Author: ashtr

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California Man Found Guilty of Smuggling US Corals to Mexico

Macias, Martin Jr. (2019, November 21). California Man Found Guilty of Smuggling US Corals to Mexico. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.courthousenews.com/california-ma n-found-guilty-of-smuggling-u-s-corals-to-mexico/

 

A California resident attempted to send more than 40 boxes of live corals to a company in Mexico, many of which were protected by CITES, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. He was found guilty of filing false documents for the wildlife he intended to export, telling the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services that he was instead shipping 16 cartons of fish. He had been pressured by the company he was selling to to send them earlier, in January 2013, before the CITES permitting processes had been finalized, but was unable to. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

 

I think that this article was pretty interesting, as they don’t actually name his motives, or the company’s, in the text, instead, it just sort of implies that it was just for profit. But what if it wasn’t? It certainly wasn’t a good idea for him to go against the CITES agreement, and thus breaking the law, but I think that if they had explain his motives, the story would have been significantly clearer. It’s related to environmental science because it relates to endangered species, specifically those that are threatened by climate change.

 

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Ocean Heat Waves Linked to Rise in Whale Entanglements

Banks, Bev. (2020, January 28). Ocean Heat Waves Linked to Rise in Whale Entanglements. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ocean-heat-wav es-linked-to-rise-in-whale-entanglements/

 

The effects of warming waters have had extremely detrimental effects on coral reef ecosystems, like coral bleaching, and is arguably the first signal of changes from warming oceans. If this continues, the problems will only increase in volume, one of which includes whales searching nearer to the shore for krill populations that are closer to active fisheries– resulting in more whales becoming ensnared in fishing nets. 

 

I found this article interesting, as it showed how something seemingly random, like whales getting caught in fishing nets, can actually have a pretty specific cause. I was intrigued by how they connected coral reefs to the overall issue, or at least how they phrased it, as though the ‘signal’ was referring to something that wasn’t already well-known, especially considering that the lead scientist for the study had already done extensive studies on climate change, specifically regarding its effect on marine life.

 

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The Health of Foundation Species Promotes the Stability of the Ecosystems That Depend on Them

Anonymous. (2020, January 29). The Health of Foundation Species Promotes the Stability of the Ecosystems That Depend on Them. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://yubanet.com/cal ifornia/the-health-of-foundation-species-promotes-the-stability-of-the-ecosystems-that-depend-on-them/

 

Foundation species contribute to the overall health of the ecosystems around them, and help to essentially protect it during difficult periods that are damaging to the ecosystem. It’s noted that ecosystems are often named after their foundational species, like redwood forests, coral reefs, or oyster beds. This article chose to focus on kelp forests, using over 18 years worth of data from nine shallow reefs in the Santa Barbra channel, in California. They concluded that foundation species have a significant effect on the surrounding ecosystems and are vital in keeping it healthy. 

 

Although the focus of the article was on kelp forests, the same conclusions held through for coral reefs- without the coral, it’s extremely difficult for the ecosystem around them to survive. I found the article a bit funny, as they were very insistent on testing something that already seemed pretty obvious, but I suppose it’s a good thing that they proved it just to be sure. It’s related to environmental science because when foundation species, like corals, die due to warming waters, it impacts the entirety of their community and has an even more profound effect.

 

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Climate Change Could Kill All of Earth’s Coral Reefs By 2100, Scientists Warn

Anonymous. (2020, February 22). Climate Change Could Kill All of Earth’s Coral Reefs By 2100, Scientists Warn. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.wktv.com/content/news/5 68108432.html

 

Due to climate change, the warming oceans haven’t been very hospitable to coral reefs, leading to widespread bleaching and the eventual death of many coral communities. In the future, this will lead very few places for coral to grow– by 2100, there will be hardly any viable sites for coral reef restoration, only Baja California and some spots in the Red Sea might work, but they’re still too close to rivers. Being situated next to rivers is less than ideal, as it introduces sediments and pollutions to the fragile reef areas, which might just end up killing or damaging them further. 

I found this article rather depressing, as it didn’t offer any optimistic statements towards coral health- I was hoping for a little, “But you can help by doing this!” at the end, but, alas, there was none. I found it interesting that they were already looking towards a worse-case scenario option, which is actually quite smart as at the rate we’re going, I don’t necessarily think enough might be done in time to completely (or at least notably) save the corals. This article is relevant to environmental science because it discusses climate change and the rather disastrous effects that it will have on the environment if nothing is done.

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Ousted EPA Official in California Says He Was Pushed Out For Being Too Bipartisan

Rust, Suzanne. (2020, February 6). Ousted EPA Official in California Says He Was Pushed Out For Being Too Bipartisan. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.latimes.com/californi a/story/2020-02-06/dismissed-epa-official-suggests-bipartisanship-killed-his-job

 

Mike Stoker, ex-head of Region 9 for the EPA (which covers California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, the Pacific Island Territories, and 148 American Indian Tribes), as fired from his post with no explanation as to why. His priorities had included cleaning up Hunters Point in San Francisco, transboundary sewage in the San Diego-Tijuana corridor, transuranium waste in Arizona, and, most notably, coral reefs in Hawaii. In order to address these goals, Stoker worked often with Democrats, even though he himself is an avid Trump supporter, leading him and others to speculate that that was the cause for his termination from the EPA. 

 

I think that it’s great that during his job Stoker focused on a lot of issues that are certainly very relevant to climate change, especially with coral reefs, although the article didn’t go into too deep detail of the work he did. I chose this article largely because of that, although I did find it intriguing that it became so political, which makes one wonder how someone can get fired for something rather petty when they were doing work that was legitimately important, like trying to stop, or at least slow, the pollution that enters the ocean through the Tijuana River (which I think would impact coral reef ecosystems, too). If we are to combat climate change, I think that it’s paramount that we put aside political differences in order to do so.

 

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Fiber Art Exhibit Aims To Save Coral Reefs

Kukral, Julie. (2019, October 16). Fiber Art Exhibit Aims To Save Coral Reefs. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/jackson_hole_daily/local/fiber-art-e xhibit-aims-to-save-coral-reefs/article_7c6a06aa-5d66-5cba-9e72-ae35f6493097.html

 

“Save the Reef” is an artistic initiative from the American Tapestry Alliance that aims to project the importance of coral reefs to the environment around them, as well as display the problems they face. It was originally proposed by Doris Florig, a fiber artist from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, who posted her idea on an online discussion thread through the American Tapestry Alliance. After gaining momentum, it has now come to include works from 35 international fiber artists, and will journey on a 5-year tour to spread awareness. 

 

Although art isn’t directly connected to coral reefs, the impact it can have is really uplifting. I was drawn to this article not only because of how a group of concerned people were working to address a problem that they saw in the world, but also because of how artwork was involved. The article didn’t comment on the potential impact that the exhibit might have, so I think I might look into that- as well as if the work will be displayed near us anytime soon, as I’d really like to see it.

 

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Republicans in Florida Want To Revoke Ban On Coral-Damaging Sunscreens

Nigam, Aanchal. (2019, November 9). Republicans in Florida Want To Revoke Ban On Coral-Damaging Sunscreens. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.republicworl d.com/world-news/us-news/republicans-in-florida-want-to-revoke-ban-on-coral-damaging-sunscreens.html

 

In the city of Key West, Florida, local Republican politicians are arguing that the presented sunscreen ban, which stops the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are damaging to corals, and makes the organisms, who are already stressed by warming waters, more susceptible to coral bleaching. However, the politicians, backed up by skin care experts, claim that the chemicals in the banned sunscreens are necessary for blocking UV rays- and Florida has had dangerously increasing numbers of skin cancer cases. The mayor of Key West has not appeared to lose faith in the ban’s potential, and hasn’t backed down.  

 

I think that the idea behind the ban is very good, and it could be quite helpful in helping maintain coral health, despite the looming threat of climate change. The politicians’ concerns are legitimate, as skin cancer, or any type of cancer, is a serious problem that shouldn’t be taken lightly. However… the two opposing sides almost make it look as though it’s a human vs. animal issue, which will introduce all sorts of other biases to the argument. It’s certainly a headache-inducing problem, but I still hold true to my original statement- the coral’s health is very important, and in this dilemma, should be prioritized. 

 

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Storms Shield Guam From Coral Bleaching

Anonymous. (2019, October 15). Storms Shield Guam From Coral Bleaching. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/storms-shield-guam-cor al-bleaching-191015131242150.html

 

Contrary to the popular belief in the scientific community regarding Guam’s coral reefs, the corals did not experience the expected mass bleaching that was predicted. This was a result of stormy weather that lowered water temperatures, partially due to cloud cover, but also when storms and wind exchanged hot water in shallow areas for cool water from deeper ocean. Coral paling, the precursor to coral bleaching, has still occurred, but not in massive numbers. Despite this good news, the vulnerable coral reefs are still at risk from overfishing, pollution, physical damage from groundings, and human influence. 

 

This article was much more uplifting than previous ones, even if its success was centered around a wild stroke of luck. It’s a bit ironic to think that the increased number (and/or intensity) of storms due to climate change has, in a way, helped solve some of the problems that it has caused. I think I’d like to look further into how likely this trend is to continue, and if it has happened elsewhere, with a similar effect.

 

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The Return of the ‘Blob’: Hawaii’s Reefs Threatened by Marine Heat Wave

Pierre-Louis, Kendra. (2019, October 21). The Return of the ‘Blob’: Hawaii’s Reefs Threatened by Marine Heat Wave. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive /2019/10/21/climate/hawaii-coral-bleaching.html

 

The “Blob” refers to massive, unexpected heat waves in the ocean, most notably in waters surrounding Hawaii. Coral that was previously healthy became stressed by the extreme temperatures and shed the plants that gave them color and provided oxygen (thus the ‘bleached’ appearance) and died- Hawaii’s corals experienced a 50% loss in 2015, when the “Blob” struck before. Satellite observation and a network of sensors has let scientists know where the coral bleaching is the worst, although the article didn’t confirm what they would do with this data. 

 

Climate change’s relation to environmental science includes how it alters entire ecosystems, causing lasting problems that a significant number of species have trouble adapting to. Not mentioned in the abstract, but an impactful segment of the article, talked about what happens to the coral structures after they are bleached; Algae start to grow on the reefs, but the warming waters trigger the release a neurotoxin called domoic acid from the algae. The shellfish that eat the algae transfer it to seabirds or other animals that consume the shellfish, who then get sick and die. During Hawaii’s “Blob” attack, “tens of thousands of dead seabirds” washed up on the shores, all due to warming waters. The article wasn’t very encouraging, it offered no solutions or ideas for possibly addressing the problem in the future, which I thought was a bit depressing.

 

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Trees That Survived California Drought May Hold Clue To Climate Resilience

Sommer, Lauren. (2019, October 19). Trees That Survived California Drought May Hold Clue To Climate Resilience. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.npr.org/2019/10/16/76 6200948/trees-that-survived-california-drought-may-hold-clue-to-climate-resilience

 

During California’s drought, a lot of trees died from the lack of water, combined with an inability to produce resin to fend of beetles. However, the ones that did survive, the ‘super trees’, did more with less water that they received, which has led scientists to grow large numbers of their offspring in nurseries and plant them, replacing the trees that didn’t survive. This same approach is being directed towards coral reefs- the corals that are more resilient to bleaching or warmer waters get their offspring with the same characteristics grown in labs. It’s hoped that these more hardy corals will create ‘super reefs’ that aren’t wiped out by global warming. 

 

The ideas being exhibited in this article are really interesting, I certainly hadn’t considered focusing on the plants themselves as opposed to the cause of what is killing them, like most people seem to be. So far, I should think it’s been successful, but the article didn’t elaborate on how well it was working. This would be related to environmental science because climate change is a serious problem, and the effects that it’s had on plants in different environments has been pretty devastating. It’s encouraging to see people working to address some of the problems associated with it in such creative ways.