between $100 to $200 per shark grossing himself between $900 to $1800 for a single days' work. He likely sold the animals, whole, to a 'runner' who transported the sharks to Cancun or Mérida and doubled his money selling them to an exporter, who in turn will make his profit on the international 'market' with the most valuable parts of the sharks -- the fins, oil, and cartilage. Surprisingly, as in many countries, this series of events is completely legal in Mexico.
The "bulls of Playa del Carmen"?  (photo: http://www.photosfan.com/sharks/)

Today, shortly after the local newspaper article came out about what had happened and who had killed Playa del Carmen's bull sharks, Señor Andusi walked into one of the leading dive shops in town, Phantom Divers, and apologized to the owner. Apparently, community pressure exerted via the local press had an initial impact. Hopefully, the same community pressure will be applied to the Mexican government's fisheries agency, National Commission of Aquaculture and Fishing (CONAPESCA) to more fully and effectively protect Mexico's valuable sharks.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1. Support responsible, sustainable shark eco-tourism to keep our sharks worth more alive than dead at the local level; 2. Be an informed consumer and never buy anything with shark product in it including pills, foods, clothing and cosmetics; 3. Be a vocal and active advocate for stronger shark conservation laws in your community or where you vacation; and 4. Sign and share the petition to protect the marine ecosystem of the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, addressed to the Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas y Municipio de Solidaridad. Thank you.


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website: www.oceanicdefense.org
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11.11.2010

South Florida water managers weigh costly consequences of sea level rise


For millions of South Floridians, life on a peninsula means melting icecaps in Greenland aren't just something for polar bears to worry about.

South Florida's coastal flood-control structures, counted on to protect low-lying communities from getting swamped, already are at risk from sea level rise due to climate change, according to scientists for the South Florida Water Management District.

In the coming months, the district's governing board will be asked to endorse more scientific studies and potentially costly flood-control construction projects aimed at preparing for the rising sea levels expected to come.

A district proposal outlined Tuesday calls for the agency over the next five years to buy more land for flood control, design improvements for 50-year-old drainage structures and start building pumps that could keep discharging stormwater out to the ocean even as sea levels continue to rise.

While politicians and world leaders debate the causes of climate change and how to respond, district scientists are adopting a "no-regrets strategy" to get ready, even if the worst-case scenarios don't come to pass.

"This is an issue of global importance that will have regional impacts," said Jayantha Obeysekera, who is leading the district's response to climate change and sea level rise. He briefed the district board Tuesday. "All aspects of water management would be impacted."

An increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are trapping more of the sun's heat, leading to climate change — blamed for higher temperatures that are projected to increase the rate of sea level rise.

Manmade pollution produces more of those heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

Sea ice, glaciers and snow cover around the world all are shrinking as temperatures rise, Obeysekera said.

The district is anticipating sea levels to climb 5 to 20 inches during the next 50 years.

High water levels at times already are creating problems for some of the floodgates, spillways and drainage canals that protect South Florida from flooding.

South Florida now has periods of extreme high tides, when water levels rise higher than the point where stormwater from coastal drainage canals normally gets dumped into the sea.

When that happens, floodgates stay closed, increasing the flood risk if those drainage canals overflow. That would worsen if sea levels rise.

Overwhelmed coastal drainage canals would have a "domino effect" on the rest of South Florida's drainage system, according to Carol Wehle, water district executive director.

If there's insufficient room for water in drainage canals, then there's not enough room for water coming in from community drainage systems. Those community systems help keep inland neighborhoods dry.

"The capacity … of the system is going to be negatively impacted by sea level rise," Wehle said.

The district has so far identified 28 flood-control structures along the southeast coast and six along the west coast most at risk to rising sea levels.

The first three are the S27, S28 and S29 facilities in northern Miami-Dade County.

New pumps are proposed to push stormwater into the ocean while keeping floodgates closed to hold back the elevated seas.

Cost remains a hurdle to getting that done. The current proposal would begin work by 2015. Each one cost "tens of millions of dollars," Obeysekera said.

Another threat from rising sea levels is more saltwater seeping in underground and contaminating drinking water supplies. South Florida has coastal well fields that through the years have had to shut down or reduce pumping due to saltwater intrusion.

Water utilities in Lake Worth, Hallandale Beach and Lantana have been among the most at risk of saltwater intrusion.

If that continues, it means increased costs to find new drinking water supplies or to switch to more costly water treatment processes — both of which would mean higher water bills for South Florida residents.

In addition, the Everglades can expect to suffer from an influx of saltwater.

Sea level rise is expected to affect the southern end of the Everglades by increasing coastal erosion, reducing mangrove forests, pushing migrating wading birds northward, increasing peat collapse and raising salinity levels in freshwater marshes that could result in fish kills and loss of wildlife habitat.

The state and federal government are in the midst of investing billions of dollars in Everglades restoration. Some contend that those restoration projects should be reconsidered due to the expected damage from sea level rise.

Others counter that restoring more of the stormwater flows that once naturally reached the Everglades will counterbalance the effects of climate change.

"It's critical to act fast enough," said Jane Graham of Audubon of Florida. "Fight water with water."

Computer modeling is being used to try to chart which areas are most at risk of flooding from sea level rise.

During the coming year, the district plans to further identify water-management projects affected by sea level rise; complete reports on trends in sea-level rise and climate change; and finish an analysis of the saltwater-intrusion monitoring system.

The sea level rise is not really in dispute, said district board member Jerry Montgomery, pointing to melting glaciers and ice sheets from Greenland to Antarctica. The question, Montgomery said, is the rate of rise and how much it will affect South Florida.

"It is clearly melting and it is clearly melting at a faster rate," Montgomery said.

Andy Reid can be reached at abreid@SunSentinel.com or 561-228-5504.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-sea-level-rise-south-florida-20101109,0,5651053,full.story


About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
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11.08.2010

Japanese Activists' Voices Grow Louder - Part II

             Miwa Hayakawa leads WWAWD-2010 rally, Miami (photo credit Alina Soto)

 "It's the Japanese people who have to do this, not outside Westerners. They have to take ownership of this issue. 
I have to be replaced by young Japanese people or housewives." 
~ Ric O'Barry, SaveJapanDolphins.org

by Samantha Whitcraft
November 9, 2010 - Miami, FL.

Back in September, just as the Taiji Dolphin Hunt season was starting up, again, we brought you the story of how Japanese people were starting to make their voices heard, by petition, at least. With our friends at Choices for Tomorrow ("Cruelty Free Living and Animal Advocacy"), a grass-roots organization reaching out to Japanese communities and individuals, we translated and compiled some of the strong words and feelings expressed by Japanese people boldly supporting the Futo Petition requesting that the Ito City Mayor and the local fishing cooperative stop their town from recommencing a dolphin hunt there. One Japanese petitioner commented, for example: 

"While making excuses using the words of tradition and culture, you sell off the wild dolphins to aquariums. You never give a thought about how short the dolphins’ life would be in aquariums with stress. It is as if slave traders. In Japan where food that could be fed to 30 millions people are dumped everyday, killing dolphins is not something to be allowed. Please stop the slaughter. I am shameful as a Japanese."

Then in October, we shared a Japan Times story about a growing local movement and petition to stop the building of an aquarium in a park in Kyoto, Japan that would house captive marine mammals, likely sourced from Taiji and other coastal dolphin hunts. The article stated, "...an anti-aquarium network of local, environmental groups continues to meet, demonstrate and fight the city in the courts."

And now, we find ourselves inspired and led by a Japanese anti-whaling activist in Miami, Florida. As a warm up, Miwa Hayawaka first spoke publicly at the Japan Dolphin Day Rally, with Ric O'Barry and Pete Bethune, at the Japanese Consulate, Miami on October 14th. We spotted her in the crowd and asked her if she spoke Japanese and she shyly replied 'yes'. When we asked her to speak she politely declined and was taken aback by the request, so instead, we asked her to translate a message to the Japanese Government representatives several floors above us. As Pete thanked the current Japanese administration for their 'hospitality' during his recent enforced 'visit' and advised them of his potential return should the dolphin slaughter continue, Miwa's expert translation and great sense of humor got the crowd energized. Next thing we knew, Miwa and Pete, together, were leading the crowd of 175+ in a raucous chant of "SHAME" in Japanese!

               Bethune, Whitcraft, and Hayakawa at Japan Dolphin Day-2010, Miami.

On November 5th, Miwa joined us again, this time at the Worldwide Anti-Whaling Day (WWAWD) Rally at the Japanese Consulate, Miami. This time, there was no doubt she had found her voice and would speak out strongly to save whales and against illegal whaling. She led us in several Japanese language chants and then shared a powerful story from her youth. The assembled crowd was quiet as she shared her memories of her childhood, her father, and the part of her culture she now stood in defiance of. In her own words, here is Miwa's story of the conversation she had with her father about whaling and her activism:

I remember that my grandmother always cooked whale meat dish for my family. It was one of my father's favorite dishes. I, of course, ate it. It was long long time ago...when I was a child. Eating whale meat was normal for Japanese family. It's like eating beef in this country. 

My father was a archaeologist which means he was always protecting and respecting Japanese history, cultures, and tradition. He likes to teach and talk about history of Japan. One day I asked him why we eat whale meat (and, at this time, I was already protesting for whaling), and he told me that our source of food came from ocean, because Japan is an island. Beef, pork, and chicken were very rare to eat in his life. Whale was really popular, because we could used everything of whale, even bones. He explained, we always respected and appreciated whales. We ate whale as a fish. After he finished taught me about history of whaling, he said he hasn't eaten it so much but wanted to... 

And then I told him about what I was doing -- protesting and supporting the anti-whaling movement. He was  surprised and didn't say anything and was quiet for awhile... and then...he said to me..."so you are against your own tradition". He was upset at that time. 

The next day, he started talk about how much he liked to eat whale meat BUT he said "Whatever you do, you are believing in what you are doing, so I respect what you are doing. I will try to stop eating whale meat." I was shocked at what he had said. And he added that "Anyway, your grandma past away, so nobody can cook it for me". I very much appreciated what he said. As an archaeologist, it was difficult for my father to think that his daughter was against our own tradition. And yet, I know he hasn't eaten whale meat since then. Thank you very much for my father!" 

These are the small victories and changes that ARE happening in Japan and in Japanese communities around the world. There is a quiet but strong growing movement of thoughtful and brave individuals who are the future of Japanese activism. Some of us have been privileged to meet, learn from, and stand side-by-side with some of them. Above all else they give us hope.


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