MaryAnn Gaffuri-Overfishing

 MaryAnn Gaffuri

Science Daily, March 19, 2012.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120319163807.htm

In this article, titled “One Solution to Global Overfishing Found”, the findings of on one study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, ARC Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, are discussed. The team of scientists from 24 nations worldwide studied 40 coral reef regions in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, to test the practice of “co- management” as a solution to overfishing in these reefs. “Co- management” in this regard refers to a mutually beneficial working relationship between local communities who depend on fishing for their livelihoods, Conservation groups who are concerned for the Reef and fish population and sustainability, and governments, who benefit from both locally and in a globalized market economy. The scientists and researchers found very successful results in both maintaining the livelihoods as well as protecting the fish. The only places where they did not find as great success were the areas and regions which more heavily involved with the globalized market in contrast with those communities who sold the fish within their own nations or cities.

                Fish are a vital part of all aquatic ecosystems and are also vital to humans. Overfishing is a major problem because millions of fish, a lot of them predators on smaller prey, are instrumental not only in maintaining the balance within those ecosystems, but also because they are one of the largest food sources for humans. The majority of the world’s population live on the coasts or on water, and their livelihoods, from jobs to food, depend on fishing.

                I think that it is great to hear about some kind of success in fisheries management, but I do not think these attacks the largest problems. Programs like these still only benefit the richest members of communities, and while not necessarily hurting poor groups, no benefit is accrued either. I do think it’s important that overfishing in the reefs is a large problem and understand why they tackled (no pun intended) these areas first but large fisheries in other areas are a huge problem as well, and I am eager to find out how they deal with the areas not designated to one nation or community.

Jeanette Guidi- Blog

The issue that is being addressed in the article “Millions of Americans at Risk of Flooding as Sea Levels Rise” is the recent concern of rising sea levels, consequently causing scientists to predict the massive flooding of coastal areas within the next decade. Scientists have proven that sea levels are currently rising due to temperature of waters increasing, therefore expanding water molecules, and the melting of glaciers; this rise of water have scientists predicting the danger of millions of Americans. Scientists argue that as a result of increase of ocean waters, “the US Government’s currently designated flood zones should not be considered stable.” As a result of unstable flood zones, if waters continue rise as little as 1 meter, there could be a potential danger of  “2.1 million housing units where 3.9 million people live.”   

Ecology is defined as the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. When studying ecology, it is important to understand and acknowledge how natural systems work and how human beings can have an impact the environment. Through analyzing this scientific study presented in the article, the effects of global warming, flooding, and the most importantly the effects flooding will have on millions of people, it is obvious that ecology and its importance plays a role in this environmental problem. Human beings contribute to global warming, which in return results in the heating of the earth atmosphere. Through this global heating, glacial ice has the potential to melt. As a result of glacial ice melting, scientist predict that sea levels will begin to rise. The systematic result of global warming, caused by human beings is now predicted to cause massive flooding in coastal regions and cities close to sea waters; all of the steps that ultimately lead to the massive flooding of coastal regions are all intertwined. 

In my opinion, the potential risk of coastal flooding due to the rise of sea waters is a very serious problem. Considering the article, I also believe that coastal flooding is a great threat to the United States economy, and the basic form of society that we live in presently. If sea waters flood coastal areas, millions of people will be forced to find new homes and millions of jobs will be lost. Extreme flooding would leave the United States in extreme economic turmoil. I believe that there are two ways that the flooding problem can be resolved. One way is that, as a result in the rise of sea waters, new evacuation plans be established by the government. American citizens need to be able to evacuate in a timely matter if flooding comes unexpectedly. Also, the government would need to find a solid source of land - establishment for its coastal citizens affected by the flooding, through housing and the work force. The second option is that globally, all countries and nations agree to participate in a friendlier green lifestyle. In living more green, the potential of decreasing global warming could be possible and therefore sea levels would not be so prone to rising and flooding coastal areas. 

Two years later, fish sick near BP oil spill site

(AP Photo/Courtesy Steven Murawski)

It has been two years since the devistaing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and fishermen and scientists are still reporting sitings of sick fish. Many of them have large open sores, black streaks, and lesions. The oil spill quickly faced the brunt of the blame. But scientists can't definitively say what is actually causing  the diseases because they have no baseline data on sick fish in the Gulf before the spill in order to form a frame of reference. To add to the problem, the gulf is exposed to more and more pollutants every day. But  the suffering fish's diseases are being tied to petroleum and a recent batch of test results revealed the presence of oil in the bile extracted from fish. 


"Bile tells you what a fish's last meal was," said Steve Murawski, a marine biologist with the University of South Florida who was chief science adviser for the National Marine Fisheries Service until November 2010 when he began working on oil spill studies for USF. "There was as late as August of last year an oil source out there that some of those animals were consuming."


Another, more extensive study, was conducted by USF scientists. They caught over 4,000 fish and about 3 percent of them displayed gashes, ulcers and parasites symptomatic of environmental contamination. 1o percent of mud-dwelling fish displayed signs of illness as well. "The closer to the oil rig, the higher frequency was" of sick fish, Murawski, the study leader, said. While past studies conducted in the Atlantic show only 1 percent of fish had been suffering from disease. 


They are seeing many things for the first time, such as fin rot. James Cowan, a reef fish expert at Louisiana State University said, "There is so much in the literature that links exposure to PAHs (the compounds in oil) to exactly what we are seeing: sicknesses, lesions and everything else."


There is more pollution in the Gulf than just the BP spill. Natural oil seeps, pipelines and oil wells and pollution from passing ships, as well as the discharge from the Mississippi River. But now in the past year, research has emerged showing deep-water corals, seaweed beds, inshore bait fish, dolphins and other species were injured by the spill. Nobody will say that the Bp Spill hasn't impacted the Gulf because it clearly has. But many aren't ready to attribute these findings of sick fish to the BP spill even though oil seems to be the main contaminate and we are only 2 years removed from the explosion that caused the spill. The spill wasn't even stopped until 15 months had past. To me, this is just another display of the devestation caused by this disaster. Sadly this problem will continue to harm us for time to come, while BP looks to save money in cleanup efforts even though its their fault that much of the Gulf's pollution can be attributed to the spill. 


Burdeau, Cain . "Two years later, fish sick near BP oil spill site - Yahoo! Finance." Yahoo! Finance - Business Finance, Stock Market, Quotes, News. N.p., 19 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://finance.yahoo.com/news/two-years-later-fish-sick-140236899.html>.

New Threat to Birds Posed by Invasive Pythons in Florida

Limpkin eggs. (Credit: Don Hurlbert, Smithsonian)

Burmese pythons seem to be causing a lot of trouble lately for the Florida Everglades They are native to southern Asia, but they have made their way into the everglades. They were first recorded in 1979. People believe they either escaped, or were brought over as pets. These Burmese pythons have rapidly grown.Studies estimate there are tens of thousands of them. Previous studies have been conducted that shows the pythons out competing native species for habitats and resources. However, this most recent study shows that they are also eating native wildlife. Smithsonian scientists uncovered this new threat. The snakes have been known to eat over 25 species of birds in the everglades. However, until these finding they were never recorded to be eating actual bird eggs. Smithsonian institution is working with the national park to observe the digestive tracks of the pythons. The above picture compares a normal egg, to two eggs that have been eaten by the pythons. These findings pose a new challenge for the Everglades. The pythons are extremely hard to control.


Why is this a problem? This shows that the pythons do not sit and wait for prey. They take advantage of any opportunities and have the ability to go after any native species at any time they desire. According to Carla Dove, lead author of the study, the snakes could potentially affect the native birds breeding. Scientists collected a 14 pound male python to study its eating patterns. Shortly after it was caught, it regurgitated 10 eggs, which were later found out to be Limpkin eggs (shown above). It seems to be fascinating that the Burmese pythons eat eggs because their bodies do not seem to be quite adapted to it. Other species of snakes eat birds, but these snakes have blade-like extensions in their esophogas so they can easily crush the egg. Burmese pythons do not have these extensions. Carla Dove says they do not know how frequently pythons are consuming bird eggs, more research will need to be done.


Invasive species is a very prevalent topic in ecology. They pose as a huge threat to ecosystems. Especially in this case. This invasive species, the Burmese python, is dominating native species in many different aspects. They are taking over the land, the resources, and causing negative affects to breeding. They embody all the aspects of an invasive species. They have spread rapidly, and lack any real competition.I think it is interesting how dominant they have become. I believe the Florida Everglades are in a state of crisis. They cannot control the growing population of the pythons and new threats are frequently occurring. It is very dangerous the pythons are now eating eggs because this can potentially lead to extinction of native species.


Written by Antonia Edwards


Source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120405224845.htm

Why Are Alaska Polar Bears Losing Their Fur?

Polar bears in Alaska are suffering from fur loss and skin lesions. Nine out of thirty-three polar bears that were examined during routine field studies near Barrow (Alaska’s northernmost city) during late March/early April were found to have alopecia (fur loss) and other skin lesions. This combination of diseases is rare to find in that many bears in such a small period of time. During summer 2011, 60 seals were found dead (another 75 seals diseased) due to a mysterious illness. The polar bears typically prey on these seals. Similar symptoms that the seals and the polar bears that are affected both show are labored breathing and fatigue. Scientists are trying to figure out whether or not the disease that the seals had is related to these symptoms that the polar bears are showing. Until the study is concluded, the cause is still unknown.

This relates to this course because it demonstrates how an ecosystem works. The polar bear is the predator and the seals are the prey. It shows how animals depend on each other in order to survive and how diseases could get transferred from a prey to a predator.

 I think that this is part of life. But it is also horrible. I think that if the scientists figure out what is causing the disease in seals, they will also figure out what is causing the hair loss and skin lesions in the polar bears. I’m willing to bet that this is related to the grasshopper effect. Barrow is the most northern city in North America. Pollutants transported due to the grasshopper effect end up here. Exposure to pollutants that the seals are not used to are probably causing this disease in the seals that is being transferred to the polar bears. Ecosystems aren’t meant to be completely healthy, but when I see stories like this where a disease is causing a lot of health problems it shows how important it is that the general public is aware of local problems that could cause bigger problems in places very far away from them.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/earth/why-are-alaska-polar-bears-losing-their-fur-120410.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Imported Goods bring Invasive Species and Disease

According to Science Daily, the United States imports goods worth more than $500 billion dollars each year.  We import everything from food, to animals, to cars.  When we import things like food, like vegetables, fruits or meat, it comes from thousands of miles away.  Non-native plants and animals commonly find a way to make its way onto U.S. soil and become a problem.  These may come as an accident, possibly hidden on the boat that it came in on, or mixed in with a pile of food.  Sometimes animals are taken from foreign lands, and let free into the wild here, becoming invasive the species around it.  When a non-native species of plant or animal are introduced in the environment, it can possibly take over and dominate the native species or bring in disease that native species aren't used to.  One group ventured to say that 70% of the invasive species in the US came from imported plants.  Many of the plants travel all around the country, mainly to California and Florida where they may grow and thrive.
The authors go on to say that more strict standards need to be set at inspection stations to decrease the chance of bringing in more invasive species.  Importing specifically harmful plants should be banned or held more in check.  Plants or animals that bring disease into the country could hurt the native species and in turn could be hurting the people.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120409133928.htm

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is no doubt a breath taking wonder of nature. The Barrier reef is home to more than four hundred different types of coral and hundreds more fish and other wild life. This is all in jeopardy of dying out because the rising sea temperatures.

The rising sea temperatures are a direct effect of global warming. The increase in the burning of fossil fuels has resulted in the increase of Carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. How does the effect the Great Barrier Reef? About 25 percent of the world’s Carbon Dioxide molecules are absorbed by the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef is not invincible and this is becoming very clear. In the past decade the Great Barrier Reefs have experienced the two warmest temperatures 5 year periods in the history of the earth. The increasing sea temperature has started taking its toll on the fragile and highly specialized ecosystem. The reef which is the biggest coral reef in the world is starting to succumb to the rising temperatures. These rising temperatures have resulted in the bleaching of the coral which means the coral is dead. Another result of the rising temperature is the slowing of expansion of the reef. This is hazardous to the ecosystem because the lack of new organisms means the fewer organisms there is to absorb the Carbon dioxide. This is a problem because the coral all have the ability to absorb a certain level of CO2 but not a lot if the water becomes denser with CO2 than the coral die out and the ecosystem around the coral die as well because they are a major keystone species in this ecosystem. The dying off of the coral reef means the dying off of the species that rely on it as a means of their survival as well. This highly diversified community will continue to diminish if the sea temperatures continue to rise due to the burning of fossil fuels.

This is important for us to understand because in ecology we study how our actions affect the world we live in. This is a direct result of humans burning fossil fuels at a pace were the earth can’t maintain its balance. Our ecological footprint is too much for the earth to keep up with. The earth cannot replenish its resources fast enough to deal with the addition of Carbon Dioxide in to the atmosphere at the high levels we produce. In class we have learned ways to reduce our ecological footprint for scenarios just like this. This case only confirms that the material we learn in class is truly realistic tools and problems the earth faces every day because of humans and our manipulation of the environment for our convenience.

I believe that if this problem does not improve it will be too late to fix or reverse the damages   that we have caused to the Great Barrier Reef. In class I learned that this area is a big tourist attraction. This would hurt us in the place that hurts the most, our economy. I think that we need to protect this ecosystem for economic security. Not only does this hurt our wallets but it is a source of protection of erosion of Austria’s coast line as well. I believe that this increase in sea temperature is more serious than we think and we have to act now if we want to save this amazing ecosystem.

Sources:

"Great Barrier Reef Wild Life." BBC News. BBC. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/places/Great_Barrier_Reef>.

"Ocean Acidification Hits Great Barrier Reef: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and Information. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ocean-acidification-hits-great-barrier-reef>.

"Ocean Acidification Hits Great Barrier Reef: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and Information. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ocean-acidification-hits-great-barrier-reef>.

"Working Together Today for a Healthier Reef Tomorrow..." Impacts of Rising Sea Temperatures on the Reef. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/outlook-for-the-reef/climate-change/how-climate-change-can-affect-the-reef/rising-sea-temperatures>