Category:Ocean
The planet's single biggest biome.
Also see Water., as well as Acidification/Coral Reefs, For information about environmental issues pertaining to the oceans, check out Global Warming, Plastic and Overfishing Page
For information about the oceans' charismatic megafauna, see Marine Mammals.
More useful info: Info on Marine Bio Major, Ocean Research.
Contents
Overviews
Why we should care about the ocean by Her Deepness Sylvia Earle (at the last undersea research facility, which is being defunded. (video) video bio) (see also Eco-heroes).
World ocean day 2014 update by David Suzuki.
Tipping Point? 7/14.
New video on ocean acidification from NRDC more
New report on coral reefs (and animated overview) 7/12 9/12 Update. some good news on adaptation (audio and images) 1/13.
Ocean Giants: Epic new 3 hour PBS series on whales and dolphins.
Thank You Ocean, a powerful one minute video about why it matters.
Center for Biological Diversity on status of ocean
New TOPP comprehensive study of hot spots. 5/11
Video overview from National Geographic.
Video overview on ocean health (beware greenwash ad at end).
Ten "gifts" for the ocean, easy actions you can take, includes avoiding sunscreen that bleaches coral.
Mother Jones magazine series The Last Days of the Ocean, articles and videos. 7/11
Census of Marine Life see also (video). New TEDtalk: Paul Snelgrove shares the results of the 10-year Census of Marine Life, and shares amazing photos of some of their surprising undersea finds. Related: Forage fish are important but declining. 11/11. UCSC alum has published an important book which got legal protection.
New Report : A "deadly trio" of carbon-related ocean impacts (ocean acidification, warming, and oxygen depletion) may lead to global marine extinctions on a scale unprecedented in human history. This is one of the main conclusions of a new report by an international panel of marine scientists (see my previous post Ocean of Trouble for more details). The panel's main findings were summarized as follows: The combination of stressors on the ocean is creating the conditions associated with every previous major extinction of species in Earth's history. Further: The speed and rate of degeneration in the ocean is far faster than anyone has predicted. Many of the negative impacts previously identified are greater than the worst predictions. Although difficult to assess because of the unprecedented speed of change, the first steps to globally significant extinction may have begun with a rise in the extinction threat to marine species such as reef-forming corals. More. Related PBS Newshour story. 6/11
TEDtalks on the ocean. New TEDtalk: how we ruined the oceans . See also Mission Blue Voyage 5/10
In Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans' Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter, (excerpt) Prager describes some of the craziest underwater activities that help ocean creatures stay alive, fight predators, find food and reproduce.audio interview 4/11 6/11 audio interview.
Water: The Big Picture video overview.
National Geographic site, includes Ballard.
UCTV Ocean Science site video includes acidification, wave power, etc. Profiles of three students at Scripps ***
Extensive coverage of the Gulf oil spill is on the Featured Stories news page. PBS News Hour has great coverage: Sample. More on dispersantsSusan Shaw shows evidence it's sparing some beaches only at devastating cost to the health of the deep sea. TEDtalk video. 15 Biggest Oil spills of all time (map). UPDATE: Assessing The Health Of The Gulf, Post-Spill NPR audio 1/11. Oil-eating bacteria
A trawling net that lessens bycatch. Sharks in trouble, ghost nets, as well as lethal ocean noise and other stories from Greenmuze.
The oldest living thing on Earth is a massive "meadow" of sea grass growing in the Mediterranean between Spain and Cyprus. It's somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 years old and reproduces by cloning itself. Also, it's being killed by climate change.
Various topics from Alert Diver includes Humpback rescue, shark finning and manatees.
News/Articles
Sites
Yale's Earth 360 has fine articles on a variety of ocean topics. For example, A Leading Marine Biologist Works to Create a ‘Wired Ocean.’ Stanford University scientist Barbara Block heads a program that has placed satellite tags on thousands of sharks, bluefin tuna, and other marine predators to better understand their life cycles. 3/13/.
News about the ocean. (with video).
Stories
Great Barrier Reef at ‘Unprecedented’ Risk of Collapse After Major Bleaching Event 4/18 see acidification below.
Top 10 Ocean News Stories of 2017 12/17.
[Oceans Losing Oxygen at Breathtaking Speeds: Ocean dead zones quadrupled in size since 1950.
Tyson Foods Linked to the Largest Toxic Dead Zone in U.S. History America's largest meat producer must clean up its act. 10/17 see Meat.
Coral Reefs Generate Half of Earth's Oxygen ... and They Could All Die Off by 2050 5/17.
Toxic Algae Blooms Set Historic Records From Coast to Coast 9/16.
Ocean Warming Is 'Greatest Hidden Challenge of Our Generation' 8/16 see Global Warming
UCSC research on starfish disease 11/13. Mysterious epidemic devastates starfish population off the Pacific Coast (video) PBS 1/14. You can help do citizen science research. LOE audio. Oregon 6/14. Peter Raimondi, professor and chair of ecology and evolutionary biology, studies marine reserves' effects on fish. Starfish wasting disease 12/14.
Offshore oil drilling limited. 3/16
The world’s oceans on which much of human life depends are under severe pressure, a new report says. Overfishing has dramatically reduced fish stocks. The thousands of tonnes of rubbish dumped in the oceans wreak havoc on marine life, while climate change is warming and acidifying them, putting them under further stress. 8/15.
Alexandra Cousteau Launches Blue Legacy Newsroom to Raise Awareness of Global Water Issues, exploring the nutrient pollution challenges and toxic blue algae on Lake Champlain, Vermont. 9/15.
Environmentalists Sue EPA Over Dead Zone in Gulf of Mexico, related CAFO waste 8/15.
The World’s Oceans Are Worth Trillions Of Dollars, Report Finds 4/15.
2014 Will Likely Be The Hottest Year on Record, Ocean Temps Spike. High sea temperatures contributed to exceptionally heavy rainfall and floods in many countries and extreme drought in others.
UC students beat a billionaire for beach access 10/14.
Ocean Health Gets ‘D’ Grade in New Global Index 9/14.
Earth's Oceans Heating Up Much Faster Than Scientists Expected 10/14.
Shrimp and fish often mis-labelled to fool us 10/13.
SF wetlands restoration saves species and fights sea level rise (PBS video) 10/14.
How Morro Bay went from a national disaster to a sustainable success story/model for cooperation. 7/14.
Obama protects the oceans 9/14 update; Obama proposes vast expansion of Pacific Ocean sanctuaries for marine life (EPA stepped up on coal too, which will reduce acidification and mercury) 6/14 Hundreds Of Miles Of Coast Now Protected For Turtles.
Tipping Point? 7/14.
Exxon Valdez oil spill effects 25 years later 3/14.
Marine bio-diversity zones that deserve protection map 2/14.
Baykeeper recently helped scuttle proposals by developers for two dangerous new facilities to export dirty coal from the Port of Oakland. Coal breaks apart easily, forming dust that contains mercury, arsenic, uranium, and other toxic substances. Transporting millions of tons of coal in mile-long open car trains to the port, and then loading it onto ships, would send toxic dust into the Bay. It would also further pollute the air of nearby communities already suffering from disproportionate pollution. 3/14.
Great Barrier Reef Sediment Dump Approved For One Of World's Most Fragile Ecosystems (in case you still think elections don't matter, the last government passed a carbon tax). 1/14.
EU To Ban Fish Imports From Cambodia, Belize And Guinea
Texas Oyster Reef Restoration Project Begins In Gulf Of Mexico see bio-remediation
Tim Flannery article/review of Stung! on jellyfish blooms.
Study Links Mercury Levels In Fish To Coal-Fired Power Plants 9/13.
Why This Year's Gulf Dead Zone Is Twice As Big As Last Year's but smaller than predicted. 8/13.
Sea Turtles Eating Plastic At Record Rates Amid Surge In Pollution 8/13.
Santa Cruz beach gets F grade for water quality. 5/13. Beach Report Card from Heal the Bay.
Sentinel column(sample on sea turtles). Dan Haifley is executive director of O'Neill Sea Odyssey]. He can be reached at dhaifley AT oneillseaodyssey.org.
Dead zone could break records in Gulf this year 6/13
Ocean Acidification Threatens Arctic Ecosystem, Study Shows 5/13.
BP to Pay Largest Fine in U.S. History, Admit Guilt in Gulf Oil Spill Settlement also more on legal aspects video 11/12. Important trial ongoing 4/13. Three Years Later: Gulf Coast Still Recovering From BP Oil Spill. What BP Doesn’t Want You to Know About the 2010 Gulf Spill.
Herring in SF. See also menhaden, the "most important fish on the sea" (see books below).
Marine Biology students get grant to study seagrass with European collaborators. 3/13.
New Marine Sanctuary Success Depends on You info on runoff from Don McEnhill, Executive Director & Russion River Riverkeeper.
Project Censored lists oceans in peril as 2012 unreported story.
Great White Shark's Endangered Species Listing Proposed In California 2/13.
BP spill update 1/13 audio.
Obama doubles size of CA marine sanctuaries
Menhaden are a really important forage fish that many species depend on, but they are being harvested for fish oil. activist site and another.
Controversial California oyster farm fights to stay 12/12.
Volunteers help the ocean 11/12
Great Barrier Reef Has Seen Major Decline In Past 3 Decades PBS video *** 10/12
The National Ocean Policy is being debated and discussed in Congress. Its issues are explored in a new video Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Stewardship.
Seafood Watch's new dirty dozen fish that are bad for you and the planet (and better alternatives and data). Five Fish that are Sustainable and (Almost) Guilt-free.
The Pacific Ocean is becoming caffeinated 7.12
Waveglider collects data in ocean.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has released its annual “Testing the Waters” report, an overview of the nation’s beaches. You’ll want to read this before taking a dip. 7.12
EPA bans sewage from ships. 2/12
Coral reefs as source of medicine.
A ruling by a federal court in California threatens to upset a controversial new fishing management plan embraced by environmental groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy. 3/12
New report on fish farming 10/11
Shrimp has 10x the carbon footprint of beef 2/12
Mother Jones magazine series The Last Days of the Ocean, articles and videos. 7/11
Alvin, the venerable deep dive research sub, is the ultimate DIY project. Some video. Filmed Titanic and discovered new kinds of life around hot vents nearly 3 miles down. audio.
How Factory Farms Are Killing Seals 2/12
Shark Fin soup contains neurotoxin (also shark images). 2/12.
James Cameron will ride this submersible to the deepest point in the ocean 3/12
Graham Hawkes takes us aboard his graceful, winged submarines to the depths of planet Ocean (a.k.a. "Earth"). It's a deep blue world we landlubbers rarely see in 3D. TEDtalk video.
Interactive Websites/Maps/Apps
10 Ways Ocean Pollution Makes Us Sick (infographic) 11/15.
(see also Maps Page), for example Coral reef watch Google Launches Street View Underwater and 20 Stunning Photos of Google’s Underwater Street View.
Rippl (recently released for iPhone) helps you build "green habits" by sending you helpful tips and reminders on how your actions impact the oceans. The app, which was created by the Ocean Conservancy, uses technology to bring ocean awareness into our daily routines.
Beach Report Card from Heal the Bay.
Interactive map of marine dead zones and more on eutrophication
Rising Ocean Levels interactive maps.
EcoTrust is a web-based environment for making decisions about the best economic and ecological uses of the ocean.
Sylvia Earle on Google Earth 5 mapping the oceans. Interview here's a sample.
Best and worst places to be a sea turtle 9/11
Coral Reef research. Some copes better with climate change than others.
CA ocean protected areas(map) and more info.
Ocean 2012 has nice map of fish stocks animated version.
Help explore the ocean floor. The HabCam team and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution need your help! 9/12.
Sea Monsters has hundreds of millions of years and cheesy 3D] ***
Images
Award-Winning Photographer Captures Waves Like You’ve Never Seen Them by Ray Collins 4/15.
Seafloor Explorer: Underwater Images Project Opens To The Public.
"David and Goliath" image, and backstory.
What Oceans Provide slideshow of 10 things that may surprise you.
Amazing images, a see-thru fish
Octopus sunning is one from Nat. Geo. Picture of the Day.
Five Gyres project is sailing to all major subtropical oceanic gyres (North and South Pacific, North and South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean) in order to study the every growing problem of marine plastic pollution. See slideshow.
David de Rothschild Sets Sail on Plastic Ship Plastiki to Pacific Gyre "Great Garbage Patch" Gyre slideshow. recent local audio interview and links. See also Solid Waste page. UCSC video of deep sea plastic. Capt. Moore video. Sea Scavenger is a Bay Area group you can work with.
New images of strange tiny sea creatures. More Bizarre deep sea critters.
Costa Rica reef slideshow. Great Barrier Reef.
Deep ocean mysteries and wonders TEDtalk 3/12 (see his earlier talk too).
A shark eating another shark (on the Great Barrier Reef, which is in trouble). Whale shark hoovers a net.
Websites
Live Cam The Kelp Forest at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Environmental Defense Fund research
Marine Mammal Rescue Center Here is info on rescue volunteering.
Smithsonian Marine Invasive Species.
Coastkeepers are a kind of Keeper organizations (riverkeepers, baykeepers etc) that have been incredibly successful because they bust polluters, then use a cut of the fine to improve their capability, thus bootstrapping. Monteray Bay has the Otter Project, which seeks volunteers.
Audio
Two of the most eloquent voices of ocean science are Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys. Both are National Geographic Explorers, both are stars of the TED stage. They have collaborated on original and adventurous research. For this talk they are collaborating to tell (and show) sea stories of deep waters, the deep past, and the deep future. 5/14.
Sustainable Seafood Labeling Brings On Host Of Challenges: NPR Report (audio) 2/13.
How the oceans are changing with changes in climate. NPR SciFri panel discussion.
Global Warming effect on oceans (e.g., acidification) Panel discussion on Science Friday on NPR. 1/21/11.
Mark Kurlansky , Author, Cod, Salt and The World Without Fish. Link to talk5/11 Former commercial fisherman and best-selling author Kurlansky examines the devastating effects of industrialized fishing and shares simple rules that families can use to help support sustainable fishing.
CA toxic algae blooms (includes UCSC's Kudela). 4/11
Forecasting ‘Dead Zone’ Conditions in the Gulf NPR audio 5/11.
Salmon Odyssey Phil Isenberg, Chair, Delta Vision Task Force James Norton, Filmmaker, Salmon: Running the Gauntlet. Jonathan Rosenfield, Ph.D., Conservation Biologist, The Bay Institute (6/11).
SF Bay invasive species. KQED Quest 4/11.
Paul Greenberg, author of "Four Fish: the Future of the Last Wild Food," interview 8/10
Sylvia Earle on Google Earth 5 mapping the oceans. Interview here's a sample
Monster Waves: Susan Casey, whose book The Wave (trailer) tells the story of great waves and those who seek to solve and ride them, says people were skeptical of 100-foot waves because weather patterns don't seem to predict them; she first became interested in learning about monster waves after hearing a story about the British research vessel Discovery, a 230-meter-long ship that became trapped in a vortex of giant waves for several days. Interview with Laird Hamilton.
Paul Greenberg: The Future Of 'Wild Fish', interview with author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food (also links to related stories) excerpt
Farallon Island discussion KQED NPR radio /10
Dumping of military toxic waste/weapons off California Coast. 2009
Sperm Whales in trouble in the Gulf of Mexico. 7/10 LOE.org
Dwindling Stocks of Wild Fish Put Fish Farms on the Table San Diego promoters say an open-ocean fish farm could satisfy our demand for seafood and help protect dwindling species. A small pilot version could be operating in a couple of years. But skeptics say the proposed farm would cause more harm than good.
Cleaning Up the Ghost Fleet. For decades, dozens of retired Navy and merchant ships have been slowly decaying in Suisun Bay, leaking pollution into the waters northeast of San Francisco. After years of trying to get the federal government to address the situation, environmental groups sued in 2007, and yesterday they announced a settlement NPR CA Report. 4/10
An amazing whale story (Realplayer required)***
'Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest' by Sy Montgomery (several chapters on audio).
Video
Big Blue Live celebrates a wildlife success story and marine animal phenomenon: humpback whales, blue whales, sea lions, elephant seals, sea otters, great white sharks and more all convene in Monterey Bay once a year. Hosted by Sea Slug Dr. M. Sanjayan.
If You Don't Already Know What A Nudibranch Is, This Will Blow Your Mind 10/14.
Rebels With A Cause a new documentary on protecting seashores. site.
Mysterious epidemic devastates starfish population off the Pacific Coast PBS 1/14.
Primer on farmer use of fertilizer that leads to dead zones more info and solutions.
NOAA Live Stream, Dubbed 'Deep Sea TV,' Draws Thousands Of Viewers 8/13.
Blue Ocean Film festival Monterey 9/24-30.
UCTV Series "Perspectives on Ocean Science" has 150 and counting, including coral reefs, Gulf of California, sharks, algae (the most important plant), and adventures in oceanography.
Sylvia Earle is an American oceanographer. She was chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1990-1992. She is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, sometimes called "Her Deepness" or "The Sturgeon General." video TEDtalk Prize also 2011Smith College talk. She spoke at UCSC 2/12. Mission Blue. video bio) (see also Eco-heroes)
Deep ocean mysteries and wonders TEDtalk 3/12 (see his earlier talk too) David Gallo TEDtalks. ***
TEDtalks on the ocean. New TEDtalk: how we ruined the oceans . See also Mission Blue Voyage 5/10.
Saving the Bay is an amzing four hour PBS KQED documentary. sample on mercury from the Gold Rush. ***
More TED videos: The ocean has degraded within our lifetimes, says Daniel Pauly, as shown in the decreasing average size of fish. Can we stop the baseline drop? Also, Paul Snelgrove shares the results of the 10-year Census of Marine Life, and shares amazing photos of some of their surprising undersea finds 3/12.
Architect Kate Orff sees the oyster as an agent of change. She shares her vision for an urban landscape that links nature and humanity for mutual benefit. (Video TEDtalk).
Open source ocean robots TEDtalk video.
Viva la tortuga! Sea Turtle Documentary Produced By Pace University Students.
Ocean Acidification 12 min. video
Deep sea diving in a wheelchair TEDtalk.
New video on ocean acidification from NRDC more.
Hope for the Ocean on Monterey Bay (TEDtalk) by Steve Palumbi , see also The Death and Life of Monterey Bay
The Secret Life of Plankton by Tierney Thys 4/12
At TEDxMonterey, Melissa Garren sheds light on marine microbes that provide half the oxygen we breathe, maintain underwater ecosystems, and demonstrate surprising hunting skills.
Amazing video from deep ocean includes bioluminescent and encephlapods by David Gallo TEDtalk. David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean. See also longer video TEDtalk (total of 3). ***
Octopuses have been discovered tip-toeing with coconut-shell halves suctioned to their undersides, then reassembling the halves and disappearing inside for protection or deception, a new study says. Not only are they incredibly smart, they can control the color and even texture of their skins and "morph." Another example. This once can open a glass jar. How they do it.
Greg Stone was a key driver in the establishment of the Phoenix Island Protected Area in the island nation of Kiribati. The second-largest marine protected area in the world. TEDtalk
UCSC's Mark Carr is featured in PBS NewsHour video segment on new marine reserves 3/11
One Fish Two Fish: Monitoring Marine Protected Areas KQED Quest 9/11.
Amber Mace, a leading expert on ocean protection policy, a UC alum, (bio) explains the problems but also why there's great hope because of the scientific work (including at UC) is informing policy here and in the White House (fifth Fred Keeley Lecture on Environmental Policy UCSC 2010).
James Cameron in conversation with Eric Schmidt talking about 3D, Avatar 2 & 3, ocean exploration and more! Video
Marine biologist Barbara Block fits tuna with tracking tags (complete with transponders) that record unprecedented amounts of data about these gorgeous, threatened fish and the ocean habitats they move through. TEDtalk
California Salmon QUEST KQED.
Kristina Gjerde studies the law of the high seas -- the 64 percent of our ocean that isn't protected by any national law at all. Gorgeous photos show the hidden worlds that Gjerde and other lawyers are working to protect from trawling and trash-dumping TEDtalk video
Dee Boersma considers penguins ocean sentinels, helping us understand the effects of pollution, overfishing and climate change on the marine environment. TEDtalk
Brian Skerry is a photojournalist who captures images that not only celebrate the mystery and beauty of the sea but also bring attention to the pressing issue which endanger our oceans. TEDtalk.
Ocean BlueOn April 6-10, 2010, inspired by Sylvia Earle's TED Prize wish, a group of 100 scientists, activists and philanthropists set sail on an epic adventure into the blue. During five days of cruising the Galapagos Islands, we developed a new model of radical collaboration that could significantly impact the way we protect our oceans.
Great overview of sharks: Sharks have inhabited the oceans for more than 400 million years. Jeffrey Graham describes the adaptations that have allowed these magnificent creatures to thrive over the millennia. Learn how shark biologists study shark physiology, life history, and behavior for insight into what allows these animals to rank among the worlds most efficient predators.
Check out Vampyroteuthis infernalis, otherwise known as "the vampire squid from hell." Thankfully it just eats detritus.
Specific Species
== Marine Mammals == (see also Marine Mammals Page)
UCSC Prof. Dan Costa and his students are tagging marine life to send back realtime information never before available. You can follow activities at TOPP and see Video from KQED's Quest. Video update 5/11. New TOPP comprehensive study of hot spots. 5/11.
Big Blue Live celebrates a wildlife success story and marine animal phenomenon: humpback whales, blue whales, sea lions, elephant seals, sea otters, great white sharks and more all convene in Monterey Bay once a year. Hosted by Sea Slug Dr. M. Sanjayan. 8/15.
"Surfer nearly swallowed by whale"(video) near shore in Santa Cruz. article"A pod of humpback whales has been hanging out off the Santa Cruz coast, noshing on anchovies that flock to the area to feed on plankton. The woman found herself in the middle of a feeding frenzy called lunge feeding, which occurs when whales herd anchovies and shoot straight up out of the water with their mouth wide open to catch the fish." 11/11 More alarming, is the forage fish the whales were going for are getting scarce.
Rescued whale dances (video).
Humpback whale video off California coast.
Dolphins playing with bubbles
Ocean Animal Emergency Features UCSC folks. You can volunteer to help at Marine Mammal Center (see volunteer page).
The Cove is a documentary about the annual slaughter of dolphins in Japan. audio and videoText and audio. trailer. Short overview in Scientific American and Oprah interview with filmmakers. On a happier note, a dolphin rescue. More dolphin videos from Nature.
Robert Ballard on ocean exploration. Crittercam is a videocamera attached to ocean animals to observe their behavior. UCSC alum will showed this work April 5th at UCSC. See Costa and Fowler below. 60 Minutes profile part II 11/09.
Whale rescued from fishing net in Mexico. Dolphins save dog.
Peter Tyack studies the the social behavior and acoustic communication in whales and dolphins, learning how these animals use sound to perform critical activities, such as mating and locating food. TEDtalk
Sharks
Is Climate Change to Blame for Increased Number of Shark Attacks? 7/15.
Mermaid dances with sharks more info.
UCSC alum Sora Kim, now at the University of Wyoming, did a study that shows surprising variability in the dietary preferences of individual white sharks.
Shark Tourism Worth More Than Killing Them For Food, New Study Shows 6/13.
CITES Adds Sharks, Manta Rays Used In Chinese Cooking To List Of Endangered Species 3/13.
Great White Shark Protections Set To Go Into Effect In California 3/13.
Shark Mountain PBS Nature documentary.
slideshow and Great White news 9/12.
How do you save a shark you know nothing about? basking sharks, TEDtalk.
Juliet Eilperin's brand new book Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks (audio interview and excerpt) says that in reality, it's the sharks that should be afraid of human predators.
Various topics from Alert Diver includes Humpback rescue, shark finning. Shark Fin soup contains neurotoxin (also shark images). 2/12.
Sharks off Santa Cruz City on a Hill.
A shark eating another shark (on the Great Barrier Reef, which is in trouble). Whale shark hoovers a net. Images
Glow-in-the-dark shark will hit you with its light-up spines
Lady piggybacking on a great white shark is living our dream, or possibly nightmare (video).
Octopi/Squids
Watch this octopus try to steal a photographer’s camera (video) 2/14 another.
World debut of the Larger Pacific Striped Octopus pix video.
Giant squid image.
Japanese Flying Squid's Abilities Confirmed, Speed Measured By Scientists.
"Deep Intellect: Inside the mind of the octopus" by Sy Montgomery Published in the November/December 2011 issue of Orion magazine
Watch an octopus take apart a camera while punching a shark video.
Octopus sunning is one from Nat. Geo. Picture of the Day.
Octopuses have been discovered tip-toeing with coconut-shell halves suctioned to their undersides, then reassembling the halves and disappearing inside for protection or deception, a new study says. Not only are they incredibly smart, they can control the color and even texture of their skins and "morph." Another example. This once can open a glass jar. How they do it.
The human, the orchid, and the octopus : exploring and conserving our natural world Cousteau, Jacques Yves New York : Bloomsbury S&E Stacks - GC30.C68 A3 2007.
Humboldt Squid Researchers Link Beachings, Mass 'Suicides' To Poisonous Algae Blooms 12/12.
Turtles
Sea turtles have been around for about 110 million years, but climate change is causing trouble by threatening their nests and decreasing the number of potential male mates. NewsHour science producer Nsikan Akpan (Slug) investigates in PBS series, The Wild Side of Sea Level Rise. 10/15.
Disturbing pictures of effect of plastic, Top 5 sources.
Hundreds Of Miles Of Coast Now Protected For Turtles 7/14.
Leatherback turtles in SF Bay affected by plastic bags.
Sea Turtles Eating Plastic At Record Rates Amid Surge In Pollution 8/13.
Ocean Plastic's Impact on Wild Sea Turtles.
The stomach contents of a juvenile green turtle accidentally captured off the coast of Argentina. images.
Viva la tortuga! Sea Turtle Documentary Produced By Pace University Students.
Sentinel column(sample on sea turtles). Dan Haifley is executive director of O'Neill Sea Odyssey]. He can be reached at dhaifley AT oneillseaodyssey.org.
Green Turtle recovery program PBS Nature. See Sea Turtles.org and UCSC folk below.
UCSC's Hoyt Peckham studies fishing and endangered turtles. Peckham has been awarded a 2014 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to expand on his work with coastal communities in Mexico to support sustainable fishing practices.
Best and worst places to be a sea turtle 9/11
Specific Topics
Algae Blooms
Red Tide in Santa Cruz 11/13.
Climate and Algal Blooms audio 10/13.
Annual nitrogen flush affects Great Lakes. 3/13
Manatee Deaths From Red Tide: Algae Blamed For Killing 174 Of The Endangered Species In 2013
Algae blooms info from NOAA including work by UCSC
Dead Zone in Gulf of Mexico from fertilizer.
Nitrogen cycle. To Save Our Ecosystems, Stop Overloading Them: Left alone, natural systems keep nitrogen, carbon, and other key ingredients of life balanced. (Infographic).
Interactive map of marine dead zones and more on eutrophication
Microbe that can clean up dead zones includes map.
Excellent article on plastic in the Pacific Gyre
Sharks off Santa Cruz City on a Hill.
Dolphin Attack from City on a Hill
Stormwater pollution in SF Bay (good overview)
Overfishing 2/11.
== Overfishing == (See also Overfishing Page)
Old Menus show fish population changes 8/13.
Sustainable Seafood Labeling Brings On Host Of Challenges: NPR Report (audio) 2/13.
Strange Days on Planet Earth from National Geographic. Overfishing
The End of the Line documentary on fishing.
Sea Change imagines a world without fish.
Graham Hawkes takes us aboard his graceful, winged submarines to the depths of planet Ocean (a.k.a. "Earth"). It's a deep blue world we landlubbers rarely see in 3D. TEDtalk video.
Overfishing by trawlers depletes stocks and endanger poor fishermen Link 3/09
Daniel Pauly shows us onstage at Mission Blue, each time the baseline drops, we call it the new "normal." Pauly is the principal investigator at the Sea Around Us Project, which studies the impact of the world's fisheries on marine ecosystems.
Several efforts are being made to eat invasive species, including Asian carp.
Pollution/Plastic
Sea Turtles Eating Plastic At Record Rates Amid Surge In Pollution 8/13.
Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash.
UCSC's Finkelstein on PBS NewsHour on plastic text and video 11/08
UCSC video of deep sea plastic.
Stephen Palumbi. He shows how toxins such as mercury at the bottom of the ocean food chain find their way into our bodies, with a shocking story of toxic contamination from a Japanese fish market. Mission Blue Voyage TEDtalk video. (Bio-magnification).
UCTV Ocean Science site video, example Pacific Garbage Patch.
Strange Days on Planet Earth from National Geographic onchemical runoff.
Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism by Elizabeth Becker addresses environmental and economic aspects of the #2 industry in world (literally, in terms of ocean dumping).
== Acidification/Coral Reefs == (see also Global Warming)
Background overview from Grist.
Great Barrier Reef at ‘Unprecedented’ Risk of Collapse After Major Bleaching Event 4/18.
Coral Reefs Generate Half of Earth's Oxygen ... and They Could All Die Off by 2050 5/17.
The Acid Oceans of Our Future: An excerpt from Elizabeth Kolbert's award-winning book, "The Sixth Extinction."
Ocean ‘Artivist’ Creates Breathtaking Coral Reef Sculptures 3/16.
Giacomo Bernardi is in Evolutionary Biology. His Post Doc was at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station at Pacific Grove. His research focus is on the molecular ecology and evolution of coral reef fishes. He does his research in California, the Sea of Cortez, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa and the Mozambique Channel. His research areas include speciation, population genetics, and ecology of coral reef fishes. (video of fish tool use). With his wife, Cabrillo College Biology Professor Nicole Crane (College Eight ’86, biology), One People One Reef is working with local people to protect their reefs in order that they can live.
UCSC's Kristy Kroeker, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology with $875K Packard funding, plans to conduct large-scale studies of marine ecosystems to understand how these global changes will affect not only individual species but complex assemblages of multiple species (kelp and acidification) 10/15.
Bleaching update 10/15 audio, map.
Nanotechnology could help.
BIODIVER(CITY): floating artificial reef lets visitors view ocean wildlife.
Protecting Parrotfish Could Slow Decline of Caribbean Coral Reefs 7/14
Great Barrier Reef Sediment Dump Approved For One Of World's Most Fragile Ecosystems (in case you still think elections don't matter, the last government passed a carbon tax). 1/14.
The Spongy Secret of Coral Reefs text and audio.
New Deep-Sea Coral Species Discovered Off California Coast 11/14.
$2 million XPRIZE for breakthroughs in ocean acidification monitoring.
Matthew McCarthy, associate professor of ocean sciences at UCSC and partners have found compelling evidence for an extensive biological community living in porous rock deep beneath the seafloor. The microbes in this hidden world appear to be an important source of dissolved organic matter in deep ocean water, a finding that could dramatically change ideas about the ocean carbon cycle. More 12/10. Deep-sea corals record dramatic long-term shift in Pacific Ocean ecosystem 12/13.
Tim Flannery article/review of Stung! on jellyfish blooms.
Our Once And Future Oceans: Taking Lessons From Earth's Past 8/13 audio.
Point of no return 7/13.
Ocean Acidification Threatens Arctic Ecosystem, Study Shows 5/13.
Some good news on coral adaptation to temperature (audio and images) 1/13.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef coverage by NPR Slug Richard Harris.
Info on eutrophication aka dead zones.
CBS on acidification including effect on shellfish, more (text and audio). UC Davis research. Ocean Acidification 12 min. video.
Coral and shellfish affected by acidification. PBS video 12/12.
Great Barrier Reef Has Seen Major Decline In Past 3 Decades PBS video *** 10/12
New report on coral reefs (and animated overview) 7/12 9/12 UPDATE
Great Barrier Reef in trouble. 6/12.
Coral reefs Scripps Oceanography marine ecologist Stuart Sandi describes his travels to untouched parts of the globe to conduct scientific research aimed at understanding and protecting these fragile ecosystems. See also Microbial seas and coral. 12/11.
California (audio) 9/12.
Coral Reef research. Some copes better with climate change than others.
Ocean Acidification discussion on PBS NewsHour 11/10.
New Report : A "deadly trio" of carbon-related ocean impacts (ocean acidification, warming, and oxygen depletion) may lead to global marine extinctions on a scale unprecedented in human history. This is one of the main conclusions of a new report by an international panel of marine scientists (see my previous post Ocean of Trouble for more details). The panel's main findings were summarized as follows: The combination of stressors on the ocean is creating the conditions associated with every previous major extinction of species in Earth's history. Further: The speed and rate of degeneration in the ocean is far faster than anyone has predicted. Many of the negative impacts previously identified are greater than the worst predictions. Although difficult to assess because of the unprecedented speed of change, the first steps to globally significant extinction may have begun with a rise in the extinction threat to marine species such as reef-forming corals. More. Related PBS Newshour story. 6/11
Short Attention Span Science Theater video has good coverage of ocean acidification and its effect on coral reefs, the "rainforests of the ocean." Here's a plan to use ocean pumps to cool reefs, boost their food and generate electricity.
Short Attention Span Science Theater video has good coverage of ocean acidification and its effect on coral reefs, the "rainforests of the ocean."
UCSC's Giacomo Bernardi is in Evolutionary Biology. His Post Doc was at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station at Pacific Grove. His research focus is on the molecular ecology and evolution of coral reef fishes. He does his research in California, the Sea of Cortez, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa and the Mozambique Channel. His research areas include speciation, population genetics, and ecology of coral reef fishes. (video of fish tool use).
Richard Pyle shows us thriving life on the cliffs of coral reefs and groundbreaking diving technologies he has pioneered to explore it. He and his team risk everything to reveal the secrets of undiscovered species. TEDtalk.
Coral reefs as source of medicine.
Rob Dunbar hunts for data on our climate from 12,000 years ago, finding clues inside ancient seabeds and corals and inside ice sheets. His work is vital in setting baselines for fixing our current climate -- and in tracking the rise of deadly ocean acidification. TEDtalk
avoiding sunscreen that bleaches coral.
BP Gulf Oil Spill
The Spill A joint investigation by FRONTLINE and ProPublica into the trail of problems -- deadly accidents, disastrous spills, countless safety violations -- which long troubled the oil giant, BP. Could the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico have been prevented?
Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill audio interviews. Antonia Juhasz is an oil and energy analyst and author and journalist. She's the editor of free alternative annual reports for Chevron and the author of three books on the oil industry.
Carl Safina: The Gulf oil spill's unseen culprits, victims TEDtalk6/10. The Gulf oil spill dwarfs comprehension, but we know this much: it's bad. Carl Safina scrapes out the facts in this blood-boiling cross-examination, arguing that the consequences will stretch far beyond the Gulf -- and many so-called solutions are making the situation worse.
Other
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean. See also longer video TEDtalk. Newer video on deep ocean 4/12.
Climate has enormous impacts on the marine life off California, influencing its major fisheries and the abundance of krill, seabirds and mammals. Join Tony Koslow as he shows how a 60-year ocean observation program, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (or CalCOFI) is unraveling the impacts of the El Niño/La Niña cycle and human-induced climate. UCTV First Aired: 3/15/2010 52 minutes.
Green Turtle recovery program PBS Nature. See Sea Turtles.org and UCSC folk below.
Students Saving the Ocean. Meet students in the Bay Area who are finding ways to improve the health of our seas based on the book "50 Ways to Save the Ocean." This documentary was sponsored by Oracle on behalf of the DigitalOcean project out of University of California, Santa Barbara, and was produced by Outhink Media. The DigitalOcean Network connects scientists and enthusiasts around the sustainability of our Oceans.� (#18010) UCTV 2/15/2010. 23 minutes
The Short Attention Span Science Video on Ecological Sustainability. Example: resilience Lots of info on coral reefs and whales.
Octopuses have been discovered tip-toeing with coconut-shell halves suctioned to their undersides, then reassembling the halves and disappearing inside for protection or deception, a new study says. Not only are they incredibly smart, the can control the color and even texture of their skins and "morph." Another example. This once can open a glass jar and cuttlefish.
Mike deGruy has been filming in and on the ocean for three decades. "Hooked by an Octopus" TEDtalk 2010.
Architect Kate Orff sees the oyster as an agent of change. She shares her vision for an urban landscape that links nature and humanity for mutual benefit. (Video TEDtalk)
Bioluminescence expert Edith Widder explores this glowing, sparkling, luminous world, sharing glorious images and insight into the unseen depths (and brights) of the ocean. Some 80 to 90 percent of undersea creatures make light -- and we know very little about how or why. TEDtalk 2010
Marine biologist Tierney Thys (Monterey Bay Aquarium) tags the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. TEDtalk
Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain. TEDtalk.
Books
Tim Flannery article/review of Stung! on jellyfish blooms.
[https://islandpress.org/books/curious-life-krill The Curious Life of Krill:
A Conservation Story from the Bottom of the World 7/18.
The Death and Life of Monterey Bay by Steve Palumbi and Carolyn Sotka, see also TEDtalk
Oceans : the threats to our seas and what you can do to turn the tide : a participant media guide / edited by Jon Bowermaster UCSC S&E Stacks GC1018 .O26 2010 excerpt.
Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism by Elizabeth Becker addresses environmental and economic aspects of the #2 industry in world (literally, in terms of ocean dumping).
'The Golden Shore' details a love affair with the sea. Marine conservationist David Helvarg lingers at the California coast to study its history and the ties that bind people to the blue, blue Pacific.
In her new book, Deep Blue Home: An Intimate Ecology of Our Wild Ocean, veteran journalist Julia Whitty (many articles here) reaches back over a 30-year career devoted to the oceans and synthesizes her experiences into a work that is equal parts personal memoir and environmental history book. Deep Blue Home (excerpt) delves into the influence of oceans in human culture and spirit, while at the same time documenting how human technological ingenuity, fueled by greed and accompanied by a lack of foresight, is devastating the undersea world. Whitty, an environmental correspondent for Mother Jones, is first a documentary filmmaker, with more than 70 nature documentaries to her credit. She also wrote The Fragile Edge, a book on coral reefs, winner of numerous awards.
Let Them Eat Shrimp: The Tragic Disappearance of the Rainforests of the Sea, Kennedy Warne (published by Island Press, a Slug) excerpt. audio interview.
The Most Important Fish in the Sea :Menhaden and America by H. Bruce Franklin Forage fish are important but declining. UCSC alum has published this important book which got legal protection. Related: The Empty Ocean by Richard Ellis, Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg, The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat by Charles Clover Link. Seer also Herring in SF.
Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill audio interviews.
Juliet Eilperin's brand new book Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks (audio interview and excerpt) says that in reality, it's the sharks that should be afraid of human predators.
Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood, the Canadian journalist Taras Grescoe takes a hard look at the Asian operations that supply our shrimp. His conclusion: "The simple fact is, if you're eating cheap shrimp today, it almost certainly comes from a turbid, pesticide- and antibiotic-filled, virus-laden pond in the tropical climes of one of the world's poorest nations."
Report on Bycatch 2002 27 pp.
The human, the orchid, and the octopus : exploring and conserving our natural world Cousteau, Jacques Yves New York : Bloomsbury S&E Stacks - GC30.C68 A3 2007
People
Sylvia Earle discusses this and other topics in her book The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One. Her amazing TEDtalk video. 2009 interview addresses many issues, including fish farms. Colbert Report.
Two of the most eloquent voices of ocean science are Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys. Both are National Geographic Explorers, both are stars of the TED stage. They have collaborated on original and adventurous research. For this talk they are collaborating to tell (and show) sea stories of deep waters, the deep past, and the deep future. 5/14 LongNow talk.
William Beebe was one of our great American naturalists of the early twentieth century. From early on, he possessed an intense, curious scientific mind, and over the course of his lifetime advanced knowledge in not just one but numerous fields of sciences: ornithology, marine biology, tropical ecology, entomology, and ichthyology, traveling the world to study organisms and ecosystems directly in their natural settings in a way that no one (or few) had done before. Chapter 30 of his bio, “Half Mile Down” is a riveting description of his first-ever descent in a bathysphere to explore depths of the ocean unknown to humans at the time. This was in 1932 and at the time the expedition made headlines around the world
Local hero Julia Platt How Monterey Bay Was Saved from the Brink see The Death and Life of Monterey Bay by Steve Palumbi and Carolyn Sotka, see also TEDtalk.
Sea Scavenger is a Bay Area group you can work with on ocean pollution, especially plastics.
Sea Slugs (UCSC People)
(See Slugs in Action for more complete list).
List of UCSC departments involved in researching the ocean.
Visionary in Marine Sciences: The Institute of Marine Sciences brings together scientists working in many different fields.
Wild West Coast A warm blob of water, a bloom of toxic algae, unexpected sightings of ocean life, and an El Niño have left UC Santa Cruz researchers wondering what the future holds for North America's west coast and its marine ecosystem.2017
Some current UCSC ocean research 9/10
UCSC Alumni
Sea turtles have been around for about 110 million years, but climate change is causing trouble by threatening their nests and decreasing the number of potential male mates. NewsHour science producer Nsikan Akpan (Slug) investigates in PBS series, The Wild Side of Sea Level Rise.
Giacomo Bernardi is in Evolutionary Biology. His Post Doc was at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station at Pacific Grove. His research focus is on the molecular ecology and evolution of coral reef fishes. He does his research in California, the Sea of Cortez, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa and the Mozambique Channel. His research areas include speciation, population genetics, and ecology of coral reef fishes. (video of fish tool use). With his wife, Cabrillo College Biology Professor Nicole Crane (College Eight ’86, biology), One People One Reef is working with local people to protect their reefs in order that they can live.
Robert Aston President at Ocean Presence Technologies: This sysyem is capable of being viewed and controlled over the Internet and permits continuous monitoring of underwater sites without the influence of divers. Biologists around the world will be able to access cameras as part of their work to understand and conserve our oceans. "Telepresence" is the experience of being fully present at a live, real world location at a distance from one's own physical location. Someone experiencing telepresence would therefore be able to behave, and receive stimuli, as though at the remote site. This new technology will dramatically increase our ability to educate people on need for ocean conservation.
UCSC alum Sora Kim, now at the University of Wyoming, did a study that shows surprising variability in the dietary preferences of individual white sharks.
Kathryn Sullivan--oceanographer, astronaut, educator wins Global Oceans Award, which recognizes Sullivan for her outstanding contributions to the understanding and conservation of the oceans. The primary goal of the first of her three shuttle missions was to survey the Earth, the atmosphere, and the oceans. She worked on the 2003 Pew report on the oceans. She runs NOAA now, and just got subpoena'd by right-wing anti-science wackos in Congress, so clearly doing something right.12/15.
Teresa Ish helps consumers find sustainable fish.
Brock Dolman (College Eight '92, Environmental Studies/Biology), Director of The WATER Institute Ecologist Permaculture Program
John Francis, vice president of research, conservation, and exploration for the National Geographic Society works with Crittercam.
Cynthia Hays, a former doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, tackled the problem of how organism may adapt to climate change with a detailed investigation of a type of marine algae common along the California coast. Silvetia compressa, commonly known as rockweed, grows attached to rocks in the middle of the intertidal zone, where its tough olive-green fronds are alternately submerged beneath the waves and exposed to the air. 5/13.
Dan Haifley, Executive Director O’Neill Sea Odyssey since 1999, publishes a weekly column, has received recognition from the California State Senate, State Assembly, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and the City of Santa Cruz for his efforts to establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (audio and video), promote 26 California local ordinances regarding offshore oil and protect California’s coastline and received the 2011 Ocean Hero Award from Save Our Shores. Fellow slug Lauren Hanneman calls her Instructor gig “the most fun and rewarding job in marine education.” 8/15.
Hoyt Peckham studies endangered turtles. Peckham has been awarded a 2014 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to expand on his work with coastal communities in Mexico to support sustainable fishing practices link.
Current Students
Melinda Fowler tags very large elephant seals
Allison Luengenstudies toxins in the ocean
Engineering students develop a coral reef monitoring system.
Brent Hughes, now a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz, began studying water quality in Elkhorn Slough as a UCSC graduate student. His earlier research showed that virtually every portion of the estuary is adversely affected by high nutrient levels, which stimulate the growth of algae, leading to low oxygen levels when the algae die and decompose, aka Dead Zones. 6/15.
Sanjin Sison-Mangus got a grant from the Dean's Fund for Undergraduate Research, to study to determine whether certain bacteria influence production of domoic acid during algal blooms, which affects sea otters. 6/16.
Faculty (not complete, see also Slugs in Action)
Adina Paytan, a research scientist in the Institute of Marine Sciences studies paleoceanography and paleoclimatology, which includes studies of groundwater discharge into coastal systems, nutrient cycling, ocean acidification.
Rachel Barnett-Johnson, a fisheries biologist, investigates salmon population.
Giacomo Bernardi is in Evolutionary Biology. His Post Doc was at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station at Pacific Grove. His research focus is on the molecular ecology and evolution of coral reef fishes. He does his research in California, the Sea of Cortez, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa and the Mozambique Channel. His research areas include speciation, population genetics, and ecology of coral reef fishes. (video of fish tool use).
Mark Carr and Peter Raimondi, professors of ecology and evolutionary biology, lead ocean monitoring effort. PBS NewsHour video segment on new marine reserves 3/11. starfish disease 11/13.Wild West Coast
Dan Costa and his students are tagging marine life to send back realtime information never before available. You can follow activities at TOPP and see Video from KQED's Quest. Video update 5/11. New TOPP comprehensive study of hot spots. 5/11
Christina Diaz is one of a handful of experts in the world specializing in studying, identifying and classifying intertidal and tropical sponges. (video).
Global Warming research is being done by Christina Ravelo, a professor of ocean sciences and James Zachos, professor of Earth and planetary sciences.
[http://news.ucsc.edu/2015/10/kroeker-packard.html Kristy Kroeker, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology with $875K Packard funding, plans to conduct large-scale studies of marine ecosystems to understand how these global changes will affect not only individual species but complex assemblages of multiple species (kelp and acidification) 10/15.
Raphael Kudela, professor of ocean sciences, participated in a study that links seabird deaths to soap-like foam produced by red-tide algae. His team is trying to predict when toxin-producing algae will strike again with computer models. 9/10 update.
Roger Linington is an associate professor of biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz. His research centers on marine natural products used in biomedical science. Linington’s research has two major focuses: drug discovery for neglected infectious diseases, including malaria, TB and dengue fever, and the use of natural products as probes for biological systems. “Where do drugs come from?” asks Linington. “In many cases, from the natural world. Research here at UC Santa Cruz is examining the chemistry of the marine environment as a source of novel compounds for drug discovery and development. The growing antibiotic crisis threatens a return to the pre-antibiotic era where even simple bacterial infections often proved deadly.” But Linington notes that there has been a dearth of new antibiotic discovery from nature in recent decades. “Our laboratory is interested in the exploration of niche marine environments for the discovery of the next generation of antibiotic drugs. This work involved chemists and microbiologists working in collaboration to develop both new screening platforms for antibiotic testing, and new molecules discovered from these screens for use as antibiotic leads.” LASER 5/15 talk.
Matthew McCarthy, associate professor of ocean sciences and partners have found compelling evidence for an extensive biological community living in porous rock deep beneath the seafloor. The microbes in this hidden world appear to be an important source of dissolved organic matter in deep ocean water, a finding that could dramatically change ideas about the ocean carbon cycle. More 12/10. Deep-sea corals record dramatic long-term shift in Pacific Ocean ecosystem 12/13.
John Pearse, a pioneer in ocean research, studies temporal patterns of reproduction in marine invertebrate. Works with NOAA Limpets, high school monitoring program link. More, including his role as President of the California Academy of Sciences. UCSC and the Academy recently established links which allow graduate students with interests in systematic biology to be co-sponsored by Academy scientists. 2/15 update: southern sea slug , ocean warming).
Peter Raimondi, professor and chair of ecology and evolutionary biology, studies marine reserves' effects on fish. Starfish wasting disease 12/14. Wild West Coast
UC Research/Honorary Slugs
UC Davis research on acidification.
Steve Palumbi co-authored The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival, a good-news environmental story about the difference that ordinary citizens can make in creating diverse, sustainable ecosystems and diverse, sustainable economies. Includes local hero Julia Platt How Monterey Bay Was Saved from the Brink. He works at the Hopkins Station. See also a fine TEDtalk video. Palumbi on why he does science (video).
Take Action
See also Volunteer Opportunities and Online Campaigns
UCSC research on starfish disease 11/13. Mysterious epidemic devastates starfish population off the Pacific Coast (video) PBS 1/14. You can help do citizen science research.
Our Radioactive Ocean: New crowdsourced project seeks to monitor #Fukushima radiation in the Pacific 1/14. See also Citizen Science.
Local internships: Ecology Action California Dept. of Fish and Game National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [Link
Long Marine Lab docent Link}}
Baykeeper Program Fellow, rosalind@baykeeper.org. weblink. SF pollution investigator.
Blue Trail brings together the vision and expertise of exciting leaders across the art, design, placemaking and environmental fields, hosted a design competition.
CalPIRG ongoing campaigns: Global Warming Solutions, 21st Century Transportation, Health Care Work, Getting to Graduation Campaigns,High-Speed Rail Campaigns, New Voters Project , Higher Education Campaigns, Textbooks, Hunger & Homelessness, Save Our Otters/Oceans. Interested in internships, volunteering? Contact by e-mail/phone, or drop by our office: 3rd Floor Student Union 459-4649 Campus Organizer: Carolina Van Horn [1]Link
Help build a kelp database 8/12.
Surfrider Monthly Cleanup. Register now at: link}}
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation is a grass-roots organization that seeks to conserve marine ecosystems by educating, enlisting and enabling divers and other marine enthusiasts to become active ocean stewards and citizen scientists. They do annual fish counts and trips. They have several stations in the area. Other groups.
Friends of the Sea Otter has some new and exciting programs: Program 1: Marine Water Monitoring Water quality plays a significant role in sea otter health, which is why FSO is teaming up with the California Department of Public Health and asking volunteers to collect water samples all along the coast of California. The data from the water samples will ultimately be received and used by researchers working with otters and other sea mammals. Volunteers are needed to collect samples at locations along the coast where the southern sea otter call home (San Francisco to Santa Barbara). Sampling takes only about 15 minutes and must be done weekly; if we get enough interest, teams can be created so that individuals can take turns with sampling throughout the month.
Program 2: Otter Recovery The California Sea Otter Research Group needs help with otter recovery on Friday afternoons and weekends. This job would entail removing dead or hurt otters from the shoreline. Volunteers would need to walk along the shoreline and then take care of any otters that are found.
Program 3: Data Compilation and Organization. People with a scientific background are needed to help the California Sea Otter Research Group in Santa Cruz compile data. A great deal of sea otter data has already been collected and is in desperate need of organization. This work would be done in their laboratories located in Santa Cruz.Link.
Marine Mammal Rescue Center: Various opportunities including rescuing stranded animals at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center Here is info on local rescue volunteering. Video.
See also Marine Mammal Physiology Project (MMPP) at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory.
Earthwatch recruits close to 4,000 volunteers every year to collect field data in the areas of rainforest ecology, wildlife conservation, marine science, archaeology, and more. Through this process, we educate, inspire, and involve a diversity of people, who actively contribute to conserving our planet [participants help fund expeditions]. Link}}
O'Neill Sea Odyssey|ongoing|O'Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) was founded in 1996 by wetsuit innovator and surfer Jack O'Neill. A living classroom was created on board a 65-foot catamaran sailing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary where 4th - 6th grade students from schools throughout Central California receive hands-on lessons about the marine habitat and the importance of the relationship between the living sea and the environment. The program is conducted on board the catamaran with follow-up lessons at the shore-side Education Center at the Santa Cruz Harbor. It is free of charge, but students earn their way into the program by designing and performing a project to benefit their community. Link.
Help explore the ocean floor. The HabCam team and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution need your help! 9/12.
Save Our Shores|ongoing|Save Our Shores is a non-profit marine conservation organization in Santa Cruz, California. Our mission is marine conservation through policy research, education and citizen involvement (see calendar for frequent activities such as beach cleanup) Internships available. Link
Institute of Marine Sciences UCSC|ongoing|Many opportunities to do hands-on science Link
National River Cleanup Day (and creeks) May 12, 2012.
PISCO, the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans is a long-term ecosystem research and monitoring program established with the goals of understanding dynamics of the coastal ocean ecosystem along the U.S. west coast (internships).
Pinniped Cognition & Sensory Systems Laboratory. |ongoing| Our program is powered by a group of hard working volunteer research assistants. These individuals typically work 12-15 hours per week in the laboratory and receive comprehensive training in all areas of the research program. Preference is generally given to UCSC students in the natural, behavioral, or physical sciences, or to individuals with a background in computer sciences/engineering. For more information about the program, including instructions on how to apply for a volunteer research position, please contact us at akbernar@ucsc.edu.
Intern. We offer 3-4 month internships to individuals that are recent college graduates with an interest in marine mammalogy, bioacoustics, comparative cognition, and/or animal husbandry. Interns complete an intensive training program followed by participation in all aspects of the program, including specialized roles in upcoming and ongoing research projects. Interns typically work five full days per week, mainly in the laboratory and occasionally in field research settings. Internships are not paid positions, and applicants are responsible for their own housing arrangements. For more information about the program, including instructions on how to apply for an internship, please contact us at akbernar@ucsc.edu. Link
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, founded in 1903 and joined the University of California in 1912. The Innovative Marine Technology Laboratory (IMT Laboratory) is a research group of the Marine Physical Laboratory. As part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. A talk by research oceanographer and photographer Dale Stokes for a global photographic journey featuring ships, submarines, underwater habitats, and both poles. This presentation includes a decade of images documenting exotic locations underwater and topside and a variety of unusual vessels and research instruments.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Articles in category "Ocean"
The following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total.
