Rappin' research

Oceanic humor on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjTbPtv88sI

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Divers Flock To Florida To See Goliath Groupers

From a story on WCSH-TV:

JUPITER, FL (NBC) -- As the early morning swells kicked up the Atlantic, something else was stirring up the sand 90 feet below the surface.

Dozens of goliath grouper have congregated off the coast of Jupiter is what has become an annual migration to mate. And one that attracts hundreds of divers.

"I have been all over the world and I have never seen as many goliath grouper in such a healthy population as they are in Florida," said diver Christopher Fernandez.

Researchers have honed in on the rare sight.

Outside of Florida you won't find many places in the world with such a large concentration of 300-pound groupers swimming right up to our cameras, sounding off their defense mechanism by slapping their gill plates together.

This also serves as a form of communication.

"Sometimes when you get close to them the sound pushes the water like a current effect or sonic boom," Fernandez said.

The once almost extinct species has been brought back thanks to conservation and protection, and for good reason.

They are not afraid of anyone, and sadly have paid the price for that.

"Its very easy to swim right up within inches, and some think the law doesn't apply to them and they can spear these fish," explained Captain Paul Benzler of Jupiter Dive Center.

It is illegal to hunt groupers and that's the reason why the state has cracked down on violators...to keep these gentle giants coming back year after year.

"It's brining tourists from all over the world...spending money in the U.S. just to see these beautiful animals," Benzler added.

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Giant ocean tubes proposed as global warming fix

From a story by Kate Ravilious for National Geographic News:

Imagine an ocean full of giant pipes that pump up cold, nutrient-rich water from deep below, encouraging surface algae to bloom and suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

That's the controversial new vision of James Lovelock, the independent British scientist best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, and Chris Rapley, a space physicist and director of London's Science Museum.

The pair claims that such climate engineering solutions may be the only way to hold global warming at bay given its current progress. (See a global warming interactive.)

"Global warming appears to be an irreversible process, and if we don't do anything then the world will just heat up to a stable, hot state," Lovelock said. "The stakes are now so high that we have to act."

But other experts are skeptical, pointing out that the scheme could release more carbon than it absorbs while putting fragile marine life in danger.

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Deep trouble

From an article by Mark Schropeon on Smithsonian.com:

Research has shown that, with paltry few exceptions, the planet's coral reefs have experienced a prolonged, devastating decline in recent decades. But determining which factor, or factors, is most responsible for that decimation has proved vastly more difficult. The result has been an ongoing, often contentious debate between those who believe that local factors such as overfishing and pollution are most to blame, and those who say global climate change is the main culprit. Solving the debate could be critical to determining how best to direct efforts and resources for restoring reefs, but definitive answers remain elusive, as two recent studies illustrate.

To help answer some of these questions, a team of researchers from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography set out in a converted World War II freighter in September 2005 to study reefs in the South Pacific's remote Line Islands. They have since returned to the area twice, most recently this past August.

The reefs they are studying follow a gradient of human influence, beginning with those near Christmas Island, with a population of roughly 10,000 people, and ending some 250 miles away at Kingman Reef, a U.S. protectorate that has never been inhabited and has been the target of very limited fishing. If global influences are the dominant factor in reef decline, the team hypothesized, then isolated Kingman should look as bad as, or worse than, Christmas reefs. But if human influence plays the larger role, then Christmas reefs would be in worse shape than Kingman.

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Beach sand may harbor disease-causing E. Coli bacteria

From a story posted on Science Daily:

Science Daily — New evidence implicating beach sand as a reservoir for E. coli -- the bacterium that is used as an indicator that water has been contaminated by fecal material -- has been reported by scientists at the University of Minnesota.

In the report, published in the April 15 issue of ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, Michael J. Sadowsky and colleagues cite several previous studies showing that E. coli and bacteria indicating fecal contamination can accumulate and grow in beach sand. "These results indicate that E. coli originating from several sources may survive and potentially replicate in sand and sediment, possibly increasing fecal counts found on beaches," the report states. The researchers point out that while most E. coli strains are harmless, some strains do cause gastrointestinal diseases in human. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, as well as more serious conditions.

The 2-year study tracked seasonal variations in E. coli in water, sand, and sediment at the Duluth Boat Club Beach in Duluth-Superior Harbor on Lake Superior. It concluded that beach sand and sediment serve as sinks and sources for E. coli from humans and waterfowl that can contribute to beach closures.

Link to the full report.

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Use CEA’s beautiful center for your special occasion

The bright, open-air facility opens directly onto the clear blue waters of Akumal Bay and features an astonishing mural for the perfect tropical backdrop for a wedding, anniversary celebration or any other event.

Jennifer Smith, Turtle Bay’s Wedding and Event Coordinator, will work with you to plan every detail of your event, be it a small intimate party or a celebration for 150.

The Center also offers a full range of audio-visual equipment and WI-FI to accommodate seminars, workshops and other business meetings.

Contact Jennifer to explore the options for your wedding or event, or Alma for workshops, seminars and meetings.

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U.S. report shows sea turtle declines

From an Associated Press story by Ben Evans:

WASHINGTON (AP) — After encouraging gains in the 1990s, populations of loggerhead sea turtles are now dropping, primarily because of commercial fishing, according to a federal review.

The report stops short of recommending upgrading the federally threatened species to "endangered" status. But scientists and environmentalists say it should serve as a wake-up call about the future of loggerheads, which can grow to more than 300 pounds and are believed to be one of the oldest species.

"We are very concerned," said Mark Dodd, a wildlife biologist for the state of Georgia. In 2006, the state counted the third lowest loggerhead nesting total since daily monitoring began in 1989.

"As a biologist you're always trying to find that point at which we really have to start doing something drastic if we want to maintain loggerhead populations on our beaches."

The state is not there yet, he said, but it has increased protections for the turtle under its own endangered species law.

The Southeast — Florida in particular — is one of the two largest loggerhead nesting areas in the world; eggs are laid and hatched along beaches from Texas to North Carolina. The other major nesting area is in the Middle Eastern nation of Oman.

According to the federal report, U.S. nestings have dropped almost 7 percent annually in the Gulf of Mexico in recent years. Numbers in south Florida are down about 4 percent annually, while populations in the Carolinas and Georgia have dropped about 2 percent per year.

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