Heading South

Things have been crazy busy since returning from American Samoa. In addition to all the catch-up, I've managed to do some laundry, repack my bag, and now I'm off again to Mexico and then Belize for site visits to our projects along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. There are a lot of legs to this trip with me flying into and out of Houston four times as I bounce between countries over five days. That's a lot of taking my shoes off and throwing away perfectly good bottles of water, but such is the reality of our war on air travelers and liquids.

Internet access willing, I'll try to post while in the field. In the mean time, entertain yourselves with this poignant skit from SNL.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Adds New Great White Shark To Outer Bay Tank... Monterey Sharks Retaliate

On the same day the Monterey Bay Aquarium unveiled a new Great White Shark on display in their outer bay giant ocean tank, an apparently disgruntled Great White took out some not so passive aggression on a Monterey Bay surfer. Yeesh... some elasmobranchs are such spiteful critters.

That's A Moray Monday

Back in San Francisco and time for a regularly scheduled That's A Moray Monday. And here's both a spectacular fish and a vocabulary lesson.

Fimbriated Moray
Gymnothorax fimbriatus
Okay, without looking for your dictionary, what does fimbriated mean? Well, my online dictionary defines fimbriated as having a very narrow border, having a fringed border, or a fringe-like part or structure. And I'm guessing that the fimbriated in this morays name refers to it's tall, fringed dorsal fin running the length of the body. Though I've gotta tell you, I'm not seeing a fringe on any of the images I've found (unless it's referring to the thin white edge to the dorsal fin?). Whatever it refers to, the name would probably be as slippery as the eel itself if it turned up in a spelling bee.

The Fimbriated Moray (also called the Dark-spotted Moray and Spot-face Moray) occurs in coral reef and inshore waters of the tropical Indo-west Pacific, from Madagascar to the Society Islands (French Polynesia), north to southern Japan, south to Queensland, Australia, and throughout Micronesia. The eels habitat is typically lagoons, reef flats and seaward reefs. It prefers protected inshore waters among dead corals, and is quite common in harbors and small caves.

The Fimbriated Moray is grey to light brown in color with rows of well separated dark brown blotches. The head is greenish-yellow dorsally. There is a large white spot at the rear of the lower jaw. A row of large canine teeth runs along the roof of the mouth.
The species grows to about 80 cm (2.6 ft) in length. It is most active at night and feeds primarily on fish and crustaceans.

Reusable Bags For American Samoa?

Paper or plastic? Perhaps the answer is neither. One of the topics of interest to Governor Tulafono at last week's U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting was the possibility of banning plastic bags in American Samoa. And talk may now be turning into action sooner than everyone suspected. Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to break down. As they break down, they may release toxic materials into the water and soil. Plastic bags discarded in the ocean can choke and strangle wildlife. Endangered sea turtles eat the bags and often choke-—probably because the bags resemble jellies, the primary food of many sea turtles.

Should American Samoa take a stand, it could play a leading role for other South Pacific islands facing similar land and oceanic threats from this all too common human debris.

Let Them Eat Cake

With all my running around in the South Pacific, I foolishly missed my birthday. Well, not my birthday... my blog's birthday. Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice, and Sunsets, this labor of occasional love, is one year old as of August 23. One year ago, I tapped-out my first post. And I've gotta say this public journal I foisted upon the blogosphere has grown and evolved in unexpected ways. I certainly enjoy writing this blog, and I also honestly hope you get something worthwhile out of it as well.

So in keeping with my love of ocean, help yourselves to some cake. Fish cake (kamaboko) of course!

Skinny Dipping Now Officially Off My List Of Things To Do In Africa

I think the only words that fully capture my feelings on seeing these images are "Holy shit!" I give you the African tigerfish (Hydrocynus sp.).

That's A Wrap!

And so ends the 18th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting in Pago Pago, American Samoa. It was a busy week, but it was a fantastic opportunity to learn and meet coral reef scientists and conservationists from around the world. Today was mostly progress reports of coral conservation projects from states, territories, and freely associated states. But after the reports, the Task Force passed several resolutions that have been in development for over a year. Most significantly, a climate change resolution was unanimously approved with some of the strongest language I've yet seen from a United States agency regarding global warming and necessary steps that the federal government should undertake. It's a remarkable document and represents a bipartisan effort from federal and state agencies. Let's see where this resolution goes once it gets back to Washington.

As a fond farewell, Governor Tulafono joined with other American Samoans to sing a traditional Samoan song of bon voyage. Then, we were all given mementos of the Task Force meeting and American Samoa hospitality. And nothing says hospitality in Samoa like a box full of canned wahoo.

I enjoyed my short stay in American Samoa. While I never got the chance to get underwater, what I see above water is incredible natural beauty. Samoans are big, friendly, proud, and outgoing people... though a tad too god-obsessed for my taste. I'm certainly looking forward to getting home, but I hope I can return sometime soon to really get to know American Samoa beyond just a conference hall.

I hope that American Samoa can also find a way to full independence and wean itself from the U.S. federal funding nipple. While the Samoan identity is certainly strong, there is still this undertone of forced dependence upon federal coffers (several checks were signed to the American Samoa government while the meeting participants stood witness) and there is a certain expectation for NGO sugar daddies to cough-up financial assistance as well. Perhaps these are the stages an island nation must pass through along the road to sovereignty. But with no tourism economy to speak of, and a diminishing fisheries economy, it's hard to know how American Samoa could become financially independent. I'd hate to see the pristine coastlines here dotted with casinos, but you can certainly understand the allure such scenarios present to local Samoans. It's a big Gordian Knot of a problem, and an easy (or even complex) solution isn't forthcoming.

American Samoa Announces Big Fish Restrictions

I forgot to mention an important announcement made yesterday during the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force proceedings. During a presentation on community-based fisheries management, Director of the American Samoa Marine Management Program, Ray Tulafono, announced that American Samoa would be placing fishing restrictions on large reef fish, including sharks, humphead (Napoleon) wrasse, humphead parrotfish (pictured above), and other large marine species. It's unclear yet if this is a size restriction or a full ban. Regardless, this announcement recognizes the importance that large reef fish play to the replenishment of fish stocks along the reef and in associated reef ecosystems.

It's also American Samoa's opportunity to step-up to follow other Pacific Island nations in recognizing the objectives set forth by the Micronesian Challenge. While this intended restriction was announced by the Director in the presence of the Governor, it still needs to wind it's way through the American Samoa legislature. In addition, it needs to be embraced by local fishing communities whose support will be critical if such a ban is to ultimately prove successful. Community and village support will help reduce the possibility of poaching and increase the ability of reef managers to monitor through greater village support for conservation objectives.

Samoan Suds: A Lot Like Water... Minus The Taste

Man, They Have Big Mosquitoes Here

Mixed Feelings On The Role Of Tradition

Apologies for the blog silence, but such is the up and down reality of internet service in American Samoa (or at least Sadie's by the Sea Hotel). With limited bandwidth, apologies also for the lack of images for this post.

The Coral Reef Task Force has been devoting a lot of discussion time to the role of traditional knowledge and practices in informing and assisting marine protected area management. It's a topic of considerable significance to my own work in coral reef conservation. We had an opportunity in several sessions on Monday and Wednesday to hear speakers from throughout the Pacific Islands discuss how traditional knowledge has been incorporated into management structures and community support for conservation.

Since this meeting is being hosted by American Samoa, there is (not surprisingly) a heavy presence of god-talk going on. It all got kicked-off on Monday during the ava ceremony when Governor Tulafono started channeling the pope in offering profuse blessings to all the delegates. He thanked god for coral reefs, thanked god for the task force, thanked god for the USA. Then this morning (Wednesday) we had a Samoan reverend from a local pentecostal church provide a benediction and blessing. He remarked that he knew that we participants, as christians, understood that we were stewards for god's creation. His benediction, blessings, and the accompanying full choir hymns (amazingly beautiful Pacific island harmonies) took 45 minutes.

In another presentation by a local village elder, we heard how the foundation of MPA management should be fa'a Samoa (the Samoan way of life) and christianity. Let's forget for the moment that christianity in the Pacific Islands is merely an historical artifact of the rabidly conversion-crazed (though not necessarily pious) missionaries who swept through the Pacific basin throughout the 19th century. Was pre-conversion fa'a Samoa a less sound basis for resource management? I don't suppose anyone can answer that question. But all this does underscore the somewhat uneasy relationship I have as an athiest working towards conservation objectives in the Pacific.

I'm a pragmatist in my approaches, so if religious belief demonstrates any utility in reducing biodiversity loss then I'll be the first to leverage it. But it does trouble me to see the absolute control that an imposed, non-indigenous religion has over free inquiry in many Pacific cultures. As a queer man, what perhaps troubles me the most is the Pacific Islands brand of christian intolerance regarding homosexuality. In almost every small Pacific island culture where I've inquired about the status of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered residents, I often hear the same response from locals, "Oh, we don't have gay people here."

As much as I'd hate to be an athiest living in some Pacific cultures, I cannot even fathom the absolute isolation of growing up gay here. I certainly know what it was like to grow up gay and isolated in the states. But what about in a place like American Samoa where, at least to my cursory investigation, there are zero support mechanisms? Here in American Samoa, gender expectations and roles are very clearly defined. And in a culture where the church carries such intense sway not just on individual lives but also on government operations, it's alarming to imagine how many men and women are living lives and roles imposed upon them for fear of rejection, ridicule, or violence.

Of course there are always exceptions and instances of tolerance. From what I've seen from blogs in Micronesia, some support groups have formed in places like the CNMI and one can assume tolerance is building in other locations. But what sort of existence is it to just be tolerated by your family or community? Sorry, but tolerance is "don't ask, don't tell," separate and not necessarily equal, or similar monikers of second class citizenship.

With all this talk this week of preserving tradition, I can't help but have a visceral aversion to what, for me at least, is the dark side of tradition. In the states, I've come to recognize talk of traditional values as code for such things as homophobia, anti-women's right to choose, christian fundamentalism, anti-science, zenophobia, and other less attractive aspects of human nature. With similar calls that I've heard this week for American Samoa to return to traditional reliance on village customs and church authority, I fear for the future of skepticism, free thought, and human rights in this small tropical paradise.

Off To See The Governor

I'm all decked-out in my island wear best (for me that's a clean aloha shirt and bracing for two or three hours in long pants in tropical heat) all for my audience with American Samoa Democratic Governor Togiola T. A. Tulafono and First Lady Mary Ann Tulafono. I have no idea what to expect, but somebody better be passing around hors d'ouvres because I'm ready to get my eat on. Is it kosher to take a camera to a invitation-only governors reception? We'll find out later.

Cramped Planes, Political Posturing, Ava Rituals, And Other Dispatches From Pago Pago

Talofa is Samoan for Hello or Welcome, and it's been a word in heavy use on this first day of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting here in Pago Pago, American Samoa. I arrived late last night on an absolutely packed flight in from Honolulu. I mean absolutely packed because while the flight was completely full, it felt exceptionally full since it was jam packed with Samoan men.

Now I'm a big guy myself, so it's saying something for me to bestow superlatives of size on anyone else. Samoan men are not delicate Pacific Islanders. Conservatively speaking, they tend to make the Maori of New Zealand look like Munchkins. My flight last night had a full platoon of American Samoan army reservists returning home for a visit. I pity the poor people who got sandwiched in the middle seat between these mountainous men for the five hour flight. I dunno if the Samoan size is genetic or if it's the result of Spam (or a little of both), but I know I'd hate to have been on the receiving end of Samoan wrath during the Polynesian expansion several hundred years ago.

But back to the meeting. I awoke this morning and peeked out the window to a lovely view of a harbor surrounded by soaring lush green volcanic ridges. American Samoa, a U.S. territory, is comprised of the main island of Tutuila, along with the smaller Manu'a Islands, Rose Atoll, and Swains Island. Pago Pago (pronounced Pongo Pongo) is on Tutuila, and I'm staying with most of the delegates at Sadie's by the Sea, a hotel just across the street from the meeting hall. It's location right on the water and just a hike from the National Park of American Samoa would make you think it's always buzzing with business. Unfortunately, that's not quite the case. But I'll have to leave the subject of American Samoa's struggling tourism for another time.

This morning was a closed session meeting for the All Islands Committee, a subgroup of the Task Force consisting of state and territory points of contact and local partners. This gave me a chance to brew a pot of coffee in my room and wash the sheen of sweat residue from my face. The All Islands Committee opened up for general discussion at 9:30AM on the topic of International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2008 planning. Not unexpectedly, this was a topic of interest to a lot of attendees so it turned into a standing room only event in a much too small room. Planning? Not so much.

This is my first Task Force meeting and I have to admit I may have set my expectations a wee bit too high. What we basically have here is a federal and state agency love-fest. On the periphery of this governmental assemblage, NGOs vie for a receptive ear. But by and large, this is the turf of big government acronyms. There's NOAA, and NFWF, and NMS, and NMFS, and EPA, and USDA, and DEP. It's enough to give someone with ADHD the FITS. Attendees here are either Special Assistant to this, or Undersecretary for that. There's certainly considerable power here as well, and it's fascinating to watch the well-practiced political theater play out. I personally watched a particularly hierarchically disposed higher-up get irritated today when someone referred to him by his first name and not as Mr. Chairman.

The highlight of my morning was the official opening of the Task Force Meeting with a Samoan Ava Ceremony. It was a lavish spectacle involving village elders in ceremonial dialogue, an easily 300 pound, traditionally tattooed Samoan warrior serving as ava carrier, and a stone-faced young woman practically carried into and out of the ceremony for the sole purpose of wringing the liquid out of the mashed ava roots.

Ava is the local Samoan name for kava, the mildly intoxicating liquid preparation derived from the roots of a pepper-plant species common throughout the South Pacific islands. I've participated in several kava ceremonies in Fiji, but sadly I was relegated to just be a voyeur here. This Samoan ava ceremony was specifically to pay honor to the assembled federal mucky-mucks. It's that political hierarchy thing again. The above photo doesn't do the ceremony justice (I was in the far back of a large room). Aside from the federal ass-kissing aspect, it was a wonderful peek into Samoan culture.

The afternoon session is focused on the incorporation of traditional knowledge and practices into marine protected area science and management and the panels they have assembled look fascinating. Once I find an internet connection I'll try to post some thoughts.

That's A Moray Monday... On Sunday

Okay, I know it's not Monday, but since I'm not sure what the internet situation will be like in Pago Pago I thought I should play it safe and post this week's feature before boarding my plane.

As I'm still in Hawaii right now, I thought I'd show a little Aloha spirit and feature a Hawaiian native for this week's moray. The native Hawaiians compared this particular eel to King Kamehameha, king above all kings. So I give you Puhi Kapa: Hawaii's eel above all others.

Snowflake Moray
Echidna nebulosa
This eel is white to off-white in color with black and yellow spots formed in patterns like snowflakes on the body, thus the name Snowflake Eel. This disruptive coloration assists the eel in camouflage among the varied colors and textures of its reef home. The eels eyes are generally yellow. This fish grows to an average length of about three feet (36 inches).

The range of the Snowflake Moray is Hawaii southward to Australia, westward through the islands of the Indo-Pacific to the East Indies, and across the Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa. Loose rock or coral rubble and cracks and crevices within the reef are typical habitat for this species. They are quite commonly spotted with their heads poking out of holes in shallow reef systems.

This eel's diet consists mainly of crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs, as well as sea urchins, but it may eat smaller fish if the opportunity arises. Unlike other moray species that have sharp pointed teeth for grasping onto prey, the Snowflake Eel has blunt or flattened teeth mores suited to crushing shelled prey items.

Deep Water Sinks To New Depths

Thousands of years ago around Greenland in the North Atlantic, gigantic icebergs began to melt as the result of a dramatic climate change. As the ice melted, the water quickly sank to the bottom of the ocean to depths exceeding 10,000 feet. As it sank it did not mix significantly with the surrounding ocean water because of a marked difference in temperature and salinity. Thus a huge volume of water, essentially the remnants of giant icebergs and thusvirtually free of pathogens and chemicals was established and ready to begin a long journey.

And so begins the confusing mix of science and hype that's all part of Kona Deep, a relatively new addition to the world of bottled waters. I've written before on the marketing craze behind desalinated deep sea water. And Craig over at Deep Sea News has written extensively about it as well. But I just had my first chance to taste the magic when I spotted Kona Deep sold at the local ABC Store. At $1.99 for 16 fluid ounces (500ml) I figured it was a bargain for such a "pathogen and chemical-free" treat. How about value? Take a look at the image to the right and decide for yourself.

But am I worthy? I'm not so sure after checking-out the Kona Deep customer profile found on their website. Ask yourself:

• Are you upscale, health-oriented, knowledgeable, have discriminating taste and appreciate subtle differences in taste?
• Do you enjoy fine dining, cooking and entertaining and insist on the finest quality brands and ingredients for cocktails, meals and dinner parties,etc?
• Are you a drinker of single-malts, bourbons, premium ryes and cognacs and want the ultimate splash or chaser with these fine beverages?
• Do you like to have the best on hand for guests, entertaining and other special events?
• Do you love Hawaii and just like having a little bit of paradise on hand all the time?

Honestly, the Kona Deep team must have a sense of humor, because this certainly made me chuckle while reading it. So after all this build-up, how does it taste? You can imagine my excitement as I twisted the cap off my "little bit of paradise" in the privacy of my hotel room. With my "ultimate splash or chaser" now open, I brought the bottle to my nose to breathe in the bouquet. Not a hint of odor, which immediately made me question if I had the sufficiently "discriminating taste" so typical of the Kona Deep customer. And the taste? It tasted like... well, like water. Like ice-cold bottled water. No magic, no paradise, no subtle undertaste of the ocean. Just a mouthful of water. Certainly satisfying, hardly transformative.

The Kona Deep folks really want to convince you how special their product is though. They'll tell you about the “Global Conveyor Belt” of ocean currents and water density that's responsible for their product. Then there's the incomprehensible “Drinking Water Reverse Pyramid” where deep ocean water is apparently the pinnacle of the reverse pyramid. Or is it the base? I honestly can't tell you since the Kona Deep PR team is apparently employing reverse common sense as well. Despite all the hoo-haw (or perhaps on account of it), I can't help but admire the chutzbah on display. Just enough science to appear credible, coupled with cutting edge design and production. Go Deep! is the company motto, though perhaps it should be Go East! since the core market for desalinated deep sea water appears to be Japanese consumers (of which Hawaii has no dearth).

Still, I plan to bring a few bottles home as souvenirs. Perhaps I'll send one down to Craig McClain at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute since he must have a mass spectrometer laying around just dying to taste some Kona Deep. The rest I'll just have to dole out to my discriminating colleagues and friends who "like having a little bit of paradise on hand at all times." Let me know if I can hook you up.

Breakfast With Duke And Thoughts Of Dookie

After crashing and burning last night at around 9PM (12AM circadian time), I was wide awake at 7AM with a Pacific time brain jonesing for some caffeine. I threw-on some clothes and strolled out into the refreshing 88°F Wakiki morning. The idea of a "local" coffee shop is a somewhat foreign notion to Waikiki, what with it's glut of Starbucks and The Coffee Bean stores. I suppose they are locally managed, but I like to support true local coffee shops when I travel. But in this commercial and retail hub of Oahu, it's either the mega-coffee chains or the brownish water passing for coffee at any of the 17 million ABC Stores.

With coffee finally in hand, I made my way down to Kalakaua Avenue to visit Wakiki Beach. One of my favorite Oahu traditions is to also pay a visit and my respects to the memory of surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was born and raised in Waikiki and was an Olympic swimming champion winning three gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in four Olympics between 1912 and 1922. He is generally recognized as the father of international surfing, most notably having participated in surfing exhibitions in Australia in 1914. He also made surfing popular in mainland America first in Santa Cruz, California.

Readers will remember from previous posts that I have some serious surf envy going on. I've had a desire to learn to surf since I was a child. What's not to love? You're in the ocean, fresh air, wet, sun on your face... does it get any better? I've even got a surfing boss who's happy to show me the ropes. My two big stumbling blocks right now are that I'm still trying to manage my spinal stenosis, so moving or bending with ease is still a work in progress. The other? My potential surfing "classroom" of the SF Bay Area is home to frigid water and more Great White Sharks than anywhere in the world. I know... excuses, excuses.

After saying hello to Duke with a rub of his bronze foot, I crossed onto the sands of Waikiki Beach to watch the early morning surf crowd do their thing. I was only half joking yesterday when I mentioned the E. coli in the sand here. Last year following torrential rains, over 50 million gallons of untreated sewage was discharged into Honolulu's canal system which then was deposited onto Oahu’s south shore beaches. The state is still monitoring the long term impacts of this unprecedented environmental contamination, but I've heard that samples of offshore sediment still show higher than average bacteria levels.

According to the Hawaiian Tourism Authority statistics, as of August 2007 the Island of Oahu has seen approximately 2,263,916 hotel visitors. The vast majority of these guests have stayed in the greater Waikiki area. If you conservatively estimate at least two toilet uses each day, that's 4,527,832 toilet flushes this year alone. All of this is straining an aging and inadequate sewage treatment capacity, even without the added burden a storm season can contribute to the system. Despite warnings that a sewage system overflow can happen again, no recent plans appear to be in the works to retrofit the sewage infrastructure or construct safeguards to protect against a repeat of the 2006 spill.

With thoughts of dookie now swirling in my mind, I finishing my cup of java and waded knee-deep into the warm Waikiki water. With Diamond Head over my left shoulder, the majestic Moana Surfrider Hotel to my right, and a fleet of surfers vying for the next wave just offshore, it's difficult to imagine that there might be problems in paradise. And I suppose that's exactly what local government and city officials are counting on as well.

Will Somebody Please Hand Me A Mai Tai

Another ridiculously early wake-up and scramble to the airport. Five and a half hours later I'm on Oahu for a day before continuing on to American Samoa for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Pago Pago. The weather is amazing in Honolulu today, giving no impression that a hurricane passed by just a few days ago. I have a couple meetings today, then can roam around Waikiki Beach and maybe even take a dip and dig my toes into the E. coli rich beach sand.

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) was established by President Clinton to lead, coordinate, and strengthen U.S. government actions in order to better preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. The Task Force is co-chaired by the Departments of Commerce and of the Interior, and includes leaders of 12 federal agencies, seven U.S. states and territories, and three freely associated states. The CRTF holds bi-annual meetings in Washington, D.C. in the spring and, on a rotational basis, in each of the CRTF member jurisdictions. The meeting in Pago Pago will allow all task force members to report on the status of ongoing coral reef initiatives in their respective areas.

This will be my first visit to American Samoa and I'm really looking forward to getting there. American Samoa is home to Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary. I'm certainly hoping that in addition to the meetings and busy schedule I can find time to see what American Samoa looks like below the surface.

Reef: So Good It Will Make Your Eyes Glow Too

The CORAL crew received our advance copy of Reef, by DK Publishing today and it's a stunner! In addition to being some of the best underwater photography around, it's got a solid conservation theme running through the narrative. And, every sale supports our coral reef conservation work worldwide. Oh, and the dust cover is texturised and bumpy, like coral (not that you want to go touching coral).

So go buy one and feel good knowing your purchase is helping to protect reefs and the local people who depend upon them. You can order your copy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Productivity Killers: A Continuing Series

Yes, my secret fantasy is performing a disturbing hula with Al Gore while wearing fake eyebrows. I feel so dirty!

Now you can too. Head on over to Jib Jab and waste hours of your otherwise productive day! I'm not responsible for anyone getting fired.

And now a little movie of Sanjaya dancing with my dog.

And finally, PZ Myers and Bill O'Reilly performing La Cucaracha. O'Reilly gets owned!

Test Your Ocean IQ

An ad appearing above many of the ScienceBlogs banners featuring Ariel and others from Disney's The Little Mermaid have been popping-up over the past week or so. I finally gave in and clicked on it, which deposited me on Environmental Defense' Oceans Alive project website.

There're lots of kid friendly interactives to explore on the well designed site, but what you really want to do is head over to the games section and take the Ocean IQ quiz. I'm not gonna brag on my score, but I did receive a coveted blue whale sticker (above) for my efforts. No offense, but that sure looks like a Beluga whale.

This so makes up for all those gold stars I never got on homework in second grade whilst in Catholic hell school! Eat it, Sister Annuncia!

Flossie From Space Before Downgrading To Category 1

Hurricane Flossie has been downgraded to Category 1 status with maximum sustained winds of 85 MPH. With the eye of the storm now indistinct, the storm should continue to weaken and deliver tropical storm level winds (39 MPH and higher) to the Big Island over the next day or so.

In the Space Station video, see if you can tell whether the Mission Control personnel could use a geography refresher.

Future Cloudy For Papua New Guinea's People And Environment

What do you call 13 days of round-the-clock wining, dining, and lavish gift-giving for political favors that culminates in consensus? In the United States it's called a caucus and it's dressed-up in Italian business suits, expense-account hotels, and deals that are sealed behind closed doors. In Papua New Guinea, it's a two week Parliamentary bender of booze, food, and late-night clubbing on an out-of-sight volcanic island. The major difference is that in the US, the politicians at least claim that they are serving the public interest. In PNG, there's not even an attempt to create an appearance that the people have anything to benefit from the political theater.

This week, PNG re-elected Michael Somare, National Alliance Party (NA), as Prime Minister for a second term. Which is to say that Members of Parliament and special interests sealed his appointment. The ballot ran for two weeks because of the inaccessibility of some of Papua New Guinea's polling stations. The highlands region of the country is so remote some villagers didn't come into contact with Europeans until the 1930s. And as with previous ballots, the election was marred by allegations of voter intimidation and irregularities, according to anti-corruption body Transparency International.

Somare said he will probably continue granting exploration licenses to mineral and fossil fuel mining companies, 15 of which were issued in the past 5 years. PNG could become the world's third-largest producer of liquefied natural gas by 2017, according to Oil Search Ltd., the nation's biggest oil producer. It currently has about 15 million tons a year of gas production capacity. And despite concerns by local communities and conservation NGOs, Nautilus Minerals, a deep sea exploration and mining corporation, is poised to begin large-scale mining efforts with ROVs off hydrothermal vent chimneys off Papua New Guinea. As I once overheard a businessman callously refer to Papua New Guinea, It's a mountain of gold and silver floating in a sea of oil.

Although rich in natural resources such as copper, timber and gas, about 37 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and the unemployment rate is 80 percent in urban areas. HIV rates are at epidemic proportions in urban zones and rates of transmission are increasing in rural areas. On all of my visits to remote villages throughout PNG, I'm always deeply moved by the national pride Papua New Guineans have for their environments and cultures. This pride stands in stark contrast to the sadness, frustration, and unfortunate resignation to the deep corruption of their political system.

Port Moresby governor and human rights lawyer Powes Parkop underscored the growing fears that running for public office in PNG is becoming the domain of the rich and affluent and beyond the reach of ordinary Papua New Guineans,

I am concerned that those with a lot of resources and money are able to influence the formation of the government…our people have the right to influence the formation of the government, we should not leave it to those people with money and power and a lot of resources.

In this concern, Papua New Guinea and the United States share more in common than one might suspect.

Hurricane Impacts On Coral Reefs: Executioner, Savior, Or None Of The Above?

With Flossie bearing down on Hawaii, I've been asked by more than a few people today what impacts, if any, hurricanes can have on coral reefs. Since coral reefs are the bedrock of Hawaii's tourism, the fear that severe hurricanes can have a catastrophic effect on the state's economy is very real. So what do we know?

Much of what we know about hurricane impacts to reefs comes from studies in the Caribbean where severe storms have been slamming well monitored reef communities for decades. Studies show that the base coral frame is fairly resistant and immovable. But strong storm surge and wave energy can certainly damage or destroy branching corals or even smaller boulder coral colonies. Reef life such as soft corals, sponges, and any other encrusting organisms that live attached to the base coral frame can break away and be pulverized in the churning wave surge. Some of the fragmented life (sponges and corals) might survive, reattach, and continue growing in a new location if it is not buried or transported to a location where living conditions are inhospitable.

Another threat to reefs from hurricanes can be smothering from sediment suspended in wave surge or, more commonly, muddy runoff from land as a result of torrential storm downpour. Along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, sediment laden flood waters can completely block sunlight to some shallow reefs allowing only 1% of light to reach corals at depths of 10 m. Large scale flooding can carry land-based pollutants such as insecticides, fertilizers, and herbicides out to the reef. Fresh water can kill corals at shallow depths where mixing is low.

Despite these seemingly formidable assaults from hurricanes, coral reef ecosystems have recovered from severe storms for millions of years. Coral reefs are characterized as disturbance communities. While subject to frequent changes, disturbance communities tend to promote biodiversity by either selecting for species that can capitalize on rapid fluctuations or by promoting competition (and speciation) through specialization to exploit microhabitats and niches.

While hurricanes can be catastrophic for reefs, recent studies also show that hurricanes may actually have beneficial outcomes in some scenarios. Evidence is building that the cooling effect hurricanes have on sea temperatures may actually help corals recover from the bleaching caused by warming oceans. It is a controversial debate at the moment, but if the frequency of hurricanes increases with global warming, then the negative effects that are expected for coral bleaching [due to ocean warming] could be mitigated by the cooling that the hurricanes bring about.

But keep in mind that such a hypothesis only considers relief from reef threats caused by elevated sea surface temperatures. Hurricanes offer no quick fix to threats coming from unsustainable uses of coral reefs (coastal development, commercial or destructive fishing, coral mining, etc.) So while a storm-prone world might help mix (and cool) a warming sea, a slew of other stressors are waiting in the wings to further punish already over-stressed and sensitive coral reef systems.

Coincidence?

(With thanks to Tom for inspiration.)

Flossie Downgrades to Category 3

Demonstrating that we still have a long way to go in predicting and modeling hurricanes, Flossie continues to confound storm watchers and scientists as it nears the Hawaiian Islands. Now approximately 425 miles southeast of Hilo, Flossie (Honestly, who names these hurricanes? Shouldn't hurricanes have formidable names like Ester, Marge, or Stella? Not stripper names like Flossie. What's next? Hurricane Chablis?) has dropped from a Category 4 hurricane to a Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of about 125 mph.

Big Island Mayor Harry Kim has declared a state of emergency on the Big Island, which is expected to bear the brunt of Flossie's effects. All Big Island schools have cancelled classes for tomorrow and local Walgreens are staying open 24 hours to handle the last minute rush on storm supplies (candles, water, batteries, etc.)

I'm scheduled to fly into Honolulu early Friday morning on my way to American Samoa, so I'll be keeping my eye on Flossie all week. Even if it skirts the islands, I suspect storm surge to be high along the coast and wind gusts to wreak some havoc along the south shore.

You can learn more about how Hawaii is preparing from the The Honolulu Advertiser. And keep an eye on The Intersection where Chris Mooney has been posting periodic updates from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

That's A Moray Monday

Welcome to a new weekly addition to the blog. Each week, That's a Moray Monday will feature a different representative from the Muraenidae family of bony fish. Why morays? Why not? Moray eels are large cosmopolitan marine eels with approximately 200 species in 15 genera. They are found along tropical and subtropical coral reef systems worldwide. The loss of coral reefs isn't just a story of the decline of coral species. Loss of coral reef habitat also threatens spectacularly diverse species such as morays. I've selected these charismatic megafauna as poster children of the wonders of reef evolution and as a reminder of the complexity of life that depends upon healthy reefs.

Blue Ribbon Eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita

The Blue Ribbon Eel can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific: From East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia and French Polynesia; including the Marianas and Marshalls.

It occurs along lagoon and seaward reefs. In the wild, the ribbon eel buries itself in sand or hides in rocks or reefs, dashing out to feed on small fishes. Juveniles and sub-adults are jet black with a yellow dorsal fin, while females are yellow with a black anal fin with white margins on the fins. The adult male can be black, fluorescent blue with yellow highlights, blue-green, or brilliant yellow. It's most noticeable features include three fleshy tentacles on the tip of its lower jaw, a single fleshy pointed projection at the tip of its snout, and tubular anterior nostrils ending in gaudy, fan-like expansions that undoubtedly assist in capturing chemical signals in the water.

This beautiful eel is the only species of moray to be a protandrous hermaphrodite, beginning life as males but able to change into females if the need arises. The ribbon eel also changes its color from blue to yellow when it becomes fully mature (& female). The ribbon eel grows to an overall length of approximately 100 cm (36 in).