New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, recently announced plans to create one of the world’s largest ocean sanctuaries in the world. #kermadecoceansanctuary #marinelife #newzealand - http://clapway.com/2015/10/02/new-zealand-ocean-sanctuary123/

New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, recently announced plans to create one of the world’s largest ocean sanctuaries during the United Nations General Assembly that took place in New York. The preserve, called the Kermadec Ocean sanctuary, will be established in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the country and will stretch over 62,000 square kilometers – or roughly the size of Texas or France.

THE Kermadec Ocean sanctuary: What to expect

The sanctuary, which will be officially established next year upon the successful passage of legislation, will provide a shelter for all sorts of marine life, including species of fish, seabirds and turtles. Moreover, it will contain the world’s longest underwater volcanic chain and the second deepest ocean trench, the 6.2-mile deep Kermadec.

The ocean sanctuary will most likely become a hub for tourism and is expected to provide an economic boost to the country, especially since many people in the region base their livelihoods around the sea. Currently, 7 percent of New Zealand’s GDP comes from tourism; this roughly translates to 3.02 million visitors in the last year.

“Creating protected areas will support not only our own fisheries, but those of our Pacific neighbors, adding to New Zealand’s efforts to help grow Pacific economies through the responsible management of their ocean resources,” the Prime Minister stated.

WHAT OTHER GROUPS HAVE TO SAY

Despite the benefits the ocean sanctuary can potentially provide, many people are concerned that its establishment will detrimentally effect the tuna industry, which is currently valued at the $882-million. According to a report by BBC, however, environmentalist groups are largely supportive of the project, as the sanctuary would protect 15.5 percent of New Zealand’s marine area – a huge jump from the 0.5 percent that is currently safeguarded.

The total ocean coverage means the new sanctuary will join the ranks of some of the largest and most famous marine protected areas in the world, such as the Great Barrier Reef, which is considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Today, it covers an area of 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq mi).

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New Zealand Announces Plans For Ocean Sanctuary

California: Yet Another Dead Humpback Whale Found at a Pacifica Beach - http://clapway.com/2015/08/03/california-yet-another-dead-humpback-whale-found-at-a-pacifica-beach-235/

The third dead whale to wash up on a Pacifica beach this year has residents concerned; however, researchers believe the latest humpback whale death was unrelated to the previous two.

Partial Necropsy Performed on Dead Humpback Whale on California Beaches

A 33-foot long humpback whale was found Sunday on Esplanade beach. It is the latest whale death in the Pacifica area where previously this year, two other whales have washed ashore. While residents may be concerned, marine officials assure the public that the latest death, while still saddening, is unrelated.

According to spokeswoman Laura Sherr of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, a partial necropsy was performed by staff researchers from the Marine Mammal Center as well as the California Academy of Sciences.

The initial findings from the necropsy revealed injuries that were consistent with blunt force trauma with evidence of hemorrhaging in muscles disarticulated bones. However, the marine official was very careful in explaining that these were preliminary findings and no definitive cause of death has been recorded as of yet.

Marine Biologists Believe Whale Deaths are Unrelated

The main cause of concern for California residents living at Pacifica beaches are the frequency of the deaths.

In April of this year, a badly decaying carcass of a sperm whale had been found near Mori Point. After researchers dissected the massive whale, they were puzzled as to the cause of death. There still has been no official cause of death reported.

One more later in May at Sharp Park Beach, another whale had come to shore. The dead humpback whale was believed to have succumbed to a probable strike from a ship.

Though the frequency of three deaths in four months seems quite high to the public, marine biologists say it is not unusual to have that many deaths. Especially when considering the deaths appear to be unrelated.

The Good News About Humpback Whale Sightings

If there were more deaths in a shorter time frame or if they cause of death were the same for every whale that washed ashore, then it would be more strange and perhaps worrisome. However, Sherr has reported that the number of humpback whales in the Pacific near California is high, which may also account for what seems to be a large number of deaths. Just looking at numbers, the more whales in an area, the higher the likelihood one will die and wash ashore.

Though this specific humpback whale met an unfortunate end on the California beach, Sherr says there have been many reports of live humpback whale sightings in the hundreds in the area, which bodes well for the whale population.

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California: Yet Another Dead Humpback Whale Found at a Pacifica Beach

The Blob of Puget Sound Is Killing Marine Life - http://clapway.com/2015/07/31/the-blob-of-puget-sound-is-killing-marine-life123/

Although scientists based in Seattle predicted a miserably hot and mortally dry summer, in partial contra mass viewers’ ogling of the new Wet Hot American Summer, the reality of this year’s hottest days in places like Puget Sound, Hood Canal, et al, are exceeding said scientists’ expectations; we’ve had record-breaking heat-waves, a weasley snowpack, and an unrelenting drought. All these malheurs are now evidenced in the Puget Sound.

“I wasn’t expecting the conditions to be this extreme,” exhaled University of Washington climate scientist Nick Bond. “I thought it would be dry and warm, but I wasn’t expecting this.”

FEDERAL GOV’T CONCERNED FOR PUGET SOUND

Indeed, scientists from county, state, and even federal agencies announced their concern on Thursday about the ecological consequences of these developments in the Puget Sound, which are now expected to carry on in the foreground as El Niño awakes in the ecological background. The scientists referred to are trying to comprehend the ultimate impact of massive volumes of warming water after the already concerning closures of shellfish, an increase in the population of toxic algae and reports of greater numbers of dead fish.

LOCAL ECOLOGY TAKES SUCCESSIVE BEATING

The Northwest region seems to have taken a “one-two” beating in the form of that weasley snowpack followed by the drought, surmised Bond. A gigantic volume of unusually warm water resting just off of the West Coast, nicknamed “The Blob,” may be at fault. Surpassing nominal temperatures of this time of year by 7 degrees, from Alaska to Mexico, since way back in 2003, “[t]he blob is [certainly] rearing its ugly head,” Bond punned.

Buoys bobbing in the South Puget Sound, Hood Canal and the main basin have shown temperatures warmer in both deep and surface waters, some of which are a staggering 4 degrees above normal, says Jan Newton, UW oceanographer. The oxygen content of the Hood Canal is low and may keep declining through September, until upwelling ceases and the Blob returns to the Sound. Both temps and low O2 levels will be a challenge for local organisms.

“In very severe conditions, we’re concerned about fish kills,” said Newton. “We’re going to be continuing to monitor this.”

IT (ALWAYS) GETS WORSE

If that’s not enough, the marine life present has also taken a heavy slug to the face. A shellfish harvest was shut down early this past April, just two months before the normal time for biotoxin closure, mentioned Jerry Borchert of the Washington State Department of Health’s shellfish-safety program. Several parts of Hood Canal (a first!) were forced to shut down in light of greater toxin concentrations, believed to be caused by the rising water temperatures, said Borchert.

Salmon are among the many types of fish to have experienced a minor holocaust, and this has raised concerns regarding the long-term consequences on the food chain, warned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries scientist Correigh Greene.

Some of us humans just may love this warm weather, but the NOAA oceanographer, named Simone Alin, related a story in which she went for a little swim in the Hood Canal this summer, and, in a first for her, Did Not Feel Numb when she left the water behind.

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The Blob of Puget Sound Is Killing Marine Life

3 Prehistoric Bacterias Found in Ice Sheets - http://clapway.com/2015/07/16/3-prehistoric-bacterias-found-in-ice-sheets567/

You know those horror movies where the unknown threat is awakened and our ruggedly handsome scientist hero has to rush against time before the threat evolves and adapts to the world’s population?

What if I told you that, thanks to melting in the world’s ice sheets, prehistorical organisms are coming back to life. The ice sheets were once thought to be too cold for live, but these ancient microbes have adapted and thrived inside the freezing temperatures for millennia.

Discovered in Antartica, there is a chance these little bacterias are slowly being released into the oceans. But since we don’t know these discovered prehistoric bacteria, they are being studied by comparison to their modern day relatives. So, what is lurking beneath the ice?

Betaproteo

Hugely important to plant life, this bacteria helps oxidize and break down ammonium. Plants rely on this prehistoric bacteria just as they do now. But this is also found in meningitis and gonorrhea.

Alphaproteo

This is also a plant bacteria, and is often used when extracting DNA from plant life. It is a quick moving microbe with spores, and metabolizes organic matter to feed its energy. Plants, and animals are susceptible to it, but it doesn’t seem to have any negative effects.

Action

Like the name suggests, this bacteria is important when it comes to getting things done. Mostly found in soils, it plays a role in decomposition. But, it can also be found in waters, which may be why its ancient bacteria ancestor was found in the ice sheet.

But these aren’t the only things being found in the frigid world below ice. In Greenland, a 140,000 year old virus was found alive and well. Is that shows what else could be found, then we may see more viruses popping up.

Are any of these ancient bacterias and viruses from ice sheets a threat? Not really. They can attack and hurt humans, but only those who are susceptible. The ancient bacteria can evolve, though, and adapt to our modern day world.

Scientists are watching the ancient bacteria carefully, because there is a chance that their reentry into the oceans could have a negative impact on fish habitats. The bacteria has been dormant, and now that it is awakening it must be pretty hungry to get out and see what it can do. Good luck, ruggedly handsome heroes!

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3 Prehistoric Bacterias Found in Ice Sheets

Keep safe from shark attacks with this technology! - http://clapway.com/2015/06/24/great-white-nope/

I love the beach. I feel so calm lying on the warm sand with the sound of the waves hitting the shore around me, until my feet hit that water and I’m reminded of the menacing creatures that lurk further out. For the water-wader, you really only worry about jellyfish or the sea shells cutting your feet (depending on what beach you’re on of course.) But for those of us who like to be out in the water either swimming, surfing, diving or fishing, we have much bigger worries swimming through our mind. I have this terrible fear that if I get too far out, I’m going to get attacked by a great white shark. I’ve never even seen the movie Jaws (shocking, right?) but I just know that will be my life the minute I exceed ankle-deep water. Maybe it is a somewhat irrational fear. Statistically, shark attacks are pretty rare — and great white shark attacks even rarer, by that logic.

Recently, I read about a shark encounter that really got me thinking. There were 2 men surfing at Hermosa Beach in California last week around 10 A.M. and they encountered a shark. This is reportedly twice now that this same shark has been encountered and it seemed to be growing less weary of humans. After reading this, I became intrigued and started researching more shark sightings and apparently, they’ve become more frequent this year…

While reading more stories, I came across a study done by the University of Western Australia’s Ocean Institute in which they tested different kinds of shark deterrent to see which caused the shark to avoid bait. They tested strobe lights, loud underwater sounds (natural and artificial), a bubble curtain, and an electric field.

Shark Shield

Of these results, the electric field was most effective. This device is actually already commercially available. The Shark Shield can be found on their website, and also at Amazon and Scuba.com. Unfortunately, the cost isn’t just some extra cash you might have lying around (for most of us) but it’s definitely a legitimate investment for someone who spends quite a bit of time out on the water. It’s perfect for the daily surfer or fisher to take with them, because like I said, you never know. While a shark attack (great white or other) is pretty unlikely, as I said before, you never know when it could happen to you! Wouldn’t you want to take the best precaution, especially one that is environmentally-friendly?

Wetsuits That Might Fight Off Sharks

The University has also been doing research to try and figure out some pattern of why sharks attack people, though we’ll never really know for sure. It’s been an assumption among surfers that the reason they get attacked most is because they resemble a shark’s favorite dinner swimming on top of the surface. Unfortunately, there is still limited research to back up any circulating theories.

The theory that the surfers look like seals, however, sparked an idea a while back. Maybe by making the wetsuits look different, it would deter the sharks from the surfers. Dr. Nathan Hart, from the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute and school of animal biology, has been working on this research for quite some time. He has also had his hand in helping to make two anti-shark wetsuits. The suits are designed with a specific combination of colors and patterns intended to differentiate the person from a seal.

I love marine life and I am so interested in learning about it, especially sharks. As scary as they are, they’re incredibly interesting animals and it seems often times they’re misunderstood.

I will love them as long as I’m far, far away from them safe in my house. It’s safe to say I will probably always remain terrified of the deep end of the ocean, but it’s cool to think that we have the technology to keep ourselves a little bit safer in the sea.

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Great White...Nope!