Author: pvitale

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Samarrai, F. (2018, November 12). Study: Increasing Frequency of Ocean Storms Could Alter Kelp Forest Ecosystems. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://news.virginia.edu/content/study-increasing-frequency-ocean-storms-could-alter-kelp-forest-ecosystems

Researchers at the University of Virginia and UCSB have concluded in a study that increased storm frequency could dramatically alter ratios and types of sea life that live along the California coast. The researches arrived to this conclusion by examining 200 specimens in the California coast over a nine year period. The researchers found that during severe winters smaller invertebrates doubled while there were 30-61% less fish and shellfish. Furthermore the study found that the number of disturbances was most impactful as frequent disturbances suppress the regrowth of giant kelp.

 

This article is very disturbing. Kelp are the major habitat on the California coasts. It is known that storms can cause kelp to become detached from the substrate. Each kelp organism is a home for hundreds of organisms, from brittle stars in the holdfasts to sea urchins feeding on the leaves. Therefore less Kelp can lead to an intense drop in these organisms. Furthermore the increase in invertebrates is logical because with less Kelp attached to the substrate there is more room for these benthic creatures. This is a major problem and it has to be fixed, and the root of the problem is the changing climate causing more frequent storms.

 

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Kart, J. (2018, July 23). Five New Startups To Give Oceans A Hand With Plastics, Bycatch, Energy. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2018/07/23/five-new-startups-to-give-oceans-a-hand-with-plastics-bycatch-energy/#3cf417bb57af

The Sustainable Ocean Alliance announced five startups that were chosen for acceleration. For example one aims to make disposable plastic cups and straws out of seaweed, and therefore edible. Another startup is targeting plastic waste using blockchain technology. San Francisco’s own CalWave is developing a converter to harness energy from waves. The alliance notes that the ocean produces 50% of the worlds oxygen, and therefore humans should focus on protecting the oceans further.

 

This article gives hope for the future of ocean habitats. The fact that the importance of the ocean is being acknowledged opens the door to more and more similar startups being created. Furthermore the first startup mentioned could solve the problem of straws. Previously people could feel bad about straws but there were not any practical alternatives. However with the creation of this product straws could be eaten and would not end up in the oceans. Furthermore I love the idea of giving money to inventive solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

 

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Fimrite, P. (2019, February 02). Big surge in Coho salmon population, but the endangered species still needs protection. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Big-surge-in-Coho-salmon-population-but-the-13582214.php

648 Coho Salmon made the run upstream this year, which is a surge above previous years. This surge is being credited to restoration efforts. This years population is 10% above 3 years ago and 30% above 6 years ago. However despite the increase the population is still relatively small. At one point at least 10,000 swam upstream but began to fall with increased logging in the mid 1800’s, blocking 50% of the watershed with dams. Therefore though there was an increase, scientists say that the population must reach 2,600 to be classified as fully recovered.

 

This article gives hope that efforts to protect animals actually work. While it is not yet a complete recovery it does offer hope for the future. However the article shows the amount of work that needs to be put into an ecosystem to restore it. Therefore we should not count on restoration, and strive to maintain ecosystems in their natural state. Furthermore even when the population is regarded as fully recovered, it will be a fraction of what it once was.  

 

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Goleta Opposes Proposal to Truck Offshore Oil on California Highways. (2019, February 19). Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.edhat.com/news/goleta-opposes-proposal-to-truck-offshore-oil-on-california-highways

In 2015 Exxonmobil’s oil pipeline failed, causing an oil spill that killed hundreds of fish and marine animals in the Santa Barbara Channel. Recently Exxonmobil proposed re-opening the offshore drilling platforms and trucking the oil away. However the Goleta city council opposed this decision due to not wanting the carbon emissions from the trucks and the risk of crashes. By blocking this Goleta Officials have blocked the carbon pollution equivalent to burning two billion pounds of coal.

 

This article gives hope due to city officials in California putting the environmental impacts of such a policy ahead of the economic increase re-opening the platforms would produce. Furthermore the objection  puts the ball in Exxonmobil’s court, per say. The objection forces Exxonmobil to come up with a more environmentally sustainable way to transport the oil. Furthermore said transportation will have to be safe due to the stigma caused by the oil spill. Therefore this position by City Officials puts the oneness on creating a safe future for the transportation of said oil.

 

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Borunda, A. (2018, December 28). The West Coast’s biggest bird oasis is dying. Will it be saved? Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/12/salton-sea-drying-up-bird-migration-health

Salton Sea is a lake near San Diego which, due to climate reasons, has become a large hotspot for birds – both for migrating and living. However due to climate, political, and agricultural practices the lake has been slowly evaporating. The lake has been on “life support” since the 1920’s and in that time 400+ bird species have been spotted at the lake. It is believed that in the coming decade the water levels in the lake will shrink by thousands of acres each year. This is most likely going to be harmful to the bird population.

 

This article is frightening because one thing it points out is that Salton Sea is the only watering place for birds due to the drastic loss of wetlands. What frightens me is that I had not heard of this before searching for articles. This event could be majorly detrimental to the bird life in California which is important to much other life such as adding predators in ocean and rodent habitats. However the intense debate over what will be best for the lake gives hope that a solution will be reached in the near future.

 

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Oregon gets OK to kill sea lions at Willamette Falls

Press, A. (2018, November 15). Oregon gets OK to kill sea lions at Willamette Falls. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/north-coast/oregon-gets-ok-to-kill-sea-lions-at-willamette-falls/283-614980106

 

Wildlife managers in Oregon were given permission to kill sea lions that eat protected fish. The National Marine Fisheries Service approved the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s request to trap and euthanize up to 93 animals a year on the lower Willamette River. This will be done in hopes of protecting steelhead and chinook salmon whos population dwindle. However the opponents of this argue that killing the seals will not actually preserve salmon populations.

 

This article is significant because it gives a different solution to the problem shown in the previous article. The problem to me with this article is that it seems to offer a very backwards solution to the problem. I feel like a more effective solution could be to attack the main problem rather than a problem that came about due to this. I feel like it is punishing the sea lions for problems that humans created.

 

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Dam demolition would let Pilchuck River run free

Haglund, N. (2018, November 06). Dam demolition would let Pilchuck River run free. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.heraldnet.com/news/dam-demolition-would-let-pilchuck-river-run-free/

 

A dam in washington is being demolished in a few years. The dam has served its purpose in the past and now is only blocking fish from swimming upstream. Salmon would benefit the most from this, and more to eat could benefit  the endangered southern resident orcas. This is because the less salmon that are upstream the less can lay eggs and less salmon would be then born. The demolition is highly supported by many people in the area.

 

This article is significant because it shows how past infrastructure could be backtracked due to new findings. Furthermore it echoes what is occurring in many rivers across the country. Also it shows how something as small as a salmon can impact something as large as whales. The dam could be negative if is not demolished in a safe way, with rubble and particles getting into the river and eventually into the ocean. Therefore being cautious is of utmost priority.

 

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Lionfish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico expected to worsen as the climate changes

Stuckey, A. (2018, November 14). Lionfish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico expected to worsen as the climate changes. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/science-environment/article/Lionfish-invasion-in-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-expected-13391810.php

 

Lionfish is an invasive species brought to the US from the indo pacific as pets, and then thrown away due to high amounts of maintenance. Lionfish have no known natural predators in North America. Due to this they have been destroying coral reef communities since the late 1900’s. The increase is accompanied by a study stating that as ocean temperatures rise, the amount of venomous fish will increase. This is due to lionfish and other similar fish thrive in warmer water.

 

This article is important because it shows how a non-native species can completely decimate species. Furthermore it shows how trivially these species were brought over and how american avarice has lead to the decimation of coral reefs. It was not necessary to have this poisonous fish but people just HAD to. Lastly it shows how the situation in the gulf of mexico and other places that are warming may be past the point of no return.

 

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Sea cucumbers are being eaten to death

Greef, K. D. (2018, November 14). Sea cucumbers are being eaten to death. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/sea-cucumber-eaten-to-death/

 

Sea cucumbers play an important role in many ecosystems. Sea cucumbers act as purifying species for the ocean. In coral reefs sea cucumbers can even buffer the effects of ocean acidification. Currently sea cucumbers are largely consumed as status food in china. Furthermore this is a problem in the U.S as sea cucumbers can also be found in chinatowns across the country. Originally sea cucumbers were consumed for their medicinal purposes but now “their phallic resemblance thought to imbue them with power to combat impotence and fatigue”.  Due to their overconsumption the populations of many sea cucumber species.

 

This article is important because Sea cucumbers are important parts of all the ecosystems they are a part of. Furthermore sea cucumbers help with ocean acidification. Furthermore sea cucumbers add biodiversity to ecosystems which is always good. On a more personal level sea cucumbers are one of my favorite things to see while scuba diving. One of the most fun things to do with them is what we call sea cucumber football, which is where one person puts their hands to resemble a football goal post and the other person tries to throw a sea cucumber through.

 

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Fish flee for cooler waters

Reuters. (2018, November 13). Ocean Shock: Fish Flee for Cooler Waters, Upending Lives in US South. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from https://www.voanews.com/a/ocean-shock-fish-flee-for-cooler-waters-upending-lives-in-us-south/4647887.html

 

Since the 1970’s  many people in North Carolina depended on fishing flounder as a major catch. However in recent years fewer summer flounder have been found in the winter months, wiping out many fishing operations. This follows a trend that a study found, which is that 85% of the tracked species had shifted habitat. This fact, along with being driven out by large fishing operations, has hurt the small fisherman in the region, and many other fisherman.

 

This story shows that climate change is not only affecting animals. Climate change is affecting those that climate change deniers claim to be working for. This makes this more than a problem for scientists but also a social problem. This story highlights what will occur if climate change is allowed to continue. Furthermore the movement of fish could hurt biodiversity in these regions which could in turn hurt the habitat. This article is could be good for uniting anyone in changing practices to end climate change.