Sea Notes

Saving Seahorses, Conserving Corals

Good news today for ocean wildlife, here at home in the United States and overseas in Cambodia.

In the U.S., Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new pilot program -- backed up with money -- to protect coral reefs in Puerto Rico from the impacts of sediment and nutrient runoff. Similar pilot projects are planned to protect reefs in Florida, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands and in Pacific Islands under U.S. jurisdiction.

The announcement came at a meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A world away, Marine Conservation Cambodia is celebrating success in establishing the largest community managed marine area in the country to help restore habitat essential for Cambodia's rich marine life -- including seahorses.

As is true everywhere, community involvement is essential. So too is government action, and part of the success story is action by the Cambodian government to prohibit fishing for or trading of seahorses.

You don't have to go to Cambodia to help seahorses. If you're a California resident, go to our Take Action page and urge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to support creation of marine protected areas in southern California that will protect essential habitat for many species, including Pacific seahorses.

Where the White Things Are

Big news on the great white shark front today involving the young shark we've had on exhibit at the aquarium and publication of major findings about the lives of adult great white sharks off the California coast.

First, the bittersweet: We returned our fifth young shark to the wild this morning, a little over two months after we placed her in the Outer Bay exhibit. She was swimming and feeding well, grew a couple of inches and nearly 20 pounds during her stay (to 5-foot-5 and 100 pounds at release), and inspired nearly a third of a million visitors to know more -- and care more -- about the fate of white sharks in the wild.

But a few incidents of aggressive behavior over Halloween weekend involving other sharks in the exhibit prompted our Husbandry team to make the call: It was time for her to go home. (She got a small bite from an unknown exhibit-mate on Saturday, and a day later was seen chasing scalloped hammerheads and biting a Galapagos shark.)

“I’ve always said that these animals will tell us when it’s time to put them back in the ocean. Now was clearly the time,” said Randy Hamilton, our vice president of husbandry. “Her health is excellent, and we learned a lot while she was with us. Based on past experience, we have every expectation that she’ll do well after release.”

We'll track her movements in the wild with two electronic tags. One will deliver real-time data on her location to researchers in the lab. The second will report in six months from now with details about where she went, and the depths and water temperatures she favored. It's all part of our ongoing field research program to learn more about the lives of juvenile great white sharks.

As we were making plans for her release, our scientific colleagues who've been tagging adult great white sharks near San Francisco Bay made big headlines. Today they published their findings about the lives of the great white population off northern California,.

They documented seasonal migrations between California and Hawaii, and to the "white shark cafe" midway between Baja California and Hawaii. They confirmed that the sharks return with absolute fidelity to their Bay Area feeding grounds each year, and documented that the northern California population is genetically isolated from other great white populations around the world.

We've shared some of these stories with visitors in our Project White Shark program and on our web pages. Now they're reaching a wider audience.

No White Christmas

 

Adieu, adios, farewell, she said. Oh, wait - that was just me; with one last flick of the tail she was gone. Yes, this morning, I let the dog out, and then I let the shark out, figuratively speaking. Today, the young great white shark swims back in the wild again, to find mackerel not hand-delivered on a pole.

In roughly six months we expect her to call home and report where she's been. She's been outfitted with new jewelry (tags) today, that will record her position, depths to which she dives and the temperature of the water she's in - all very valuable data for understanding juvenile great whites. A pop-off tag will send data via satellite, and if we can recover the tag, as we have previously, we can retrieve yet more.

She gained over 20 pounds in two months - which is pretty impressive - and added two inches, making her 5-foot 5-inches. Taller than me, she noted.

 

So, just how do you catch a great white shark and return it to the wild. Carefully! And with great skill. Our husbandry team has done this four times before of course, but there's always room for more adrenalin. Two staff members wait with dip nets for her to swim by. With lightening reflexes, one covers the tail end and the other the bitey end. Once she's enclosed, she can be transferred into one net and lifted. Easy, right? I got tired just watching. She's then transferred into a holding tank, where she can be enclosed in a stretcher, which will be her sling and comfort until she slides back into the Pacific blue.

Once stretchered, she is weighed, then transferred into a transport container which contains super-rich oxygenated water. Amazingly at this point the shark becomes calm and still (after she appropriately gave the husbandry team one last cold shower with a quick tail thrust!) The combination of confinement and oxygenated water has this effect on other sharks too, and tuna too.

Detailed measurements are taken, and photographs, then it's down the elevator and onto Cannery Row where our hoist can lift her transport tank onto a truck. She gets the full tourist experience, down historic Cannery Row and to the wharf. There a hoist transfers her to a waiting boat.

Next it's time for some blood work, and final checks, and it's time to go. As the release site is reached, her satellite and ID tags are fitted, the stretcher is taken to the front of the boat, which has a special bow that lowers (often used to bring gigantic leatherback turtles aboard for tagging). The stretcher is tilted and lowered to the water, and in she goes.

Wow. Pretty amazing. This is always a good day for us. A successful release of an animal back to the wild that will be an important contributor to this population. New research just released reveals there are far less of these sharks than previously thought. Every one counts. Be lucky young girl. Call us in the spring and let us know how you're doing!

In Over Our Heads

More climate change impacts, in unexpected places. This time, it's the deep sea -- another frontier where ocean animals are affected by what we humans do on the dry-land portion of the planet.

Our colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute have just published findings that food supplies for animals on the abyssal plain -- flat, muddy expanses that cover 60 percent of the ocean floor -- are affected over periods ranging from days and weeks to decades. The amount and type of food reaching the bottom of the ocean is affected by weather and climate-related events up at the surface. And productivity of the deep sea could, in turn affect how much carbon is captured and held on the sea floor in the tissues of living (and formerly living) ocean animals.

Lead researcher Ken Smith, a marine ecologist at MBARI, thinks it's all worthy of more study, involving a comprehensive network remote sensing stations on the sea floor. MBARI's prototyped one such station -- the Monterey Accelerated Research Station, or MARS (pictured top) -- in Monterey Bay. It's an approach that can be replicated elsewhere, to fill the gaps in our understanding of the connection between surface waters and deep sea ecosystems. And its engineers have also created a Benthic Rover (lower picture) -- a robot that can travel on the sea floor and measure the impacts of climate change far below the surface.

Bullies of the Reef

Climate change is affecting the oceans in surprising ways. Consider the latest research findings on an unexpected impact of coral reef bleaching: Damselfish that are literally being bullied to death.

Scientists at Australia's James Cook University found that younger, smaller damselfish on portions of the Great Barrier Reef affected by bleaching are being bullied and chased out of sheltered nooks by larger adult fish. The displaced youngsters are pushed into more exposed areas of the reef, where they fall victim to hungry predators.

Lead researcher Mark McCormick also found that the damselfish don't settle in more desirable habitats nearby, even when there is room for them to relocate.

He told Discovery News that the patterns that turned up in his research will have long-term impacts on everything from the abundance of damselfish predators that people like to catch and eat, to the survival traits passed along to future generations of damselfish.

The only way to reduce the impacts on fish from coral bleaching (apart from tackling climate change in a big way) is to make reefs more resilient by addressing other pressures -- from pollution and overfishing, McCormick said.

Sustainable Seafood: An Interview with Chef Rick Moonen

Rick Moonen is the creator of October's Seafood Watch Sustainable Seafood Recipe: Chicken-fried Catfish with Green Tartar Sauce and Asian Slaw.

In the 1980s, when Rick Moonen was starting out as a chef in New York City, few people thought about how our seafood choices affected the oceans. But year after year, as he worked for some of the city's most prestigious restaurants, Moonen saw the size and quality of the fish he purchased steadily declining.

By 1998, when he was asked to join the "Give Swordfish a Break" campaign, the first large-scale effort to get chefs and consumers involved in fish conservation, he was ready to take action. "I realized that there were some major changes going on," he says. "At the Fulton Fish Market I used to see swordfish that were 200 pounds or more all the time—I used to buy them. But it got to the point where it was more common to find fish that were 100 pounds or less."

He joined the swordfish campaign and went on to become a passionate and vocal advocate for sustainable seafood. Today, at his Las Vegas restaurant, Rick Moonen's rm seafood in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Moonen works hard to spread the word about the Seafood Watch program and encourages his customers to eat a variety of seafood. "If the ocean collapses, so do we," he says. "We've focused too much on a few fish—we put so much pressure on these species that they become endangered. To me, it's all about diversity—don't have tuna three times a week."

Moonen echoes this idea in his award-winning, 2008 cookbook, Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion. "I wanted to write a book to help people get more comfortable with fish," he says, "and hopefully they'll start having tilapia once in a while, or barramundi; fish other than tuna, salmon and shrimp." This month's featured recipe for "chicken-fried," catfish is a case in point. If catfish isn't available, or isn't to your liking, Moonen recommends substituting any freshwater or fairly lean fish such as trout, tilapia, barramundi, pacific cod or halibut.

When he's not cooking, or writing books, Moonen can often be found encouraging other chefs to learn about sustainability and the Seafood Watch program. In Las Vegas, tens of thousands of pounds of shrimp are consumed each day, so there's a lot of work to be done to bring about change. But Moonen is undeterred.

"There's been more of a mentality shift here recently than I saw over the years in New York City; I'm seeing more chefs who are willing to do something. If we can turn Las Vegas into a more sustainable model, no one has an excuse not to follow suit—I kind of like the challenge."

Halloween Hijinks

As you get ready for Halloween, the web team at the Monterey Bay Aquarium has put a few treats in your bag for your enjoyment -- and that of your friends.

First, a very cool video, with a very cool soundtrack, of the aptly named bloodybelly comb jelly. It's a recently discovered species, documented by our colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute using its remotely operated deep-sea submersibles. Click the high definition option if you have the bandwidth.

Next on the list: Some clever Halloween E-cards, featuring a host of wondrous sea creatures, from spiny lumpsuckers to spookfish, vampire squid to ghost shrimp. They're all tricked out like posters from classic horror films. It's easy to click and send to friends and family. Enjoy!

A Sea of Hope

Time was when it didn't seem surprising that a river could catch fire because it was so polluted. And the idea that the Aral Sea -- once the fourth largest lake on the planet -- could dry up and blow away? It was unspeakably sad, but somehow not surprising.

Forty years after its most infamous fire, Ohio's Cuyahoga River is no longer the cesspool that burned 13 times over the course of a century. Today, says the New York Times, it is "a river reborn." Now the same thing is happening for the Aral Sea in Central Asia.

As Peter Leonard of Associated Press reports, there's again water in the vast inland sea, and the abundant fish it once produced are making a comeback. Migratory birds, too, are finding a home in its restored waters.

The picture's not a perfect one. While Kazakhstan is undertaking a recovery by diverting river water into the Aral Sea, neighboring Uzbekistan continues to channel the Aral's feeder rivers to irrigate its cotton fields. And it's exploring for oil and gas in the dry seabed rather than bringing back a lost ecosystem.

Still, half a sea is better than none. And the lessons of the Cuyahoga and the Aral highlight the potential for recovery in other waters -- if we give them half a chance. That's one reason we're working so hard to create marine protected areas in California's ocean waters, and around the nation.

 

Mahi Mayhem

Our great white shark has some new companions in her current temporary home; seven new mahi mahi (dolphin fish) were added last week.

These lively young fish are showing a keen interest in her private dining opportunities.  They are expected to participate in the public feedings (every Tue, Thu, Sat and Sunday at 11 am - check out the webcam for a live view!) So Monday, Wednesday, Friday they are perhaps feeling snubbed that her whiteness gets to chomp on a daily snack, and so they cruise on over to see what's on offer.

These newcomers are really keeping our husbandry staff on their toes as they try to ensure the mackerel goes to the right mouth, or is that the white mouth?

Miss White is spending much more time in the top third of the exhibit these days. So you're much more likely to see her cruise by our webcam. This is the mahi's domain also, so there's a lot to see in the upper viewing window right now.

The mahi are spectacularly colored, with flashes of bright yellows and blues, especially as they get excited and feed. They spent some time in the outdoor holding area, before moving onto exhibit, and I was completely mesmerized by their display as the sunlight pierced the water.

Meanwhile, the young great white continues to feed and thrive and grow. She looks visibly bigger too since she arrived two months ago. All is good!

The End of an Exhibit

Just hours after closing the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s popular “Wild About Otters” special exhibition, workers erect temporary walls and a flurry of activity descends. Where visitors once stood, now there’s only dust, piles of debris and a steady stream of Aquarium staff packing boxes and pushing hand trucks.

In the space of a few days, close to 1,000 individuals—mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, invertebrates and plants—will be on their way to new homes. It’s time to make way for the Aquarium’s next special exhibition—“Hot Pink Flamingoes: Stories of Hope in a Changing Sea”—and there’s no time to lose.

But what happens when an exhibit ends? Where do all the animals, plants and props go?

The process of finding homes for the animals starts six months in advance, when the Aquarium puts out the call to other member institutions of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ “Species Survival Plan.” It’s a cooperative effort among institutions to ensure the survival of threatened and endangered wildlife.

Once the call goes out, it takes just a week for the husbandry staff to receive dozens of responses from institutions looking to start new exhibits or augment existing ones. This is followed by hundreds of e-mails, permit applications, veterinary health checks and cross-border logistical hurdles. In the end, animals fan out to a dizzying array of institutions, including The Minnesota Zoo, the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory (also in Minnesota); the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Southern California, the Houston Zoo in Texas, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium in Pennsylvania, the Toledo Zoo in Ohio, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, the Cal Academy’s Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco and the San Diego Zoo. In addition, two river otters went to the New Forest Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park in England.

All things considered, it’s a remarkable system. Animals are passed from institution to institution, under strict guidelines, maximizing exposure for visitors and helping to ensure the health, well being and longevity of the animals themselves. The cost to the institution on the receiving end for all this care and attention? Just shipping fees. The exchange, by design, is free.

Through the years, the Aquarium has also been on the receiving end of this vast exchange. For instance, the Malayan box turtle, which the Aquarium inherited from the Oregon Coast Aquarium, is now happily on his way to a third institution: the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Wielding a clipboard and talking frequently into a hand-held radio, Veronica Franklin, senior aquarist, is assigning tasks to fellow husbandry staff and generally putting order to the whole process.  It may look hectic, but it’s all precisely choreographed. Husbandry staff rush about carrying boxes, kennels and other equipment. Sheets of paper are tacked to the wall, providing a roadmap for every species and their destinations. Christine DeAngelo, associate curator of mammals, oversees the transition for the African spotted-necked otters and Asian small-clawed otters.

The closing of an exhibit is a rare opportunity for the husbandry staff to come together, all-hands fashion, and they’re enjoying themselves. Music from a strategically placed boom box filters through the wreckage. There’s a steady supply of Snickers bars and snacks to fuel the entire operation. One day, staffers from the Aquarium of the Pacific drive through the night and arrive at 4 a.m.—like clockwork, Aquarium staff are there to meet them and ensure a safe transfer.

“It’s a different day—a fun day,” says Brianne Fitzgerald, associate curator of fish and invertebrates. “It’s all hands on deck, and there aren’t many opportunities to do that. And it’s exciting to know that other institutions will benefit.”

Of all the exhibit animals involved in this great exodus, the fish use the simplest mode of transport: FedEx. In the middle of one of the former exhibit galleries, Scott Reid, associate curator of fish and invertebrates, carefully places a few of the small, tropical specimens in a plastic bag. Next, he pushes all the air out, and closes the top of the bag around a nozzle that supplies pure oxygen, so the fish “have plenty of air for the trip.”

The whole thing is wrapped in a second bag, and tightly sealed in a box labeled “Live Aquarium Fish: Handle with Care. Rush.” Overnight, the fish will be on their way to new homes.

This system may be surprising to the uninitiated, but it’s has proven itself over decades of use--the fish invariably arrive safe and sound.

Nearly everything—from cages, to artificial plants, and even leftover food—gets transferred, re-used or recycled.  At one point, the local SPCA truck pulls up and hauls away holding tanks and cages to house rehabilitated wildlife. Freshwater plants are donated to the San Francisco Bay Area Aquatic Plant Society. Even a box of toys finds a home, at the Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz, for the benefit of the institution’s dolphins and sea lions.

A week later, where an exhibit once stood, there’s only piles of debris. The aquarists and the animals are gone, leaving construction crews and contractors to tidy up what remains.

For the husbandry staff, who have made the exhibit a labor of love, it can be hard to see it come down in just a few afternoons. “It’s been two-plus years,” says Veronica. “It’s sad to see it go.”

But already, animals are arriving for the Aquarium’s new exhibit, and any trace of sadness will soon be replaced by the demands of caring for a new set of animals. “Once that gets going, the excitement will kick in,” says Veronica.

Plus, there’s the satisfaction of knowing that over 1,000 plants and animals were safely placed into new homes across the country. “Wild About Otters was a great adventure that not only taught the public, but it taught some of us how great it is to work with freshwater species,” says Veronica.

“I sure hope we’re able to do something similar to this exhibit in the future.”