Great Barrier Reef: Gone in 20 years!

Biologists are saying that their is a great concern for the worlds great barrier reefs. If some drastic changes don't happen soon, the great barrier reef could be dead within 20 years.

There needs to be a huge cut in the greenhouse gas emissions or there will be drastic changes occurring. Because of the rising temperatures, and as a result rising sea temperatures, the corals that live within the sea are becoming bleached and dieing. Not only are the corals being bleached, the rising temperatures are making the oceans become more acidic and is preventing the corals from being able to create their limestone skeletons. he rising temperatures of the sea plus the increase in acidity could be harmful and deadly for the reefs of the oceans. If things keep going the way they are going, within 20 - 50 years there could be no more living corals within our oceans. This is not the first we've herd of this, the warning signs have been around for a couple of years now. This has been around since 1998, when there was a major bleaching event that occurred in the oceans causing an alarming 16% of the worlds corals died.

Global warming is not only having an effect on the worlds oceans, this is also affecting the rain forests and glaciers. Something needs to be done and it needs to be done today. If hings keep going the way they are going then the worlds oceans, rainforest's, plants, animals and us will suffer the consequences.

Read More~>

~www.ocean.com

~http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/reef-could-be-dead-in-20-years/2007/04/06/1175366472224.html

South Pacific Tsunami

The Solomon Islands are located in the South Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Australia. On Monday, April 2/2007 (3 days ago), The tiny islands were in devastation as an earthquake, measuring 8 on the Richter scale. This triggered a tsunami warning, but after several hours of not being struck, by the massive wave,the danger period passed and the warning ended. A short while later, the small islands were struck by a tsunami. Ten feet of water was rushing through the towns, buildings along the waterfront were destroyed. Police in the town of Gizo reported seeing a wave several feet high crashing ashore, but then the communications were lost shortly after.

The quake struck at 7:39am, about 10kilometers beneath the saeas surface and 350kilometers northwest of Honiara. Since it measured so high on the Richter scale, the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre thought this could trigger a tsunami and issued a warning for the Solomon Islands and their neighbour Papua New Guinea. When Honiara received a 15-centimeter wave, the warning was cancelled.

After reading an article today, Thursday April 5/2007, on the oceans channel, there is still no aid at the islands and it is several days away. Thousands of people have been left homeless and things may remain that way for another couple days. Rescuers are struggling to reach the remote villages of the islands. At least 28 people have been killed and there could still be more.

Read More~>

~http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0%2C20867%2C21506227-1702%2C00.html

The Living Ocean

The worlds oceans are a very diverse place. Many different types of flora and fauna call the ocean home. Species can be found throughout the entire ocean, from the top, sunlit areas, to deep down where no light can penetrate and some species even live on or within the seafloor. The ocean can be divided into two general zones; the pelagic zone, also known as the water environment, and the benthic zone, also know as the seafloor environment. The pelagic zone can be divided into sub-categories. They are the coastal, or neritic zone, the area above the continental shelf, and the oceanic zone, the area of open ocean away from the direct influence of land. Depending on the depth, the benthic and pelagic zones can be further divided.
The most abundant organisms found in the ocean are called microbes or microorganisms. They are single celled organisms and they carry out a variety of processes. They are very small in size compared to other marine species, averaging about a few microns. Invertebrates, fish and whale species can be seen really easy compared to microorganisms. Most of the other species found in the ocean, like invertebrates, fish and whales, are considered multi-cellular organisms. This means they have several cells that interact and form tissues, organs and limbs. There are many other types of organisms that make up the food chain withint the oceans. The next species up from microorganisms would be plankton, then zooplankton, nekton, benthos and larger species.
There are many complex interactions that occur in the ocean. Species. The marine environment is made up of a variety of different ecosystems, with diverse communities. Species are grouped together based on either their relatedness or their function. Species can either be prokaryotes, unicellular organisms, with no internal membrane structures, or eukaryotes, unicellular or multi cellular organisms containing internal membrane-bound cell structures. After determining if the species belongs to the group of prokaryotes or eukaryotes, they are then further categorized by kingdoms, families, classes, orders, etc. This is a process known as taxonomy. Taxonomy is based on species who share common morphologies.
Species can also be categorized in two general types, based on how they obtain energy. First there are autotrphs, which generate organic matter from inorganic matter. Then there are heterotrophs consume the organic matter by consuming autotrophs.
Life in the ocean does no only stop at the species and what groups they are in, but there are other factors to be considered when looking at life in the oceans. Things like carbon, salinity, temperature, etc. Since the oceans are so diverse and complex, it is what makes them interesting and fun to learn about.
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~Chapter 14 in "An Introduction to the World's Oceans", by Keith A. Sverdrup and E. Virginia Armbrust.

MarineBio.org

As I was searching the Internet to find something to write about in my blog, i came across this really cool website MarineBIO.org, and was Reading some of the articles. It has really interesting links about marine species, marine conservation, global warming, sustainable fisheries and then I came across another link about marine endangered species. I started looking through the list and I was absolutely shocked at the number of endangered species are listed on the ICUN red list. There are over 1,300 endangered marine species ranging from whales, dolphins, manatees and dugongs, salmon, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks. It is amazing how this is all happening around us and a lot of people don't even have a clue about it. I know that I didn't know that there was that many marine species on the endangered list. I think governments and scientist should really start doing something today before those species go from being endangered to extinct. If there is mass extinctions in the oceans, then it will not only cause problems in the oceans, but for us on land too.

Seaweed: The Oceans Forest

Seaweed are forms of algae and are marine plants. There are three basic types of seaweed, brown, green and red. Brown seaweed has about 5000 different species, green seaweed has about 800 species and red seaweed has about 2000 species. Seaweed is attached to the bottom of the ocean by holdfasts. They provide shelter and food sources for many species within the ocean. Some species of seaweed can grow several meters in length or be very tiny. They stay a float with tiny gas/air pockets. Seaweed an be found in all of the worlds oceans and is usually located in sandy bottoms or attached to rocks in intertidal zones. Seaweed is not considered a plant because it lacks the specialized vascular system. Like plants, seaweed is photosynthetic, converting energy form the sun into energy. Seaweed contains chlorophyll and seaweed can also contain other light absorbing pigments like red, blue, brown or golden, which provides the pretty colouration seen in red and brown seaweeds.

Seaweed is not only beneficial in the ocean. It is used as medicines and eaten by humans and sometimes used as fertilizer.

Read More~>

~http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/seaweeds/seaweeds.html

~http://seaweed.ucg.ie/

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaweed

Sharks; 'Heading for Troubled Waters'

In today's newspaper, there was an article titled "Heading for Troubled Water", a study done by Dal Housie and the depletion on the worlds sharks. Many of the worlds sharks are near extinction and it is thought that this extinction is causing a serious/dangerous ripple effect in the marine food-chain. A study has been done, and it shows that there is a disappearance to depletion of other marine species. The species that sharks use to prey upon are now having a huge boom since there is not as many sharks around to prey on them.It has been shown that there is an increase in about a dozen smaller sharks, rays and skates and this has caused a cascading effect throughout various ecosystems because they are depleting the limited amount of nutrient sources, which is altering natures complex food webs. It is thought that since the larger animals are being disproportionately hit by overfishing, that it is effecting everything beneath them in the food web. This is restructuring the oceans food web and how it operates.
Scientists are now thinking that the shark populations are lower then what was previously thought. One of the main sources for this huge decline is the practice of finning the sharks then throwing the carcasses back overboard. Since there is such a huge decline in the top predators, there are not enough of them around to be fulfilling their roles in the food web and therefor no longer controlling the species below them. Not only is this having effects in the oceans, but it is having effects for communities that depend/thrive on healthy fisheries. Scientists are not yet sure of what this means for the oceans food web, but they do think that the greater increase in other species will disrupt the wider natural order in all the oceans world wide. It is estimated that the population of the rays alone has increased about ten percent.
Scientists only thought that this could happen in smaller ecosystems like ponds, but seeing it in the marine environments has become very alarming. Scientists are now seeing why one species, like the sharks, can be so important to the entire world and how it can disrupt the flow of energy.
Now that scientists know, they should be spreading the word around and start enforcing laws so that the populations in the oceans can get back to normal and their is not a mass extinction like what happened with the dinosaurs.
Read More~>
~ http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/567675.html

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles (Chelonioidae) can be found in all of the worlds oceans except the Arctic ocean. Some species of the sea turtles do not just live within one ocean, but they travel between different oceans. The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest of the sea turtles and measure about 6-7 ft in length and 3-5 ft in width and can weigh up to 1300 pounds when it reaches sexual maturity. Most of the other species of seat turtles are much smaller in size, averaging about 2-4 ft in length and much smaller in width. There are seven different types of sea turtles, they are Kemp's Ridley, Flatback, Green, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Hawksbill and the Leatherback. All of them, except the Leatherback, belong to the family Chelonioidea and the Leatherback belongs to the family Dermochelyidae. The sea turtles are distinguished/identified by different features they have. Some of these features are scales on the head or the number and shape of scutes on the carapace. The Leatherback sea turtle is the only one that does not contain a hard shell covering its exterior, instead it has a mosaic of bony plates that are beneath its leathery skin.

Sea turtles have a very good sense of both time and location. They are very sensitive to the earths magnetic field and they use it to help them navigate. Sea turtles, if given the chance, can live up to 198yrs. Most sea turtles head back to the location where they were born to nest, which means that location must have imprint in its magnetic features. Most species nest individually, but the Ridley turtle go ashore in one mass, known as the "arribada" (arrival). The kemp's Ridley, this happens on the beach during the day and only on one particular beach in the entire world. There use to be larger numbers, but now, there is an extensive amount of poaching and hunting for turtle eggs, which has lowered the numbers. It is illegal to hunt turtles, but they are caught worldwide, mainly for the food industry. Some of them are even hunted for their shells. Turtles are very important, not only to humans but to the oceans and beaches as well. If turtles were to become extinct, then there would be a significant negative impact to the beaches and oceans.

Read More~>

~http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/SeaTurtle/home.html

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle

Mollusca

In the marine environment, of of the advanced invertebrates groups are the mollusca. They are soft bodied creatures and have over 80,000 species. Some species include snails, clams, muscles, oysters, squid and octopus. There are 8 classes within the molussca phylum and three of the main ones include the gastropods (snails), bivalvs (clams, muscles and oysters) and chepalopods (octopus, squid and cattle fish). They are all very different species but they all have the same stomach and digestive tract, which is why they are grouped together in the same phylum. The gastropods are the largest class of mollusca, containing about 80% of the species. They live in shells, which provide protect against predators. Snails can be found in freshwater, marine and terrestrial environments. They are herbivores. The class Bivalvia, contains two shells and are, for the most part, symmetrical. There are over 30,000 species, including clams, muscles, oysters and scallops. They can live in both the marine and freshwater environments. The feed by filtering water around them. Chepalopods contain a bilateral body symmetry. It is estimated that there are about 1000-1200 species in the Chepalopod class. They have a large head and usually 8 arms or tentacles.

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~http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/Courses/Tatner/biomedia/units/moll1.htm
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusc

Blue Ring Octopus

After hearing about the blue ring octopus in class today, I decided to learn a bit more about it. This is a short video I found, it would be better with some commentary, but oh well.
The blue ringed octopus (B.R.O) is a small Marine creature and they only grow to about 20cm long. They belong to the family Octopodidae. They have soft bodies and have eight arms or tentacles like all octopi. It is normally a dark brown to dark yellow colour, but turns to a vivid yellow with noticeable blue rings when it becomes agitated. The are normally found in tropical to subtropical areas, ranging from Japan down to Australia. The reside in shallow reefs or tide pools from 0-20m in depth. When a predator comes too close, the B.R.O will secrete one of two lethal poisons. The first one is primarily effective for crabs, their main predator and food source. The second is very toxic and use as a defense mechanism against other predators. Once the predtor dies, the B.R.O begins eating with its large beak-like mouth. B.R.O hatch from eggs and are only about the size of a pea. The continue growing until it becomes a mature adult. When an adult, they are only, on average, the size of a gulf ball. Their life expectancy is about two years.

Read More~>
~Here

Luminescnence

Source: youtube.com

Here is a short video that I found interesting and i thought it would be a good follow up to my previous blog.I think it is fascinating that animals deep down in the oceans are able to produce light and use it to their advantage, either to lure in prey or escape predators. There are a few species on land, like fire flies, that produce light, but the majority of species that are able to produce light are animals deep down in the oceans.The sad thing is, is that there are many species that on land, we do not have animals that are bright pink or purple, but in the oceans we have species ranging from every color in the rainbow. There are bright pink or purple animals and corals down in the oceans, but humans are destroying the oceans faster then they can learn and discover these beautiful creatures.I hope they realize what they are doing before it is too late!

The Skeleton Coast

I herd my professor mention the skeleton coast in class, so i decieded to learn a bit more about it.
The skeleton coast is located on the western side of Africa, on the Namibian coast. It is called the skeleton coast because there have been several ship wrecks and many lives lost there. It is one of the most famous yet feared coastlines in the world. There are unpredictable currents, the coast is made completely of sand and thick fogs which make it a nightmare for ships and sea creatures like whales to pass through there.
The skeleton coast is home for the Benguela current. This current gives the area the thick fog that is present for most of the year. The benguela current is made up of frigid waters and moves from the southern ocean from areas like Antarctica and flows north-ward along the African coast. This current is partially responsible for the desert conditions of the Namibia shoreline. There is rich productivity along the Cape of Good Hope, but harsh storms and turbulence above it.
The winds along the shoreline of Namibia blow from inland out to the sea and this makes it so that little or no rain falls. The climate there is inhospitable for humans and most species. The coast has been named for all the shipwrecks that have occurred due to thick, impassable foggy conditions and the rocks.
Even though there is little rain, there has been an area of about 16,000km² declared as the Skeleton Coast National Park. The northern half of the park is dedicated to wildlife. The remainder of the coast is the National West Coast Recreation Area.
The area is also very productive in terms of diamond mining. In the early-mid 1900's, the land there was so abundant in diamonds, they could be found within the sand. Now the diamonds on-land have been depleted of diamonds, it has been moved to an offshore industry. Big companies are out off the coast mining the sea floor for diamonds.

Read More~>
~http://www.africatravelresource.com/africa/namibia/00/N32-skeleton/00.htm
~http://www.namibian.org/travel/namibia/skeleton.htm
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_Coast

Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that is created by some land species, but mostly by deep ocean fish. In the ocean, the average depth that bioluminescence occurs is about 1-8 thousand feet. Organisms that are able to emit bioluminescence range from bacteria and dinoflagellates to fish and squid. There are two types of bioluminescence that exist. The first type occurs mostly to fish and squid and is when the light is produced by photophores. The second type is when the organism internally produces the chemicals that are needed to create the bioluminescent light. Bioluminescence can be used for four natural processes. They are escaping predators, courtship, communication and attracting prey. About 75 percent or more of the fish that live deep down in the gloomy waters pocess bioluminescence in one way or another.

The first thing needed for bioluminescence to occur is luciferin, a light emitter. This is aquired through the food chain or is within the animal itself. Different animals use different types of luciferin. There are about six different types of luciferin that exist. The luciferin reacts with another molecule called luciferase, salt and oxygen and in turn produces a burst of light and water. Luciferin + Luciferase + Salt + Oxygen --> Light + Water

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~http://www.milton.edu/academics/pages/marinebio/biolum.html

Fangtooth

The fangtooth, Anoplogaster cornuta, has a a large head and mouth compared to its short, deep body. It's body is covered with small, prickly scales and it has very large teeth. It's teeth are so large, the fish can not fully close its mouth. When it closes its mouth, the bottom teeth go into a pocket located on the upper jaw. The coloration is dark brown to black. The length of a fangtooth is usually around 17cm. The juvenile fish eat small crustaceas while the adults eat fish. It is commonly found in temperate marine waters, between 500-2000m down. It is found in regions called the bathypelagic or the mesopelagic depths of the ocean, 4992m. Since the fangtooth is found at very deep depths below the seas surface, it is hard for scientists to really study them. The reproduction of fangtooths is unknown, but it is thought to ccur sometime between June and August. The offspring come out as planktonic larvae. The juveniles begin to assume adult form when the reach about 8cm in length. Scientists have brought fangtooths to the surface and placed them in aquariums to study them, and the fish have been able to stay alive eventhough they are in conditions quite different from what they are use to. In the day, these fish tend to stay deep down in the gloomy dark waters, but at night, they tend to rise up closer to the surface and feed by the stralight. Then, when daybreak begins, they swim back down to the deep, gloomy waters. Some fangtooth go around in groups while others perfer to go at it alone. Scientists think they use contact chemoreception to find prey and relying on luck to find or bump into something edible. They are preyed upon by larger, palegic fish like tuna and marlin.

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~http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/acornuta.htm

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fangtooth

Whale Sharks

The whale shark is the largest species (fish) living in the oceans. They contain a fiusiform baody shape can can reach lengths up to 14m (46'). They have alternating columns of white spots and verticle white, thin lines. They have a long, think mouth, that runs the entire length of their flattened head. They have very small eyes that are located very far foward on the head. Each nostril has a small barbel and their gill slits are very long, extending up past their pectoral fins. They have small pelvic fins, two dorsal fins and a semicircular caudel fin. The whale shark is a filter feeder, swimming close to the surface. They mainly eat small crustacean plankton, small fish and even a few larger fish. The whale shark is whats called a live-bearer. Some pregnant females have been found contain several hundred young at lengths of about 2'. They are mainly found in tropical or subtropical regions along the coasts and sometimes eneter into lagoons or tropical islands. They are mostly seen near the surface, where they are very curious and gentle with divers.

Read More~>
~http://www.new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sharks/species/whale.html
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark

Sharkwater

First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Cathy Conrad for giving so many of us the oppurtunity to go see that movie last night. It was amazing. I would definately recommend other people to go see it. That ovie really opened my eyes because i did not know that the shark population was dwindling down like that. I never knew people hunted sharks just for the fins. I really think what these people are do is wrong and if people think the sea hunt is cruel, then they should see what is happening to those poor sharks. The seals are not put through as much pain and torture as the sharks are. The sharks are definned alive then thrown back in the water to die. If the fins are being used just to add texture to a soup, then they should really find something else to put in the soup. It is wrong to kill the sharks for the prupose of their fins and nothing else. I really think that people need to become more educated on the marine environment and see what the effects of what they are doing is going to do to the planet and everything on it in the long run. To kill sharks, or any other animal, for the reason of money is wrong. Poeple should become aware of what is going on in the ocean and make laws and enforce them to stop pointless killings like this. People should not be overfishing a species untill it is dead for the reason that they are. People would not like to get their arm or leg chopped off while they are still alive and then be left there for dead, so they should not be doing it to animals. I think its good that Rob Stewart is getting involved and trying to make other people aware of what is happening with the shark populations and i hope people start to realize and do something about it before it is too late.

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~Sharkwater
~FilmFestival

Tides

Tides are a natural phenomena that occur all over the world. They are known as the rise and fall of the sea around the coasts of land. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull/attraction that the moon and sun have with the earth. There are two types of tides, spring tides and neap tides. Spring tides are those tides that are very high and very low and occur twice a month. They occur with the new moon and the full moon. Neap tides are those that are halfway inbetween the phases of the moon.
Tides that occur far out in the middle of the sea go unnoticed, but those that occur around the shores and beaches are very noticed and and govern many water related activities, commercial and recreational. Depending on the place will depend on ow the tides behave. In places where there is one high tide and one low tide a day is said to be diurnal tides. In these areas, the maximum water level is called high tide and the minimum water level is low tide. Semidiurnal tides there is a cycle of two high water low water sequences. In this case, the two high tides reach about the same height and the two low tides drop to about the same level. In areas where the high tides reach different hieghts and the low tides drop to different levels is sadi to have semidiurnal mixed tides. In these areas, the highest maximum water level is called higher high tide, the lowest maximum water level is called lower high tide, the highest minimum water level is called higher low tide and the lowest minimum water level is called lower low tide.

Read More~>
~ Chapter 11 in 'An Introduction to the World's Oceans'.
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide
~http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/8r.html

Whales

Whales are related to both dolphins and porpoises. Sometimes, a species of the dolphin or porpoise family may have the term 'whale' in the name (ex. Pilot whale), but are not in the whale family. Whales are descendents from land-living mammals (same as dolphins and porpoises) and entered into the water about 50 million years ago. Like all mammals, whales breathe through lungs, are warm blooded, feed thier young milk from mammary glands and have a small amount of hair.
In 1911, a young scientist determined that whales were descendents from land living animals and have since fully adapted to a full aquatic life. This was not widely accepted within the scientific community, but later on it was prived to be correct.
A whales is considered to have what is known as a fusiform body shape, one which resembles a fish. The forelimbs on a whale are called flippers and are paddle-shaped. The end of a whales tail holds the fluke, a.k.a. 'tail fins', which provide the animals with propulsion, or verticle movement. Most whales contain a fin on their backs, a dorsal fin and very few contain hind limbs, some with feet and even digits. whales contain blowholes, which are located on the top of the head and they allow the animal to stay submerged under the water. Beneath the skin is a layer of fat, or blubber, which acts as an energy reservoir. they also have four-chambered hearts. Whales do not have much flexibility because the neck vertebrate are fused together, which allow the whale to have stability.
Whales are considered to be a predator and their food ranges from microscopic plankton to very large fish. A male whale is called a bull, female is called a cow and the young are called calves. A whale is known as a 'conscious breather' meaning that they choose when they breathe due to the harsh environments they live in. A whale needs to be conscious to breathe, so they are unable to fall into an unconscious state of sleep, so they do not sleep for long periods of time. It is believed that only one hemispere of the whales brain sleeps at a time, so in fact the whale is never truly asleep, but they do get around 8 hrs a day, so they get enough rest. Whales communicate through lyrical sounds. Since they are so large and powerful, these sounds are very loud and can be herd for miles. A female gives birth to a single calf and the nursing time is generally long. This associates a strong bond between mother and offspring. Reproductive maturity usually occurs late, around 7-10 yrs. This stratgy yields few offspring but allows for a higher rate of servival out in the wild.
Some species of whales are endangered due to the activitie, whaling, of humans during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They have been hunted for oil, meat, baleen and ambergris. In the twentieth century, some populations were severly depleted. Like humans, whales are threatened by global warming and climate change. As the Atlantic ocean warms, some populations of krill, a main food source of the whale, reduces dramatically and are replaced by things such as jellyfish and salps.

Read More~>
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale
~http://dkd.net/whales/

Antarctic Ice Shelves Breaking!

For the first time, scientist are able to get a look at the ocean floor due to two Antarctic ice shelves breaking. The Antarctic has been covered by ice for several mellinnia. Now scientists are able to get a look at what was under that ice for so long. It hasd been a place of great mystry to the scientific community. An internation team decided to go down to the Antarctic to explore what no-one has ever explored before. They will be able to explore and learn what leis deep below the surface. When they got down there, they found a lot more then what they were expecting to find.
A team of scientist set out to go explore the Antarctic sometime last year. They left on a vessel from a small town in Germany, Cape Town. The team of scientist want to find out what lurked deep below the seas surface, more then 800 miles down in an area that was thought to be undergoin dramatic climate change. Scientist were from 14 different countries, including Germany, Canada and Chile. When they got down there, they were excited to see how the environment has been coping with the loss of the two ice shelves, known as Larsen A and Larsen B. Larsen A collapsed about 12 years ago, while Larsen B collapsed only about 5 years ago. They were unable to remain intact becuase the water was warmingfaster then they thought, faster then any other place on earth. While they were down there, they studied an area about 10,000 sg. Km, using R.O.V's, special sounding devices, cameras and two helicopters. They were able to find 1,000 species, including one that was a pre-historic looking Antarctic ice fish that had no red blood cells, a pink coral, orange sea starts with 12 arms, glass sponges and an Antarctic octopus. They expect that these are many new species that have never been seen before.
When scientists go down to a place liek the Antarctic, they feel miles away from the city, a place they are use to and that is so busy. They saw a place that has been changed by climate change due to human activity and then they realize they eveything on earth is intertwined. Scientist also find it incredibly fascinating that there is still so much left that has to be discovered. They found bright pink and purple corals at 400-600m deep and in one of the harshed environments.
It is also very sad to think that there is a incredible amount of species, both plants and animals, that have get been seen or discovered. At the rate we are goin, many of these species may go extinct before they have the chance to been seen. Hopefully, someday very soon, scientist and other research groups will be able to convince everyone that global warming and climate change is a real thing and that it has to be dealt with today before it is too late!

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~http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/9002437.html
~http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/04/990409073216.htm
~http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1880566.stm

Porpoises

A porpoise is a small cetacean, belonging to the family Phocoenidae. They are related to both dolphins and whales. There are a few differences between dolphins and porpoises, although many people, including fisherman, identify small dolphins as porpoises. One difference between the two is that porpoises have flattened (spatulate) teeth that are distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins. Another difference is that porpoises are r-selected compared to dolphins, meaning that they have more offspring more quickly then dolphins. Porpoises are smaller in size and more stouter. Dolphins have bigger heads and beaks, while porpoises have small, round heads with a blunt jaw. Porpoises have spade-teeth and dolphins have conical teeth. They also have dorsal fins that are shaped like triangles. Porpoises have the ability to dive lengths up to 200m, but they perfer to hunt in shallower waters. They are predators of small fish, squid and crustaceans. They can be found in small groups, usually ten or less individuals. They are fast swimmers and have the ability of echolocation to find prey and group-coordination. Porpoises are not acrobatic like dolphins and when they swim up-side down, they tend to be looking for a mate. In some countries, porpoises are hunted for food or bait meat. A decline in porpoises numbers has occurred due to bycatch in fishing nets. One of the most endangered species is the Vaquita because it is mainly limited to the Gulf of California, a highly industrialized area.

Read More~>

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porpoise

~http://www.theporpoisepage.com/

Dolphins

Dolphins are marine mammals and are closely related to porpoises and whales. They can be found world-wide, but usually live in shallow waters near the continental shelf. They vary in size and weight, ranging from 1.2 - 9.5 m in size and 40kg-10tonnes in weight. They are carnivorous mammals, mostely feeding on fish and squid. A dolphin is considered to be one of the most intelligent animals and are very friendly in nature, which makes them very popular to humans.

It is believed that dolphins evolved about 10 million years ago during the miocene. The Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea. The word 'dolphin' comes from the ancient greek, meaning 'with a womb', so it can be interpreted as meaning 'a fish with a womb'.
Dolphins often leap above the water and sometimes perform acrobatic tricks. Scientists are unsure of this particular behaviour. Dolphins are also very playful creatures and can often be seen playing with seaweed or playfighting with other dolphins. They also like playing in the waves, riding along in the waves. They even 'surf' coastal sweels and and bow waves of boats. Dolphins are also willing to approach humans and even playfully interact with them in the water. Because dolphins and so playful and inteeigent, humans often employ them for many things, including shows. Dolphins can be trained to perform shows for human entertainment.
But dolphins also have threats to them. Things like polluted waters, with pesticides and heavy metals, threaten thir survival. Sometimes, dolphins are killed or injured by boats in the open water. Some fishing methods, like the use of drift or gill nets, also result in large numbers of deaths for them. Some parts of the world, like Japan and the Faroe Islands, consider dolphins as a food, so they hunt them with harpoons or drive hunts.
The year 2007 has been declared as (International) Year of the Dolphin by the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme .
I think dolphins are neat animals and when I was at Marine Land I loved seeing them perform. I thoguht it was amazing the kinds of tricks they can do.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin

Artificial Islands

An artificial island is one that is man-made and not formed by natural processes. These islands are usually formed by land-reclaimation. These islands are not a new thing that people just started to do. They have been around for a long time, dating back to the crannogs of prehistoric Scotland and Ireland. A lot of these man-made islands have been built in urban harbors to either provide a place deliberately isolated from the city or for spare real estate. These islands can only be constucted with permission of the Coastal state and do not count towards the territorial seas or exclusive economic zones. They also can not have thier own territorial sea or exclusive economic zone. But many people think they are beautiful places and many people want to own homes on them, even celebrities.

I personally think they add something to a country and may even help with tourists. They also look really cool!

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_island

The Oarfish

The oarfish is usually found in temperate to tropical ocean waters, but is rarely seen by the human eye. It is a large, elongated fish and belongs to the family Regalecidae. The oarfish comprises 4 species and 2 genera. Ocassionally, oarfish become beached after a storm or linger around the near shore when they are sick or dying. This has given the oarfish a spot in maritime folklore as a probable source as a sea serpent. Not much is known about the oarfish because they have never been caught alive. There is the ocassional encounter from scuba divers. Larger fish are sometimes fished commercially.
The oarfish has a long dorsal fish, that starts above their tiny eye and extends down. The do not have any visible teeth and have no scales. They have siverish colored bodies with pink to cardinal red dorsal fins. This is what gives that fish the perception of majesty. In latin, the name regalis means royal.
The rare encounters from divers and accidental catches from trawls have provided scientists with the little bit of information of what they know of the oarfish for their behaviour and ecology. In 2001, the first oarfish was filmed alive. Scientists know that they primarily feed on zooplankton, selectively on shrimp, other crustaceans and tiny euphausiids. Sometimes, small fish, squid and jellyfish are taken as well. Predators probably consist of large open-ocean carnivores.

I first herd of this fish in my ecology of gishes class in a lecture about sea serpents. I thought it was interesting that a long time ago, many people describes these fish as large monsters in the sea with a mane like a lion. When i saw this fish, i thought they were a pretty species and I wanted to learn more about them. Unfortunately, theres not much on them right now, but I was able to learn a bit more about them.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oarfish

Giant Jellyfish

The Lion's mane jellyfish, (Cyanea capillata), is the largest know jelly. They usually live in the cold, boreal waters of the arctic, northern Atlantic and northen Pacific. They are not usuauly found in waters below 42 degrees N latitude. The largest jellyfish discovered was washed on shore in Massachusettes Bay and it had a bell-shaped body that was 2.3m in diameter and the testicles measured 36.5m in length. The giant jellyfish has a faal stings, leaving burn marks and are highly toxic. Ones that are found lower in latitude are usually smaller in size. The tenticles are usually grouped in 8 clusteres and each cluster can contain 65-150 tenticles. Jellies found in higher latitudes are usually larger with bell-shaped bodies. The bell is usually divided in eight lobes. The size of a jelly indicates color. The larger jellies are a vivid crimson to a dark purple color. The smaller jellies are a lighter orange to tan color. The giant jelly feeds on zooplankton, small fish, ctenophores and moon jellies. Their preditors involve seabirds, larger fish, other jelly species and sea turtles.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_jellyfish

Water Pollution; "It Needs To Stop"

I love the water and lots of water activities, like i'm sure most people do! Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to try surfing, but I do enjoy swimming, boating and tubing. I have tried water skiing a few times, but everytime i get up i fall down on my face just as fast. In the summer lots of people flee to the beaches on hot days to cool down and tan. Lots of people these days even have the luxary of just going out in their backyard to take a dip. But the sad thing is, is that the earths water may not be as enjoyable in the future like it is now. Not only does the water provide a cool place to go on a hot summers day, but it is home to hundreds of animals. Things like water pollution are destroying the waters and harming the animals that live in it.

Water is a vital part of the earth and it is an essential element of human life. Most people know this fact but they still choose to pollute the worlds waters with toxic chemicals, sewage, fertilizers and much more. This is not only destroying the water bodies on our planet, but it is slowly harming and killing animals that depend on water to survive.

I absolutely love animals and it breaks my heart to hear that animals are being harmed and killed in their habitats. Not only do plants and animals depend on water to survive, but so do we humans. No one would like it if they woke up to see oil or sewage in thier homes, but yet they do it to animals. They think that the oceans will take care of it and thats that. But the worlds water can not keep taking in all this pollution at the rate it is being put in. The real sad thing is, is that if a big company gets caught polluting a lake or river, they basically get a little slap on the wrist and pay a little fine and thats the end of it. I personally think harsher punishments need to be handed out and maybe then people will stop polluting the worlds waters.

Not only are animals being killed off by polluted or unsafe water, but approximately 1.5 billion people lack safe drinking water while another 5 million deaths occur due to waterborn diseases. Water should be something everyone can enjoy, not fear that something will happen to them if they drink it.

Water pollution is becoming a major issue in the world and a serious problem and people really need to start thinking about the future not only for the animals but for ourselves.

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~http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution

Tsunamis

A tsunami is a series of massives waves that occur in the worlds oceans when the water is rapidly displaced on a massive scale. Such phenomena like earthquakes, mass movements (both above and below the water), landslides, volcanic eruptions (or other underwater explosions) or large meteorite impacts have the potential to cause such tragic events. After effects of tsunamis can range anywhere from unnoticeable to devastating. A tsunami usually has a very small amplitude offshore but a vey large wavelength, which is why one can vertually pass unnoticeable in the open sea. A tsunami is usually much larger then a regular tidal wave, but they pass through and around any obsticle that comes in their way. The most damage that occurs is usually by the huge mass of water behind the initial wave front. Tsunamis contain immense amounts of energy, can propagate at high speeds and travel far distances, which means they can cause damage several kilometers away from their place of origin. The height of a tsunami wave in open water is only about 1m, very unnoticeable to seaman in a boat, but they travel at speeds somewheres between 400-500 mph due to the deepness of the ocean water. When a tsunami begins to reach land, the sea begins to get shallower and the tsunami slows down. As it slows down it begins to 'pile-up'. The waves become steeper and taller and the distance bewteen sucsessive crests is shorter. A stunami wave can reach heights of 6 stories or more as in gets cloder to the coastline and compresses. Unfortunately, there are no signs or warnings of tsunamis, but if an earthquake is felt near a body of water that could be considered a sign of one in the making.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami

Rogue Waves

A rogue wave is a large, spontaneous wave that occurs out in the oceans. The can pose a threat even to large ships and sea liners. They use to be thought of as legendary, but now people know they are real things. A rogue wave is a natural occurring phenomena in the oceans. They are not rare phenomena but they are rarely encountered.
In storms, it is common for a wave to reach the height of 7m. Even in extreme storms/conditions, some waves can reach heights of 15m. A rogue wave height is around 30m or a 12 story building. These waves can appear without warning and in clear weather. It is very unlikely for most ships to survive such a wave and with pressures of 100tonnes/m². A rogue wave is not the same thing as a tsunami. The cause of such waves is still a mystery to the scientific world, but active research is being conducted. It is hard for scientist to narrow down a cause and if it varies from place to place. But what they think they know is that the areas of highest risk are those areas that have strong currents that runs counter to the primary direction of travel of the waves.
I personally think that rogue waves are a facinating phenomena But i would never want to encounter one for myself.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freak_waves
~http://www.math.uio.no/~karstent/waves/index_en.html

Pancake batfish

I was looking through a book to find out what kind of species lived in the Northern Gulf of Mexico when I came across this particular fish. I thought it looked kind of cool and different, so I wanted to find out more. Unfortunately i could not find much but here is what i did find out so far:
The pancake batfish (Halieutichthys aculeatus) is one of several fish found in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. They belong to the family Ogcocephalidae, the order lophiiformes and class actinopterygii. This fish is also found in the Western Atlantic, Bahamas and North Carolina. They are usually reef associated fish in subtropical environments. They can grow to sizes of up to 10 cm. They are harmless fish that like sandy-bottom ecosystems and usually spend their days resting on the bottom covered by a thin layer of sand. These fish are called the 'pancake batfish' because the are flat and almost resemble a pancake. The are brown in color on the top and white on their undersides. They have spikes-like fins sticking out of them dorsally. Their head is broadly rounded, they have large pectoral fins and they have a banded caudel and pectoral fins. Sometimes these fish are commonly taking up in the nets from bottom trawling.

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~http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/summary/speciessummary.php?id=3091

Hydrothermal Vents

A hydrothermal vent is a fissure on the seafloor. Hydrothermal vents are usually found in areas of the oceans bottom that is volcanically active. From these vents, flows water that has been heated by underlying magma. The water can reach temperatures as hot as 400°C (752°F) and they usually contain dissolved minerals that precipitate out of the vent upon contact with the colder oceans water. As these minerals flow out of the vents, it creates a chimney like structure, composed of minerals. Hydrothermal vents form an ecosystem for microbes and other marine life, such as tubeworms, clams, and shrimp. These animals are able to withstand these harsh environments. The hottest hydrothermal vents are called black smokers because they spew iron and sulfide which combine to form iron monosulfide, a black compound. The other vents, ones that release cooler water and compounds like barium, silicon and calcium are usually refered to as white smokers.
In order to support a rich community in those harsh environments, a base in the foodchain has to be present. In these environments, that would be chemosynthetic bacteria. The vents not only poor out minerals, but they also provide plenty of these bacteria that support other marine animals. These bacteria are able to use sulfer compounds, in a process called chemosynthesis, to create organic material. These bacteria grow into thick mats, which then attract other marine animals that feed on them. Other aminals like clams, snails, crabs, shrimp, tubeworms, fish and octopuses then form the rest of the food chain, on a predator prey system above herbivores. In these ecosystems, the hydrothermal vent is dependent for the survival of other species because it is the primary source of energy. From studing hydrothermal vents, scientists have discovered over 300 new species.
The first hydrothermal vent discovered was in 1977. Now scientists know that they exist throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, in the Mid-Ocean Ridge System. Scientists are trying to learn more about the hydrothermal vent because they believe they play important roles in the ocean's, chemistry, temperatureand circulation patterns. Scientists are also amazed by the unusual life that survive around these ecosystems. These creatures may help with new drugs, industrial products and other useful things.

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~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrothermal_vent
~http://www.ocean.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/geology/vents.html

The Giant Squid

The giant squid is a deep ocean dwelling creatures that can grow very large in size. It is thought that males can grow as big as 10m while females can grow about 13m. It wasn't until September 30/2004 that scientist got their first pictures of the giant squid in its natural habitat, then on December 4/2003 it was filmed. Surprisingly, the giant squid is not as heavy as one would have thought. In fact, the giant squid weighs less then one of there chief predators, the sperm whale. The giant squid looks heavier then it is because the majority of their length is due to their long, eight arms and two tenticles. Squids that have been captured were in the vicinity of hundreds, not thousands, of kilograms. The giant squid is carvnivorous, and the eat mainly fish and other squid.
Unfortunately, not many people have come in counter with the giant squid, so not much is known about the species. Hopefully, in the future, scientists will be able to get a look at how the giant squid lives, and we will know more about these fascinating creatures.

Read More~>
~ http://www.unmuseum.org/squid.htm
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are beautiful structures that grow on the oceans bottom. They are sometimes refered to as sea gardens. The are composed of coral skeletons that build up on other coral skeletons. Corals are tiny sea organisms that live in colonies of several individuals. Coral reefs usually grow in tropical seas in an area known as the photic zone, an area of water that receives a large amount of sunlight for photosynthesis to occur. This zone also has mild wave action that occurs (waves that are not strong enough to destroy the reef). There has to be some wave action occur to be able to stir up the water enough to circulate oxygen and food around. There are several different forms a reef can take on. An apron reef is one that is short and slopes down from a peninsular shore. A fringing reef is directly attached to a shore. A barrier reef is one that is seperated from the mainland by a deep lagoon. Reefs alos cover about 284,300 sq. Km'sof the worlds oceans and support a large amount of biodiversity. Corals live in a very nutrient poor enviroment, but a process of nutrient cycling between the reef, zooxanthellae and and other organisms associated with the reef provide the right environment to be so rich in biodiversity.
Although reefs are such a beautiful environment, rich in biodiversity, they are being threatened, with activity being human activity being the primary threat. Humans continue to over-fish and pollute the worlds oceans, which causes a serious threat to the oceans ecosystems. But one thing that humans are doing to help save these ecosystems is putting them as marine protected areas.

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~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef

The Dead Zone

Who knew too much of a good thing could really be bad! Well that's whats going on in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus are entering into the gulf from the mississippi. The levels of nitrogen have increases about seven times from what use to enter into the gulf. The elements are one of the primary factors that are responsible for the algae blooms.
The dead zone, which is a zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is an area of low oxygen levels. This condition is known as hypoxia. When oxygen levels fall below 2 mg/L, then it is too low to be able to sustain life. Mobil fish are able to leave the area an survive, but bottom dwellers and plants are not able to leave and therefor die. This, along with the algae blooms, is making it difficult for the northern gulf to sustain marine life.

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~http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/envirobio/enviroweb/DeadZone.htm

Industrial Fishing

A marine biologist from DalHousie university says that by the year 2050, that in order to avoid a global marine apocalypse such industrial fishing methods like bottom trawling and zoning ocean regions for specific uses need to be scaled back. Industrialized fishing methods, like trawling, are one of the driving forces that are leading to the depletion of the worlds marine biodiversity. A DalHousie university professor, Boris Worm, co-authored a book that predicted a collapse in the wolrds fish and seafood species within the first half of this century. The university professor spoke to the provincial government commitee on resource management and said that there is still a window of oppurtunity to prevent such a disaster, but this window is getting smaller and smaller every time a species from the marine environment disappears. "Once it's gone, it's gone...". There is no way to bring a species back once there gone, the only thing to do is leave it be and let recover on its own. The professors report stated that there has been a huge decline in the number of catches since fishing methods such as long-line and deep-sea dragging fishing methods have become world-wide in the 1950's. Along with pollution, destruction of habitat and climate change, is destroying the marine life. The professor thinks that people should go back to the old techniques of using a fishing hook and line, which also results in a better product and zero by-catches. This technique is being used in some parts of the world, like Iceland, where a boat operated by a single fisherman goes out. Mr. Worm does not think all bottom trawling is bad. He thinks it is okay in places liek the North Sea, which have sandy surfaces, and should only be done in places like that. He thinks that places that are used as spawning grounds should be protected from fishing.

I think people, along with government agencies, should start listening to what people like Mr. Worm has to say about the worlds oceans before it is too late. If people do not start doing something about it today, then there will be nothing left. The worlds oceans provide a lot of resources and to be able to have those resources replenished, then people need to stop things like over-fishing and bottom trawling. They should also stop thinking so much about money and more about the marine habitat. But these days, that is all a lot of people really care about, money. they do not care about what they do to get it or what ahppens as an end result. When there is nothing left in our oceans, that is when people will stop and think.

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~ http://www.herald.ns.ca/NovaScotia/554733.html

The Gulf of Mexico: The Dead Zone and The Red Tides

A red tide is another name for the phenomena of the algal bloom. A red tide occurs when there is an accumulation of marine algae in the water. These algae are also known as phytoplankton, which is a single-celled, plant like organism. These phytoplankton can form dense patches on the waters surface. When there are high enough concentrations of algae in the water, the water becomes discolored. Not all algae patches are dense enough to discolor the water. The red tides are not associated with tidal movements, which is why the term 'algae bloom' is used.

Starting in 1970, a region on the Gulf of Mexico, which is located in the northern part of the gulf, was recorded as being a 'dead zone'. This occured every 2-3 years due to increased levels of hypoxia. Now the dead zone is an annual thing in the gulf. Each year around spring time, ending around late August or September, the dead zone occurs. It is called the dead zone because oxygen levels are too low to be able to sustain the marine life there.

Phytoplankton, which cause red tides, share a relationship with hypoxia. The presence of nitrogen and phosphorus, along with a disrupted food chain, create favorable conditions for the toxic phytoplankton. Along with the low oxygen levels from the hypoxia, the red tides paralyze the respiratory supply in the water, which kills of more of the marine species.

read more~>

~http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/envirobio/enviroweb/DeadZone.htm

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide

The Bay of Fundy: A Tourism Potential

The Bay of Fundy is located on the Atlantic coast of North America. A study is being conducted to see if places along the Bay of Fundy can be a big tourist hotspot like the Cabot Trail or Peggy's Cove. The Bay of Fundy has some of the world's highest tides and a wide variety of tourist products can become available to take this location to the next level. A $10,000 study that is planned to be done by the end of February is being conducted on the Fundy shore area. The study hopes to show the area's current and proposed tourism developments and attractions. It will also analyze things like transportation links, accessability and accomadation capacity, which are all essential elements for any star tourist spot. The study will show researchers where holes in products and experiences and allow them to see what they need to do about it. Nova Scotia Tourism Visions say that three new star generator areas may attract somewheres between 600,00 - 750,000 visitors to the province a year. They belive that the Bay of Fundy has more potential has a tourist destination attraction. Some projects that are being planned include a new interpretive centre at the Joggins fossil cliffs and proposals for a Digby Area Fundy Discovery Centre, a Fundy Geological Museum expansion and a Cape Split trail system. Before any new tourist destinations are finalized, the roads need to be looked at to ensure that they provide a safe and comfortable access to the destinations, but can also enhance the expericence by offering things like amazing look-offs. Not only will the study help with the new planned tourist attractions, but it will show other oppurtunities that the Fundy has to offer in the future.

I personally think it is a great idea to show the rest of the world what Nova Scotia has to offer in tourism. The Bay of Fundy is a beautiful spot and it would be great if they did put tourist attractions there for more people to enjoy.


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~http://www.herald.ns.ca/Business/553399.html

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is located just south of the United States (west of Florida) and to the east of Mexico. It connects to the Atlantic Ocean

by the Straits of Florida. It is the ninth largest body of water on Earth and has three major rivers running into it, the Mississippi River, Brazos River and the Rio Grande. The Gulf of Mexico has been a good source of oil and gas. It was first discovered shortly after Christopher Columbus' first trip to the Americas by the Europeans. Overall, it covers and area of 579,000 ft.

read more~>

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico

~http://209.56.134.1/00_01/BW/lc/lc.htm

Global Warming

What is global warming? Is it just a bit of extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or is it the glaciers in the north melting a bit? No global warming is much more than that. Global warming is, in some eyes, a scientific fact. It more greenhouse gases being trapped in the atmosphere which is causing higher then normal averages both on land and in our oceans. Not only does it effect our planet, but it effects the well ebing of both humans and other living plants and animals on the earth as well. The sad reality is that the increase of greenhouse gases is warming up our atmosphere, which in turn increases earth temperatures, which will melt the glaciers faster then normal which will mean no habitat for species like the polar bears. And this is just one small chain of effects that global warming has on the planet. It has more effects on more issuse that people should be concerned about.

It's kind of funny, because last year some of my professors showed a video on global warming. Some scientists believed in global warming, some did not but people operating big businesses said that global warming was a positve thing. They said it was good to have warmer temperatures because people liked it more and that the trees were able to keep up with the incresing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere becasue it increased their growth. i for one, believe in global warming and think it is an issuse that should be dealt with sooner rather than later not just to benefit us but to benefit our children and granchildren, so they can enjoy the beauty that the earth has to offer.

read more...

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

~http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/default.asp

~http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

~http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/default.asp