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Why are our seas collapsing?

May 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

ReUseThisBag.com and oBizMedia.com have come together to produce a powerful infographic outlining 8 threats to the ocean (overfishing, whaling, factory fishing, global warming, pollution, factory fishing, bycatch, and pirate fishing). Creator Samantha Sanders did a phenomenal job designing the infographic with rich and vivid images detailing supporting evidence such as the destruction of coral reefs and the global decline of the tuna population. For instance, “There are 109 countries with coral reefs. Reefs in 90 of them are damaged by cruise ships anchors and sewage, by tourists breaking off chucks of coral, and by commercial sales to tourists.” Please share and feel free to comment your thoughts on the ‘Collapsing Seas’ infographic.

Filed Under: Ocean Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Spend your tax refund at United by Blue!

April 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

United by Blue is an organization that is dedicated to making and seeing a difference in our world, with particular attention on the oceans.  Brian Linton started the company in May of 2010 and sells amazing apparel, jewelry, and bags and makes certain to remove 1 pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways for every product sold. So far they’ve removed over 83,380 pounds of trash from our seas. As they state on their Blue Movement page they’re, “Dedicated to preserving and protecting our world’s oceans and waterways for our own and for future generations.  We are scuba divers, fisherman, and sailors. We are educators, activists, and businesspeople. Most importantly, we are all passionate, and we all understand our dependence on the world’s oceans and waterways“.

Review the website for products and more background on topics and issues such as shark finning, sustainable fishing, and coral reefs. Check out the Lookbook for the very chic, fun, and stylish products featured this spring/summer. (You can even purchase gift cards for friends and family!)

One more thing, one of their interns, Lauren, created an attractive infographic about where our plastic bottles go after we either toss or recycle. She points out that even if a plastic bottle is recycled the tosser isn’t that altruistic as we may have once thought (water bottles are always an option). Enjoy, share, and please feel free to comment (Oh, and shop!).

Filed Under: Ocean, People, Random Fun! Tagged With:

April is National Frog Month

April 1, 2012 by 2 Comments

Yes, that is correct – April is National Frog Month. However, this is not a post about the amphibian, but is all about the frogfish! Contrary to popular belief, it’s easy being green if you’re a frogfish. First of all, you can change colors from green to black, or red, or orange, or yellow, or brown, or white, or purple, or even blue! These colors help the frogfish mimic corals, sponges, algaes, or even rocks. Often a trusting fish become prey all too easily as they go to hide in the ‘coral’ or ‘rock’ only to then get eaten by the frogfish that has transformed . Frogfish gobble up their prey in 6 milliseconds. Frogfish actually have the fastest mouth in the sea. Their mouth is able to expand 12 times its size and they can easily eat prey 25 percent longer. They’re opportunistic and eat whenever possible. They tend to feast on smaller fish, crustaceans, or even other frogfish!

Another amazing mechanism of the frogfish is an antenna that dangles from their head. They’ll mimic the actions of a smaller animal (e.g., a worm or shrimp) with this antenna so that their own prey will swim right up to them. Don’t worry though, the lure will regenerate if eaten.

Frogfish do not have a swim bladder, but do have modified pectoral fins enabling them to ‘walk’ along the seafloor. See the video below to see this in action.

Frogfish live in the tropical and subtropical areas in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

It is the original footage from these hairy frog fish walking on the sand was made by Daan van Wijk in Indonesia. These scenes are from the movie Impressionesia”.

Filed Under: Algae (Seaweeds), Animal Homes, Bony Fishes, Crustaceans, Fish Tagged With: , , , ,

10 justifications ocean acidification is a serious concern

March 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Ocean acidification (OA) is the process by which the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2). This process creates chemical reactions that reduce 1) seawater pH, 2) carbonate ion concentration, and 3) saturation states of biologically important calcium carbonate minerals (the minerals floating within the water column that many shellfish absorb to create stronger shells).

Here are 10 reasons OA is a serious concern. Keep in mind the science community has just begun to scratch the surface of OA impacts to the marine ecosystem and new findings are always being revealed.

  • OA is one of the greatest threats to marine biodiversity. Of particular concern are coral reefs which are the habitat of at least a quarter of all marine species.
  • Many marine organisms (e.g., reef building corals, shellfish) that produce calcium carbonate shells or skeletons are adversely affected by the increased absorption of CO2 levels and decreasing pH in seawater. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, “The effect is similar to osteoporosis, slowing growth and making shells weaker”.
  • Reef building corals, a ‘framework species’, are one species greatly affected by coral bleaching (a result of OA). Coral reefs are being destroyed twice as fast as rainforests. This is significant considering over $6.5B and 63,000 jobs are connected with tourism of the Great Barrier Reef.
  • Abnormally low pH levels in the seawater off the West coast of the US may be attributed to “near total failures of developing oysters in both aquaculture facilities and natural ecosystems”.
  • Before people started burning coal and oil, the pH of the ocean was essentially stable for the previous 20 million years. However, science predicts that by 2100 (less than 100 years!) OA will more than double if CO2 emissions continue at their current rate.
  • The ocean is absorbing the CO2 we are spewing into the atmosphere at the rate of, “22 million tons per day“.
  • The last time the world’s oceans acidified quickly (approximately 6.8 trillion tons of carbon entered the atmosphere over a period of 10,000 years) many deep-sea species went extinct. The cause is not known, but the result was a rise in temperature at least 5-9°C.
  • Strategies needed to combat OA are similar to those that are needed to combat global warming. In fact, OA is known as the evil twin of global warming.
  • To help combat OA you should conserve energy at every opportunity. This could include using the most efficient fuels for cars, trucks, airplanes, and ships.
  • According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “OA has the potential to seriously threaten the future health of the world’s oceans and the significant economic benefits they provide to humankind”.

This illustration depicts how less emissions can combat the effects of ocean acidification. 

Filed Under: Biodiversity, Coral Reef Ecosystems, Crustaceans, Mollusks, Ocean Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

EE, Ocean, & Water Conservation Infographics

It’s no secret that a picture speaks a thousands words. But, when you couple words and pictures (with numbers, arrows, charts, etc.) you get quite an impact. If you’re a regular reader of the BCS blog you already know I’m fond of infographics. So I decided to pull together the ones found on BCS, as well as other places. You’ll see this list follows the general themes found on BCS: marine science, water/ocean conservation, as well as connecting with nature. I hope you enjoy browsing and a special thanks to all the organizations that have produced these powerful resources. To check out the collective visual of most of these infographics please check out my EE, Ocean, & Water Conservation Infographics Pinterest board. Please email info@beachchairscientist.com or let me know on Twitter  (@bcsanswers) if you have another one that could be added to the list.

  1. 5 reasons feeding of whale sharks should stop – Save Philippine Seas
  2. 10 ways to save water in your home – Good
  3. 10 places to see – Infographipedia
  4. 25 years of Shark Week – Leonly
  5. 50 Awesome facts about earth
  6. Acting green v. buying green – Inhabitat
  7. Anatomy of a bottom trawl – Oceana
  8. Atlantic bluefin tuna (Saving an ocean giant) – Pew Environment Group
  9. Atlantic horseshoe crab – Beach Chair Scientist
  10. Benefits of plants – Zabisco
  11. Benefits of recycling – Visual.ly
  12. Black market on bluefin tuna – Center for Public Integrity
  13. Boating accidents: The bad & the ugly – Gadling
  14. Carbon storage and coastal habitats – Ocean Health Index
  15. Challenger Deep – Visual News
  16. Children and nature – National Environmental Education Foundation
  17. Citizen science is blooming – National Environmental Education Foundation
  18. Collapsing seas – Reusethisbag.com
  19. Dangerous sharks of the Red Sea – Rian.eu
  20. Dangers of natural gas – One Block off the Grid
  21. Decline of fish populations in the last 50 years – Good
  22. Deepwater Horizon explained (video) – Visual World
  23. Do you know your seafood? – One World One Ocean
  24. Earth ages – USGS
  25. Earth Day – H&R Block
  26. Energy level threats from sea level rise – Surging Seas
  27. Energy-water collision – Union of Concerned Scientists
  28. Facts of fracking – Treehugger
  29. Global water crisis – Living Green Magazine
  30. GMOs: We have the right to know – Just Label It
  31. Great Barrier Reef – Go Green, Travel Green
  32. Green guilt – Call2Recycle
  33. Green electronics – National Resource Defense Council
  34. Highest, leaping sharks – Visual.ly
  35. How a landfill work – Reusethisbag.com
  36. How bikes can save us – Dailyinfographic.com
  37. How convenience is killing our planet by ArteIdeas
  38. How deep is the ocean? – Our Amazing Planet
  39. How does recycling work? – Transit Utopia
  40. How fresh is your seafood? – Oceana
  41. How long will it last? – Earth911.com
  42. How to choose the safest seafood – Visual.ly
  43. How much are you spending on water per gallon? – United By Blue
  44. How we are eating our way through the oceans – CFP Reform Watch
  45. Humpback whales – MauiWhaleWatchTours.com
  46. Humpback whale facts – The Daily Catch
  47. Hurricane Sandy vs. Hurricane Katrina – Huffington Post
  48. Is it really ‘green’? – Contract Services Group, Inc.
  49. Let’s explore the ocean – found on Ocean Wild Things
  50. Life of a water bottle – Visual.ly
  51. Low down on bottled water – Sustainable Energy Systems
  52. Marine debris poster – SeaGrant, et al
  53. Marine habitats – PlanetSave
  54. Ocean food shortage (Save menhaden) – Pew Environment Group
  55. Oceans: Our living resource – Humane Society of America
  56. Offshore drilling – Oceana
  57. Paper vs. plastic – Market Research
  58. Plastics Breakdown, The – One World One Ocean
  59. Polar bears in peril – Mother Nature News
  60. Pollutants entering the ocean – Living Green Magazine
  61. Pop science guide to birds – Mother Nature News
  62. Right whales – Kyle Bentle
  63. Recycling: The good, the better, the best – Reusethisbag.com
  64. Reduce your water footprint – Good
  65. Reuse, reduce, and relocate – My Move
  66. Save the Arctic – Greenpeace
  67. Seafood decision guide – National Geographic
  68. Sea turtles of the coral triangle – World Wildlife Fund
  69. Secret to a sound sea – Visual News
  70. Sharks count – Pew Environment Group
  71. Shipping noises and whales – Ocean Initiative
  72. STEM & our planet – National Environmental Education Foundation
  73. Suffocating the world with plastics – Living Green Magazine
  74. Tar Sands Standoff – Huffington Post
  75. Test your water IQ – Whole Living Daily
  76. Threats to wildlife – Ocean Conservancy
  77. Tips for a green home and yard – A Simply Good Life
  78. Trash and recycling trends – Round2, An Avnet Company
  79. Truth about water – Evergreen AES
  80. Truth about plastic – Reusethisbag.com
  81. Total water – Soulja Portfolio
  82. Toxicity of surfing – Adventure Journal
  83. Ugly journey of our trash – Project Aware
  84. Understanding carbon offsets – Good
  85. US of the Environment – Mother Nature News
  86. Water: Cooperation or competition – Visual.ly
  87. Water footprint of Americans – Nature Conservancy
  88. Whale shark – One World One Ocean
  89. Whaling is a big issue – Human Society International
  90. What is oceanography? – Sea Blog
  91. What is shark finning? – Wildaid
  92. What to eat this summer? – Good
  93. What we recycle – Live Science
  94. When sea levels attack – from Creative Data
  95. Where do plastic bottles end up? – United By Blue
  96. Who are the deepest divers in the sea? – Live Science
  97. Who’s been dumping in my ocean? – Marisys
  98. Why a four degree Celsius warmer world must be avoided – The Moral Mindfield
  99. Why don’t Americans recycle? – Good
  100. Why protect Antarctica’s ocean? – Antarctic Ocean Alliance
  101. Why the ocean? (video) – One World One Ocean
  102. Why you should care about water conservation – Mother Nature News
  103. Worldwide plastic bag ban – Reusethisbag.com
  104. World wetland destruction – So Fresh and So Green

30 reasons to be grateful for the ocean

June 30, 2011 by 4 Comments

It’s the end of another National Oceans Month. And, on this most lovely of lovely days I’d like to Speak Up For Blue and name 30 reasons to be grateful for the ocean! (OK, and it just so happens to be this Beach Chair Scientist’s birthday)

In no particular order, here are some reasons to appreciate the ocean (and all its glorious ecosystems):

Estuaries (Although the course may change sometimes, rivers always reach the sea. – Led Zeppelin)

  • Nursery grounds for many of the commercially important fish that live in the sea.
  • Make up the public infrastructure that are the harbors and ports used for shipping, transportation, and industry.
  • Serve as a filter for sediments, nutrients, and other pollutants that come from upstream.
  • Coastal areas are home to over half the U.S. population.
  • Mangroves and other estuarine ecosystems are amazing playgrounds and feeding grounds for many wading birds.
  • The smell of low tide!

Intertidal Zone (including littoral zone)

  • Home to the tides going in and out. Where else can we appreciate the ebb and flow of life?
  • This is home to many bivalve species that love to burrow under the muck.
  • We can investigate the wrack line and find many treasures that have washed ashore.
  • Place where my favorite animal, the Atlantic horseshoe crab, likes to come to mate during the full and new moons in May and June.
  • A perfect spot to jump waves with little ones!
  • Home to the lovely and rhythmic sound of waves lapping.

Coral Reefs (Pollution, overfishing, and overuse have put many of our unique reefs at risk. Their disappearance would destroy the habitat of countless species. It would unravel the web of marine life that holds the potential for new chemicals, new medicines, unlocking new mysteries. It would have a devastating effect on the coastal communities from Cairns to Key West, Florida — communities whose livelihood depends upon the reefs. – Former President Bill Clinton.)

  • Support a great diversity of species.
  • Yield compounds that are very important in the medical field (have been used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, and other ailments).
  • Protect shorelines erosion.
  • Center of many country’s tourism income.
  • Home to a myriad of colors and patterns!

Pelagic Zone, Euphotic Zone (Open ocean)

  • The only place large enough for the big blue whale to swim and play.
  • The only place large enough for a blue fin tuna to pick up enough speed.
  • Home to a lot of phytoplankton that helps support oxygen production.
  • Home to the Sargasso Sea the only place special enough for the American eel to breed.
  • Home to peace and solitude.
  • A perfect spot to become humble.

Mesopelagic Zone, Twilight Zone (Open ocean bathyal zone)

  • Home to the many creature with the beautiful twinklings of bioluminescence.
  • Only place deep enough for sperm whales to dive down and grab some food.
  • Home to many elusive squid species.

Deep Sea (Abyssal)

Polar Regions

  • Home to the polar bear (did you know their fur isn’t white? It is actually clear but appears white since it is reflected in the sunlight).
  • Important breeding and mating areas for many migratory species (including the red knot).

And, without it we’d be nothing. Oceans cover about 70% of the earth’s surface, and we rely on it economically, environmentally, and scientifically.

Obviously this is a very personal list and it could go on and on forever. I am looking forward to hearing your reasons to be grateful to the ocean and hope we can get to 100 by the end of the year!

Filed Under: Algae (Seaweeds), Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, Ocean Tagged With: , ,

The Daily Ocean

June 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I’d like to take the time out to applaud one of the best ocean blogs out there, The Daily Ocean.

I cannot tell you the countless hours I have spent drooling over Ms. Bayles world-wind expedition of collecting trash (beginning in Santa Barbara, CA). It is so exciting (I’m really not kidding)! Not only is she dedicated but she is smart and savvy and keeps a wonderful blog with new and insightful factoids and pictures.

Please follow her and take the time to read more about her and her process for collecting trash. Who knows, maybe you’ll get inspired? It is such an honor to be a part of a community of ocean bloggers that includes this wonderful site. Keep up the great work and come home safe!

Filed Under: Ocean

Test your knowledge: National Ocean Science Bowl biology

May 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Here are some more sample questions from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership‘s popular National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB). These questions come from the Biology section.

Good luck!

1) Northern elephant seals come ashore during the spring and summer to do what? a) Mate b) Eat c) Give birth d) Shed their fur

2) The habitat of blue whales, tunas and swordfishes is best described as: a) Benthic b) Littoral c) Estuarine d) Pelagic

3) Intensive aquaculture of which of the following organisms has contributed to loss of mangroves around the world? a) Tilapia b) Cod c) Salmon d) Shrimp

4) Lophelia (LO-fee-lee-ua) coral reefs in the North Atlantic are being primarily damaged by: a) Pfiesteria b) Poisoning c) Rising temperatures d) Trawling

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Filed Under: Bony Fishes, Marine Mammals, Random Fun!, Test Your Knowledge Tagged With: , , , ,

It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: Z is for Zooxanthellae

February 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Zooxanthellae are the photosynthetic organism that live within coral reefs and supply the food to the reef building corals. They have a symbiotic relationship with the other protists but can also live an independent life. Enjoy this quick video about the process!

Filed Under: Algae (Seaweeds) Tagged With: ,

It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: G for Gorgonians

February 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Gorgonians are a group of corals known as the ‘horny corals’. This is includes the sea whips, sea fans and sea feathers. They are similar to the soft corals because they all have eight-part symmetry. Most jewelry that is made from coral is made from the gorgonians. If you ask me though corals are too precious too wear.

Filed Under: Coral Reef Ecosystems Tagged With: ,