"HEALTH TO THE OCEANS MEANS HEALTH FOR US"
- Sylvia Earle
Sylvia is a Marine Biologist who was named Time magazine's first Hero for the Planet in 1998
Showing posts with label Marine Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marine Science. Show all posts
1/28/24
YES ALASKA DOES HAVE A SEALIFE CENTER : MARINE BIOLOGY EDUCATION
Excerpt: The overall goal of our Science Program is to develop an understanding of the role of marine mammals, birds and fish in the arctic and subarctic marine ecosystems, and to generate scientific knowledge relevant to resource management and policy. Our projects focus on Alaska marine life and environments, but reach globally with international collaborations. The Center’s unique geographic location, marine cold water research facilities, live animal collections, and specialized staff allows us to use a combination of experimental and field research to:
- Investigate physiological and ecological processes affecting marine animal population dynamics.
- Conduct controlled experiments to understand factors affecting reproductive success and fitness in marine species.
- Monitor marine animal responses to environmental variability and stressors.
- Evaluate human impacts on our marine environment and animal populations.
- Develop tools to support recovery and restoration of marine resources.
6/29/23
MALE SEA LIONS HAVE GOTTEN BIGGER OVER THE LAST FIFTY YEARS! UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MARINE SCIENCE
Usually as a population grows, the sea lions get smaller. However just published in Current Biology, is a report from University of California at Santa Cruz.
Excerpt: It's counterintuitive. You would expect that their body size would decrease as dietary resource competition intensified," said coauthor Paul Koch, professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UCSC.
The number of California sea lions has increased dramatically since the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972. In parts of their range, the sea lions may now be approaching the ecological "carrying capacity," the largest number of animals an ecosystem can support.
NEWS-UCSC EDU : 2024 SEA LIONS
Excerpt: "We found that the male California sea lions have expanded their ecological niche, which means they are now foraging on a more diversified group of prey and expanding the places where they are foraging on a more diversified group ogf prey and expanding the places where they are foraging," Valenzuela-Toro said. "Apparently they are now going farther north than they used to.....
**** Scientists looked at the skulls of sea lions...
2/12/23
10/2/21
GLOBAL CORAL REEF ALLIANCE
GCRA is a worldwide coalition of volunteer scientists, divers, environmentalists and other individuals and organizations, committed to coral reef preservation. We primarily focus on coral reef restoration, and cuttings edge research on impacts of coral bleaching, global warming, marine diseases, global sea level rise, and pollution on corals.
6/9/21
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
FWS GOV : ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
EXCERPT: The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Departments National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
There's a video to watch at this site.
5/7/21
IS SEA GRASS THE NATURAL SOLUTION TO PLASTIC POLLUTION?
PHYS ORG SEA GRASS and PLASTIC
EXCERPT: There are some 70 species of marine seagrass, grouped in several families of flowering plants that - originally on land - recolonized the ocean some80 to 100 million years ago.
Growing from the Artic to the tropics, most speies hae long, grass-like leaves that can form vast unerwater meadows.
They are more than just pretty, however.
They play a vital role in improving water quality, absorb CO2 and exude oxygen, and are a natural nursery and refuge for hundreds of species of fish.
5/12/20
8/3/19
WHALE MOMS WHISPER TO BABES TO AVOID PREDATORY ORCAS
NEW SCIENTIST - WHALE MOMS WHISPER by Micheal La Page
EXCERPT: The whales feed near Antarctica during the summer and then migrate north to coastal waters during the winter to give birth and breed. The mothers and calves remain there for three months and often keep very close to shore, just beyond the breaking waves.
It is suspected they do this because the noise of the waves helps mask any sounds they make and thus makes it harder for predators such as killer whales and sharks to find them. The findings of Mia Nielson of Aarhus University in Denmark and colleagues suggest this is indeed the case.
7/21/18
LISTEN TO THE BOWHEAD WHALE MAKE JAZZ MUSIC UNDER THE SEA!
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC : BOWHEAD WHALE JAZZ MUSICIAN OF SEA by Carrie Arnold
EXCERPT: New recordings of the little - studied bowhead whale show that the mammals sing intricate and variable songs - more like jazz musicians than Beethoven or Bach.
Other whale songs are predictable and simple ditties repeated over and over throughout seasons or years, says study leader Kate Stafford, a marine biologist at the University of Washington.
"With bowheads, there are lots of different songs. Every year, it's just completely different."
10/15/15
4/21/15
ANCIENT SEASHELLS UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT PROVE TO BE STRIKINGLY COLORED - NOT DRAB AT ALL!
DISCOVERY - ANCIENT SEASHELLS SPORTED FLASHY COLORS by Jennifer Viegas
Hendricks cleverly placed the drab-looking old shells under ultraviolet light. In doing so, the organic matter remaining in the shells, which date to 6.6–4.8 million years ago, became visible. It revealed the original coloration patterns of the shells that encased the large marine snails.
Using this technique, Hendricks was able to view and document the coloration patterns of 28 different cone shells, 13 of which are now suspected to be new species. One of the most striking examples was a polka-dotted shell. This unmistakable pattern is thought to be extinct among modern cone snails.
(Hendricks is a geologist)
Hendricks cleverly placed the drab-looking old shells under ultraviolet light. In doing so, the organic matter remaining in the shells, which date to 6.6–4.8 million years ago, became visible. It revealed the original coloration patterns of the shells that encased the large marine snails.
Using this technique, Hendricks was able to view and document the coloration patterns of 28 different cone shells, 13 of which are now suspected to be new species. One of the most striking examples was a polka-dotted shell. This unmistakable pattern is thought to be extinct among modern cone snails.
(Hendricks is a geologist)
3/8/15
SEA LION EMERGENCY - VOLUNTEER? -THOUSANDS WASHING ASHORE SICK AND DYING - THOUSANDS MORE DEAD ON CHANNEL ISLANDS
SACBEE - ENVIRONMENTAL - SICK STARVING SEA LION PUPS WASH UP IN RECORD NUMBERS full intense article by Peter Hecht
EXCERPTS:
Along the length of the California coastline, an extraordinary rescue effort is underway. In January and February alone, 1,450 malnourished or dying sea lion pups have washed up on shore – compared with just 68 in the same period last year.
“These are pups that should be nursing on their mothers,” said Dr. Shawn Johnson, director of the veterinary science department at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. “They’re (arriving) extremely emaciated. They have no energy stores. They’re just skin and bones, wasting away and on the brink of death.”
From Sea World in San Diego to the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center in Del Norte County, seven California marine rescue facilities are tube-feeding fish gruel to skeletal pups, helping them learn to catch and digest whole fish and administering vitamins and medication to ward off pneumonia and skin infections....
EXCERPTS:
Along the length of the California coastline, an extraordinary rescue effort is underway. In January and February alone, 1,450 malnourished or dying sea lion pups have washed up on shore – compared with just 68 in the same period last year.
“These are pups that should be nursing on their mothers,” said Dr. Shawn Johnson, director of the veterinary science department at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. “They’re (arriving) extremely emaciated. They have no energy stores. They’re just skin and bones, wasting away and on the brink of death.”
From Sea World in San Diego to the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center in Del Norte County, seven California marine rescue facilities are tube-feeding fish gruel to skeletal pups, helping them learn to catch and digest whole fish and administering vitamins and medication to ward off pneumonia and skin infections....
3/5/15
HUNDREDS OF STARVING BABY SEA LIONS ABANDONED AND ON SHORE - OVERWHELMING RESCUE
SCIENCE WORLD REPORT - PUPS WASHED ASHORE by Catherine Griffin
Excerpts:
"While sea lion pups are usually weaned from their mothers in April, it seems that many of the young mammals have been separated from their parents earlier this year. In fact, it's estimated that about 45 percent of the pups that were born in June at island rookeries off the Southern California coast have now died...
The pups that have washed ashore tend to be extremely underweight and dehydrated. It's a miracle that they make it to the coast at all. That said, experts believe that the pups are using a combination of ocean currents and swimming to make the arduous journey...
Currently, the sea lion strandings are nearly three times higher than the historical average, and two weeks ago, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center declared a state of emergency due how many sick and stranded sea lions were being brought in.
Excerpts:
"While sea lion pups are usually weaned from their mothers in April, it seems that many of the young mammals have been separated from their parents earlier this year. In fact, it's estimated that about 45 percent of the pups that were born in June at island rookeries off the Southern California coast have now died...
The pups that have washed ashore tend to be extremely underweight and dehydrated. It's a miracle that they make it to the coast at all. That said, experts believe that the pups are using a combination of ocean currents and swimming to make the arduous journey...
Currently, the sea lion strandings are nearly three times higher than the historical average, and two weeks ago, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center declared a state of emergency due how many sick and stranded sea lions were being brought in.
7/1/14
3/18/14
3/15/14
UPPER LAYERS OF OCEAN GETTING LESS SALTY! CLIMATE CHANGE PAPER!
NATURE WORLD NEWS - CLIMATE CHANGE - TRAPPED HEAT OCEAN full article link.
Part of the article:
"For the study, researchers worked with their colleagues at University of Pennsylvania to analyze data from the past 60 years.
They found that the ocean surface has been getting less salty in the past few decades, which has prevented the water underneath from mixing with the top layer. Thus, the heat trapped in deep oceanic water hasn't had an escape route in several years.
"Deep ocean waters only mix directly to the surface in a few small regions of the global ocean, so this has effectively shut one of the main conduits for deep ocean heat to escape," says Casimir de Lavergne, at McGill University and lead author of the paper."
Part of the article:
"For the study, researchers worked with their colleagues at University of Pennsylvania to analyze data from the past 60 years.
They found that the ocean surface has been getting less salty in the past few decades, which has prevented the water underneath from mixing with the top layer. Thus, the heat trapped in deep oceanic water hasn't had an escape route in several years.
"Deep ocean waters only mix directly to the surface in a few small regions of the global ocean, so this has effectively shut one of the main conduits for deep ocean heat to escape," says Casimir de Lavergne, at McGill University and lead author of the paper."
1/28/14
17 YEAR STUDY ON FEMALE LEMON SHARKS - BAHAMA NESTING GROUND
BBC SCIENCE : LEMON SHARKS GO HOME TO REPRODUCE
"In the study, scientists tracked lemon sharks in the Bahamas for 17 years to prove the case.
Even though this species is highly migratory, pregnant females prefer to give birth where they themselves were born.
The researchers say it strengthens the argument for restrictions on fishing at specific sites.
The idea of females returning to their own place of birth to reproduce has been observed in a number of marine species most notably in salmon but it has also been seen in sea turtles.
"In the study, scientists tracked lemon sharks in the Bahamas for 17 years to prove the case.
Even though this species is highly migratory, pregnant females prefer to give birth where they themselves were born.
The researchers say it strengthens the argument for restrictions on fishing at specific sites.
The idea of females returning to their own place of birth to reproduce has been observed in a number of marine species most notably in salmon but it has also been seen in sea turtles.
In this new work, researchers looked at lemon sharks in
their largest nursery area around the Bimini Islands in the Bahamas."
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