Happy Marine Halloween

It's Not Too Late To Save Coral Reefs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 31, 2008 – San Francisco, CA – The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) responded today to the release of a study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters that suggests it may be too late to save coral reefs. While CORAL—whose mission is to protect the world's coral reefs through ecosystem management, sustainable tourism, and community partnership—shares the researchers' concern that our reefs are in trouble, CORAL's Conservation Programs Director Rick MacPherson is less pessimistic.

Chemical oceanographers Long Cao and Ken Caldeira looked at the effect of global CO2 emissions on our oceans. As CO2 saturates in the ocean, the net effect is more acidic seawater and greater difficulty for corals to build and maintain their calcium-based exoskeletons. Caldeira said the affected reefs would not disappear straight away, but the change in water chemistry would leave them vulnerable to attack, bleaching, or disease. He further summarized that "the likelihood [coral reefs] will be able to persist is pretty small."

However, a consensus of the world's leading coral reef scientists at the recent International Coral Reef Symposium focused on possibilities rather than gloomy predictions. The scientific forum held every four years addressed not only the issue of acidification, but also the impacts that increased ocean temperatures and rising sea levels will have on reefs. "Those in attendance agreed that the demise of coral reefs is not a foregone conclusion," said MacPherson. "Though time is running out, building resilience through large networks of marine protected areas will be key in securing the future of coral reefs."

CORAL acknowledges that reefs are in for tough times as society grapples with the climate issue. Moreover, ongoing research is required to understand how climate will affect the complex processes that underlie reef ecosystems. "Our concern is the finality of the recent study," said Brian Huse, CORAL's Executive Director. "Cao and Caldeira have written the post mortem while the patient is still alive. There are currently a large number of conservation projects worldwide that get to the heart of building resilience to climate impacts-and many are already showing positive results."

CORAL is the only international organization working exclusively to save coral reefs. It builds grassroots partnerships among local communities, government leaders, marine recreation operators, and marine park managers to identify and solve conservation challenges through education, training, and effective management of marine protected areas. For more information, log on to www.coral.org.

Elkhorn And Staghorn Corals Receive Expanded Protection

We have some great environmental NGO neighbors here in San Francisco. Take for instance, the Center for Biological Diversity, our next door neighbor on the 6th floor of our building. Last year, a petition by the Center earned the Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) corals their current status as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and a Center lawsuit compelled the Fisheries Service to propose granting the species federally protected habitat.

Readers will recall that Elkhorn and Staghorn corals, once incredibly abundant and an important component of reef assemblages in the Caribbean, have been reduced to shadows of their former glory. Rising sea surface temperatures, a byproduct of human exacerbated climate change, has been the main culprit. But localized reef threats such as sediment smothering from coastal development, anchor damage, and nutrient pollution have compounded the risk levels throughout the Caribbean basin.

Building upon the momentum initiated by the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said yesterday that it would prohibit all commercial activities involving Elkhorn and Staghorn corals. The new rules prohibit anyone from importing, exporting or directly taking the corals. Boats must avoid anchoring or grounding their vessels on corals or dragging fishing gear on them. The regulations also prohibit damage to coral habitat and any discharge of pollutants or contaminants that harms the species.

While these protections will only cover Elkhorn and Staghorn species in US waters and the insular Caribbean, it's a much needed and timely additional protection. The challenges, of course, is protecting not only on paper but in practice. And that's where managed marine areas come into play.

I'm Blaming It On S.A.D.

How? How?! HOW did it get to be almost November already? I know things have been dark and quiet here at the MBSL&S shop, and I wish I had some profoundly intricate explanation for what I've been up to. But the truth is I've simply been nose to the grindstone busy with several back-and-forth trips to DC and New York to meet with funders and donors (the current financial landscape has us non-profit types working overtime) and then lots of planning and prep to get my team into the field. It's been steady work over too many weekends and this conservationist has just been too pooped to even write about it.

I'm also wondering if I don't have the slightest touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly known as SAD). San Francisco days have been getting shorter and colder, and I've had a lot of days where I wake up and head to the office in the dark only to march back home once night has fallen. I'm not quick to jump on the designer psychology bandwagon, but I've been sluggish and grumblier than usual this past month. My body seems to be telling me it wants me to eat huge volumes of pasta or pizza and then run for the bed. If I were a grizzly bear this would make sense, but as a hominid it just makes me generally discombobulated. Anyone else feeling angsty and somewhat disaffected?

Anyway, apologies all around and I promise to summon-up some ocean mirth and conservation excitement (heavily peppered with the usual briny sarcasm) and serve it up hot for my loyal readers.

When Civil Unrest Stalls Conservation: Part II

The U.S. Embassy in the Honduras capital city of Tegucigalpa released the following Warden Message on October 14:

The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa alerts American citizens residing in and traveling to the Bay Island of Roatan about ongoing protests throughout the island. The Embassy has reports of widespread demonstrations, road closures and possible violence due to a significant rise in the price of electrical services provided by the island’s utility company, RECO.

The Embassy has confirmed reports of demonstrators taking over the island’s major roads, including the roads to the airport, the cruise ship port, downtown, and to the areas of West End, Sandy Bay, Flowers Bay and Santos Guardiola. There are also confirmed reports of burning tires, checkpoints set up by protestors, and possible anti-American sentiment. The Embassy received a report of a threat of violence directed towards an American trying to pass through a checkpoint.

The Embassy strongly recommends U.S. citizens to remain in their homes and not try to pass roadblocks, as there have been incidents of violence in the past. U.S. citizens should avoid travel in affected areas and should monitor the situation via media sources, including TV and radio, and avoid large gatherings.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, including the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, can be found.

Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Americans living or traveling in Honduras are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Honduras. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

When Civil Unrest Stalls Conservation

My Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Program Manager is on the island of Roatan in Honduras this week. His plan was to work with our field team to facilitate a series of public forums that would outline a roadmap for building greater support for Roatan's coral reef marine protected areas.

Well, that was the plan.

I just received word from our people on Roatan that a major protest is going on right now against the electric company there (for raising rates.) As of this morning there have been reports of violence in the streets near West Bay and near Coxen Hole. According to an email I received, rocks have been thrown at vehicles parked along the road. My people are fine, but have been forced to cancel the public forum tonight as many who were planning to attend are now blocked by the protests. And of course we don't want local people to put themselves in a risky situation. According to the police chief, the protests may last several days.

To make matters worse, the electrical power may be shut down as a result of the protests so I may not get any further email updates for a while. I may need to further lengthen my blog title to, Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice, Riots, and Sunsets.

An Unhappy Update

Even after a rescue by well-intentioned wildlife managers, the far-wandering manatee I reported on last week has unfortunately died.

The manatee died Sunday afternoon during a truck ride to Orlando, Florida. When rescued in Massachusetts, the animal's body temperature was about 73 degrees F, instead of the normal 97.5 degrees, when it was pulled out of the water. Rescuers struggled to raise its temperature to 90 degrees and were giving it fluid intravenously. Apparently its condition had stabilized during the ride to Florida. A necropsy is planned for later this week to determine the cause of death.

Is This What You Call A Shifting Baseline?

In news of the strange, I just read on CNN that a wayward West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) has been spotted off Cape Cod. That puts this fellow about 1,200 miles north of it's more subtropical haunts in Florida and the Caribbean. I mean I'll happily go out of my way for a nice plate of Cape Cod fried clams, but this is crazy!

While certainly not the first manatee to explore chilly New England waters, the unpredictable meandering of the late summer Gulf Stream can perhaps provide a partial explanation. And there is a possibility that this manatee is a repeat wanderer by the name of Chessie, first sighted in the Chesapeake Bay in 2001.

But manatee incursions into more northern regions have also been some of the suggested outcomes of a changing global ocean climate. As I wrote about last year, short- and long-term climate changes and their impacts on ocean temperatures can influence the distribution of a variety of marine species in their range. The ecosystem consequences of these interactions are poorly understood.

One problem immediately possible for such curious, stray manatees as the one in Cape Cod is the very real danger of getting too cold.

Manatees are giant herbivores that rely on a ruminant digestive system to process the enormous volume of vegetation they take in--think big, floating cows without the bells and udders. West Indian manatees evolved in tropical and subtropical climates and lack the thick insulating blubber present in their marine mammal cousins such as the cetaceans (whales) or pinnipeds (seals and sea lions). With such thin padding, cool water (anything below 20 degrees C - 68 degrees F) can wreak havoc with their metabolism. They can have trouble digesting food and even stop eating. Without enough nutrients, these vegetarians become susceptible to skin lesions and infections, such as pneumonia, that eventually lead to death.

While sightings of manatees so far north are rare, the frequency of occurrence can also be supported through artificial "rest stops" that are created along the coast by thermal outflows from power plants. In fact it's estimated that 60 percent of Florida manatees bask in these "hot tubs" every winter instead of their natural warm springs.

Here's hoping that, after a quick stop at the Cape Cod Factory Outlet Mall in Sagamore, the southern visitor will make his or her way back home safely.

Sustainable Sushi?

Never ones to sit on their laurels, the folks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program have announced that they will be launching their much anticipated Sushi Pocket Guide on October 22nd. And before anyone gets snippy about whether "sushi" is properly referring to "fish" or "rice", let's all agree that it's safe to assume the folks at Seafood Watch are working to protect seafood.

Based on their familiar Pocket Guide format that allows consumers to make informed decisions on fish and shellfish in markets and restaurants, the Sushi Pocket Guide will alert users which sushi selections are best choices, good alternatives, and those to avoid.

I applaud the efforts of the Seafood Watch team, though I still have grave concerns for the state of commercial fisheries. I'm a seafood lover and sushi is indeed one of my weaknesses (I've never met a hamachi I didn't like). "Just say no" programs targeting mostly yuppie American consumers are not enough. We need to work both ends of the supply chain by seriously fixing fisheries. We need innovative solutions, such as the promising research being done in catch shares, to bring our fisheries up to sustainable standards.

The Seafood Watch Pocket Guides certainly have their place in the spectrum of efforts needed to halt our trends in fishing down the food chain. Provided they don't create a false sense of security that consumer choice is all that it takes.

Green, Inc. Gets More Ink

Green, Inc., the tell-all exposé on contradictory practices of some big conservation NGOs and their too-close funding relationships with non-environmentally oriented corporations, is getting some attention in the New York Times Business section. Head on over for an interesting read and some Q&A with author Christine MacDonald.

Cephalopod Awareness Day

Break out your funnels, mantles, and hectocotylus(es) (hectocotyli?)... Whatever. It's the Second Annual, Unofficial International Cephalopod Awareness Day. I'm not even gonna try to dig-up some appropriately tentacled links since Jason over on Cephalopodcast has done a spectacular job rounding-up everything suction-cuppy in celebration.

Three cheers Eight cheers for cephalopods!

That's A Moray Monday: A Bonaire Update

Readers will recall that I recently reported on an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) apparently afflicting a variety of species of moray eels in the waters of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Thanks to an update from Jerry Ligon on Bonaire--one of the finest naturalists and dive guides I've had the pleasure of meeting--I have more details though, sadly, not a lot of answers yet.

According to Jerry's tally, 25 carcasses representing five different moray species have been confirmed.

A discussion group has been active on the online forum Bonaire Talk, and residents and visitors of Bonaire have been providing both information and speculation. Several individuals have posted images of specimens they observed at various dive locations. Dr. John W. Gnann, Jr., of Birmingham, Alabama was kind enough to give me permission to reprint the above image of a dead Green moray (Gymnothorax funebris) he found at a shore divesite called Witch's Hut. He captured the image on July 28 at a depth of about 30-35 feet.

Dr. Gnann's image (captured on July 28) and that of a Caribbean Spotted moray (Gymnothorax moringa)--posted on the Bonaire Talk site by Rolf Kurzhals as being captured on August 22 at about 50 ft.--are documented as being observed earlier than I originally reported last week as the start of the UME (early September). Another diver forum, ScubaToys, has a post from a recent visitor to Bonaire who writes that she observed a "Big dead Green moray" while diving the popular 1000 Steps shore dive.

The UMEs may have manifested as early as Midsummer. As more data and diver observations are collected, this date could move earlier still.

Again, speculating on potential agents would still be premature. From the chat on Bonaire Talk, efforts appear to be focused on getting dead specimens refrigerated and to the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Research Station on Bonaire. I'm unsure what analysis will be performed there, but if Bonaire readers can provide further information I'd be very grateful.

Microdocs Take On Macro Ocean Issues

Just last week during a meeting of our Board of Directors at CORAL, I had the distinct pleasure of delivering the introduction for my colleague and guest speaker, Professor Steve Palumbi of the Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University. Steve was up in San Francisco to talk to our Board and staff about ecological connectivity and genetics of coral reefs and their implications for marine managed area design. But he also previewed his Microdocs project, a fantastic new ocean outreach and education effort he's spearheading.

Strategically designed for an online audience interested in ocean issues but disinclined to sit-through a full hour-long documentary, the over 30 Microdocs average two to four minutes in length, are jargon-free, and take on topics such as sustainability, coral reefs and reef species, and solutions for global environmental challenges. I especially like his less-than-a-minute, almost haiku-esque microdoc on manta rays.

Steve is a passionate and articulate scientist and educator, and Microdocs should find a very easy fit in classrooms, living rooms, or anywhere you can nab some bandwidth.

Currently Reading: Green, Inc.

I'm only half-way through Green, Inc.: An Environmental Insider Reveals How a Good Cause Has Gone Bad by Christine MacDonald, and I can confidently say it is a must read for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the conservation biz.

MacDonald, former member of the global communications division of Conservation International (CI), arrived at one of the world’s largest environmental groups with no small dose of idealism. Ready to dedicate herself to the fight for the planet’s remaining forest lands and endangered species, she quickly grows disillusioned by what she interprets as questionable liaisons with environmentally hostile corporations; the six-figure salaries of its leaders; and an alleged lack of environmental ethos exhibited by her colleagues at their stylish Washington offices.

But MacDonald doesn't reserve her criticism to CI alone. She takes on the day-to-day practices of the Big International NGOs (BINGOs): CI, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and others. Green, Inc. is a snapshot from inside the global environmental movement. Some of the main characters include Russell Train, former Environmental Protection Agency administrator and longtime World Wildlife Fund leader; the Nature Conservancy president Steven J. McCormick and his efforts to build closer ties between the Conservancy and corporate America; and CI’s millionaire founder, chief executive and chairman Peter Seligmann, who spends most of his time in the book globetrotting with celebrities aboard gas-guzzling private jets to some of the most breathtakingly exotic and pristine spots on earth.

Thirty-pages into Green, Inc. and you get the impression that being a CEO or Executive for a conservation BINGO today means you go scuba diving with rock stars and corporate scions, hobnob with remote indigenous tribes, and party with big donors and celebrity journalists aboard private jets, yachts, and land Rovers. While at times it seems MacDonald is almost amused over the colorful lifestyles of big conservation's leadership, she holds back not a scintilla of outrage over conservation organizations routinely accepting donations from oil, lumber and mining industries and corporate behemoths such as Wal-Mart without holding them accountable for ongoing pollution practices.

Green, Inc. has been generating quite a buzz in its short time on the book stands. I'll reserve my own commentary until I finish. But I hope a few of my conservation colleagues also give it a read as it would be great to have a blog discussion on its merits and drawbacks.

Coral Spawning: Cue Barry White Music

During my recent trip to Bonaire, I was lucky enough to be there during a coral spawning week. I've had the good fortune of seeing coral spawn before in Hawaii and along the Great Barrier Reef. But I've always been in the wrong place at the wrong time to see a Caribbean spawning event.

Fortunately, Bonaire is such a popular and well visited dive destination that residents have their reef spawning down to the hour. I kid you not. Click on the chart to the left to get the full rundown on corals and other reef invertebrates that were scheduled to release their gametes en masse. While hard and soft corals prefer to get their groove on under cover of night, other randy inverts such as certain species of sponges, worms, and echinoderms are content for a little afternoon delight, beginning their spawning around midday.

What triggers the mass spawning? Primitive light-sensing pigment mechanisms known as a cryptochromes, which occur in corals, insects, fish, and mammals - including humans - are the genetic trigger. First isolated by researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at the University of Queensland, Australia, the Cry2 gene is stimulated by the faint blue light of the full moon and appears to play a central role in triggering the mass coral spawning event. Mass spawning is an annual to biannual event and typically observed anywhere from three to ten days following a full moon. Coral colonies appear to experience at least two major "waves" of gamete release during a spawning event.

I managed to gather a group of divers one evening during the peak of Bonaire's spawning to head out for the reef love-fest. Props go out to my dive buddies for their enthusiasm, especially considering it was the first ever night dive for two of them! We headed out from the shore, flashlights and cameras ready. On the swim to the reef we were buzzed by enormous tarpon that flashed into view just inches from us to snatch-up any fish attracted to the lights. Once at the reef drop-off we began descending along the reef slope looking for any sign of spawning. Most hard coral species extend their fleshy polyps at night in order to feed. Spawning can look like an underwater snowstorm of eggs or egg/sperm packets percolating from a coral colony. Or it can look like puffs of smoke (sperm) being emitted.

We made several passes over colonies of Greater Star coral (Montastrea cavernosa) at about 50 feet and then noticed one colony appeared smokey. Hovering close I saw clusters of 20-30 polyps at a time contract and squirt a pale-colored puff of sperm into the water. Signaling with my light to others, we all gathered around to watch the event. In reaching for my camera, I brought it to my mask only to notice it had flooded. I decided to panic after the dive. I was witnessing a natural wonder.

Luckily, one of my dive buddies (Denise Mattia, a journalist on assignment from New York City) had a professional camera rig and managed to snap at least two shots of the event. While she didn't capture the actual "squirt," you can clearly see the cloud of sperm gathering above the colony. We were down for a little over an hour total and all returned to shore only to compare excited impressions of the spectacle.

If it meant having to kill my camera in order to see it, I think I'd gladly do it all again!

Freaky Fish Siphonophore

I give you Marrus orthocanna, also known as a rather beautiful example of a siphonophore--a pelagic, colonial cnidarian related to the Portuguese Man o' War (Physalia physalis).

The stunning Marrus is one of the many oddball characters you will meet over at Oceana's Freaky Fish Contest. Yes, yes... I know that a siphonophore is not a fish. Just roll with it and have some fun exploring truly bizarro deep sea creatures.

You can vote for the freakiest "fish" in Oceana's 3rd-annual Freaky Fish contest, and if the one you pick wins, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a pair of free tickets to an IMAX screening of "Deep Sea 3D!"

Still not enough? One lucky voter will also win a copy of Claire Nouvian's fabulous book "The Deep," chock-full of amazing pictures of all these spectacular animals.

So go get your freak on!

Sour Seas = Noisier Seas

According to a new report from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), as seawater turns more acidic, due to absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) building up in the atmosphere, it allows sound waves to travel farther. While I suppose this is good news for the Deep Sea News boys who are hoping to set-up a Bose surround sound system (with optional subwoofer) on the outside of their submersibles, it might spell an environmental disaster for marine species who utilize sound waves for navigation or feeding.

Appearing tomorrow in Geophysical Research Letters, the report predicts that by the year 2050 underwater sounds will travel up to 70% farther in some areas, such as the Atlantic Ocean, than they do today. At first blush this may seem like a benefit--vocal species such as cetaceans will be able to hear each other from greater distances. The unfortunate corollary however is that these very same species become easily stressed by background noise from ship traffic and military sonar. It's been suggested that some unexplained whale strandings and deaths may be linked to increased human-produced noise in areas frequented by whales.

So in addition to more acidic oceans becoming inhospitable to coral reefs and other limestone/calcium carbonate-producing species, they may also provide whales and dolphins with more than an earful.