February 2014 by Marine Option Program

Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter

February 2014

TRIBUTE TO SHERWOOD MAYNARD

To see more photos like this one, turn to page 22. Corey Mutnik, an exchange student from Florida International University will be providing Seawords with a series of photos for each issue through May.

ALGAL BLOOMS THREATEN COASTAL COMMUNITIES GULF SPILL: DEEP WATER HORIZON INCIDENT STILL FAR FROM OVER

FEBRUARY 2014 Volume XXVIII, Number 1 Contents Page 4: Letter from the Editor Page 5: As seen on the cover Page 6: Sherwood Maynard Page 10: Student Perspective: MOP Research Projects Page 12: The year in review Page 14: Ocean Updates: Evaporating oceans around the world; New species found in the world’s most southern ocean Page 16: MOP Graduation Page 18: Generation Blue Page 20: Algal blooms threaten coastal communities Page 22: Ocean Art: Corey Mutnik Page 24: Blackfish on Netflix; SeaWorld experiencing backlash Page 26: Critter of the Month: Page 28: Gulf spill: Deepwater Horizon incident far from over Page 30: The year in preview Page 32: Hanauma Bay Calendar of Events Flashback February MOP Calendar of Events

About the Photography in this Issue -Cover, Back Cover, and Table of Contents: Corey Mutnik, UHM MOP Student. As part of his MOP project, Corey will be producing twelve covers for Seawords as well as a small collection to display in each issue. For more informaton please visit page 20. We hope you will enjoy them. -Letter from the Editor: MOP Student Taylor Shedd. Check out page 24 to see more of Taylor’s orca photos! -All uncredited photos by: MOP 2|

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As seen on the cover... Sherwood Maynard

By Alice Keesing, Former Seawords Editor A tribute to Sherwood Maynard, MOP’s previous director.

pg 6 Algal blooms threaten coastal communities By Priya Rashid, Assistant Editor

pg 26

As the spring season approaches, algal blooms across the globe are making people and marine ecosystems sicker.

Gulf spill: Deepwater Horizon incident far from over By Erik Matousek, UHM MOP Student

pg 30

Out of sight but not out of mind. The players involved in the BP Oil Spill are still feeling the environmental and financial backlash.

Seawords Volume XXVIII, Number 1, February 2014 Editor: Kathryn Lam Assistant Editor: Priya Rashid Dr. Cynthia Hunter (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, Fax: (808) 956-2417 E-mail: <seawords@hawaii.edu> Website: <www.hawaii.edu/mop> Seawords is a monthly newsletter of the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawai‘i. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Marine Option Program or of the University of Hawai‘i Suggestions and submissions are welcome. Submissions may include articles, photographs, 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.

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m o r f r e Lett r o t i d the E Dear Readers, Another year starts and with it a new semester. The Mānoa branch of MOP welcomes a new student coordinator, Senior Tate Wester. He has a lot of fun activities planned for the semester so be sure to stop by office and grab a copy of the schedule or visit page 15 for an electronic copy. Also new is exchange student Corey Mutnik from Florida International University (FIU) who will be taking a series of photos for Seawords. You can check out some of his work on page 22 in our Ocean Art section or, on the cover of this very issue. To start off the new year right, Seawords has provided you with a year’s worth of Generation Blue tips to implement each month in case you needed help with your New Year’s Resolution, so be sure to flip to page 27 to read them! Amidst all this happiness and excitement though, the MOP Community has experienced a tremendous loss. Dr. Sherwood Maynard, former Director of the program passed away on December 5, 2013. Alice Keesing, former Seawords Editor composed a touching tribute to a man who has positively affected and changed the lives of many MOPers. Please visit page 6 to read it. With that, I hope your first month of 2014 was wonderful and would like to wish you a successful rest of the year full of exciting experiences in or near the ocean! If you are not so blessed as to live near the ocean, hopefully you will be able to get your ocean fix here in the pages of Seawords. Thank you for your support, Kathryn Lam, Editor

FEBRUARY 2014

SHERWOOD M Oct. 4, 1946 - Dec. 5, 2013 “Yesterday, MOP lost its hero.” Marine Option Program Facebook page, Dec. 6, 2013

by Alice Keesing, Former Seawords Editor

herwood Maynard is MOP's hero. He helmed the program for close to three decades, building a legacy that has changed the very profile of Hawaii's marine community. Sherwood mentored untold numbers of students, forged new marine programs, built a statewide network of talent, and kept the program running through sheer strength of will despite endless budget cuts and administrative scuffles. "It’s amazing how one man can have such long-lasting impacts on so many," says Cammy Dabney, a MOP graduate who now works for SOEST. "Sherwood guided us, he motivated us and showed us all how wonderful life can really be. I am so sorry to hear about his passing, but know his life and name will be celebrated for generations to come. His legacy will live — inspiring us all to reach our highest potential and to get out and enjoy the world." You remember Sherwood … that wry smile, boyish face, the Polo shirt in any number of colors (he did used to wear aloha shirts until he got tired of ironing them), the Dockers … and that small insulin pump attached to his belt. Sherwood was a freshman in college when he found out he had Type 1 diabetes. It came out of nowhere. No one else in his family had it. He just dealt with it in his own quiet manner, and dia-

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betes in no way defined his Dr. Sherwood Maynard on life. But what is remarkable his 60th birthday. is that while he worked with a passion that would have slayed many, he was also very sick a lot of the time. Sherwood always worked above, beyond and long into the night. Former UH-Hilo MOP colleague John Coney recalls the numerous times he called the Mānoa office late at night with the intention of leaving a message, only to find Sherwood still at work and answering the phone. "He was always cheerful; he wasn't rushing to get out the door," John says. "He would always put down what he was doing to talk in that calm, reserved voice of his." Sherwood's sister Sharon Crawford says that work ethic ran through their family. Their dad was a physician, their mom a nurse, and the family strove for high goals. Even as a kid, Sherwood was "quietly determined," Sharon says. He was an Eagle Scout and, as the oldest of four children, set high standards for his siblings who came after him in school. But there was lots of play, too, as they grew up in Michigan. They had marionettes and would put on Ed Sullivan-style shows or lip synch to records, charging their parents and neighbors money to attend. Their

MAYNARD dad kept them active, and they rode bikes and played games, such as badminton. "Sherwood would make us play football with him," recalls Sharon, noting that it was a game stacked in favor of the bigger, older brother. Sharon also remembers Sherwood in his senior year spending some considerable time in front of the mirror working on his flat top. Sherwood had an early interest in astronomy, but his telescope was soon traded for an underwater camera after his uncle purchased a cabin on the shores of a Michigan lake and he began exploring underwater, first with a mask and later with SCUBA. When it was time for university in 1964, he chose the University of Washington so he could study the ocean. It was during his Master’s degree there that he started developing an interest in undergraduate marine education as he counseled undergraduates.

"I don't think I ever saw his door closed," says Jeff Kuwabara who met Sherwood as a student in 1991 and who went on to work for him as MOP's coordinator. Those who sat down in Sherwood's office conducted their conversations across and around those mountains of paper on his desk. "You'd walk in and see stacks and stacks and stacks of stuff," Jeff says. "But ask him a question about something, and he'd go two-thirds of the way down one particular stack and pull out what he wanted. He knew exactly where things were." Sherwood was a quiet and reserved man, but he was also a man with a biting wit — one that he had no hesitation at leveling at the powers that be, something that he had plenty of opportunity to do as MOP constantly fought to stay afloat.

After graduation, Sherwood joined the Naval Arctic Research Lab in Barrow, Alaska, where he did research dives under the ice wearing only a rubber suit for warmth. He came to the warmer climes of Hawaii in the 70s and never left. For his Ph.D. in oceanography he studied the Cyclothone fish. (It's a deep sea fish and many ichthyologists think the genus contains more individuals, and possibly more weight, than any other genus of fishes in the world.)

"It didn’t seem to matter how many students were benefiting from the program, how many went on to distinguished careers in a marine field, or how many just had their lives enriched by their exposure to hands-on ocean activities, the administration seemed to feel we were expendable," says former UH-Hilo MOP coordinator Walt Dudley. "If it hadn’t been for Sherwood working behind the scenes, going to political fundraisers, chatting up the legislators, we would have been dead in the water."

Sherwood became MOP's director in 1980 and went on to champion undergraduates and an experiential education that made sense. He channeled students into their interests, got them out in the community and, more importantly, into the ocean, whether it was diving in it, studying it, writing about it, or photographing it.

Sherwood's dedication has had a profound effect on Hawaii's marine community and out into the Pacific. One year when MOP was in one of its fights for financial survival, a survey was conducted to discover the percentage of MOP graduates in key agencies such as NOAA, Fish & Wildlife and the state Division of Aquatic Resources.

"Don't let school get in the way of your education," he would say.

"In DAR alone, greater than 50 percent of the employees are MOP graduates," says Athline Clark a former DAR employee, who joined forces often with Sherwood over the years. "I don't remember the

Sherwood was always ready to talk with students, whether it was about dolphin research or coral reefs.

FEBRUARY 2014

specifics in the other agencies, but it is safe to say that MOP graduates make up a good number of the positions in each of these agencies." Under Sherwood's leadership, MOP also launched Hawaii’s unique underwater field schools, QUEST and MAST, the Blue-Water Marine Lab, the Graduate Ocean Policy Certificate and the Maritime Archaeology Symposium. A lot of that work was groundbreaking. "Sherwood was the first to really start the maritime archaeology program in Hawaii," says Hans van Tilburg. When Hans arrived in Hawaii, Sherwood gave him his first job coordinating the new MAST program — there was really no other underwater archaeology work in existence. Since then maritime archaeology as a field has continued to grow and Hans is now maritime heritage coordinator for NOAA's Office of Marine Sanctuaries. "He pushed it like he pushed everything," Hans says. "Over the years he's been consistently foundational in building the human resources and the skills in Hawaii." It was during the start of one of those programs — the Blue-Water Marine Lab — that Sherwood met Elizabeth "Liz" Kumabe. He hired her, but she hastens to add that they didn't start dating until after BML switched over to the auspices of the Waikiki Aquarium. They were married for nearly 20 years. "To me, he was as everybody sees him," she says. "Pretty straightforward, pretty private." Liz says that even when Sherwood came home after work — invariably late — he'd bring work with him, or 8|

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he'd be cutting articles from the newspaper or scientific magazines to share with someone. The couple shared their love of the ocean and enjoyed snorkeling together … nowhere in particular, just preferably where there weren't a lot of other people. "He didn't particularly like crowds," Liz says, laughing to remember how he would even avoid the freeway and drive circuitous back roads if he could. When Sherwood was diagnosed with leukemia in the mid-2000s, then-Seawords editor Emma Anders rallied his expansive network of colleagues, students and friends in making 1,000 origami cranes. The Japanese believe that anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted a wish — Sherwood's supporters wished for his good health. And he beat the leukemia. "He valued those cranes so much," Liz says. When Sherwood retired, the cranes went home with him and a place was found for them to hang, a colorful and poignant reminder of all those good thoughts sent his way. Sadly, in recent years Sherwood's diabetes began to take a greater toll. When word got out that Sherwood was in hospital in December, MOP's Facebook page and his email inbox was filled with tear-jerking messages of support and gratitude. Many people spoke of how they would not be who, what or where they are today without Sherwood. Liz read them all to him; he remembered every person. When Sherwood was cremated, his 1,000 cranes went with him. Initially he was wearing one of his ubiquitous Polo shirts, but at the last Liz decided on something else: he was wearing one of those classic blue MOP polos. 

FEBRUARY 2014

Mop research projects Interviews by Kathryn Lam, Editor

Name – James Henry

Name – Kari Barber

From – Chicago, Illinois

From – Shelton, Wash

Major – Marine Biology

Major – Biology with

Year – Junior

Year – Super Senior

Q A

: Tell me about your MOP research project. What are you doing it on?

: My project was about the setting up and maintaining of a saltwater aquarium. The Biology Department had a 125 gallon aquarium that had a behind-the-back sump and poor lighting. Every time I walked by it I thought 1), the tank is not healthy and 2), I could change that. After talking with Anuschka and Jeff it was decided that I would make it my MOP project. The first thing I did was disassemble the whole tank. I cut out the behind-the-back sump and made two over flow boxes in each corner to make a below-the-tank sump. That way the aquarium would have better filtration.

Q A

: So far, with your research, what has been the most challenging aspect?

: The most challenging thing with the aquarium would have to have been getting the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees) approval. IACUC is in place at the University for research with any vertebrates. Even though I wasn’t doing “research” I was holding and caring for vertebrates. IACUC wants you to spell out every step you are doing for caring for the animals. So what I had to do was explain to them the aquarium set up, how I was going to care for the animals every day. They even wanted to know how I was going to transport the approved fish that I was using in the project. All and all it was a four month process of submitting paper work getting denied and then resubmitting over something as little as making sure the fish wouldn’t have had a “hot transport from the ocean to the school”. The goal for the aquarium was to keep it set up for as long as possible to be an education tool and to show off the diversity of our ocean here in Hawai‘i. But with the Biology Department moving there was no space for the aquarium to go. This resulted in taking the aquarium down for now.

Q A

: What are your plans when you’re are done? Any new research projects?

: As of now I have no new research in my plans.

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Q A

: Tell me about your MOP

Q A Q A

: So far, with your researc

: My MOP research proje sea stars in the Pacific No been seen before in the past, b of sea stars can all succumb to unknowns surrounding the di toxins, natural population con variety of environmental stres and often skips surrounding a Bear Cove south of Bellingham that have the disease. My inten baseline for follow-up surveys Syndrome in Teddy Bear Cove

: The most challenging as beginning of my research camera.

: What are your plans wh

: My plans are to take adv certification at UH and g research projects as of yet.

Those MOP students who wish t taking the necessary ocean relate plans to look If you would like to share y seaw

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

hington Marine Option

P research project. What are you doing it on?

ect centers around the current “wasting disease» that is affecting orthwest, up to British Columbia and even Alaska. The disease has but has not been known to be so virulent. Within 24 hours, groups o the disease and turn into «a pile of goo.» There are a lot of isease, with theories for its presence being due to a virus/bacteria, ntrol following a surge in population three years previously, and a ssors. The disease affects certain species of sea stars in «pockets» areas to hit the next one. I surveyed a remote region called Teddy m Bay in Washington State that is in between known locations nt was either to document the presence of the disease or to set a s. I was happy to find no current evidence of the Sea Star Wasting e of Bellingham Bay in early January 2014.

ch, what has been the most challenging aspect?

spect was dealing with the weather, which was perfect in the h and then became stormy the day I bought an underwater

hen you’re are done? Any new research projects?

vantage of the club membership I received through PADI et out in the ocean with cheap tank rentals. I have no new

to persue a MOP certificate must conduct a research project in addition to ed and interdisiplinary courses required. For the next few issue, Seawords k into a few of the research projects of MOP students. your project or another cool thing you are doing, please email us at: words@hawaii.edu for a chance to be featured. FEBRUARY 2014 |11

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THE YEAR IN Compiled by Kathryn Lam, Editor

REVIEW

Dear Readers, 2013 was a great year for MOP filled with many fun events, although it did have some sadness to accompany (see page 6). Thanks for reading and coming along for the journey. Check out page 30 of this issue for a preview of the year to come!

FEBRUARY 2014

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OCEAN UPDATES Evaporating oceans around the world By Priya Rashid, Assistant Editor

ot too hot, not too cold, but just right. To be present, life and liquid, just like Goldilocks, demand a specific temperature range. Unlike a fairytale, it looks like human influenced climate change and natural phenomenon are causing an oceanic nightmare. We all have heard of the fight against chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and repairing the ozone layer. Most people know the powerful consequences associated with greenhouse gases that absorb and emit radiation in Earth’s atmospheric temperature. Increased emissions are obviously bad. But water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas. That means that increased oceanic evaporation and increased presence of atmospheric water vapor will play a crucial role in shaping our planet’s climate. With these changes comes a huge alteration in weather. According to Dr. Richard Matear, who specializes in atmospheric and marine research with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, “the ocean matters to climate -- it stores 97 percent of the world’s water; receives 80 percent of all surface rainfall, and it has absorbed 90 percent of the Earth’s energy increase associated with past atmospheric warming.” Like in a pool of water, the ripples affect everyone. One example is the coastal area of Bangladesh. Coastal areas commonly used for farming are seeing sharp rises in salinity of the water systems and soil. According to villagers in Mithekhali, Bangladesh the soil is so salty that grass cannot grow. Over half of all of the cows in the village used for agriculture died of starvation leaving the villagers without a way to plow the remaining crops. This combined with increased insect infestation has led to significantly lower crop yields. Fishery stocks have taken huge hits as the salinity spike has inhibited many staple fish such as hilsa shad from spawning. As fish stocks plummeted,

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the rivers also began to dry up. These types of regional issues have erupted around the world causing widespread political and economic unrest. The immediate prognosis does not look good. As the climate change research continues, so do the water Photo Credit: Priya Rashid wars. The global availability of The shores of many countries are freshwater itself is being drastically altered as evaporabeing threatened. tion rates increase. Chandpoor, Bangladesh.

There is mixed news. To start with the bad, Earth’s oceans will inevitably disappear. The upside is it won’t be in our lifetime. Though the ramifications are of increased evaporation rates are serious, people don’t have to worry about stopping their trips to the beach anytime soon. Dr. James F. Kasting, professor of geosciences including atmospheric evolution at University of Pennsylvania explained in a press release that as the sun continues to brighten with time “eventually temperatures will become high enough so that the oceans evaporate.” The research indicates that the oceans may only be around for another billion years, when it was previously thought that this would not occur for four to five billion years. Though that is a long time away in human eyes, in terms of terrestrial habitation, it is right around the corner. Imagine life without Earth’s oceans. Difficult? Near impossible. Earth’s surface has only been habitable for roughly 4.5 billion years and scientists now believe it may only have a precious half billion years left. 

New species found in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most southern ocean By Logan Magad-Weiss, UHM MOP Student

n 2008, a team of marine biologists from the British Antarctic Survey and institutes from seven different nations embarked on a summer research survey of the Amundsen Sea off Pine Island Bay in Antarctica. This is one of the least explored areas of the Southern Ocean because of the large amount of sea ice that is typically there. Thanks to a large decline in the amount of sea ice, the team of researchers were able to sail all the way up to the continental shelf to survey the fauna that reside there. According to Dr. Strugnell, one of the scientists on the team, the site contained troughs and basins, some of which are more than 1,600 meters deep and were formed during previous ice ages. This seclusion and lack of knowledge of the fauna presented a great opportunity to discover new species. During the study 5,469 specimens from 275 species were collected. Many of the specimens that were col-

lected appeared to be new to science, and were sent to experts all over the world to find if they were indeed new species. So far over 30 new species have been discovered, as well as a few species that had not been seen in Antarctic waters previously. According to lead author Katrin Linse, the Amundsen sea shelf was not dominated by large sedentary sponges but rather mobile echinoderms (sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers) and a community of similar species that inhabit on-shelf basins. Also at least 10% of the specimens collected are new to science and this number is likely going to rise with further genetic study. Scientists expect that such a high level of biodiversity in these deep troughs may have been a result of the species taking refuge in them during past periods of glacial expansion. ď Ž

Newport Geographic

Map of Antarctia is by Newport Geographic. The red dot, placed by Seawords indicates where the research took place.

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Fall

MOP Graduation

2013 By Kathryn Lam, Editor

n December 13, MOP celebrated its 85th graduating class in the Campus Center Executive Dining Room at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s campus. There were a total of six graduates. UHM Mānoa MOP Coordinator, Jeff Kuwabara gave the welcoming remarks. He introduced the keynote speaker, Megan Ross, Zoology PhD Candidate and a MOP alum, and her talk entitled “Life After MOP.” “I would not have most of the things in my life if it weren’t for my involvement with the Marine Option Program,” Ross began. She talked about how MOP provided her with many opportunities that helped her with jobs and internships that helped to round out her experience. Ross got a chance to speak at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Australia with her first MOP Coordinator, Donna Brown, and other MOPers there to support her. After the keynote speech, Kuwabara addressed the passing of Sherwood Maynard, the former UH Mānoa MOP Director who frequently quoted the Mark Twain saying, “Don’t let school stand in the way of your

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education.” He then presented the certificates to the two graduates in attendance, Chantel Chang and Koi Lorance, pointing out that these MOP graduates are examples of the students who took this message to heart by seeking learning opportunities outside of the classroom. Chang finished her second degree, a BS in Mathematics as a graduate student. She combined it with ocean conservation in order to get her MOP certificate. She will continue her education attending graduate school with the UH Oceanography department studying biodiversity. “Being in MOP opened up a lot of doors for me,” said Chang. Lorance switched from Marine Biology to Aquaculture, in Interdisciplinary Studies. His next step will be working with hatchetfish in Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i. MOP, Lorance said, is “a very cool network to work with.” Before the closing remarks made by Dr. Cindy Hunter, Director of University of Hawai’i MOP, Kuwabara joked that the ‘P’ in ‘MOP should be replaced by something else as MOP is more of a family than a program. Hunter reinforced the idea, saying “It’s all about the students and then looking into yourself and saying wow, I can do it and then paying it forward and helping someone else.” MOP experiences continue to help students grow even after they graduate and for that they are grateful- as Ross concluded her speech, “the truth about life after MOP is that there is no life after MOP. It just keeps coming.” 

Dr. Cindy Hunter and Jeff Kuwabara with Graduate Koi Lorance

From left to right: Jeff Kuwabara, Megan Ross, Koi Lorance, Chantel Chang, and Dr. Cindy Hunter

Dr. Cindy Hunter and Jeff Kuwabara with Graduate Chantel Chang

Our Graduates EDNA DIAZ-NEGRON, UH HILO- Certificate Title: Marine Microbiology Project Title: Effects of violacein-producing bacteria (VPB) on microzooplankton grazing SYDNEY GAMIAO, UH HILO- Certificate Title: Aquaponics Project Title: Setting up an aquaponics system and teaching aquaponics to sixth graders at Keaukaha Elementary School KRISTINA TIETJEN, UH HILO- Certificate Title: Molluscan Research Project Title: Evidence for a genus of Triphoridae in Hawaii based on scanning electron micrographs of the protoconch CHANTEL CHANG, UH MāNOA- Certificate Title: Mesophotic Reef Studies Project Title: Abundance and Distribution of Macro.benthic Organisms at Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosys..tems Across the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands KOI LORANCE, UH MāNOA- Certificate Title: Aquaculture Research Project Title: The Marine Shrimp Grow out of Litopenaeus vannamei for Instruction and Teaching Purposes JESSICA AUSTIN, KAUA‘I COMMUNITY COLLEGE- Certificate Title: Marine Debris Project Title: Lepe’uli and Waipake Beach Marine Debris Accumulation Surveys

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THE OCEAN SPANS OVER 70 PERCENT OF OUR WORLD.

GENERATION

BLUE

It is responsible for regulating temperature, food production, sustaining numerous marine species, and is a source for inspiration among multiple other things. The ocean gives us so much and it is time for us to return the favor and take actions to make the ocean ecosystem healthy again. Almost every action that we take affects the ocean in some way. Our everyday choices can be tailored to support a healthy ocean. Here are some examples of green acts that will keep the ocean blue.

Actions for the Ocean Kathryn Lam, Editor Priya Rashid, Assistant Editor

With January almost over, most people’s New Year’s Resolultions have been made and broken. This year, Seawords challenges you to try something new for your resolutions. Implement each of the following resolutions at the begining of each month and soon you’ll be green before you know it!

January If you live on the main land, don’t heat on an empty house! During the winter turn your thermostat down to 68° F when you’re at home and 55° at night and while you’re away. This saves energy and money! If this is too chilly, simply turn the thermostat down 2° while you’re at home during the day. To continue this idea into the summer, or in you live in Hawai‘i, turn it up 2°.

February Save on paper and postage by switching to e-cards. With many free templates online, it is an easy way to send some aloha on Valentine’s Day. Also, buying candy and treats in bulk will save on wrapping waste.

March Check tires. Keeping tires properly inflated can save gas. Regular tune-ups and filter changes will increase your miles per gallon

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April

May

June

Wash your clothes in cold water. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 90% of energy used for washing clothes in a conventional top-loading washer is taken up by heating the water. For everyday loads that aren’t heavily soiled, cold or warm water can be just as effective.

Buy a refillable container for your water or morning coffee instead of the plastic bottles or the paper cups at coffee shops. Buy a bottle with a built in filter to utilize tap water if you tend to avoid it because it’s “dirty.” As for the coffee mug, many coffee shops give discounts for bringing your own.

Replace any halogen lamps and incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, which produce less heat and use half the energy. Take it a step further and purchase LED lights which are even more energy efficient than fluorescent bulbs and last much longer!

July

August

September

Choose recycled paper. It actually saves energy! It takes paper companies 60% less energy to produce paper from recycled stock than from scratch.

Use your laptop. Choosing your laptop over your desktop can save up to 75% more electricity.

Reuse scrap paper by printing on two sides or let your kids color on the backside of unimportant, used paper. Now that school is starting up again, it’s a good time to teach your kids how to print double-sided on the printer so that they can also use this idea for their school reports.

October

November

December

Choose TCF or PCF Paper. When buying white paper, select totally chlorine-free (TCF) or process chlorine-free (PCF). Bleaching paper with chlorine produces a dangerous carcinogen called dioxin. Chlorine-free processes use oxygen, hydrogen peroxide or other compounds that do not produce such dangerous byproducts.

Invest in a roasting pan instead of using disposable ones. You’ll save money in the long run plus it’s easier to pull a full ham or turkey out of the oven in a sturdy pan than an aluminum one.

Go green while gift giving by getting creative with the gift wrapping! Perhaps the packaging can be part of the gift itself, or utilize reusable wrapping papers like cloth gift bags, the comics page in the newspaper, or buy a set of holiday boxes to reuse instead of commercial gift wrap.

If you have a suggestion for a green act, email us at seawords@hawaii.edu with subject line Generation Blue to submit your idea. FEBRUARY 2014

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Algal Blooms threaten Coastal Communities As the spring season approaches, algal blooms across the globe are making people and marine ecosystems sicker. By Priya Rashid, Assistant Editor

A Credit: Priya Rashid

s the New Year begins, many people are looking forward to the beauty and growth of the upcoming spring. But residents in coastal areas can find increased prevalence and even toxicity of algal blooms in standing, poorly mixed waters. Blooms occur when a population of (usually unicellular) algae, such as microscopic phytoplankton, begin to rapidly grow in an enclosed or slowly mixed body of water. Often times the water takes on the color of the algae cells as they are so numerous, reaching several million in each teaspoon of water. Because of the diversity of cells that can bloom in these situations (blue-green algae, green algae, diatoms and dinoflagellates for example), water color can range from deep greens to browns to reds.

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Kāne‘ohe Bay, home to the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), was temporary home to phosphorescent algae this past November. It is important to know that some blooms are a part of a natural cycle, yet other blooms are a result of increasing human activity that changes coastal ecosystems. Algae blooms that are predictable and often associated with a particular season tend to do little damage to the marine ecosystem. In fact, such blooms are natural parts of primary productivity; that energy goes up the food chain to herbivores and carnivores- other organisms living in the area. But when algal blooms erupt outside of their usual cycle, those blooms can have dire consequences on entire ecosystems. Such blooms negatively impact the environment and are known as harmful algal blooms (HAB). HABs are also often referred to as red tide because of the distinctive color from dense cell numbers. They can even stink! Harmful algal blooms can impact residents and economies from beach goers to fishermen in many ways. First, many unicellular algae can produce neurotoxins. If present in the food chain, toxins can kill fish, birds, and other marine animals in the area. Consuming seafood contaminated by toxic algae can cause serious illness to humans as well. Beyond toxin production, many algal blooms can deplete poorly mixed waters of the oxygen, also known as anoxia. Anoxia effectively suffocates marine. People in the immediate area then have to live with the decaying “odor” and many suffer from respiratory issues. The local economies suffer as fish stocks decline and visitors begin to avoid the beach. Scientists have been unable to pinpoint exactly what causes an HAB but areas with excess runoff, pollution and increased nutrient presence have much higher incidences of HABs. Areas with agricultural runoff with high amounts of nitrates and phosphates seem to be especially susceptible.

to a bloom of phosphorescent dinoflagellates- a fairly common member of the phytoplankton family. During the day the bloom looked slimy and green but, at night, the water had a phosphorescent glow. Dr. Celia Smith, a Botany Professor at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa told KHON News that “typically, a bloom will come in and manifest itself by changing the water into different color and disappear after a short period of time after the plants exhaust the limiting factor.” However, some places were less fortunate. In 2013 the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie, were plagued with a HAB so big that the green discoloration of the lakes could be seen from outer space. Oregon’s Green Lake saw a resurgence of algae blooms. Public health alerts were broadcasted and placards were posted around the lake warning residents against entering the lake. The Oregon Health Authority issued warnings when Dexter Reservoir, near Eugene, Oregon, was contaminated in 2012. Residents who rely on the reservoir for drinking water were strongly discouraged from drinking the water until the blue-green algae were removed. Officials said that even boiling or filtering the water would not remove all of the toxins. As more people are affected by the increase in algae blooms especially HABs, researchers are looking for ways to combat the phytoplankton problem. Many scientists have recommended better regulation on runoff and pollution but as populations rise and human activity continues it looks like there is still going to be an algal stink in the air.  For more information, visit: http://www.whoi.edu/ redtide/

Not all algae blooms cause destruction though. This past November, Kāne‘ohe Bay was temporarily home FEBRUARY 2014

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ART by Corey Mutnik Corey Mutnik is an exchange student from Florida International University at University of Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;i at Manoa until summer 2014. While he is here, he will design a series of covers as well as provide a selection of photos from the shoot the cover photo came from. Seawords is very excited to have his additions and looks forward to seeing more from this talented photographer!

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Blackfish on Netflix;

SeaWorld experiencing

backlash By Kathryn Lam, Editor

Photo credit: Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP Student Photo of Blackberry also by Shedd.

emember in the August issue of Seawords, there was a movie review for a documentary called Blackfish? Well, the film that started out as a small documentary that only grossed $2.1 million and impacted only a small portion of the population, soon became global when Time Warner made the decision to broadcast Blackfish on CNN. The documentary went viral and celebrities began to tweet about it which caused more people to want to see it. Recently, musicians have been petitioning SeaWorld to

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remove their music from SeaWorld’s many programs. So far, 8 out of 10 planned concerts (Willie Nelson, Heart, Cheap Trick, Barenaked Ladies, REO Speedwagon, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, and .38 Special) have pulled out of playing for the SeaWorld 2014 season. The two remaining artists are Justin Moore and Scotty McCreery. Some of SeaWorld’s subsidiaries like Busch Gardens in Tampa have had problems with artists canceling their performances, too. In a recent Facebook post, Busch Gardens announced that even though the Beach Boys and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo canceled their performances at Bands, Brew & BBQ, they are “committed to bringing [their] guests a great festival.” However, even replacement artists for the eight that canceled, such as Trace Atkins, have declined to come play at the theme park.

Coombs. “It just escalated on them very quickly and I don’t think they anticipated that.”

SeaWorld had not responded to the documentary until last month when they wrote an “open letter” published in several newspapers defending SeaWorld’s record of orca whale care. Blackberry, the orca featured in In the third week of this picture, is a member of the January, SeaWorld Southern Resident Community of released an interim Orca Whales that live around the Despite the decline in ticket sales (starting with 3.6% in the summer when the documentary first came out), financial report San Juan Islands, Washington. that said they SeaWorld at first did not address the claims until late Resident orcas are ones that stay experienced record in one place year round instead of October, four months after the initial release of the documentary on July 19 according to an article written attendance in their migrating like transient orcas. by David Kirby, journalist for The New York Times and fourth quarter and expected to report their highest-ever annual revenue in Huffington Post and Take Part contributor. March. According to a recent NPR report, Timothy Coombs, Criticism has exploded over social media with a communications professor at the University of Blackfish supporters starting to boycott Macy’s, Central Florida in Orlando, said he believes SeaWorld Southwest Airlines, and other companies affiliated with had hoped the controversy would fade. However, SeaWorld. Some, however, like former trainer Kyle this seems not to be the case. To add onto the hoopla Kittleson have come to SeaWorld’s defense. caused by CNN and the initial cinema release of Blackfish, the popular movie streaming website, “As someone who has worked with animals, I can Netflix, is giving its 31 million domestic streaming assure you that they are in the best of hands,” Kittleson accounts a chance to watch Blackfish for free. told NPR. “There is no harm being done to them. There is only the best possible care being provided for “The attention spiked and kept going as more and them.” more music artists began to cancel at SeaWorld,” said Others, like 10-year-old Kirra Kotler might disagree. After watching the film with her father, Kotler persuaded her school to cancel their over-night trip to SeaWorld San Diego. The school plans to replace the trip that they have done for a decade now by taking the students whale-watching.

Tilikum in a scene from BLACKFISH, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Despite all the controversy, SeaWorld has plans for a new orca show to be called “Sea of Surprises” in order to commemorate SeaWorld Orlando’s 50th anniversary. They hope the show will draw in new and bigger crowds for its two year run from 2014 to 2015.  FEBRUARY 2014

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Critter of the Month: 26|

Seawords

Photo by: Erica Donlon, UHM MOP Student

By-the-wind-sailor Scientific name: Velella velella By-the-wind-sailors have sails that are either oriented towards the right or left like some people are right or left handed. A colonial animal, by-the-wind-sailors are made up of many individual polyps, or zooids. They travel in large numbers, up to tens of thousands. In late spring and early summer, winds often blow these critters ashore, covering coastal beaches. The right oriented critters go to the west side of the Pacific while the left oriented ones go east.

Aloha MOPers and Friends of MOP, Seawords is always looking for submissions for Critter of the Month and Ocean Art. If you have photos of cool critters you think should be featured in one of our upcoming issues or have a talent for drawing, painting, or writing please let us know! Subissions are always welcome! Send your critter photos or art piece to seawords@hawaii.edu to be featured and be sent an issue of Seawords in color and a MOP sticker. This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critter photo is by UHM MOP Student Erica Donlon, and yours could be next! FEBRUARY 2014

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SkyTruth

Gulf Spill: Deepwater Horizon incident far from over: Out of sight but not out of mind. The players involved in the BP Oil Spill are still feeling the environmental and financial backlash.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Oscar Garcia / Florida State University. Photo taken June 23, 2010.

By Erik Matousek, UHM MOP Student

he BP oil spill that occurred on April 20th back in 2010 is seemingly, by far, the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. Since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off of the Gulf of Mexico, an estimated 210 million gallons of oil has leaked into the oceans waters, as reported by CNN. Almost four years later, we can still find evidence of the catastrophic spill. Although some say things have “returned to normal” since the event, the harsh reality is that the only thing that has returned to normality is what is visible. Newsweek tells us “the BP disaster has been largely forgotten”; however, it is far from over. When the spill first occured, hundreds of millions of gallons of black crude oil spilled into the coastline, killing many coastal animals and affecting thousands of family businesses. Nearly 12,000 Louisiana residents have filed for unemployment since the spill, says the Daily Green. Tar balls were removed from beaches daily, and many of these beaches had to be closed because of the sheer volume of oil that washed ashore. Companies, mostly those who deal with seafood or other coastal resources, that were affected by the disaster were able to file claims in a “Seafood Compensation Program”, in which the deadline to submit a claim was January 22, 2013. This is an attempt by BP and Deep-

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water Horizon to, in effect, attempt to fix the problems they have caused local business owners. However, the ecological consequences were not so easily treated. The Daily Green reports an estimate of the number of species that were affected by the spill as 400. This includes shrimp, whales, fish, and about 30 marine bird species. Now, however, BP is back in business. The Guardian reports of BP finding a potentially commercial oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, the same spot where the disastrous spill took place just four years before. This is the British company’s first major oil discovery since Deepwater Horizon. During the past four years, BP has fought many legal battles against environmental protection groups, some of whom say BP should not even be allowed to continue its business. At this point, the chance of another disaster like Deepwater Horizon is unlikely, but there are still, as there always are, many skeptics. According to the Huffington Post, BP has already pleaded guilty to 14 criminal charges. One of these charges included lying to congress, needless to say there is some reason behind the skepticism. So far, the company has held compensation programs for those affected by the 2010 spill, but has yet to be proven

A worker cleans up oily waste on Elmer’s Island, just west of Grand Isle, La., May 21, 2010. Hundreds of workers cleaned up oil from the damaged Deepwater Horizon wellhead that finally reached the shore a month after the rig exploded, killing 11 people.

liable for damages. The Daily Green says that there have ben 27 offshore gulf drilling operations that have been approved since the spill, and two of them are now owned by BP. Under the Clear Water act, BP could potentially be fined $1000 per barrel leaked into the waters, and if the presiding federal judge finds that the company acted with “gross negligence”, the fines could jump to $4300 per barrel, also reported by the Huffington Post. The total that BP could be fined amounts to nearly $18 billion in payments Since the spill, BP has tried feverishly to push the event out of the spotlight of blame that so many people recognize them for. They have also put a lot of money into attempting to resolve the environmental turmoil and economical instability that they caused. Advertise-

SkyTruth

DVIDSHUB

Spill-response crews gathering and burning oil in the Gulf of Mexico near the site of the leaking Macondo well. Photo courtesy of Dr. Oscar Garcia / Florida State University. Photo taken June 23, 2010.

ments and settlements have been some of the other ways they have tried to persuade the public into letting them off easy. Even minus the BP spill, 1 billion gallons of oil are still spilled into the ocean each year with normal operation. Environmental disasters like the oil spill “reverberate through the ecosystem”, says Ian MacDonald, who is a professor of oceanography at Florida State University. He also calls this level of disaster ecological echo chambers, and says that we will probably be hearing about this for the rest of our lives. According to CNN, the BP Deepwater Horizon spill is only the second largest spill that has occurred in history, second to one that the Iraqi army released into the ocean during the Gulf War. However, the amount that was spilled varies by source.  FEBRUARY 2014

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The year in preview...

Tour of SEA Semester Ship

Back to School BBQ

Night Snorkel

Location: Bellows Beach Date: Jan. 25th Time: 9:45 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location: Natatorium Date: Feb. 8th Time: 4 p.m.-9 p.m.

Location: Makapu‘u Lighthouse Date: Feb. 23rd Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location: Aoha Tower Date: May 10th Time: Afternoon/TBA

Meet your fellow MOPpers, enjoy the sun, food, and water at Bellows Beach for this year’s Back to School BBQ.

On this trip you will be able to see the ocean during the nighttime at Kaimana Beach.

View humpback whales blow and breach as you participate in an island-wide count on this trip.

Interested in learning about the ocean on the ocean? Come with MOP to take a tour of the Robert C. Seamans SEA Semester ship and see the place you would potentially be learning at.

The BBQ is a potluck, so bring something good to share.

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Humpback Whale Count

Seawords

If you’ve never seen these cetaceans this MOP event is highly reccomended.

Photos courtousy of Christina Wine, UHMC MOP Student

Photos from similar MOP events or places MOP students have been in the past.

Behind the Scenes Tour of Waikīkī Aquarium

HIMB Tour

Tour of NOAA Facilities on Ford Island

Location: Lilipuna Pier Date: March 8th Time: 8:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Location: Ford Island Date: April 2nd Time: 1:45 p.m.-6 p.m.

Attend this event to see the inner workings and various facilities of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology or HIMB.

On this tour we will be look- Come behind the scenes to ing at the new NOAA offices discover the inner workings that just recently moved to of the Waikīkī Aquarium! Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. Have you ever wanted to These photos are from MOP’s work at an aquarium but Fall 2013 tour of the Kilo Mo- wasn’t sure what it would ana be like? Here’s your opportunty to check it out!

Location: Waikiki Aquarium Date: April 26h Time: 10 am-2 pm

Tour of Hi‘ialakai NOAA Research Ship Location: Snug Harbor Date: TBA Time: TBA

The Hi‘ialakai research vessel is used by NOAA in orde to map coral ecosystems, take bio-analysis assessments, and study coral reef health and fish stock. Photos courtousy of Jeff Kelly, former UHM MOP Student.

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Calendar of Events at UH Sea Grant’s Hanauma Bay Education Program Marine Science in East O‘ahu ***Presentations take place in the theater of the Hanauma Bay Education Center, beginning at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday evening. Events are free and open to the public with no charge for parking after 5:30pm***

February Events UH Sea Grant Supported Graduate Student Research Continued

FEBRUARY 6, 2013 He‘eia Fishpond Angela Hi‘ilei Kawelo, Founder & Executive Director, Paepae o He‘eia FEBRUARY 13, 2013 Managing Hawai‘i’s Coasts Leo Ascuncion, Planning Program Manager, Hawai‘i Coastal Zone Management Program FEBRUARY 20, 2013 Got Tang? Development of Culture Methods for Yellow Tang as a Way to Help Conserve Hawai‘i’s Coral Reefs Chad Callan, Research Scientist, Oceanic Institute FEBRUARY 27, 2013 To be Announced For more information or questions please contact: Hanauma Bay Education Program 100 Hanauma Bay Rd. Honolulu, HI 96825 Phone: (808) 397-5840 Email: hanauma@hawaii.edu http://hbep.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/

FLASHBACK: 1988 MOP students and UH Aquanauts come together to clean up and dive in Hanauma Bay. A list of talks that are taking place this month at Hanauma Bay can be found above.

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February

MOP & Community Events

Sun.

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs. Fri.

Sat.

Also this month: Tour of Hi’ialakai NOAA Research Ship Date & Time: TBA

QUEST Limu ID Class Dean Hall, 104 6-9:00 pm

8 Day/Night Snorkel Natatorium 4-9:00 pm

QUEST ID Exam Dean Hall, 104 6-9:00 pm

President’s Day NO SCHOOL

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University of Hawai`i at Mﾄ］oa Seawords, Marine Option Program College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Address Service Requested

Thank you for reading!