All posts by admin

coral reef ecology, harbor dredging, reef conservation

Dredging Today: Australia: Environment Minister Postpones Abbot Point Dumping Case

08/11/2013 admin Leave a comment

Australian Environment Minister Mark Butler has decided to delay making a decision on an application to dump 3 million cubic metres of dredge spoil in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, 50kms from the Whitsunday Islands.

The Minister’s decision has come just hours after his Government released a new report into the impacts of dredging in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, that shows the impact of dredging and dumping is much worse than industry and government thought.

“The Fight for the Reef Campaign welcomes the fact that the project, which would see millions of cubic metres of seafloor torn up and dumped in the waters of the Reef, has not been approved,” WWF-Australia spokesperson Richard Leck said.

“Today’s announcement of a delay shows that the Minister is taking this issue seriously, and we are pleased he is taking a thorough and detailed approach to a decision that is critical for the future of the Great Barrier Reef.

“However, given the deeply concerning new report released today that shows the harmful impacts of dredging have been considerably underestimated, we believe the Government will now have little choice but to eventually reject this application for Abbot Point and rule out Reef dumping altogether.”

AMCS spokesperson Felicity Wishart said dredging and dumping in the Reef World Heritage Area should be a thing of the past.

“These practices are outdated, and industry needs to change its ways if we are to save the Reef,” Ms Wishart said.

“The Minister has faced considerable pressure from industry to approve this dredging, and he has rightly resisted this in favour of making a fully considered decision.

“It is vital that the resources sector brings its practices into the 21st century – just as other industries have done already.

“Dumping millions of tonnes of sediment into the World Heritage Area is not acceptable. Australians want to see the Reef protected.”

Special thanks to Elliot Baron.

oceanography

Discovery.com WHALES & DOLPHINS: Many Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins May Be Deaf

08/03/2013 admin Leave a comment

http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-dolphins/bottlenose-dolphins-deaf-130801.htm

AUG 1, 2013 10:00 AM ET // BY TANYA LEWIS, LIVESCIENCE

PLAY VIDEO

DOLPHINS GIVE EACH OTHER UNIQUE NAMES

Dolphin deafness can be caused by aging, underwater noise or other factors. VINCENT M. JANIK, UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS

In waters from Florida to the Caribbean, dolphins are showing up stranded or entangled in fishing gear with an unusual problem: They can’t hear. More than half of stranded bottlenose dolphins are deaf, one study suggests. The causes of hearing loss in dolphins aren’t always clear, but aging, shipping noise and side effects from antibiotics could play roles.

“We’re at a stage right now where we’re determining the extent of hearing loss [in dolphins], and figuring out all the potential causes,” said Judy St. Leger, director of pathology and research at SeaWorld in San Diego. “The better we understand that, the better we have a sense of what we should be doing [about it].”

Whether the hearing loss is causing the dolphin strandings — for instance, by steering the marine mammals in the wrong direction or preventing them from finding food — is also still an open question.

Deaf strandings

Dolphins are a highly social species. They use echolocation to orient themselves by bouncing high-pitched sound waves off of objects in their environment. They also “speak” to one another in a language of clicks and buzzing sounds. Because hearing is so fundamental to dolphins’ survival, losing it can be detrimental. (Deep Divers: A Gallery of Dolphins)

A 2010 study found that more than half of stranded bottlenose dolphins and more than a third of stranded rough-toothed dolphins had severe hearing loss. The animals’ hearing impairment may have been a critical factor in their strandings, and all rescued cetaceans should be tested, the researchers said in the study, detailed in the journal PLOS ONE.

How exactly do scientists give dolphins a hearing test? In captivity, dolphins and whales can be trained to press a paddle or make a noise when they hear a test sound. But a different approach is needed for wild animals.

Above water, animals perceive sound via airwaves. But underwater, dolphins hear primarily via pressure changes in their jawbone, so researchers use a “jawphone,” which consists of a suction cup placed on the dolphin’s lower jaw to produce sound pulses. Electrodes embedded in the suction cups measure brain responses to the sounds.
NEWS: Dolphins May Be Math Geniuses

Causes of deafness
Dolphins can become deaf for a variety of reasons. The most common cause is age-related hearing loss, said Dorian Houser, a marine biologist at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in San Diego. Like humans, dolphins tend to lose their high-pitch hearing first, and males tend to go deaf more often than females, Houser told LiveScience.

Some dolphins are also born with impaired hearing; certain drugs used to treat the animals’ other health problems can also cause hearing loss. Other causes are chronic exposure to noise (such as from shipping), or exposure to short-lived intense noise (such as explosions).

Many studies have investigated the effects of military sonar on dolphin hearing. “There’s mounting evidence that midfrequency sonar may be impacting dolphins and whales,” St. Leger said.

The animals may lose hearing for a short time and then recover — the so-called rock-concert effect, Houser said. But they’d have to be pretty close to the source of the sonar and be exposed to it repeatedly, he added. Studies have shown temporary hearing loss from sonar, but less is known about its long-term effects. The bigger concern is how sonar could disrupt the dolphins’ behavior. For example, the high-frequency pings can mask the calls of dolphins and whales and scare them away from their habitats.

As for deafness in dolphins, researchers are still trying to get a handle on the problem’s prevalence, which may not be as pronounced as the PLOS ONE study suggested, Houser said. “But I think, in time, we’re going to answer the question,” he said.

This article originally appeared on LiveScience.com. More from LiveScience.com:

Special thanks to Richard Charter

coral reef ecology, harbor dredging, reef conservation

Key West Citizen: Reef Relief founder blasts channel study

07/16/2013 admin Leave a comment

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Reef Relief founder blasts channel study

BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com

The couple who founded the nonprofit Reef Relief is urging Key West voters to defeat the Oct. 1 ballot question on whether the city should order a study on the impacts of channel widening.

“It is incredulous to me that anyone associated with protecting coral reefs would dispute this elementary fact of coral ecology,” DeeVon Quirolo wrote in a lengthy statement on the cruise ship-related ballot question released Sunday.

DeeVon Quirolo and her husband Craig retired from Reef Relief in 2009 and moved to Brooksville, Fla.

They have weighed in before on the dredging question, in 2011, but chose the eve of Reef Relief’s 26th annual membership meeting to release a fresh public statement on the matter, although none of the speakers Monday night mentioned the Quirolos’ recent statement,.

But a few Reef Relief members left a stack of copies at the registration desk that greeted about 100 guests, as a show of protest against the nonprofit board’s refusal to take a stance on the Oct. 1 ballot question.

“I joined tonight so I could do it,” said Alex Symington, as he peeled off his name tag sticker and wadded it up.

Symington, who paid the $15 to become a Reef Relief member for one year, wore his Key West Committee for Responsible Tourism T-shirt to the dinner, which the Casa Marina hosted for free.

Reef Relief included the cruise ship issue on its program, inviting a speaker from two opposing political action committees formed in advance of the general election to give five-minute statements.

But the nonprofit itself, which receives donations from a host of local businesses that range from Fury Water Adventures and Historic Tours of America to the smaller shops on Duval Street, has refused to take any position on the question.

“We are not in a popularity contest and we are not ‘political,'” Reef Relief President and CEO Peter Anderson wrote in a statement Thursday that Benson’s PAC widely distributed on Saturday.

Anderson dismissed the ballot question as “purely political in nature,” and said that Reef Relief is “literally appalled at the amount of money, time and energy that is ripping apart the fabric of our community over the issue of a study – a study that may or may not result in a dredge operation 10 to 15 years from now.”

Jolly Benson, a Key West native from the anti-study PAC, and attorney Jennifer Hulse from the pro-study movement that sprouted from the Key West Chamber of Commerce, took turns at the microphone.

The audience, however, was first asked not to boo or “make demonstrations” on either side of the argument and simply let the speakers have their time.

“I’m going to ask for some discipline from you guys,” said Anderson, who was reelected Monday night with no opposition. “No questions, please. Please just sit and listen respectfully.”

Benson, representing the Key West Committee for Responsible Tourism, drew a louder round of applause and a couple of cheers after speaking, but Hulse was given a kind welcome and response as well.

On the ballot this fall is a referendum asking voters if Key West should ask the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study documenting the various impacts from dredging part of the city’s main ship channel to better accommodate “modern, longer cruise ships.”

A majority vote is needed for the question to pass.

Anderson accidentally introduced Benson as the speaker for “Support the Study,” the promotional campaign tag that the Key West Chamber of Commerce PAC is touting, along with a website named after the phrase.

Benson, a playwright whose brother Will Benson is a flats fishing guide, shook it off with a smile before launching into his brief speech.

The ballot question isn’t just about a study, Benson promised, quoting the Corps of Engineers’ website that says such a study is one progressive step in a formula that results in dredging.

“It’s not a study on whether it’s a good idea, it’s a study on how to go about dredging the channel in a national marine sanctuary,” said Benson.

He politely addressed Reef Relief’s neutral stance on the Oct. 1 question.

“This is an environmental issue, as far as Reef Relief is concerned,” Benson said. “We say, stand up against dredging. This is not a political issue.”

Hulse, who contends that the ballot question is about Key West’s economic future and not a debate over environmental protection, veered from her usual stump speech to stand up for local businesses.

“This label that if you’re in favor of business you’re against the environment is a complete falsehood,” said Hulse, who introduced herself as an attorney who is also a diver, a sailor and a fisher. “I enjoy the reef as much as anyone. It’s why I live here. I imagine it’s why most of you live here.”

Hulse noted the long list of Key West businesses that support Reef Relief through donations and said cruise ship passengers bring at least $87 million a year to the local economy from their spending along the Duval Street commercial corridor. She also disputed Benson’s argument that the ballot question goes far beyond a study.

“No dredging will result from this referendum,” Hulse said. “Of course the city will make that decision. This is a very strategic process we have to go through to even consider the possibility.”

The Quirolos’ statement asks Key West to be content with its “thriving hotel, tourism and real estate industry,” and says the “hordes of cruise ship visitors denigrates the downtown section to the exclusive benefit of a few businesses.”

Then, she asks on behalf of her husband and herself for the city to vote ‘No’ come Oct. 1.

gfilosa@keysnews.com

climate change, coral reef ecology, coral reef educational materials, Home Page Posts, learning dvd, oceanography, reef conservation

Coral List: Coralwatch releases educational DVD series including Shifted Baselines

07/15/2013 admin Leave a comment

Dear Colleagues

CoralWatch recently released an education DVD series, adapted from our book, Coral Reefs and Climate Change. This series incorporates 22 short videos (3-8 minutes), each focusing on a key aspect of oceanography, coral reef ecology, climate change science, and reef conservation. Animated diagrams, interviews with scientists and footage from around the globe help to communicate the latest science to diverse audiences.

We have just uploaded the episode on Shifted Baselines to be freely available on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chn_4EyTK9g&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

Feel free to share with colleagues or use this in your teaching activities.

If you would like to order the full DVD, or find out more about CoralWatch, please visit our website www.coralwatch.org, or email info@coralwatch.org

regards,
Angela

Dr Angela Dean I Project Manager (Monitoring & Research) – CoralWatch I The University of Queensland l Phone: +61 7 3365 3127 l Fax +61 7 3346 6301 l Email a.dean@uq.edu.au

Home Page Posts

Care2.com: 10 Threats to the World’s Stunning Coral Reefs by S.E. Smith

06/17/2013 admin Leave a comment

June 16, 2013
4:00 pm

10 Threats to the World’s Stunning Coral Reefs

Coral reefs: stunning, diverse, found worldwide, and incredibly fragile, despite the fact that they look like they’re made from stone. These delicate, beautiful structures are microcosms, communities filled with organisms living in a mutually beneficial world that provides food, shelter and protection from harsh weather. Sadly, 25% of coral reefs are already hopelessly damaged, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and many others face serious threats.

Combating damage to coral reefs requires understanding the multifaceted nature of the threats against their survival, and determining the best way to address these environmental issues before it’s too late. The loss of coral reefs would be tragic not just because we’d miss something beautiful in the world, but because they also play an important environmental role.

1. Ocean Acidification

Associated with climate change, ocean acidification occurs as atmospheric CO2 rises and the ocean absorbs it. The oceans have been burdened with a huge percentage of the rapidly-rising CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, and they aren’t equipped to handle it. Historically, the ocean’s pH was relatively stable. Today, it’s dropping due to reactions between seawater and CO2, and corals are missing out on valuable carbonate ions they need to form. Not only that, but as the level of dissolved CO2 in the ocean rises, it appears to be directly damaging coral skeletons, causing them to break and crumble.

2. Coral Bleaching

Thanks to climate change, the ocean is getting warmer. Corals, along with many other organisms in the sea, are extremely sensitive to small temperature changes. In their case, they can react to temperature increases by expelling their critical symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae. How critical? They provide up to 80% of the energy needed by the coral to survive, so when they leave, the coral is at risk of dying off — and it acquires a distinctive pale color, explaining the term “bleaching.”

3. Pollution

Coral, like the rest of us, doesn’t take kindly to toxins in its environment, and when exposed to chemical and industrial pollution, it can die. Moreover, corals are at risk of what is known as “nutrient pollution,” where the ocean becomes rich in nutrients as a result of fertilizer release, animal waste and related materials. It turns out there is such a thing as too much of a good thing — algae swarm in and bloom in response to the sudden food source, and they choke out the coral population. Better pollution controls and conservation are critical to prevent this issue.

4. Overfishing

Coral reefs often furnish a number of valuable food species, but unfortunately, humans don’t always manage fisheries responsibly. Consequently, species can become fished out, disturbing the balance of the reef environment. Not only that, but some fishers use destructive practices like adding chemicals to the water to stun fish, deep water trawling or using explosives to quickly startle fish to the surface of the water. These practices damage the coral and harm bycatch — the “useless” species that won’t be harvested. Likewise, crab and lobster traps can damage reefs by banging around in the current and entangling coral and other species in their ropes.

5. Development

Coastlines tend to make popular places for development. Historically, they were ideal for trade and other activities thanks to their proximity to major ports. Now, coastlines have become one of the most popular places in the world to live thanks to existing settlement and stunning views of the water, along with activities associated with the ocean like surfing, going to the beach and snorkling. Unfortunately for coral, development is bad news, because it increases pressures on already fragile reefs. Some cities that once had thriving reefs now have nothing left, while in other rapidly-developing areas, things are not looking good for coral reefs.

Tourism, closely related to development, is also linked with damage to coral reefs. Tourists who aren’t aware of environmental issues may directly damage coral by stepping on it, harvesting souvenirs to take home, or disrupting the marine environment. Meanwhile, boaters may dump waste in reefs as well as damaging coral by hitting it with propellers and anchors.

6. Radiation

Ever get a sunburn? Coral has some natural protections against UV radiation, but it’s not prepared for ozone depletion. As the Earth’s ozone has become thinned in spots, some corals are showing signs of damage caused by UV exposure; it’s not exactly like they can slap on a layer of sunscreen for additional protection in the face of increasing exposure. Like other changes in the Earth’s atmosphere, ozone depletion is hard to fix, and it’s difficult to come up with a way to protect corals from it.

7. Mining

Coral jewelry is just one of many things made from coral. In addition to being used in souvenirs for tourists, coral is also removed for use in making roads, paths and various other products. This is especially common in nations with limited sources of income, which turn to their reefs and other natural wonders to meet their economic needs. Even though this puts substantial pressure on the environment, and eventually depletes reefs, these nations may have no other choice.

4. Overfishing

5. Development

6. Radiation

7. Mining

8. Sedimentation

Think back on the photos of coral reefs you’ve seen, or, if you’ve been lucky enough to see one in person, the real thing. One thing you’ll note in almost all of them is the extremely clear water. Coral hates suspended sediment, and doesn’t thrive in waters clogged with dirt, debris and other materials. Sadly, sedimentation is on the rise thanks to development and the destruction of wetlands, which normally act like giant traps for sediment, preventing it from reaching the ocean (and, incidentally, preventing loss of valuable topsoil). As sedimentation increases, coral populations suffer.

9. Stormy Waters Ahead

Tropical storms, hurricanes and other rough weather are a fact of nature, but evidence suggests they may be increasing in frequency and severity in response to climate change. Coral reefs can be badly damaged as a result of storm surge, the high, aggressive waves associated with severe storms. Sadly, this doesn’t just damage the coral; it also exposes the shoreline to further damage, because the coral would normally act as a buffer zone to help protect the shore.

10. Rising Sea Levels

Coral is highly sensitive to light levels (one reason it can’t handle sedimentation and algae blooms). As sea levels rise, the amount of available light will decrease around existing reefs. Coral won’t be able to grow under those conditions, and it may begin to die off, which means that it will cease to support the reef and the larger population of organisms that relies on the coral for food and shelter. Formerly diverse areas could become deserts very quickly, and projections suggest that at current predicted rates of sea level rise, many famous coral reefs, such as those in the Caribbean, won’t be able to keep pace.

Reef News & Issues