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We need to March for the Ocean! Earth is unbalanced and it’s the ocean’s fault

May 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I am a volunteer for the Illinois Ocean Coalition. This is a new position for me – as my family and I recently relocated from the Washington, D.C. area to the Chicagoland area. One question I get a lot now is “You know there isn’t an ocean in Illinois, right?” As a biology and earth science teacher, I am very much aware of this. But, my role is to lead an Illinois chapter of the Inland Ocean Coalition. The Inland Ocean Coalition is based in Boulder, CO and acts as the parent organization for local Ocean Coalition chapters all around the country. Each chapter works to engage citizens in land-to-sea stewardship projects because the ocean is vital for all our lives, no matter where we live – even inland in Illinois.

The ocean is often a dynamic presence in our minds because we find inspiration in it, we watch our children test boundaries and commit to adventure by playing in it, and we find peace and relaxation listening to it. And, as you might have guessed, I will mention it’s important because we can get loads of seafood from the ocean. In fact, it’s the largest source of protein for most of the planet. Even if we don’t eat food from the ocean – it sustains us all. There are tiny microscopic plants – phytoplankton – that float on the surface of the sea that are responsible for 50% to 70% of the oxygen for the atmosphere. That’s more than all the rainforest combined. Additionally, if it were not for the ocean absorbing a majority of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere we would have a completely inhabitable planet. That’s right, if it were not for the ocean we would not be able to live on the planet at all. And, furthermore, the reason for such diverse and majestic ecosystems to explore – e.g., desert, tropics, polar, temperate regions – is that the ocean creates a conveyor belt, moving the warm water along the equator towards the poles and then the cold water from the poles to the equator.

Why is there such a harsh uptick in the concern for our planet? How we interact with the planet has drastically been altered in the last century and a half – for the better and for worse. Activities that our modern lives have depended upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years (International Panel on Climate Change, Fifth Assessment). This change in our climate due to the industrialization of society is causing harm to our ocean and we now have a “system of unbalance” risking our own livelihoods and health.

The ocean is responsible for so much greatness on the planet because it is such a great part of our planet. You might remember from high school physics that energy is neither created nor destroyed — in a closed system. Earth – as a whole – is a “closed system”. The earth as a closed system only allows energy (i.e., from the sun) across boundaries. The ocean, on the other hand, is an “open system”. Open systems allow energy and mass to pass across boundaries (e.g., where do you think the salt comes from? The erosion of rocks brings salt and is an example of this “open system” mechanism). Anything we do in our daily lives affects the ocean and creates a less habitable and tolerable “closed system” of earth.

The Union for Concerned Scientists credits climate change for the addition of six dangerously hot days in the Chicago summers as well as a loss of cool comfortable days from 17 to nine. Other alarms for the Midwest include springs with heavier rain; winters becoming longer, colder, and less snowy; and an expansion of crop-damaging pests. Projections are that by “mid-century Chicago would experience a heat wave as hot as the 1995 Chicago heat wave every summer at least every fifth summer.” Beyond environmental conditions, climate change is also affecting social issues such as drinking water, secure shelter, and clean air. These health concerns, according to the World Health Organization, may cause 250,000 deaths from 2030 to 2050 and cost the U.S. $2-4 billion annually by the year by 2030.

Citizens from around the country, not just the coastlines, are being activated by lots of different organizations that we all know and love – Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Federation, to work on strategies for reversing the adverse effects of climate change. But, specifically speaking to how climate change and the ocean are linked for those of us inland is the Inland Ocean Coalition. The Inland Ocean Coalition, a program of The Ocean Foundation since 2017, is committed to engaging inland communities in land-to-sea stewardship. Climate change, ocean acidification (the ocean’s mechanism for dealing with an increase in heat), microplastics, water quality, sustainable seafood are just a few of the education items on the current agenda for the Inland Ocean Coalition.

The Illinois Ocean Coalition is YOUR local chapter dedicated to increasing knowledge and an awareness of the relationship with local waterways and the ocean as well as motivating collective action and changing behavioral norms. Current programs include ongoing second Tuesday “Blue Drinks” events. The next “Blue Drinks” event features with featuring Madeline Caldwell with Shedd Aquarium on June 12th (7pm) at Buzz Café (905 S Lombard Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304) speaking on sustainable seafood choices and the “Shedd the Straw” campaign.

The Illinois Ocean Coalition is also working with ocean organizations from around the globe to celebrate the ocean on the weekend of World Oceans Day. The March for the Ocean events are a celebration of the sea (from sea to shining sea) and remind all that it’s not too late to turn the tide to protect and help restore what we love. The Illinois Ocean Coalition is planning events including a children’s event at the Wonderworks Children’s Museum (1009, 6445 W North Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302) on Friday, June 8th (10am-noon); beach clean-ups at Calumet Park on June 9th (8am-11am) and Loyola Beach on June 10th (8am-11am)

The Illinois Ocean Coalition is committed to bringing programming to Illinoisans of all ages. For more information about these events or if you would like to participate in the Illinois Ocean Coalition, please email Ann McElhatton at ann@beachchairscientist.com. Illinois Ocean Coalition is also on Facebook (/illinoisoceancoalition/). Ann McElhatton is co-lead of the Illinois Ocean Coalition and founder of the marine and freshwater environmental education program and website, Beach Chair Scientist.

Filed Under: Conservation, Environmental Education, Inspiration, Marine Debris, Ocean, Ocean Conservation, People, Places Tagged With: , , , ,

A naturalist’s must-see destination: Cape May County (and, the rest of south Jersey)

April 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

Earlier this year I was happy to see that the federal government had awarded New Jersey a $1 million grant to protect the ecologically sensitive wetlands in Cape May County (“Where Nature Smiles for 30 Miles” and where my hometown is located). The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will use the money to purchase 140 acres to add to the existing 17,000-acre Cape May Wetlands Wildlife Management Area. These wetlands are not only where I fell in love with the natural world, but are also home to many species of migratory birds and act as a nursery for many commercially important species of fish that spawn in the estuaries.

So with a combination of my pride in the DEP’s award and my feelings that an ‘ode to home’ in the Where We Live series is long overdue, I decided to take the time to compile a list of “10 unique and interesting natural history or maritime features of south Jersey”. I am sure there are plenty more out there, so please feel free to comment below or send me an email at info@beachchairscientist.com if you have any additional comments or questions.

1. South Jersey sits to the east of the Delaware Bay. The Delaware Bay boasts the second-highest concentration of shorebirds in North America (second to Quivira, Kansas which is mid-point in the United States). The Bay is mid-point in travel for many birds that travel from the warm weather of South America up to the Arctic. The Bay is also a perfect wintering habitat for many species of songbirds and waterfowl.

2. The world’s largest population of Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) spawn in Delaware Bay.

3. At the entrance of the Delaware Bay is the Cape May Lighthouse, built in 1859, which documents the beginning of Cape May County’s nautical history. There is also the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, built in 1874, on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Cape May County peninsula in North Wildwood. Speaking of Cape May, the famous Cape May diamonds people have been looking for since the 1880’s are actually quartz crystals that wash up as smooth rock.

4. At 3800 Boardwalk Mall in Wildwood you can see the 43rd Wyland Whaling Wall, “Humpbacks off the Jersey Coast” (pictured right). Wyland is known as “one of America’s most unique creative influences, and a leading advocate for marine resource conservation”.

5. The A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey’s official Tall Ship, began life as a sailing schooner built for oystering,  but was commandeered during World War II to serve as a fireboat on the Delaware Bay.

6. The Stone Harbor Point is one of the few parcels of New Jersey’s coast that has not been stabilized (86% of the shoreline has been stabilized) leaving a remarkable wide open space that has been shaped (and reshaped) by waves and tides for centuries. It also has one of the last thickets of bayberry left on New Jersey’s coast.

7. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine has the impressive achievement of responding to over 3,900 strandings of whales, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles (all, of course, done with a permit and authorization from the state and federal governments).

8. In south Jersey you’ll also find the Pine Barrens, a distinctive natural area spanning over  1 million acres of the Outer Coastal Plain (pictured left) in southern and central New Jersey. Dr. Witmer Stone, an early New Jersey natural scientist described the area as “always sandy and thickly covered with more or less scrubby vegetation, interspersed with swamps and infested by hordes of mosquitoes”. This area is particularly prone to fires and some species, such as the rare pygmy Pitch Pine, have become adapted to the fires and count on the fires to reproduce. The sandy soil of the Pine Barrens is sometimes referred to as sugar sand.

9. Blueberries were officially named the state fruit in 2004. New Jersey produces the second most blueberries in the world (Maine is first). Hammonton is considered the “Blueberry Capital of the World”.

10. After the federal government designated the Outer Coastal Plain as an American Vinticultureal Area, south Jersey started up on the wine trend! Now south Jersey has more than 20 fully functioning wineries and vineyards.

As Jacques Cousteau said, “People protect what they love“. I am sure you can tell from this blog that I do love the ocean. This love no doubt came from growing up in south Jersey and spending time everyday at the beach or the nearby Bay.  Here’s a poem I wrote (almost 12 years ago) about the area. I hope you’re inspired to learn about the natural history of your own area – especially on this upcoming Earth Day weekend.

Cheers!

Filed Under: Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, Beach, Biodiversity, Places Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A naturalist’s must-see destination: Chesapeake Bay

November 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Map of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Image via Wikipedia

This is a continuation on the “Where we live” series. The Chesapeake Bay has undergone similar changes to the San Francisco Bay as the population increased along its shores. As the largest estuary in North America (not the longest, which is the Indian River Lagoon in Florida), it is not surprising that the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay flows through six states and covers an area of 64,000 square miles. Flowing from the watershed and into the Bay are over 124,000 miles of rivers and streams!

Due to the relatively shallow average depth of the Bay (at nearly 21 feet) the sun can reach the bottom easily and makes for a productive ecosystem. Just about 40% of the nation’s blue crab commercial blue crab harvest comes from the Chesapeake Bay. Nearly, 300 hundred species call the Bay their home during some part of their life cycle. Birds have come to rely on the diverse community for sustenance while making their way along the Atlantic Flyway.

As I mentioned above, the Bay has undergone changes in recent history. These changes have been rather unfavorable as more and more people flock to the the shores of the Bay, disturbing the natural balance.  The Chesapeake Bay Program is an organization leading the way it the restoration efforts and is often seen as the model on how to mitigate the effects of man and maintain a healthy existence of man and nature.

Filed Under: Places