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How many animals and plants live in the ocean?

November 21, 2008 by 1 Comment

(Please note: This post does not give an exact answer to the question.)

It is comparable to the amount of stars in the sky. Especially if you think that 95% of the world’s oceans are unexplored.

That is why in 2000 a huge census of what lives in the ocean started. The Census of Marine Life brings together more than 2,000 scientists from 82 countries try to answer the question. Every so often a report card of their progress is unveiled to the public – and the latest one was this month. It is great – they are always finding new wacky stuff.

Currently, there are about 230,000 known marine creatures that have gone through the process of becoming legitimately described as “unique”. Since 2003 the Census of Marine Life has discovered more than 5,000 new living creatures – But, 111 have been processed as new and unique creatures! The scientists are making remarkable progress.

Here is a brief list of some of the new wacky stuff they have found:

  • An octopi that lives in the deep-sea – unusual since lacks an ink sack like other octopi – you don’t need to ink in the dark, right?
  • Sea stars and sea spiders larger than a bread box.
  • A completely blind lobster species with very unique antennae used for feeling.
  • A brand new orange and black stripped shrimp that lives off the coast of Africa.

This is a link to the most recent progress report – 24 pages – great pictures!

http://www.coml.org/pressreleases/highlights08/coml_highlightsReport08-sm.pdf

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Biodiversity

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: , , , ,

Action Project Ideas: Garden & Garage (2 of 5)

November 8, 2017 by Leave a Comment

One idea I had when I started this website almost ten years ago was that I wanted to make science simple and accessible. I hope I have created a place where questions on anything from barnacles to whales can be answered in a knowledgeable no-nonsense or overly jargon tone. My secondary goal has also been to create awareness about ocean-related issues which would lead into actions. Maybe you like watching movies and visiting the shore and understand that there is concern for the ecosystem.

What I have now for the month of November is a series of posts on quick and useful actions you can take in the kitchen, bath, laundry, garage, during the holidays, and around your community to change behaviors and lessen your impact. If you are planning to get a conversion job done on your garage, it might be better to go with  hiring a professional. Serious tasks require serious professionals and having the cost estimate spot on is a must. QuoteCheck is a good place for that if you are in the UK. Making these projects will not be possible if you don’t have the right tools, best check for online resources like https://occupythefarm.org to guide you in choosing the right tools for your needs. Each one features products that are tried, true, and tested but I am not being paid. Please read, share, and feel free to comment if you have other strategies.

  1. Xeriscape (native plants reduce the need to water): Find the local USDA extension agent and see what would work best in your area. Maybe no plants and just do rocks!
  2. Use a rain barrel in the garden. You can convert any giant tub-like container into a decent water barrel with a conversion kit.
  3. Consider alternatives to pressure-treated wood on the patio.
  4. Pull weeds or use natural herbicides: Commercial fertilizers are unregulated and may contain toxic wastes.
  5. Do not dump hazardous materials (e.g., oil, grease, antifreeze, pesticides, fertilizers, paints).
  6. When it’s dirty take the car to a professional car washer (doing it yourself wastes about 150 gallons of water).

All of the Action Project Ideas:

If you’re already a regular subscriber – thank you! If not, please take the time to add your email address to the subscribe option at the top of the right hand column. Don’t forget to follow on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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

So you think you want to be a marine biologist?

October 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Have you ever watched an epic movie about the sea and dreamed of being a “marine biologist” or “oceanographer”? Have you ever had thoughts after that thought about … what is the difference between a “marine biologist” and “oceanographer”? Marine biology, or the study of life in the sea, is actually just one branch of the oceanography tree. Oceanography is the larger discipline of describing and recording the contents and processes of the ocean. There are four branches of oceanography. Check out the difference below:

  • If you are a chemical oceanographer you might study (but, are not limited to …): the sea’s oxygen levels and their impact on marine life; toxic dumping; vents on the ocean floor; rainfalls.
  • If you are a physical oceanographer you might study (but, are not limited to …): oil spills and their travel patterns, ocean currents, alternative power, beaches, and shorelines.
  • If you are a marine geologist you might study (but are not limited to …): maps the ocean floor, volcanoes, trenches, abyssal plains, and helps predict the continental drift.
  • If you are a biological oceanographer (e.g., marine biologist) you might study (but, are not limited to …): ocean plants, animals, and all other sea life (i.e., bacteria!).

So, where do you fit in to all of these? Take this fun and informal online quiz from the New Hampshire Sea Grant to see which branch of oceanography would suit you best. My results are below! Go figure the “related fields” includes education.

What was your score? Anything surprising?

Filed Under: Oceanography, People, Science Communication Tagged With: , , , ,

Osprey platforms: Foundations that helped a comeback

June 30, 2015 by 1 Comment
For more pictures from the osprey banding trip check out https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachchairscientist/sets/72157654936373085

For more pictures from the osprey banding trip check out https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachchairscientist/sets/72157654936373085

Those huge platforms along the causeways are there for a very important reason. Osprey build their nests on them. They’ll also build their nests on any open platform free from predators and near shallow water. But, the man-made platforms have really help to bring back populations of osprey after their sharp decline in numbers due to DDT.  Each year the huge raptors, also known as “fish hawks” because 99.9% of their diet is fish, wait until after the water thaws to build a nest. Since the winter was so long this year along the Mid-Atlantic many of the birds just made their nests in March/April. With an incubation period of just over a month and the young needing just about two months before they take off from the nest it was a perfect time to follow along with Greg Kearns of Patuxent River Park in Upper Marlboro, MD, as he banded juvenile osprey (don’t worry, he has a permit for this kind of thing).

Osprey are banded at a young age to help determine their migration patterns, life expectancy, as well as reasons for mortality. The band that is placed on the young is very light weight and has not hindered their ability to catch food. I am incredibly grateful for his time and dedication to his efforts in conservation and education. Thank you for your enthusiasm and sharing your knowledge with the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association late last month. Here are some more interesting facts learned along the way:

  • As with all birds of prey these birds have very sharp talons. But, the osprey have a reverse talon making it easy for them to grasp their prey with two toes in the front and two from behind.
  • The male usually scopes out the spot for the nest to be built several days before the arrival of the female.
  • Osprey are asynchronous incubators and do not hatch all at once. The female typically lay four eggs but usually one two survive. While they do share food distributed by their mother the oldest one dominates.
  • The hunts for food for the mother and young and before he returns to the nest with food he’ll eat about one-third of the fish. Hunting for fish does burn a lot of calories after all. The mother and young will eat the rest of the fish, but seem to not favor the gut of the fish. The adults generally need about 300 grams of fish per day.
  • There is a 40-50% chance of survival for the young. The average age of an osprey is 8-10 years old. The oldest tracked osprey was found to be 33 years old.
  • Their nests are made of sticks from the surrounding marsh plants, as well as animal hide or even litter such as plastic bags.
  • Young osprey have orange eyes that turn brown as they get older.

If you live near shallow water and want to build a platform there are several plans available here: http://www.osprey-watch.org/learn-about-osprey/build-an-osprey-nest/.

To watch a pair of osprey raising their young during this nesting season from the comfort of your own screen check out the Patuxent River Park’s Osprey Cam here:  http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Nature/Patuxent_River_Park.htm.

Filed Under: Birds, People Tagged With: , , ,

Maryland moves closer to banning microbeads

March 13, 2015 by 1 Comment
Plastic microbeads on a penny. Photo credit: 5Gyres

Plastic microbeads on a penny. Photo credit: 5Gyres

Reported on the Baltimore Sun’s B’More Green  blog, “Consumer products such as toothpaste and cosmetic scrubs containing tiny plastic “microbeads” could be banned from store shelves in Maryland after 2018 under a bill unanimously approved Thursday by the state Senate”. These means that if the bill passes the House, “Maryland will be the second state after Illinois to order a phase-out of the manufacture or sale of consumer products containing the beads”.

What is a microbead? It’s a tiny particle of plastic that never break down. What’s incredibly harmful is that they are being drained into local streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, and ocean and affecting our waterways. There are over 50 products on the shelves in the US that contain harmful microbeads! Find a list of products sold in the United States that contain microbeads (i.e., polythene) here.

Here is some alarming information on the microbeads, marine debris, and our ocean trash in general.

  1. A single tube of facial cleanser can contain over 3000,000 microbeads.
  2. More than 450,000 microbeads per square kilometer were found in some parts of Lake Erie.
  3. In the ocean there are approximately 5.25 trillion plastic particles.
  4. For every foot of coastline there is approximately five grocery bags filled with plastic, according to estimates in 2010.
  5. Six continents have microfibers washing up on their shores.
  6. Shores near sewage treatment plants have the highest concentration of microfibers washing up.
  7. Nearly 275 million tons of plastic waste was generated by coastal countries in 2010 — and that 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of that plastic made its way to the oceans.
  8. Each year, 8.8 million tons of plastic goes into the oceans.
  9. The estimate for 2015 is 9.1 million metric tons.
  10. On average, Americans use 220 pounds of plastic per year.
  11. 17% of all marine animals impacted by manmade debris are threatened or near threatened.
  12. Trash will likely increase tenfold over the next decade.
Filed Under: Conservation, Marine Debris, Ocean, Ocean Conservation

Jellyfish protein help create glow-in-the-dark ice cream

November 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Looks like seaweed isn’t the only ocean organism used to make ice cream a special treat these days, particularly if its glow-in-the-dark ice cream. Charlie Francis, British ice cream creator, partnered with a Chinese scientist interested in understanding the nuances of jellyfish proteins, to synthesize the fluorescent jellyfish protein specifically for use as part of an ice cream flavor. Francis and his partner recreated the luminescent protein to construct a specialized calcium-activated protein that only glows in the dark once you lick it. And, the more you lick it the more it glows. No jellyfish were harmed in the making of this ice cream flavor. Is it safe to taste? Francis tasted it and said “I tried some and I don’t seem to be glowing anywhere” How much is a scoop? $220. Would you try it?

la-dd-glow-in-the-dark-jellyfish-ice-cream-201-002

Check out the ‘Lick Me, I’m Delicious’ Facebook page to learn more about all of Francis’ creations here: https://www.facebook.com/lickmeimdelicious

Under normal, non-dairy related circumstances, jellyfish protein glow when the photoprotein aequorin interacts with seawater to produce a light (i.e., green florescent protein or GFP). Why do animals and plants glow in the dark? Find out here.

gfp2_conncolldotedu

GFP was first described in 1955.

Filed Under: Cnidaria, Jellyfish or Jellies, People, Random Fun!

Earth Day, Every Day

April 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I tend to be a little quiet and not post often in April. With Earth Day as a central theme for so many organizations this month, what more can I offer? Well, I can share 50 simple ways to make Earth Day, Every Day! These small actions will have you thinking more about how we’re affecting our oceans and local waterways and get you thinking about the animals and plants that live in marine ecosystems. Feel free to comment below with any questions you may have so I can be the Beach Chair Scientist and “bring a simplified perspective to your beachcombing inquiries”. Have a lovely weekend!

EarthDayEveryDay_BCS

For more ways to live (and die) “green” check out http://beachchairscientist.com/2012/04/15/100-ways-to-live-and-die-green/

Filed Under: Environmental Education

A Scientist’s Inspiration

March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Ryan K Morris/National Science & Technology Medals Foundation.

Ryan K Morris/National Science & Technology Medals Foundation.

For Dr. Penny Chisholm, a single look into the microscope as an undergraduate student set off a chain of events that led to a lifetime of work, important new research changing our understanding of the oceans and, just recently, an honor from President Obama at the White House.

The Lee and Gerldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Chisholm recently shared her thoughts with Beach Chair Scientist on her recent National Medal of Science Award and her research work. She also discusses her work as children’s book author, even sharing her cure for writer’s block.

BCS: You described your recent National Medal of Science Award as a high point of your career and a thrill – something you probably couldn’t have imagined when you were an undergraduate. What first sparked your interest in microbial oceanography?
CHISHOLM: I first viewed phytoplankton under a microscope as an undergraduate at Skidmore College.  I found them beautiful and fascinating.  After a few detours, my studies in graduate school focused on a single species of phytoplankton called Euglena, which is one of the “lab rats” among the phytoplankton. I used it to begin to understand (literally) how these cells get through their day.  But I soon realized that the oceans held enormous challenges and studying them would broaden my horizons. So I sought a post-doc at Scripps Oceanographic Institution to where I studied phytoplankton in the wild.

BCS: After receiving word of your award, you told the MIT newspaper that the honor was particularly gratifying because Phytoplankton had been under-noticed despite being the base of the ocean’s foodweb. That said, what has the medal meant to you in terms of the exposure both for the marine microbiology field and for your research?
CHISHOLM: The Medal came as a complete surprise.  It is not something that is common in my field as it is relatively small compared to some others that are highly represented among the Medalists.  I feel that I accepted the award on behalf of the many oceanographers who have pushed our field forward in leaps and bounds over the past decade.  In addition, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has generously funded Marine Microbiology for the past 8 years, which has made a tremendous difference in what we have been able to discover.

BCS: For those of us who aren’t in the field, what should we know about this microorganism and why is it so important in helping us get a better understanding of our planet?
CHISHOLM: Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that form the base of the food chain in lakes and oceans. Through photosynthesis- in which they use the sun’s energy to build organic carbon (living matter) from carbon dioxide gas drawn from the air –  they produce the food for all of the other organisms in the ecosystem, from small zooplankton on up to fish. They draw as much CO2 out of the atmosphere each year, and produce as much oxygen, as all the plants on land.  As such they play an important role in balancing the global carbon cycle, which in turn has an influence on Earth’s climate.

My research for the past 25 years has been on a single species of phytoplankton called Prochlorococcus. It is the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic cell on Earth, and is responsible for a sizable fraction of photosynthesis in the oceans.

BCS: Were there any particular people – in or out of science — who helped and encouraged your interest in science at an early age? How so? What’s your message to young people considering getting into the field today?
CHISHOLM: My interest in science grew slowly as I went through school.  I think the most significant step was when my undergraduate advisor at Skidmore College mentioned to me that I could get a PhD if I wanted to. It had never occurred to me.  I loved studying, so that sounded a lot better than getting a job after I graduated.  I was also drawn to science as a “way of knowing”.  I remember being impressed by the idea that you could make measurements and do experiments, and write the results up in a publication and people would believe you.  I think I found appealing the idea of science as a platform for being heard.  Perhaps growing up in the ’50s- when women’s voices did not carry much weight – influenced me in that regard.

BCS: You’re also the author of two children’s books. What if any similarities exist in your work as an author and as a scientist?
CHISHOLM: Working on the children’s books has helped me learn how to boil concepts down to their very essence.  The truth is that we made these books with the hope that not only children, but parents and teachers would learn from them.  The books, which are narrated by the Sun, cover some very fundamental concepts about life on Earth and our dependency on plants and photosynthesis,  that most people do not understand.  I believe that if we all share this understanding, along with a sense of awe about life on our planet, we will have more respect for all of life on Earth and our dependency on it.

BCS: What’s next for you as a writer?
CHISHOLM: I have a few things on my plate.  The most immediate is third children’s book with Molly Bang, called “Buried Sunlight”.  It is about fossil fuels, how they were made over the history of the Earth, and how burning them in a few hundred years time is changing the planet.

BCS: Do scientists get writers block, too – if so, how do you tackle it?
CHISHOLM: Of course!  What I do is go for a walk.  That usually removes the block, and, more importantly, opens new channels.

To learn more about Dr. Chisholm’s research, visit http://chisholmlab.mit.edu, and see her children’s books, Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring Earth to Life and Living Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas.

Filed Under: Environmental Education, Plants

PBTs leach from our junk, build up in blubber of marine mammals

March 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

bioaccumulation_ecokids.caIt’s a harsh reality, but even our choice of phone case or mattress may not be an easy one if we’re concerned with how we affect our environment. In this 5th installment of “We affect what goes in our watershed” (see posts on fertilizers, marine debris, petroleum, and pharmaceuticals), it’s all about PBTs (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic) chemicals and how they are a silent threat to many marine mammals, and other top predators in the sea. These toxic threats get processed into their blubber and vital organs by way of bioaccumulation (see image). Susan Shaw, Director of Marine Environmental Research Institute, recently published that the bioaccumluation of North Atlantic harbor seals and noted that “at very high exposures PBTs can impair a mammal’s immune system, making it less capable of fighting off deadly diseases”.

What are the sources of these toxins?

  • Mattresses, upholstery foam, and the plastic casings for electronics
  • From the air or washed down the drain from foam, plastic, or fabric slough off our beds, couches, curtains, and televisions
  • Leaked from manufacturing plants, runoff from cropland, or leach out of landfills.

Positive news is that manufacturers and importers agreed in 2010 to a phase-out of materials using these substances in 2010, declaring that sales will completely be irradiated at the end of 2013. In the meantime, here’s a list from the Environmental Working Group on how to reduce the exposure of the chemicals in your home, also I found a list of PBTfree products for home construction and cars from INFORM  that .

I guess the question is now, what are some things that we can do to remind our family, friends, and  neighbors that what we put in our drains and local waterway matters to the entire ocean ecosystem?

Filed Under: Environmental Education, Marine Mammals, Ocean Conservation, People