SEAW ORDS TheMarineOption Program Newsletter
November 2020
Volume XXXV, Number 6
Aloha, and welcome to the November issue of Seawords! The ocean is almost inconceivably vast. W hen we venture into the water, it can be difficult to remember that the expanse we are seeing is only a tiny fraction of its size. As such, this month we highlight the building blocks of the ocean, from top to bottom. In this issue, we cover the very beginnings of an ocean (page 4), and delve into the depths to uncover both urgent issues (page 22) and solutions (page 8). Additionally, find out which level of the sea most resonates with you on page 10! W hat would you like to see more of in Seawords?Send in your thoughts, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @mopseawords!
Zada Boyce-Quentin, SeawordsEditor
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Contents 2: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 4: THE W ORLD'S NEXT OCEAN 8: A COOL COMMOCEAN 10: W HAT ZONE OF THE OCEAN ARE YOU? 14: LANDFALLING DROUGHTS 16: CREATURE OF THE MONTH 18: OCEAN ART 22: MICROPLASTICS: A NOT SO MICRO PROBLEM
Photo Credits Fr ont Page: Great white shark. By: Elias Levy, Flickr. Tabl e of Contents: W ave breaking. By: Karen Blaha, Flickr. Pages 18-21: 'Tequila and W hisky', 'W ine', 'Cosmopolitan', and 'Tequila Sunrise'. All by Jastine Honea, UHH MOP Student. Back Cover : Flying fish. By: Tom Benson, Flickr.
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Lake Abbe. Photo by: Rolf Cosar, Wikimedia.
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THE W ORLD'S NEXT OCEAN By: Amiti Mal oy, UHM MOP Student
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How many oceans do we have?Counting the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian, the Arctic, and the Southern, or Antarctic, there are five. However, since they are all connected, it is really like one giant ocean. Both water and marine life flow freely between oceans and hemispheres. W hile the water and its inhabitants move about, the tectonic plates underneath the oceans and landmasses continue to shift, redesigning the earth?s landscape. If it is possible for the topography of continents to be altered, is it also possible for new oceans to spring up?The short answer is yes. One is already in the process of forming! Of course, the gestation period for birthing an ocean is significantly longer than nine months by about two to five million years. This new ocean is the result of several tectonic factors. The African plate splits to form the Somalian and Nubian plates. Over millions of years, these plates drifting apart resulted in cracking the earth as new land pushes out through weak thin spots. W hen underwater, this produces sea-floor spreading. Likewise, a depression is causing the Arabian plate to separate from the African plate. It is not mere coincidence that the Red Sea is located where the Arabian separates from the African plate. The Somalian-Nubian-African plates break into a basin referred to as the Afar Depression. Their action has produced Lake Abbe, smack in an apocalyptically dry desert, with a crown of rift volcanoes from magma diversions. The largest, Dama Ali, appears black with basalt. Aerial view of Lake Abbe. Photo by: NASA, Wikimedia.
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Sunrise at Lake Abbe. Photo by: Rolf Cosar, Wikimedia.
Arriving at this Mars-like scene is not as difficult as actually leaving the planet; however, Lake Abbe is extremely remote and difficult to access. Unlike most land-locked waters, this almost 325 square kilometer lake is filled with salt water as opposed to fresh. The concentration of salt is extreme to a potency level that it would be poisonous to digest. A gelatinous texture formed by mud and quicksand along its banks provides another barricade to access; sinking a foot and a half per step tends to be an effective deterrent. Presently, Lake Abbe does not see many visitors, excepting the pink flamingos that flock there. Steam rises from hot springs through natural chimney-style vent formations that resemble those found near massive tectonic plate shifts along the Pacific Ocean floor. One day, this lake will become an ocean, as the plates beneath continue to diverge and the area fills with water. As Lake Abbe continues to develop and change, scientists have a unique opportunity to study its gestation to learn more about the history and geography of our extant oceans. There is still so much unexplored terrain in the sea; it is fascinating to witness part of the creation of a new one! NOVEMBER 2020
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A Cool Commocean By: Chl oe Mol ou, UHH SeawordsLiaison
Coral reef. Photo by: Jerry Reid, Flickr.
Corals are incredibly beautiful creatures and are important ecosystem engineers which foster biodiversity and provide for many organisms. Their essential role as hosts to life under the sea makes coral bleaching events that much more devastating. Coral bleaching is known by most as the loss of color by corals as a response to heat stress. These bleaching events are brought about by marine heat waves that lead to corals expelling their symbiotic algae. It is this expulsion that causes the coral to lose its color, and, if conditions do not return to normal quickly, die. Coral bleaching is a direct result of climate change and the resulting increase in ocean temperatures; today, these bleaching events are five times more frequent than they were 40 years ago. Corals need between 15 to 25 years to recover from a major stress event, so with heat waves only expected to increase in both frequency and severity, most coral populations will not have a chance to bounce back. This is why there is so much research being done to find a new and effective way to keep the corals of the world safe. One of the most recent advances looks at the impact of artificial upwelling (AU) on reducing heat stress. Upwelling is a natural process that involves the movement of surface water by wind, allowing colder deep water to come to the surface, and usually occurs off of coastlines. Over the years, scientists have noticed that areas where upwelling frequently occurs have seen lower amounts of coral bleaching during heatwaves.
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Using this data, Yvonne Sawall from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) is leading a new study that is adapting AU from its original purpose of fertilizing surface water with nutrients, and is using it to help reduce heat stress response in corals with a regular influx of cool deep water. Sawall and her colleagues collected coral fragments from three species: Montastrea cavernosa (great star coral), Poritesastreoides(mustard hill coral), and Pseododiploria strigosa (symmetrical brain coral). These fragments were kept in aquaria and treated for three weeks with one of four of the following temperature treatments: (i) control at 28째C: the average summer temperature, (ii) heat at 31째C: a temperature known to induce a heat stress response in corals in Bermuda, (iii) heat at 31째C with added deep water from 50 m depth, and (iv) heat at 31째C with added deep water from 100 m depth. Sawall?s study showed signs of heat stress mitigation through AU, even with small influxes of cool water. The corals treated with both heat and cool water showed a greater concentration and performance of zooxanthellae, especially those treated with deeper water, than those that had only been treated with heat. This means that the corals treated with both heat and deep water were less likely to expel their zooxanthellae and become bleached. W hile these results are rather exciting, there is more work that must be done to investigate the impact of using water from below the euphotic zone and figuring out the best ways to maximize the benefits of this innovative idea while continuing to keep corals safe.
Porites astreoides. Photo by: James St. John, Flickr.
Pseododiploria strigosa. Photo by: Dennis Mahle, Wikimedia.
Montastrea cavernosa. Photo by: FWS Fish & Wildlife Reserve, Flickr.
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W hat Zone of the Ocean Ar e You? Your ideal room has: A. An open concept and lots of natural light. B. Fairy lights and heavy curtains. C. Kind of a spooky aesthetic, lots of distance from my neighbors. D. No central heating or lights. E. Lots of nooks and crannies, maybe a large hole in the living room. You wear mostly: A. Bright, fun colors! B. Sparkly or holographic clothes. C. Black or red- something basic so I blend in. D. Something unapproachable. E. Practical clothes that I can get dirty. 10 | Seawords
Your social circle consists of: A. Me & a ton of friends! I love meeting new people. B. Me & some friends who get together & emit light to attract prey. C. Me & a few pals, but they're all camouflaged right now so I'm not sure where they are. D. I have not seen another living being in five years. E. Me & my squad sitting on this specific patch of the ground. The ideal hangout spot is: A. A park or other place that can accommodate lots of people. B. A roller rink/ arcade/ bowling alley. C. Somewhere close so no one has to move a lot to get there. D. I don't really "hang out." E. Right where you are! The music you listen to is mostly: A. Happy pop or indie. B. Slower paced, emotional songs. C. Lofi, or anything chill. D. Haunted house soundtracks. E. Oh, it's a really underground band, you've probably never heard of them... NOVEMBER 2020
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Mostly A:
Congratulations! You are the epipelagic zone! Also called the sunlight z photosynthesis occurs. This part of the ocean has a relatively high conc surface-dwelling organisms like jellyfish.
Mostly B:
Congratulations! You are the mesopelagic zone! Also called the twiligh descend, the water becomes much colder. This level of the ocean is hom much photosynthesis occurs here due to the lack of sunlight.
Mostly C:
Congratulations! You are the bathypelagic zone! Also called the midnig word for deep. Here, many organisms move slowly in order to conserv consume primarily falling detritus or 'marine snow'.
Mostly D:
Congratulations! You are the abyssopelagic zone! Also called the abyssa making up over 80%of the ocean and 60%of the planet's surface. Cond pressure is immense. Detritus from above makes this zone very nutrien
Mostly E:
Congratulations! You are the hadalpelagic zone! Named after the Greek seafloor which occur between 6,000 and 11,000 meters down. Many be seeps. Hetereotrophic organisms primarily feed on marine snow. 12 | Seawords
zone, this is the uppermost layer of the ocean, where most centration of plants and is home to many fishes, sharks, dolphins, and
ht zone, this layer of the ocean is where the thermocline begins; as you me to many bioluminescent organisms and heterotrophic bacteria. Not
ght zone, this layer of the ocean gets its name from the Ancient Greek ve energy, and are black or red in color. Many denizens of this zone
al zone, this level of the ocean is the largest ecosystem on earth, ditions are harsh here; no light permeates the frigid darkness, and the nt-rich.
k underworld, this ocean zone is comprised of deep trenches on the enthic organisms live here, and nutrients are mainly derived from cold
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Ground after a drought. Photo by: marufish, Flickr.
LANDFALLING DR
By: Geor gia Johnson-King, UHM MOP Stud
A study published in the journal Water ResourcesResearch earlier this year describes a new algorithm to track the formation of droughts, providing an early warning system for potentially affected communities. Researchers at Stanford University, Julio Herrera-Estrada and Noah Diffenbaugh, recently identified a new type of drought. These ?landfalling droughts?, originate over the ocean before moving towards land. The scientists found that these landfalling droughts, which are often more harmful than others, are predictable up to five months in advance. This would give communities warning to prepare their water resources and crops, and think about energy generation. Droughts are being estimated to increase in intensity as climate change becomes more severe. Historically, droughts have caused billions of dollars in financial damage, displaced millions of individuals from their home, and destroyed ecosystem health globally. Drought monitoring and forecasting capabilities have been improving due to recent
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ROUGHTS
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advances in satellite observations, climate modelling and computing, giving scientists a better understanding. Herrerra-Estrada and Diffenbaugh used an object tracking algorithm to follow clusters of moisture deficits across the world going back decades in time. ?There is something about the droughts that start over the ocean that make them more likely to turn into large intense events,?said senior study author Noah Diffenbaugh. "Because they usually take a number of months to migrate onto land, there is a potential that tracking moisture deficits over the ocean could provide advance warning to help protect against at least some of the most severe droughts," Diffenbaugh continued. This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Stanford University and will be immensely important due to the large humanitarian and economic impacts of severe drought.
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Great white shark close up. Photo by Hermanus Backpackers, Wikimedia.
Cr eatur e of the Month: Gr eat W hite Shar k By: Br enna Loving, UH W indw ar d CC MOP Student As the stars of movies such as Jaws, great white sharks are feared by many, but few humans have true knowledge of these predatory creatures. Their appearance certainly adds to the fear factor, as these sharks can grow up to 20 ft in length, 7,000 pounds in weight, and can move at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. As the largest predatory fish in the world, the great white (Carcharodon carcharias) displays an impressive set of pearly whites consisting of 300 teeth! However, these sharks do not use those teeth for chewing. Instead, they use their sharp teeth to tear into their prey, and then swallow the parts whole. The good news is that humans aren?t on the menu! W hile one third to half of all shark attacks are attributed to the great whites, those attacks are typically cases of a mistaken identity. To sharks, humans in the water can look like large seals (one of their favorite meals). Instead of humans, these sharks are on the hunt for small fishes to large dolphins, seals, and have even been seen feasting on dead whales. Recently, an astonishing example of a great white female was found off the coast of Nova Scotia by the OCEARCH research team. Named Nukumi by researchers, after the word for a ?legendary grandmother figure?in the native language of the Mi?kmaq people of Canada, she certainly lives up to her given name. Nukumi measures 17 feet in length and weighs 3,541 pounds. It is estimated that she is approximately 50 years old- an older shark, as great whites can live up to 60 years. Nukumi is one of the few great white sharks of this size to be found by the OCEARCH team in this region of Canada. After recording her size, age, and the various scars over her body, it is fitting to say that Nukumi is, in fact, the ?Queen of the Ocean?, as researchers have described her.
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Great W hite Shark Diet: Fishes, dolphins, seals Size: Up to 20 meters long Range: Found in cool waters globally Habitat: Typically found in coastal environments IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
W hy is it so important to be informed and protect great whites like Nukimi?Great white sharks play a critical role in the marine ecosystem. In addition to balancing the marine food chain, great whites contribute to the growth of phytoplankton, one of the most important organisms in the ocean. W hen these sharks dive to the depths of the ocean to feed, swim back to the surface, and defecate along the way, the nutrients from their waste is used by phytoplankton to reproduce. However, the population status of great white sharks is far from ideal. These sharks are listed as ?vulnerable,?as approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year by humans. This is due to trophy fishing for their skin, teeth, and fins, and accidental catches by fishermen when they get caught in the fishermen?s nets. The result of this annual devastating loss is that now 30%of more than 1,200 shark species are now in danger of extinction. Instead of fearing these astonishing animals, we must instead fight against trophy fishing, shark finning, and other acts that harm great whites and all sharks. Great white shark profile. Photo by: Elias Levy, Wikimedia.
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Ocean Ar t Col l ection by: Jastine Honea, UHH MOP Student
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Microplastics under a microscope. Photo by: Chesapeake Bay Program, Flickr.
Micr opl astics: A Not So Micr o Pr obl em By: Hal ey Chasin, UHM MOP Student 22 | Seawords
From 1999 to 2020, the human population has grown from 6 billion to 7.8 billion. W ith this increase has come a substantial growth in the amount of trash, urbanization, sewage, and runoff which cause problems for our oceans. Every year, 4.4 million to 8.8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean. One of the largest accumulations of this waste is the Pacific Garbage Patch- a large area saturated in an estimated 87000 tons of plastic, trapped in one place by the circulation of the seas. Despite common belief that the patch is a floating mass of discarded plastics, much of it is actually comprised of microplastics, created from the breakdown of larger plastic items into smaller particles 5 millimeters or less in size. Originally, scientists thought that these microplastics would be found only off of continental shelves, but it turns out even the deepest parts of the ocean are suffering the consequences of humanity?s discards. A new study from CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization), Australia?s national science agency, has announced that there is an estimated 14 million tons of microplastics in the deep sea. Scientists used robots to survey the deep sea waters, collecting 51 deepwater samples. These overwhelmingly contained significant amounts of microplastics. Research is showing that deep seas can be a sink for microplastics, especially in areas where there are high amounts of pollutants in the water. These microplastics can cause great damage to deep sea organisms and ecosystems, disrupting the feeding behaviors of animals and structurally damaging deep sea corals. Due to COVID-19, there has been a great increase in the amount of single-use plastics being produced, distributed, and discarded. Plastics are a cause of concern for animals such as whales and turtles but also to human health and well-being. Not only are larger animals such as fish, birds, and mammals being affected, but invertebrates, including polychaetes, bivalves, and echinoderms, have been known to retain ingested plastics which then spread through their tissues and organs- a process called translocation. In addition to being a health concern, plastic pollution is unpleasant to look at while on a vacation. According to an article in the Marine Pollution Bulletin by Nicola Beaumont et al., ocean pollution costs $2.5 trillion a year and each ton reduces environmental value by $33,000. We can do our part to lessen the waste of single use plastics by seeking out more sustainable alternatives. The battle against plastic pollution is an uphill one, but is essential to preserve the world?s oceans and the life within. NOVEMBER 2020
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Vol u m e XXXV, Nu m ber 6 Editor : Zada Boyce-Qu en tin Dr. Cyn th ia H u n ter (em in en ce gr ise) Jeffr ey Ku wabar a (em in en ce gr ise) Seawor ds- M ar in e Option Pr ogr am Un iver sity of H awai ?i , Col l ege of Natu r al Scien ces 2450 Cam pu s Road, Dean H al l 105A H on ol u l u , H I 96822-2219 Tel eph on e: (808) 956-8433 Em ail : <seawor ds@ h awaii.edu > W ebsite: <h ttp:/ / www.h awaii.edu / m op> Seawor ds is th e m on th l y n ewsl etter n ewsl etter of th e M ar in e Option Pr ogr am at th e Un iver sity of H awai?i. Opin ion s expr essed h er ein ar e n ot n ecessar il y th ose of th e M ar in e Option Pr ogr am or of th e Un iver sity of H awai?i. Su ggestion s an d su bm ission s ar e wel com e. Su bm ission s m ay in cl u de ar ticl es, ph otogr aph y,ar t wor k , or an yth in g th at m ay be of in ter est to th e m ar in e com m u n ity in H awai ?i. an d ar ou n d th e wor l d. All photos ar e taken by M OP unless other wise cr edited.