April 2015

Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter

April 2015

12

LET’S TALK ABOUT CONSERVATION NOAA TURTLE RESEARCH PROGRAM OCEAN ART: HALEY VONBANK

“In the early-1990s, the Marine Turtle Research Program (MTRP) of the Protected Species Division was formed by a group of scientists led

by George Balazs at the Honolulu Laboratory, a precursor to the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC)...”

April 2015

Volume XXIX, Number 4

Articles Page 3: Letter from the Editor Page 6: Let’s talk about conservation Page 8: Generation Blue Page 10: Ocean Updates Page 12: NOAA Turtle Research Program Page 16: Wanna sea something cool?

Page 18: Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Mercury levels in tuna rise, scientists and fisheries at odds Page 20: “Lords of the ocean” Page 22: Ocean Art: Haley Vonbank Page 24: Critter of the Month Page 26: Hanauma Bay calendar of events

Flashback Page 28: MOP calendar of events

About the Photography -Cover: This turtle photo was taken at Kahe Point Beach by Corey Mutnik, UHM MOP Student -Table of Contents: MOP stock photos.

-April calendar of events: John Coney, former UHH MOP Coordinator shot these curious fish off Midway Atoll in the Morthwestern Hawaiian Islands.

-Back cover: UHH MOP Student, Rebecca Ziegler as part of the 2013 MOP photography competition.

-All uncredited photos by: MOP -Disclaimer: any photo taken from flickr.com is used under the Creative Commons liscense and are credited appropriately with links to the user’s flickr account.

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Letter from the Editor

T

his month in honor of Earth Day we bring you “the Green issue” of Seawords, 30 of pages dedicated to learning about the planet and what we can do for it.

This time around, for Generation Blue: how to improve your seafood munching habits for a healthier you and a healthier blue!

Also in this issue we will be featuring NOAA’s Turtle Research Program which readers can discover on page 12.

Thank you for reading,

--Kathryn Lam, Seawords Editor

APRIL 2014 |3

2015

PHOTOGRA COMPETITI

ATTENTION! – Fancy yourself a photographer?

Have some fin-tastic photography? Submit your seaworthy photograph and you might just find it on the cover of Seawords! Email photos as hi-resolution attachments to seawords@hawaii.edu along with some info on your photograph*. The winning photo will be featured on the cover of the next special photography edition of Seawords. *Complete details along with rules of the competition can be found on the MOP website at: http://hawaii.edu/mop/?q=photography-contest-rules-guidelines

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APHY ION

Daniel Jennings-Kam APRIL 2014 |5

Let’s talk about conservation-let’s talk about you, let’s talk about me.

By Kathryn Lam, Editor

F

rom the beginning of humanity, humans have used the resources around us to live comfortably and we can be praised for our resourcefulness.

However, this resourcefulness can come at a cost for the fragile ecosystems that surround us. In 2003, Plectostoma sciaphilum, a species of snail which could only be found on one limestone hill in Malaysia, was declared extinct after a cement company blew up the hill “to satisfy our growing appetite for resources.” Plectostoma sciaphilum is not the only snail at risk--as many as 31 different species, ten of which are new to science, of Plectostoma snails have been catalogued to live in Southeast Asia where limestone hills are rare. This means that many of these snails are endemic to only one hill and already six species are considered critically endangered.

Many plants and animals are on the IUCN Red List due to reasons including loss of habitat and overharvesting of either the species itself or of another species that it may be dependent on. Many endangered species are specialized to live in a certain way and also, like many Hawaiian plants and animals and the various Plectostoma species, are endemic to small areas that are at risk.

Eileen Davis/MOP

Coral reefs, for example, are home to thousands of plant and animal life that have specialized live in, on, and around the reef. As 25% of the world’s coral reefs and 33% of coral reef species are in danger of extinction, further loss of any reef will have a crippling effect on all the different plants and animals that depend on coral reefs to sustain themselves.

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Many animals who are not officially considered extinct have not been seen for years, because scientists are sometimes reluctant to label something as extinct if there is still a chance it may make a return. For example, according to National Geographic, Myanmar’s Jerdon’s babbler (Chrysomma altirostre altirostre) was thought to be extinct for the past 73 years. This particular species is one of three subspecies of Jerdon’s babbler. However, on a recent expedition, scientists had the first sighting of the babbler since 1941 while studying other birds in the area. One of

Daniel Jennings-Kam/UHH MOP the causes of “extinction” was habitat loss.

Terms to know:

Loss of habitat is one of the major causes of species declination and is sadly one of the ones that can be prevented by human action. Many of the things we do in our daily lives can help to assuage the damage already done--things like turning off the tap to conserve water or turning out the light to save electricity contribute to the overall well-being of our planet which in turn helps to prevent adverse effects on the environment which could contribute to the loss of species. As you flip through the pages of Seawords this month, keep in mind it is the little things that count-as the Guardian put it: all that is left of the Plectostoma sciaphilum’s habitat is “a big hole in the ground filled with water.” This hauntingly chilling end to the snails is a warning to us all of what may be to come for species worldwide. n

-Biodiversity: the degree of variation of life measured by the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems.

-Extinction: ultimate consequence of declining species; when the last individual of a population dies.

-Habitat loss: reduction of hospitable locations for individuals on a species.

-Hotspots: areas with many different species.

-Overexploitation: using a resource at a rate that is faster than it can replenish itself -Specialization: the adaptation of an organism or organ to a special function or environment.

-Speciation: how new species come about.

To read more about Plectostoma sciaphilum or other species that have gone extinct, please visit: http://extinctionniche.wordpress.com. This website was created as part of Dr. Camillo Mora’s Geography 302 class and throughout the rest of the semester will be updated to reflect the student’s research on different species.

APRIL 2015 |7

Actions for the Ocean

BLUE

By Brijonnay Madrigal, Associate Editor

THE OCEAN SPANS OVER 70 PERCENT OF OUR WORLD. It is responsible for regulating temperature, food production, sustaining numerous marine species, and is a source for inspiration among multiple other things. The ocean gives us so much and it is time for us to return the favor and take actions to make the ocean ecosystem healthy again. Almost every action that we take affects the ocean in some way. Our everyday choices can be tailored to support a healthy ocean. Here are some examples of green acts that will keep the ocean blue.

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Following seafood consumption guides is one way to keep seafood intake sustainable. For Hawai‘i residents this means less mahi mahi which is an imported fish and more ‘opelu, or mackerel scad. As for ‘ahi poke, a beloved dish, be sure to avoid any ‘ahi that was not longlined, trolled, or pole caught in the U.S. (Photo credit: Nikki Gutlay/Former UHM MOP Student)

Feeding Lower on the Food Chain Can Promote Seafood Sustainability Overfishing, pollution and overconsumption of fish populations worldwide has resulted in collapsing of fisheries such as the Canadian cod in 1992. Due to the popularity of large fish species such as salmon, tuna, swordfish and shark, certain fisheries are rapidly depleting. Unless people change what kind of seafood they eat within the food chain, many fish populations may suffer.

What are the reasons for avoiding consumption fish species higher in the food chain?

1. Bioaccumulation of toxins in large fish is greater than smaller fish species and these toxins can possibly be detrimental to human health.

2. Larger fish, higher up in the food chain have longer lifespans so it takes large fish species longer to reach maturity before they can reproduce and contribute to the population. By consuming fish before they are fully developed, humans are inhibiting these fish to grow to maturity so they can repopulate restore populations.

The orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) is an example of a deep sea fish that has difficulty restoring its population size due to low reproductive rates in addition to lower metabolism.

How can I improve my seafood eating habits to promote a more sustainable ocean?

1. There are many resources online to find consumer guides by geographical area and/or state. One such website is: http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/consumer-guides For consumer guides made easy, you can also visit

http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/our-app to download the Seafood Watch App to manage the seafood you consume.

2. Pay attention to HOW these smaller fish species are caught! Methods like bottom trawling and dredging can negatively impact the ocean floor and disrupt benthic communities for 100’s of years. Aquaculture systems are becoming more prevalent but people should be aware that some farms are more environmentally responsible than others.

3. The next time you go to a restaurant, ask your waiter/waitress about their sustainable seafood options. Many restaurants in Hawai‘i are becoming more consciences about the seafood they serve and making sure it is sustainable and local. Seek out restaurants in Hawai‘i that serve dishes made with sustainable seafood and if your favorite restaurants are not practicing sustainable cooking, try to raise awareness in your community.

4. Keep track of “in season” fish to purchase to maintain local fisheries and avoid contributing to the imported market which may practice unsustainable fishing methods.

APRIL 2015 |9

NEWS OCEAN UPDATES

By Camra Hopper, UHM MOP Student

Camra Hopper/MOP Student

90% OF ALL VOLCANIC ACTIVITY OCCURS IN THE OCEANS. There is so much going on in the big blue that here at Seawords we like to keep you updated on some of these happenings. Each month in this space readers can learn about a few interesting things that are going on in the ocean around the world.

Ocean Updates facts brought to you by: http://marinebio.org/

In honor of Earth Day (April 26) this Ocean Updates, like the entire issue of April itself, is dedicated to different problems that concern the ocean on a global scale. Each of the following blurbs showcase environmental issues that need human attention.

Biodiversity The biological diversity of life on Earth is referred to as biodiversity, which includes plants, animals, microorganisms, genes within species, as well as ecosystems like deserts, rainforests, and coral reefs. Biodiversity is important because it ensures sustainability for life forms, and a healthy ecosystem can withstand and recover from a variety of disasters. For example, in 1982 fishermen campaigned for killing whales because they believed they were threatening the fish supply and 10| Seawords

jobs, but this actually created a loss of jobs until the International Whaling Commission (IWC) started the anti-whaling movement. As all kinds of whales were killed, orcas (commonly known as killer whales) began to feed on seals and otters, rather than large whales, such as blue whales, then the sea urchin population grew tremendously because there were fewer otters to eat them, which then resulted in the decline of the kelp forest where many fishes lived, but since they no longer had that protection, other marine life fed on the fishes.

The final result: fewer fishes for the fishermen. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of endangered species states that 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year, and that almost one-fifth of existing vertebrates, 13% of birds, 41%

of amphibians, 14% of grasses, 32% freshwater crayfish, and 33% of reef-building corals are threatened.

Biodiversity is important to all life on Earth, not just humans.

Coral Reefs Coral reefs serve as a home for 25% of all marine life on the planet and 1% of the entire marine environment, but these beautiful and life-sustaining organisms could disappear due to the lack of urgent actions addressing climate change, pollution, overfishing and other threats. Recently, University of Michigan and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have been studying potent toxins from coral reef bacteria because they could become the next-generation cancer drugs. Reefs also serve as barriers to beaches and infrastructure against storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) considers coral reefs as one of the most ecologically, economically, and/or culturally important ecosystems on our planet, but one-quarter of them worldwide are already considered damaged beyond repair due to the activities of humankind.

Pollution Earth Times, an online news blog, states that pollution is when various contaminants are introduced into a natural environment that cause instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to an ecosystem. A few different forms of pollution include: air (carbon dioxide), soil (human chemicals from fracking), thermal (power plants creating changes in water temperature), noise (disturbances various types of machinery) , visual (objects that impair natural environment; billboards), or water (discharge of wastewater). Although most of these are caused by human action, natural disasters also cause pollution that can contaminate several resources, such as drinking water. Each year 650,000 people die in China due to harmful air pollution, over half a million die in India, and 50,000 in the U.S. It is estimated that contaminated drinking water kills around 14,000 people each day worldwide, mainly from untreated sewage, leading to the UN Human Rights Council to affirm that clean, safe drinking water is a universal human right. One of the world’s oceans most serious issues is related to the plastic pollution accumulating in large patches, approximately as large as Texas, in the Northern Pacific Ocean’s Gyre, also

known as The Great Garbage Patch.

Sustainable Fisheries By creating sustainable fisheries worldwide we will be able to secure livelihoods, seafood supplies, strong coastal communities, and a healthy ocean. The problem is that 16% of the world’s animal protein comes from millions of fisheries fishing from the ocean daily.

Plus, in order to keep up with the demand and to maintain fish protein production even more fisheries will need to be created. Yet on top of this, the demand for seafood is expected to double within the next two-decades. If fisheries can’t maintain a sustainable market, we will not be able to maintain a healthy ocean with sharks, whales, turtles, and other endangered and non-endangered species. The Nature Conservancy is looking to coordinate projects that use science, technology, and policy to help advocate for access rights to fishing grounds for local fisheries that value sustainability. It’s important to make a living today, while ensuring their livelihood lasts far beyond tomorrow. The Nature Conservancy now helps more than 40% of the global wild caught fishes remain protected from overfishing by helping fisheries in Indonesia, China, Peru, Chile, and the United State maintain sustainability. n

CLOSE TO HOME

Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale, high in central Kaua‘i, is now free from all feral ungulates (pigs and goats), within a 4.5-mile protected fence. The removal of ungulates was led by the Kaua‘i Watershed Alliance, which manages 144,000 acres of land on the island, because “they were changing the ability of the forest to recharge our water resources,” Trae Menard, director of forest conservation for The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i said. Many of the ungulates were feeding on endangered, native grass and plants, leading to a decline of biodiversity in native Hawaiian ecosystems. The Conservancy was able to remove 72 pigs and 50 goats, in hopes of saving the wildland.

APRIL 2015 |11

Rebecca Ziegler/UHH MOP Student

NOAA Turtle Research Program

By Kathryn Lam, Editor Camra Hopper, UHM MOP Student

B

eginning in 1973 with the Endangered Species Act, sea turtles have been protected and in 1978 with the revision of the Endangered Species Act, sea turtles were listed as threatened and endangered species. In the early-1990s, the Marine Turtle Research Program (MTRP) of the Protected Species Division was formed by a group of scientists led by George Balazs at the Honolulu Laboratory, a precursor to the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), which today “administers scientific research and monitoring programs that support the domestic and international conservation and management of living marine resources.” While MTRP focused on the threatened green sea turtle (honu) population of the Hawaiian Islands, they also studied sea turtles throughout other areas in the central and western Pacific Ocean in addition to the Pacific Rim. According to their website, the program “launched biological investigations of many aspects of honu life history and ecology including assistance with nesting surveys at French Frigate Shoals; surveys of turtles in their nearshore feeding and resting habitats around the main Hawaiian Islands; rescue, rehabilitation and release of turtles stranded on beaches due to injury;

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studies of turtle health and disease; and much more.”

2014 saw the move of PIFSC to the Inouye Regional Center on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor where MTRP and PIFSC’s Marine Turtle Assessment Program (MTAP) merged to create a singular Turtle Research Program (TRP) which has continued to produce valuable long-term data and made numerous contributions to peer-reviewed scientific publications.

The TRP has been a valuable resource for MOP students, who can apply and be contracted out through the University of Hawai‘i to work for the TRP as turtle responders. In order to be a turtle responder, students must have a truck because they need a means of transporting dead, injured, or sick stranded sea turtles.

“Our job is to study each call; case by case. If we don’t have to go out, we don’t--only if it’s necessary,” said Natalie Dornan, a UHM MOP student and turtle responder. “We also do health assessments, running DNA collection, PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag identification, and then written reports to catalog everything.”

In some cases responders will get a call about turtles that have tumors growing on their skin. These tumors

are thought to be caused by a chelonid fibropapilloma herpes virus which can be aggravated by anthropogenic runoffs that is “absorbed” by the algae the turtles eat, by cleaner fish that eat the algae and scum off the turtle’s skin, or by a number of other means. Despite over a decade of research, however, there is still much that is unknown about the disease including what exactly causes it. A response to an FP-infected sea turtle is only necessary if the tumors are extreme, or inhibit the turtle’s vision, breathing, or ability to eat.

“The Turtle Research Program is an amazing program that strives to build up scientific knowledge to help the honu,” said Cencia Balderama, another UHM MOP student and turtle responder. “They’re doing an extraordinary job and I’m glad I get to help.”

If a responder brings in an injured turtle to the vet they can be asked to help during surgery. Or, the responder may assist the veterinarian in performing a basic health check-up on the turtle in order to grasp a better understanding of the fluctuations in the overall health of the population, as well potentially save the turtle’s life.

“We use satellite tags to track the movement of sea turtles and try to determine habitat and behavior by comparing movement to oceanographic elements like currents, chlorophyll, and sea surface temperature,” said Parker. “We also look at movement from nesting beaches to foraging and resting places to help understand more about the connections between these areas.”

Parker says that a research associate position is “very flexible and often entails doing database management and organization and storage of samples.” She also has worked participated in necropsies on dead and euthanized sea turtles. According to Parker, necropsies help to determine the probable cause of death and also provide information about sea turtle populations in addition to information about illnesses such as fibropapillomatosis and “threats such as fisheries interactions or predation, and also information about diet and growth.”

Other ways the TRP gets this information is by conducting field research around the islands. The TRP visit study sites once or twice a year to capture and tag sea turtles. The tagging allows the program to learn about “One of the greatest moments as a turtle responder the growth rates, site fidelity (explained by Parker as happened recently when I helped a vet take off a turtle’s how long a turtle stays in one area) and health and flipper,” said Daniel Estess, UHM MOP student and population density. turtle responder. “It got cut up pretty severely by some fishing line. It was kind of traumatic, but eye opening Devon Francke has been working as a JIMAR Marine experience as I held the bleeding turtle... this helped Turtle Research Associate for the past three years. He save the turtle’s life. After about a week of the turtle be- first became interested in the marine world during an ing under medical watch, it was released.” environmental conservation trip to Australia. It was his first-ever SCUBA dive in the wild. Upon his return The MOP turtle responders are only a small part of the to the mainland, Francke got a job as an intern with TRP, however. Also working under NOAA, are several the School for Field Studies in the Turks and Caicos Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Islands. It was here that he discovered his love of sea (JIMAR) employees. JIMAR was created by NOAA turtles. “I worked alongside NOAA’s Turtle Research and the University of Hawai‘i and Mānoa in 1977 and Program while earning my Master’s in Marine Scihas been a part of the School of Oceanic and Earth Science from Hawai‘i Pacific University,” said Francke. “I ence Technology (SOEST) since 1988. Like the MOP created a great rapport with the program, and after I turtle responders, the JIMAR employees get to work graduated, I decided I wanted to continue studying and directly with the sea turtles. working with Hawaiian sea turtles. I wanted to make a difference, and I knew that working with NOAA would Denise Parker, JIMAR research associate, has been working with JIMAR in the TRP for a little over twenty be a great opportunity to do that.” years now and is currently based out of Oregon. Parker For his job with NOAA, Francke primarily responds says she knew she wanted to be a marine biologist to sick, injured, and stranded dead sea turtles, but he from the age of ten and has always been interested in also collects biological samples, assists with the rehascience--“biology, chemistry, physics, you name it.” bilitation of live turtles and with necropsies. Francke Parker started working for NOAA as a temporary emconsiders his position to be a “jack-of-all trades,” and ployee after graduating from the University of Hawai‘i indeed he does all that in addition to entering data into at Mānoa with a degree in biology and through JIMAR their database, write reports, and help with publicaapplied for a position with the TRP where she is curtions and training longline observers how to identify, rently the satellite tracking expert for the TRP. MARCH 2015 |13

handle, and measure the sea turtles which get caught as by-catch.

“It’s always an interesting experience as each sea turtle seems to have its own unique personality,” said Francke of working directly with turtles. “Some seem to be very friendly and approach us, while others seem to be more distant, or are even very picky when it comes to what food they like to eat while in rehab. Working directly with turtles is fun, but being a stranding responder, some days can be more sad or difficult than others, especially when working with the not-so-healthy turtles. On days like those, it’s encouraging to remember that the green turtle population is in fact rising here in Hawai‘i.”

Born and raised in central O‘ahu, Shawn Murakawa earned her Animal Sciences degree at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. As a NOAA biological technician, Murakawa has worked with both dead and live turtles and counts herself “fortunate to have worked with the different species such as the green, hawksbill, loggerhead, Olive Ridley, Kemps Ridley, and the leatherback. We are very lucky that we are permitted to handle or touch these protected species. Working with the live turtles is always exciting, but I’ve learned that by studying the dead turtles we’re able to help all turtles.”

Even though she has always loved animals and the ocean, Murakawa’s job with NOAA was a happy accident--there just happened to be a sea turtle position with NOAA open when she graduated. She believes herself to be lucky that this was the case since she has “always loved seeing the honu when [she] went to the beach.” As a biological science technician, Murakawa has many tasks. She has assisted researchers with their projects but has also been given the opportunity to lead projects and fieldwork which has allowed her to gain a lot of experience working with different types of researchers. Personally, Murakawa studies growth rates using green and hawksbill sea turtle humeri bones and oversees and manages the database which contains all the data collected from “stranded, ocean capture, and nesting turtles.”

“I also participate in fieldwork and just recently led a trip to Rose Atoll in American Samoa where we satellite tagged 11 nesting females,” said Murakawa, who is also the turtle lead for the Hawai‘i Area Contingency Plan to address oil spill responses in Hawai‘i and the U.S. Pacific Region. “[And] I recently led a small boat survey of the recent tug boat sinking to assess any diesel oil involvement with marine animals.”

Since 1990, the TRP, with the assistance of MOP, has rescued, rehabilitated, and released 893 sea turtles! n 14| Seawords

To help out the Turtle Research Program and basic laws and refrain from touching and dis others of the laws in place to protect the honu can call the NOAA hotline or the turtle respo hotline (808-725-5730, or 808-288-5685 for

d the sea turtles, people should pay attention to sturbing the turtles and should remind nu. To report injured or dead sea turtles, people onders who are available through the NOAA after hours/weekends).

Dieter Stelling/Former UHM MOP Student APRIL 2015窶ポ15

Features

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Wanna sea something cool?

By Rachel Shackne, UHM MOP Student

W

Rachel Shackne/UHM MOP Student

e live on a blue planet, and in the spirit of Earth Day I believe it is vital to understand our individual ability to make a change in preserving the marine ecosystem and all its inhabitants. One of the most impactful roles we play in marine ecology is as consumers, thus in this narrative of “Wanna sea something cool?� I want to ask those who are reading this article to do one thing to change their outlook on how we use the marine world as a resource. The next time you purchase seafood as a meal, in a restaurant or at your local grocery store, ask where that seafood came from. Be conscious of your role as consumer. Is this fish caught wild? From a long line or net? Is it from a local source or an outsourced fisheries? Who caught this fish? Is this species a top predator? And is the fishery of this species sustainable? These questions make you a conscious consumer, and in understanding and appreciating the details behind what you consume you can make appropriate choices to make sustainable choices. And in making sustainable choices you are making individual steps to sustain marine ecology. Consume smaller fish and those that are sustainably harvested. The more you know, the more you choose what is right and in doing so, help save the balance of the Blue Planet, one poke bowl at a time. n

APRIL 2015 |17

Features

Photos courtesy of flickr users Takashi Hososhima, Cola21, and Katie Laird (clockwise from top left) 18| Seawords

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Mercury level in tunas rise, scientists and fisheries at odds

By Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP Student

E

ach year, the mercury level in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), also known as ahi, increases by nearly four percent, according to a recent article published in Quartz, an online newsletter by Paul Drevnick, an assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan.

Drevnickand his associates compiled over 50 years’ worth of data in tuna mercury levels to find an astonishing increase in mercury content. Their research revealed that the mercury levels in these fish is consistent with mercury cycling through the North Pacific Ocean, suggesting that mercury levels are keeping pace with human-based pollution. As mercury pollution increases, so does the level of mercury in the fish.

However, many people in the fishing industry disagree with Drevnick’s work. In a letter to Drevnick written

by Lynsee Fowler, the Communications Manager at the National Fisheries Institute, Fowler claims his work was highly exaggerated. Fowler writes that the average amount of mercury in tuna is far below the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) allowed mercury level in tuna of 1ppm (parts per million). She goes on to say that Drevnick’s study was about mercury in fish, not humans, and is not a nutrition study to be followed.

Either way, an excess of mercury in the body can cause neurotoxicity, particularly in developing children and women who are pregnant, according to the National Academy of Science. It is recommended by the Envi-

ronmental Defense Fund (EDF) that we should not consume tuna more than four times per month. Some believe mercury levels to be approaching a level that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers unsafe for human consumption.

A toxic metal that can threaten human and environmental health, mercury is mainly spread by air pollution from power plants and other industries that heavily rely on burning fossil fuels. However, scientists are still unsure as to how exactly mercury is transferred into water. The EDF suggests that the mercury in the air is condensed into rain water that falls upon lakes, rivers, and oceans, where it is taken up by marine life.

The EDF is currently in the process of implementing a new EPA-approved guideline known as the “Mercury and Air Toxics Standards” to try to enforce stricter restrictions for industrial air pollution. The Natural Resources Defense Council is supportive of new EPA guidelines and is also currently working on the safe disposal of mercury-contaminated products while promoting states not to manufacture products containing mercury.

We can all help stop the progression of mercury pollution in our oceans by safely disposing of any contaminated items at recycling agencies that take mercury based products, and refusing to buy any products containing mercury in the future. n

APRIL 2015 |19

Features

“Lords of th

Reincarnated ki

By Brijonnay Madrigal, Associate Editor

O

rca whales (Orcinus orca) are highly valued in Native American culture in the Pacific Northwest as a symbol of power and strength. There are two primary types of orca whales: transients and residents. Transients reside off the coast in pelagic regions and consume other marine mammals such as harbor porpoises and Steller sea lions. Resident orcas maintain close proximity to the shoreline and in the inland waters they feed on fishes. The decline in the population of Southern resident orcas in Puget Sound, Washington, has many researchers concerned about the current population status. The public has been following the population dynamics closely as recent deaths and births have taken a toll on marine ecosystems in this area. Due to conservation efforts beginning in 2000, they were placed on the endangered species list in 2005. Orca populations in the Pacific Northwest were depleted in the 1970s when they were captured to be sold to marine parks, like SeaWorld for shows and exhibits. The Southern resident orcas are composed of a set of three pods, J,K and L, that reside

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in the Puget S present from s the summer, t off the coast o residents have have been of m seeking to und and interactio between pods

In August of 2 were presume tion size of all of 78 individu 1985. Much to new baby was (L-120). Sadly which is comm have a mortali their first year (J-32) was disc researchers fo closely were w event would h mother was de old—the repro 15 and 40 whe to six offsprin longer be able

All photos: Taylor Shedd/UHM MOP Student

he ocean”:

in to the people

r

Sound region. These pods are spring through fall and in travel to the San Juan Islands, of Washington. Southern e unique call dialects that much interest to researchers derstand their vocal behavior ons among individuals and s.

2014, two orcas from L-pod ed dead and the total populal three pods dropped to a low uals not experienced since o the joy of researchers, a s born to L pod in September y, a week later the baby died mon in young orcas which ity rate of 35-45% within r. After a pregnant female covered dead in December, ollowing the pod numbers worried about the impact this have on the population. The etermined to be 18 years oductive years are between ere a female can produce four ng. This young mother will no e to contribute offspring to

the population. The cause of these deaths was also a concern since they had occurred over a short span of 3 months.

There are many possible causes of the recent declines. One major contributor to the problem is the availability of orca’s primary and preferred food source, Chinook salmon. This may be attributed to the dependency of society on the 3 H’s; hatcheries, harvest and hydropower, that may be causing rapid forage fish decline, the food source for Chinook salmon. Pollution from urbanization and runoff is contaminating the oceans and expediting bioaccumulation of toxins in orcas resulting in poor health of the marine organisms within Puget Sound. Southern resident orcas are considered the most contaminated animals in the world, attributed to the long lives they spend in this toxic environment.

More long-term research is necessary to implement management plans which will effectively improve the condition of the orcas and impact the entire food chain from the bottom-up.

Much to the delight of researchers and the public who had been following the Puget

Sound orcas’ story closely through print coverage since August of 2014, within 3 months, 3 newborn calves were conceived; J-50, J-51 and L-121. No calves had been born since 2012, therefore these calves were exciting contributions to the population. These additions raise the population abundance to the following distribution between pods: J-Pod, 26 individuals; Kpod, 19 individuals; and L-pod, 35 individuals. This raised the total population of Southern residents to 80 individuals… a significant increase in Southern residents.

The Tlingit tribe1 view orcas as protectors of humankind and it is now time for everyone to adopt this ideology and return the favor, so the coasts can remain inhabited by such an important creature which not only embodies the culture of the Pacific Northwest, but also the life that pulses through the ocean waters. It is important that we give them the honor and respect that the Tlingit and other Northwest Native Americans give to these animals if we want the ocean to continue to thrive and maintain balance in the ecosystem. n 1

Pacific Northwest Native American tribe

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ocean art

by Haley Vonbank Haley is a student at Honolulu Community College. Her poem was one of two chosen to be published from a collection of poems submitted to us by Eric Paul Shaffer, an HCC English professor, from his English 241 classs.

Underwater Angel

I stand in the fine sand of the French Frigate Shoals.

The trade winds blow my hair across my face, and the salt smell lingers in the air.

The head of A Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle breaks the surface of the water. The turtle swallows down air as she dives

back underwater.

I grab my clip board to record the first female turtle to arrive to lay eggs. The turtle is moving closer to shore. Approaching the sand, the turtle uses her front flippers to crawl up the beach.

I approach the gentle creature and notice a scar on the turtles head.

The turtle has fallen victim to a boat propeller that tore her back flipper to pieces.

A tracker was glued to the females back. The tracker that unlocked the secret to the journey of the sea turtle. A journey that would produce the next generation.

Corey Mutnik/UHM MOP Student 22| Seawords

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critter of the month

Photo credit: UHH MOP Student, Rebecca Ziegler

Great white shark Scientific Name: Carcharodon carcharias Hawaiian Name: Niuhi Though great white sharks can be found worldwide in both temperate and tropical climates, they are especially common around pinniped colonies in cooler waters. However, they can occasionally be seen around Hawai‘i, especially in the winter. One of the densest populations of great whites is around Dyer Island, South Africa.

Great white sharks feed upon large fish and marine mammals and are one of few sharks that have been involved with a significant number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans. That being said, great whites prefer pinnipeds to human flesh.

The great white is also one of the only sharks to participate in spy-hopping, which means they will sometimes lift their head above water to spy on their prey.

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CALL TO ACTION Please check nearby coral reefs and report any signs of bleaching.

Make an online report: www.eorhawaii.org Send photos to:

rrcpcoordinator@gmail.com Bleached coral (on right) next to normal coral (left) at Lanikai, O‘ahu on 9/23/2014 Photo credit: C. Hunter

Multiple reports of coral bleaching have recently been received through the Eyes of the Reef Network.

‘Bleaching’ is a coral stress response, in this case likely due to high temperatures. It describes the loss of color from coral tissue, which makes the coral appear white. Corals can recover from bleaching if temperatures return to a normal range. The peak bleaching season for the Pacific is July-- September.

More examples of coral bleaching:

Photo credit: J. Kenyon Photo credit: G. Aeby

Want to know more about the EOR Network or coral bleaching? www.oerhawaii.org www.facebook.com/eyesofthereef Flyer created by and used with permission from: Eyes of the Reef

FLASHBACK: 2007 In July 2007, a group of UH Hilo students got together on the Big Island to monitor nesting hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Kamehameha Beach for their Marine Reptile Conservation and Ecology (MARE 495) class. Along with several other nesting beaches in the Ka‘u District, Kamehameha Beach has been monitored since 1989 by Volcanoes National Park volunteers. This particular photo was taken in 2006 because the students did not observe nesting hawksbill turtles in 2007.

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Sun.

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Day/Night Snorkle Natatorium, 4 - 9 pm

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MOP Symposium UH Manoa, 9 am - 5 pm

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MOP Symposium UH Manoa, 9 am - 5 pm

26 Earth Day Beach Cleanup TBA, YBA

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Earth Day

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MOP & Community Events

Next month: Friday, May 8 MOP Graduation QLC 412, 5 - 7 pm

Seawords Volume XXIX, Number 4, April 2015 Editor: Kathryn Lam Associate Editor: Brijonnay Madrigal Dr. Cynthia Hunter (éminence grise) Seawords- Marine Option Program University of Hawai‘i, College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Telephone: (808) 956-8433 Email: <seawords@hawaii.edu> Website: <http://www.hawaii.edu/mop> Seawords is the monthly newsletter of the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawai‘i. Opinions expressed herein are not necessariliy those of the Marine Option Program or of the University of Hawai‘i.

Suggestions and submissions are welcome. Submissions may include articles, photography, art work, or anything that may be of interest to the marine community in Hawai‘i and around the world.

All photos are taken by MOP unless otherwise credited.

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University of Hawai`i at Mﾄ］oa Seawords, Marine Option Program College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Address Service Requested

Thank you for reading!