Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter
February 2016
7
..researchers from the California Academy of Sciences discovered nine new species of nudibranchs, a shark, and a ray among another 91 species in the plant and animal kingdoms.�
SEA SHEPHERDS CONSERVATION SOCIETY 10 TIPS TO BECOME A BETTER DIVER WEREWOLVES OR ZOOPLANKTON?
February 2016
Volume XXX, Number 2
Articles Page 3: Letter from the Editor Page 4: Sea Shepherds Conservation Society Page 6: Ocean Updates Page 10: 10 Tips to become a better diver Page 13: Werewolves or Zooplankton? Page 14: Ocean Art Page 16: Generation Blue Page 18: Marine Mammal of the Month Page 20: Flashback Page 22: Critter of the Month Page 24: MOP calendar of events
About the Photography -Cover: Bryan Dieter, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center -Table of Contents: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator -February calendar of events: Rebecca Ziegler, UHH MOP Alumna -Back cover: Bryan Dieter, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center -All uncredited photos by: MOP -Disclaimer: any photo taken from flickr.com is used under the Creative Commons License and is credited appropriately with links to the user’s flickr account.
2| Seawords
Letter from the Editor
A
loha readers of Seawords!
In this issue of Seawords you will find a features written by Sarah Franklin, UHH MOP Student, about who the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is, their mission, and their current involvements as protectors of the sea. Also, did you know that zooplankton are similar to werewolves? Well, there’s an article written about the migration patterns of zooplankton in the Arctic, which affirms that they could be. If you’re a current diver who’s looking to enhance or brush up a few of your dive skills, make sure to check out “10 Tips to become a better diver” on page 10 written by Taylor Phelps, UHH MOP Student. Don’t forget to read up on what’s happening in the marine community around the world! Check out Ocean Updates to learn about what new species are being discovered, as well as how seaweed can affect the chemical composition in coral and threaten butterflyfish. Seawords is looking for volunteer writers! Have you ever wondered if you could write for Seawords? The opportunity could be yours, just be sure to send us an email regarding a position at seawords@hawaii.edu. Mahalo to all the contributing authors and support that made this issue possible. Thank you for reading,
Camra Hopper, Seawords Editor FEBRUARY 2016 |3
SEA SHEPH CONSERVA SOCIETY
Sea Shepherd deck crew members ready a fast boat aboard the M/V Steve Irwin to pursue Japan’s harpoon whaling vessel the Yushin Maru No. 2 on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008 during a snowstorm in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean. Photo by: John, Flickr.
By Sarah Franklin, UHM American Cetacean Society Student
S
ea Shepherd Conversation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. It was established in 1977 by Paul Watson, who used to be a member of Greenpeace, another environmentalist activist group, but believed that they needed to be more aggressive. On their website, www.seashepherd.org, stated their mission statement as, “Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.”
worked with them for many years, chasing around whaling ships and protesting seal slaughter. In June of 1977, Watson left Greenpeace Foundation because he believed that the original goals of the organization were not the same as they were when they first started and thought the whole thing was becoming too bureaucratic. He still saw a need for direct action on the high seas to protect wildlife.
As a result he founded Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The first voyage of the Sea Shepherd was in March of 1979 to the Gulf of St. LawPaul Watson was one of the found- rence on the Eastern coast of Canaing members of Greenpeace and da to protest seal hunting. Since that 4| Seawords
time the Sea Shepherd has gone on over 200 expeditions, and now has multiple vessels, MY Steve Irwin, MY Bob Barker, the MY Sam Simon, and the MY Brigitte Bardot. The first time that Sea Shepherd made headlines was when they rammed a whaling vessel, the notorious pirate vessel Sierra. Sea Shepherd continued to ram and sink whaling vessels, which helped them gain their reputation and create their image as “guardians of the sea”. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society uses “directaction tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the seas,” and some of
these actions include scuttling and disabling commercial whaling vessels at harbor, using limpet mines to blow holes in ship hulls, ramming other vessels, throwing glass bottles of butyric acid on the decks of vessels at sea, boarding of whaling vessels while at sea, and seizure and destruction of drift nets at sea.
HERD VATION Y
The Sea Shepherd considers themselves to be a law enforcement entity, but many agencies do not agree with what they are doing. For this reason, many countries call them eco-terrorists and they are not welcome in their waters. The Federal Bureau defines ecoterrorist as “the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against people or property by an environmentally oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature.” When the MY Steve Irwin returned to Hobart, Tasmania, in February in 2009, Australian Federal Police took the film footage and the ship’s logs, prompted by complaints from Japan. Sea Shepherd demanded their return, but they were told it was a federal police matter. In December of 2011, the Institute of Cetacean Research and Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd, the two Japanese organizations that operate Japan’s whaling program, sued Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The suit was about an injunction to stop Sea Shepherd’s operations against Japanese whalers. ICR’s injunction was denied, appealed, and then granted by the U.S. court. Paul Watson and all Sea Shepherd vessels were instructed to stay at least 500
yards away from ICR’s vessels and to not physically attack any person or vessel of the ICR. They did not have support from the Australian government either, as Julie Bishop, Australia’s Foreign Minister, emphasized: “We do not, and will never, condone reckless, dangerous, unlawful behavior. And where it occurs in the high seas, we will unreservedly condemn it. The fact that the Sea Shepherd visits Australian ports or some of the Sea Shepherd fleet might be registered in Australia is not indicative in any way of the Australian government’s support for the organization. And we will continue to comply fully with our international legal obligations with regard to safety at sea.”
ters to the west coast of Africa chasing a poaching vessel called Thunder. In the Gulf of Guinea, the Thunder sent out a distress call saying that they were sinking. The Sea Shepherd crew invited the poaching crew on board and provided them medical attention, food, and water. It is believed that the Thunder was deliberately sunk by its crew, to dispose of all evidence of their criminal activities.
Sea Shepherd claims that all of their actions are legal. They say that the United Nations World Charter guides their campaigns for Nature. Sections 21-24 of the Charter says that individuals can act on behalf of and enforce interactional conservation laws. Staying within these regulations, allows them to take action against many of the whaling ships In May 2012, German authorities that they encounter. Sea Shepherd arrested Watson after landing at has many campaigns: protect blue Frankfurt Airport based on a refin tuna, dolphins, seals, sea lions, quest from the government of Costa reefs, sharks, turtles, and whales. Rica. The charge went all the way Sea Shepherd is a non-profit and all back to 2002 from when Sea Shepof their employees are volunteers herd contended that a vessel was who work hard and put their lives at shark finning in Guatemalan warisk for their love of the ocean. ters, and the crew members aboard said that Sea Shepherd was trying to They also provide opportunities for kill them. Watson was subsequently citizens to get involved, by having charged with violating navigational a program called Onshore Volunregulations. Watson skipped bail teers, which helps spread the misand went into hiding, and his law- sion statement of Sea Shepherd, and yer said that he had fled the country, gain support and funding from the for an “unspecified destination”. In- public. They arrange events, help to terpol issued a red notice, a request manage and transport merchandise for other countries to arrest Watson. and information material, and inWatson is now back in the United teract with the public. Anyone can States, after spending months at sea be a volunteer for Sea Shepherd if to avoid arrest. Costa Rican authori- they are willing to dedicate the time ties quickly responded to his return and show commitment to the cause. by issuing an extradition request to Sea Shepherd continues to sail the U.S. authorities, who did not act on seas, seeking justice for all ocean the request. life, though maybe not in the safest way, but so that there is marine life One of their latest voyages was a for generations to come. n 110-day chase from Antarctic waFEBRUARY 2016 |5
cean updates
By Keelee Martin, UHH MOP
Sand tiger shark. Photo credit: Shannon Otoole, flickr.
Radiocarbon Dating on Hawksbill Sea Turtles
Van Houtan et al. claim this research can shed light on why some hawksbill populations have not recovered from historic predation as quickly as others despite conservation efforts. Van Houtan and his team found that Hawaiian hawksbills show eight new growth lines per year, putting female reproductive age at 29 years old, which is older than any other female hawksbill reproductive age in populations worldwide. This delayed age of maturity is one proposed reason why the small Hawaiian population has not grown significantly.
In a new study published this January, researchers from Duke University and NOAA have been able to estimate wild hawksbill sea turtle’s (Eretmochelys imbricata) age, sexual maturity and growth rates using radiocarbon dating from atomic bomb fallout signals within the turtle’s carapace (shell). Kyle Van Houtan, a fisheries research ecologist of NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and associate professor at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, and his colleagues studied the hard carapace tissue of 36 deceased hawksbill tur- In addition to life history information, the radiocarbon dating also revealed a change in diet. Up until the 1980s tles. Some specimens dated back to the 1950’s. the Hawaiian population of turtles were observed as Elevated levels of carbon-14 accumulated in the world’s omnivores, but more recently they’ve been eating mainecosystems from the mid 1950s to 1970 as a result of ly as herbivores. This shift is believed to be a result of a Cold War nuclear bomb testing. The radiocarbon analylimited food supply. This change in diet could be affectsis of hard turtle tissue was compared to the radiocaring growth and maturation. bon content found in Hawaiian corals. This comparison allowed scientists to estimate turtle age by how much Radiocarbon dating of sea turtles has never been done carbon-14 was present relative to normal carbon-12. before, but it has shown to be more reliable than other Growth rates and points of sexual maturity were deter- methods for what? Currently this technique has spemined by a comparison of radiocarbon levels in oth- cifically been applied to the Hawaiian population of er hawksbill turtles whose growth rates were already hawksbill turtles, though the research team believes it can be an expanded to not only other hawksbill populaknown. 6| Seawords
tions but to other sea turtle species around the world.
Butterflyfish—Just Picky Eaters?
New Year, New Species
Coral reefs have been hard hit by the combination of climate change, overfishing, eutrophication, and polIn 2015, researchers from the California Academy of lution. One of the results of this dangerous combo is Sciences discovered nine new species of nudibranchs, a high competition for reef space between seaweeds a shark, and a ray along with another 91 species in the and corals. According to Danielle Dixson and Rohan plant and animal kingdoms. New species discovered by Brooker of University of Delaware, butterflyfish could this research team are described in 43 separate scientific hold the answer. papers. In a recent study in Fiji, controlled experiments were Dr. Terry Gosliner, a leading nudibranch expert recconducted to see the effects of seaweed growth on coral ognized worldwide, and a student, Carissa Shipman, reefs. Experimental results showed that coral feeding classified nine colorful nudibranchs found in the Philfish primarily avoided corals that had contact with seaippines, off the coast of South Africa and in other tropiweeds. This proved to be true even in cases where the cal and temperate seas. Not only were new species obseaweed was no longer present, which lead researchers served, but scientists were also given the opportunity to believe that it was a chemical composition change in to make more observations on newly described species. the corals that deterred the butterflyfish from feeding. Sea slug diversity in the temperate Butterflyfish rely heavily on coral waters of South Africa competes with “...researchers from the Cali- reefs not just as a food source, but the diversity found in California. The also for shelter. Because this relamost recent research expedition trav- fornia Academy of Sciences tionship is so strong, changes in buteled through the Verde Island Passage discovered nine new species of terflyfish behavior and ecology with nestled between the Philippine islands nudibranchs, a shark, and a ray the reef could reveal potential probLuzon and Mindoro. It was on these lems. coral reefs that Gosliner and his team among another 91 species in the found slugs never before described in plant and animal kingdoms.” Seaweeds grow faster than corals, and with rising temperatures and academia. high nutrient concentrations, their On another expedition, in the larger marine organism growth is expedited. Overfishing removes herbivores scale, Dr. David Ebert, directed his research on “lost from the reef further leaving seaweed the greater adsharks.” These sharks are less well known and obscure, vantage for success. These factors together are a recipe but still in need of protection. On his 2015 world exfor intense competition. pedition he discovered two new cartilaginous fishes: a shark and a ray. The deep-sea shark was found in the Dixson’s study grew out of Mark Hay’s PhD work with southwestern Indian Ocean and was classified as a seaweed and coral competition. Hay found that when “dusky snout” catshark (Bythaelurus naylori). The shark seaweed grew next to corals its taste was preferred to was seen at depths 290-4730 feet. The ray was found in herbivorous fishes because its energy was spent wresthe southeastern Atlantic and is a new species of elec- tling for space rather than making distasteful chemicals tric “torpedo” ray (Tetronarce cowleyi). The ray hov- to deter fishes. With this in mind, Dixson designed an ered over the seafloor and was seen up to 500 feet deep. experiment where seaweeds were placed on the reef Torpedo rays defend themselves and stun prey with an with corals. Some seaweeds made chemicals to deter electric shock of 45 volts, which can knock over a hu- fish and some did not. Then the butterflyfish feeding preferences were observed. man adult. Species discoveries like these not only continue to inspire awe, but also reveal more about the life within the ocean and how we relate to it, furthermore giving clues for how we can preserve natural habitats and protect the life that dwells beneath the ocean’s surface.
Results showed little to no interactions with the corals that were exposed to seaweed produced chemicals. Dixon concluded that its not just corals being affected, but fishes like butterflyfishes that feed on and live in corals. Currently, its still not understood if the change in coral chemistry is a result of internal change that alters nutriFEBRUARY 2016 |7
Giant Petrel. Photo by David Cook, Flickr.
tion, or if it is a result of energy expenditure fighting off In the late 2000’s the petrel was reevaluated as “least seaweed that changes the coral’s chemical composition. concern” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species where it had been previously listed as “near threatened.” Southern Giant Petrel Populations Halved The positive breeding trends that were observed then, In 2015, a study on southern giant petrels (Macronectes are no longer seen as a 20-year study revealed that the giganteus) on the South Orkney Islands in the Antarc- breeding success of the petrels has diminished from 60% to 40% from 1996 in selected study tic Peninsula revealed new evidence colonies. Counts for all of Signey Isthat populations that were once on “...a 20-year study revealed that land showed that the population had the rise 15 years ago are now mysteriously in decline. Southern giant the breeding success of the pe- been cut in half from over 5800 to petrels are colonially nesting seabirds trels has diminished from 60% 2600 nesting birds after the breeding increase in the 1980’s to 2000’s. with wingspans up to two meters that to 40% from 1996 in selected equip them for long distance flights Mike Dunn, the lead author of the over open ocean. These birds will study colonies.” British Antarctic Survey (BAS) noted hunt for fish, squid, and crustaceans, that though the southern giant pebut also scavenge on penguin and seal remains if avail- trel populations have fluctuated in the last 50 years, it able. Reproductive age is between 6-10 years old and is clear that in the last 10 years breeding and survival they will only produce one chick annually. success has declined significantly. This bird species has Research has been done on southern giant petrels on also been observed to hold off reproduction in adverse Signey Island in the South Orkney Islands since 1968. environmental conditions. 8| Seawords
Dr. Richard Phillips, a BAS seabird ecologist, was surprised by the decline seen at Signey. Phillips proposes that it could be a loss of sea ice and less available food supply, but it is currently unknown if the cause of population decrease is affecting the localized colonies at Singey or other island’s colonies as well. The southern giant petrel is just one example of how important and valuable it is to have ongoing studies on species to monitor their ecology. For these birds, the next step is to uncover what environmental and/or climatic factors are influencing their populations beyond the natural fluctuations.
Sand Tiger Shark Nursery found in Great South Bay, Long Island During the last four years, researchers have been collecting information on sharks in Great South Bay, an estuary in Long Island. The estuary has recently been named as a nursery ground for sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus). The toothy-grinned sand tiger sharks are not considered an aggressive species. Few nurseries have been identified for this species, so this comes as exciting news to the researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium.
out in the bay for themselves and started the tag and release program on juveniles. This last year found that of the 15 juveniles caught, 10 were new individuals and the remaining five were previously caught individuals. The five repeat catches affirm that sharks are returning to the same places in the bay during different seasons, which is known as site fidelity. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has named the sand tiger shark a “species of concern” as it has been overfished in the past. Fishing for these sharks has been made illegal in state and federal waters since 1997, but female sharks only give birth to one to two pups a year so population recovery is a slow process. The Great South Bay nursery has sand tiger sharks ranging from a few months to five years old. The nursery serves as a protected area from predators as juveniles develop. Researchers are still unsure how much of the bay these shark occupy, what they are eating, and how many are present in the summer months. These questions among others are being assessed further. Meanwhile, because of the high boating activity within the bay, it is important that the public and professionals in the bay are aware of the shark’s presence to further aid conservation efforts. n
Acoustic tags were used to remotely track sharks within the bay to observe where they were swimming. News of the nursery ground also comes with a need for more education, outreach and conservation efforts as there only a few known nursery grounds for this species. The first clue of a nursery came in 2011 when the research team was sent a picture from one of the marinas in the bay of a dead juvenile. Conversations with local fisherman revealed that small sand tiger sharks had been getting caught for years. The research team went FEBRUARY 2016 |9
OPINION
By Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student
10 tips to become a better diver
10| Seawords
As certified divers we all have goals and areas to improve upon. Whether it’s moving on to become a dive professional, preparing for QUEST, or the simple desire to fuel your growth in our hobby, there is something for everyone. Here are 10 tips and qualities that the best divers in the world possess and you, yourself can learn to become a better diver.
1
Be organized: This is one of the easiest things practicing skills. Instead, get into a habit of practicing
you can fix to see immediate results. Chances are you’ve already seen other instructors and lead divers that were very organized. Every tool or piece of equipment they had was exactly where it needed to be and made getting ready look easy, didn’t it? Recall the last dive you did when you were not so prepared (we all have had them). Think about how everything was scattered around, and you ran back and forth trying to find things, and then the rest of your team was done…waiting for you. When we are less efficient or have to play “hurry-up,” we rush. When we rush, we tend to make mistakes. We enter the water flustered, not mentally prepared, and not focused on the objectives. The easiest way to prevent this is to invest in a gear bag or bin that keeps all of your gear together. Pack it in reverse order so the things you need first, like BCD and regulator, are on top.
skills routinely. One of the easiest is to do safety drills, AKA “S-drills.” This is when you practice air sharing in shallow water before the start of every dive. Another option would be focusing on your buoyancy and holding 15ft exactly during every safety stop. Regardless, be sure to do skills with a buddy and use good judgement on when to practice them safely.
4
Continue your education: TThe best divers are
always learning. Continuing on to higher levels of diving will only increase your experience and confidence. This also better prepares you to think critically and handle more stressful situations you may have to encounter someday.
Nitrox, rescue, night and deep diving are examples of good continuing education classes. If you want to extend your range and really catapult your diving skills, consider whether you would be a good candidate for Be Prepared: Know before you go. If you’re technical diving. The best way to do this is to take an Inthinking about going out, go online to check the tro to Tech class where you learn many of the core skills tide, swell and wind forecasts. Invest in a simple within recreational limits. first aid kit and save-a-dive kit to bring with you. You Buddy Checks: Although they are required for can start out with a basic kit and add to it later. Program UH dives and are a general safe diving practice, the DAN emergency contact number (919-684-9111) oftentimes they are rushed or done haphazardly, into your phone and keep it in a convenient location. even by professionals and other divers with more exIf you’re the only one with a phone, make sure your perience. It’s the horrible curse of complacency. “If friends will be able to unlock it if they have to call DAN I didn’t do one last time, and nothing bad happened, on your behalf. then I guess I don’t need to do one today.” When we Practice skills routinely: If you were ever on a think about it in hindsight, of course, this is absurdly sports team chances are your coach emphasized not true. The reality is that an overwhelming majority of the importance of fundamental skills. Diving is dive accidents and fatalities could have been prevented no different. If you want to move on to more advance with a simple buddy check. Develop a flow of checks diving, mastering fundamentals is paramount. Furtherworking from head to toe so steps do not get forgotten. more the best divers aren’t those who can just do the The dive can wait, take your time, and do a thorough skills, but those that can make them look easy. These buddy check. include minimum volume mask clearing, regulator recovery, precision finning, controlled descents/ascents, Breathing is for buoyancy, keeping you alive BCD and weight removal, and buoyancy control. is a happy side effect: This is a fundamental change in the way most of us look at buoyancy and Did you notice what was left out? Emergency proceis not something traditionally taught. Great buoyancy dures. Oftentimes we forget about practicing emergency skills like air sharing, disconnecting a stuck low needs to be proactive, not reactive. The correlative mind pressure inflator hose, sudden loss of weight, and han- understands that if I inhale right now, I will go up and dling unresponsive divers. Think about the last time if I exhale, I will go down. This seems pretty basic but you practiced these skills and your ability to do them think back to a time when you might have been “over weighted” or “floaty.” Did your breathing change? Did now if you had to. you make a conscious effort to exhale more while at the While it’s fun, you don’t have to devote an entire dive to surface in order to descend? The rhythm in our breath-
2
5
3
6
FEBRUARY 2016 |11
ing shouldn’t be static (i.e. three seconds in, three seconds out), it’s dynamic based on our situational needs. This is especially important when using tools underwater. Picking up or setting down equipment such as transect lines, slates and quadrats changes your balance and weight. If you are breathing statically and place an object down, your weight has decreased making you rise in the water column. After realizing this, you exhale to correct it. Altering your breathing after noticing a change in displacement is called reactive buoyancy. Exhaling before setting the object down, because you know what is going to happen when you let go, is called proactive buoyancy which should result in no change in displacement. Think about this the next time you’re underwater.
you.
8
Immerse yourself in diving: The best basket-
ball players watch a lot of basketball. The best divers watch a lot of diving. YouTube and social media have made it easier than ever to watch of world class divers underwater. Notice their trim, buoyancy, fin kicks, hand signals and other mannerisms as you watch their dive videos. There are also a lot of great resources, such as DAN, that routinely publish helpful articles on dive safety and improving your own skills.
9
Every dive is a learning opportunity: The dif-
ference between a master and the student is the master has failed more times than the student has tried. This tip cannot be stressed enough. Keep up to Know your limits: Stay within the scope of your date on your log book and record at least one thing you learned from each dive. It may be as simple as needtraining and don’t dive to depths or conditions you ing more weight or more in depth such as having better are not trained to do so. Always use good judgebuddy contact because you got separated. ment and remember “any diver can abort any dive, at any time, for any reason.” Speak up if you are uncomfortable Get out there and go diving: There’s no about making a dive you are not ready for. There’s a difsubstitute for experience. Dive as often as you ference between pushing your comfort zone and pushcan, even if it means saving up to rent gear ing your limits. It’s fun to challenge yourself but safety is for a day. Depending on your financial situation, investalways top priority, so use conservative judgement. ing in your own gear will pay off in the long run. If you If you are a newly certified diver hold off on additional don’t have dive buddies, check out the local dive shops task loading until you have more experience. Most new and ask if they have a dive club. They usually do and divers don’t feel comfortable until around dive number tend to offer rental discounts if you’re a club member! n
7
10
12 so keep this in mind before bringing the GoPro with
Practicing skills in a pool in order to prepare for a dive. Photo by Tyler Phelps.
12| Seawords
ZOOPLANKTON or
WEREWOLVES?
M
By Camra Hopper, Editor
arine creatures living in Arctic fjords keep busy through the permanently dark and cold winter months, but on Jan. 7, 2016 a report in Current Biology discovered that this happens throughout the Arctic. This also has lead to the discovery that in the absence of any sunlight, it’s the moon that drives the vertical migration of tiny marine animals.
As researchers looked into the different settings of the Arctic winter--the fjord, shelf, slope, and the open sea--they observed marine creatures shifting their 24-hour solar day to the 24.8-hour lunar day. Some are considering these tiny marine creatures as mythical werewolves. As an example, zooplankton migrate based on sunlight. Millions of zooplankton feed each night near the surface of the ocean, but in order to escape being eaten hide in the deep ocean during the day. During the winter in the Arctic, the vertical migration sinks when the moon rises above the horizon. Now that predators are hunting them by moonlight rather than sunlight, zooplankton showed a mass sinking from the surface waters to a depth of about 50 meters every 29.5 days, matching the lunar cycle. “The most surprising finding is that these migrations are not rare or isolated to just a few places. The acoustic database used for our analysis cumulatively spans 50 years of data from moorings that cover much of the Arctic Ocean. The occurrences of lunar migrations happen every winter at all sites, even under sea ice with snow cover on top,” Kim Last of the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Scotland said. This migration pattern is linked to the carbon cycle, which is important to climate change. The daily vertical migration of zooplankton is significant to the carbon pump because it moves fixed carbon from the surface into the deep ocean, but during the lunar “days” no photosynthesis takes place and carbon is only moved into the deep by predators feeding on prey. More research needs to be done in order to quantify the biochemical models, but Last suggest that as the climate changes and ice melts, lunar-driven zooplankton migrations might become more prevalent, but the consequences of this are unknown. n Image of the Moon just above the horizon over Canada and Alaska. Photo by: Stuart Rankin, Flickr. FEBRUARY 2016 |13
ocean art by Taylor Torres
Taylor’s poem was chosen from a collection of poems submitted to us by Eric Paul Shaffer, an HCC English professor, and written by his English 241 class.
Many tourists don’t know to never “Turn your back on the ocean.” Islanders have coined the term from many of us who’ve already learned
the lesson behind the saying.
However, tourists may learn that the island’s
tropical tune can compel one from their surroundings. Sun beams reflect glowing evergreen in the mountains
14| Seawords
and birds glide, singing happily along with the breeze.
There is a faint rainbow in the sky
whose tones blend like it came from a melting pot.
But when waves come rumbling, ready to crash down from behind,
never forget to look at what is coming straight your way, for tourist will really understand
how breathtaking the view really is.
Rebecca Ziegler, UHH MOP Alumna
FEBRUARY  2016  |15
Actions for the Ocean
BLUE
By Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP Student
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 of 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.
16| Seawords
H
undreds of thousands of marine animals and over 1 million seabirds are killed each year from ingestion or entanglement of marine debris, according to the See Turtles Organization. Plastics and other pollutants are ingested when animals mistakenly see them as food. Plastic bags, for example, are sometimes accidentally consumed by sea turtles thinking it was a tasty jellyfish. The debris causes intestinal blockage that could kill the animal. Fishing lines and plastic six-pack rings are especially dangerous to animals. These commonly discarded items can entangle limbs, hinder the animals’ movement, and even cause dismemberment or deformation in growth. According to The Center for Biological Diversity, 10 metric tons of plastic are carried into the Pacific Ocean each day, and only about 5% of the plastics we produced are recovered. Ocean Health Index has estimated that all known species of sea turtles and about half of all marine mammals are affected by entanglement or ingestion, and out of those numbers, 80% are caused from plastic debris. Here are some ways you can contribute to the decrease of these plastic hazards in our seas:
1.
Properly dispose of plastic sixpack rings. Use scissors to cut the rings apart so no animal can get caught in them, then throw them in a recycling bin. Make sure the lid is securely closed so no pieces are carried out by the wind.
3.
If you see something, say something. If you see any animal tangled in netting/line, or that is hindered in any way by debris, please call NOAA at this number: (808) 725-5000. For additional numbers, visit the NOAA website for the appropriate numbers.
2.
Derelict line is a huge problem for Hawaiian monk seals, whales, and sea turtles. Stop the entanglement by recycling your old line. There are currently two fishing line recycle bins on Maui, but the Pacific Whale Organization is working to expand to neighboring islands and the rest of the country. For more information on ways you can help, check out their website: http://www.pacificwhale.org/content/fishing-line-recycling-hawaii
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/ health/report.htm FEBRUARY 2016  |17
By Camra Hopper, Editor
Marine Mammal of the Month: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Scientific Name: Tursiops aduncus Other names: Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin Diet: schooling, demersal and reef fish, squid, octopus Maximum length: 2.7m Estimated population: 6,000 IUCN Listing: DD (Data Deficient)
T
he Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin was originally grouped with the common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncates, but now they are recognized as separate species that are very closely related. With new mtDNA and microsatellite genetic evidence scientist have been able to identify the deep evolutionary divergence between small coastal dolphins endemic to south-eastern Australia and the other two documented Tursiops species. A new species was noted in 2011 and described as Tursiops australis sp. nov., with the common name “Burrunan Dolphin,” but to date there has been no official recognition of this new species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their social behavior of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin is quite complex. In Shark Bay, Western Australia, they have been extensively studied and found to exhibit a fission-fusion type of society. This means that the social group size and composition change throughout the year with different activities and situations. Certain individuals of this society may wander off to find another group. Tursiops aduncus will join other bottlenose dolphins including groups of other Tursiops species.
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin preforming at an amusement park. Photo by Faris Algosaibi, Flickr. 18| Seawords
The Indo-Pacific bottlenose is much like the common bottlenose dolphin, but is a little bit smaller and slimmer in size. They also have a less robust melon and longer, thinner
Bottlenose dolphins in the wild that have been hand fed by the local resort for many years. At dusk they come close to shore for warmer temperatures and food. Photo by: Michael Dawes, Flickr. beak, which contains more teeth. Although they are smaller, their dorsal fin is proportionately taller. Their coloration is a greyish to milky brown with a darker back and lighter belly. Some dolphin species have spotted bellies, but this is variable among individuals as it is age-dependent. IndoPacific bottlenose individuals can sometimes be confused with the pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuate, or the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis. Their behavior is also similar to the common bottlenose dolphin. Tursiops aduncus are “inquisitive, high intelligent, adaptable predators, capable of problem solving, tool-use and exhibiting some flexibility in terms of prey�, Whale and Dolphin Conservation states. Their pods generally contain 5-15 individuals, but they can also be found in several groups of several hundred individuals since they form mixed schools with common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. Studies have also documented that
members of this population have been known to carry a sponge on their beaks as a tool to protect them from sea urchin spines when foraging in the bottom sediments. Tursiops aduncus range in the tropical and temperate waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, mainly near the continental shelf. They prefer shallow, nearshore waters. Overall, bottlenose dolphins tend to be the target of directed hunts in several locations. In Japan and elsewhere they are hunted in large numbers for the captivity industry and for human consumption. Their mortality rate is also increased during bycatch from fisheries as well as chemical pollutions and other forms of habitat degradation. Within their range they are also harassed by boat traffic, commercial dolphin watching, and live-capture for display. Because these groups exist in small, relatively isolated populations, these groups may be especially vulnerable to population decline. n FEBRUARY 2016  |19
FLASHBACK: APRIL 1974
By Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP
Welcome to the start of the semester MOPers! We hope the rest is easy cruisin’! This flashback picture depicts an underwater traffic scene with a diver in a buggy cruising along the seafloor, towing a sleeping University of Hawai’i Staff Member. The piece was done in an April 1974 article, after a group of MOP students studied the environment’s response to artificial reefs (car bodies) that were placed in Pokai Bay. The mission funded by the National Science Foundation was to determine differences between marine life living in natural reefs versus artificial ones, and the competition between different organisms.
20| Seawords
February 2016
FREE PUBLIC TALKS
Fishing in Hawai‘i
7 February
• Double Feature Film Screening • •
ʻ
ʻ
ʻ
•
SUNDAYS HANAUMA BAY
21 February
• Hawaiian sea cucumbers: quick response to an emerging threat • •
ʻ
•
14 February • Marine finfish (moi) stock enhancement & fisheries management areas (FMA, MLCD, ELMA) in Hawaiʻi • •
28 February • To slay the argus-eyed giant, Roi, a tale of doom and the ultimate victory of Hawaiian coral reefs • •
ʻ
• • • •
FEBRUARY 2016 |21
critter of the month Spotted boxfish
Scientific Name: Ostracion meleagris Hawaiian Name: Moa Range: Indo – Pacific Oceans Diet: Omnivore, Brine Maximum Size: 6.3 inches
By Keelee Martin, UHH MOP Student
O
Female spotted boxfish. Photo by: Chris Wilson, Flickr.
stracion meleagris, or the spotted boxfish (moa) is the most common boxfish in Hawai’i. They live in shallow water and are seen throughout the Indo – Pacific Oceans. Boxfish are also appropriately called trunkfish because the only movable parts on their body are their fins, eyes, and mouth. The rest of their body is in a stiff armor plate.
Color variants exist within age and sex with this species. Females and juveniles have blackish brown bodies with small white spots. Mature males are much more decorated with dark blue bodies and black spots that stretch along the sides of their body onto their tail. The top of their head is black with white spots, and an orange gold trim decorates their head and tail. When stressed, this fish secretes a toxin called ostratoxin. If the fish is in a small tank with other fish and becomes stressed the toxin can poison not only the other fishes but itself as well.
Male spotted boxfish. Photo by: Chris Wilson, Flickr.
22| Seawords
If you are interested in submitting articles, photography, or art to Seawords, send us an email at seawords@hawaii.edu with the subject line “Student submission.” We accept submissions year round. Photo Contest 2015, Kimberly James, UHM MOP Alumna
Seawords Volume XXX Number 2, February 2016 Editor: Camra Hopper Dr. Cynthia Hunter (éminence grise) Jeffery Kuwabara (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.
FEBRUARY 2016 |23
February Photo credit: Rebecca Ziegler, UHH MOP Alumna
Sun.
Mon.
Next month:
1
-Mar. 3, World Wildlife Day - Mar.17, St. Patrick’s Day - Mar. 22, World Water Day - Mar. 27, Easter
7 Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i
14 Maritime Archaeology Symposium 8:30-5:30 UH Manoa - MSB 100 Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i Valentine’s Day
21
QUEST Limu ID Class 6:00- 9:00PM Dean Hall 104
8 QUEST ID Exam 6:00- 9:00PM Dean Hall 104
15
Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i
24| Seawords
2
Groundhog Day
9
Wed. 3
QUEST Limu I 6:00- 9:00PM Dean Hall 104
10
International Pancake Day
16
17
23
24
President’s Day (No School) Washington’s Birthday
22
Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i
28
Tues.
29
ID Class
MOP & Community Events
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
4
5
6
11
12
13
QUEST Applications Due Lincoln’s Birthday
Maritime Archaeology Symposium 8:30-5:30 UH Manoa - MSB 100
18
19
20
25
26
27 Humpback Whale Count 8:00AM- 4:00PM Spitting Caves
FEBRUARY 2016 |25
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!