2011 Arctic Report Card: NOAA report shows Arctic in search of new norm

In September of 2007, I had the pleasure of being a member of a team that traveled above the Arctic Circle to document evidence of climate change. Organized by InMER.org, the survey was meant to be a precursor to a larger, winter expedition and so much of the data collected was anecdotal, gleaned from interviews with Inuit Indian tribal elders and government officials, and from our own observations.

The summer was also the season when the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported the lowest summer sea ice in recorded history, and we had the opportunity to fly over some and see it's cracked and patchy appearance - quite a difference from the solid sheet it was supposed to be.



The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other environmental research organizations continued to study the sea ice conditions, and in subsequent years it would fluctuate, showing some signs of improvement one year only to shrink drastically the next. 2011 has turned out to be not a very good year.

"This year’s end of summer ice extent was the second smallest in the 32-year satellite record," says Don Perovich, a geophysicist with the US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL).

NOAA issues a report each year, its Arctic Report Card, and as they have had enough years to study the ice to establish a baseline for comparison, NOAA is now saying that the Arctic is definitely showing signs of change. With an overall trend of increasing temperatures and thinning ice, there are some definite shifts taking place. Nature is adjusting.

However, that does not mean that a new norm will be a good thing for all species of flora and fauna. In essence, nature's drive is to survive in one form or another, and if that means that some plants or animals are lost in the process then so be it. And that can still portend some serious socio-economic impacts on all of us.

The latest Arctic Report Card notes that the trend is toward longer periods of thin summer sea ice and more open Arctic waters. The melted ice and the exposed water is producing changes in the temperature, the salinity, and the acidic levels of the water. This impacts the growth of organisms, like plankton, at the base of the food chain. So, while polar bears and walruses struggle with thin ice that hampers their hunting (7 of 19 identified polar bear populations are in decline), migrating gray whales are finding a more robust food source and are staying longer to feed.

Away from the water, vegetation is beginning to show adaptation to new conditions. Shrubs are now growing further and further north, in areas that once only had mossy tundra. This was something that the InMER team saw on our expedition. People whose families had been living in the Arctic for several generations were reporting the appearance of shrubs for the first time in their lives. Sightings of grizzly bears moving up from the south, and even the first appearance of a bee in the town of Kugluktuk all represent shifts towards a new norm. While shrubs may be expanding their range as a result of climate change, mosses and lichens are withering and so the Arctic's fundamental botanical ecology is in flux.

"The Arctic is clearly experiencing the impacts of a prolonged and intensified warming trend," says Ms. Jackie Richter-Menge of CRREL . "Given the projection of continued warming, it is very likely, indeed expected, that these changes will continue in years to come, with increasing climatic, physical, biological and socioeconomic impact."

As long as we stay committed to dependence on fossil fuels and through that dependence expel vast quantities of carbon emissions into the atmosphere then we will continue to see nature adapt itself in the Arctic and elsewhere with untold consequences for a variety of species, including mankind.



Read NOAA's 2011 Arctic Report Card.
Source: Nature.com
Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

NOAA's Aquarius: an undersea home for scientists, divers and even astronauts

Where would you like to spend a faraway vacation? A remote chateau in France? A cozy cabin in the high Sierras? Well, here's one that is on my wish list: over 60 feet below the surface of the waves, off the coast of Florida, nestled in the Aquarius undersea research station.

Currently, the only permanent undersea habitat and research facility, Aquarius is owned and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by the University of North Carolina Wilmington. It has been home to a wide array of scientists and researchers since it was first deployed in the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary in 1993.

One of the advantages of an undersea habitat is the ability to extend the amount of bottom time (time spent diving and conducting research outside). If you were to dive from the surface to 60 feet, you would have only about one hour of dive time before you would find yourself having to deal with decompression (waiting to discharge accumulated nitrogen) as you surfaced. However, by staying below in a pressurized facility, a scientist could spend a full working day outside, for up to 10 days or more. At the conclusion of the mission there would then be an extended period of time spent decompressing before stepping on dry land, but the ability to spend days at a time underwater is extremely valuable for many types of scientific ocean studies.

Additionally, a facility like Aquarius is ideal for testing how men and women can function in confined environments like they would encounter in deep space missions. NASA just concluded its latest deep space training exercise, NEEMO 15, which stands for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation. With NASA's future deep space missions, like ones being considered to the moons of Mars, Mars itself, and even to an asteroid (calling Bruce Willis), it is important to know how astronauts can function effectively and independently, with little or no contact with mother Earth. Medical emergencies, software and hardware repairs, and of course, long-term isolation - all need to be considered and studied.

From reef growth to acidification to developing new techniques in biodiversity studies - or even preparing astronauts for future space missions - Aquarius is a vitally important ocean research center. NOAA understands the value of public awareness and has established and interesting website for Aquarius, containing background information on missions and other accomplishments, videos, pictures, and even a live feed camera for when it's catering to visitors.

So, champagne and strawberries in a New York hotel suite? Fresh tempura in a Tokyo high-rise? A warm fire and a soft couch in Yosemite? All very nice, but give me a cup of hot chocolate, a bunk, a porthole, and a set of diver gear at the ready and I'll be just fine, thank you.

Read about Aquarius at NOAA's Aquarius website.
Read about NEEMO 15 and its work with Aquarius in the Huffington Post.

Bermuda Humpback Whale Sanctuary: NOAA and island nation working to learn more about whales' migration

Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a letter of intent had been signed with the Bermuda Department of Environmental Protection to establish a sanctuary for humpback whales. This will be the third such sanctuary for Atlantic Ocean humpbacks - the other two being the Stellwagen Bank in Maine and the Santuario Mamiferos Marinos in the Dominican Republic.



There are five distinct populations of humpback whales in the North Atlantic: Maine (Stellwagen Bank), Nova Scotia, Greenland, Norway, and Iceland. In the north, the whales feed but when breeding season approaches, they head south to the Caribbean. These migratory patterns are of considerable importance to researchers as the better they understand them, the more effective the management and regulatory policies can be made to protect them. Some of these migratory highways are known to cross established shipping lanes, and that has resulted in collisions with ships which produce serious injury or death.



As an example, after studying whale movements based on sightings over a 20 year period, a proposal was recently made to move shipping northward by 12 degrees; the anticipated result being a drop in strikes by ships of over 80 percent.



Both the proposed Bermuda and the Dominican Republic sanctuaries are considered "sister" sanctuaries to Stellwagen Bank. In the Caribbean, the various whale populations mingle, guaranteeing a good mix of the gene pool, before all heading back to their respective northern locations. While more sanctuaries are being sought in and around the Dominican Republic, the Bermuda sanctuary is less in the specific breeding zone than it is a spot along the route.



Positioned just south of halfway along the whales' journey, the sanctuary would afford researchers the opportunity to study the whales during migration, provides protection within the migratory corridor, and even affords Bermuda the opportunity to generate additional tourism dollars through whale watching excursions.



"This is a first step in putting together conservation stepping stones throughout their migration. The expansion of our Sister Sanctuary Program will play a powerful role in protecting endangered humpback whales, and the opportunity for international cooperation in marine conservation is invaluable," said Nathalie Ward of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.



Humpback whales - recognizable by their long pectoral (front) fins and famous for their possible communicating via long, ethereal "songs" - are found in basically all of the world's oceans. While protected by many nations, they have been hunted by a few of the remaining whaling nations, in particular Japan, who takes them under the guise of scientific research, a shameful loophole in the whaling moratorium regulations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The current population of humpback whales is estimated at around 80,000, down from a pre-whaling population of around 125,000. That's a better situation than other species of whales and, in 2008, the IUCN changed the whale's listing regarding possible extinction from "Vulnerable" to "Least Concern."



Sounds like a slowly evolving success story but there is still much that we don't know about these immense but graceful marine mammals, so the work goes on and whale advocates remain ever vigilant.

Weak Hook Controversy: can NOAA recommendation save bluefin tuna in the Gulf?

Following the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there was understandable concern for a variety of species that inhabit the area, particularly those whose numbers were fragile and in decline to begin with. The Atlantic bluefin tuna was one such example, not only because its number worldwide are perilously low but because it is the Gulf of Mexico where the Western Atlantic bluefins go to spawn from March to June.

Pelagic longlining (PLL), one of commercial fishing's most indiscriminate methods, also occurs in the Gulf and with some scientists saying that as much as 20% of juvenile Atlantic bluefin tuna population was killed by the oil spill, many organizations are seeking to have the spawning grounds placed off limits to all PLL fishing during the spawning season. Their position is that, with a perilous population already weakened by the direct effects of the oil spill, to allow longlining to take place would spell disaster.

Equally as tragic is the fact that the focus of the longliners in the Gulf is not bluefin tuna. They are after the smaller yellowfin tuna, swordfish, and other species - making the bluefin merely accidental bycatch. Is it possible for the large and powerful bluefin tuna to be released if caught? Apparently not. There is a high mortality rate because the elevated levels of stress when caught, combined with the animals high metabolism and the warm waters of the Gulf, often prove fatal before any chance of release could take place.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has, to date, recommended that PLL boats use what are called "weak hooks." These are large hooks that are constructed with a smaller diameter wire so that a large and powerful fish like a bluefin tuna will have a fighting chance because the hook will bend, allowing the fish to release itself.

According to the results of field tests with participating longliners from 2008 to 2010, the NOAA Fisheries Service "found a statistically significant reduction in the catch of bluefin tuna of 56%, but no statistically significant difference in the catch of yellowfin tuna, swordfish, dolphin fish, or escolar on weak hooks compared to traditional hooks."

NOAA is considering making the use of weak hooks mandatory for the Gulf PPL fleet, but this has not necessarily won favor with many conservation groups concerned about the overall declining population of bluefin tuna and who have been demanding greater action on the part of ICCAT, the international body that basically regulates the tuna industry but which has continued to set annual catch levels that far exceeds levels recommended by even their own scientific panels.

Additionally, while some Atlantic Bluefin tuna would be spared by the use of weak hooks, there are countless other animals, from sharks to turtles to other unwanted bycatch, that would be needlessly killed just by virtue of the very nature of the longline technique itself.

As the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) describes it, "The pelagic longline fishery has a long history of deadly interactions with imperiled species. The weak-hook proposal acts as a stopgap measure to allow longline fishing to continue in spite of strict limits on bluefin tuna catch. Closing western Atlantic bluefin tuna breeding grounds during spawning season will not only afford bluefin tuna a greater chance to recover, but will also build a healthy ecosystem by protecting other bycatch species such as sharks, sea turtles and billfish."

CBD is currently waging a campaign through their own efforts and that of a email letter drive to Division Chief Margo Schulze-Haugen of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service to have NOAA consider the closure. If you would like to add your voice, click here.

Read NOAA's bulletin on weak hooks.

Mesophotic Coral Reefs: a new find in Puerto Rico brings calls for protection

For many people, the images they have seen of corals and coral reefs are of two extremes. At one end of the spectrum are the more commonly seen "shallow reefs" - colorful explosions of various shapes and sizes, mostly fueled by the combination of specialized algae (zooanthellae) that reside within the coral itself, and photosynthesis, the process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds. Stereotypical iconic images of tropical reefs - from Hawaii to the South Pacific to the Caribbean to Australia's Great Barrier Reef - are compliments of the ocean's shallow coral reef ecosystems.

At the other end are the deep water corals, where light is scarce and so a different type of ecosystem flourishes. Without the supporting zooanthellae algae, deep water corals often consist of large stony corals and will aggregate in thickets or groves, forming very different reef structures compared to their shallow water cousins. Much of what we know about deep water corals, we have learned from manned deep submersibles or unmanned ROVs.

However, as we find in so many other aspects of life, nature has its middle ground. In this case, mesophotic coral reefs. These are coral ecosystems that basically exist between 30-40m (100-130 feet) down to around 150m (490 feet), which puts you at the edge of darkness. Existing beyond the range of typical scuba diving limits, mesophotic coral ecosystems have largely existed underneath the scientific radar. There's much we still need to learn about these coral reefs and the biodiversity that they support.

So when new mesophotic coral reefs are discovered, it's newsworthy indeed. Last week, NOAA announced the discovery of a large mesophotic coral reef off the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico. Found by Dr. Richard Appledoorn and his staff from the University of Puerto Rico, the reef is basically a 12-mile span, supporting a variety of plate-type corals, like lettuce and star corals, and various sponges along with groupers, snappers and reef sharks.

NOAA, along with Appledoorn, are vowing to protect this new find and managers with Puerto Rico's Coastal Zone Management are giving it serious consideration.

"We recognize the need to extend protections to mesophotic coral ecosystems in Puerto Rico, and the information being provided by this research is key to making that happen," said Ernesto Diaz, director of Puerto Rico's Coastal Zone Management Program.

The newly found reef could also benefit from fortuitous timing. Representatives from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are meeting to consider a joint program of coastal management and conservation. Under discussion is a coastal zoning map that would consider the best and most ecologically sustainable uses of the coast for recreational and commercial activities - from tourism, aquafarming, to ocean energy development. Coral reef protection, of all types, would be a key component of the program.

While shallow coral reefs might provide the laymen with the most colorful images to use for making the case for coral conservation, scientists realize that, from the surface to the deepest depths, each of the various strata that make up the entire coral reef ecosystem play an important role in maintaining a healthy and vibrant marine biodiversity. All must be protected, whether we see them or not.

Read about Puerto Rico's mesophotic coral reefs in redOrbit.
Read about mesophotic coral reef systems at www.mesophotic.org.
Photo credit: H. Ruiz/NOAA

Dr. Jane Lubchenco: Nature journal's Newsmaker of the Year

The environmental journal, Nature, has selected Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as its Newsmaker of the Year. Much like TIME magazine's Person of the Year award, it is not a title that necessarily conveys good things or bad - just that your actions were newsworthy and had an impact on society.

Dr. Lubchenco came to NOAA in March, 2009 with the scientific community having high expectations. As a celebrated scientist with time spent in key positions at the Ecological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), many looked to Lubchenco to bring a well-needed reorientation toward science at NOAA. But much the same way as President Obama was immediately put to the test with a faltering economy, so was Lubchenco in the form of the Gulf Oil Spill. That environmental disaster tested her management and political skills and not all was smooth sailing.

However, her accomplishments in other areas have been ambitious and commendable. She has taken strong positions on overfishing through the implementing of the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act, brought more scientists into the agency, and contributed to the strategic development of the Obama Administration's new ocean policy, among other accomplishments.

Rather than simply recite the excellent article, In the Eye of the Storm by Richard Monastersky, which chronicle's her career, her ups and downs within NOAA to date, and her plans for the future; I have chosen excerpts and you can download a PDF of the entire article here:

"A sprawling department of 12,800 people with a budget of US$4.7 billion, NOAA has responsibilities stretching from the bottom of the sea to the top of the atmosphere and even to the Sun, which it monitors for signs of solar storms (see 'A global reach'). That mandate put Lubchenco at the centre of the government's response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster — a brutal test for a scientist with little previous management experience."

"As a celebrated scientist and vocal conservationist, she made her name urging other researchers to speak out on issues of public importance, a stance that not all of her academic colleagues were comfortable with. Now, at an age when many of her cohort are easing back, she is taking on the most ambitious challenge of her career: reorienting how the nation responds to pressing environmental problems such as dwindling fish stocks, rising seas and a changing climate. She has bold plans to strengthen scientific research at NOAA, make it more relevant to society and improve the health of ecosystems and coastal communities."

"Lubchenco recalls that she turned down Obama's transition team several times when she was first offered the job. Leaving her husband and research behind in Oregon seemed too big a sacrifice. But in the end, she says, she believed in the new president and in the opportunity to achieve her lifelong goals. "I came to NOAA to lead and enable change where it would make a difference," she later explained. The rough days so far have not discouraged her. "Meaningful change is not for the timid."

NOAA, as a vibrant, scientific-based government agency, can be an important resource and contributor to the development and implementation of vital environmental policy. Let's hope that Dr. Jane Lubchenco can fulfill the role of Newsmaker of the Year by leading NOAA in fully realizing its potential.

Read more about Jane Lubchenco in Nature.com.

Oceanic Cooperation: research groups join forces for more informative results

Scientific research groups are known for their detailed and focused work. Communication or educational groups are known for getting the word out. For ocean conservation, it's usually a good idea when the two can come together. You end up with fresh new data that is presented to others in a way that increases public awareness or stimulates further research.

While this type of cooperation was a bit rare in the past, more and more often organizations are working towards a collective good, a more broadly shared base of information. Here are two examples recently announced.

The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is developing a partnership with the Georgia Aquarium's Research Center, the goal of which is to conduct studies that will be communicated to a variety of audiences, from the general public to academic/educational groups. Initial joint studies by the two groups on a health assessment of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins along the eastern Florida coast proved successful and the door is now open for future studies of whale sharks in Mexico, beluga whales in Alaska, spotted eagle rays in Florida, and penguins in South Africa.

“We are so pleased to formalize our relationship with the Georgia Aquarium,” said FAU President Mary Jane Saunders. “FAU and the Georgia Aquarium already have a number of existing marine science research, education and conservation collaborations that reflect our shared interests, and joining forces will enable us to expand our research enterprises.”

On the other side of the globe, in Indonesia's Sulawesi Sea, scientists from the Indonesia Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research are working with their counterparts in NOAA to study the deeper waters of this biodiversity-rich area. The coral reefs of the Sulawesi Sea are well known to both serious and vacationing scuba divers and are a constant source of study for researchers due to the currently relative good health of the reefs. But not much is known about the deeper waters where volcanic activity and hydrothermal vents produce harsh environments that support unusual forms of life able to withstand these extreme conditions.

Assisted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NOAA's research vessel, Okeanos Explorer, and the Indonesian research vessel, Baruna Jaya IV, utilized remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and the latest in high definition video and satellite transmission to deliver real-time images and discoveries to waiting scientists and academics from Jakarta to Seattle to Silver Spring, Maryland.

“We observed and imaged perhaps 40 potential new coral species and 50 potential new species of other animals, including those inhabiting an actively venting volcano. Documenting the abundance, biodiversity and distribution of deep-ocean animals will allow us to better understand the functioning of the ecosystems in the area and infer how resilient they are to human activities,” said Woods Hole grad student Santiago Herrera.

Dr. Sugiarta Wirasantosa, Indonesia's chief scientist on the expedition, commented, “It’s especially important for Indonesians to better understand our ocean,” said Sugiarta. “Indonesia is a nation of 17,000 islands with a population that depends largely on the ocean for safety and on ocean resources for food, trade and economic well-being. Measurements of the flow of deep water masses through the deep Sulawesi Sea will help us better understand the ‘Indonesian Throughflow,’ which is important to all because it plays a major role in the global distribution of heat transported by ocean currents.”

Cooperation between nation's scientific organizations, combining research with broader communication entities, and a more open sharing of knowledge are critical steps in making science-based observations and solutions of ecological or environmental conditions indisputable. The public and the policy makers benefit from greater awareness and, in turn, so will the oceans themselves.

Read more about the FAU/Georgia Aquarium partnership.
Read More about the Indonesia/United States joint research.

Polar Bear Webcasts: live broadcasts and a new NOAA Arctic report this month

One of the great learning tools is engagement and, unfortunately, conservation issues are sometimes hampered by the inability of people to truly feel engaged or appreciate what may be happening in a distant part of the world, say the Arctic for instance.

The issue of polar bears and what is threatening their existence due to warming Arctic temperatures, will be brought to light in a series of live webcasts being staged by Polar Bears International. Called Tundra Connections, the 30 scheduled webcasts started on October 28th and will run to the end of November. Viewers will be able to log on and ask, in real time, questions of the research scientists and conservationists that are monitoring the polar bear migration in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

There will be a wide range of people involved: zoologists and other experts on polar bears, climatologists to discuss the impact of climate change on the Arctic, even legal advisers from the Center of Biological Diversity. Check out the Tundra Connections website for broadcast dates.

Speaking of the Arctic, NOAA has released its Arctic Report Card 2010 and it still shows that grades are slipping in the areas of sea ice, long-term climate change, and weather pattern disruption. While the Arctic still experiences warm/cold cyclical temperature patterns that can temporarily alter ecosystem patterns, the overall trend is still towards warmer temperatures.



NOAA reported that this year was the shortest duration of Arctic snow cover since record-keeping first began in 1966. And areas like Greenland continue to experience significant ice and glacier loss. With more fresh water mixing into the Arctic's oceans, everything from algae growth to fish populations to currents gets disrupted.

The Arctic regions are experiencing polar amplification whereby, with more sea ice melting (sea ice that would normally reflect sunlight), more dark exposed ocean now absorbs sunlight which accelerates the warming process. A by-product of this effect is changes in polar winds. Pushed southward, these cold winds can produce colder winters in mid-latitudes - making some people wonder how can there be global warming when I'm freezing? Just ask a polar bear.

Check out the Tundra Connections webcasts.
Read the NOAA Arctic Report Card 2010.

Orcas and Salmon: organizations take aim at U.S. plan that could impact Washington/Oregon whales

Here is information from Howard Garret of the Orca Network regarding action being taken against a proposed conservation plan for salmon in the northwest U.S.'s Columbia Basin (where the Columbia and Snake River end at the Pacific coast of Oregon and Washington). Apparently, the plan contradicts existing science regarding the impact of a decline on salmon on the resident orca population.

"On October 29, salmon advocates asked a federal judge to reject the Obama Administration’s 2010 Plan for Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead. This includes chinook salmon that are essential nutrition for our Southern Resident Killer Whales. Today, three facts are clear. One, our orca are often very hungry. Two, they historically dined regularly on Columbia Basin chinook – especially in the lean months of March and April. Three, by failing endangered salmon, the 2010 Plan will also fail our endangered orcas.

The endangered Southern Resident orca community declined over 20% a decade ago and still teeters on the brink of extinction. Multiple studies tell us why: inadequate runs of Chinook salmon. For thousands of years this unique and cohesive orca clan has survived almost entirely on king salmon, especially those returning to the Columbia basin during winter and spring. In the past few decades those Chinook runs have dwindled to a small percentage of their former numbers. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) notes that 'Perhaps the single greatest change in food availability for resident killer whales since the late1800s has been the decline of salmon in the Columbia River basin' (p. 95).

We expected more from NOAA and the Obama administration when they released their Columbia Basin salmon plan as required by the Endangered Species Act. On inauguration day, we were told that good science would trump biased economics and DC politics, and that the process would be transparent. Instead we got a repeat of the corrupt Bush plan and secrecy rather than honesty, despite fierce criticism of that status quo plan from the American Fisheries Society, a wide range of independent biologists, and NOAA’s own scientists.

Regarding orcas specifically, NOAA also fails to explain the huge discrepancy between their 2010 Columbia Basin salmon plan and their 2009 California salmon plan. The CA plan says hatchery fish are no substitute for wild salmon, that orcas need viable wild salmon runs, and there are far too few today. The Columbia plan inexplicably says that hatchery fish are a reliable replacement for wild salmon, and suggests that there are plenty of salmon for orca survival. Despite repeated requests to NOAA to address and resolve this inconsistency, none has been offered.

There is no doubt in the scientific community about the ecological connection between Columbia/Snake salmon and our much-loved orcas. Canada’s DFO found '…that [orca] survival rates are strongly correlated with the availability of their principal prey species, chinook salmon.' A study concluded that 'Chinook salmon, a relatively rare species, was by far the most frequent prey item.' Winter field studies have also found Southern Resident orcas near the mouth the Columbia River eating salmon headed upriver. UW’s Center for Conservation Biology conducted a multi-year orca study of hormones found in fecal material and concluded that: 'Thus far, the hormone data most strongly supports the reduced prey hypothesis' and that 'For now, it seems clear that mitigation efforts to increase number and quality of available prey to Southern resident killer whales will be an important first step towards assuring SRKW recovery.'

Let’s hope that the judge buries this deceptive plan in early 2011, and brings the federal government and the people of the Northwest together to craft a legal, science-based plan that serves our salmon, our communities, and our orcas.

For more information, please visit: Save Our Wild Salmon and the Orca Network."

Basking Shark: NOAA's "species of concern" designation is a warning flag

NOAA, the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, took a slightly unusual step by declaring the eastern North Pacific's basking shark a "species of concern." While it sounds a bit like a suspect in an unsolved homicide, what the designation actually does is recognize that the basking sharks that migrate along the coast from Canada to the central coast of California are not recovering in numbers as expected since the taking of basking sharks commercially was curtailed in the 1970s.

Basking sharks, which are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List but not yet eligible for protection under the U.S.'s Endangered Species Act, are typically cold water, plankton-feeders and quite spectacular to see. Reaching lengths of up to 40 feet, they cruise near the surface with their cavernous mouth agape, filtering plankton and other small organisms. They pose no threat to humans but the reverse is certainly not the case.

Basking sharks have been hunted in the past - sometimes for meat, sometimes because they disrupt the salmon fisheries. Though now protected from deliberately being taken, they can still get caught in fishing nets or struck by vessels as they cruise the surface.

The importance of a government scientific agency taking a step like this is that it essentially greases the wheels for marine scientists to consider the basking shark as a study subject. With NOAA's acknowledged concern, the designation can assist scientists in seeking funding for research projects.

"But why should we fund your study of this shark? It's not exactly endangered is it?" "No, not yet. But NOAA feels sufficiently concerned enough to give it this designation as a warning that steps need to be taken to avoid endangering the animal further. And to know just what those steps should be, we need research. Funded research."

The basking shark - a shark that once schooled by the hundreds in decades past, now only seen a few at a time. If at all. NOAA is taking the commendable step of raising a flag. And they plan to do more. A website will be launched in December for scientists and the public alike to report sightings. In the meantime, you can report sightings by calling 858-334-2884 or send an email to Heidi.Dewar@noaa.gov.

Read more about NOAA's announcement in ScienceNews.
Read more about basking sharks at NOAA's website.

Warmest March and a Cold Winter: science agencies explain a climate conundrum

This winter's harsh weather has provided fodder for those who debunk the issue of global warming and climate change. In fact, with any brief fluctuation in weather patterns, opponents of climate change jump on the chance to dismiss the big picture climate patterns that are being closely monitored by many scientific and federal agencies. Of course, along with that comes the cries of conspiracies supported by foul-mouth online comments that I won't even bother addressing.

With Washington D.C. experiencing heavy snows recently, climate change critic Sen. James Inhofe and his family constructed an igloo near the US capitol. As reported by Geoff Mohan in the Los Angeles Times, what the senator fails to appreciate is the explanation for this winter's weather given by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (no whacko organization here): Arctic oscillation, a cyclical change in air pressure over the Arctic that alters weather patterns in the northern hemisphere. While this oscillation was somewhat varied over the past century, changing from positive (drier) to negative (colder) phases, since the 1970s it has favored the positive phase. But this year there was a switch to the negative phase.

There will always be climate fluctuations, but one must look towards the larger trends. And that is what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), another non-partisan federal agency not prone to exaggeration, did with its just-released Global Climate Analysis for March 2010. Seems last month was, globally, the warmest March on record with the first quarter of the year being the fourth warmest 1st quarter on record. "On record" means going back to 1880.

So often we miss the bigger picture because we get wrapped up in day-to-day events that may actually represent anomalies or minor fluctuations. In essence, we miss the forest for the trees. And despite what might be said about some studies from scientists who may or may not have been wholly accurate with their research, there are plenty of respected agencies and research groups that are reaching and supporting the scientific conclusions that celebrity spokespeople, like Vice President Al Gore, have attempted to bring to the public's attention only to be pilloried as self-serving opportunists.

We miss the forest for the trees. And someday we could miss the forest because there are no trees.

Read the LA Times article.
Read the NOAA report summary.
Read the NSIDC explanation of Arctic oscillation.
View this Nat Geo video on climate change:

NOAA and Google: moving further in visualizing scientific data

Google Earth (and its revealing Ocean layer) has been a multi-informational tool, providing varying degrees of visual data for the general public, educational, and research users and organizations. The Ocean layer, to which I am honored to be a content provider, has been continually growing in terms of the quantity of content and the level of detail.

On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a press release a cooperative research and development agreement with Google designed to create state-of-the-art visualizations of scientific data. Working with the software/Internet wizards at Google is a good step towards resolving one of my pet issues with scientific research: getting the data out to the public in a meaningful and useful way thereby better enlightening and motivating the user.

Several initiatives are planned - ranging from improving the undersea topographic data presented in Google Ocean, expanding NOAA's efforts to publish oceanographic data from expeditions and observation systems, and enhancing NOAA's educational Earth science display system.

NOAA realizes they have the data and Google has the software muscle to get that data out there in a significant way. It would seem that this could be a great advance in an already productive relationship and I, for one, am looking forward to see what transpires.

If you haven't taken a look at Google Earth/Ocean, it's an easy upload (the program requires an Internet connection to operate). Click here to learn more.

Read the NOAA press release.

Leatherback Sea Trutles: NOAA proposes critical habitat along U.S. West Coast

Just a little over a week ago, I posted information about new regulations for longline fishing in Hawaii and Florida that would further imperil the loggerhead turtle. Several conservation groups were engaged in legal action with the National Marine Fisheries Service to get them to act on behalf of the endangered turtles by implementing required provisions of the Endangered Species Act.

In a more positive development, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed designating 70,000 square miles along the U.S. west coast, from Northern Washington to Southern California, as critical habitat for another endangered sea turtle, the leatherback turtle.

This ruling would provide a measure of protection for these turtles when they come to forage after their long Pacific migration. Every summer and fall, leatherback turtles travel 12,000 miles - the longest migration of any marine reptile in the oceans today - from nesting grounds in Indonesia to the western U.S. coastline to feed on jellyfish, a favorite food source of many sea turtle species. And these are BIG sea turtles, reaching lengths of nine feet and weighing in at 1,200 pounds! But they are on the edge of extinction; according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, their numbers within the past 30 years have dropped by as much as 95 %, well below what many aquatic species can recover from.

There are two hiccups with NOAA's proposal, according to the conservation groups (The Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana, and the Turtle Island Restoration Network) who have been applying the pressure for this habitat designation. One, this is only a proposal, so there will be a public comment period open until March. You can expect opposition comments from the longline fishing industry, so if you would like to add you own voice in support, here is a link to NOAA's public response web site.

The second issue is that the proposal leaves out some key foraging areas and excludes fishing gear as a threat. This hearkens back to the same issue with Hawaii's and Florida's loggerhead turtles - the impact on their numbers from accidental catch by longlines.

“Today’s proposal marks the first step in making sure that these giant turtles have a safe and productive place to feed after their amazing swim across the entire Pacific Ocean,” said Andrea Treece, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, in an Oceana press release. “NOAA now needs to take the next step and improve its proposal by incorporating more of the species’ key habitat areas and addressing one of the worst threats to leatherback survival – entanglement in commercial fishing gear.”

Beluga Whales: NOAA proposes critical habitat in Alaska

Back in March of this year, I reported on efforts being undertaken to protect a dwindling population of Beluga Whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet - a slender offshoot in the Gulf of Alaska that leads to north to Anchorage. Impacted by pollution and development, partly related to oil drilling activities, the number of whales have declined from over 1000 in the 1980's to a little over 300 today.

On Tuesday, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) proposed a 3,000 square mile area as critical habitat for these whales. This is a positive first step, in response to legal action from the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), and repudiates the position taken at the time by now former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin.

Next will be the required public comment period. You can expect that there will be rebuttals from the oil industry and other less conservation-minded groups. Pro-whale advocates and groups will need to make their voices heard during this crucial next step.

Check in with CBD or stay tuned to this blog to hear about what you can do to contribute.

Arctic U.S. Waters: off limits to commercial fishing by December

Here's another press release, this time from Oceana.org, regarding the closing of U.S. waters north of Alaska's Bering Strait to commercial fishing (the Arctic Fishery Management Plan) . The federal closing recognizes the lack of sufficient scientific data on fish populations and the impact from climate change, overfishing, and other environmental or man-made factors.

While encouraging, the downside is that the Minerals Management Service is moving full speed to allow for oil drilling in the same region. With heavy lobbying from the oil industry, permits are being granted without updated and sufficient scientific impact studies and data - the opposite approach of the Arctic Fishery Management Plan.

This exemplifies the ongoing tug-of-war that goes on in Washington DC: energy vs. the environment. At some point, politics and commerce will need to realize that objective, unbiased scientific research data will need to be the final referee.

U.S. Closes Arctic Waters to Industrial Fishing

Regulations call for more science before any fishing allowed in U.S. Arctic; conservationists call for same approach for oil and gas

November 3, 2009
Washington, DC

Final regulations protecting almost 200,000 square miles of U.S. Arctic waters from industrial fishing were released today and will be effective starting December 3, 2009. The new regulations close all U.S. waters north of Alaska’s Bering Strait to commercial fishing to allow time for more science to assess the health of Arctic ocean ecosystems and the potential impacts of large-scale fishing given the impacts the Arctic is already facing from climate change and ocean acidification. The regulations do not affect subsistence fishing, and are in fact designed to help protect Arctic ocean ecosystems central to subsistence. Conservationists hailed the regulations and called for a similar approach for other industries and in other nations.

“This is ‘doing it right’ in the Arctic—there is a desperate need for more science to be done before we add any more stress to an area already feeling the heat of climate change,” said Dr. Chris Krenz, Arctic Project Manager for Oceana. “We need a rush of scientists into the Arctic, not an armada of cargo ships, oil platforms and fishing trawlers.”

The same U.S. Arctic waters protected from fishing are squarely in the crosshairs of the oil industry. Last month the Minerals Management Service (MMS) approved a plan for drilling in the Beaufort Sea next summer, and a similar plan for the Chukchi Sea is currently under review with a decision expected this month. Conservationists, scientists, local communities and others have called for a science-based precautionary approach for oil that is now in place for fishing, especially given the higher risks of oil spills in the Arctic and the inability to contain, control or clean up an accident in the icy waters of the Arctic.

The Arctic is home to thousands of people who rely on ocean ecosystems as central to a subsistence way of life practiced for generations. Climate change and ocean acidification are already placing stress on those ecosystems, and adding additional pressures from fishing or oil and gas activities could push them past the brink. Arctic communities showed strong support for the Arctic fishing protections and have expressed concern that activities from oil and gas, including seismic testing and the risk of oil spills, could adversely impact bowhead whales and other animals that are vital sources of food for local peoples.

President Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force is likely to recommend addressing the changing Arctic conditions as a national priority and using an ecosystem based management approach to protect, maintain and restore the health of the nation’s marine ecosystems. The Arctic Fishery Management Plan exemplifies this approach.

“MMS has given the green light to drill in the U.S. Arctic Ocean next July using the same inadequate and out of date science that led fisheries managers to close the region to commercial fishing,” said Krenz. “One of the reasons Americans elected President Obama is because they believe in sustainable development based on sound science and demonstrated response capabilities. MMS and Shell continue on an unrelenting course that MMS records indicate are likely to bring a major spill and calamity to the Arctic.”

The U.S. State Department is in discussions with other Arctic nations to expand these same fishing protections across international boundaries. These Arctic fishing regulations set a worldwide precedent of putting management in place before commercial fishing occurs.

Politicians Recognize Global Warming: but oil drilling looms

A report was just released by the White House that declares that harmful effects from global warming are already hear and worsening. Now for many of you who have followed this issue, your first response might be "Well, duuuuh." But this is the first climate change report from the current administration and it is the strongest to date emanating from the White House.

"This is not a theoretical thing that will happen 50 years from now," said co-author Anthony Janetos of the University of Maryland. "Things are happening now."

Interestingly, this report was based on a report initiated near the end of the Bush administration who was forced by a lawsuit to produce a draft for Congress that was notably different from their typical dodge-and-weave approach.

Political machines - and, I dare say, humans in general - are inclined to act when disaster is on their doorstep. Proactive or long-term strategies seem to run counter to their nature, so this report is important as it basically states that the ostrich can no longer hide in the sand.

Jane Lubchenco, director of NOAA, says, "This report provides the concrete scientific information that says unequivocally that climate change is happening now and it's happening in our own backyard."

As encouraging as this report might appear as an indication of the current administration's commitment to change, we must still be diligent and even skeptical. Last week, a Senate committee voted to open millions of acres of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. The energy industry is still committed to status quo, expanding a dwindling supply of fossil fuels, and has yet to fully embrace the need and development of alternative energy sources. Therefore, their continued pressure and influence on the political decision makers is as strong as ever.

Oceana.org has some suggestions and steps you can take. Make sure your political representatives know how you feel and let's watch the Obama administration closely to ensure that we get the necessary change that was promised and, more importantly, that the environment needs.

Future Head of NOAA: Dr. Jane Lubchenco - a great choice

With President-Elect Obama's selection of Dr. Jane Lubchenco as chief administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a very positive step has been taken in putting in place the type of qualified scientific leadership that an organization like NOAA requires. Her appointment has been met with cheers from major conservation and environmental organizations nationwide.

Dr. Lubchenco's credentials are most impressive: A professor of marine biology and zoology at Oregon State University who received her Ph.D. at Harvard, she is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a MacArthur "genius" fellow and Pew fellow in Marine Conservation. Lubchenco was a presidential appointee for two terms on the National Science Board and has been a member of the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Pew Oceans Council.

While NOAA is indeed a government agency and its leaders must be well-versed in the art of politics and diplomacy to accomplish their mission, it must be said that to have a scientist at the helm who happens to be a qualified administrator - rather than the other way around - is what is most needed at NOAA. This is critical so that NOAA can stay focused as a science-based source of environmental policy, rather than becoming a political mouthpiece for pro-industry (ie: anti-environment) constituencies. If President-Elect Obama is to make good on some of his campaign rhetoric regarding the environment, he will need the support of scientists like Dr. Lubchenco to provide the hard facts, opinions, and solutions.

President-Elect Obama has said, "All of us know the problems rooted in our addiction to foreign oil it constrains our economy, shifts wealth to hostile regimes, and leaves us dependent on unstable regions. These urgent dangers are eclipsed only by the long-term threat of climate change, which unless we act will lead to drought and famine abroad, devastating weather patterns and terrible storms on our shores, and the disappearance of our coastline at home."

As part of his scientific "A-Team", the PETT (President-Elect's Transition Team) will need to engage people of Dr. Lubchenco's caliber. And they will need many more of them. Let's wish her well.

Feds to Protect Elkhorn & Staghorn Coral: but climate change threats are ignored

NOAA's Fisheries Service is increasing its protection of threatened elkhorn and staghorn corals in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands through a new rule to prohibit activities that result in death or harm to either species. The rule will prohibit the import, export, take, and all commercial activities involving elkhorn and staghorn corals, including collection or any activities that result in the corals' mortality or injury, anchoring, grounding a vessel, or dragging any other gear on these corals; damaging their habitat; or discharging any pollutant or contaminant that harms them.

In a related move, the federal agency has designated almost 3,000 square miles of reef area off the coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as critical habitat for the threatened corals under the Endangered Species Act.

As important reef-builders in the Florida and Caribbean reef ecosystems, this would appear to be good news as these coral species have declined by as much as 90 percent in many areas. However, the conservation organization responsible for prodding NOAA into taking this action, the Center for Biological Diversity, is threatening to file suit against the government, claiming that the pressing issue of threats from climate change and the acidifcation of the oceans is being ingnored or circumvented - in keeping with the current administration's continuing strategy of denial when it comes to climate changes and the actions needed to be taken to address it. (Read complete press release.)

One step forward . . . one step back.

Right Whales: speed regulation to avoid ship collisions

The New York Times recently reported that the National Marine Fisheries Service has adopted a long-debated regulation requiring large ships (over 65 feet) to reduce speed to less than 10 knots in certain coastal areas on the east coast from Massachusetts to Florida.

The purpose of this speed restriction is an attempt to avoid hitting and injuring or killing Right Whales that populate the selected areas. Scientists estimate that only about 400 right whales exist today, even though hunting them was made illegal in 1935. These whales were so heavily hunted in the 1800's and early 1900's that, even with a 70+ year moratorium, their future is tenuous at best.

One or two whales are reported killed each year by ship collision - and that's just the reported cases. With a population so small, the loss of even one whale can have a negative impact.

This regulation was a long time in coming due to political pressure exerted by the shipping industry who refute the correlation between speed and the possibility of collision. The regulation will take effect in less than 60 days and will be subject to review in 5 years based on scientific monitoring of its effectiveness. Let's hope the results are positive for the whale's sake.