Sea Notes

CSI: Overfishing

The victim in this crime is our ocean. The perp is overfishing. But what can we do? Quite a lot, say the authors of a new paper published today in Science. "Rebuilding Global Fisheries" is the name of their hopeful research and though there's still lots of bad news, and new crimes against fish-manity to report on, there's also signs of regrowth, regeneration and recovery. And, at the very least, in many parts of the world we're putting the brakes on our desire to extract every last fish.

Building on a previous paper that predicted a possible collapse of global fish stocks by 2048, the team of scientists from across multi-stakeholder groups, decided to dig a little deeper. What they found was that though the trend was generally still towards collapse, the situation varies widely from region to region. And in some regions, preventative measures are in place and in others, stocks are rebuilding.

In fact, the previous research indicated that this could/would happen. If you don't kill fish, they get bigger, reproduce and have more offspring and ultimately you have more fish. Seems pretty obvious really! And it's why we're in support of Marine Protected Areas(MPAs) here at the Aquarium.

The scientists found that MPAs and other methods to close areas to fishing are one of the factors in the success stories, but true recovery requires a combined effort. Effective management, reduction in effort, modification to fishing gear and incentives for fishers are all needed to turn this situation around.

The good news is that we can do it. Now the task is to do it.

You can do your part by creating market incentives. Use your Seafood Watch pocket guide and ask for sustainable choices.

Success for Sea Otters!

A great victory to report for sea otters today. Yesterday afternoon, the House of Representatives voted by a 2-1 majority to pass the Sea Otter Research and Recovery Act (HR 556.) This bill hopes to secure funding of $5 million a year for five years for much needed research to better understand the high death rate and slow recovery of this fragile population.

Thanks to all our supporters who sent letters or made phone calls to their Representative. Next stop, the Senate. We'll see you there!

Squid Pro Quo

Tired of hearing about "man-eating squid" (and apparently dog-eating too), Humboldt squid expert, Brad Seibel decided to set the record straight.

Seibel has had many encounters with the jumbo squid, sometimes called devil squid, and is happy to report not a single scratch. Not that these large squid aren't armed - strong tentacles with toothy suckers draw food towards a powerful beak. But Seibel found that they quickly moved away from his flash light. We're not their prey of choice.

The Aquarium's own Chad Widmer has spent many hours in the water with Humboldt squid (and with Seibel). Chad's pleased to hear Seibel speaking out. "Neither of us like the way these animals are portrayed as villains of the sea," said Widmer, "being in the water with them in the Sea of Cortez was just pure fun!"

Shark Week Supports Shark Conservation Act

It's almost that time of year when the Discovery Channel devotes an entire week to sharks. Fortunately, among the blood loss and some hyperbole, conservation messages abound. This year, the Discovery Channel has committed to supporting the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. This bill successfully passed through the House, and is now in the Senate as S. 850 with one sole sponsor - John Kerry.

Kerry's bill also received recent support by those who might not on the face it seem like big shark fans. Yes, that's right - victims of shark attack - as the media loves to call them. What scientists might call "being in someone else's habitat imitating prey items!" That's certainly how these brave folk saw it. They do not wish sharks to be vilified, but protected. As one shark victim turned protector said, "...if my story of getting bit by a shark can help save the animal…then that’s great.”

We think so too! You can take action on this issue at our website at www.oceanaction.org and ask your Senator to support this bill and bring an end to shark finning.

Film Friday: Why Mother Nature Always Wins!

The TED conference - (Technology, Entertainment, Design) brings together some of the world's brightest minds. Some have recently remarked that the E should stand for Environment, with so many talks centered around our natural world - and rightly so - say we!

Here's a great example of this; in this inspiring talk about recent developments in biomimicry, Janine Benyus provides heartening examples of ways in which nature is already influencing the products and systems we build.

Lonesome George to be Less Lonely?

So, strictly not a marine life story, but Lonesome George, the last remaining true giant Galapagos tortoise, is a legend in his own lifetime. Quite a long lifetime, as it happens - as he turned 90 this year.

Scientists are now excited to find that after 36 years as a single bachelor, George appears to have found his happy ending and a new lease on life when he mated with one of the two females they found for him.Five apparently healthy eggs have been found in his pen.  Fingers will be crossed for the next 120 days to see if they prove fertile.

Go George, go!

From Freeway to Freedom

 

A wayward sea lion made the news recently when he showed up on a busy Oakland freeway in June. The young pup was rescued by the Marine Mammal Center, who found him to be very hungry, but otherwise unharmed.

This weekend, fully recovered and ready to go home, he was returned to the wild with five other youngsters who had also been rescued, in more usual circumstances.

The Marine Mammal Center has been kept unusually busy this year, with an influx of juvenile sea lions into Northern California apparently looking for good food sources and often failing to find it. Here in Monterey, the prime real estate in the harbor has often been overflowing with their small brown furry bodies.

Scientists are not really sure why the sea lions have strayed so far from their usual southern California waters and feeding grounds. But there's hope that the recent "bloom" of sardines in the Monterey Bay may be providing a healthy meal or two for the visitors. I'm sure they use our Seafood Watch pocket guides to help them make such ocean-friendly choices!

Climate Watch

We just remodeled a small gallery in our Outer Bay Wing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to focus on one of the lesser-discussed elements of climate change: the impact carbon pollution is having on our oceans' chemistry. Something scientists are calling "ocean acidification."

We hope you'll stop by and take a look next time you're here. We're encouraging our visitors to let their Senators know that they care about how a changing climate is affecting our ocean wildlife. You can contact them too by going to http://www.senate.gov/ and finding your State's Senator.

A couple of ocean climate stories are in the news this week - and for once - it's not all bad!

For some time, scientists have feared that the current rapid melting of freshwater ice would change the salinity of our oceans and ultimately shut down the Atlantic ocean conveyor belt that keeps most of Europe out of the next ice age. This would not be a new phenomenon - in fact it most likely has happened in periods of warming in the past.

A new article in the journal Science suggests that the change may be less drastic than first feared - and could result in a slow down, rather than a complete meltdown. Let's hope that turns out to be so!

Also in the news this week - one tiny Pacific island nation pledges a zero-carbon strategy, with all of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. With most of the island only a few feet above sea level, it's not hard to imagine where the incentive came from. However, the example is a fine one to set for others, and we wish them success.

Film Friday: Ocean Hero Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle dedicated over five decades to exploring our underwater world. A true pioneer and explorer and one-woman ocean hero!

QUEST on KQED Public Media.

New Hope for Bluefin Tuna?

Bluefin tuna is one of our ocean's top predators. It's also in serious decline due to overfishing, and many scientists believe we are now at a critical point in time where failure to act could finally push this species over the edge.

So good news today, that the French president announced his country's support for a international trade ban of this endangered species. Monaco has already called for bluefin to be listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This listing, if effected, would result in such a ban.

The support of France in this move is important, as historically the bluefin catch of the French fleet has been higher than other European countries, and has included catching young bluefin to be raised in floating farm pens.

Now our hopes to turn to the other influential nations, such as the U.S., to see if they will also support this call to action. For the sake of the future of this amazing animal, we certainly hope so.

Late breaking news! The U.K. government just announced it would also support the ban! All eyes turn to the Obama Administration now. Save the bluefin!