Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter
March 2016
7
“...but I can say I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t been a part of the Marine Option Program at UH. Huzzah!”
LIFE AFTER MOP MARITIME ARCHEOLOGY SYMPOSIUM WORLD WATER DAY & WORLD WILDLIFE DAY
March 2016 Articles
Volume XXX, Number 3
Page 3: Letter from the Editor Page 4: Life After MOP Page 7: Return of the Hawai‘i Superferry Page 8: Maritime Archeology Symposium Page 16: Ocean Updates Page 19: World Water Day Page 22: Photography Competition Announcement Page 24: World Wildlife Day Page 25: John Rooney Page 26: Ocean Art Page 28: Generation Blue Page 30: Marine Mammal of the Month Page 32: Flashback Page 34: Critter of the Month Page 36: Calendar of Events
About the Photography -Cover: Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP Alumnus -Table of Contents: Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP Alumnus -March 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! This issue of Seawords reports on the 27th Annual Symposium on Maritime Archeology and History of Hawai‘i and the Pacific, with this year’s theme being “Diving into the Archives.” The symposium added a few segments dedicated to the audience, and gave a lot of useful tips to use when analyzing shipwrecks and historical archives. Seawords also has articles about how you can help spread awareness about World Wildlife Day and World Water Day, as well as what they stand for. In honor of these recognized days, much of this issue focuses on our own environmental impacts such as the humpback whale that was entangled in Kona. Also, be sure to check up on how the Hawai‘i Superferry might be coming back to the islands and why it was halted. Have you ever wondered what you will be doing after college and how MOP could help you? Then, make sure to check out “Life after MOP” by Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP Alumnus. In addition, we have a written tribute to John Rooney, a MOP Alumnus, by Ray Boland. Feel free to write any responses to seawords@hawaii.edu and I will be sure to pass them along to the family and friends. Seawords is also starting their 2016 Photo Contest! Learn how to submit your photographs within! Seawords is looking for volunteer writers! Have you ever wondered if you could write for Seawords? If you would like to enhance your writing skills and be part of a nationally distributed newsletter, send us an e-mail 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 MARCH 2016 |3
LIFE after
MOP Article and photos by: Taylor Shedd, UHM Alumnus
4| Seawords
L
ife after MOP begins while one is still in MOP. For me, it was an accumulation of decisions and events that began with attending QUEST and MAST my freshman year. It was at QUEST that I developed my love for diving, science, and teaching diving and science. At MAST I learned about a man named Irving Johnson and watched a film Johnson made aboard the great ship, Peking as it sailed around the Cape Horn in hurricane force winds. After Irving’s time aboard the Peking he started the very first ship-based school aboard his schooner, Yankee. Johnson mentored young sailors, such as Christopher Sheldon, who was part of the ill-fated crew of the Albatross that was portrayed in the movie White Squall. Another of Johnson’s protégées is Jim Stoll, founder and director of Global Expeditions Group, who follows the same philosophy and methods of teaching established by Irving himself. From QUEST and MAST I had developed this deep passion and desire for the ocean that couldn’t be satisfied even by the beautiful waters of Hawai`i. I decided my senior year, against the recommendation of all my academic advisors, to study abroad with Sea|mester, which is an accredited study abroad program on classic rigged schooners. (For those of you who don’t know what those are, go to MAST). The voyage I participated in sailed from Singapore to South Africa, crossing the Indian Ocean over 7,000 nm in 90 days. We visited the countries of Borneo, Indonesia, Bail, Cocos Keeling (AU), Christmas Island (AU), Mauritius, and South Africa along the way. Aboard we took classes in marine biology, oceanography, leadership, and nautical science as well as dive
and sail training. No one can describe how amazing this experience is, for it’s different for each person, but always life changing. For me the sea would never be the same, and I found where I needed to be. Upon returning to land my focus became, how can I get back out to sea? I learned that Sea|mester was part of a bigger organization called Global Expeditions Group (GXG). One of GXG’s other programs is ActionQuest, much like Sea|mester, but a summer program for teens. ActionQuest takes teens aboard sailboats
for three weeks teaching a variety of programs from Open Water to Divemaster, sailing, marine biology, and community service. I decided that I was going to graduate and apply to work for ActionQuest in the summer. This was no small task, but somehow it all worked out and they hired me to be a dive instructor and teach the marine biology program. I basically drove straight to the airport from my graduation ceremony to fly to Florida where the main office for Global Expeditions Group is located. From there I spent four months in the British Virgin Islands
ActionQuest runs about ten 52 foot monohulls and six 46 foot catamarans in the British Virgin Islands every summer.
MARCH 2016 |5
aboard a 46 foot catamaran living with a dozen teenagers teaching them marine biology. Our program is very similar to QUEST where students learn how to do science underwater, then complete their own project and give a presentation on the last day. ActionQuest has its own distinguished PADI certification called Research Diver, which is basically a recreational version of the AAUS Scientific Diver. It is such an amazing experience to be able to teach high school students in this type of environment. The growth they go through in three weeks is unbelievable. Many students return to ActionQuest year after year, which is only proof of the life changing experiences they have aboard our programs. Many of my students wrote in their end of program survey that I inspired them to study marine biology or their true passion because they saw in me, and our program, that it is possible to do anything you set your mind to.
Argo is a 112 foot classic rigged schooner build by Sea|mester in 2006 and runs trips around the world.
Once the summer was over I started working in the main office in Florida doing an array of things from answering inquiries about our programs to services all our SCUBA regulators to earning my 200 ton captains license. Currently, I am road tripping the entire East Coast visiting schools talking to students about our programs. My experience came full circle when I recently visited Peking, the very ship that Irving Johnson started on, at South Seaport
Maritime Museum in New York City with his granddaughter Anna Johnson, who still works for GXG. There is no way I can describe my experiences at sea or the emotions that drive my passion for the sea and teaching, but I can say I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t been a part of the Marine Option Program at UH. Huzzah! n
Marine biology students were surprised by a pod of dolphins on one of their research dives off the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. 6| Seawords
The Return of the Hawaii Superferry By Camra Hopper, Editor
I
One of the Hawai’i Superferry boatsHarbor on O`ahu and Kahului on Maui between 2007 and 2009. Photo by: Kanaka Menehune.
n 2009 the Hawai‘i Superferry stopped running when it ran into environmental and legal issues, yet lawmakers in the state Capitol plan to “bring it back – the right way,” Hawai‘i News Now said. Currently, there are nine bills being pushed through the State Legislature to bring back the inter-island ferry. The Hawai‘i Superferry concept was initiated in 2001 by Timothy Dick, John Garibaldi, and Robert White. The ferry first provided transportation between Honolulu Harbor on O‘ahu and Kahului on Maui on December 2007. Transportation between O‘ahu and Kaua‘i was prevented by protests from a few residents of Kaua‘i. The ferry’s travel operations were suspended in March of 2009 when the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled that Governor Lingle illegally exempted the ferry from an environmental impact statement for the second time, which was declared unconstitutional.
inter-island species, such as the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) or other species which could jeopardize endemic endangered species on other islands. “Clearly, any project that moves forward would have to comply with the environmental and regulatory requirements,” Governor David Ige said. Senator Michelle Kidani’s bill intends to look over the venues and environmental impacts, but in order to do this her legislation calls for the State’s Department of Transportation to conduct a study on the ferry. Tim Sakahara, the spokesman for the State Department of Transportation, said the agency supports the intent of the study, but there is a lot that needs to be done before the ferry is released from any dock.
Many are willing to act aggressively to accelerate the return of the inter-island ferry, including Senator Lorraine Inouye, chairwoman of the Senate TransportaMany environmental concerns impacted the future of tion and Energy Committee. As of now, a Hawai‘i News the Hawai‘i Superferry severely, as critics cited the ferry Now’s poll asking if people would support the return of as going at unnecessarily high and dangerous speeds the Hawai‘i Superferry shows 90% say “Yes.” n that could injure or kill whales, dolphins, and turtles. Other concerns consisted of the spread of invasive, MARCH 2016 |7
27th Annual Symposium on the Maritime Archeology and History of Hawai`i and the Pacific Diving into archives: Collecting and Interpreting Maritime Information
By: Camra Hopper, Editor
Shipwreck o Photo by: John Co
Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP Student Emily Menzies, UHM MOP Student
Saturday, February 13, 2016 Session: Diving Into Archives Planes, Boats and Mule Trains: the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Honolulu, 1946-1947 Gwen Sinclair, Head of Government Documents and Maps, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library Sinclair first began her search when she came across a table titled, “When Live Stock Were Received in China.” The table states that 792 Mules from Honolulu were shipped to China. Many questions began to arise. She wanted to find out why they were shipped to China, were they U.S. Army mules, or did they come from the open mule market? And if they were Army mules, why did the army still use mules in 1946? “These questions gripped hold of me and I couldn’t let go of it. This set me up for this whole journey to UNRA.” UNRA was established in 1943 to serve the war-torn countries in Europe and Asia as providers of services to displaced refugees. They gave food, shelter and clothing. They also 8| Seawords
operated an industrial and agricultural rehabilitation program in war-torn countries. Surplus was growing since the expected invasion from Japan didn’t happen, leading the Army and Navy to become desperate to get rid of all the surplus goods. UNRA began to buy several surplus goods from the military and among that list was the 792 Hawaiian Pack Train Mules from the 24th Army Infantry Division that were shipped to Tientsin, China to help them carry supplies to troublesome outposts. The Archival Record of the Shipwrecks of Maui County Captain Rick Rodgers Rick Rodgers’ talk was about the different ways that various types of resources could be used to piece together the history of shipwrecks found around Maui. Maui shipwrecks have been documented in many different ways since the 1800s. A main tool used to piece together the history is newspaper articles from English and Hawaiian newspapers. Those records, although extremely detailed, only went back to 1927. For older records, Rodgers used whaling log books and journals
of fur traders and explorers to look into the deeper past of shipwrecks around Maui. Although these records are not as detailed as the newspapers, they supplied an additional source of information. One of the shipwrecks that Rodgers was interested in was the 1924 wreck of the SS Bee. This ship used to carry cattle and sugar throughout the islands during the 1920s and eventually struck a rock off the coast of Maui, sinking her and all of her cargo.
off the coast of Kure Atoll. oney, Former UHH MOP Coordinator.
Rodgers looked into all of these shipwrecks to see if the legends of the Spaniards getting to Hawai’i before Captain James Cook might be true. Although there have been historical documents claiming that Spaniards came to Hawai’i during the 1300’s, there has been no archaeological evi-
Hunter went on to say that MOP is in a good place thanks to support from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Regional Office. MOP received another 5-year grant from NOAA this year, and the Director and coordinators are working hard to make the most of this opportunity and to find additional sources of funds. Navigating the Complexities of Whaling Archives Suzanna S. Finney, MAHHI Foundation This study began in the New Bedford Whaling Museum Archives, a research library. One of the interesting things about these archives is the amount and the wide variety of material that is held there. Finney explained the challenge of getting use to understanding the information since it was all handwritten in the 19th century using different terminology than today. The beginning of Finney’s research was spent learning how to navigate the different types of material in order to make it more useful to her. Within the archives there were many fascinating distractions. Finney reported that it paid to be an owner of a whaler ship, but “it doesn’t
dence supporting that. Rodgers was unable to find any shipwreck debris that supports this belief. An Update on the Marine Option Program (MOP) Cindy Hunter, Director, MOP The Marine Option Program first started in 1971, created by Dr. John Craven, Head of Marine Programs, and Dr. Jack Davidson, Sea Grant Director. MOP is offered on all UH campuses for students in any field of study and who show a passion for the ocean to earn a certificate, similar to a minor, in marine studies. Since the beginning, the program has been able to provide many exciting opportunities for students including QUEST, MAST snorkeling trips, behind-the-scenes field trips, writing opportunities through the MOP newsletter Seawords, with $500 stipends awarded to students who present a proposal for a MOP Skill Project. “There are two pillars that MOP’s built on. One is providing students with experiential education, and the other is to provide them with transferable skills.” said Hunter.
Joseph Loko‘olu Quintero preforming the Oli for the beginning of the symposium. Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator. MARCH 2016 |9
pay to be a dog on a whaler”. This derives from a story about a sailor who fell from the mast to the deck, but survived because he fell on a dog, who did not survive. Other works include beautiful billheads with intricate designs. Much of the information was provided in several different forms such as books, business records, personal correspondences and newspaper articles. In order to get in depth information on different whaling vessels, accounting books were used to find their profits. The accounting records from John A. Parker provide a tremendous amount of insight into whaling ships because they were so detailed.
Clyde was going back and forth in between Hawai’i and San Francisco trading sugar and then oil. In 1988, she was officially declared a national landmark and in 2008, she was bought by the Friends of Falls of Clyde for $1 to save her from being sunk into an artificial reef. She was bought for so little because the cost of the repairs to the ship would likely cost more than she was worth. Today, the Falls of Clyde still sits in the harbor, waiting to be dry-docked in order to repair the hull to be seaworthy for years to come. Froning talked about the need for volunteers and donations in efforts to repair and bring her back to greatness.
Session: Research and Fieldwork in Hawai‘i
Photographing Shipwrecks
A Falls of Clyde Update
Jeff Kuwabara, Marine Option Program
Don Froning
The use of photography in MOP’s field schools, such as Maritime Archaeology Surveying Techniques (MAST), The Falls of Clyde is a historic ship in Honolulu Harbor. has become increasingly popular as a method for docuThis ship was built in 1878 in Scotland and spent the menting progress of work, as a tool to assist with the site next 100 years traveling the world. In 1898, the Falls of mapping, and to create photomosaics. In his presentation, Kuwabara touched on important factors to remember in marine photography such as wide lens vs. macro, proper equipment, and even different editing software. “Underwater photography ain’t always easy,” said Kuwabara during his presentation, “if the water ain’t clear, it ain’t easy.” He went on to discuss various types of cameras including the most affordable point and shoot waterproof cameras, and the more expensive cameras with housing, lenses and strobes that Kuwabara has personally invested in. However, he is a big supporter in the simpler point and shoot camera. He described when to use wide angle for big things like shipwrecks and scenery without being too far away, and macro for up close detail, along with the benefits of strobes bringing out the true color of objects that depths take away. He also recommended various editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and the free Picasa3. Pānānā (compass) and other measuring devices of Early Hawaiian Pre-Cook Era Victoria S. Creed, Ph.D., Waihona Aina Corp., and cultural Surveys Hawaii Inc.; Brian Nakamura, Hawaiian kilokilo; Loko‘olu Quintero, Chanter trained by John Lake Pānānā are compasses, particularly marine compasses that give cardinal directions and use the sun, stars, and moon to navigate. When Captain Cook came to the HaCaptain Rick Rogers presenting The Archival Record of waiian Islands, he brought along a magnetic compass to the Shipwrecks of Maui County. Jeff Kuwabara, UHM show the natives, and they also called it a pānānā, beMOP Coordinator. 10| Seawords
cause they understood it gave the same navigational directions as the compasses they had already been using. However, the western pānānā was quickly adopted by Hawaiians due to its convenience. While we had previously discussed methods of retrieving archives by going through vast amounts of research in libraries and internet searches, this presentation reminded us about how archival information can be passed down from generation to generation by traditionally trained elders. The presentation went over various kinds of traditional pānānā, including the heiau (now destroyed by the development of the H-3) where ancient Hawaiians would watch the sun rise along the sides of Mt. Olomana, along with a portable pānānā that the team made and brought along to the presentation, which is a carved wooden bowl with a nets across the top (representing longitude and latitude) that was filled with water to show the reflection of the stars. MAST 2015: The Kāne‘ohe Bay Catalina Revisited Don Froning and Julia Stewart In 2015, Don Froning and Julia Stewart were part of the MAST team that revisited the PBY-5 Catalina plane wreck in Kāne‘ohe Bay. This wreck required special permission from the US Navy to survey. This plane was sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7th, 1941. The first time that this wreck was surveyed was in 1994 by MAST students. Twenty-one years later, MAST went back not only to teach more students how to survey, but to see how the wreck has changed over time. They found that there has been an increased amount of coral growth that was not present in 1994. It was also found that more of the wing had fallen apart and metal
Suzanna S. Finney and Don Froning, MAHHI Foundation beginning the second session, Research and Fieldwork in Hawai‘i. Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator. had started to come up from the posterior of the plane. When the team was done surveying, they did a fauna count and found out that were about 25 different species living there, including three endemic species. Showing of documentary Lightning Strikes Twice: The Real Life Sequel to Moby Dick This year the symposium showed this documentary feature that tells the story of an archaeological find on the sea floor in a shoal off the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The team discovered an old anchor and the remnants of three iron cauldrons that were once used to boil down whale blubber on whaling ships. The crew later discovered that these archaeologic finds were directly related to the story of Moby Dick. The pieces of the ship left behind were identified back to the ship known as Two Brothers, who was captained by George Pollard
Dr. Cindy Hunter, MOP Director, presenting “An Update on the Marine Option Program (MOP). Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator. Photo by: Camra Hopper, Editor. MARCH 2016 |11
Jr. This however, was not Pollard’s first shipwreck. His captained the whaling ship, Essex, when a whale collided with his ship, sending it to the bottom of the sea, inspiring the classic tale of Moby Dick. When Pollard decided to captain another whale ship, he was sure he’d never meet the same fate as the Essex, because as the saying goes, “lightning never strikes twice.” It appears that he was proven wrong.
ologist, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
In Wendy Coble’s presentation, she talked about the importance of using and understanding military documents when finding missing soldiers from WWI and WWII. The well detailed military documents allow archaeologists to discover where the plane or ship crashed. Using military documents, however detailed they may be, can be very hard to interpret, especially when the information needed is in different codes. Coble talks about Sunday, February 14, 2016 the difficulties of using military documents but the sucKeynote: Collecting and interpreting maritime archicess they have in recovering MIA soldiers. She discussed val records multiple problems that may encounter like having to use Wendy Coble, M.A., Historian and Underwater Arche- military records from different countries and the complexities that comes along with that as well. Coble admits that although the task is difficult and demanding, being able to recover a body and send it home is very rewarding. Although the success of finding an MIA person is rewarding, there also comes an ethical dilemma with it as well. Some people believe that when a person dies in combat, that should be their final resting place. With big wrecks that have many bodies on them, like the ships in Pearl Harbor, in order for one family to get their loved one’s body, the archaeologists would have to remove all the bodies. Situations like these bring up many controversies among the families that believe the wreck in which they died should be their final resting place, as well as how safe the soldiers’ bodies actually are. There have been incidences where divers looted artifacts from shipwrecks. Throughout her time working as a maritime archaeologist, Coble learned that archaeology can be controversial but bringing closure to a grieving family makes her line of work gratifying. Session: Research and Fieldwork in Hawai‘i continued
Shipwreck off the coast of Kure Atoll. Photo by: John Coney, Former UHH MOP Cordinator. 12| Seawords
Hawai‘i: A haven for black mariners like Anthony Allen seeking freedom in 18th and 19th centuries Deloris Guttman, African Diversity Cul-
tural Center Hawai‘i O‘ahu (AADCCH) Despite the dangerous and uneasy life of a seafarer in the 18th & 19th centuries, merchant vessels became the preferred option for African Americans seeking better alternatives. They followed in the footsteps of their African ancestors, setting sail in hellish conditions, creating a new freedom for men of color and making new opportunities for the generations to come. Deloris Guttman discussed the appeal of Hawai’i to black mariners in this year’s symposium presentation. She talked particularly about the story of Anthony D. Allen, a man born into slavery who pursued a better life after boarding a ship set for Honolulu. Allen, like many other African Americans at the time, became a respected and thriving citizen who developed a close acquaintance with King Kamehameha and his wives. Guttman told the story of how Allen met Kamehameha I after he was assigned as a steward for the ship “Isabella” that was taking King Kamehameha I and his five queens to O’ahu to celebrate the 4th of July. Guttman noted that after he settled on O’ahu, Hewahewa, a high priest, gave Allen six acres of land and two wives. Through Allen’s success in Hawai’i, a new road of opportunity lay ahead for any Black mariner seeking a better life.
Lisa Briggs, Ph.D. student, University of Oxford presenting her findings of 2,000 olive stones on a 2,500 year old shipwreck in Cyprus. Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator.
Mysterious brick wreck at Beckley’s Point
government which allowed him to implement changes in Hawaiian transportation. Wilder was able to build Blade Shephard – Jones many roads and bridges in Hawai‘i but he also formed In January of 2015, Blade Shephard-Jones and two other the Inter-Island Airways in 1929, which in the 1940s bewreck divers were looking at areas along the south shore came Hawaiian Air. If this shipwreck is the Eskbank like of O‘ahu that could possibly be potential shipwreck Shephard-Jones and his team believe, then this wreck sites. On one of these debris fields they were investigat- could be the oldest in Hawai‘i. ing, they found dozens of bricks scattered around the wreck site. Along with the bricks, they found the keel It’s the Pits: Searching for the origins of olive pits recovof the ship, life boat davits and cable eye splices. The ered from ancient shipwrecks bricks had one word engraved on them, “Gartcosh.” Lisa Briggs, Ph.D. student, University of Oxford With a little bit of research, they were able to tell that the bricks were from fireclay works in Gartcosh, Scot- Lisa Briggs found olive stones from a 2,500 year old land due to their composition and it is estimated that shipwreck in Cyprus. The olive stones she was studythey were made during 1863 - 1890s. One of the ships ing were from the Mazotos Shipwreck, which sank in carrying these bricks to Hawai‘i during that era was the 400 B.C. on the southern coast of Cyprus and sits in Eskbank. This ship carried sugar and general supplies about 43 meters of water. This depth limits the numto Hawai‘i but ran aground on November 2, 1878 off ber of skilled divers who can dive to those depths, as “Point Rose”, near the foot of Diamondhead. Wilder well as the amount of time they can spend at the shipand Company bought this ship for $1,100 to salvage the wreck site. The wreck was found by sponge fishermen goods and made $175,000 in the 1870s. With this pur- because the Mediterranean does not have a very rich sea chase, Wilder was able to build his wife a mansion and life, but shipwrecks create artificial reefs that attract life. gain a businessman’s reputation. This reputation even- There are over 500 chian amphorae and mushroom rim tually lead to a strong connection with the Hawaiian amphorae, which are tall ancient Greek or Roman jars with two handles and a narrow neck, from the island MARCH 2016 |13
of Chios in Greece. Traditionally, they are known to contain wine, since Chios was famous for wine, but inside these amphorae contained about 2,000 olive stones, as well as fig seed and grape remains. Some of them show evidence that they were eaten by marine organisms, but some of them were in better condition. Briggs wanted to find the origin of the olives, and in order to do this she did isotope analysis on the botanical remains. She looked at the carbon and nitrogen levels, but mainly focused on Carbon 12 and Carbon 13. Carbon dating can be used to find the time period they were from. C3 plants, like olive trees, have less Carbon 13 because plants usually prefer lighter Jeff Kuwabara taking a selfie in front of the Maritime Archaeology isotopes, like Carbon 12, but when their Symposium attendees and participants on the last day. Photo by: Jeff stomata closes, because they don’t have Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator. enough energy from the sun, they get more Carbon 13 by going into a drought response. After the studies, they came to the conclusion culture heritage, historic shipwrecks preservation, and that these olives were obtained from multiple places. the science of maritime archaeology.” This program A few speculations of their purpose could have been began and an educational program to teach more peofood for the crew, trade, but no one really talks about ple about the importance of maritime archaeology. By the trade of whole olives, mainly olive oil. The next step teaching and allowing volunteers to contribute to their in this project is to conduct a modern environmental research, M.A.S. has helped preserve many shipwrecks study to look at the variation of weather patterns in in Oregon. With the help of the Columbia River Marivarious places in order to pin point exactly where these time Museum, they were able to provide archaeology 2,000 olive stones were from. artifact conservation caution and document experience. Being able to work with students, volunteers, and The Maritime Archaeological Society amateurs, they have been able to do research along the Rick Rodgers coast of Oregon where many shipwrecks remain untouched today. The goal for the Maritime Archaeological Society (M.A.S.) is to “promote public education in maritime War Returns to Pearl Harbor: The Great War, Navies and December 7th, 1941 Brendon L. Bliss, M.A., Instructor of History, Hawai‘i Pacific University
Signs stating ancient shipwreck where different chian amphorae were found. Photo by: James Lynott, Flickr. 14| Seawords
Brendon Bliss connected the links between Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i and WWI through naval vessels. The USS Arizona, USS Utah, USS Nevada, USS Oklahoma, USS Pennsylvania, USS Vestal, USS Oglala and USS Sotoyomo were ships that fought in WWI and were also present in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In order to find these connections and the history attached to these ships and Hawai‘i Bliss had to go to the Library of
Congress and look at Admiral William R. Furlong’s manuscript collection, who was in charge of Pearl Harbor at that time. Not only did Furlong provide information regarding the vessels, himself, and WWII, but also had information about WWI. On the day of the Pearl Harbor bombing there was over 100 ships docked that morning and about 32 of those took some kind of damage from the attacks. A few of those ships were veterans from WWI. Out of the many vessels that sunk and received great damage, few did survive. The USS Arizona sunk, along with the crew. The USS Oklahoma turned upside down and sunk. USS Utah was sunk likely because it looked like an aircraft carrier, a high valued target. The USS Oglala was sunk, but was salvaged and recommissioned in February 1944. The USS Sotoyomo sunk, but went through repairs before being sold to Mexico. The USS Nevada was seriously damaged as it started to move out of the harbor, but ended up beaching at Hospital Point to save itself from being sunk, and she is currently back in service. USS Vestal tried to follow the USS Nevada, but was struck by two bombs and was adjacent to the Arizona during the explosion. The USS Pennsylvania was not directly hit, but explosions around it caused a
lot of damage, and though it survived the war, it was sunk as target practice for the U.S. Navy. These WWI vessels did finalize the connection of Hawai‘i to WWII, but there were several other interactions between Japan and Hawai‘i when the U.S. was a neutral power. In Hawai‘i, WWI began on October 14, 1914, when a German gun boat classified as an unprotected cruiser rear came into Honolulu Harbor seeking refuge since Hawai`i was a neutral power at the time. They were originally only allowed to stay for 24 hours, until it was found that they had engine damage, which allowed them to stay longer. A few days after a Japanese battleship was waiting outside the harbor for them to leave port, and instead of being sunk by the Japanese they surrendered to the Americans. Other ships continued to dock and use Hawaiian waters as a safe haven. On Nov. 26, 1917 the Japanese’s, IJN Cruiser, Tokiwa, sailed across the Pacific to Honolulu and on its way received a message from the U.S. asking if they could help search for a life boat from a Norwegian vessel. After several days of searching, they were not able to find it. Once the ship was re-fueling in the harbor, a sailor died of coal gas asphyxiation. The U.S. lowered the flag to half mass in honor of their soldier. n
A sailboats debris from MAST 2009 with a ferrocement ship on the horizon. Photo by: John Coney, Former UHH MOP Cordinator. MARCH 2016 |15
cean updates
By Emily Menzies, UHM MOP Student
When water becomes too warm, corals become stressed and expel their zooxanthellae in a process known as coral bleaching. Photo by: Samual Chow, Flickr
Sunscreen & Coral Bleaching
The sunscreen that we use today may impact the reefs of tomorrow.
When we go to the beach, the first thing that we do is put on sunscreen. Those harmful UVA and UVB rays Seabins cause destructive, irreversible skin damage. Sunscreen, Plastic pollution around the world is a growing probhowever, may be more harmful to the environment lem. Human activity has increased the amount of polluthan it is helpful to us. tion that has been going into the ocean. One of the ingredients found in most sunscreens and The Seabin is a new invention that was designed by two lotions around the world, oxybenzone, is causing harm Australians to act as an automated pool cleaner. It sits in to corals. This is because oxybenzone is a photo-toxiharbors, ports, and marinas to help control the growing cant. A photo-toxic substance causes irritation in the pollution problem. These bins vacuum up floating depresence of light. bris along the top of the water and collect the rubbish in Small amounts of oxybenzone in the water have been nets using a water pump. The water then flows through discovered to be harmful. Dr. Craig Downs, lead sci- the pumps and to an oil separator to ensure that only entist of the oxybenzone coral bleaching project, states clean water is flowing back into the ocean. The nets that even small amounts of oxybenzone are highly toxic can be taken out and replaced with clean ones when the for corals. Young coral larvae exposed to oxybenzone Seabin gets full, allowing for easy clean up. were found to have DNA deformities and died before Seabins are made up of 70-100% recycled plastic. The they were able to become sessile and grow. plastic caught from a previous bin is used to make a In Hawai‘i and the Virgin Islands, oxybenzone concen- new bin. Also, all the plastic and debris caught in these trations ranging from 800 parts per trillion to 1.4 parts Seabins show people how much pollution is in their loper million have been measured, according to Downs’ cal oceans. article. That is 12 times the concentration needed to The Seabin is designed to run 24 hours a day/seven days cause harm to coral. a week, unlike many other clean up alternatives that are Kabana Organic Skincare Green Screen Sunscreen and commonly found in marinas. Most of the clean up in Caribbean Solutions are both excellent sunscreens with- marinas comes from crews that skim the surface during out oxybenzone. Alternate sunscreens without oxyben- daylight hours. zone do not cost more than well-known sunscreens like In Mallorca, Spain a Seabin prototype has been tested. Hawaiian Tropic or Coppertone. The Seabin Project states that the trial run was a success. 16| Seawords
The company also states that they have not caught any sphere we live in. fish in the Seabin in the four years of trial tests and they Everything in nature is connected in ways that many are working with marine biologists on how to prevent are not aware of. Lack of caring about what we do to the the Seabin from harming the micro-fauna. natural environment around us will eventually lead to a dim future not only for us, but for future generations to The future of wildlife in our hands come as well. March 3, 2016 is World Wildlife Day. This day is about being aware of the wildlife around us and being cog- Pitcairn Islands; the world’s largest ocean renizant of how our actions impact wildlife. The theme serve for 2016 is ‘the future of wildlife is in our hands.’ This means that people should be aware of how our actions In the Pitcairn Islands in the south Pacific, is the world’s largest ocean reserve. This reserve is about 22,000 today influence the health of wildlife tomorrow. square miles and surA big issue that we face rounds all four of the today is overfishing. Since Pitcairn Islands. These the 1950s, 90% of the islands are now protected world’s ocean has been by international law that overfished. Overfishing is prohibits commercial starting to have an impact fishing and sea mining. on the food chain. With The only fishing allowed the increasing amount of on these islands is for the overfishing going on all local population. over the world, biodiverPitcairn Islands is one of sity in the oceans is sufthe few places left in the fering. world where corals and Another problem that sea mounts are left virwe face in Hawai‘i is the tually untouched. Only decline of coral reefs and about 60 people live on one of the factors conthe Pitcairn Islands and of tributing to is pollution. the four islands that make Corals are very sensiup this territory, three of tive animals that line the them are uninhabited. coasts of Hawai‘i; they are In 2012, the Pitcairn becoming increasingly people asked the UK govthreatened as pollution ernment to help preserve in the oceans increases. Pitcairn islanders sailing with the island in the these waters from comThe carelessness of what back.Photo by Fotorus, Flickr mercial fishermen. The we dump into the ocean people of the Pitcairn Isand where we put our lands were worried because a lot of the sharks and fish trash will negatively affect the oceans that we cherish from neighboring French Polynesia have been fished so much. out by commercial fishermen. The Pitcairn people did Being aware about everything we do is important in not want the same thing to happen to their waters so understanding that all of our actions have a reaction. they voted unanimously to have their entire economic Knowing that the future of the wildlife is in our hands zone preserved. can help remind us to keep the oceans clean. Life started in the ocean and if we let the ocean die, then hu- The Pitcairn Islands have an underwater visibility of mans will not be far behind. The loss of biodiversity in about 250 feet with thousands of sharks, fishes, and the oceans would not only impact what humans eat, it thriving corals. Over the past few years, over 80 new would also influence the air we breathe and the atmo- species of coral, fishes, and algae have been found. MARCH 2016 |17
The people living on Pitcairn Islands are hoping to see an increase in the tourism industry with the passing of this new law.
doing is called “assisted evolution.”
Assisted evolution is when scientists encourage an organism with desired traits to grow and rebreed with This reserve, however, will take a lot more than just a other successful organisms, eventually forming a super law to keep its reef ecosystem healthy. The Pitcairn Is- organism that will be able to withstand a changing enlands are expected to hire boat patrols to make sure that vironment. there is no illegal fishing happening on the territory. By breeding these corals this way, they are anthropoThey are also bringing in the use of drones to try and genically helping the coral adapt to the changing ocean catch illegal fishers as well. With the increase in techtemperatures and acidity. Instead of finding the corals a nological options available, there is a higher chance that suitable home, scientists are genetically changing coral these islands will remain unharmed by foreign fishers so that the changing ocean will still be their home. from around the world. The Pitcairn people are also working with organizations from around the world, like As coral bleaching around Hawai‘i increasingly gets National Geographic and Pew Charitable Trust, in ef- worse, scientists hope to be able to prepare coral for what the future of the oceans is going to be like. Over forts of keeping this area pristine. the past two years, scientists have seen positive results Thirty percent of the waters in the UK and its territories from their super corals but this still may not be enough are protected. Since the Pitcairn Islands are a part of the to save the coral reefs around the world before they start UK territory, this now makes the UK the country with to die off. the largest protected ocean territory. Once a coral dies, there is no way to resuscitate it back Super Corals to life. Although the super corals are being formed As global temperatures increase dramatically around quickly, they may not be forming fast enough to save all the world, many of the marine animals are suffering. On the damaged coral reefs around Hawai‘i. Coconut Island in Hawai‘i, scientists have been trying Along with time, the cost involving raising and planting to grow “super coral.” These super corals are hoped to coral is very high, making this project challenging to be able to withstand the rising ocean temperatures and launch on a larger scale. increase in acidity. This project will be crucial for the future of the coral not To create these “super corals,” scientists are breeding only in Hawai‘i, but also globally. Genetically enhanccorals in stressful environments to see if they can sur- ing coral so they can survive the drastically changing vive. Then they take the ones that do survive and breed ocean conditions will hopefully allow the biodiversity them together. They do this over and over again, slowly in oceans to continue existing and adapting with the moving them into more stressful water. What they are changing oceans as well. n
Coral reef ecosystem at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.Photo cedit: Jim Maragos/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 18| Seawords
20 “Water is central to human surviv-
al, the environment and the economy and decent work can provide income and pave the way for broader social and economic advancements. Photo by Daniel Jennings, UHH MOP Alumnus
”
By Camra Hopper, Editor Continues on page 20... MARCH 2016 |19
W
orld Water Day takes place on the 22 of March every year to bring awareness about water crises around the world. The theme for 2016 is Water and Jobs. Anna Nylander Norén, Communications Specialist for UNWater explains, “Water and Jobs… highlights how both water and jobs have the power to transform people’s lives: Water is central to human survival, the environment and the economy and decent work can provide income and pave the way for broader social and economic advancements.” Currently, there are 750 million people worldwide who lack access to safe water. World Water Day began in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 when March 22 was designated to be the international observance day for water by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The global purpose of World Water Day is to inform, engage, and act in order to make a difference for those in need and for future generations. Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world with over 250 million citizens, hosting Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Yet, more than 37 million Indonesians lack access to safe water, 100 million lack sanitation and 43% of the total population lives on less than US $2 per day, Water.org states. In Indonesia, Rumyati’s story consist of an old, rusted cart that brought her family out of poverty with safe water. For Rumyati the only water source in town was the mosque. Every day be-
20| Seawords
fore sunrise she would walk down a long, dirt path to wait her turn for water while her husband was out searching through other’s trash to sell what someone else had discarded. The hike to the mosque is a job for Rumyati, but their lives depend on it. By creating better access to water, Rumyati’s job and livelihood will be better. After some time of hard work, they were able to take out a small WaterCredit loan to construct a tap in their own home. Now that they have easy access to water at their own home, Rumyati feels semangat, full of vivacity, spirit, and passion. There are several stories like Rumyati’s, but it still isn’t enough. Water. org began working in Indonesia in 2013 and has since partnered with four microfinance institutions to provide water and sanitation loans to those in need. Water.org is also present in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Peru, Philippines, and Uganda. Their Facebook shares several success stories with the hashtag #StoriesWeLove, “Today, almost half of the world’s workers - 1.5 billion people - work in water related sectors and nearly all jobs depend on water. Yet the millions of people who work in water are often not recognized or protected by basic labor rights,” Norén said.
safe water to its people, but still only 16% of the population uses latrines in rural areas; not using latrines can lead to diarrheal diseases which are killing 100,000 children each year. In the 1970s four million wells were drilled to replace the traditional, contaminated water sources, but in 1993 high arsenic concentrations were discovered in groundwater of several wells. Long-term intake of arsenic gives rises to several health complications. As wells began to be painted red, signifying the arsenic levels have increased above the national standard, they were no longer available for use. For this reason, the amount of water available is diminishing quickly. Many citizens are having to walk several miles or use traditional water sources such as ponds or ditches, to retrieve water. The urban population in urban areas is also beginning to rise as the poor from rural areas migrate. Water and sanitation levels are then affected by the increase in poverty, overcrowding, poor housing, and unhealthy disposal of waste. Water.org offers grants and WaterCredit programs to address these safe water needs in urban areas and the slums in Dhaka, the capital of Indonesia.
“Water and sanitation also has a strong impact on workers’ lives and health. Two million work related deaths happen every year. Out of those, 17% are water-related (poor quality drinking water, poor sanitaIn Bangladesh the water crisis affects tion, poor hygiene and related lack both rural and urban areas with wa- of knowledge),” UN-Water Day Fact ter scarcity and quality. Bangladesh Guidelines states. has improved the way they supply
Get involved! Water.org offers several ways to help them get safe water and sanitation to those in need. Donations are one way to help bring access to fresh water to the population in need. If you don’t have much to donate yourself, Water.org has provided ways to help you begin your own fundraiser. The UN-Water also suggest several ways to help gain awareness to the world water crisis and how water is an important part of your job. A few suggestions are: • Make your voice heard on social media by sending a selfie or groupie on how water is part of your daily job •
Tell UN-Water how water has changed your - or the people in your community’s – life
•
Think about what water means to you and make an art work
•
Organize a debate in your school, university, community, office or organization
•
Organize a concert or a play
•
If you are a teacher or student, propose/organize a lesson on water
•
Record a film and send it to us
•
Write a song
•
Organize a photo contest
•
Organize a sports event
•
Develop a game or an app
If you’re looking for more information about how water impacts jobs, or more ways to get involve, look over these websites and videos for more information: To get informed, engaged and to take action, have a look at: The better water, better jobs film: https://www.youtube.com/user/UNwater1 The better water, better jobs page: www.Waterandjobs.org. This page is a quick introduction to understand the relationship between water and jobs and how better water leads to better jobs. The World Water Day website: www.worldwaterday.org
MARCH 2016 |21
2016 PHOTO COMPETITION 2015 Photo Competition contender. Photo by: Kimberly Wood, UHH MOP Alumna
N ATTENTION! – Fancy yourself an ocean photographer? Submit your sea-worthy photograph and who knows‌ 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 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
By Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP Student
WORLD WILDLIFE DAY MARCH 3
Photo competition submission by Bailee Richards, UHM MOP Student
M
arch 3, 2016 marks the third annual World Wildlife Day, a day dedicated to the celebration and awareness of all the worlds’ wild flora and fauna. In light of this year’s World Wildlife Day and with Hawai‘i’s whale season approaching its peak, this article is dedicated to the safety and conservation of the humpback whales migrating to the Hawaiian Islands.
It was this time last year that a 45 ton humpback was saved from a life threatening entanglement off the Maui Coast. The whale was first sighted off Kona and had an estimated five lines wrapped around its fluke (tail fin) according to KHON2. However, due to a lack of ground support, it was several days until the whale was seen again. After many eyewitness reports of the whale along the coast, a rescue team consisting of the Hawaiian Islands Sanctuary along with NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office set out on a rescue mission. KHON2 reported that the team used an inflatable boat to attach buoys to the trailing line of the fluke in order to slow the whale down. The buoys kept the whale close enough to the surface so the team could start cutting the line free, using a long pole with a special knife attached to the end. After hours of work the team managed to almost completely free the whale of its restraint. What was left was a six foot line that was embedded in the whale’s wound. Experts at NOAA estimated the line would eventually be naturally expelled. The response team recorded and documented the rescue using a GoPro video, which has been provided on YouTube by Maui Now and can be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH9Q45KodY0 Serious entanglements like these could potentially drown, starve, infect, or kill an animal. If you witness an injured or tangled animal, NOAA’s rescue team can be contacted at 1-888-256-9840. n
24| Seawords
John Rooney (January 20, 1960 – January 16, 2016) Tribute by Ray Boland
Y
ou really don’t consider who a person is until they are gone. For the most part friends are a constant in life and you don’t really think of who they are until you are forced to. You can never truly do them justice when you recall who they were. People are unique individuals, and Dr. John Rooney was an amazing man. You will certainly hear stories about him when you meet someone who knew him and these stories, though some may seem unbelievable, are mostly true. John was extraordinary. You wouldn’t know this looking at him. But if you met him, if you got to know him as so many people did, you would find yourself smiling and even inspired. John lived his life to extremes, though he would never have thought of his life in that way. John was a scientist, an explorer, a technical diver, a skydiver, a boss, a father, a husband, a good friend and I have never known anyone like him and doubt I ever will. John died after a technical rebreather dive accident on January 16, 2016, four days short of his 56th birthday. John’s large group of friends is an indication of a life lived fully. People from several of his communities were deeply impacted by his passing. Those knowing John knew that he thrived under pressure. Typical of John, when his rebreather malfunctioned at a depth of 230 feet, he responded well and was confident that he had things under control. We will never fully know what went wrong. John was a Benthic Habitat Characterization Ecologist for NOAA’s Coral Reef Ecosystems Program Ecospatial Information Team. He had graduated from the University of Hawai`i with a PhD in Geology and an MS in Oceanography. His professional interests were in corals and benthic habitats of the mesophotic zone, 100-500 feet below the surface. He served as an officer in the US Navy, worked as a SCUBA diving and sky diving instructor and conducted technical rebreather dives to depths of 400+ feet. While I knew John had a vast array of friends it was still surprising to me how many people were struck by his passing. Immediately I heard from colleagues and former members of John’s team who had worked for him over the years. Their obvious dismay at the news is a testament to his leadership. It’s a hard job to motivate most people to make maps, particularly if they have signed on in the hopes of diving the Pacific. John did his best leading them. Office work and data entry are drudgery, but in the field, John made sure that it was an adventure. Even if it was just off of O`ahu. Or Maui. Or the Island of Hawai`i. Or American Samoa. Or Tahiti. John’s team members remember him as hardworking and driven but when a whale shark popped up next to the boat, they all admired it. Sometimes John would let them take more time and he would fill in so that the data gathering would continue while his crew enjoyed a lifetime experience. John ensured they had the best quality work life he could provide while still getting the job done. To me John was a good friend, co-worker and dive buddy. While I have many dive stories with John, since we tended to be buddied up for work, I most appreciated the stories he told me of his family. He loved his wife Cassy and his son Dylan dearly. While he was many things, many amazing things, that ordinary people wish they could be, the role he loved the most was that of father. He was an extraordinary man who loved doing what many might consider an ordinary role. n
Photo by: Logan Magad-Weiss
MARCH 2016 |25
ocean art Dense clouds gather over the lush green valley. I stand watching the rain approach. A slight haze kisses the mountain peaks. Heavy drops of water overwhelm the ridges. Within seconds, the raindrops have met me. Pellets of pure water hit the tarp above. The smell of fresh rain engulfs my senses. In the distance, I see a small trickle of water coming from the heights above. Soon the roaring of the wind has stolen the sun. The sky is covered in thick blankets, the cold is left below for me to enjoy. Hours pass, while the storm grows. The distant trickle has become a force of water, streaming fast from the peaks of the hills. A stream emerges. Thousands of raindrops are forced
26| Seawords
through the canopy. A river runs. Rushes of nature clear a path. The water is looking for an escape. Breaking through the land, the rain meets the ocean. No longer is the rain pure. The combined drops have run through dirt. Trees have been pushed to the ocean’s door. Dirt from the highest mountains top is mixing with sand. Unorganized beauty is present. The chaos caused from the storm is calming. Pieces from the lush valley have merged into the river. Brown offspring of the clouds and valley mixes with the salt water. Rough crashing of waves rushes pieces of the valley out to sea.
Rebecca Ziegler, UHH MOP Alumna
by Vika Lovina Lucy Manu
Vika’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.
MARCH 2016 |27
Actions for the Ocean
Orca preforming a Tail Slap. Photo by: Taylor Shedd
BLUE
By Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP Student
Each year, thousands of whales are killed when they are accidentally struck by vessels. Unfortunately, the number of whale deaths could be much higher, as many vessel strikes go unnoticed and undocumented, according to the WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Many large boats such as tankers and cruise ships could strike a whale and not even feel the impact of a collision, resulting in detrimental injury or death to the whale, according to Wild Whales. The WDC is working on projects to reduce whale strikes internationally. Here are some things you can do to help: 28| Seawords
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.
1
Stop over-consumption. The shipping industry is a booming business thanks to our over- consumption of online goods. Our orders are carried on large container ships across the ocean, often crossing paths with whales. Not only do these ships mistakenly collide with whales, the loud noises of the ships hinders the whales’ abilities to communicate with one another. This causes high stress levels that affect the animals ability to eat and mate, says care2.com. You can help by limiting your online purchases.
2
Know the boating rules. If you come across a whale at sea, it is important to know the guidelines to avoid harming the animal. Never chase, approach, or surround a whale. Federal regulations in Hawai’i prohibit approaching a whale by any means within 100 yards, and if you see a whale, you should alert other boaters in the area so they are aware. For a more detailed list of guidelines, please visit : http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/explore/whale_guidelines.html
3
If you are involved in or witness a collision, call the NOAA hotline at 1-888256-9840. If you do not have a cell phone or do not have signal, the U.S. Coastguard can be contacted the VHF channel 16 (156.8 Mhz) This number can also be used to report any whale injuries or entanglements.
MARCH 2016 |29
By Jeremy Gasta, UHM American Cetacean Society
Blue Whale Marine Mammal of the Month: Blue Whale
I
t dwarfs all other creatures in the sea. Its tongue alone weighs as much as the average Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). A Volkswagen Beetle could fit inside its heart, and a human could swim through its arteries. Its newborn young weighs as much as a fully grown hippopotamus. It is not only the biggest creature among a family of giants, but the largest animal that has ever existed on the planet, dwarfing even the most massive of the dinosaurs. And yet, we know very little about them--somehow our world’s most gargantuan inhabitants have managed to live mysterious and secretive lives that humankind has only had the privilege to glimpse. This enigmatic leviathan is known as Balaenoptera musculus the blue whale.
Scientific Name: Balaenoptera musculus Diet: Krill Range: Scattered Populations Worldwide Size: 80-110 feet Estimated population: 8,000-14,000 IUCN Listing: Endangered
instead of teeth. Baleen are sheets of keratin that allow them to strain krill out of the seawater. Upon finding a swarm of krill, a blue whale will engulf massive amounts of both the krill and surrounding seawater into its mouth. An expandable throat pouch, reaching nearly half of the whale’s entire length, can expand to encompass nearly 100 tons of water. One mouthful can weigh a whale down so much that it can become almost immobile. The whale then pushes upwards with its tongue, driving the seawater out of its mouth, while the krill get stuck on the baleen and swallowed. Blues eat an average of four tons of Although they are the largest creakrill per day, but will often go sevtures to ever exist, blue whales feed eral days without eating and gorge primarily on one of the smallest. themselves even more when the opTheir diet is mainly made up of portunity becomes presents. tiny shrimp-like plankton called At its largest, the blue whale can krill (crustaceans belonging to the While it may seem like the largreach lengths of 110 feet and weigh order Euphausiacea). Like many of est animal in the world would be 200 tons, although on average they’re the great whales, blues have baleen easy to locate and study, blues have
30| Seawords
generally around eighty feet long. While they may seem blue-colored against the rich indigo backdrop of the sea (earning them their name), these creatures actually sport a duller, blue-grey hide. Their light green or yellowish undersides are caused by clinging diatoms (a type of algae) which attach to the whale, also earning them the nickname “sulfurbottom.” Compared to other whales, blue whales have a very long, serpentine appearance, thanks in part to their incredible length. This gives them their characteristic “S-Curve,” the graceful curving of their undulating bodies as they swim.
proven to be surprisingly secretive. All we really know is where their populations are located and a rough estimate of those populations’ numbers, while knowing little about their behavior. For instance, while mating behavior is well-documented in several other whales, such as humpbacks, virtually nothing is known about blue whale mating. Blues have most often been found alone or in pairs, but the relations between these duos and how long they last is unknown. As well as being the largest animals, blue whales are also the loudest (their calls reach 188 decibels, while jet engines only reach 140), and can hear each other from over 100 miles away, but it’s unknown what their cries are meant to communicate. There are multiple subspecies of blues, including the pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), but scientists are still trying to classify them because so little is known. One of
the most interesting quirks can be seen in the blue whales in Sri Lanka, which have begun to sing humpback-like songs. They are the only blue whale population in the world to do this, and nobody has any idea why. Surprisingly, there have been eleven instances of blue-fin whale hybrids witnessed in the wild, despite the fact that the genetic difference between the two species is roughly the same difference between a human and a gorilla. While it’s easy to think that the largest creatures in the world face no natural predators, blue whales can fall prey to attacks by orcas, or killer whales (Orcinus orca). Orcas are not only a serious threat to young blues, but have even been known to attack adults. It is unknown how successful orca attacks on adult whales are, but a study in Baja California recorded that a quarter of blues in the area had scars from orca as-
saults. As far as human threats go, blue whales were hunted ruthlessly following Svend Foyn’s invention of the harpoon gun in 1870s, and the population plummeted. By the time commercial whaling was banned in 1966, the largest blue whale population, in Antarctica, had dropped to 0.15% of its original numbers. The global population has slowly and steadily been increasing since, but they are still less than a mindboggling 1% of their original numbers. Major threats blue whales face today are collisions with large ships and changing ocean temperatures due to climate change that would alter the location of their prey and force the whales to undergo longer migrations. Thankfully, this giant is recovering, though there is still a long way to go. However, it would be an unimaginable tragedy for us to lose the greatest creature that has ever lived.
Blue Whale in UK waters near Azores. Photo by Natural England/ Rebecca Walker, Flickr.
MARCH 2016 |31
FLASHBACK: OCTOBER 1995
T
By Jessica Lotts, UHM MOP
his flashback shows the Eretmochelys imbricata, more commonly known as a Hawksbill Sea Turtle. In October of 1995, MOP took to the Big Island on a mission to protect the turtle’s eggs. Workers would spend up to four days at a time watching the turtles come up the beach to nest. Once the female laid her eggs, they would tag her and document the nest location. MOP watchers would then return to the beach during hatching season, keeping a continual watch on the nesting place to ensure the baby turtles got to the water safely. Protecting the Hawksbill turtles has become an annual tradition on the Big Island that MOPers have the opportunity to be a part of!
Young hawksbill sea turtle. Photo by: Roatan Flickr-239, Flickr.
32| Seawords
FREE PUBLIC TALKS
March 2016
Hawaiian Humpback Whales
6 March • Hawaiian humpback whales 101: whales, tales, and the latest news from the sanctuary • •
Speaker: Patty Miller Affiliation: National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
20 March • Helping out Humpbacks: marine entanglements and emergency response efforts • •
13 March • Feature Film Screening •
National Geographic’s Inside the Pod • 2010, Runtime: 50 min
SUNDAYS HANAUMA BAY
Speaker: Chad Yoshinaga Affiliation: National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries
27 March • Feature Film Screening •
BBC - life: Fish • 2010, Runtime: 43 min
General Information about Sundays at the Bay: • Sunday afternoons, 3pm to 4pm at Hanauma Bay • Admission is free • Parking $1.00 per vehicle • Questions? Call #397-5840 or e-mail hbaynews@hawaii.edu
MARCH 2016 |33
critter of the month Scalloped Hammerhead Scientific Name: Sphyrna lewini Hawaiian Name: Moa Range: Indo – Pacific Oceans Diet: Omnivore, Brine Maximum Size: 6.3 inches
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark found in Kaneohe Bay, O`ahu. Photo by: Flickerr Photos.
By Jeremy Gasta, UHM American Cetacean Society Student
T
he Scalloped Hammerhead is one of ten hammerhead shark species, and lives in warm coastal waters worldwide, including off of Hawai’i’s coasts. Reaching five to six feet in length, the males are smaller than the eight-foot long females, although the largest shark on record had a length of nearly fourteen feet. Very fast and agile, these sharks live on a diet of swift-moving fish, as well as the occasional octopus or stingray. Scalloped hammerheads are coastal-pelagic sharks, living in the intermediate where shallow continental shelves meet the open ocean, and regularly move between the two. Generally, they hunt near shore during the day and move farther out to sea at night. Scalloped Hammerheads have a surprisingly high metabolism rate for a shark, this helps them catch swift-moving prey, but requires a high intake of food. For this reason, young hammerheads face a high risk of dying of starvation. Thus, scalloped hammerheads may often congregate in massive schools, which makes catching large prey easier. In order to use as little energy as possible, these sharks are very picky about the locations and depths that they swim, preferring to stay as still as possible and let oceanic currents carry them instead. Despite a higher-thanusual risk of starvation, and the fact that some species of sharks exhibit cannibalism, scalloped hammerheads have never been known to attack one another, either for food or even simply out of aggression. In the summer of 2104, the scalloped hammerhead is the first shark to be officially declared endangered. While part of their endangered status is due to human overfishing combined with their high starvation rate, the main threat to their survival is shark finning, an illegal act which threatens all shark species but more often than not occurs to hammerheads. All scalloped hammerhead attacks on humans have occurred in coastal estuaries, locations where murky water limits the shark’s visibility and incoming freshwater dampens their sensory organs, causing researchers believe all attacks were due to surprised self-defense. A scalloped hammerhead has never killed anyone and is not considered a danger to humans. n
34| 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 3, March 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.
MARCH 2016 |35
March Photo credit: Rebecca Ziegler, UHH MOP Alumna
Sun.
Mon.
Next month:
Tues. 1
Wed. 2
-April 9, He`eia Fishpond Volunteer Day - April 16 & 17, MOP Symposium - April 22, Earth Day - April 24, Earth Day Cleanup
6
7
8
9
14
15
16
21
22
23
Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i
13 Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i
20
Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i
27
Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm Fishing in Hawai`i Easter 36| Seawords
World Water Day
28
29
SPRING 30
MOP & Community Events
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
3
4
5
10
11
12
World Wildlife Day
Kayak Trip TBA Mokuluas, Kailua
17
18
19
25
26
St. Patrick’s Day
24
G BREAK 31
Fish Auction 5:30 AM - 7:45 Commercial Fishing Village
MARCH 2016 |37
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!