Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter
November 2017
12
“It’s important for Oceania to come together as one nation and show the world how important sust‘ĀINAbility is to the land and the people”
MOP REPRESENTATION AT THE 2017 AAUS SYMPOSIUM NOAA RAMP CRUISE 2017 WEST MAUI CONFERENCE ON PACIFIC PEOPLES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT
November 2017 Volume XXXI, Number 9
Articles Page 3: Letter from the Editor Page 4: Diving with a New Buddy Page 7: Critter of the Month Page 8: November Surf Forcast Page 9: MOP Representation at the 2017 AAUS Symposium Page 10: NOAA RAMP CRUISE 2017 Page 12: West Maui Conference on Pacific Peoples and their Environment Page 16: Marine Mammal of the Month Page 18: Ocean Art Page 19: Shipwreck of the Month Page 20: Ocean Updates Page 22: Horrific Huricanes Page 24: Generation Blue Page 26: Hanauma Bay: Calender of Events Page 27: Flashback: November 2007 Page 28: MOP calendar of events
About the Photography -Cover: Camra Hopper, Editor -Table of Contents: Koa Matsuoka, UHM MOP Alumnus and Photography Contestant -November Calendar of Events: Kimberly James, UHM MOP Alumna and Photography Contestant -Back cover : Photography Contestant Don Mcleish -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
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loha!
Welcome to the November 2017 Issue of Seawords! We hope everyone had a safe and festive Halloween! The Student Perspective section of Seawords for this issue contains a lot of exciting opportunities MOP Students were a part of over the past few months! Including, Rosie Lee (UHH MOP Student Coordinator), Colton Johnson (UHM MOP Student), and Keelee Martin (UHH MOP Almuna) were all part of the NOAA RAMP Cruise! You can read more about their trip on page 10. Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Alumnus, represented MOP at the annual American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) presented on Scooters and Scaridae. Check out how he blew away the competition on page 9! Just this past October, I also had the opportunity to visit Maui and attend the West Maui Conference on Pacific Peoples and their Environment. To read more about the conference and my experience, look on page 12! Not only did individual MOP Students have amazing things happening, but UHM MOP also went on two amazing field trips. Check out pages 14 and 15 to read about the Atlantis Submarine Hawaii tour and our visit to Anuenue Fisheries Research Center (AFRC)! Mahalo and welcome aboard to our new volunteer writer, Madelyn Rangel, UHM MOP Student! What would you like to see more of in Seawords? Send us your thoughts!
Camra Hopper, Seawords Seawords Editor
Mahalo for reading,
Volume XXXI, Number 9, November 2017 Editor: Camra Hopper Associate Editor: Kayla White Dr. Cynthia Hunter (éminence grise) Jeffrey 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.
NOVEMBER 2017 |3
DIVE SAFETY
Diving with a New Buddy
Suggestions for Beginning and Experienced Divers By: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Alumnus
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n the spirit of Thanksgiving this month, let’s take a moment to be thankful for our dive buddies--the ones we can call upon to share exciting underwater memories, and those we entrust to also use good judgement to help keep us safe. Whether you have one or one hundred, good dive buddies are hard to come by. Finding a good dive buddy can be like meeting a significant other for the first time. The first date, I mean dive, can be both exciting and anxious, especially if you are a new diver. Like a first date, some dives go very well and others can turn into stories we use as lessons for the future. Whether you’re “Mr. Popular” with lots of dive buddies, or straight out of your open water class, here are some suggestions to follow when having your first dive together with a new partner.
guessed every decision we made. “Is this what Adam (our instructor) would do?” Fear not, we both survived and Alex only kicked the regulator out of my mouth five times as we swam through the kelp forest. My point being, sometimes diving with people at the same experience level as you may not be the most comfortable situation. We tend to feel safer around those who have more experience than we have.
2. Dive clubs and organizations– What better place
to meet new divers than at the local dive shop? Most will have a dive club, which may or may not have a membership fee that gives members access to exclusive offers and events. Their email list or social media can be an effortless way to find new dive buddies. If you belong to a group like UH’s Diving Safety Program or REEF Check, Where to Meet New Dive Buddies the organization might be able to offer recommendations on who to get in touch with to stay proficient with 1. Dive classes – A diving course can be a wonderful your skills. place to find new dive buddies with people that have similar experience and training as you. If you’re diving 3. Online community forums and social media – with your open water class, you already know how each No, I am not advocating soliciting yourself on Craigslist other handles an emergency or communicates hand sig- to dive with total strangers! That’s certainly possible, but nals. In 2009, there are more legitimate avenues. Believe it or not there I still vividly are plenty of online community forums that are free to remember my join. The large ones, like ScubaBoard.com, have memfirst dive after bers from all experience levels which can be great regetting certi- sources to find answers to questions, or dive buddies. If fied. My best you are very passionate about a certain niche, like techfriend, Alex, nical diving or photography, there are tons of groups to and I did our connect with that also share your interests. Of course, class together there is no shortage of Facebook groups or pages you in Southern can find to join. I met one of my good dive buddies via C a l i f o r n i a , YouTube because he found my channel and said hello! then a few For the New Diver weeks later, Diving Buddy. Photo by: Ed Bierman, Flickr. we attempted If you consider yourself to be new to this sport, excited our first dives but nervous to meet new divers, this section is for you. at Catalina Island. Just the two of us, no instructor. We Diving is an exhilarating sport but a dive can also go were both terrified! As we planned our dive, we second wrong quickly with no relief if you have a bad partner. 4| Seawords
Here are some tips and suggestions in both finding a enough reserve good dive buddy, and topics to include in your first dive to both get home briefing. safely (my article on page 12 from 1. Know who your buddy is – Being assigned a lastthe May 2016 isminute buddy pair off a dive boat is one of the few cirsue of Seawords cumstances in which you may not know your partner explains how to at all. I used to do this when I first got certified. I would calculate Rock do a boat charter, explaining my experience when makBottom). Plan ing my reservation, and then the Divemaster on board multiple entry would assign me to a buddy with more experience than and exit locaI had or I would tag along with a group. Most of the tions if diving from shore. If the swell picks up and you time, it is best to know the person before submerging can’t get out where you got in, where to next? Discuss into an alien environment with them. If this a brandobjectives for the dive, what to do if things go wrong new buddy you are meeting, don’t be afraid to break (lost buddy, loss of consciousness, etc), hand signals you the ice and ask them about themselves. Trust me, divers both will use, and identify potential hazards for the dive love talking about their diving stories! site with how to mitigate them (high boat traffic, slip2. Set boundaries – Like any new relationship, it is pery rocks, etc). Lastly, don’t forget to plan your dive important to tell one another what your comfort levels using your tables or a dive computer. are. Remember to stay in your scope of training, avoiding the deep dive with a lot of current until you have more dives under your belt. The deadliest expression in this sport is “trust me.” When planning your dive, you have to think pessimistically. Would you still feel comfortable making this dive if your buddy was not there, or if you got separated? Are you solely relying on your buddy to get you home safely? Every diver should be able to do each component of the dive. Conversely, any diver should be able to abort any dive at any time for any reason. Dive Buddy. Photo by: Andreas Bjarlestam, Flickr. If you’re not comfortable, don’t go. 3. Plan your dive! – “We’ll just cruise out until we see something cool then turn back at half tank,” should not be acceptable, ever. Define your maximum depth and total run time for the dive. Calculate your minimum gas and turn pressure that you both need to share gas with
For Experienced Divers Once you get some dives under your belt, newer divers may ask to dive with you, especially if you are familiar with a certain site. They are placing an enormous amount of trust in our hands simultaneously putting NOVEMBER 2017 |5
Gaspar, Jacinto, Chris and Mónica in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Photo by: Alfonso Gonzalez, Flickr. pressure on you to lead the dive and take care of them. If you enjoy taking newer divers for a safe and fun experience, you should consider advancing to a leadership level position like Divemaster or Instructor if you aren’t already.
1.
Empathize – Remember the anxiety that you
might have had when you first dove with someone new, not having a lot of experience yet. Do your best to get to know them and help reduce their concerns.
2. Go easy on your first dive together – I know
how excited you are to have found a new dive buddy, contain yourself. Get to know them as a diver. You can wait a little longer to dive that site you’ve always wanted to check out. Especially the one that’s more “advanced.” Just like you probably wouldn’t go skydiving for a first date, keep it simple and easy for your first experience together.
help is going to be coming from and other emergency considerations, be prepared so that your buddy can be too. And Remember…
1.
When in doubt, don’t go out. Use conservative judgement, especially when diving with a new partner for the first time.
2. Make sure you are comfortable with all parts of the dive. If you must “trust” your buddy solely to get you home, that’s the wrong dive plan.
3. Ask questions! Take the guess, work out and plan your dive, then dive your plan (gee, what a concept).
4. Not everyone has to be your dive buddy. There are
people who you may just not want to dive with and that’s okay. If you don’t agree with their personality on land, hyperbaric pressure won’t make it better. If they are 3. Be a good role model – New divers may not nec- careless or unsafe, de-brief your concerns with them. If essarily know the best practices to get ready for a dive, you’re not comfortable or if they do it again, don’t dive like checking the swell forecast and bringing enough with them anymore. water. Mentor them through the planning process and Any diver can abort any dive, at any time, for any readon’t be afraid to share your secret tips, you are building son. n a dive buddy after all. Be organized and create a comfortable environment to put nerves at ease. Know where 6| Seawords
critter of the month By: Alina Abramovich, UHH MOP Student
White Spotted Jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata)
Distribution: Native to West Pacific from Australia to Japan, but has been introduced worldwide Size: 50-72 cm in a bell diameter Diet: Feeds mostly on Zooplankton, eggs/larvae of crabs, shrimp and fish Coloration: Clear and yellow in the base color, with distinctive spots on the bell shaped dome. Habitat: Tropical/temperate ocean waters, preferably with high salinities IUCN Red List Status: Unclassified - least concern
Australian White Jelly at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by: Opacity, Flickr.
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he white-spotted jellyfish is classified as a scyphozoa, meaning that it has the properties of being a “true jellyfish.” Its main body structure is composed of a bell-like hood under which the tentacles are suspended. Each tentacle is equipped with venomous cnidocyte cells that can sting and kill other animals, such as the zooplankton on which the Phyllorhiza punctata feeds. The P. punctata, like other true jellyfish, lack a formal brain or sensory organ structure, but they do have small sensory structures called rhopalia, which allow them to detect light and odor shifts in their environment. Like other jellyfish, P. punctata, reproduces asexually and has two life-cycle stages consisting of a polyp (juvenile) stage and a medusa (adult) stage. It is during the polyp stage that P. punctata are hypothesized to migrate to non-native territories via ships. The polyps are thought to adhere to the bottoms and sides of large freight ships and then reach sexually maturity in invasive zones. Hawai‘i is one such zone - the P. punctata found their way into the waters around the Hawaiian Islands roughly around 1945. These beautiful medusae have also invaded the northern Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, the Antilles, South Carolina and Florida - all nonnative zones for the jelly. The long-term effects of this invasion have not yet been fully studied and the species is, for the time being, not being regulated as a potential ecosystem threat in its invaded zones. However, P. punctata are found to be a potential threat to commercial fishing industries due to the jelly’s high consumption of fish, shrimp and crab larvae and eggs - causing once abundant fishing areas to be regenerated. The P. punctata also impact humans with their entrapment (and subsequent clogging) in large fishing nets. n
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November
Surf Forecast By: Alina Abramovich, UHM MOP Student
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ue up epic music - winter has come! Or is resolutely showing itself on our long, wave-barren doorstep. The surf experts over at Surfline and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have called a “La Niña Watch” for this upcoming winter season. In the opposite pattern for El Niño years, wherein the water temperatures average warmer than normal in the equatorial pacific, the La Niña years have historically seen a lower than normal temperature in ocean waters of the same regions. The North Atlantic is showing patterns promising a La Niña effect this year as well - displaying low wind shear and more tropical cyclone activity than is normal in a non-La Niña year. October held average to slightly below average surf heights with increased NE/ENE trades (North-Easterly and East-North-Easterly winds) that were slightly stronger than normal recordings, and a lot more “north” than usual in the surf direction. Based on the predictions, it looks as though November will also hold average to slightly below average swell height for the North Shore with a continuation of the “north” swell direction dominance (slightly sad news for those of us who prefer a little more “west” in our favorite spots - but a resounding beckon of joy for all the Lani’s commuters). There is also some good news for those of you who live in town - it appears that the swells will continue their unseasonable pulses of energy and, hopefully, deliver some rideable/fun-sized waves. Rest-assured, however, that the west and north sides of the island are about to dominate the forecast focus for the next few months and that the summer season (filled with lackluster waves) has officially passed. As we turn our eyes (and surfboards) towards the North Shore in the next month, let us also remember that the first all-women’s competition at Waimea is within its holding period this month - this will be a historic day and one you definitely do not want to miss! On that note, make sure that if you do chose to surf the bigger waves up north that you never paddle out alone, talk to the lifeguards stationed at the break about potential hazards, and surf within your limits. Have a fun and safe surfing November! n
Wave. Photo by: AJC1, Flickr. 8| Seawords
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
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MOP Representation at the 2017 AAUS Symposium
ach year the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) hosts a Diving for Science symposium in a unique location attracting Dive Safety Officers and research scientists from institutions around the world. This year’s 36th annual symposium was hosted by NOAA’s Thunder Bay NaBy: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Alumnus tional Marine Sanctuary office in Alpena, Michigan. The University of Hawai’i award, Heather Albright, AAUS Symposium Coordinawas represented by three individuals, Liv Wheeler (UH tor, announced I had beaten the competition by a swift, Diving Safety Program), Jason Jones (Hawaii Institute of unanimous vote from the judges! Marine Biology), and myself presenting the MOP project I completed while at UH Hilo. My project, Scooters and Scaridae: Utilizing Diver Propulsion Vehicles Also making a statement was Liv Wheeler, UH Divto Answer Ecological Questions, also received the Best ing Safety Program Training Coordinator, showcasing MOP’s Quantitative Underwater Ecological Surveying Techniques (QUEST) field school in her presentation. Wheeler intrigued the audience of dive program administrators with a thorough description about what QUEST is, and how this course can make a profound impact in the lives of its participants.
Tyler Phelps presenting about diving propulsion vehicles. Photo by: Aquarium of the Pacific. Research Project award at this year’s MOP Symposium.
For readers that have not heard of QUEST, perhaps new to MOP, emerging from hibernation beneath their rock or and maybe needing to spend a little more time on land, QUEST is UH’s prestigious scientific diver program that teaches common data collection techniques on a coral reef. During the last two weeks of May, 24 first-year students learned the techniques used to conduct scientific research from very experienced faculty from across the country while camping on a beach near Kailua-Kona on the big island of Hawai’i. They are split into groups, each mentored by an Advanced QUEST student, or “team leader,” developing invaluable leadership skills as they educate their team how to conduct these techniques and develop their research project. Each group prepares a research presentation and paper that is given at their terminal symposium. All the while students build life-long friendships, career preparatory skills, incredible memories and potential networking for future mentorships or research technician positions.
I became inspired to investigate Richardson’s Ocean Park’s parrotfish community after internalizing concerns for scarid populations by local fishermen. I hypothesized that due to the prominent level of spearfishing pressure, perhaps the parrotfish were finding refuge in deeper water. To explore this more efficiently, my co-authors and I developed a surveying protocol using diver propulsion vehicles, a.k.a. scooters, proving to be advantageous to limited survey time at their 30m isobath. When comparing this novel method to conventional survey strip transects (SSTs), I calculated a 390% increase in efficiency using scooters with a mere 6.76% More information on both Phelps’s and Wheeler’s predifference in parrotfish densities when compared to trasentation can be found in the 2017 AAUS Proceedings ditional methods. publication, coming soon. For more information on My presentation was also well received at the AAUS QUEST, please check out http://www.uhhmop.hawaii. Symposium winning the Best Student Presentation edu/quest/ and contact your campus MOP coordinator. award with a cash prize of $300! Upon receipt of this n
NOVEMBER 2017 |9
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE Diver, Colton Johnson, in a school of ulua (giant trevally, Caranx ignobilis) while descending. Photo by: Jason Leonard, NOAA.
NOAA RAMP CRUISE 2017 By: Rosie Lee, UHH MOP Student
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oof!* Have you ever heard a fish bark? Well, neither had I. That was until I found myself 50 feet underwater, 15 meters away from my dive buddy and rolling out a shiny line along a reef on one of the most remote atolls in the world. It was at this time I heard three loud barks and could feel the vibrations throughout my body. I clutched my extra air supply, required for fish divers given the distance between buddies, for an extra feeling of security as I turned around to see what can only be described as a wolf pack of fish. Eighty angry fish faces began rushing towards me as they formed tighter and tighter circles around me creating the “uluanado” phenomenon. Before entering the vast waters of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), we were told story after story about the infamous ulua, or the giant trevally- Caranx ignobilis, and their tactics to steal all things shiny from the innocent divers who just want to collect data. Suddenly my mind was flipping back to stories told by my mentors from when their dive buddies were bitten on the head or rammed by these 100+ pound fish only to break
*
The Scientist and coxswains aboard the NOAA Ship, Hi‘ialakai, following the morning safety briefing on the fantail. Photo by: NOAA. 10| Seawords
ribs. Throw rationality out the window, “These fish will eat me!” Well, at least that’s what one thinks on their first dive in the second largest marine protected area in the world. After my eyes spasmed trying to track every single fish that swam past, I realized it was time to do science! After rolling out my transect at record slow speeds trying not to crash into the traffic of fish, it was time to count them all. When all of your prior training has taken place on either O‘ahu or Hawai‘i, it’s hard to comprehend the numbers and sizes of the fish you will encounter in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It’s not so “one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish” anymore. Alas, we must continue on, identify, count and size our fish! Back safely on the surface, I really started to reflect on what I was doing, where I was, and how the heck did I get here!? For several years now, the Marine Option Program (MOP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have formed a trusted relationship and together provide an incredible partner-internship exclusively available to students who have completed the MOP field school, Quantitative Underwater Ecological Surveying Techniques (QUEST). QUEST is a two week, diving intensive field school that allows students to train under active field professionals and learn underwater surveying techniques. It is only after completing QUEST that a student becomes eligible to apply for this internship. Each year, a few eligible students are selected to join NOAA PMNM to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for the annual Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) cruise and conduct surveys alongside NOAA scientists. This year, three interns, Colton Johnson (UHM MOP Student), and Keelee Martin (UHH MOP Almuna) and myself (UHH
MOP Student Coordinator), were honored to be selected. Colton and I were selected for the fish team and Keelee for the benthic. We were rigorously trained on O‘ahu prior to our departure where we each had to learn a few hundred new species and/or coral diseases and master the surveying methods.
Reefs Isolated from Human Destruction!” every time as if it was a New York Times headline. In reality, we descended on large flats of coral rubble for numerous dives. Often times these flats were still teeming with life and colorful reef fish, but you wonder each time what it looked like when it was filled with a colorful coral reef. It’s not just the remnants of dead reefs or forests of macroalgae The REA Fish Team after their last dive ops day at French overgrowing corals, it’s Upon returning Frigate Shoals. Left to Right: Colton Johnson, Scotty Jones, Jake the plastic bottles, buoys, home, it’s easy to Asher, Rosie Lee (Top), and Jason Leonard (Bottom). Photo by: nets and average houseNOAA. say, “It was amazing” hold items that you see and leave it at that to every person who asks you how floating by every day at sea. Thousands of miles away your trip was. Well, it is not that easy. We were far away from any human populations, it’s disturbing to think from easy. It was 25 days of intense personal growth, how far the debris has traveled. Regardless, even with learning and hard work. Nearly every day started at zethe death and debris, every day I would experience moro-dark thirty and ended after literally putting our bodments of awareness. Maybe it was a dive on a vibrant, ies under immense pressure and spending over eight healthy reef, or the ulua that tried to bite my face off, but hours in the blazing sun. Even then, the day was still not I would always come to the realization of where I was over as it was only 16:30 at this point. Next, we had to and what I was doing. I was one of three interns floatclean our gear, eat lots of food, and enter and check our ing around in the middle of the Pacific on the NOAA data. On top of all of this, every person aboard the ship ship, Hi’ialakai, diving nearly every day and working had obstacles to overcome; for some it may have been with an amazing and well-established group of scienhomesickness, seasickness or a nasty cold. Whatever it tists and ship crew. This, my friends, is the opportunity may be, spending nearly a month at sea does not come that MOP has provided me. n without its challenges. Fortunately, when you are underwater, you don’t have time to think about much else other than science. Each day underwater is like spending a year at school. You learn to observe more than you are originally told. Yes, we had to count the fish and size the coral, but every day I noticed new relationships milling around the ecosystem; new species interactions and habitat preferences for certain fish species, each observation making us better scientists. By the end, I felt like I could have read a thousand peer-reviewed scientific papers and still learned less about the NWHI’s ecosystems than I did by jumping in the water every day. Prior to this journey, I would hear Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and think “Pristine Tropical
Diver, Rosie Lee, in a school of ulua (giant trevally, Caranx ignobilis) during a safety stop. Photo by: Jason Leonard/NOAA. NOVEMBER 2017 |11
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
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any island nations within the Pacific have gone through hardships, including denial of human rights, and are subject to effects from human-induced climate change. The purpose of the West Maui Conference on Pacific Peoples and their Environment was to showcase these events and highlight that Pacific nations must collectively come together and lead by example, even though it’s difficult when many of them are ruled by larger countries. The West Maui Conference on Pacific Peoples and their Environments was held in Lāhainā, Maui, on October 13 and 14, 2017. Speakers from across the Pacific came to present their research from their island homes. I had the honor of being part of this conference with my Sustainable De-
velopment in Oceania class (PACS 492) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). The conference was an amazing experience as we further immersed into the cultures of Oceania and learned more about the history of the Hawaiian ancestors. As a class, we feel as though it’s our kuleana, personal responsibility, to use the knowledge handed to us in order to help fight the impacts of global warming. Although the islands are separated by the Pacific Ocean, many of the presenters brought up the connection that the ocean is a bridge, just like the environment is a bridge to understanding their culture. Ian Akahi Masterson, Windward Community College, explained that Hawaiian myths and legends are encoded with environmental cultural information valuable for thriving in an island’s ecosystem. In order to survive on remote islands, Hawaiians adapted their own form of sust‘ĀINAbility and seafaring techniques after generations of observing the environment. An example of this is the use of the stars to help with navigating to far off islands. Even though islanders are con-
nected by the Pacific Oc tors, there is still racism Noga, Ku‘oko‘a Consul within Hawai‘i against residents look at Micro have a large population extra competition for re already difficult area. N that it is not their fau forced Micronesians o similar to how the U.S. chy of Hawai‘i in order t monality between the racism. Noga found th is from detachment fr groups. In order to insti respect, every Sunday, K nity members, mainly Hawai‘i, come together their difficulties over fo local lo‘i and understand within Oceania.
Vincent Copeland, Univ sented the startling fact population is in prison. in New Zealend hopes t people to their ancesto individual change and h being incarcerated. Th spiritual connection wi of pride in their identity
As a collective nation o to start focusing on the
Pac Sustainable Development in Oceania (PACS 492) Students watching the sunrise on Haleakalā, Maui. 12| Seawords
cean and ancient ancesm among them. Joshua lting, examined racism Micronesians. Hawai‘i onesians, who generally n in the Kalihi area, as esources and jobs in an Noga wanted to stress ult. U.S. militarization out of their homeland, . took over the monarto help establish a come group and eliminate hat the ultimate cause rom the ‘Āina in both illl their connection and Kalihi housing commufrom Micronesia and to work and talk about ood and teamwork in a nd their interconnection
versity of Waikato, pret that 50 % of the Māori . A new prison program to connect more Māori ors in order to motivate help prevent them from The finding of a deeper ill help to instill a sense y.
of Oceania, people need e rising concern of cli-
Background photo: Taken from the summit of Haleakalā after sunrise. mate change. Joshua Cooper, University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu, explained that many indigenous cultures are being threatened by climate change because if their land is no longer habitable, cultures will disappear. Climate change is impacting people’s human rights, including the right to water and food. These rights are being affected as drought worsens, more water is being wasted or contaminated, taro can no longer grow because sea level is rising, and as the corals bleach, food production decreases and the reef ecosystem dies. In Hawai‘i, the connection between the people and the environment is sacred, as shown within the Kumulipo, the sacred creation chant of a family of Hawaiian ali‘i. “Hānau ka ‘Ukuko‘ako‘a, hānau kana he ‘Āko‘ako‘a, puka,” which means, “Born was the coral polyp, that one that gave birth to the coral head emerging,” is an example that Polynesians have understood the importance of corals for thousands of years and view them as part of their ancestors. Now, they are dying. The first keynote speaker, Narissa Spies, UHM, expanded on the dangers and science of coral bleaching in Hawai‘i and the Hawaiian culture, “In the past 40 years,” Spies said, “we’ve lost half of our coral reefs due to human induced climate change.” Because many corals were unable to bounce back from the 2015 and 2016 major bleaching events in nearshore waters, the diversity in the reefs around the Hawaiian archipelago has begun to diminish. Spies and her team are looking at the genetic makeup of these corals, hoping to help
other species of coral survive the harsh, changing climate. Climate change isn’t the only factor in the degradation of resources and human rights. The imperialization of Oceania has affected all of the indigenous cultures, and is still taking place today. Currently, West Papua is being militarily controlled by Indonesia for mining purposes. Herman Wainggai, West Papua National Authority, was the second keynote speaker and is currently living in exile in the U.S. from Jayapura, West Papua, after years of political protest. He had been arrested by the Indonesian government twice before he escaped by canoe to Australia in 2006. At the conference he talked about the hardships and infringement of rights he’s endured under the Indonesian rule and why it is important to free West Papua. Wainggai continues his lobbying work at the U.S. Congress and the United Nations on behalf of his people and their rights. The struggle within Oceania continues as human rights are being denied and resources are diminishing. “You foreigners regard the winds, the rain, the land, and sea as things to make money with;” Jonathan Scheuer, UHM, quotes, “but we look upon them as loving friends with whom we share the universe.” It’s important for Oceania to come together as one nation and show the world how important sust‘ĀINAbility is to the land and the people, not just for the people of Oceania, but for everyone. n
West Maui Conference on cific Peoples and their Environments Article and photos by: Camra Hopper, Editor
NOVEMBER 2017 |13
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
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n October 22, UHM MOP students had the opportunity to go 100 feet underwater to see amazing marine life, sunken ships and a crashed plane with Atlantis Submarine Hawaii Tours.
used to seeing started to disappear until we began to only see blue. This is because water absorbs different wavelengths of light to different degrees. The colors with the longest wavelengths and the lowest energy are absorbed first. Red is the first color to disapAtlantis Submarine pear at 15 feet, orange Hawaii has been sendat 25 feet, yellow at 40 ing people beneath feet and so on down By: Kayla White, Waikīkī since 1988 and the rainbow spectrum Associate Editor is proud to support until you are left with sustainable tourism. blues. This is why evTheir environmentally erything deep undersafe submarines emit water seems to lack other colors. Many of the MOP stuno pollutants as they are battery- powered which also dents played with this effect, including myself, and wore helps minimize sounds in the water that might disturb red shirts to find out that very quickly into our descent, the marine life. they just looked black. The battery-powered submarines only cruise at two Throughout our underwater adventure, we came across miles per hour, so to save time, the submarines are the sunken the USS YO-257, the San Pedro, the YS-11 towed out daily to their designated location and dive and many small artificial reefs. These sites were flourthe same path until they are towed back in to the pier ishing with marine life that many students could name, at the end of the day. There are three submarines that including a Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). stagger the dives circling the reefs so that more tourists can have a chance to submerge. To get all of us out to the The YO-257, which was an oil tanker used for refueling subs, a surface boat carried us for about 10 minutes and ships during World War II, is featured in “Shipwreck then we are split into our predetermined groups to go of the Month” which can be found in next month’s isinto the submarines. sue along with some information about its neighbor, the San Pedro. The YS-11 plane was built by the Japanese Once the dive commenced, the rainbow of colors we’re in 1965. Shortly after, the plane was bought by Atlantis Submarines Hawaii to be used as an artificial reef but a hurricane in the 1990’s caused it to break into three pieces across the seafloor.
Atlantis Submarine Tour
“It was a really cool experience being able to catch a glimpse of the ocean and the wildlife,” Kenzie Hickey, UHM MOP Student, said, “Throughout the tour I had to remind myself that I’m not looking through a window in an aquarium, but that I was looking at what was surrounding me, which was pretty crazy. The ocean never ceases to amaze me and I hope to go on another submarine tour soon!”
The deck of the YO-257 on the Atlantis Submarine Tour. Photo by: Kayla White, Associate Editor. 14| Seawords
The students loved the tour and we are looking forward to another MOP immersion experience! n
Anuenue T Fisheries Research Center (AFRC)
he Marine Option Program (MOP) toured the Anuenue Fisheries Research Center (AFRC) on Sand Island on October 7, 2017. The AFRC is an aquaculture facility under the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) where a number of ongoing research projects take place. Matt Lewis, AFRC Staff Member and UH-Hilo alumnus, showed us the urchin hatchery where thousands of urchins are bred for alien algae grazing. Once these urchins reach a desirable size they will be released into Kāne‘ohe Bay so they can consume the invasive algae on the reefs in hopes of reducing this problem in the bay. Additionally, Norton Chan, UHM MOP alumnus, educated students on the outstanding coral nursery. In an effort to restore the declining coral reefs in Hawai‘i, several different coral species are being grown at the AFRC, which will then be placed into Kāne‘ohe Bay. Corals in situ usually only grow about 1-10 cm per year. However, nursery corals are placed in optimal environment conditions which allows them to grow much quicker. They also use a fragmenting technique in which corals collected from the wild are cut into small pieces and placed near each other on a cement block. Then as they begin to grow outward, the fragments will eventually fuse together to form one large area of coral. Once it has reached a sufficient size the coral will be placed in another tank that has more natural qualities so that the coral can adapt before placing it back into the ocean.
By: Alexa Gonzalez, UHM MOP Student Coordinator
Overall, AFRC is an awesome facility and it was a great opportunity to have seen the various projects that they are working on in order to enhance the well-being of Hawaii’s oceans. Along with the urchins and corals, AFRC has many more projects going on, like determining the projected effects of climate change on limu. I am excited to visit again in the future to see their project outcomes and new prospects for Hawaii’s ocean. n
Cup coral (Turbinaria peltata) in the AFRC. Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator.
NOVEMBER 2017 |15
By: Jeremy Gasta, UHM MOP Student
Livyatan Marine Mammal of the Month: Livyatan
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Species: Livyatan Scientific Name: Livyatan melvillei Range: Eastern Pacific (Miocene Epoch) Diet: Marine megafauna Size: 45-60 feet long
perm whales today (Physeter macrocephalus) are ture looks almost comical. Now you have Livyatan melthe largest apex predators on the planet. These villei, the true leviathan of the sea. creatures, armed with needle sharp teeth and Modern sperm whales are only the most recent of a wax-and-oil-filled heads that can act as battergreat taxonomic lineage, harking ing rams, have the ability to dive back to prehistoric times. Howdeeper than any other marine ever, Livyatan melvillei definitely mammal. They are the largest takes the cake as the most indomiof the toothed whales, and are table of these. Not only was it one known to hunt such impresof the top oceanic predators of its sive prey as the giant and colostime, but among the greatest of all sal squid (Architeuthis dux and time. This ancient sperm whale, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). swimming around Pacific Coast In the past, they were known approximately nine million years as the most aggressive cetacean ago, did not chase after fish or Livyatan were ancient sperm whales in the whaling fishery, with one (Physeter macrocephalus) that roamed the squid like modern toothed whales, individual, dubbed Mocha Dick, seas nine million years ago. Photo by: Hans but likely ate other great whales, having downed twenty-two giant sharks and pinnipeds. This Overdulm, Flickr. whaling vessels and becoming beast was so impressive to scienthe inspiration for Herman Meltists upon discovering its fossilized jaw in Peru in 2008 ville’s Moby Dick. While they are generally, and thankthat they named it after the Biblical sea beast Leviafully, benign towards humans if not threatened, it’s clear than, with its species name being a reference to Herman that these leviathans are not to be messed with. Melville and his famous sperm whale. Unfortunately, it Imagine a standard sperm whale, but with a broader was discovered that Leviathan was already an alternate head than usual instead of tapering to a point. Now re- name for Mammut, the mastodon genus, and though place all of its slim, conical teeth that grasp on to slip- only a synonym, taxonomic rules state that a genus pery squid, with huge fangs. These fangs look as if they name cannot be used twice. Therefore the whale’s name can barely fit into its mouth to the point that the crea- was changed to its original Hebrew, Livyatan. However,
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Sperm whale encounter at Ogasawara archipelago, Japan. Photo by: Alexander Safonov, Flickr. because it was the beast’s original title and only a syn- of dentistry, Livyatan would have been the top predaonym to Mammut, many stubborn paleontologists still tor of its time. However, it also shared the seas with the refer to it’s original (and possibly cooler) name. much better known Carcharodon megalodon, a sixtyfoot prehistoric shark related to present day great whites Besides its impressive jaws, Livyatan would have looked (Carcharodon carcharias) or possibly mako sharks (Isuquite similar to a modern sperm whale. Size estimates rus oxyrinchus). It’s unknown which of these two predaplace the two species at about the same lengths (45tors would have had an edge over the other: Megalodon 60 feet long), with a massive ten foot skull. However, was built to kill great whales, but then again, so was LivyLivyatan is famous for its enormous teeth, meant to atan, but any other creature of similar size could be on grab, crush and kill animals even as large as other great the menu. As whales today tend to be more social than whales. Reaching up to a whopping fourteen inches sharks, it’s possible that Livyatan may have formed small long, Livyatan has the biggest teeth in the entire fossil pods, in which case any roving super-sharks would be record. Their impressive dentition could be found on foolish to mess with them. Regardless of whether these both their upper and lower jaws, compared to modtwo apex predators clashed or largely ignored each othern sperm whales which only have teeth on the lower, they would be direct competitors in terms of food. er. A deep dent in Livyatan’s skull implies that it had This means that Miocene oceans had not just one giant the same spermaceti organ that modern sperms have, predator, but two making today’s apex predators looks a mass of wax and oil above their jaws that give them like koi fish. While the exact reason for Livyatan and large, blocky foreheads. Sperm whales today use these its ichthyological counterpart going extinct is still unorgans for communication, echolocation, and even as known (though cooling oceans may have played a role), battering rams, and it’s likely Livyatan used them for maybe we should count our blessings that today’s sperm similar purposes. whales are a little more laid back. n One might think that, because of its intimidating array NOVEMBER 2017 |17
ocean art To Gaze Upon A Flash By: Marshal Machado, UHHCC Student Leaves and children rustle above my head, the sturdy boughs of banyan tree supporting their laughter and spirit. Behind, cars and then an ambulance breeze by; startled out of my reverie, I turn to the sound of a life hanging by a thread. The sun, so distant yet so powerful, shines upon me as the final minutes of the day come to a close. The irony is not lost to me. A person in the twilight of his or her life is being overshadowed, outshined by the majesty of a star on the way to daily slumber. Leaving the no-longer necessary shade of the majestic banyan, I walk to the crosswalk and onto the beach. Shoes --as everyone knows-- are never to be worn on the beach on pain of being called a tourist. I take mine off with a sigh of pleasure, feeling the sand work between my toes. A sense of thankfulness settles upon my shoulders. To be here, present in this moment before the day ends on a beach near my home reminds me that I am truly lucky to experience such a quiet, singular, omnipotent moment. I must remember to be grateful for my allotted time. The time is getting close now. I can feel it. The rays of the sun become sparse; earth and air are getting in the way, making the light harder to reach my face. Thinking nothing, feeling everything, I take in the pregnant moments between day and the start of twilight. A green flash comes and goes, quick as a blink. The feeling of coming awake to a loud clap sent shivers up my spine. There was no sound, though. The absence of sound was what had brought me out of my reverie, this revile cutting through my consciousness, my moment. For just as the green flash flickered, the sound of an ambulance siren in the distance ceased.
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Marshalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 201: Creative Writing class.
Shipwreck of the Month: By: Camra Hopper, Editor
Bow of YO-21 in dry dock. Photo by: Bishop Museum
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he reef on Lāna‘i’s north shore, near Kalohi Channel, has become a graveyard for several ships because of the powerful currents and numerous reefs. One of those ships is the YOGN 42, which was featured in the October 2017 issue of Seawords. But, she is not the only ship that sits above sea level--the YO-21, a self-propelled fuel oil barge, does as well.
reached officials in Washington D.C. the Navy pledged never to dump vessels on Lāna‘i in the future, yet did not make any efforts to clean up the coastal waters and previous ships that were disposed.
Along with the beautiful shells and treasures that wash up on Shipwreck Beach, trash and debris from the wrecks also litter the coast. In order to get to the beach, visitors need to thread their car along a dirt road (not YO-21 was built in Newburgh, New York, by the Tank good for rentals), making it difficult to get to this fasShipbuilding Co. in 1918, and was later purchased by cinating beach to enjoy or hold a clean-up event. Even the U.S. Navy, where she was assigned to the 14th Naval with the difficulties, Sustainable Coastlines teamed up District at Pearl Harbor in 1924. Dr. Hans Van Tilburg, with Kai Lenny for a beach clean-up this past March! Maritime Heritage Coordinator for the National Marine The YO-21 has been the subject of three (1999, 2000, Sanctuaries, found evidence that, “YO-21 was present and 2001) maritime archaeology surveys. In 2001, the during the attack, making her the fourth known Pearl YO-21 and SS Hornet were surveyed during a fourHarbor survivor still in Hawaiian waters,” (Terence Mcweek field course by the University of Hawai‘i’s graduate Comas, Pearl Harbor: Fact and Reference Book). After Maritime Archaeology and History Program (Maritime August 1946, the vessel was considered surplus to the Archaeology Surveying Techniques, MAST), adminisNavy and they put it out of service. The last record existtered by MOP and instructed by Van Tilburg. ing reports that the vessel was sold to Fred Friedeberg in If you plan on visiting Shipwreck Beach, please be aware New York on October 21, 1947. that this area is not good for swimming, due to the Lāna‘i residents recall the ship being intentionally strong currents and the shallow, rocky nearshore ocean dumped on the island, which was a common area of bottom. disposal for ships, sometime in the 1950s. “Local historian, Saul Kaopuiki, described the strong negative reac- *A special thanks goes to Hans Van Tilburg, Historian tion following the grounding of the YO-21. The vessel for the National Marine Sanctuaries, for helping Seacame ashore at Awalua Bay, a favorite camping and fish- words verify and providing information about the two ing spot for residents, as well as a prehistoric Hawaiian ships wrecked on the reef. Mahalo! n settlement site,” said Van Tilburg (2001). After the event NOVEMBER 2017 |19
cean updates
By: Madelyn Rangel, UHM MOP Student
“IF WE KEEP PRODUCING (AND FAILING TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF) PLASTICS AT PREDICTED RATES, PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN WILL OUTWEIGH FISH POUND FOR POUND IN 2050,” WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. Pacific grove in the Pacific ocean. Photo by: Gail, Flickr. Month of September Breaks Records for Atlantic years, according to the National Hurricane Center. The season as a whole is so far the third most active season Hurricane Seasons The months of September through the end of November are considered hurricane season. In 2017, hurricanes have caused devastating damage to entire countries that will require years of recovery. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, Lee and Maria, scientists have to try to make sense of it all to better prepare us for what may come next and face the question many won’t ask: how is human-incurred climate change related to the natural events of this hurricane season?
in recorded history.
This has many people wondering, “why?”
While there’s no clear answer, one bottom-line is agreed upon by climatologists: the data for the last 30 years clearly show a significant increase in hurricane activity in the Atlantic. The complexity arises when you want to make a long-term argument. Data collected since 1878 are not always reliable, and often incomplete. Data were often reliant on reports from ships passing through September alone had two Category 5 storms, which only storms. Only around 40 years of data have been taken a few months in recorded storm history can claim. The via satellites, which provide more accurate numbers. A total cyclone-energy index, which measures the length study by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmoand strength of hurricanes, was 155.4. That’s about 3.5 spheric Administration (NOAA) found that the slight times more active than any September in more than 30 increasing trend in hurricane activity since 1878 is due almost exclusively to storms that lasted less than two days, which they concluded are likely missing from past data, as short-lived storms were much less likely to be reported by ships. However, there are positive correlations in studies comparing higher sea-surface temperatures and hurricane activity, which supports the shorter-term increasing hurricane activity trend.
Hurricane. Photo by: Kabsik Park, Flickr. 20| Seawords
While hurricane data have some complexities, this current season has revealed that something is changing in the Atlantic. The last 30 years have shown noteworthy increases in hurricane activity, and predictions by scientists that this will only increase as surface-level temperatures in the ocean rise must not be ig-
nored. For more information about this year’s hurricane clean-up efforts and decrease season see page 22 for “Horrific Hurricanes” by Kayla damage caused by invasive White, Associate Editor. species and debris after a tsunami.
Study On Aquatic Species Hitching Post-TsunaStudy finds Anthropogenic mi Rides Ends Noise Disrupts Fish Schooling Behavior The March 11, 2012, a tsunami in Japan triggered by a 9.0 earthquake washed debris from the Tōhoku region of Japan out to sea. In 2012, scientists started collecting this debris as it washed up in Hawai`i and on the North American coast. Now, in 2017, the study has ended as the discovery of new debris has slowed. In those five years, researchers found and identified opportunistic hitchhikers that made the long trek across the Pacific aboard these improvised crafts. In total, 289 different species were found having travelled pan-Pacific.
Underwater anthropogenic noise has been increasing considerably in the last century. Exactly what the longterm impacts of the growing cacophony of underwater sounds will amount to is still being uncovered. However, many studies have already established the physiological damage that excess noise has on many marine species, especially marine mammals. Human-generated sounds due to underwater drilling, cargo ships, construction, and military activity such as sonar overlaps with the audiograms, Amazingly, the or graphical reporganisms surresentations of vived the open animal’s hearocean journey of ing thresholds, more than 6,000 of many species. miles. Researchers Whales get isolatat the Smithsoned and off-track; ian Environmencoral larvae aren’t tal Research Cenable to settle propter (SERC), Moss Alga. Photo by: Angel Mato Martinez erly; fishes ability Landing Marine to hunt is diminLaboratories (MLML), the Oregon Institute of Marine ished (Herbert-Read 2017). A recent study, however, Biology (OIMB) and Portland State University (PSU) looked into how underwater noise pollution may be afcollected specimens and traced their origins back to Jafecting the social interactions of fishes. pan. Researchers reported that this type of a phenomenon was only possible due to the durable plastics now Using juvenile seabass, fish were randomly chosen to be used widely. The plastics remain sturdy homes for the placed in tanks with field recordings of pile-driving off organisms as they float through rough waters, unlike of the shore of the United Kingdom. Fish were videonatural fiber materials would. taped during five-minute exposure periods to the excess noise and in tanks with only ambient underwater The question follows of how these organisms, which the sounds playing. The spatial and directional movements scientists were still finding more of when they ended of the shoals, or schooling fish, were tracked and anatheir study, have impacted and will continue to impact lyzed in a program where the x- and y- coordinates each the marine environments to which they have relocated. fish could be computed. Their results showed that with Invasive species have long proven to cause often irreanthropogenic noise, the fish were more distanced from versible damage. When a tsunami occurs, the last thing each other and the organization of the shoal decreased on anyone’s mind is what kind of invasive species will significantly. Shoaling is important for reducing risk of be born from the event—the only reasonable conclupredation and gaining social information from other sion to be drawn is that the increase of humans plastic fish. Studies have not yet been done to assess the overall usage will also increase the amount of long-living debris impacts of anthropogenic noise in the wild. n in the ocean after tsunamis, and therefore travelling organisms. Keeping this in mind could help focus future NOVEMBER 2017 |21
Horrific Hurricanes By: Kayla White, Associate Editor
On Sept. 6 at 1:45 p.m. EDT (1745 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a visible-light image of Hurricane Irma over the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. Photo by: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team, Flickr. 22| Seawords
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n the past two months, we have faced some of the strongest hurricanes in history and we are baffled that these catastrophes keep happening. Our rising sea level, temperatures and greenhouse gases have been supporting this idea of intense weather for decades, but are these really the reasons for these tremendous storms?
The first hurricane to get the world’s attention this year was Harvey. Houston stood in the direct path of Harvey and received the greatest amount of damage. Other surrounding areas in South Texas received less severe damage. The last hurricane that devastated Texas to this extent was Celia in 1970. Harvey was born on August 13, 2017, as a tropical storm off of the coast of Africa that then started its journey west, merging with an area of low pressure air. His journey then moved on a westward course towards the Eastern Caribbean Sea on a very disorganized track. Tropical storm warnings were issued to St. Lucia, Barbados and many other Caribbean islands to prepare for then-Tropical Storm Harvey that hit the Windward Islands on August 18. After this, Harvey continued to move north with characteristics of a tropical cyclone towards the Yucatan Peninsula and emerged in the Gulf of Mexico. On August 24, Harvey impacted the middle and upper Texas coast, devastating many cities when it wasn’t even at its worst. As Harvey moved inland, he intensified, and became a Category 3 storm, tearing apart Houston and many cities around it. Just a few weeks after the U.S. received this massive blow, Hurricane Irma came right around the corner becoming the strongest Atlantic hurricane recorded in history. A Category 4 hurricane tore apart the Florida Keys, and wiped out most civilization on the island of Barbuda. The British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico suffered repercussions from Irma as well. Maria left the Caribbean in pieces moving from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just one day. Maria took a course back to sea though, but not before drenching the North Carolina coast with floods and powerful winds. Tropical storm warnings were cancelled, but areas still got pounded by Maria up the East Coast before she died off. Although we saw a spike in hurricane activity in 2017, this was predicted. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Weather Channel and Colorado State University (CSU) all predicted we would see more hurricane activity than usual this year. The reason for all of these storms is that our atmospheric conditions are becoming more appealing to hurricanes as our ocean’s temperature becomes much warmer than usual. Until these storms, the last time we had a Category 3 storm was Hurricane Wilma in 2005 which means we have been going through what’s called a “landfall drought”. A landfall drought is the long gap in between hurricanes or tropical storms. This was the longest landfall drought since 1900 so the long-awaited storms were anticipated. Although these hurricanes have slightly intensified because of climate change and global warming, these are not the primary reasons for their size. Next year’s hurricane season will not be as big of a concern, according to predictions, but in the years or decades to come, this could change. Hurricanes are rare and hard to examine so it is hard to see a trend as the years pass by which makes it unclear if the hurricanes will increase or decrease in severity or in number. According to NOAA, on average, hurricanes will drop more precipitation in the future since the warmer air can hold more water vapor. Every single scientist that National Geographic contacted for previous articles agreed that Hurricane Harvey’s intense rainfall was shaped by the rising temperatures from human impacts. Because of rising sea levels and warmer surface temperatures, storms will become more frequent and possibly more dangerous but with the help of NOAA, The Weather Channel and many more climate organizations like these, we will be kept updated and prepared so that we may all feel safer when more storms do come. n
NOVEMBER 2017 |23
Actions for the Ocean
GENERATION
BLUE
By: Kayla White, Associate Editor
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oday, almost everything we do requires water. Due to competition for this resource, differences in climate, geography and regional policies, many areas face drought while some flourish with abundant water. Why is this?
Approximately 70 percent of the world is covered by water but only 3.57 percent of it is freshwater--the other 96.43 percent is ocean water or saline-based water. Narrowing it down even further, only one percent of our freshwater is easily accessible, the rest is trapped in glaciers or snowfields. This leaves nearly 0.007 percent of the planet’s water available for humans to use and drink and it is unequally shared amongst seven billion people. Statistics have proven that humans haven’t been the most efficient water users. The average hamburger takes 680 gallons of water to produce and within the last century, the increase in water use has more than double the rate of population increase. The challenge is how to conserve, manage and distribute the water we have available, which will not be easy, but with these simple steps we can all start somewhere:
1:
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or washing your hair. This can save lots of water. In fact, 160 gallons of water could be conserved a month when you turn the water off.
Shoreline. Photo by: Curtis Simmons, Flickr. 24| Seawords
Water. Photo by: Michelle Walton, Flickr.
THE OCEAN SPANS OVER 70 PERCENT OF OUR WORLD. It is responsible for regulating temperature, food production, sustaining numerous species, and is a source for inspiration for many people.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.
2:
When washing clothes or washing dishes, make sure you have a full load. Think about it --if you are only washing half of a load, twice the amount of water will be used than in a full load.
Natrally clean. Photo by: Daniel Horacio Agonstini
3:
Use a layer of mulch around your plants. Mulch is shredded wood or other plant matter that is put in plant beds that aids in water retention. By doing this, your plants will go much longer between waterings and it will decrease the amount of times you have to water per week.
Flowers. Photo by: Patrick Nouhailler, Flickr.
4:
Check your hoses and pipes for leaks. This could save water escaping in areas that you can’t see. Through good maintenance practices, you can stop potential problems from happening down the road as well. Pipe. Photo by: Kevin Doncaster, Flickr.
5:
“If it’s yellow, let it mellow”. This tip might not be for everyone but can help when it is used. Do you need to flush every time? The toilet is one of the most water-intensive fixtures in the house and it uses anywhere from 9-12 liters of water every time it is flushed. n
Toilet. Photo by: Marktristan, Flickr. NOVEMBER 2017 |25
• • •
2 November
Identifying pollutant pathways: tracing pharmaceuticals into Kāneʻohe Bay
Conducting research in Hawaiʻi
Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and Institute of Hawaiian Language Research and Translation
• qPCR: A Faster Water Quality Method for Hawai‘i Beaches • Why Drones? Wai Not? Finding Groundwater with Drones in Kāne‘ohe Bay •
General Information about Thursday’s seminars:
9 November
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ʻEli ʻEli Kau Mai: Bringing Citizen Science to the Forefront
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Kilo Lani: Reconstructing Climate Patterns in Hawaiʻi
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IHLRT and ʻIkeWai: Digging for Water in the Hawaiian Language Newspaper Archive
• • •
16 November •
Using submarines, satellites, statistics, and science to visualize the seafloor
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Our Project in Hawai‘i 's Intertidal (OPIHI) - Building community through research
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Economic impact of the potential erosion of Waikīkī Beach: a 2016 update
• • •
30 November
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Integrating culture and science for sustainable crabbing
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The weather and whether we will wallow in water
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•
• Do seawalls lower property values? •
26| Seawords
FLASHBACK: NOVEMBER 1987 By: Kayla White, Associate Editor Tim Lawrence, Sherwood Maynard, Mark Flanagan, Greg LeLesch, Paul Bass, Raymond Boland and Tony Salvaggio (UHM MOP alumni) donated their time to participate in the national beach clean-up event called “Get the Drift – and Bag It” in 1987. This was a recurring event in which MOP students participated in 1986 as well. On this day, volunteers from all islands cleaned 60 beaches throughout the state of Hawai'i, including areas on Kaua‘i, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu and Hawai‘i and finished with nearly 37 tons of debris! MOP was assigned to clean up Magic Island off of Ala Moana Beach Park on the South Shore, but not just the shoreline. MOP students got the chance to get wet and snorkel to clean up underwater debris that was not as easily seen. This trash is just as much of a threat to our oceans, if not more, than the trash on the shorelines that we see because it poses a great threat to our wildlife. After harvesting all of the debris the MOP students could, the garbage bags included 180 bottles, 140 feet of wire, 28 plastic bags, 39 cans, 14 pieces of fiberglass, seven fishing lines and many other random items like glasses or batteries. “Get the Drift – and Bag it” was a huge success and helped spread the change from careless to careful. Now, more people are educated through organizations like these and we continue to try and keep cleaning up our beaches! n
NOVEMBER 2017 |27
November Photo credit: Daniel Jennings, UHM MOP Student and Photography Contestant
Sun.
Mon.
- Dec. 3: Gyotaku Fish Printing for Holiday Gifts - Dec. 7: Last day of Instruction -Dec 8: MOP Graduation
-Dec. 11-15: Finals Week
Next month: December
Tues.
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Hike to Manoa Falls Manoa 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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MOP & Community Events
Thurs.
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Theater Thursday: Hanauma Bay 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Theater Thursday: Hanauma Bay 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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Veterans Day (no school)
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Thanksgiving Break (no school)
Thanksgiving Break (no school)
Theater Thursday: Hanauma Bay 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Black Friday
Tour of Hawai‘i Undersea Research Lab Makai Pier 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Theater Thursday: Hanauma Bay 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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University of Hawai`i at MÄ noa 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!