REVEALED: New Estuary Experience museum to give interactive insight into Thames history
Clacton and Frinton Gazette SOUTHEND'S new museum is set to be called The Estuary Experience and will offer visitors an interactive insight into the history of the Thames. Councillors and officers have been busy looking at museums and exhibition across the country to cherry-pick ... and more » |
The internet is abuzz today at the sight of these fleshy-colored grape-sized sea blobs found on Huntington Beach, CA.
Instagram photo by RUSTO
As something of sea-blob fancier myself, my first reaction was: “oh yeah they’re probably…wait…wait what are these?” According to the first news report I read, these fleshy grapes were ID-ed by Dr. Christopher G. Lowe as sea cucumbers. Now, Dr. Lowe knows his cukes, but I needed more. What kind of cuke?! Where did they come from? Why now?! So I reached out to Echinoblogger Dr. Chris Mah for added intel.
According to Dr. Mah, these critters are known as Caudina (Molpadia) arenicola, or more adorably as the ‘sea sweet potato’. Sea sweet potatoes, like many sea cucumbers (this conversation is getting vegetable-y) live on the seafloor, and their tracks are visible in some of the photos taken by local beach goers.
Screen cap of video found in this news report
As for where they came from and why, these little tater tots are true So Cal natives. Dr. Mah guesses they washed up in a patch of rough water, but they’re always out there, just not quite so high and dry.
So watch where you step California friends. It’s beach potato time!
Annual Estuary Carol Walk takes place Sunday at dusk
Comox Valley Record The sixth annual Comox Valley Estuary Carol walk begins at dusk (4 p.m.), Sunday, Dec. 4 at Mansfield Drive parking lot (behind Bayside Cafe at 26th off Cliffe Avenue). Carollers may also join at the Airpark marina parking lot or on the covered patio ... |
Much has changed in the last weeks. Indeed, things have been changing for the last year. No matter which way your sentiments fall, we can all recognize this. To me, the world seems smaller, hateful, and less hopeful. This is supposed to be the post that changes all of that. A call to arms. A verbal warm embrace. I sit here at the helm of this online community, unsure and not sure what I can offer the voice that people want and need right now.
I have tried to live my life by a few basic principles:.
I hope over the years my actions here and elsewhere have reflected this. These pieces are reflected in our DSN core values. Now more than ever, words have power. It is time to turn these words into action.
Today, Deep Sea News comes back strong with renewed vigor and promise of the making of a different tomorrow. Each of the marine scientists here, Alex, Douglas, Holly, Kim, Rebecca, and I, have re-pledged ourselves to DSN. As always, our posts will be firmly rooted in science. Sometimes our posts will be critical. Others will be humorous as we seek laughter around us. Others will simply remind you of the beauty and awe in the world. Most importantly, DSN is safe place. All are welcome if coming with open minds and hearts.
I have invited prior contributors and writers back to DSN. Their diversity in knowledge and their voices empower us. In diversity comes resilience. If you are a marine scientist and want to contribute a post a month, come join us here at DSN.
I am hopeful my words here have reached you in some small way. That somewhere in the words above, which cannot come close to capture what weighs on my heart and mind, you find some meaning, some hope, some inspiration. However, as always I cannot do this alone. I continue to be supported by an amazing team. With our combined voices we are more complete. And through the renewed bonds of science, humanity and friendship, we will continue to be a voice for the ocean.
Louisiana Sportsman |
Targeting pre-winter slot redfish in upper Calcasieu estuary
Louisiana Sportsman You won't see their tails or silhouettes darting on the water's surface, and you'll rarely see a bird picking overhead. But slot redfish love cold water, and they recently returned to the northern portions of the Calcasieu estuary. Eyeing the ripples ... |
Times of India |
Debris killing Panvel mangroves, say locals
Times of India NAVI MUMBAI: In the backyard of the Panvel court area a mangrove stretch of around 50m has been damaged due to dumping of construction debris. There are two points, 200 metres apart, where dumping is destroying the green cover. |
Waikato Times |
Helena inspires rubbish collection event in Thames mangroves
Waikato Times Others in the community have been collecting rubbish in the mangroves, and on the Thames Coast. The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery staff picked up many bags of rubbish on October 6. Also, Malcolm Henry said he liked to photograph the Thames ... and more » |
Summit on Delaware Estuary set for Cape May
Press of Atlantic City The PDE has run the summit annually since 2005, and says it "has served as a catalyst for collaboration, bringing together experts from diverse sectors who share a common cause and a passion for the Delaware Estuary and environmental preservation.". |
Debris killing Panvel mangroves, say locals
Times of India Navi Mumbai: In the backyard of the Panvel court area a mangrove stretch of around 50m has been damaged due to dumping of construction debris. There are two points, 200 metres apart, where dumping is destroying the green cover. Recommended By ... |
NT News |
Fisherman winched to safety after becoming stuck in mangroves on ...
NT News A FISHERMAN has been winched to safety by CareFlight after activating his eperb. and more » |
India Climate Dialogue |
Replanting mangroves in Kachchh saves coast, people, world
India Climate Dialogue Hassan Bhai stretches his sinewy, sun-tanned, fisherman's arm's across a large swath of the Gulf of Kachchh and proudly shows the mangrove plantation that people from his village, Luni, nurture. Dots of green bob up and down the waterline in high tide ... |
Herald Sun |
Fisherman winched to safety after becoming stuck in mangroves on ...
Herald Sun A FISHERMAN has been winched to safety by CareFlight after activating his eperb. and more » |
The National |
Estuary Auctions chief deals with things of beauty
The National Ali Al Bayaty, chief executive of Estuary Auctions, has over the past eight years built up a rare and refined business in the heart of Abu Dhabi, inspired by his lifelong love of beautiful things and the expectation that a growing culture and arts ... |
dailytelegraph.com.au |
Fisherman winched to safety
dailytelegraph.com.au The 49-year-old Victorian ran aground in mangroves while fishing about 6.30pm on Sunday night. He waited until high tide to attempt to get his boat out but could not manoeuvre out of the mangroves so activated his emergency device about 11.20pm. |
Connected mangroves
New Straits Times Online OVER the past years, soil and river pollution in the Sabak Bernam coastal area in Selangor has resulted in severe dwindling of mangrove trees in the area. This in turn has led to serious erosion of the area which, if not addressed, will cause more damage. |
Courier Mail |
Fisherman winched to safety
Courier Mail The 49-year-old Victorian ran aground in mangroves while fishing about 6.30pm on Sunday night. He waited until high tide to attempt to get his boat out but could not manoeuvre out of the mangroves so activated his emergency device about 11.20pm. |
Perth Now |
Fisherman winched to safety
Perth Now The 49-year-old Victorian ran aground in mangroves while fishing about 6.30pm on Sunday night. He waited until high tide to attempt to get his boat out but could not manoeuvre out of the mangroves so activated his emergency device about 11.20pm. |
I am annoyingly the first one to return to the surface after any scuba dive. My bottom time exploring the wonders of the aquatic realm is 60-75% shorter than these friends. I know this specifically because I have kept detailed records in my dive logs. One of my closest friends, using the same size scuba tank as I, can return to the surface after me and then use the remaining air in his tank to complete an entire second dive. I hate him. No but really, it’s very annoying. The difference between him and I? Primarily our size. At 6’3’’ and 250 lbs., depending on the proximity to the holiday season, I am by most definitions a “big guy”. My friend is closer to 5’3’’ and weighs of course considerably less. Tanks of air for scuba diving come in different sizes denote by the holding capacity measured in pressurized cubic feet. Most recreational divers find that an 80 to 100-cubic-foot tank is sufficient for their underwater breathing needs. My friend dives with a tank in the 70 range. I cannot match his time with 110-cubic-foot tank.
95% largest amphipod crustacean species versus the oxygen content of the water in the area from Chapelle and Peck 1999
I am reminded that with great repetition, scientists have found in areas of land and ocean with more oxygen, animals are larger. In 2001, my Ph.D. advisor Mike Rex and I found that snails in the deep ocean were much larger in parts of the abyss where oxygen was higher. In one species, one of my favorite deep-sea snails (yes I have a favorite deep-sea snail) Benthomangelia antonia, size doubled across the Atlantic Ocean due to a relatively small increase in oxygen concentration. A couple of years earlier, the duo of Chapelle and Peck compared 1,853 species of amphipods crustaceans from the poles to equator in both marine and freshwater areas. They too found when there was more oxygen animals were bigger. Alligators, fruit flies, domestic chickens, trout, rats, red-bellied turtles, mealworms, and garter snakes, when grown in low oxygen environments obtain smaller sizes. Even humans living in lower oxygen concentrations at higher elevations, as seen in the high altitude dwelling Peruvians and Tibetans, reach smaller adult sizes.
This pattern of large animals in higher oxygen regions and vice versa also translates across the history of life as well. Animals were larger during geologic times when oxygen concentrations were greater. Enter the massive dragonflies of the genus Meganeura that occurred during the Carboniferous, approximately 300 million years ago. With wingspans of up to 65 centimeters (25.6 inches), Meganeura was one of the larges known flying insects to have lived on Earth. Their existence and large sizes occurs during a time with atmospheric oxygen was at high. This high oxygen era led to a lot more than just large dragonflies. The land and oceans were teeming with giants ranging from arthropods, bryozoans, urchins, brachiopods, and corals. Moreover, the sizes of the largest arthropods, mollusks, and chordates all decline from the Carboniferous to the lower oxygen Permian.
In 2009, my friend and colleague Jon Payne at Stanford university lead a team (myself included) documenting changes in the maximum size of life throughout the history of life (see above plot). During this 3.5 billion year span, life increased over 16 orders of magnitude in body size. However, a great majority of this increase occurred in two discrete steps one at 1.9 billion years ago and the second approximately 0.5 billion years. The steps corresponded with evolution from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells and from single cell to multicelluar organisms. Most interestingly, these steps also coincide, or slightly postdate, major increase of oxygen in the atmosphere. Major shifts in size and the complexity of life appears to have required more oxygen.
But why this pattern? Simply, cells require oxygen to make cellular energy in the form of ATP. The more cells that come with bigger body sizes require even larger quantities of oxygen. But the whole story is more complicated than just this. Oxygen uptake by an organism is limited by the amount of surface area available for diffusion whether it be the surface area of the gills, lungs, or body surface. But how much oxygen an organism needs is governed by its mass. With increasing size, mass increases quicker than surface area, thus demand increases more quickly than supply. For any given shape there will be a critical size in which oxygen cannot supply demand. This constraint is exacerbated by low oxygen concentrations. This is also why gills and lungs have evolved to increase their surface areas through branching, invagination, and folding.
Despite my continued frustration with this whole scuba scenario, I try to remember I am simply the modern day equivalent of the massive dragonflies of the Carboniferous. We are creatures bound by physics and biology.
Mid-Day |
Mumbai: 1 lakh saplings to revive dying mangroves
Mid-Day The fast depleting mangrove cover along the city's coastline has spurred the authorities into initiating remedial measures. They plan to plant nearly 1 lakh saplings at the proposed 5-hectare mangrove park in Gorai-Manori, for which the BMC's Tree ... and more » |
Mid-Day |
1 lakh saplings to revive dying mangroves
Mid-Day The fast depleting mangrove cover along the city's coastline has spurred the authorities into initiating remedial measures. They plan to plant nearly 1 lakh saplings at the proposed 5-hectare mangrove park in Gorai-Manori, for which the BMC's Tree ... |
Hindustan Times |
Saving mangroves crucial, but don't halt development projects, says ...
Hindustan Times Ecological conservation is crucial, not every development project should be halted, particularly, if these projects are meant for public welfare, the Bombay high ... Bombay HC clears mangroves hurdle for 5 projects | The Indian ...The Indian Express all 2 news articles » |
Mid-Day |
Mumbai: Illegal dumping of debris near mangroves irks Malad locals
Mid-Day Mangroves near Evershine Nagar, Malad (West), are under threat as illegal dumping of debris has begun once again, along the stretch. A year ago, on November 30, mid-day had reported (Road in BMC's DP eats up Malad mangroves in three days flat) how ... and more » |
Miami Herald |
Everglades mangroves may hold billion-dollar fix for climate change
Miami Herald The price of fighting climate change in South Florida has so far focused largely on the billions needed to install pumps, raise roads and retrofit the sprawling infrastructure that keeps the region above sea level. But South Florida may already have a ... Study Shows Multi-Billion-Dollar Value Of Carbon Storage In MangrovesNational Parks Traveler (registration) all 2 news articles » |
Friends, Americans, country people, lend me your ears.
You need to get your respective s#%@ together. Both my right and left leaning friends have bombarded my Facebook and other social media feeds with “news pieces” that purport one outrageous claim or another. You know who you are. You know what I’m talking about. You all are guilty.
Here is the thing. The spread of misinformation is dangerous. It fuels anger, mistrust, inaction, the wrong actions, and a whole host of other really, really bad things. Every time you spread misinformation on the web a cute baby chinchilla dies and a baby sloth weeps. If you want those deaths and tears on your hands then by all means continue to do what you are doing. On the other hand if the suffering of tiny animals is not your thing I can help. (Note: In the spirit of reliable information and transparency the previous statement is not true. No baby animals will directly be hurt from you spread of misinformation. This is obviously sarcasm.) Below is an easy list for you to follow. I have borrowed from several lists put forth from university librarians (here, here, here). God bless them and their patience with us all. Once you have moved through the list below you are ready to share the piece on social media. Just kidding. Go back to step one and repeat and then share.
1. Who authored the piece?
From Lee College Library, “Look for an “About” or “More about the Author” link at the top, bottom or sidebar of the webpage. Some pages will have a corporate author rather than a single person as an author. If no information about the author(s) of the page is provided, be suspicious. Does the author provide his/her credentials? What type of expertise does s/he have on the subject s/he is writing about? Does s/he indicate what his/her education is? What type of experience s/he has? Should you trust his/her knowledge of the subject? Try “Googling” the author…What kinds of websites are associated with your author’s name? Is s/he affiliated with any education institutions? Do commercial sites come up? Do the websites associated with the author give you any clues to particular biases the author might have?
2. Did the piece cite sources and what kind of sources?
Are the cited sources credible websites, books, and scholarly articles? What kind of sources does the website cite? Are they just political sites with agendas?
3. Who funds or publishes the site? What biases are introduced by this funding? What is the domain name?
From the UW-Greenbay Computing and Information Technology website, “Domains such as .com, .org, and .net can be purchased and used by any individual. However, the domain .edu is reserved for colleges and universities, while .gov denotes a government website. Be careful with the domain .org, because .org is usually used by non-profit organizations which may have an agenda of persuasion rather than education.”
From Lee College Library, “Do a search on the domain name at http://www.whois.sc/. This site provides information about the owners of registered domain names. What is the organization’s main purpose? Check the organization’s main website, if it has one. Is it educational? Commercial? Is it a reputable organization?”
4. Does the website look like it was designed a three-year old with crayons?
From the UW-Greenbay Computing and Information Technology website, “a well-designed site can be an indication of more reliable information. Good design helps make information more easily accessible.”
5. Is the language inflammatory? IS ALL CAPS USED? Is it just an angry rant?
Authors striving for objectivity try to leave emotionally charged language out of piece. Attacks on character are a good warning sign. In the spirit of Dragnet, “Just the facts.”
6. What is the purpose and agenda of the site?
From Lee College Library, “Why did the author write it and the publisher post it? To sell a product? As a personal hobby? As a public service? To further scholarship on a topic? To provide general information on a topic? To persuade you of a particular point of view? How to find out: Scan the homepage of the website. Is it cluttered with advertising? Does the page appear to be professionally designed? Is the writing trying to persuade you to buy something?”
7. Is the information accurate and objective?
Did you Google search the information on the webpage? Can you corroborate the information on reliable websites sites?
From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, “How accurate is the information presented? Are sources of factual information or statistics cited? Is there a bibliography included? Compare the page to related sources, electronic or print, for assistance in determining accuracy. Does the page exhibit a particular point of view or bias? Is the site objective? Is there a reason the site is presenting a particular point of view on a topic? Does the page contain advertising? This may impact the content of the information included. Look carefully to see if there is a relationship between the advertising and the content, or whether the advertising is simply providing financial support for the page.
8. Does it taste like a duck?
Ok, this one is my own. Approach everything with a healthy dose of cynicism. But if it looks, walks, tastes, and smells like a duck…it’s a duck. If it feels like BS or hyperbole it probably is. Everyone is trying to sell you information. Even at the end of the day reputable news sites run on advertising. They want thing that will make you click to their website. Do yourself a favor a read and evaluate multiple news articles about a current event.
9. Did you actually read the piece you are sharing on social media?
Not just the title, not just the first paragraph, but did you actually read the whole article? Please for the love all that is sacred do not share until you know exactly what you are sharing. The “I didn’t read the whole thing” or “I didn’t read it carefully” is not an excuse.
National Parks Traveler (registration) |
Study Shows Multi-Billion-Dollar Value Of Carbon Storage In Mangroves
National Parks Traveler (registration) Editor's note: The following article was written by Evelyn S. Gonzalez in the news department at Florida International University. When it comes to storing carbon, scientists have put a price tag on the value of mangroves in Everglades National Park ... |
The Star, Kenya |
Kefri fights mangrove tree loss linked to widespread drought
The Star, Kenya The Kenya Forestry Research institute is developing a masterplan to enable sustainable utilisation of mangrove trees. This follows the massive loss of mangroves along the Coastal line that forced the government to ban cutting of the trees. Authorities ... |
Dogs not disturbing the birds in the estuary
Cowichan Valley Citizen The CERCA has recently carried out an excellent upgrading of the track and named it Cowichan Estuary Nature Trail. The noise created by the mill does not disturb the birds in the area, neither does the truck traffic travelling on the road to the ... |
Hindustan Times |
Collectors asks BMC, MHADA whether they approved home extensions into Versova mangroves
Hindustan Times A day after the state mangrove cell identified 66 bungalow owners who illegally extended their homes in protected mangroves at Versova, the district collector issued notices to the municipal corporation and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development ... |
Mangroves hacked in broad daylight
Times of India Navi Mumbai: Despite several complaints about mangroves being hacked near Mansarovar railway station, some men were seen removing parts of the green cover in the same area on Thursday. TOI has got incriminating photos of some men cutting the ... |
