NATURE : OCEAN FLOOR WITNESSED SPLITTING
Excerpt: Geophysicists have, for the first time, caught the ocean floor in the act of spreading apart at one of its seams. Using an array of more than 20 measuring stations laid across a 100-kilometre-long region of the Indian Ocean, they witnessed an event that released around 160 million cubic metres of lava onto the sea floor and shifted two sections of the oceanic crust apart by at least 2 metres in a matter of days.
The scale of the event, which was described today in Nature, was “a major surprise”, according to study co-author Jean-Yves Royer, a marine geophysicist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Brest.
The oceanic crust covers nearly two-thirds of the planet, and undersea mid-oceanic ridges are responsible for its creation. As the existing crust is pulled away from the ridge by the movement of tectonic plates, new crust is produced by magma that wells up from Earth’s core and solidifies. The process has been broadly understood since the mid-twentieth century, but it had never been observed in real time.
8/17/26
8/14/26
AUSTRALIA RECLCYLES 150,000 WHEELBARROWS OF SHELLS : THE FISH ARE COMING BACK FAST !!!
UNEP : RECLYCLED OYSTER SHELLS :AUSTRALIA REEFS : FISH COMING BACK FAST
Excerpt: Thousands of tons of rock and shells have been placed at more than 20 sites along the southern and eastern coasts of Australia under an ambitious, ongoing initiative to save these ecosystems from extinction.
As well as sustaining a trove of marine biodiversity, restored reefs are bringing back valuable benefits for local businesses, communities and Indigenous people with deep ties to the natural world.
“They may not be as famous as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but these ecosystems are just as important for maintaining the health of our oceans,” said Natalia Alekseeva of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “This initiative shows that when nature is given a helping hand, it can come roaring back, for its own sake and for ours.”
Reefs composed of millions of oysters and mussels were once abundant in the bays and estuaries around Australia, underpinning rich ecosystems that provided food and coastal protection for both people and nature.
***
 |
Siren here! As always click on the link to read the full story!
8/11/26
8/8/26
HEAR THE SOUND OF THE HARBOR SEAL - AIR or WATER - DISTINCT FROM SEA LIONS
OCR ORG : SOUNDS OF THE HARBOR SEAL WOW! go to this link to hear!
Excerpt: Harbor seals are recognized for emitting a diverse range of sounds, both beneath the water’s surface and in the air. Their underwater vocalization is characterized as a roar. They can detect underwater tonal signals between 0.25 and 100 kHz. In addition, they generate brief barks, tonal honks, grunts, growls, roars, moans, and pup contact calls when above water. Listen for yourself in the audiographs below!
More sea creature sounds available!
8/3/26
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LONG BEACH AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC AND MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUMS TEAM TO BREED SEA OTTERS - SEA OTTER MOMS ADOPT ORPHANS
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's surrogate program continues to pair maternal-age female otters with motherless pups to help save the threatened California population.
KSBK - MONTEREY OTTER MOM ADOPTS ORPHAN
Excerpt: efore last month, a young southern sea otter named Rey would never have imagined she’d be a mother.
That changed when she met Sunny, a pup — about two weeks old — found orphaned and alone on Asilomar State Beach in February. The pairing went off without a hitch.
The two otters now live as mother and daughter at the Aquarium of the Pacific. They arrived at the facility last month, paired together as part of the facility’s surrogacy program that it runs alongside the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The program, created by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the 1990s, was launched in Long Beach in 2024. It pairs maternal-age female otters with young, motherless pups who would otherwise not survive on their own in the wild.
Megan Smylie, the sea otter program manager, says the operation has since rehabilitated and released nine otters into the wild, with the three others expected to leave by the summer.
... As a surrogate mom, she’s teaching her adopted baby everything she needs to know to fend for herself, regardless of her inability to return to the wild.
The two were seen manipulating an imitation crab shell and foraging for food. Young otters, because of the thickness and buoyancy of their fur, don’t have the strength to get their furry bodies to the bottom of the water tank.
Otters have the thickest coat of any mammal, with as many as a million hairs per square inch. The hairs trap air, which acts as insulation and helps keep the otters buoyant.
KSBK - MONTEREY OTTER MOM ADOPTS ORPHAN
Excerpt: efore last month, a young southern sea otter named Rey would never have imagined she’d be a mother.
That changed when she met Sunny, a pup — about two weeks old — found orphaned and alone on Asilomar State Beach in February. The pairing went off without a hitch.
The two otters now live as mother and daughter at the Aquarium of the Pacific. They arrived at the facility last month, paired together as part of the facility’s surrogacy program that it runs alongside the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The program, created by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the 1990s, was launched in Long Beach in 2024. It pairs maternal-age female otters with young, motherless pups who would otherwise not survive on their own in the wild.
Megan Smylie, the sea otter program manager, says the operation has since rehabilitated and released nine otters into the wild, with the three others expected to leave by the summer.
The two were seen manipulating an imitation crab shell and foraging for food. Young otters, because of the thickness and buoyancy of their fur, don’t have the strength to get their furry bodies to the bottom of the water tank.
Otters have the thickest coat of any mammal, with as many as a million hairs per square inch. The hairs trap air, which acts as insulation and helps keep the otters buoyant.
7/29/26
BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS - SAN DIEGO
UCSD BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS Here's what's happening....
Shark Summer
Each July, join us as we dive deep into the world of these amazing animals, with fin-tastic fun for shark fans of all ages! Shark Summer celebrates the vital role sharks play in the ecosystem, while shining a light on the important conservation work and research being done to protect them.
At Birch Aquarium, our commitment to ocean conservation and climate action starts at home. Through a variety of on-site initiatives, we bring our mission to connect understanding to protecting our ocean planet to life.
Shark Summer
Each July, join us as we dive deep into the world of these amazing animals, with fin-tastic fun for shark fans of all ages! Shark Summer celebrates the vital role sharks play in the ecosystem, while shining a light on the important conservation work and research being done to protect them.
At Birch Aquarium, our commitment to ocean conservation and climate action starts at home. Through a variety of on-site initiatives, we bring our mission to connect understanding to protecting our ocean planet to life.
***
It's been years since I posted and linked to this aquarium!
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE AQUARIUM? WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
7/27/26
THE QUEEN CONCH SHELL IS ENDANGERED : ETHICAL SEA SHELL COLLECTING
Second, DO NOT BUY SEA SHELLS FROM SHOPS. Often these shells have been obtained through dredging the sea bottom, upsetting the natural ecology.
Third, TRADE OR BUY ONLY THOSE SHELLS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED.
Fourth, Keep in mind that scientific sea shell collecting includes the date and place the shell was found and an accounting of the collection. This is data that may be useful to science. (You might tie it to weather research as well.)
Fifth, DO BEACH CLEAN UP INSTEAD. It's frustrating to have to clean up by other people who leave refuse on the beaches, to see broken plastic. Do it anyway.
7/21/26
PLANS TO DISMANTLE OCEAN MONITORING SYSTEM ABANDONED AFTER GREAT BACKLASH
FIRST CAME THIS NEWS : PBS TRUMP ADMINSTRATION DISMANTLES OCEAN MONITORING PROGRAM
Excerpt: Scientists across the country are expressing alarm as the Trump administration dismantles another tool for understanding how the planet is changing. More than 900 deep-sea ocean sensors will be pulled out of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans near Washington, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland. Researchers say these are critical ocean observation tools. William Brangham explains...
GO TO THE SITE TO READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT!
THEN THIS : SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVERSES COURSE ON PLAN TO DISMANTLE OCEAN MONITORING SYSTEM
“Effective immediately, NSF will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance,” the agency said in a statement on Thursday. The plan’s reversal was first reported by the New York Times.
On Monday 11 U.S. Senators sent a bipartisan letter saying that dismantling the ocean system “threatens the safety of our coastal communities,” as well as jeopardizing oceans research. A bill blocking the removal plan in the Senate on Wednesday. ...
Excerpt: Scientists across the country are expressing alarm as the Trump administration dismantles another tool for understanding how the planet is changing. More than 900 deep-sea ocean sensors will be pulled out of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans near Washington, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland. Researchers say these are critical ocean observation tools. William Brangham explains...
GO TO THE SITE TO READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT!
THEN THIS : SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVERSES COURSE ON PLAN TO DISMANTLE OCEAN MONITORING SYSTEM
Excerpt: The Trump administration is backing off plans to dismantle a crucial U.S. ocean monitoring system, the National Science Foundation (NSF) confirmed on Thursday. The reversal comes after the agency’s May 21 announcement of its intent to remove hundreds of deep-sea buoys and sensors employed by the $368 million Ocean Observatories Initiative had drawn congressional and international backlash.
“Effective immediately, NSF will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance,” the agency said in a statement on Thursday. The plan’s reversal was first reported by the New York Times.
On Monday 11 U.S. Senators sent a bipartisan letter saying that dismantling the ocean system “threatens the safety of our coastal communities,” as well as jeopardizing oceans research. A bill blocking the removal plan in the Senate on Wednesday. ...
7/18/26
GIANT TOXIC LION'S MANE JELLYFISH ON NEW ENGLAND BEACHES : DON'T TOUCH THEM EVEN IF THEY'RE DEAD!
UNILAD : OFFICIALS WARN OF GIANT JELLYFISH
Excerpt: Experts say the jellyfish’s tentacles contain large amounts of neurotoxins that can cause things like skin rashes to respiratory problems, welts, and, in rare cases, even death.
According to the Mayo Clinic,, if you come into contact with a lion’s mane jellyfish, they recommend removing any visible tentacles using fine tweezers.
Then, soak the area in hot water between 110 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as keep the area immersed under hot water until the pain subsides.
Afterward, apply hydrocortisone cream or ointment.
Experts say the surge in lion's mane jellyfish is being driven by warming ocean temperatures, wind and tidal currents, abundant food sources, and sheltered coastal waters that allow the creatures to thrive before washing ashore.
While this is a strange occurrence, marine experts say this influx of the species could indicate something is changing.
7/16/26
BANDED ARCHERFISH : A SPECIES OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS : THE SPITTING SHARPSHOOTER
Since the Teen Climate Council at the Aquarium of the Pacific made me aware of this fish....
LOS ANGELES ZOO : BANDED ARCHERFISH PAGE
Excerpt: Archerfish are best known for their ability to precisely aim and shoot jets of water from their mouths to knock prey off of overhanging plants. Adults can fire as many as seven jets of water up to six feet in length in rapid succession! Developing this unique hunting technique takes time and practice. With no parental care, young fish must quickly master this skill to survive. As they practice, youngsters learn to calibrate the volume and force of water needed to knock down prey of varying sizes, even compensating for the refraction of light to accurately hit their targets.
Mangrove swamps of Australia, Polynesia, India, and Palau.
LOS ANGELES ZOO : BANDED ARCHERFISH PAGE
Excerpt: Archerfish are best known for their ability to precisely aim and shoot jets of water from their mouths to knock prey off of overhanging plants. Adults can fire as many as seven jets of water up to six feet in length in rapid succession! Developing this unique hunting technique takes time and practice. With no parental care, young fish must quickly master this skill to survive. As they practice, youngsters learn to calibrate the volume and force of water needed to knock down prey of varying sizes, even compensating for the refraction of light to accurately hit their targets.
***
Yes, the Los Angeles Zoo has an aquarium where this fish lives.
Check other Aquariums too!
7/13/26
AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC TEEN CLIMATE COUNCIL and OTHER YOUTH STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS
AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC ; TEEN CLIMATE COUNCIL and OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
"Teens are turning the tide at the Aquarium of the Pacific through volunteer leadership dedicated to conservation, science, and ocean stewardship. Youth-led programs by teens, for teens, are here to engage and change the world. "
This might just be an opportunity for you....
**
Siren here! I was able to sit in on a presentation of this group recently and was impressed!
Scholarships!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)