Sharon K. West's Blog
Posted by Sharon K. West
The December 13 issue of The Wall Street Journal reports that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new label for Surimi, a fish paste which looks and tastes like crab or other fish products. The new label will include the word "flavored." Up until now, it was required to be labeled as "imitation."
Surimi is a Japanese staple, which was introduced into the United States in the 1970s, made mainly from Alaska pollock or Pacific whiting. It is flavored and colored to make it imitate fish products.
This is not without controversy. Various sides on this issue are consumers, the food processors who hope to increase sales, workers who need employment in these plants, and the fishermen who worry about losing their livelihood to another market.
Surimi is gaining momentum and it is interesting that one of the Oregon State University Seafood Laboratory's research projects is to find new methods to measure surimi.
I have no quarrel with anyone about this, but am just wondering if this isn't a wave of the future. As fish stocks are depleted, maybe someday we'll have to eat lobster flavored chicken or tuna flavored tofu in order to still taste the flavors of fish. Something to think about.
Posted by Sharon K. West
Scientists report this week that after an intensive search of the Yangtze River in China, the freshwater dolphin, the Baiji, is now classified as extinct. This is the first species of cetacean, which includes whales, dolphins and porpoises, to disappear in our time. What's even worse is that this is due to man's destruction of the Baiji's habitat.
Find out more information about the Baiji at The Baiji.org Foundation.
Fortunately for two captive dolphins at the Royal Jidi Ocean World Aquarium in Liaoning Province in China, somebody's arms were long enough to save them. These dolphins ingested plastic from the edge of their pool and surgical instruments failed to be able to remove it from their stomachs. Caretakers attempting to reach down their throats discovered their arms were too short.
To the rescue came Bao Xishun, the world's tallest living man, who is 7' 9" with 41.7" arms. He was able to remove the dangerous pieces of plastic. The smaller ones left could be digested and not harm the animals.
If only someone with long arms could have saved the Baiji.
Posted by Sharon K. West
Oceans are the major interconnected bodies of salt water that cover three-quarters of the earth's surface. A sea is a large body of salt water connected to an ocean but is partially surrounded by land.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) headquartered in Monaco is in charge of defining bodies of water.
Names of oceans are:
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Southern Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
Smaller bodies of water are:
- seas,
- gulfs
- straits
- lakes
A complete list of the world's seas and the oceans they are connected to can be found at Wikipedia's Sea page. Landlocked seas are also listed.
Posted by Sharon K. West
One of the things I am fascinated with is the color of the seas and the objects in them. These colors are so distinctively recognizable as being of the sea. However, water has no color. Yet it can appear as blue, green, brown, black or gray. Ever wonder how that happens? This tiny summary is produced using the information found at The Color of Water.
Basically, water appears as different colors because of the light reflecting upward from the water itself and from particles or plants in the water. Reflection from the sky above affects it to a degree.
If the water appears:
blue
Red light in the spectrum is being absorbed by the water, and it reflects more blue. Floating particles affect the color as well.
blue-green
The water is mostly clear of any particles.
brown
Mud in the water is reflecting more red light than blue, creating brown.
black
Peat is present in the water
gray
A cloudy day absorbs red light before it reaches the water.
Of course, the deeper one goes underwater, the less color there is. That's because light doesn't get through to those depths.
Hope this helps in determining why a particular body of water looks the color that it does.
Posted by Sharon K. West
Trying to decide which organization to support can be overwhelming, but if each of us would put forth the effort to find and support at least one, this could make a great difference for future generations.
But which organization? Try to identify your favorite cause or your favorite sea creature or habitat that you would like to help. The folks at MarineBio have put together a list of marine conservation organizations, regional initiatives, and specific species' conservation organizations. You can find even more yourself with a Google search on your favorite cause.
Another idea would be to support marine sanctuaries. You can find a wonderful website at National Marine Sanctuaries which provides information on that subject.
Visit ThankYouOcean.org and the California Ocean Communicators Alliance for other ideas on getting involved.
None of us can do it all, but each of us can do something. Together that will add up to a whole lot!
Posted by Sharon K. West
A recent study from an international team of researchers reports that if current trends continue, soon there will be virtually no fish left in the seas. One-third of the sea fisheries have already collapsed and the decline is accelerating.
All species in the sea are so closely dependent upon the other that destroying one element of biodiversity affects all the other parts. The only answer is more areas of the oceans need to be protected by banning or restricting fishing. Bottom trawling must be stopped to protect ecosystems as well.
This is extremely bad news which I hope will awaken all the powers that be and put them on notice that they must act now for the future. Scientists are telling us that this century may be the last century for wild seafood. How much more needs to be said?
For additional information, read:
BBC News: "Only 50 years left" for sea-fish
Posted by Sharon K. West
The effort to stop the practice of bottom trawling gained momentum this week when a letter to U.S. negotiators at the United Nations from a top State Department official established the US government's complete support. The UN may vote on a proposal for a moratorium on bottom-trawling in December.
Bottom-trawling is a method of fishing where huge nets are dragged across the bottom of the deep sea and in the process, everything in their paths are destroyed. This includes coral reefs and colonies of structure-forming bottom dwellers, such as sponges. The sea floor looks as though a bulldozer passed over it.
Statistics for 1997 on bottom-trawling reveal that 20 trawlers ripped up an estimated 10,000 tons of coral in the process of harvesting 4,000 tons of orange roughy.
Last March, the U.S. banned bottom-trawling in waters off the West Coast for an area of approximately 150,000 square miles. Most countries either ban or severely restrict this method of fishing within their territorial waters.
My question is, which nit-wit or illustrious company invented such a thing as bottom trawling? I wonder if we could find out and give this person or company the credit due them in the media. This is a pet peeve of mine. We only hear general descriptions of big problems. This problem is called bottom-trawling. Could we not add "by blankety-blank?" (Insert the appropriate offender's name in the blank.)
It boggles the mind how some people think.
Source:
Posted by Sharon K. West
Back in 1972, I visited a whaling station. I was on holiday touring Europe, and we had an interesting stopover in Iceland for a few days which was included in the tour.
Iceland is an incredibly beautiful country! I remember the starkness of the landscape, the lack of trees, and the geysers, but what really stands out in my mind was that visit to the whaling station. I cannot remember what species of whales they had killed. They had two, one in the process of being cut up and one waiting its turn. My heart broke for those huge, beautiful creatures now lying there lifeless. I have a vivid picture locked in my mind of the whale's baleen swinging back and forth slightly from the movement of being hauled up the ramp to the processing station.
Now, after a 17-year moratorium on whaling, Iceland's lawmakers have voted to resume whaling, and it is reported that already tourism is being affected. An estimated 30,000 visitors went to Iceland to see whales during the summer of 2005. I don't have any figures on the numbers in 2006. But talk about harpooning oneself in the foot.
Why kill whales again? All of the products that once were rendered from whale carcasses have been replaced by other sources. Only the Japanese and Norwegians still consume whale meat.
Big and lovable, whales are an emotional issue for many people. Just thinking how the estimated time for a whale to die after harpooning it is from two minutes to over an hour, I can hardly bear it.
Maybe, just maybe, if enough people protest this move, at least the whales can be granted the freedom to roam our seas in peace.
Resources:
Posted by Sharon K. West
I cannot imagine the standards of beauty that early sailors might have had when they thought Manatees were mermaids. Were women in that day so ugly that their faces could be mistaken for a Manatee's? At any rate, Manatees became part of the order "Sirenia" which means "siren." Sirens were half-woman creatures that could lure sailors into danger and ultimately, death. Another name for the Manatee, which is sea cow, seems quite more appropriate to me.
Manatees can live up to 50-60 years. They grow to about 9-10 ft. long and weigh on average about 1,000 pounds. They are hunted in South and Central American countries, but the leading cause of death for a Manatee is boat collisions or getting tangled in fishing nets. Of course, pollution is affecting this species as much as it is others. Get some interesting information on Manatees at All About Manatees.
If you are ever in the Columbus, Ohio, area, consider a visit to the Manatee Coast at the Columbus Zoo to visit the current residents of this beautiful Manatee exhibit. Their aquarium is built to house up to five full-grown manatees, and they have recently transitioned more from performing the role of rehabilitation and release to medical conditioning and research for Manatees.
Other resources on Manatees are:
Posted by Sharon K. West
In the late 1950's to early 60's, using scrap tires to produce artificial reefs became an innovative idea to dispose of old tires while at the same helping the environment. By 1993, for example, scrap tires and other debris made up a 2.5 mile artificial reef along the coast of New Jersey. Southern State Correctional Facility inmates were put to work in constructing these tire reef units which could be anchored to the sea floor.
However, a 35-acre wasteland lies off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, littered with scrap tires which are not anchored. They were cast into the sea to lie wherever they might. Now, in order to save the environment, these tires must now be retrieved as they are rolling around in the currents, pounding against natural reefs and destroying them. A massive tire retrieval effort will begin in 2008. They estimate that it will take three years to retrieve approx. 700 tires per week.
Coastal America is the group that is trying to organize the cleanup.
As always, whatever we put into the sea must be carefully considered lest it become the proverbial mouse in the cookie jar.
Sources:
Dream of Artificial Reefs Becomes an Ecological Calamity by Peter Whoriskey, October 3, 2006
American City & County, Nov 1994 v109 n12 p63(10) by Barry Wise
Posted by Sharon K. West
Silent killers are lurking in our waters. Whether small or large (some as big as a football field), they kill fish and other marine life by the thousands. These serial killers of the sea are called "Ghost Nets," floating walls of deliberately discarded or lost-at-sea fishing net which kill again and again for years before they rot or fall apart.
Eventually, the nets fill indiscriminately with scores of marine life and are weighed down, sinking to the bottom where they remain while the dead rot away or are eaten by scavengers. Then these gaping "jaws" of death float back up again to refill themselves, repeating this process indefinitely. Nylon nets are particularly long-lived.
Unfortunately for victims caught in the nets, death comes slowly, either by drowning, shock or exhaustion. If some manage to get free, they may die later from their wounds.
I wonder how long something similar to this type of carnage would be allowed to continue if it were happening on land? Would not public outcry become great if herds of land animals were trapped in roving nets and left to die, as we watch them on the news, struggling to get free? But ghost nets are hidden from view beneath the waters and most of us are not even aware of the problem. Yet it is cruelty to animals, killing for no reason and affecting fish stocks in some areas on a large scale.
Fortunately, however, this issue is coming to the attention of groups who are trying to track and eliminate the ghost nets. But more must be done to get at the cause of the problem which are the fishermen themselves. For those not responsible for taking care of their nets, fines must be stiff and punishment, severe.
Posted by Sharon K. West
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has provided their Seafood Watch website to raise consumer awareness about buying seafood from sustainable sources. You'll find recommendations on which seafood to buy or avoid and guidelines to support the fisheries and fish farms that are better for the environment. A handy pocket guide is available.
Seafood Watch evaluates their recommendations in the following areas:
- Level of bycatch observed
- Fishing methods and their impact
- Is it farmed and how is it farmed?
- How the operation is managed
You'll also find important information on why your choices matter and what you can do.
Visit this website today!
Posted by Sharon K. West
In the news today, a story emerges of an innovative method of checking water supplies being used in San Francisco, New York, Washington and other big cities.
Fish, Bluegills specifically, are kept in special tanks of city water and watched for signs of distress. This includes the fish version of coughing, flexing their gills, as well as changes in breathing, heartbeat and swimming patterns.
The system called the Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System was originally developed for the Army. The concept is that water is constantly moved through these fish tanks 24 hours a day while a computerized system watches the fishes' vital signs and sends an email when anything unusual shows up. The system was developed by Intelligent Automation Corporation, a Southern California company.
Bluegills were chosen because they are especially sensitive to such things as cyanide, diesel fuel, mercury, and pesticides. They can detect at least 30 toxic substances in water. In one instance, the fish picked up on a diesel spill two hours before other monitoring systems caught it.
The cost of the operation runs around $45,000.
Source:
Posted by Sharon K. West
It was announced today that researchers off the coast of Indonesia have found a significant area within the Bird's Head Seascape where they have uncovered approx. 60 new species of marine life. This includes a shark which "walks" on pectoral fins to move along the sea floor.
The location is in the northwestern portion of Indonesia's Papus Province. The area is called the Coral Triangle and includes Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Included in their discoveries are 20 new corals and 24 new fish.
Unfortunately for all of us, the area is threatened due to over fishing (including fishing with the use of dynamite that destroys reefs) and pollution. Research teams are racing to study and protect it before these threats, along with global warming, take their toll.
Source:
ABC News Report, "Researchers Find Underwater Lost World": September 17, 2006
Posted by Sharon K. West
A 46-minute IMAX film is now playing in select theaters around the USA. Produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films, it is entitled "Coral Reef Adventure." The ground breaking documentary follows the real-life 10-month expedition of ocean explorers and filmakers, Howard and Michelle Hall and is their most expensive film to date.
The film is narrated by Liam Neeson and features music by Crosby, Stills and Nash. It is based upon the findings of Reef Check scientists.
If you have the opportunity, see this film and get involved to help preserve our coral reefs.
Check out these websites:
Reef Check, Saving Reefs Worldwide through Research, Education, Conservation
Posted by Sharon K. West
Today, the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that El Nino is forming again in the Pacific Ocean. El Nino is an extreme warming of equatorial waters which affects world weather patterns.
El Nino suppresses hurricane activity in the Atlantic which is already apparent. It produces wetter-than-average conditions in some parts of the world while at the same time, causes dry conditions in others. Presently, this El Nino is weak but is expected to worsen by winter and last into 2007.
Sea life is affected by El Nino in the ocean process called upwelling. This is a term for the rising of deep colder water into the shallower depths. Nutrient-rich water comes up and replaces water in the upper levels. This supports the fish populations that are found in the shallower areas.
During El Nino years, the middle layer of water (the thermocline), which is the transition zone between shallow and deep waters, deepens and limits the efficiency of bringing up those nutrients. This greatly diminishes fish crops. Check this link for diagrams and further explanation of upwelling.
El Nino means "little boy" in Spanish and this phenomena was named for the Christ child because it usually appears around Christmas. It shows up approximately every three years.
Posted by Sharon K. West
A reader in Australia sent an email recently asking about raising giant clams.
The Derasa Giant Clam is one of the first species of giant clam to be successfully raised in captivity.
According to CentralPets.com, "Derasa Giant Clams are frequently found in Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, where they inhabit protected reefs or lagoons at depths of 12 to 33 feet (four to ten meters)." This website gives special care information and instructions on breeding and propagation. Click here to read their informative page.
The Gigas Clam, which is the largest of the clam species, is also raised on farms. CentralPets.com gives information about the care of this species here. These clams reach the size of over 4 feet.
Indo-Pacific Sea Farms and Aquafarmer Information Sheet are additional resources on raising giant clams in capitivity.
I hope this information will help get this reader started on his giant clam venture.
Posted by Sharon K. West
It is most fitting to start off my topic with a tribute to the memory of Steve Irwin. Although he brought lots of attention to sea creatures, he is not as much famous for Marine Biology as he is for his commitment to conservation. Oftentimes, watching him wrangle crocodiles or throw himself on the ground or in the water to catch an animal caused me to cringe. I don't know how he ever did it! But the way he died illustrates the ever present danger. I did not know Steve personally but I still feel as though I did. His death has affected me much as Princess Diana's. He is an icon of our day.
Lots of people are risking their lives every day to study creatures in one place or another. I recently saw a news report where a large sea turtle attacked a graduate student who was tagging them about 400 yards off the coastline of Florida. One of the turtles attacked and pulled him under. I've been unable to verify if his body was ever found.
Dolphins sometimes become aggressive as well which is quite unexpected by those who love them and want to get close.
Will these incidents affect the way scientists approach their subjects? I believe it may promote greater consciousness toward safety and perhaps bring innovation to bear in designing safety equipment for those who are in harms way.