EPA to allow states address rising ocean acidity
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 12, 2010 at 5:13 am
From the Associated Press:
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it will consider ways the states can address rising acidity levels in oceans, which pose a serious threat to shellfish and other marine life.
The agency’s decision was announced in a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity. The environmental group sued the EPA last year for not requiring Washington state to list its coastal waters as impaired by rising acidity under the Clean Water Act. “It’s one of the most important threats to water quality right now,” said Miyoko Sakashita, a senior attorney at the group’s San Francisco office. “It’s affecting waters around the world, and it’s particularly stark in the waters off the West Coast.”
Oceans are becoming more acidic as they absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — a problem Sakashita referred to as “global warming’s evil twin.” … “
Continue reading this article from the Associated Press by clicking here.
Dan Bacher commentary: North Coast enviros blast MLPA as evidence of corruption emerges
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 7, 2010 at 7:37 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
“John and Barbara Stephens-Lewallen, Mendocino County’s leading environmental activist couple, demanded that the Schwarzenegger administration stop the corrupt, fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative during their testimony before the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force for the North Coast Study Region on March 1. Their plea to halt the process was made the same week that new hard evidence of corruption in the widely-contested MLPA fiasco emerged during a Fish and Game Commission meeting in Ontario, California.
“It is our duty to defend California ocean food sovereignty while we still draw breath,” the Stephens-Lewallens stated. “Public access to fisheries is a Constitutional right in California (Article 1, Section 25). We will lose this right unless we unite and assert it this year.”
“You and the interests you represent would be wise to help us stop the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI). The MLPAI is a lose/lose/lose effort on California’s North Coast, benefitting only the careerists who run the MLPAI process,” they said.
The Stephens-Lewallens criticize the MLPA process for being funded by a private corporation, the Resource Legacy Fund Foundation, effectively privatizing public trust ocean resources to pave the way for offshore oil drilling, wave energy projects and corporate aquaculture.
“The Resources Legacy Fund Foundation (Foundation) and its backers will never make sustainable and respected fisheries regulations here,” they said. “The Foundation will need to become more brutal and uglier in this futile effort.” … “
Continue reading this commentary by Dan Bacher by clicking here.
MORE MLPA COMMENTARY: The MLPA Initiative: A Corrupt Enron-Style Scam, commentary by David Gurney
Faster method to detect bacterial contamination in coastal waters
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 4, 2010 at 6:48 amFrom R&D:
“Currently, beachgoers are informed about water-quality conditions based on results from the previous day’s sample. Scientists must collect samples in the field, then return to a lab to culture them for analysis—a process that takes a minimum of 24 hours.
Now, engineers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have sped up the process of analyzing bacterial concentrations to under one hour, through the development of a new in-field, rapid-detection method.
Since bacteria levels can change quickly in the water column, a one-day turnaround time simply isn’t fast enough to adequately protect swimmers or prevent unnecessary beach closures, the engineers say.
This issue is especially pertinent in California, where gastrointestinal illness that can result from contact with contaminated beach waters has been estimated to cost Orange and Los Angeles county beach visitors between $21 million and $51 million per year in sick days and related issues. … “
Continue reading this article from R&D by clicking here.
Calif. may ban power plants from using ocean as coolant; Spouting Off blog says yesterday’s LA Times story omitted a lot of important details
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 2, 2010 at 7:37 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“State water board regulators are mulling a plan to stop power companies from vacuuming the ocean for water to cool their machinery.
Environmentalists said the practice destroys too much sea life, while utility advocates said the impact is minimal. Banning the practice would cost too much, jeopardize the reliability of the electricity grid and slow the state’s transition to clean energy, supporters of the practice said.
Screens prevent larger animals from entering the plants, but fish can die while trapped against these barriers. Anything smaller than the openings in the screens, including millions of tiny fish larvae, can enter the power plants and also die.
Federal rules ban new operations from drawing in seawater for so-called “once-through” cooling systems. State regulators now want to apply this rule to the 19 existing plants from Eureka to San Diego. … “
Continue reading this story from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Mark Gold of the Spouting Off blog has issues with yesterday’s Los Angeles Times coverage of this story:
” … reporter Jill Leovy missed the point. She omitted any discussion of the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act to use Best Available Control Technology to reduce larval entrainment and fish impingment in power plants. Federal courts all the way up to the Supreme Court have upheld the requirement, under section 316b of the act.
And once-through cooling (OTC) doesn’t fit anyone’s definition of Best Available Control Technology. Energy plants that use OTC literally suck the life out of the ocean, diverting millions of gallons of seawater via intake pipes to cool themselves. Somehow, the fact that every coastal power plant in California is in gross violation of the Clean Water Act didn’t get included in the article.
The Times piece didn’t include any information from the reporter’s interviews with the State Water Board or the energy agencies (California Energy Commission, Public Utilities Commission and the California Independent System of Operators) that support the draft policy.
If the Times did include this information, the reader would have seen that nearly all of the coastal power plants need to be repowered anyway because they use arcane, energy inefficient technologies. Also, the reader would have seen how California wants to move forward with the policy to self determine how OTC will get phased out rather than waiting for a one-size-fits-few approach from the federal EPA. … “
Continue reading this post from the Spouting Off blog by clicking here.
Power plants criticize proposal to block use of seawater for cooling machinery
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 1, 2010 at 8:12 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
“Scuba diver John Vincent sensed something was wrong when, fishing for lobster one night off Playa del Rey, he felt a strange current.
It grew stronger. Seconds later, Vincent, 49, was swept into the mouth of a huge intake pipe for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Scattergood power plant.
He tried to kick against the flow, but it was no use: Down the pipe he went, clutching his flashlight and his limit of lobsters, a long, fast journey through the dark. “I was flipping out,” he said. “My air supply was running out.”
Vincent’s misadventure was exceptional. Most of the organisms sucked into power plant intake pipes off the California coast are plankton and small fish.
But his story provides an unusual firsthand perspective on a process at the heart of a messy controversy coming to a head before the State Water Resources Control Board.
Every day, intake pipes such as the one that caught Vincent are permitted to suck in enough seawater to fill Lake Arrowhead, then spit it out again, a little warmer and a lot deader. The seawater is used for cooling mechanisms in power plants, and for decades, it has provided California’s electricity generators with a cheap and convenient way to keep the lights on. … “
Continue reading this article from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: MLPA stakeholders draft resolution to address disregard for tribal rights
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 1, 2010 at 8:02 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
“During a conference call/webinar on February 25, members of the North Coast Regional Stakeholders Group for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative agreed upon the proposed text for a recommendation to the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force on the topic of tribal uses of the ocean.
This is powerful, long needed language that addresses the disregard that MLPA officials and the state of California have demonstrated towards the traditional seaweed harvesting, fishing and ceremonial rights of California Indian Tribes since the process began in 2002 under the Davis administration. The initiative, after being put on hold because of lack of funding, was reinitiated with private funding by the Resource Legacy Fund Foundation under the Schwarzenegger administration in 2004.
That resolution states “That the MLPA Initiative shall appropriately acknowledge that California tribes and tribal communities have aboriginal rights to take marine resources and to use and manage coastal areas for traditional subsistence, cultural, religious, ceremonial, and other customary purposes.” … “
Read more of Dan Bacher’s commentary at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
$4 million grant funds projects monitoring California marine protection areas
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 26, 2010 at 6:23 am
From the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“The Ocean Protection Council awarded $4 million, almost half going to a UC Santa Cruz based consortium, to monitor North Central Coast marine protected areas.
The projects, which will continue for up to three years, will study the organisms inside and outside the protected areas to establish an integrated picture of marine ecosystems and human activities. The region being studied ranges from Alder Creek in Mendocino County to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County.
“I’m very excited about what the baseline project will deliver, it will be right on target with determining how these areas are performing,” said Cheri Recchia of the Ocean Protection Council.
The baseline program is a collaboration between California Sea Grant, Ocean Protection Council, Department of Fish and Game, Ocean Science Trust and Marine Protection Area Monitoring Enterprise. … “
Read more from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Photo of Trinidad, California by flickr photographer Lee Coursey.
Steven Maviglio: New studies show Marine Protected Areas benefit fish — and fishermen
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 23, 2010 at 6:34 am
From Steven Maviglio at IndyBay.org:
“Several new studies released yesterday in a special ocean-focused issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) have found that well-designed networks of marine reserves can provide both economic and environmental benefits.
Scientists at the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) conference, held this week in San Diego, highlighted marine reserve success stories from Los Angeles and Australia, showing that the protection of key habitat can rebuild fisheries and improve overall ocean health.
“There is plenty of new evidence to show that if reserves are designed well, they can benefit both fish and fishermen,” said Steven Gaines, Dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara in a press release on Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100221200904.htm.
UC Santa Barbara’s Ben Halpern and Andrew Rassweiler emphasized the importance of location in a Science News http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/56511/title/Placement_of_marine_reserves_is_key article. Marine reserves placed in the areas where fish and shellfish feed and breed can increase fishermen’s profits while decreasing their impacts on fish populations. … “
Continue reading Steven Maviglio’s commentary by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: $4 million awarded to monitor North Central Coast MPAs
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 23, 2010 at 6:30 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
“The Ocean Protection Council has awarded $4 million to “support initial monitoring” of the recently designated North Central Coast marine protected areas (MPAs) under Governor Arnold Schwarzengger’s widely-contested Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative.
“The projects, which will continue for up to three years, will target marine life and habitats, as well as commercial and recreational activities, inside and outside the protected areas,” according to a news release from Christina S. Johnson of California Sea Grant.
“Through the baseline program, teams of researchers and citizen-scientists will survey shallow and deep rocky habitats, kelp forests, rocky shores, estuaries, beaches and other key ecosystems,” the release stated. “They will also monitor ecologically and economically important species of fishes and invertebrates, as well as range of human activities, including commercial and sport fishing, and also “non-consumptive” recreation such as tide-pooling, bird watching and scuba diving.”
What parallel universe do Johnson and the teams of “researchers” and “citizen-scientists?” live in? Are they aware that this money is going to greenwash one of the most corrupt environmental fiascos in California history, a process that is the antithesis of real marine and fishery protection?
Are they aware that so-called “public” process is funded and directed by the Resource Legacy Fund Foundation, a shadowy organization funded by big corporations that attempts to control environmental politics in California and is entirely unaccountable to the public? … “
Continue reading Dan Bacher’s commentary at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
NRDC Switchboard: Experts at annual science convention to review studies showing Marine Protected Areas restore ocean ecosystems
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 19, 2010 at 7:45 amFrom Leila Monroe from the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“This week, marine science, policy and real-world conservation all converge in sunny San Diego. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is holding their annual meeting and the science behind marine protected areas will be an important topic of discussion. San Diego is also part of the southern California region of marine protected areas that is currently being designed with the extensive input of citizens and scientists, under the Marine Life Protection Act.
I am happy to be attending the AAAS meeting, not just to hear from preeminent scientists about the latest studies demonstrating the effectiveness of marine protected areas, but also to moderate a panel on marine spatial planning, and to get in touch with the resource that I love dearly, enjoying some early morning surf sessions in warmer southern California waters. … “
Continue reading this post at the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
Oceans’ acidity rate is soaring, claims study; The oceans are likely to become so acidic in coming centuries that they will become uninhabitable for vast swathes of life
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 17, 2010 at 6:39 amFrom AlterNet:
“The rate at which the oceans are becoming more acidic is greater today than at any time in tens of millions of years, according to a new study.
Rapidly rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere mean that the rate of ocean acidification is the fastest since the age of the dinosaurs, which became extinct 65m years ago, scientists believe.
The oceans are likely to become so acidic in coming centuries that they will become uninhabitable for vast swathes of life, especially the little-studied organisms on the deep-sea floor which are a vital link in the marine food chain. … “
Read more from AlterNet by clicking here.
Oceano Dunes ecosystem needs constant care With so many uses, the Dunes requires exhaustive monitoring to ensure ecological concerns such as air and water quality, trash and wildlife are managed well
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 17, 2010 at 6:17 amFrom the San Luis Obispo Tribune:
“Take 4,000 acres of wind-swept dunes, five-and-a-half miles of beach and numerous rare plants and animals and combine that with 2 million people and tens of thousands of trucks and off-highway vehicles a year.
It’s a potent recipe for controversy. No other location in San Luis Obispo County and perhaps no other California state park consistently generates as many environmental conflicts as Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The controversies cover a wide range beyond protecting wildlife — everything from air pollution to littering.
In fact, environmental issues have been one of the most potent tools critics have used to impose restrictions on off-highway-vehicle riding in the park. For example, a lawsuit by the Sierra Club recently forced the park to nearly double a seasonal shorebird closure area in the park.
Environmental issues are the main point OHV opponents cite in arguing that the county should retain ownership of a large parcel in the center of the park. They want the parcel to act as a buffer between riding areas and ecologically sensitive areas in the park. … “
Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune by clicking here.
The Pacific Ocean’s Garbage Patch needs more study
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 16, 2010 at 7:55 amFrom Nina Shen Rastogi of the Washington Post’s Green Lantern:
“I keep reading about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, that floating island of trash between California and Hawaii. Can we ever clean it up? And should we even bother?
The Lantern always thought the Garbage Patch was a huge, waterborne landfill — sort of like a massive hair clog in a big drain. In reality, it’s not so much an island of trash as a thin, soupy area of litter, mostly in the form of tiny flecks of plastic, studded here and there with old fishing gear and children’s toys. Even if you were to sail right through the Patch, the water probably wouldn’t look too remarkable, unless you scooped some up and looked at it closely. So cleaning this part of the ocean isn’t as simple as you might imagine.
Because the trash is so dispersed, it’s not like we can just steer a big ship out to sea and pick up the Garbage Patch. Collecting all those small fragments of plastic would be extremely expensive. Plus, thanks to a variety of factors — from winter storms to El Niño — the Garbage Patch moves, making it hard to target effectively. Finally, in gathering up those little scraps, you also run the risk of catching — and killing — any marine animals living amid the debris, many of which are the same size as the plastic bits. … “
Read more from the Washington Post by clicking here.
Debate emerges on how to fight coastal erosion
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 9, 2010 at 8:05 amFrom KGO-TV:
“SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — ABC7 has been covering the race to save apartment buildings in danger of sliding into the ocean in Pacifica. It is a dramatic story that is likely to become a lot more common in the next few years. Climate change and rising sea levels are eating away at the California coastline. The big question is, how far should we go to stop nature from taking its course?
What would you pay for an ocean front home along some of Sonoma County’s most beautiful and rugged coastline?
The house is on the market for $550,000 – a bargain in many Bay Area communities. The problem is, the neighborhood is quite literally “on the decline.”
There used to be 21 houses at the top of the 70-foot cliff, but in the last six years eight were torn down or moved because the hillside is collapsing. … “
Continue reading at the KGO website by clicking here.
Junk accumulating on Monterey Bay ocean floor: Scientists find increasing levels of debris in the deep sea
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 9, 2010 at 6:21 amFrom the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
“Deep below the pale blue shimmering surface of Monterey Bay, lies a ton of trash. “We have even seen artillery shells – large artillery shells, spools of cable and a little unbroken teapot just sitting on the sand,” said Diana Watters of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Center.
Watters and her co-workers have been recording the amounts of debris lying on the ocean floor since 1993.
More typically the researchers have seen discarded or lost recreational and commercial fishing gear or simply bottles and cans. The most common item in the debris is monofilament fishing line, the line used in rod-and-reel fishing rods. “The fishing line most likely gets caught on rocks and gets broken off accidently,” Watters said. … “
Read more from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
Mix-up to begin for MLPA proposals
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 7, 2010 at 7:37 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard:
“A number of proposals to create marine reserves off the North Coast have gone into the blender, as a 31-member group formed under the state Marine Life Protection Act Initiative meets for the first time on Monday.
A group of local stakeholders and conservationists say their proposals are meant to soften the economic and social blow anticipated with the shutting down or restricting fishing and gathering in some areas along the sparsely populated coast. But while several proposals are roughly similar, few of them appear to meet the guidelines set up by the 1999 act.
That means that whatever comes out of the mix over the next year is likely to be more restrictive than what local interests have proposed. The initiative’s staff are currently reviewing the submissions, which are expected to be made public on Feb. 16.
Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Conservation Director Adam Wagschal said that each type of reserve proposed in various coastal habitats is added up to meet the state’s requirements. Wagschal coordinated the proposal submitted by the North Coast Local Interest MPA Working Group — composed of local agencies, commercial and sport fishing and other stakeholders from Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino counties.
”Everything contributes a certain amount toward meeting the guidelines,” Wagschal said. … “
Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard by clicking here.
$20 million could be spent to save Broad Beach
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2010 at 6:45 amFrom the Malibu Times:
“The first phase of a long-term solution to the ongoing erosion of Broad Beach began last week with the emergency construction of an eight-foot-tall, 4,100-foot-long rock wall designed to shield beachfront homes and their septic tanks from being undermined by high tides and stormy surf.
Paid for entirely by homeowners, the $3.4 million rock wall, expected to reach completion in six weeks, is part of a $15 million to $20 million plan to permanently restore Broad Beach to its 100-foot width within the next six years, according to members of the Trancas Property Owners Association. … “
Read more from the Malibu Times by clicking here.
PG&E wave project sets out into unfamiliar waters
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 3, 2010 at 8:28 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard:
“The Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is weeks away from submitting an application to the federal government for a first-of-its kind project to test wave energy devices off the Humboldt County coast.
The pilot project could be a proving ground for the large-scale production of energy from waves, but a host of environmental and economic concerns will have to be addressed before that can happen. At a public meeting at the Veteran’s Hall Tuesday night, a working group made up of representatives from PG&E, state and federal agencies, commercial and sport fishing interests, and surfing and environmental groups outlined the promise and potential effects of new technologies.
PG&E expects to submit a pilot project license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by Feb. 26. It will ask to test three to four different types of wave power generators in an area 1/2-mile wide and 2 miles long about 3 miles to sea roughly west of Arcata. The intense wave activity off the Humboldt coast, and the chosen area’s proximity to a working harbor like Humboldt Bay, make it an ideal test site, said PG&E Senior Program Manager Bill Toman.
”It turns out, as anyone who’s been to the shore here knows, we’ve got a lot of good waves,” Toman said. … “
Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard by clicking here.
Popular Long Beach swimming spot is poised for restoration
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 1, 2010 at 6:24 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“Eleven storm drains empty into Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach, and its only outlet to the sea — a 900-foot underground culvert — is choked with mussels, clams, sand and barnacles.
So it’s no surprise that one of Southern California’s only lagoons — shallow saltwater bodies sheltered from the ocean — is among the dirtiest around. Last year, Colorado Lagoon was ranked as the state’s fourth most-polluted beach in Heal the Bay’s “Beach Bummers” list.
Yet the Y-shaped basin is one of the most popular swimming spots in the city, packed with sunbathers and swimmers on hot summer afternoons.
Conservationists have been working for more than a decade to restore the 18-acre lagoon, often removing as much as 100 pounds of trash at weekly cleanups. But only now are their aspirations starting to take shape in a big way. … “
Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
New rules planned for fish farming in federal waters
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 19, 2010 at 2:16 pmFrom the Ventura County Star:
“WASHINGTON — Americans’ insatiable love of seafood is back on the federal government’s plate.
Five years after former President George W. Bush’s administration first proposed allowing fish farming in federal waters, the Obama administration is set to come up with its own set of rules for offshore aquaculture, including deepwater fish farming.
The new rules, which are expected to spell out a permitting process for offshore aquaculture operations, could come as early as this summer, said Michael Rubino, manager of the aquaculture program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“We’re looking at this whole question of aquaculture in federal waters — how to go about it,” Rubino said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, has filed legislation that would establish a regulatory framework for aquaculture operations in federal waters, which begin three miles beyond the nation’s shores. … “
Read more from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.
MLPA initiative: Genocidal attack on North Coast tribal culture and sovereignty, says commentary
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 11, 2010 at 6:24 amFrom John Lewallen of the Pacific Ocean Access Network, this commentary:
“The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI) is a genocidal attack on the tribal nations and native cultures who are surrounded, and sometimes overwhelmed by, the State of California.
Here in Mendocino County, California, are eight sovereign tribal nations. Many more federally-recognized tribal nations live in Sonoma, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Their cultural survival is dependent on being part of the intertidal and ocean ecosystem in an annual migration to the coast to camp, talk to the spirits, play, and harvest essential food for human and cultural health.
“Cultural Genocide” is a crime under international law, and a morally reprehensible act when done with full knowledge. I am sure the genocidal MLPAI will stop as soon as most Californians see its true nature. … “
Read more of John’s commentary published at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Northwest orcas rebound, but still endangered; Six births bump up the population of killer whales off Washington and southwest British Columbia
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 10, 2010 at 7:52 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
“Seattle – A little over a year after researchers feared a drop in the Northwest’s endangered killer-whale population meant disaster, the number of orcas has bounced back with six new babies and no whales lost.
Though scientific evidence is skimpy, some whale experts say the good news might be the result of enough salmon for the black-and-white mammals to eat. Others say so little is known about orcas that the baby boom could be a result of any number of factors — or simply a statistical fluke.
Whatever the reason, they’re overjoyed about the new arrivals.
“We’re all very happy to see so many births,” said Susan Berta of the Whidbey Island-based Orca Network. “We’re all hoping that they find lots of fish to keep them healthy and keep the mothers in good condition so they can feed the calves,” she said. … “
Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Picture of orca by flickr photographer Sparky Leigh (Creative Commons).
Ocean aquaculture legislation unnecessary and a concern for coastal and fishing communities and environment
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 29, 2009 at 7:37 amFrom Food and Water Watch:
““On Christmas Eve, a bill introduced by Representative Lois Capps (CA-23) to allow offshore aquaculture in federal U.S. waters became available to the public. Also known as ocean fish farming, this practice is the mass-production of fish using open net pens or cages located about three to 200 miles offshore (in most ocean areas). This bill is unnecessary and not a step toward protecting our oceans and fishermen’s jobs from harms associated with ocean fish farming.
“While Representative Capps may intend legislation as a safeguard against a piecemeal approach to developing and regulating ocean aquaculture, the ultimate effect is of streamlining the process for the industry to better establish itself in the U.S.
“Ocean fish farming can have devastating effects on the environment and fishing jobs and produce lower-quality fish for consumers. Environmental problems can include escapement of fish, pollution of surrounding waters with excess feed and fish waste, and transmission of parasites and diseases to wild populations. These problems will not be fully mitigated by the bill, which enforces very limited liability for damages to natural resources.
“Economically, fish farms can undercut the prices that local fishermen receive for their catch, further threatening an already vulnerable job market. This industry is not a solution to the question of how to meet the growing demand for seafood. … “
Read more from Food & Water Watch by clicking here.
To save the planet, save the seas, says commentary
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 28, 2009 at 7:25 am
From the New York Times, this commentary by Dan Laffoley, the marine vice chairman of the World Commission on Protected Areas at the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
“For the many disappointments of the recent climate talks in Copenhagen, there was at least one clear positive outcome, and that was the progress made on a program called Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation. Under this program, key elements of which were agreed on at Copenhagen, developing countries would be compensated for preserving forests, peat soils, swamps and fields that are efficient absorbers of carbon dioxide, the primary heat-trapping gas linked to global warming.
This approach, which takes advantage of the power of nature itself, is an economical way to store large amounts of carbon. But the program is limited in that it includes only those carbon sinks found on land. We now need to look for similar opportunities to curb climate change in the oceans.
Few people may realize it, but in addition to producing most of the oxygen we breathe, the ocean absorbs some 25 percent of current annual carbon dioxide emissions. Half the world’s carbon stocks are held in plankton, mangroves, salt marshes and other marine life. So it is at least as important to preserve this ocean life as it is to preserve forests, to secure its role in helping us adapt to and mitigate climate change. … “
Read more from the New York Times by clicking here.
Dan Bacher commentary: Prominent biologist challenges MLPA science panel assumptions and data
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 24, 2009 at 7:24 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
“Patrick Higgins, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Commissioner and a well respected fishery biologist, is questioning the assumptions and poor data that the “science” behind Governor Arnold Schwarzengger’s fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process is based on.
In a December 20 letter to a biologist on the MLPA Science Advisory Team, Higgins challenged the spacing guidelines and fundamental assumptions regarding the larval drift model, a model in which ocean groundfish populations are supposedly replenished by the larval fish that drift outside of marine reserves by means of ocean currents.
“The lengthy theoretical discussion of larval drift at your Eureka December 17 SAT meeting had absolutely no foundation,” said Higgins. “As pointed out by one of the SAT members, the currents of the North Coast are strong and unique and the linear distance model has no basis here.”
He also says that Marine Protected Area (MPA) size guidelines used previously in the MLPA process are “not appropriate” for the North Coast.
“We in the North Coast region prefer fewer large MPAs and believe they are more likely to achieve the conservation objectives of the MLPA,” said Higgins. “Small preserves would not succeed in protecting fish populations because of migration of adults out of the MPA and fishing edge effects.” … “
Read more of Dan Bacher’s commentary from IndyBay.org by clicking here.
YouTube: HD video from the Monterey Aquarium
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 23, 2009 at 6:44 amWe interrupt this blog to bring you this HD video from the Monterey Aquarium by YouTube user Paris Daniell:
Dan Bacher commentary: The whalegate scandal: State Lands Commission finds MLPA habitat data acquired illegally
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 22, 2009 at 7:55 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
“In the latest episode in the long, sordid saga of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s widely-contested Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process, the California State Lands Commission (SLC) at its meeting in San Diego on December 17 voted not to revoke the permit for Fugro Pelagos research vessel activity on the condition that the company abide by the terms of the permit in the future. Commission staff found that Fugro Pelagos violated the terms of its permit when it struck and killed a blue whale in October, 2009 off Fort Bragg when its contract vessel was mapping the sea floor for the MLPA Initiative.
The finding that the MLPA habitat data was acquired illegally comes at a time when a broad coalition of North Coast environmentalists, fishermen, Native Americans and seaweed harvesters is criticizing the MLPA process for being rife with conflicts of interests, mission creep, environmental injustice and corruption of the democratic process.
Staff found that the company:
-Did not notify the State Lands Commission prior to its survey activity
-Did not have marine wildlife observers on board. … “
Read more of Dan Bacher’s commentary by clicking here.
Maps show where tsunami floods would hit state
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 19, 2009 at 3:51 pmFrom the San Francisco Chronicle:
“When major earthquakes strike along the Aleutian island chain in Alaska, they could trigger tsunamis sweeping down along the California coast and threatening many low-lying regions with disaster, including parts of San Francisco.
The danger has long been known, but Thursday a team of state scientists and emergency management specialists announced they have completed an updated series of 135 “inundation maps” covering shoreline areas in the state’s 30 coastal counties and every harbor and inlet that could be threatened.
The maps reveal in detail just how far large tsunamis might send ocean waters rushing inland to threaten beaches and coastal towns. They also indicate evacuation routes that lead to higher ground. The maps are being released online today by the California Emergency Management Agency. … “
Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Squid invasions signal changes in the Pacific Ocean
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 16, 2009 at 8:00 am
From the Christian Science Monitor:
“When large numbers of jumbo squid first showed up in California’s Monterey Bay in 1997, scientists weren’t sure what had brought the cephalopod that far north. An unusually strong El Niño event had warmed the eastern Pacific. But the squid, dubbed el diablo rojo – the red devil – in its native waters off the coast of Mexico, didn’t typically venture farther north than Baja California.
And indeed, within two years, the Humboldt squid – Dosidicus gigas – had disappeared from central California waters.
But in 2002 – another El Niño year – they reappeared. This time, they took up permanent residence and pushed even farther north – past Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, until, by 2004, fishermen near Sitka, Alaska, were hauling them in.
When scientists dug through historical records, they discovered that the squid’s northward advance wasn’t entirely unprecedented. There were accounts from the 1930s of the creatures in Monterey Bay. But never in numbers comparable to what scientists observed now – schools many hundreds strong. And no one had ever seen them as far north as Alaska.
“This occurrence has gotten weird enough to not really make it into the realm of ‘normal,’ ” says John Field, a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Santa Cruz, Calif. … “
Read more from the Christian Science Monitor by clicking here.
Santa Barbara: Devereux Slough Breached
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 16, 2009 at 5:59 amFrom edhat (Santa Barbara):
“I took my camera along on a beach walk Sunday (Dec. 13) afternoon, in case I got lucky and the Devereux slough breached after the weekend of rain. After hoping to catch the initial breach for 17 years, I got lucky, arriving on the scene at 4:47, about 5-10 mins. after it started. These pictures tell the story; I also posted four short clips on youtube, of which the first is the most dramatic, the second the least interesting, and the fourth 24 hours later … “
For links & pictures, click here.
PG&E to propose wave energy project offshore from Vandenberg AFB
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 13, 2009 at 8:27 am
From the Pacific Coast Times:
“In what could be a major step forward for alternative electric power generation for the region, Pacific Gas & Electric is preparing to seek approval to study a future wave energy project located off the California coast near Vandenberg Air Force Base.
The project, which could take years to make operational, would generate as much as 100 megawatts of power, providing permanent non-fossil-fueled electricity for the base, one of the largest employers in Santa Barbara County. PG&E is expected to seek the permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has been designated as the umbrella agency for wave energy project approval in the nation.
“We’ve entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Air Force to let us proceed with wave energy in that area if findings are favorable,” said PG&E spokesperson Kory Raftery. At press time, the permit application was expected to be filed on Dec. 11, and information about the project was provided to the Business Times on an embargoed basis. … “
Read more from the Pacific Coast Times by clicking here.
Picture of the Pacific Ocean by Vandenberg AFB by flickr photographer Capt. Spaulding (Creative Commons).
New Southern California underwater marine habitats approved
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 10, 2009 at 10:39 pm
From the Long Beach Press Telegram:
“State authorities approved new underwater marine habitats off Southern California’s coast Wednesday, restricting fishing and diving in areas where stocks have been severely depleted in recent decades.
The move by the California Dept. of Fish and Game Commission comes after months of wrangling over details of the plan, which establishes new, protected marine habitats around the Channel Islands, Palos Verdes Peninsula and near the Bolsa Chica wetlands, among other areas.
Perhaps most controversial for local recreational anglers is the inclusion in the plan of fishing restrictions near Rocky Point – a popular spot off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. While some areas near Point Vicente will fall under protection, large swaths will remain open for fishing and lobster diving. … “
Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram by clicking here.
Picture of the Palos Verdes peninsula by flickr photographer PetersReviewsdotcom (Creative Commons).
Rise in sea levels threatens California ports; Ocean levels are expected to increase by 16 inches over the next 40 years, causing flooding and endangering facilities throughout the state
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 10, 2009 at 6:19 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
“Global warming and a resulting rise in sea levels present a direct threat to the world’s seaports — and many of California’s harbors are nowhere near ready, state officials say.
Sea levels in California are expected to increase 16 inches over the next 40 years, causing flooding and endangering facilities throughout the state, according to a report by the California State Lands Commission. By 2100, the ocean could rise as much as 55 inches, the report said.
Most of the 40 ports and shipping hubs surveyed by the state said they were not prepared for the rise in sea levels.
At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, rising water could damage ground-level facilities and toxic-waste storage sites, said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, the state’s largest.
In Oakland, the site of the state’s third-biggest port, higher water could cause flooding and impede the movement of goods on highways and by rail, officials said in response to questions in the survey.
“We need to start planning for these things now, so that we’re not caught having to do a lot of remedial repair work 15 years to 20 years into the future,” Knatz said in an interview Wednesday. … “
Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Enlarged marine sanctuaries lack funding for enforcement
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 9, 2009 at 8:35 am
From the San Diego Union Tribune:
“The millions of dollars spent on a decade-long effort to create or enlarge coastal sanctuaries could fail to enhance protection for marine life because the state lacks funding to enforce or manage the project.
In the face of California’s $20 billion budget deficit, it’s unclear how the Department of Fish and Game will pay for programs to educate the public about marine protected areas, where seafood harvesting is banned or restricted; for more wardens to catch poachers; and for long-term studies on whether expanding the zones results in better conservation.
The department’s wardens said they don’t have the resources to patrol more marine protected areas along California’s 1,100-mile coastline, including new or enlarged sites off Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Jolla and Point Loma.
“We can’t keep people out of them, so what good is the science if you can’t be assured that those areas are completely protected?” said Todd Tognazzini, president of the California Fish and Game Wardens Association, which advocates for wildlife agents. … “
Continue reading this article at the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Zoning for oceans: Balancing our competing needs in the seas
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 8, 2009 at 8:07 amFrom Scientific American:
“For decades the seas off U.S. shores have been roiled by controversies over where to drill for oil, how to reel in overfishing, and whom to blame for toxic streams of continental runoff. A failure to manage these problems effectively has already put the nation’s oceanic realms in serious jeopardy. And now we are inviting new industries to stake their own claims on the blue frontier. To generate clean energy from wind and tides, we need permanent installations. To grow more food, we need offshore farms.
Without a plan to manage these proliferating activities, they are very likely to exacerbate the existing shambles. President Barack Obama turned a spotlight to this challenge in June, when he charged an interagency task force with detailing the country’s first national ocean policy. Its official report is due out this month, but a draft hints at a bold way of reconciling our competing needs and interests, both economic and environmental: zoning U.S. waters (which extend 200 nautical miles from the coast) much the way we zone our cities and public lands [see “Ocean Overhaul,” by Sarah Simpson]. … “
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