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.

Read More~>

~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.

Read More~>
~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.

Read More~>
~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.

Read More~>
~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.

Read More~>
~ 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.

Read More~>
~ 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.

Read More~>
~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.

Read More~>

~ 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.


Read more~>

~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

The Vikings

When you hear the term 'viking', would you think of people who help with the expansion of knowledge of the ocean? I would not either, but they are important figures when it comes to the history of oceanography. Not only were the vikings intertested in trade and colonization, but they were incredible seaman. A viking know as 'Eric the Red' sailed passed Iceland and found what we know today as Greenland. His son came to North America in 1002, approximately 500 yrs before Columbus. The Vikings originally come from Scandinavia and along there journeys they invaded parts of Europe, France and the British Isles between 793-1066. This period is sometimes known as the 'Viking Age'. During their time, they founded many settlements along the coats of places like Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, etc, and they were early explores of North America. But, the vikings were also great worriors. They rampaged many colonies along their voyages.

Even though they were worriors, they had a huge impact on Oceanography today. They helped find new colonies, explored some of North America and were great navigators. They biuld what we call 'Dragon Ships', which in 1880, archaeologists found a whole ship intact. They also built a ship know as the Knarr.

After hearing about the vikings slightly in a lecture i decided to do a bit more research. I learned a lot about the vikings that i did not know. What i find very interesting about all this, is when people talk about history, it is Christopher Columbus who founded North America, but in actual fact, the Vikings, in particular Leif Eriksson son of Erik the Red, was the first one to find North America after sailing west of Greenland.

To learn more...

~http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/vikings.htm

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

Nova Scotia; A Mercury Hotspot

As I was reading over the local newspaper (Chronical Herald), i saw an article that said N.S was one of the top 5 hotspots for Mercury (the other four places were in New York and New England). Mercury is ending up in the lakes around the area (Including Kejimkujik national Park), and the local wildlife is consuming it. This does not only effect those animals, but it effects the rest of the foodchain. Abnormal amounts of mercury (as much as 8x greater then normal) are ending up in the fish and birds (loons) in the area. If the National Parks are being invaded with toxic chemicals, like Mercury, and harming the wildlife in the area, whats going to be left in these parks in the future? Not only do scientists need to start looking at these issues, but so does the rest of the world, including the big Corporate Businesses that are mainly responsible for toxicating the wildlife. Some of the toxins are coming from the rain, but chemicals such as Mercury can stay around in the atmosphere for several months before it exits out, and most of it is ending up in the worlds waters. Not only are these toxins harming the wildlife, but they are contaminating animals that humans will consume, which harms us as well. But do the Big Businesses think about the long term effects that chemical dumping and smoke stacks will have on our planet?

read more~>
~ http://www.herald.ns.ca/Front/551831.html
~ http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/01/03/mercury-hotspots.html

The Gully

The Gully is a rich and diverse habitat that is located south of Nova Scotia, to the east of Sable Island. The Gully is very rich in marine habitats and organisms and even contains some deep-sea corals. It was formed thousands of years ago when the sea floors were much lower and is the prodect of erosion. It is a very large in area, which makes it so rich in diversity and is why it is one of Canada's most outstanding undersea features. The area is composed of sandy banks and a deep-water canyon environment. The Gully is home for both deep and shallow water fishes, whales and dolphins.

Read more~>

~http://www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/e/essim/gully/essim-gully-e.html

~http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/infocentre/guidelines-conseils/factsheets-feuillets/mpa-zpm/sable_e.asp

~http://www.wwf.ca/AboutWWF/WhatWeDo/Initiatives/Initiatives.asp?project=gully

Some Facts

In the past I have learned that more than 70% of the earth's surface is covered by salt water and only 1% by freshwater. by volume about 97% of water is contained in the oceans, while only approxamately 0.0093% is in freshwater lakes and streams and the remainder is in ice, atmospheric water, etc. From those numbers it would be expected that the majority of fish lived in a marine environment, but only about 58% are marine and 41% are freshwater, the other 1% moves regularly between the two environments.