SEAW ORDS TheMarineOption Program Newsletter
October 2020
Volume XXXV, Number 5
Aloha, and welcome to the October issue of Seawords! It is easy to overlook some of the ocean's more tiny denizens; in the vastness of the sea, they can sometimes fade into the background of public awareness. However, these organisms frequently play roles of great impotance in their ecosystems. Therefore, this month, we highlight the small but mighty! Turn to page 4 to read about how Hawaiian tiger cowries may be one of our best hopes against invasive sponges. You can read up on the inimitable mantis shrimp on page 14, or learn about the harrowing journey made by juvenile green sea turtles on page 6. And if you're in the mood to celebrate Halloween, you can find animals whose names take some common costumes to another level on page 18. 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: HAVE A COW RIE, MAN 6: IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN 12: GRAPPLING OUR PANDEMICS 14: CREATURE OF THE MONTH 18: MARINE HALLOW EEN 20: CORAL CORRELATION 22: MARINE CONSTRUCTION 24: MARINE TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHT
Photo Credits Fr ont Page: Mantis shrimp. By: prilfish, Flickr. Tabl e of Contents: Cloud over sea. By: GPA Photo Archive, Flickr. Pages 18-19, l eft to r ight: Hardhead catfish by Ria Tan, Flickr. Clownfish by David Siu, Flickr. Zombie worms by Robert Vrijenhoek, W ikimedia. Goblin shark by Justin, Flickr. Ghost crab by Julie Burgher, Flickr. Vampire squid by Phineas Jones, Flickr. Sea angel by Daiki Inamura, Flickr. Devil ray by Rickard Zerpe, Flickr. Back Cover : Shell in the sand. By: Katja Schulz, Flickr. OCTOBER 2020
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Cowrieshell. Photoby: Ria Tan, Flickr.
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Have a Cowrie, Man By: Brenna Loving, UH W indward CC Student If you?ve ever ventured into a touristy gift shop, you?ve probably seen the beautiful shell of the Hawaiian tiger cowrie on display or for sale. W hile these shells are indisputably eye-catching, the high demand for them is one of the reasons these cowries are consistently over-harvested. The lack of regulations regarding the harvesting of native cowries has allowed for their numbers to drastically decline, resulting in some dangerous consequences to the islands?ecosystem. The invasive sponges that have spread due to the absence of tiger cowries have created dangerous and hostile environments for a multitude of essential native species. The Hawaiian tiger cowrie (Cypraea tigrisschilderiana) has the potential to help control the presence of invasive species of sponges, as found in a study by the University of Hawai ?i at Manoa?s Institute of Marine Biology. These spongivores have been noted to consume invasive sponges within as little as 72 hours. If allowed to prosper without the interference of fishing and harvesting, this native cowrie could act as a biocontrol for several alien species that have invaded the Hawaiian waters. Historically, Hawai ?i has been an area with one of the highest numbers of invasive species in the world, and biocontrol hasn?t always been as effective as one would hope. This is typically due to time restraints, since the alien species often take over the natives at a rate that prevents effective pushback. Thus, time is critical to sustain the population of Hawaiian tiger cowries. The benefits of bio-controlling an invasive species are always numerous, but even more so in this particular instance involving the cowries. Biocontrol is significantly more cost-effective and naturally beneficial to the ecosystem since there is minimal human involvement. If we want to provide better protection for Hawaiian marine ecosystems while being fiscally responsible, the best course of action would be to protect and encourage the growth of the native Hawaiian tiger cowrie.
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It's Not Easy Being Gr een By: Al l ison Sommer & Br ittany Cl emans, MTBAP Associates and UHM MOP Students 6 | Seawords
Baby turtle. Photoby: USFish and Wildlife, Flickr.
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W hen someone thinks of the beaches of Hawai ?i, the image of crashing waves, swaying palm trees, and sea turtles sprawled out on the beach are often the first things that come to mind. Hawaii?s green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), also known as honu in Hawaiian, are a subspecies endemic to the Basking turtle. Photoby: Bernard Spragg, Flickr. Hawaiian islands and a beloved symbol of the connection between land and sea. Seeing a honu is often the highlight of any beach goer?s trip. The two most common sea turtles that can be found in and around Hawai ?i are the green and hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelysimbricata or honu ?ea), where they can be seen swimming around the reefs. The Hawaiian islands are one of only three places in the world where green turtles can be found resting on the beach. For a sea turtle, life begins in subterranean nests on sandy beaches as a squishy, ping-pong ball sized egg. Once they hatch, the hatchlings make the frantic and dangerous trek from their nests to the water's edge, where they then swim out to the open ocean. W hat happens next is known as the ?lost years?by most sea turtle experts, because very little is known about what young sea turtles do and exactly where they go during this time. They begin recruiting to coastal areas after about five years, when they are larger and less vulnerable to predators. Green sea turtle hatchlings will remain at these coastal foraging grounds until they reach sexual maturity, which occurs between the ages of 20 to 25 years. Once sexually mature, females will migrate to the nesting grounds every 3 to 4 years; Hawaii?s green sea turtles main nesting grounds are in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, located 555 miles from Honolulu, on an atoll called Lalo or French Frigate Shoals (FFS). Approximately, only 1 in every 1,000 to 1 in every 10,000 baby sea turtles will survive to adulthood, which means that per season, only 1 to 3 hatchlings for each nesting female will become adult turtles. The Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program (MTBAP) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sends a group of scientists to Lalo for 4-6 8 | Seawords
months every year from around April to September in order to conduct research in the center of the Hawaiian green sea turtle nesting grounds. Roughly 96%of Hawaiian green sea turtles nest on the islets of Lalo, and because of this, biologists have the opportunity to take an accurate census of the Hawaiian green sea turtle population. Along with the census, their duties also include conducting daily basking surveys, atoll surveys, nesting surveys, tagging turtles to individually identify them, and collecting DNA samples. The team also determines nest success, or the number of hatchlings that emerge from the nest. Turtle eggs incubate for about 60 days, at which point the hatchlings are ready to emerge from their nests. After this, the biologists work to excavate nests in order to assess the proportion of eggs that hatched successfully and determine what factors may have led to failed incubations. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, field camps were not deployed to Lalo for the 2020 nesting session. However, plenty of data was collected from nests right here on O?ahu. According to an article in the Journal of Experimental MarineBiology and Ecology, green sea turtles nesting in the Main Hawaiian Islands have become more common since 2013. Although having more honu hatch on the Main Hawaiian Islands is exciting, there are some implications to consider in ensuring the longevity of these beautiful animals. Sea turtleswimming. Photoby: AlfonsoGonzalez Flickr.
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Christina Coopernath, a field and laboratory research associate for MTBAP at NOAA, was interviewed about her involvement with monitoring nest success on O?ahu this year. According to Christina, having to monitor sea turtle nests on O?ahu is a fairly recent necessity, starting just 5 years ago. Data provided by Malama Na Honu, a non-profit organization, and biologists from the U.S. Fish and W ildlife Service, show that preceding this, there were usually fewer than 10 green sea turtle nests found on O?ahu annually. Coopernath explains that while it is not uncommon for the occasional green sea turtle nests to be found, there has been a noticeable increase of nesting numbers, specifically on O?ahu. She suspects this could be due to the increase in survey efforts this year or the reduced amount of foot traffic on the beaches this summer due to the 'stay at home' order, allowing for nests and tracks (marks left in the sand from turtles crawling) to be more visible to surveyors. The majority of nests found on O?ahu belong to the green sea turtles with occasional nests of other sea turtle species, such as hawksbill and olive ridley sea turtles, being found, but these occurrences are extremely rare. Because of increased nesting on O?ahu, the chances of stumbling across a nest have become more common and it is crucial that the correct steps are taken for marine conservationists to report the nest. If a nest is found, Coopernath suggests first and foremost, do not disturb or walk on the nesting area or any tracks, then take a photo of your findings. Also, not all turtle nesting activity results in females digging a nest and depositing eggs into the sand. Sometimes a female will come ashore and dig in the sand before deciding that she does not want to nest there; biologists refer to this as ?false crawls.?W hether or not you?ve found what appears to be a false crawl, it is still important to report your findings so that sea turtle biologists can properly identify the tracks and area to determine what happened. Lastly, Christina urges everyone to, ?Report the nest to NOAA Fisheries Hawai ?i Statewide Marine Stranding, Entanglement, and Reporting Hotline at (888) 256-9840, or email respectwildlife@noaa.gov as quickly as possible. Be sure to provide location information as well as the date and time of when you found the nesting activity.?
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Green sea turtle. Photoby: Geir Friestad, Flickr.
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Grappling ou
By: Chloe Molou, UH The majority of the last nine months has had us all completely focused on the coronavirus pandemic- how to adapt to the new normal and how to stay safe in such an unprecedented time. W hile doing so, however, it might be fair to say that we have lost sight of another pandemic that has been ravaging the planet for decades ? plastic. In 2015, Sciencepublished an article reporting that 8 million metric tonnes of plastic entered the ocean in 2010, with numbers only expected to worsen. And this was all beforecoronavirus took the stage. As we all know, during this pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) has become an essential part of our ?new normal?; the new checklist before leaving home usually goes something like, keys?W allet?Phone?Mask?PPE has also played a vital role in keeping our frontline workers safe while doing their jobs. Most if not all have to wear multiple layers of clothing as well as going through multiple masks and gloves during a normal shift. In June of this year, Environmental Science & Technology published an article reporting an estimated 129 billion masks and 65 billion gloves are being used globally every month during this pandemic; the number of masks made and projected to be made could cover the entire landmass of Switzerland. Many of these gloves and masks are discarded on city streets, and eventually make their way into the sewer systems and the ocean.
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ur Pandemics
H Hilo MOP Student The elastic component of masks poses a large threat of entanglement for marine animals. Gloves, much like plastic bags, can be consumed by turtles looking for jellyfish, or by other marine organisms who mistake this plastic for food. Much like other plastics that have gone to the ocean, these masks and gloves will be slowly broken down, adding to our major microplastic problem. Aside from PPE, there are other aspects of COVID-19 that have contributed to the increase in use of single-use plastics. The price of virgin plastic is at an all-time low due to the global crash of oil markets. Takeout and delivery have provided a way for businesses to remain open even in the midst of social distancing regulations, but these services have also been adding to the already massive amount of plastic being used. The UK has also suspended their charge on plastic bags for online deliveries at grocery stores. Many single-use plastic restrictions have also been put on hold or have been completely scrapped in light of our current situation. Plastic has been at the forefront of most preventative measures against coronavirus, and of course, keeping people safe must be our top priority. However, we must keep in mind the long-term consequences of such increased plastic usage, and what the effects on our planet and population will be if we do not curb the rising tide of marine pollution.
Discarded mask. Photoby: Gilbert Mercier, Flickr. OCTOBER 2020
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Mantisshrimp. Photoby: Christian Gloor, Flickr.
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Cr eatur e of the Month: Rainbow Mantis Shr imp By: Amiti Maloy, UHM MOP Student OCTOBER 2020
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Do not underestimate the rainbow mantis shrimp, Odontodactylusscyllarus- a deceptive animal in every respect, beginning with its name. It is neither a member of the mantis nor the shrimp family, but rather is a stomatopod crustacean. It is also a weapon of extreme force packed in a body under seven inches long. Each punch is delivered at a rate of 23 meters per second with a force of 1,500 newtons: the same speed of a 22-caliber bullet. The rainbow mantis shrimp also has hammer-like claws that move fifty times faster than humans blink, and holds the trophy for ?the most sophisticated eyesight of any predator on earth,?according to National Geographic. Each eye is capable of focusing and moving independently, as well as combining efforts to target prey. This skill is supported by having hexnocular vision, compared to our binocular vision. The human eye has three color receptors, linked to red, green, and blue. Meanwhile, some species of mantis shrimp possess twelve- another world record. W ith all of those color receptors it is not unexpected that they also have the greatest color spectrum vision. Their amazing eyesight does not end here, though. Rainbow mantis shrimp can even see where polarization within light is occurring and are able to produce their own polarized light messaging. Most polarized light is organized in such a way that it appears like an undulating geometric sine symbol. These crustaceans continue to break the rules by encoding its polarized light in a single helical pattern. This super secret code is thought to only be visible to other mantis shrimp. Mantisshrimp. Photoby: prilfish, Flickr.
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Rainbow Mantis Shrimp Diet: Small fish, crabs, worms, and shrimps Size: Up to 7 inches long Range: Found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters in the Indian & Pacific oceans Habitat: Typically along shores or within coral reefs IUCN Red List: Not listed Most superheroes have one or maybe two superpowers, but the rainbow mantis shrimp is much more endowed. Despite their incredible punching ability, ultra-fast hammer claws, master eye control, vast color palette, and communication by way of polarized light, the greatest superpower may be what we have learned, and successfully mimicked, by looking through their eyes. A team of scientists created a camera through reverse engineering to mimic the mantis shrimp?s eyes. This inspired camera, named the Mantis Cam, is considered a user friendly, affordable, and compact tool. Due to its impressive quality and manageable size, it is expected to replace the cumbersome costly competition, particularly for use in marine life films and research efforts. Looking through the mantis shrimp-modeled lens has also opened up a new visible dimension which allows polarization to play a diagnostic role. One mantis shrimp-based scan increased the intensity of polarization which results from absorption of longer wavelengths to appear red while lower, shorter unpolarized wavelengths are depicted as darker blues. The more stretched the tissue, the closer it appears to the polarized red. This color is also prevalent under a scan when the tissue is injured. Cancer cells, which are frequently able to hide in plain sight in the early stages, create the same polarized red transmission. Being able to detect cancerous cells earlier using this technology is a game changer which could increase ability to save lives. It is hard to comprehend how something so small, some species of which weigh under a half an ounce, could be so accomplished and powerful in so many categories and have the potential to transform scientific research and dramatically advance medicine. Thank you, rainbow mantis shrimp, for sharing your vision with the world! OCTOBER 2020
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Marine H
Looking for a fresh spin on a classic costume?These mari
Hardhead Catfish
Clownfish
Ghost Crab
Vampire Squid
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Halloween!
ine organisms keep the spooky spirit alive all year round.
Zombie W orm
Goblin Shark
Sea Angel
Devil Ray
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Coral reef with fishes. Photoby: yancy, Flickr.
CORAL CORRELATION By: Alexandrya Robinson, UHM MOP Student 20 | Seawords
As the world continues to see an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, the temperature of the ocean will continue to rise as these gases trap heat. This increase in temperature is alarming because it directly affects the health of coral reefs, which house around 25%of all marine life and are the most biologically diverse ecosystems of the ocean. Corals provide shelter to much of this diverse biota and are extremely sensitive to changes in ocean temperature. Most of the energy that corals depend on come from photoynthetic dinoflagellates living within the coral?s cells. W hen subjected to higher temperatures, the dinoflagellates produce excess oxygen compounds that are toxic to the coral, causing it to expel the dinoflagellates in order to survive. This is why corals bleach, and why they will eventually die without the sugars provided by dinoflagellates. W hy does it matter if the corals die?W ithout coral, there is a cascade effect that will overall lower the biodiversity of a given area. Is temperature the only factor that determines coral health? A new study published in August titled ?Nutrient-supplying ocean currents modulate coral bleaching susceptibility?shows that in the Red Sea, which has the third largest reef system in the world, there was probable correlation between both temperature and nutrient levels on coral bleaching. The Red Sea was perfect for an experiment like this, being mostly isolated while still housing a thriving community of corals. Multiple corals were sampled and compared; it was found that in 2015 there were indicative stress bands inside the coral, like growth rings on a tree, that told of one of the highest stress years. W hen researching the conditions of that year, scientists found that it was not the hottest year on record, which led to the very real possibility of another factor that determined the coral?s health. The authors elucidated that ?if bleaching were a response to temperature alone, then we would expect to find many more stress bands in 2002 than 2015, opposite to our results.?To further analyze the coral, researchers were able to pinpoint the growth times of year for each sample. The stress rings showed that June and August were the highest times of stress for the corals. This is directly related to the seasonal summer upwelling in the Red Sea, and in 2015, the upwelling was the fourth greatest on record. Upwelling brings more nutrients to shallower waters, feeding the dinoflagellates.This evidence was tangible proof of the combined stress effects on coral from both temperature and high nutrient loading. The higher upwelling allowed for more dinoflagellates to flourish inside the corals. W ith the added heat stress on the dinoflagellates, this caused them to produce more harmful oxygen compounds inside the corals, thus exacerbating bleaching. It is incredibly important to understand the secondary aspect of nutrient loading coupled with oceanic temperatures in order to effectively try to assess and mitigate future coral health.
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Marine Construction By: Haley Chasin, UHM MOP Student Author Philip Steinberg once said, "The ocean is not a place but a space.?W hen one thinks about the ocean, it is unlikely that construction is the first image that jumps to mind. And yet, over 30,000 square kilometers of ocean are under human development. Fortunately, there are creatures that can grow on the new surroundings, creating artificial reefs and habitats. Artificial reefs can be a great way for people to divert their attention from natural reefs and focus more on these man-made structures. But in the process of building these structures, noise exceeding 200dB can extend to a 300-1000 meter radius, affecting fish behavior, whale echolocation and the health and well-being of many sea creatures. Oceanic construction has been happening since 2000 BC, and has expanded as the world has become more and more interconnected. The ocean has served as a forum for development, new technologies, medicines, science, research, and global trade, allowing for international collaboration and innovation.
Wind farm. Photoby: DominicAlves, Flickr.
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Construction on thewater. Photoby: RabLawrence, Flickr.
Unfortunately, many of the man-made structures along the shoreline have caused erosion in many coastal ecosystems, as well as marine pollution and harm to organisms living nearby. Over 3 billion people directly depend on waterways for a living, as well as for harvesting and transporting resources around the world. Ocean construction is currently projected to grow greatly in the next decade, making it imperative that we work with the environment and utilize sustainable practices that allow human access without harming the oceans. W ith a growing global population, this is getting increasingly harder to accomplish. As our populations have grown, so has our impact on the oceans. Hopefully, in the near future, we can find ways to work in harmony with the ocean and enjoy its beauty without harming it.
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Marine Techno CTDs in Fie CTD. Photoby: CSIRO, Wikimedia.
A CTD, or Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth, is one of the most commonly used tools for collecting environmental data while doing marine research. The machine measures the conductivity of the water, as well as the temperature and pressure. These statistics allow for the salinity of a sample to be calculated, as well as the depth. Environmental information like this is essential when doing research because it gives scientists a more complete picture of the habitat they are studying and can help explain the results of their studies. 24 | Seawords
ology Spotlight: eld Research CTD going intowater. Photoby Toyokami M, Wikimedia.
CTDs typically consist of a large metal frame, or 'rosette', as well as numerous containers which are used to collect water samples at different depths as the device is lowered. The CTD may also have other sensors attached which take other data, depending on the needs of the research team. A cable is used to lower the CTD into the ocean and connect it to a computer on the vessel, so that scientists can observe the data being collected as it happens and control when samples are taken. On many expeditions, the CTD is one of the most important tools for collection and analysis! OCTOBER 2020
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Vol u m e XXXV, Nu m ber 5 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.