Envisioning a better world through climate impact modeling

Article: Martinich, J. and A. Crimmins. Climate damages and adaptation potential across diverse sectors of the United States. 2019. Nature Climate Change, 9, 397-404. http://bit.ly/2KfKBu7.   After October 2018, the global perspective on climate change started to shift. It was at this time that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – a body of […]

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We are the People of the Global Majority

One turtle, two turtle, red turtle, green turtle? Influence of multiple marine turtle species on behavior and foraging in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of studies on sea turtles. Most of the research on sea turtles, however, focuses on a single species at a time. There are few studies available that describe how sea turtle species interact with each other in the wild. There is quite a bit of overlap in habitat […]

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Open-Pit Mine Threatens Bristol Bay’s Rich Salmon Runs

Bristol Bay.

At this time of year, conversation among my commercial fishing friends here in Bellingham and other places, turns from ski conditions to fish prices, from bikes to boats as they prepare for another season in Bristol Bay.

While I’ve not yet been to Bristol Bay, it’s a place of mythical qualities. A land of rivers and lush vegetation, Bristol Bay has been home to the Yup’ik, Aluti’iq and Dena’ina peoples for many thousands of years. The salmon that return every year—36.9 million on average—are both a critical part of this ecosystem and a key source of food and subsistence fishing. Bristol Bay salmon also supports a thriving commercial fishery—valued at $283 million in 2018—that creates over 14,000 jobs for local communities and supports my fishermen friends here in Bellingham and Kodiak, and throughout Washington state and Alaska. Once caught, these fish find their way to our dinner plates—if you’ve ever had wild Alaska sockeye, odds are good that you’re eating Bristol Bay catch. The abundance of salmon and trout in the crystal-clear rivers of Bristol Bay also attracts recreational fishermen for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Sounds like the perfect place to put a huge open pit mine for copper, gold and molybdenum, right?  And yet, that is exactly what the Pebble Limited Partnership is proposing to do. The planned mine is over a mile in length, 1-mile-wide and 200 meters deep. Owned by Canadian junior mining company Northern Dynasty, Pebble Mine will destroy more than 3,500 acres of wetlands and more than 81 miles of salmon streams in Bristol Bay. When the mine closes, an estimated 1.1 billion tons of mine tailings (ore waste) will be dumped into an open pit to be monitored and maintained in perpetuity. Infrastructure to support the mine will include construction of a massive tailings storage facility, treatment ponds, dams and embankments and a private 83-mile road. It will also include two terminals, an ice-breaker barge system across Lake Iliamna, a port facility on Cook Inlet, a 270-megawatt power plant and a 188-mile-long natural gas pipeline over land and under water in Cook Inlet and Iliamna Lake.

The mine poses clear threats to the ocean ecosystem and to commercial fisheries. Unsurprisingly, the Draft Environmental Impacts Statement for Pebble Mine fails to consider the full impact of the mine, including the possibility of a catastrophic tailings dam failure that would dramatically reduce fish populations and damage both the marine and in-river ecosystems. A mine situated a mile inland may seem far enough from the ocean but both the rivers—and the salmon that populate them—are inextricably linked to the sea. Even under the best case scenarios, Pebble Mine will irreparably harm and forever change Bristol Bay and all life that depends on keeping our ocean clean, healthy and thriving.

It seems unbelievable that the Trump Administration would green light Pebble Mine but it’s exactly what they are attempting to do right now. As spring turns to summer, and thoughts turn to fish and fishing, the Trump administration is fast-tracking the process to get Pebble Mine approved. We can’t let that happen.

You can comment on the draft EIS through June 29. Please join me in saying no to Pebble Mine. 

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The post Open-Pit Mine Threatens Bristol Bay’s Rich Salmon Runs appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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OC Overview for the Week of May 27 2019

Thousands of seabirds starved to death in the Bering Sea — and scientists see evidence of climate change - The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/05/29/thousands-seabirds-starved-death-bering-sea-scientists-see-fingerprint-climate-change/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9be492894013

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Shipping traffic increases risk of alien invasion

With the global population increasing exponentially, the global shipping network must also expand in order to accommodate the need for imported goods. But cargo isn’t the only thing be transported on these ships, and some of the hitchhikers are all too happy to build a new home – and displace the natives while they’re doing […]

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China and the Arctic

New Shipping Safety Plan Adopted in Aleutian Islands Region

All You Need to Know About Graywater Discharge from Ships

Ships generate waste like sewage and graywater as a normal part of operations. We all know what sewage is, but what about graywater? The International Maritime Organization defines it as “the drainage from dishwater, shower, laundry, bath and washbasin drains.” At first glance, this may not seem as bad as drainage from toilets (i.e. sewage), but surprise, it is! While people understand the dangers (and let’s face it, the general grossness) of untreated sewage, few realize that untreated graywater can be just as nasty.

In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that untreated graywater has similar characteristics to domestic sewage, and can even have higher concentrations of certain components. For example, fecal coliform concentrations in untreated vessel graywater are one to three times higher than untreated domestic wastewater! And graywater may contain harmful chemicals, pathogens, bacteria, metals, food waste and problematic nutrients.

So what does this mean for the marine environment?

Like sewage, graywater discharges into the marine environment can lead to oxygen depletion, spread pathogenic bacteria and viruses and increase nutrient levels in the surrounding ecosystem. Higher nutrient levels can lead to toxic algal blooms and dead zones that can cause harmful disturbances throughout food chains. People consuming food from the sea can contract a range of illnesses from contaminated waters, which is of particular concern in the Arctic considering the number of indigenous peoples whose diet is heavily dependent on marine species.

Where is graywater discharged in the ocean coming from?

While most ships generate graywater, passenger vessels are responsible for the majority of these discharges, since more people mean more sewage and graywater. The EPA found sewage discharge rates on passenger vessels to be 8.4 gallons per day per person, while graywater discharges total anywhere from 45 gallons per day per person to 65 gallons per day per person.

What is being done about this?

Essentially nothing. While international law regulates sewage discharges to some extent, there is no international law to regulate graywater. Ships can discharge untreated graywater in most waters of the world. My home state of Alaska is one of the few places that regulate graywater from large passenger vessels. Large cruise ships are bound by law to use advanced wastewater treatment systems to treat both graywater and sewage before discharging in state waters, and to meet sampling, reporting and monitoring requirements to ensure compliance. Even with these rules in place, cruise ships have been caught illegally discharging, and the funding for the monitoring that exposes violations is under threat.

What next?

The first step to action is education. Understanding that graywater is as nasty as sewage is a start. Once we gain that understanding, and demonstrate that treatment options exist, we will be steps closer to further regulating graywater. Ocean Conservancy will continue to work with our community partners and other stakeholders to ensure graywater is recognized and regulated as the not so pleasant discharge it is.

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The post All You Need to Know About Graywater Discharge from Ships appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Aquatic predators: Our heroes for climate changing

Article Ecosystem Function and Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene. Trends in ecology and evolution (2019). http://bit.ly/2HUYKu9 Background Aquatic predators are animals at the top of a food chain, including oceans, bays, estuaries, rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. Sharks, crocodiles, orca whales and other marine megafauna are good examples of those APs, which are […]

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4 Ways to Help Protect the Ocean at the Beach This Summer

Marine Animals Face the Heat of Climate Change

When you think of the West Coast you probably think of sunny beaches and easy living. But that image masks the changes occurring just offshore and under the ocean’s surface. Climate change and marine heatwaves are dramatically impacting marine life.

The West Coast experienced a remarkably long marine heatwave in 2014-2016. You or I may be able to find a shady place to hide, go for a swim or turn on our air conditioner to cool off; but marine animals don’t have these luxuries. Instead, if they want to survive, they need to move somewhere cooler.

The California coast is an ideal location to witness these geographic shifts in habitat because it’s a transition zone between temperate waters to the south and cooler waters to the north. In a recent study, researchers found that over half of the 67 species they tracked during the 2014-2016 marine heatwave—such as the sunburst sea anemone, pelagic red crab and wedge-rumped storm petrel—moved further north along California’s central coast in search of cooler water. The researchers also found that more larvae of southern species, such as the owl limpet, had moved in.

This trend isn’t unique to California either. Marine species all over the world are moving in response to warming ocean temperatures. While it’s good news for those that can relocate, it can increase competition in cooler waters between these new arrivals and those species that already live there. Southern sunburst anemones, for instance, are putting a lot of pressure on native, northern giant green anemones by not only competing for the same resources, but by actually harming the green anemones with their venomous tentacles as well

Changes in the distribution of sea creatures also impact our fisheries. As fish or shellfish move in search of cooler temperatures, they oftentimes move towards the poles or into deeper water where it’s more difficult for fishermen to catch them. Sometimes they can move out of range entirely, such as the recent appearance of market squid far to the north of their traditional south and central coast range, where fisherman are not permitted to harvest them.

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Land animals deal with similar challenges in the face of climate change, but not as harshly as sea creatures that can’t hide from the heat. As climate change warms the ocean, marine animals experience body temperatures that are near their upper tolerance limit more often than land animals do. Local extinctions—when an animal disappears from specific locations instead of their whole range—of marine animals are also twice as common as they are for land animals.

To help marine animals adapt and survive, we must transition away from our reliance on fossil fuels in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases, in particular carbon dioxide, are the driving force behind climate change, both on land and in the ocean. One step the U.S. can take as a nation is to follow through on our emissions reduction pledges, like the one we made as part of the Paris Agreement.

We must also make sure that the ocean is an otherwise safe place for animals to live so that they can adapt as best they can to changing temperatures. That means we need to reduce our plastic use, reduce pollution and sustainably manage our fisheries. And most importantly, we can all vote for leaders who understand and support the need to protect our ocean from the effects of climate change.

The post Marine Animals Face the Heat of Climate Change appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Kelp’s Mighty Role in Our Ocean

Plankton as a climate driver instead of the sun?

A new view on past climate changeFluctuations in the orbital parameters of the Earth are considered to be the trigger for long-term climatic fluctuations such as ice ages. This includes the variation of the inclination angle of the Earth's axis with a cycle of about 40,000 years. Kiel-based marine scientists lead by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have shown by using a new model that biogeochemical interactions between ocean and atmosphere could also be responsible for climate fluctuations on this time scale. The study was recently published in the renowned journal Nature Geoscience.
The climate history of the earth is marked by periodic changes that are usually ascribed to the solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth. This insolation is not constant over geological time but modulated by cyclic changes in the earth's orbital parameters.

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Ocean Conversations

For International Biodiversity Day – Stop Eating Seafood that comes from Bottom Trawling

What can Yogurt Teach us about Coral Bleaching?

Rosado PM, Leite DCA, Duarte GAS, Chaloub RM, Jospin G, da Rocha UN, Saraiva JP, Dini-Andreote F, Eisen JA, Bourne DG, Peixoto RS. (2019) Marine probiotics: increasing coral resilience to bleaching through microbiome manipulation. ISME, 13:921-936. doi: http://bit.ly/2Qky4H4   Have you ever heard that a health benefit of yogurt is the probiotics, or beneficial bacteria? Research […]

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Making Animals Comfortable In Their (Marine) Skin

Standard tagging methods for marine animals involve heavy, bulky sensors and painful attachment methods. A new “Marine Skin” shows promise as a gentler way to tag animals.

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Lionfish, Counting, and Errors, Oh My: Challenges in Measuring Biomass of an Invasive Nuisance

Since the first invasive lionfish was spotted off the coast of Florida three decades ago, the popular tropical aquarium fish have overrun coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. They have been called “ravenous,” “destructive,” and “a living, breathing, devastating oil spill.” Lionfish have venomous spines, are notoriously quick breeding, and can decimate native fish populations within […]

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There Really is Magic in Our Ocean

You are what you eat! Using bad boy carbons to understand food webs

OC Overview for the Week of May 20 2019

Island Voices: Flaws in herring management undermine Salish Sea’s health

https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/island-voices-flaws-in-herri...

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Life in the Abyss: the ecological impacts of deep-sea mining

Did you know that about 95% of the ocean is unexplored? The deep ocean is logistically very difficult to access, so how do scientists study organisms that live at 400 meters below the sea surface? The landscape of the deep-sea is diverse and certain structures such as polymetallic nodules, supports a vast array of marine […]

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Keeping Canada’s Most Urbanized Watershed Clean

Just skating by: Flat sharks deplete as seals return to the North

The recovery of marine mammals in North America is a shining conservation success story, but what happens when that success spells doom for at-risk species further down the food chain? This week we’ll dive into how grey seals are impacting winter skates, a northern relative of sharks and rays, in the southern Gulf of St. […]

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The More You NOAA: Congress seeks $54 million increase for NOAA

Under pressure: amphipod uses aluminum to survive in the deep sea

Life is difficult in the harsh environment of the deep ocean. Crushing pressures and freezing temperatures prevent many animals from surviving in the deepest depths of our oceans. Yet, somehow, a deep-sea amphipod beats all odds and is able to survive and flourish in the deepest parts of the ocean. Scientists have now discovered how […]

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All aboard the cnidaria bus! Moon jellies transport hitchhiking bacteria across the ocean

Kos Kramar M, Tinta T, Lučić D, Malej A, Turk V (2019) Bacteria associated with moon jellyfish during bloom and post-bloom periods in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic). PLoS ONE 14(1): e0198056. http://bit.ly/2VxM3tO Bacteria are ancient single-celled organisms that live on just about every surface on Earth; every patch of soil, every raindrop, doorknob, […]

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Making History in the Gulf’s Open Ocean

These Endangered Marine Animals Need Your Help

Precursors of a Catastrophic Collapse

Ritter Island gives new insights into the dynamics of volcanic landslidesThe flanks of many island volcanoes such as Mount Etna or Mount Kilauea slide very slowly towards the sea. Whether these landslides are forewarnings of a catastrophic collapse or, on the contrary, even reduce its risk, is not yet understood. Geophysicists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel have now published a study in the international journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, which shows that sporadic, slow landslides on the small volcanic island of Ritter Island in New Guinea preceded a catastrophic collapse.

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Genetics aren’t the only factor in determining the sex of certain marine organisms

There are many environmental factors which affect the way marine organisms behave, and temperature is one of those very factors. Yes, temperature can permanently determine whether an organism is male or female.

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Trump Administration Weakens Offshore Drilling Safety Rules

The Trump administration recently finalized changes that will weaken key provisions of an offshore drilling safety rule commonly known as the “Well Control Rule.” The rollback is a big step in the wrong direction.

The Well Control Rule was completed in 2016, after six years of work that included significant industry and stakeholder input. The rule was designed in part to prevent incidents in which oil companies lose control of the well they are drilling. Loss of well control triggered the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, which killed 11 workers, spilled 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and killed tens of thousands of sea turtles, birds and marine mammals. The economic impacts of the disaster rippled throughout the Gulf region from Texas to Florida and totaled billions of dollars.

Instead of maintaining or strengthening the Well Control Rule—which was put in place to protect human lives and help prevent catastrophic oil spills—the Trump administration has rolled it back and weakened government oversight. The weaker version of the rule will take effect later this summer.

Among other things, the revised version of the rule:

• Eliminates provisions related to real-time monitoring of offshore wells. This allows industry to adopt monitoring plans that may not be as effective at identifying potential well control problems.
• Removes a requirement aimed at reducing the risk of a collision between an approaching vessel (lift-boat) and a drilling platform. This increases the risk that an accident could jeopardize the integrity of an offshore well.
• Eliminates government approval of third-party inspection organizations. These organizations verify inspection and test results for offshore safety equipment. Removing this layer of oversight could jeopardize the effectiveness of independent reviews.
• Reduces testing requirements for important safety devices called blowout preventers, which are designed to prevent uncontrolled releases of oil from a well. Instead of requiring a 30-minute test every 14 days, the revisions would allow for a five-minute test every 21 days—a much less rigorous standard.

The federal agency that oversees offshore drilling safety—called the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement or BSEE for short—was created after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster to promote safety and environmental protection. Now, BSEE is retreating from that mission in an apparent effort to make offshore oil and gas drilling cheaper and easier for industry, increasing the risk of another Deepwater Horizon-type disaster.

What’s more, BSEE’s retreat is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to promote the expansion of risky offshore drilling that jeopardizes human safety, ocean ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal residents and businesses that depend on a healthy marine environment. The Trump administration has proposed opening virtually the entire U.S. coast to offshore drilling—an effort that is currently delayed, but not abandoned. The administration has also threatened to repeal or weaken drilling rules that were specially designed to promote safety and protect sensitive Arctic waters.

Fortunately, Congress is pushing back against the Trump administration’s threat to expand offshore drilling and weaken drilling safety regulations. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have proposed legislation that would protect key parts of our ocean from the threat of offshore drilling. Join Ocean Conservancy and tell Congress you support this legislation.

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The post Trump Administration Weakens Offshore Drilling Safety Rules appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Seaweeds can attract friends and keep away enemies

Scientists from Kiel and Plymouth show for the first time health-promoting microbial manipulation in aquatic plantsThe composition of the microbial community living in or on a larger organism plays an important role for its health. Humans and their intestinal flora are a good example of this. Two biologists from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK) and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (Germany) have now shown for the first time that an aquatic macrophyte uses surface-based chemicals to specifically cultivate microbes on its surface which protect the plant against diseases. The study was published today in the international Journal of Ecology.

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New Report Highlights Troubled Waters for Diversity of Life in Our Ocean

The ocean is a wild, wonderful and mysterious place, and 80% of our ocean remains unmapped, unobserved and unexplored. Unfortunately, just because an area is unexplored does not mean humans haven’t had an impact. A new report from expert scientists about the diversity of life on our planet found that only 3% of the ocean is totally free from human pressures, and a staggering 40% of the ocean has been significantly impacted by humans. These human impacts on our ocean come at the cost of putting marine life at risk of extinction.

In the report, scientists estimate that one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction around the world—many of which could go extinct within a few decades. And many of the species at risk live in our ocean. This includes about a third of the corals that form coral reefs, a third of sharks and rays and more than a third of marine mammals. According to the report, marine life is threatened primarily by unsustainable fishing and other types of exploitation, as well as changes in land and sea use, including coastal development. New threats, such as climate change and the growing problem of plastic pollution, are also having significant and negative effects on our ocean.

If you love our ocean and the diversity of life found underwater, these facts are heart-wrenching on their own. But the loss of biodiversity in our ocean also matters for people and our wellbeing. Species—and the ecosystems they’re a part of—are important for our livelihoods, economy and culture. Biodiversity can be thought of as a safety net for humanity, providing us with food, clean air and water, energy and materials. Coral reefs and mangroves protect communities from flooding and storms. Marine life supports tourism and jobs in much of the world. And our ocean has absorbed much of the carbon dioxide we’ve released by burning fossil fuels.

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Even in such a gloomy report, there are signs of hope. The evidence suggests things would be worse if not for the conservation actions we’ve already taken. We’ve brought species back from the brink of extinction through investment in conservation. These positive examples are relatively few and far between, yet they show the power of taking appropriate action. In our ocean, unsustainable fishing was cited as a major threat to biodiversity, which means that good management of fisheries is one area where conservation efforts can make a real difference. Around the world, we’ve seen that getting sustainable management in place—and doing so in partnership with local communities—has the ability to recover fish populations that have been fished too heavily. This and other efforts show that one key to success is having local, national and global governments that make and enforce policies that better reflect the contributions nature makes to people.

Our second sign of hope is that scientists say that it is possible to save many of these million threatened species. It will take transformative change. For our marine species, it means stepping up to be a voice for our ocean, reducing ocean trash, curbing climate change and ocean acidification, pushing for sustainable fishing that takes the whole ecosystem into account, and reducing runoff and pollution into ocean waters. If we do nothing, the loss of biodiversity will only accelerate through 2050.

What you can do:

• Take interest and pride in your local biodiversity. Learn about the species that help to make your local area unique, and join efforts to monitor and protect these species.
• Take actions to reduce your carbon footprint. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change, which is making the biodiversity crisis worse.
• Reduce your consumption and waste—particularly single-use plastic, such as straws and grocery bags. Plastic pollution has increased tenfold in our ocean since 1980 and is especially harmful to sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals.
• Join a beach cleanup, such as the International Coastal Cleanup.
• Eat sustainably caught seafood. Seafood Watch is a great place to start to find recommendations.

Want to learn more? Check out a summary of the report here.

The post New Report Highlights Troubled Waters for Diversity of Life in Our Ocean appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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OC Overview for the Week of May 13 2019

Cleaner New York waterways are causing surge in beached whales

https://nypost.com/2019/05/11/cleaner-new-york-waterways-are-causing-sur...

Not 'if' but 'when' is the next Deepwater Horizon spill?

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/443207-not-if-but-when-is...

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What is marine plastic pollution costing us? The impacts of marine plastic on the Blue Economy

Editor’s note: The deluge of popular articles and reports on marine plastic continues, but here at The Skimmer, we became curious about one important area where we weren’t seeing as much information – how marine plastic pollution is affecting ocean users and the Blue Economy. We know that marine plastic is pretty much everywhere in the ocean and can have horrific effects on individual marine organisms – think whales and seabirds with bellies full of plastic – but that the research is just not there to fully assess the severity of marine ecosystem-level impacts. But aside from the unpleasant views of trash-strewn beaches and coastal waters, how are people, cities, and countries affected? One important reason to dig into this area and have this information readily available is that money talks. If the harm to marine life doesn’t convince decision makers to make difficult changes to address marine plastic pollution, maybe understanding the economic and social impacts can.

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Latest News and Resources for Ocean Planners and Managers

• New hubs provide information on human uses of oceans and marine cultural ecosystem services
• Ocean heat hit record high in 2018
• Ocean warming already reducing sustainable fisheries catches

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US offshore wind under the Trump administration and new developments in offshore wind: An interview with Val Stori of the Clean Energy Group and Clean Energy States Alliance

Editor’s note: In this interview, Val Stori, the project director for the Clean Energy Group and Clean Energy States Alliance, discusses US offshore wind energy under the Trump administration and new developments in the offshore wind industry. She can be contacted at val [at] cleanegroup.org ().

The Skimmer: How have offshore wind energy policies in the US changed (or not changed) under the Trump presidential administration?

Stori: Under the Trump administration, the Department of Interior and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have taken steps that will enable the further development of offshore wind energy in the US.

One of the first changes to offshore wind under the Trump administration has been making permitting for offshore wind projects easier. BOEM may now use a ‘design envelope approach’ in Construction and Operations Plans (COPs). This streamlines the review and permitting of infrastructure projects and allows developers more flexibility to make last-minute project design decisions without triggering another environmental review.

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Perspective: The growing importance of regional oceans cooperation

By Alf Håkon Hoel

Editor’s note: Alf Håkon Hoel is a professor at UiT – the Arctic University of Norway. He can be contacted at alf.hakon.hoel [at] uit.no.

A valuable development in international oceans governance is the growing importance of regional cooperation. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there are currently about 60 international organizations that deal with regional oceans governance. The increase in the number of these organizations is partly driven by the regional nature of many of the challenges confronting the oceans, as is the case for the Arctic. Other important drivers are the provisions on regional cooperation in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.

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Do heavy metals like mercury and arsenic impact the health of great white sharks?

Great white sharks are at the top of the food web and therefore build up large amounts of toxins like heavy metals in their systems. But does this impact their overall health? Find out in the most recent Sharkbites Saturday post!

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Fishing in a Future of Climate Change

Rich Lincoln is serving his third term as a sitting member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. He is Founder and Senior Advisor of Ocean Outcomes, an international non-profit that specializes in working with communities and industry to improve the sustainability of globally significant fisheries.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, one of the nation’s eight regional fishery management bodies, is tasked with a big job. The Council recommends management of fisheries for about 119 species off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California to ensure that coastal communities that have relied on fishing for decades can enjoy valuable economic opportunities while still conserving these marine resources. NOAA aids the Council in this mission by providing investment and research, such as fishery stock assessments that are critical to protecting fishing opportunities for the communities the Council represents. Now, the Council is facing new and growing challenges in the face of climate change—and NOAA is arming it with the tools it needs to better prepare for the future of changing ocean conditions.

It all started in 2013, when the West Coast really started to feel the heat.

The Pacific Ocean was experiencing an unusual phenomenon in the form of a large warm nutrient-poor mass of ocean water. This anomaly—dubbed “the Blob”—greatly disrupted the Pacific marine ecosystem. Its harmful effects rippled across West Coast fisheries even as it dissipated in 2016. Thankfully, since 2012, the Council has had the benefit of receiving an annual report from NOAA that summarizes key indicators of the health of the California Current ecosystem by looking at environmental indicators, stock abundance and indicators in the food web that impact key council species. This report, called the California Current Ecosystem Integrated Assessment Report, comes from NOAA’s two science centers on the West Coast.

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Still, major disruptions to the California Current ecosystem like “the Blob” leave the Pacific Council with the question of whether its current tools are sufficient to both conserve fish and provide economic opportunity for fishermen in the face of drastic environmental variability and change.

One avenue for broaching this challenge has been through the Council’s ongoing adoption of ecosystem-based management. By thinking of the general ecosystem at large when considering management decisions, the Council takes into account different environmental factors that impact the food web and the variety of species the Council manages. The most recent initiative being undertaken as a part of the Council’s fishery ecosystem management plan is the Climate and Communities Initiative. Using scenario planning, the initiative looks at possible future ocean conditions that species may face in the California Current ecosystem 30 or 40 years from now and what new management tools may be needed to best position the Council to be proactive. NOAA’s support has been critical in getting the Climate and Communities Initiative off the ground. Resources from NOAA have helped the Council establish the core team to design the scenario planning and develop a strategy for stakeholder engagement, a crucial element of the process.

The bottom line

Without the federal resources of NOAA, both to uphold a strong management system and to think about ways to improve it, it’s hard to picture how the United States fishery management system could be a long term success. In meeting the fishery councils’ dual mission of properly conserving and providing fishery benefits from our cherished marine resources in the face of climate change, there is a clear trade-off between enhanced information from continued science investment vs. the need for more conservative, precautionary fishery management without NOAA’s continued investments. The future is full of new challenges and uncertainty. In this crucial time, NOAA’s science and support is helping the Pacific Fishery Management Council take its first steps into addressing those challenges head-on.

The post Fishing in a Future of Climate Change appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Stand-Out Ocean Moms

A Communicating Science workshop just for physical sciences grad students: ComSciCon’19

Are you a student in the Physical Sciences? Check out a great opportunity to improve your science communication skills via a ComSciCon workshop tailored to physical scientists!

from oceanbites http://bit.ly/2E86acv https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

An Arctic Report from the “Official Hometown of Santa Claus”

Taney Seamounts: Collapsed Calderas and New Species

OC Overview for the Week of May 06 2019

Pompeo says shrinking Arctic sea ice presents 'new opportunities for trade'

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/442413-pompeo-says-shrinki...

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Ocean acidification and baby “squidlife” crises?

Ocean acidification has been known to cause problems for marine mollusks (like oysters and pteropods), because these animals have shells or hard parts that can weaken as acidity increases. There’s another mollusk though with eight arms and two tentacles that may have a larger bag of tricks with which to cope with acidity, but teasing […]

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Trump Oil and Gas Plan Suffers a Setback

Last year, the Trump administration proposed a new five-year offshore oil and gas plan that aimed to open up almost all of America’s coastline to risky offshore drilling. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt recently announced this ill-conceived plan would be delayed indefinitely.

That’s good news! But this is no time to be complacent. Instead, take action to support Congress’s efforts to protect important ocean areas from the threat of offshore drilling.

The Trump administration’s plan to open our coasts to risky drilling was part of its push for “energy dominance.” It would have opened areas of the ocean that are important for commercial, recreational, and subsistence uses, areas that are critical for habitat, and areas in which there is strong opposition to new leasing. Even areas with little to no potential for oil and gas development were put on the table.

Rollout of the initial draft plan was immediately embroiled in politics when then-Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted that Florida waters would be dropped from the plan before it was finalized. That tweet prompted other states to demand similar guarantees. In addition, the administration jumped the gun when it immediately began planning for a lease sale in the Beaufort Sea in Alaska, even though such a sale could be held only after completion and implementation of the new plan.

Beyond these procedural missteps, the Trump administration’s plan generated fierce and widespread opposition, including from coastal state residents, businesses, municipalities, state legislatures, and coastal state governors. Opponents of the Trump administration’s offshore leasing plan have given voice to the importance of our ocean resources and the risks posed by offshore oil and gas activities.

Members of Congress have been listening, and have proposed legislation that would protect key parts of our ocean from the threat of offshore drilling:

• Congressman Cunningham (D-SC) proposed legislation that would prohibit drilling along the entire Atlantic Coast and Pacific coasts. (H.R. 1941, The Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act).
• Congressman Rooney (R-FL) proposed legislation to extend a moratorium on drilling in areas off the west coast of Florida (H.R. 205, the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act);
• Congressman Castor (D-FL) introduced similar legislation that would prohibit drilling anywhere off the coast of Florida and would extend a ban on drilling off Florida’s west coast. (H.R. 286, the Florida Coastal Protection Act)

Tell Congress you support this legislation!

Congressional action is necessary because Secretary Bernhardt has not officially stopped the offshore drilling planning process, and there is no reason to think the Trump administration will step back from its efforts to expand offshore drilling or that Secretary Bernhardt will step away from his past as a lobbyist for the oil and gas industry.

So—we should celebrate the delay of the Trump administration’s offshore drilling plan, but shouldn’t be complacent. Instead, we should use this time to build support for Congressional action that will protect important and sensitive ocean areas. Join us and take action today.

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The post Trump Oil and Gas Plan Suffers a Setback appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Guest Blog: Adopt a Porpoise with Sea Trust

Sea Trust is an NGO based in North Pembrokeshire, Wales. We are lucky enough to have a large population of Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena Phocoena) living off our coast all year round. Relatively little is known about that harbour porpoise compared to other cetaceans. To understand more about Harbour porpoise, especially our local population we have created the Porpoise ID Project. This project involves identifying porpoises at different sites around the coast. This gives a great understanding of their movements, behaviour and life history.

To help fund the costs of the project we have developed our ‘Adopt a Porpoise’ scheme which allows you to adopt one of our most commonly seen and adorable porpoises. You will receive monthly updates on your porpoise along with other exciting results from the photo ID surveys. To adopt a Pembrokeshire porpoise and become a porpoise pal visit here.

Monitoring porpoise populations is vital, as we have previously seen porpoise populations suffer large declines such as the Vaquita, the Finless porpoise and the harbour porpoise populations in the Baltic and Black sea. These populations have declined due to lack of knowledge and action. Continuous research will help to ensure the Pembrokeshire porpoise populations remain stable and protected.

from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans http://bit.ly/2LGSBHd http://bit.ly/2VQJgjQ

Water temperatures drive phytoplankton blooms in coastal zones

What is so important about those seasonal green swirls in the ocean? In addition from being seen from space, those swirls are phytoplankton blooms that provide food resources for marine ecosystems. Read on to find out what causes these blooms, and how climate warming may alter them.

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Q&A with Writer and Pulitzer Finalist Elizabeth Rush

My New Island Life (Part 2)

‘’Desroches is an island which has a soul’’

I previously wrote about my new island life on Mahé, having moved from my island home of Mauritius but I now have a chance to explore a new island – Desroches. It is the main island of the Amirante Islands, part of the Outer Islands of Seychelles – much smaller than Mahé. It was amazing to cycle around this little island lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean with departing Marine Educator, Ella. It might a very tiny place but there are loads to see here and I hope to make the most out of it during my time here.

On land, you can cycle to the tortoise sanctuary and bring the apples for George or adopt one of the lovely tortoise hatchlings. All around the island, there are huge seagrass meadows with massive corals where a wide variety of juvenile species start their life. Another nice thing about the abundance of seagrass is the high occurrence of turtles – especially green sea turtles –  that you come across during almost every outing. While walking towards the snorkelling site, I also get to see juvenile lemon sharks, stingrays and eagle rays very close to the shore.

I was also blessed to witness a nesting green turtle on the beach during a night patrol, thanks to the Island Conservation Society (ICS) team. I got to see how tiring it could be for a turtle to go through this process and how they ensure the best condition for their babies before they start their challenging life. It will for sure be my best souvenir of this island.

                     

Being on a remote island makes every people feel closer to each other, like a new family. The resort and staff, in general, are always keen to take part in environment-related activities. It was very nice to celebrate Earth hour on Desroches; lights in the restaurant were switched off for candlelit dinners and the Spa team organised a marvellous meditation session under the stars on the runway.

Before coming to Desroches, I was told that this island has a soul, and it is true. The WiFi might be very slow, even for loading some of the simplest internet pages, but as a marine biologist, you will have the strongest connection to nature here.

I am sure this new island life will have loads of upcoming adventures but anywhere I go, I will always have a special thought for my beautiful Mauritius.

from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans http://bit.ly/2Jkeyss http://bit.ly/2J3dj1K

Maui: The Tiger Shark’s Paradise

Article Habitat geography around Hawaii’s oceanic islands influences tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) spatial behavior and shark bite risk at ocean recreation sites. (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23006-0 Background The U.S. state of Hawaii is an archipelago of eight major islands, of which Maui is one of the major islands, also considered the second most populated. The island […]

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Motion of the ocean: How ocean circulation can trigger an intense red tide

An intense red tide overtook both the east and west coasts of the Sunshine State in 2018, killing fish, manatees, whale sharks, and choking beach tourism in the process. Researchers at the University of south Florida and the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, led by Dr. Robert Weisberg, set out to discover the origin of […]

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Who Was Your Favorite Teacher?

Rodriguez Seamount – A Geologic Rarity

Ghost Gear Haunts Myanmar

This Bizarre Fish Might Be Your New Favorite Animal