Friday, October 27, 2017

Week in Review: October 26, 2017: Gulf Oil Spill, Largest Since 2010, Endangered Vaquita Rescue Attempt Aborted, and More

1.  Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Largest Since 2010

oil spill, gulf of mexicoIn early October, up to 9,350 barrels of oil were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.  It’s the largest spill in seven years, but is not much compared to the millions of barrels spilled in the Deepwater Horizon accident of 2010. Professor Edward Overton says, “Way offshore, the oil had time to dissipate before it could cause lots of damage.  I’m sure there’s some impact associated with this spill out in the deep water, but I don’t think there was enough for the oil to sink.”
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2.  Endangered Vaquita Porpoise Rescued and Then Released


vaquita, vaquita porpoise, calf, vaquita porpoise calf, vaquita calfAn endangered 6 month old vaquita calf has been captured by the group Vaquita CPR.  It was released due to stress after being  monitored by marine mammal veterinarians.  Scientists took tissue samples that will be analyzed for genetic sequencing.  It is estimated that only 30 vaquita porpoises are left in the Gulf of California off of Mexico.
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3.  Only Two Penguin Chicks Survive Out of Colony of 40,000


adelie penguin, penguin, penguin chickA colony of 40,000 Adelie penguins in Antarctica has suffered a “catastrophic breeding event” as only two chicks have survived the breeding season.  This is the second time in four years that such devastation has been observed.  This hadn’t happened in the previous 50 years of observation.  Many parent penguins had to travel up to 62 miles longer than usual on the sea ice to get to feeding grounds.  Many are calling for a marine protected area to be established in East Antarctica.
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4. An Eight Year Study and 250 Scientists Concur - Increased Acidity Will Affect All Ocean Life


pteropods, pteropods and ocean acidityInfant sea creatures will be especially affected.  For example the number of baby cod could fall to a quarter or even 12th of today’s numbers.  The average pH of the ocean has fallen from pH 8.2 to 8.1, an increase of 26%, since the Industrial Revolution. Professor Ulf Riebesell says, “Warm-water corals are generally more sensitive than cold-water corals. Clams and snails are more sensitive than crustaceans.
And we found that early life stages are generally more affected than adult organisms.”
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5. Can Dolphin Get Alzheimer's?  New Study Suggests they Can

dolphins, dolphins and Alzheimer's DiseaseAlzheimer’s disease has been found for the first time in wild animals.  Scientists have found signs of Alzheimer’s in dead dolphins found off of Spain.  “Scientists concluded that they (the dolphins) shared the same twisted strands and protein clusters in their brains as human patients with dementia.”
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6.  Melting Glaciers Could Raise Sea Levels In Sharp Bursts, Reef Fossils Show



glacier, greenland, greenland glacierIf all the land ice present on Earth today were to melt, it would raise the global sea levels by about 70 meters (230 feet), according to the United States Geological Survey. By studying fossil coral reefs, scientist have found that sea level rise happens in burst of decades to a century long.  Sea level rise doesn’t happen gradually.
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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Friday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Week in Review October 20, 2017: Ten Rivers Contribute 95% of Plastic Waste to the Ocean, Whales Have Human-like Societies and More!

1.  Ten Rivers Contribute 95% of Plastic Waste to the Ocean


plastic pollution rivers, plastic pollution ocean, plastic pollutionA new study shows that just 10 rivers in Asia and Africa discharge up to 95 percent of the 8 million metric tons of plastic waste that flows into the oceans. Eight of the 10 rivers are in Asia, including the Yangtze River. This finding offers hope for focusing waste reduction efforts. “Reducing plastic loads by 50 percent in the 10 top-ranked rivers would reduce the total river-based load to the sea by 45 percent," say researchers.
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2.  Whales Have Human-Like Societies


killer whales, orcas, orcas breaching, killer whales breachingA new study looked at the behavior of 90 species of dolphins, whales and porpoises and found that they form human-like societies.  Cetaceans "live in tightly-knit social groups, have complex relationships, talk to each other and even have regional dialects.” This behavior is linked to their large brain size."The researchers gathered records of dolphins playing with humpback whales, helping fishermen with their catches, and even producing signature whistles for dolphins that are absent – suggesting the animals may even gossip.”
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3.  Are Flatulent Shellfish Contributing to Climate Change?


raw oysters, oysters
Mussels, oysters, and clams produce methane and nitrous oxide, whichtwo potent greenhouse gases. A study in the Baltic Sea found that the shellfish produce as much greenhouse gas as 20,000 cattle.  Multiply that by shellfish numbers around the world, and shellfish may indeed be a contributor to climate change. The enrichment of coastal waters (where the shellfish live) by agricultural runoff may make the problem worse.
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4. Last-Ditch Effort to Save the Endangered Vaquita Porpoise



vaquita porpoise, gulf of california, Vaquita CPRThe ocean’s most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita porpoise, is the focus of a last-ditch rescue mission. An international human and dolphin team have been dispatched to the Gulf of California, Mexico, to locate the last remaining 30 porpoises. The hope is to breed these individuals and eventually return them to the wild.  
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5. Marine Reserve Boosts Snapper Outside Borders

snapper, marine reserve
Scientists studying a marine reserve off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand, found that the snapper in the reserve are related to the young snapper found outside the reserves. This finding provides evidence that marine reserves benefit local fishermen by serving as fish nurseries.
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6.  Major Changes to Shallow Reef Ecosystems Predicted Due to Climate Change

scuba diver, reef life survey
A global survey by divers has led to research that predicts yet another impact of climate change on coral reefs: a decline in the diversity of crabs, lobsters, sea urchins and whelks. As warm-water fish expand their ranges in response to warming waters, they will trigger a decline in invertebrate species that are already reeling from acidification.
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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Friday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Week in Review: October 13, 2017 US Withdraws From UNESCO, Largest Marine Protected Area in North America to Be Created off Mexico,Warming Oceans May Make Clownfish Harder to Find, and More!

1.  United States Withdraws From UNESCO, In World Heritage Site

cocos island, UNESCO, World Heritage Site
SSF Director, Ms. Bradley with UNESCO team at Cocos Island  (c) Jay Ireland
The United States has withdrawn from UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization). UNESCO promotes international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication”. The member nations propose, review and select World Heritage Sites. These unique sites have cultural, historical, scientific or some other form of significance, and they are legally protected by international treaties. These spots are important to the collective interests of all humanity. The Sea Save Foundation leaders were instrumental in getting Cocos Island listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO tweeted "It is deeply regrettable for the US to withdraw from UNESCO, the UN agency promoting education for peace & protecting culture under attack"
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2.  Largest Marine Protected Area in North America to Be Created off Mexico


Mexico has announced that it is creating a 57,000 square mile marine protected area.  It is composed of the four Revillagigedo Islands, which are 240 miles southwest of Baja California.  The Revillagigedo Islands are already a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  All fishing will be banned, and no hotels will be built on the islands. Enric Sala says, “It’s one of the places where you can see the most giant manta rays and sharks on the planet."

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3.  Endangered Seahorses End Up as Poultry and Fish Feed




thorny seahorse, seahorseIn India, seahorses, small fish and sea cucumbers are caught as by-catch from bottom trawlers who don’t target any particular species.  They are then sold as poultry feed, fish oil and fish feed.  In the year 2000, India exported 10 tons of seahorses, which equates to 4 million seahorses.  This is clearly unsustainable, but there are not enough studies and there are no records of how much by-catch (including seahorses) is caught.
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4. Warming Oceans May Result in Clownfish Decline

clownfish, anemone, anemone bleaching
Anemones are much like coral, having symbionts living inside them that help them make food and give them their brilliant colors.  When seawater temperatures are warmer, anemones can bleach like corals when their symbionts are expelled.  This causes the clownfish, that depend on the anemones for shelter, to stop laying eggs. “Scientists suspect that pattern may hold for untold numbers of other fish nurtured by either corals or anemones.”
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5. The Most Valuable Wild Salmon Fishery in the World Could Become a Mine


sockeye salmon fishery, salmon, sockeye salmonBristol Bay in southwest Alaska is home to 56 million sockeye salmon.  Over half the world’s sockeye salmon catch comes from Alaska.  “The returning salmon and other ecological resources create some 14,000 full- and part-time jobs, generate about $480 million annually -- and support 4,000-year-old Alaska Native cultures.” A Canadian mine company wants to mine for gold and copper there, and the Trump administration is likely to remove the Obama-era protections for Bristol Bay. Public comments are being accepted until October 17th. Click here to register your opinion.
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6. Great White Sharks are Swimming Farther and Deeper

great white shark, white shark, sharkNew research in the Atlantic Ocean has found that great white sharks are swimming farther and deeper than previously thought. One shark traveled 2,300 miles from Cape Cod to the Azores Islands.  They often dove to 3,700 feet or more. Previous studies suggested that great white sharks stay near the continental shelf, but this study shows they patrol open ocean.  It is critical to know if the sharks are swimming outside the jurisdiction of countries' protected ocean boundaries.
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7. There's Enough Wind Energy Over The Atlantic Ocean To Power Human Civilization

ocean wind farm, wind farm

There is the potential for enough wind energy over the Atlantic Ocean to power the entire world.  Doing so wouldn’t be practical and could potentially alter the climate. This shows how important it is to investigate building open ocean turbines for its potential clean energy. “Wind speeds can be as much as 70 percent higher than on land,” and the wind can be replenished better than land through storms.
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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Friday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Week in Review October 6, 2017: Federal Government Refuses to List Walrus as Threatened Species, Sharks Longer Lived Than Previously Thought and More

1.  Federal Government Refuses to List Walrus as Threatened Species


pacific walruses, walruses, sea ice, endangered species acteThe Trump Administration is denying walruses the status of threatened species.  They say that the walrus is adapting to the vanishing sea ice by foraging along coastlines instead. “Walruses in the last decade have been forced ashore in unprecedented numbers, resulting in deaths, especially of young animals, and long swims for nursing females and other walruses to find food.” This decision, which wildlife groups say imperil the species, will likely be challenged in court.
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2. Sharks Live Longer Than Previously Thought


reef shark, coral reef, sharkA scientist has found that sharks live longer, as much as twice as long, as previously thought. Dr Alastair Harry looked at 53 populations of sharks already being studied and found that a third of the species’ ages had been underestimated by as much as 34 years. This study is important for shark fishing management. Most sharks are not targeted but are caught as bycatch.
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3.  Protection Gained at CITES Take Effect for Silky and Thresher Sharks


silky shark, thresher shark, CITES, CITES Appendix IIA year ago, Sea Save Foundation was instrumental in getting silky and thresher sharks listed under CITES Appendix II. Implementation began October 4, which means that trade in those sharks is now regulated internationally to ensure their survival in the wild. CITES regulates the international trade of over 35,000 plants and animals.
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4.  EU to Commit $1 Billion to Protect Marine Life


The European Union and its private sector will announce a commitment of $1 billion to better protect marine life. The money will be used to further areas of action including climate change, sustainable fisheries and marine pollution.
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5. Non-Native Marine Species Floating Across the Pacific on Plastic Debris


sea slugs, japanese sea slugs“Between 2012 and 2017 nearly 300 species of marine animals arrived alive in North America from Japan, having traveled on crates and other objects released into the Pacific following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011.” Two-thirds of the animals--including mollusks, crustaceans, and worms--had never been found before on the West Coast of the United States. The discovery raises the alarm about the dangers of invasive species "hitchhiking" on plastic debris. Non-native species can wreak havoc on native ecosystems by outcompeting native wildlife.   
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6. River of Trash Flows Through Guatemala

Chimaltenango, Guatemala, river of trash

A river of trash flows through Chimaltenango, Guatemala, in a video taken in September. A city upstream “hides” its garbage, and during the rainy season, the trash flows downstream. Locals depend on this river for drinking water. A quarter of Guatemalans, and up to 50 percent in rural areas, don’t have access to clean drinking water.
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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Friday. 

Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.