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CNN...
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Pacific reef shark populations plummeting, study says
By Matthew Knight, CNN
updated 10:38 AM EDT, Sat April 28, 2012
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
New study provides estimates on reef shark populations near islands in Pacific Ocean
Marine scientists find reef shark numbers dramatically reduced around inhabited islands
Over 1600 surveys make up study which forms part of NOAA Pacific monitoring program
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(CNN) -- Humans are causing a steep decline in populations of reef sharks in the Pacific Ocean according to a new study by a group of international marine scientists.
The new estimates of reef sharks compared numbers around populated islands with those living near uninhabited ones. The results were sobering, say researchers.
"We estimate that reef shark numbers have dropped substantially around populated islands, generally by more than 90% compared to those at the most untouched reefs," said lead author Marc Nadon from the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research at the University of Hawaii.
Over 1600 underwater surveys across 46 U.S. Pacific islands and atolls were undertaken in the study and combined with data on human population, habitat complexity, reef size and satellite records.
The estimates were gathered using "towed-dive surveys" where paired SCUBA divers record shark sightings while being towed behind a small boat. It's a method which provides a more accurate census of mobile reef fish like sharks over large areas, according to researchers.
"Around each of the heavily populated areas we surveyed -- in the main Hawaiian Islands, the Mariana Archipelago and the American Samoa -- reef shark numbers were greatly depressed compared to reefs in the same regions that were simply further away from humans," Nadon said.
"We estimate that less than 10% of the baseline numbers remain in these areas," he added.
Reef shark fins are not the most valuable ... but a lot of other oceanic sharks have already declined a lot so that's why fisherman are now turning to them." - Julia Baum, University of Victoria
Co-author of the study, Julia Baum from Canada's University of Victoria says the human disturbances to reef shark populations are likely down to fishing -- either incidentally caught in the nets of commercial or recreational fishermen or by direct targeting for their fins.
"Reef shark fins are not the most valuable because they tend to be smaller than other sharks, but a lot of other oceanic sharks have already declined a lot so that's why fisherman are now turning to them," Baum said.
She estimates these fins sell for around $100 per kilogram with demand coming from Asian markets where shark fin soup can be found on the menu for weddings and business banquets.
Reef sharks, which are around six to eight feet long (1.8 meters to 2.4 meters), are the "apex predators" of coral reefs Baum says, and like predators in other eco-systems play an important role in structuring food webs. But there is still much to learn about their specific role.
"Frankly, we're still trying to figure out what predators do on reefs. The reason for that is because most predators have been removed from reefs. Most reefs that coral reef biologists study are moderately to heavily degraded," Baum said.
The study forms part of the U.S.'s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program and is published online in the journal Conservation Biology.
.CNN...
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Pacific reef shark populations plummeting, study says
By Matthew... more
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Mother Nature Network...
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Japan tsunami debris charts a course across the ocean
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Like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, debris from the March 2011 tsunami is expected to begin washing up on shores, including the Hawaiian Islands.
By Brett Israel, OurAmazingPlanetWed, Feb 29 2012 at 11:55 AM EST
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PHOTO:
OUT TO SEA: An aerial view of debris from an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck northern Japan. (Photo: U.S. Navy/AFLO/ZUMA Press)
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The tsunami triggered by the devastating earthquake that struck off the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, produced an estimated 25 million tons of debris. Much of this debris was swept out into the Pacific Ocean as the waters retreated.
The new animation shows its probable path, which is helpful to shipping traffic since some of the debris is dangerously large. Debris-tracking missions have already found two fishing vessels that were carried out to sea by the tsunami.
Where it's heading
Since that magnitude 9.0 quake, the debris that has stayed afloat has drifted apart due to winds and ocean currents, with most of it moving eastward. Scientists have predicted the debris could wash up along the West Coast of the United States by next year. It is expected to hit Midway Atoll this winter and the main Hawaiian Islands in the winter of 2012-2013.
All is clear at the Midway Atoll so far this winter, though. The ocean currents have kept any debris away, said Jan Hafner of the International Pacific Research Center, who is part of the team that modeled the debris path.
"The currents are changing constantly and we expect the tsunami debris to reach there soon," Hafner told OurAmazingPlanet.
The debris has dispersed and is not visible by satellites, so scientists deployed hundreds of high-tech devices to help monitor the path of the debris, which could be hazardous to ships, marine life and coastlines.
Identifying Debris
A few big pieces of debris have turned up. At the end of September 2011, a Russian ship reported the edge of the debris field 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Midway. About 100 miles (161 km) farther on, the ship found a 20-foot-long (6 meters) boat from Fukushima, which was identified by its markings.
Along the West Coast of North America, news reports have suggested that debris is already arriving. Debris from Asia, however, routinely washes up here, so scientists are cautious before confirming any debris they find is from the tsunami.
"If an unusually large amount of unusual types of debris washes on a beach, that is an indication of debris from the tsunami," Hafner said.
Scientists also look for identifying markers, such as registration numbers, Hafner said.
One of the fishing vessels had markings on the wheelhouse of the boat that showed its homeport to be in Fukushima Prefecture, the area hardest hit by the massive tsunami.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has urged anyone that spots potential tsunami debris to report it by emailing DisasterDebris@noaa.gov.
.Mother Nature Network...
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Japan tsunami debris charts a course across the ocean... more
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Tsunami warning still going on. No major damage yet. Evacuation areas remain closed. Too dark to see the waves here on Kauai’s north shore.
Tsunami waves are 7 feet high but in Kauai these waves reached only 3 feet high. After crushing Japan tsunami will hit the Hawaii and the first island of the Hawaii is Kauai. All authorities are active and preparing to save the lives and assets of public. Earlier Honolulu, the emergency department officials warned that tsunami waves can be more than six to 7 feet high on the shore of northern edge of the island.Tsunami warning still going on. No major damage yet. Evacuation areas remain closed.... more
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118 Years of deception, tyranny, and destruction of the Kingdom of Hawai`i still consumes the Kanaka or people of Hawai’i. Queen Liliuokalani was held prisoner and removed from her government from the infusion and injustices over White business men and the American Government who interfered and removed our Sovereign Government. It is unfortunate that 118 years have passed and the Kanaka are still awaiting justice from AMERICA and ITS CORPORATIONS, who really don’t give a shit about the aina (land) or kai (ocean). Unlike our great ancestors who have lived in harmony and peace with mother earth and her natural creation, we need to continue to live in a world that is revolved based on money, greed, and power under the oppression of the American government and its’ affiliates. People from all walks of life get to live in Hawai`i at the expense of the Kanakas and its’ natural resources and live off the benefits of America and The Fake state of Hawai`i; including Micronesians, Asians, Whites, and other groups who compose the majority of in Hawai`i, yet the Kanaka still live in less than better standards than all other groups. Better health care, living situations, jobs, and other economic developments where never in America's interest from 1893 till present day lands and laws change in the interest of foreigners (Haole) were not adjusted for the people who have cared because it was their kuleana (responsibility) What is wrong with this picture? Like many other indigenous peoples of this precious planet our species of mankind will decimated if Policies are not changed. Very inspirational 14 year old Kanaka from the middle of Pacific thousands of miles from any land mass. Maika`i Nui118 Years of deception, tyranny, and destruction of the Kingdom of Hawai`i still... more
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Kepano
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Ask Billy Blankenfeld, 72, about his childhood memories of Maunalua Bay, and he talks about a lush undersea world full of fish and crab.
"When I was young, the reefs were vibrant," said Blankenfeld, a fisherman who has lived along the bay his entire life.
Ask Buzzy Agard, 85, about his long-ago memories of O'ahu's shoreline, and he also speaks of an environment of abundance. The near-shore waters, he recalls, were thriving with a diversity of fish and corals.
Today, the picture is far different.
"It's just like you're on another planet," said Agard, who for several decades fished and dove the waters off O'ahu. "It's like the moon.
There's nothing there."
While the reefs around the main Hawaiian islands still are considered relatively healthy by some scientists, thanks mainly to the state's geographic isolation, conditions have declined substantially in recent decades. The degradation has been so dramatic in some spots off heavily developed sections of O'ahu and Maui that much of the coral has died and the fish stock is largely wiped out.
And scientists are predicting a continued, accelerating decline, mirroring what's happening globally, if major steps aren't taken to reverse the trend.
"The amount of damage already done on our coastal resources has been stunning," said Bob Richmond, a University of Hawai'i marine biologist.
Scientists blame mostly human behavior, stretching back decades, when scant attention was paid to protecting the environment and less was known about the harms being done. Years of overfishing, pollution, sediment runoff, the spread of invasive algae, recreational overuse and other people-related activities have taken a heavy toll on Hawai'i's reefs, though some scientists believe the impact has been overstated.
And the state government, the steward for Hawai'i's near-shore waters, has done a poor job of protecting such a vital natural resource, one that serves as the foundation for a marine ecosystem critical to the state's No. 1 tourism industry, critics say.
Decades of government inaction, underfunding and poor or piecemeal public policy have contributed to a steady deterioration of the reefs and related fisheries.
Part of the problem is that the state has to balance what the science calls for with the varied interests of its many ocean users.
Achieving that balance historically has been complicated by cultural factors, the importance of Hawai'i's fishing traditions and a relatively lax approach to marine enforcement.
Coral decline
"All is not lost, but we can't get complacent,"
said Alan Friedlander, a UH scientist with expertise in fisheries and corals. "Now is when we really need to press these issues. It's a lot easier to protect stuff than to fix stuff when it's broken."
Without effective regulatory oversight, fish have been taken from Hawai'i's near-shore waters at a pace not sustainable for healthy reefs. Too much sediment, pollutants and other reef-harming materials also have flowed into the ocean in many places, mainly because the Islands' natural, land-based filtering systems (such as wetlands) have been destroyed, altered or paved over.
Fast-growing invasive algae, often brought to Hawai'i by accident or design, likewise have established footholds in many spots, choking off and overtaking wide swaths of coral.
While some decline is attributed to natural causes, especially the periodic beatings the reefs take from hurricanes and powerful surf, the bulk of the destruction is traced to fallout from human behavior, many scientists say.
By some measures, the decline has been significant.
In one ongoing study of coral cover around the main Hawaiian islands, 19 of 27 sites that have been monitored for at least 10 years have experienced coral decreases, some exceeding 75 percent. At two sites in Maui's Honolua Bay, for instance, coral cover since 1974 has plunged nearly 80 percent.Ask Billy Blankenfeld, 72, about his childhood memories of Maunalua Bay, and he talks... more
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In Voyage to Kure, Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team of 20 experienced divers and scientists travel for six weeks aboard the Searcher to the farthest edge of the NWHI, the remote Kure Atoll. Along the way, they stop to explore reefs and islands teeming with life and to meet the researchers and scientists working to protect these fragile ecosystems. The Cousteau team's goal is to explore a realm that seems beyond human impact, to show its wonders to the world and to encourage its protection. Using the latest diving, filmmaking and communication technology, they are truly modern-day explorers.In Voyage to Kure, Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team of 20 experienced divers and... more
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The White Americans and their Descendents have from the time they arrived on our ‘Aina, they have been tricking, stealing, and depriving our people. They stole our land, culture, water, language, heritage, and everything that there is too be Hawaiian. White America continues to destroy and oppose any recognition of Native Hawaiians, and their Natural and inherited rights. Americans, especially Corporate America and the organizations that lead to the Illegal Annexation and Threat Against the Sovereign Nation of Hawai’i and her Queen Liliuokalani. America has used its’ military force to destroy our precious natural islands, and force all Hawaiians to suffer over generations because lack of education, practices of language, culture and heritage. AMERICA forced Hawaiians to stop speaking our native language and has only recently been resurrected after persecution for the past 100 years, there are more incarnated Hawaiians in Hawai’i Prison System, then any other ethnic group; even though Hawaiians are not the pro dominant ethnic group in our own islands. What else can you FUCKING GREEDY BASTARDS WANT AND TAKE. NO HAWAIIANS, NO ALOHA. The United States of America has NO ALOHA, and groups like these is why people kill and destroy. GO HOME.The White Americans and their Descendents have from the time they arrived on our... more
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Kepano
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One good deed President Bush and his Administration has done for the Polynesian Nations and the Hawaiian Islands. Thank You Mr. Bush, Please protect and save our precious Aina and Kai for if humans continue their course mankind will lose these precious areas.
I'm one of the lucky few to ever step foot on Nihoa – a remote, mysterious little island whose closest neighbor, Ni'ihau, lies beyond the horizon, about 120 miles southeast. The ancestors of my people, Native Hawaiians, somehow lived, farmed and worshipped on Nihoa – in the middle of nowhere – where their remnants still stand, frozen in time.
Accessing Nihoa – which lies within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument – is tricky. There's a tiny sandy beach in the south bay that may have once been used for access. But endangered Hawaiian monk seals currently haul out there, and federal laws protecting endangered species prevent people from using the beach. Inaccessibility combined with a stringent permitting process has prevented humans from visiting – and thereby impacting – the island. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, just 26 groups have been onto Nihoa in 28 years, and the vast majority of these visits were by U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff.One good deed President Bush and his Administration has done for the Polynesian... more
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Kepano
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3 years ago
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