Fukushima Crisis

In March 2011, after a 9.0 earthquake hit Japan causing a tsunami to destroy the coasts and kill thousands of people, the Fukushima Nuclear Plant had one of the worst nuclear accidents the world had seen since Chernobyl. Three of the plants reactors melted down, causing the leakage of substantial amounts of radioactive material.

http://www.geek.com/science/fukushima-radiation-has-reached-california-but-its-really-nothing-to-worry-about-1609326/

The site has been in clean up mode ever since the disaster. Four remaining reactors are on the verge of melting down, forcing clean up crews to take some sort of action. Their solution; dumping 11,000 tons of low level radioactive water into the ocean. Normally this would be an illegal act, but the Japanese government is making an exception for the plant.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/17/1000-tons-polluted-fukushima-water-dumped-sea

The plant stated that they had no choice but to do this and that they are very sorry. The public seems to be outraged this is happening, especially after a fish was caught between the coasts of Fukushima and Tokyo that had 2 pounds of ion 131 in its system, a radioactive substance. Many are concerned that the laws in place on radioactive water are not strict enough, and that the government needs to be more concerned.

http://www.gcc.mass.edu/environmentaljusticeblog/2014/05/11/fukushima-government-and-tepco-ignores-protests/

Many professionals, such as GreenPeaces's Jan Beranek, state there are other ways to deal with the radiation problem other than dumping it in the ocean. There are floating radiation treatment

plants that solidify contaminated liquid waste, "silk curtains" planted in the sea to block off contaminated water, and a giant barge to hold the water. 

http://cryptome.org/eyeball/daiichi-npp4/daiichi-photos4.htm

This environmental disaster has nuclear powers credibility looking kind of shaky. Other plants around the globe are over looking their plans at what they would do in the case of a major disaster such as Fukushima. 

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/fukushima-evacuation-has-killed-more-earthquake-tsunami-survey-says-f8C11120007

Sources:

Harrell, Eben. "Fukushima: Dumping into the Sea | TIME.com." Science Space Fukushima Dumping into the Sea Comments. Time, 5 Apr. 2011. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.

"Fukushima Accident." Fukushima Accident. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.

TED Talk - Sea of Plastic

Take a look at this TED Talk video about our polluted oceans!

Removing Shark Nets

http://theconversation.com/the-untold-story-of-shark-nets-in-australia-3748

The gorgeous beaches along Queenland's coasts are a hot spot for tourists all year round. They are so popular because swimmers do not have to worry about having to swim among sharks. Recently many scientists and marine life activists have petitioned to remove these nets because other marine animals are getting caught and dying in the nets.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-21/call-to-pull-out-shark-nets-on-queenslands-gold-coast/5910466 

The picture above shows conservationists trying to unravel a tied up winter whale. These whales migrate through the spots where nets are placed and get caught up in them. It's not just the whales getting caught in the nets though; turtles, dolphins, and sting rays are as well.

http://www.lesleyrochat.com/2012/anti-shark-net-ceremony

The question is whether to jeopardize the publics safety from sharks, or to save many other marine lives that unfortunately gets tangled in the nets. The answer may be to take out some of the nets and keep the ones in shark "hot spots". 

Source:

Forbes, Tom. "Marine Wildlife Deaths Prompt Call to Remove Shark Nets."ABC News. N.p., 21 Nov. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Ocean Cleanup

http://www.oceansidecoalition.org/index.php?p=1_10_Environment

Throughout this blog I have pointed out many negative aspects of what is happening concerning the oceans. Today I want to show you all of the opportunities you can take part in to help the ocean. Change can happen to solve these big problems I've presented and heres what you can do...

Join one of the worlds largest coastal clean up organizations.

http://ecolounge.hu/vadon/4600-tonna-szemet-egy-nap-alatt

The Ocean Conservancy has many clean up locations available and they are not all just on the ocean coastline. Many cleanups are also held along riversides. If their are not cleanup sites near you, they offer a Do-It Yourself Cleanup Tool Kit.

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/

There are more ways to help the oceans. Donating to the Ocean Conservancy is a great way to make a difference. "Your tax-deductible donation ensures we can use the best in science-based solutions to tackle the largest ocean conservation challenges that face us." 

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/

Ocean Conservancy works to solve many oceanic problems including ocean pollution, sustainable fisheries, ocean acidification, and clean beaches. This organization allows for you to take action and make a difference not only for the ocean, but for the world. 

http://www.biowearbali.com/projects/

Sources:

 "Ocean Conservancy." : Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.

BREAKING NEWS: Ocean warming has reached a new high!

According to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, "This summer has seen the highest global mean sea surface temperatures ever recorded since their systematic measuring started."

http://www.reportingclimatescience.com

Because of the Global Warming Hiatus, a period between 2000-2013 were the warming of the oceans surface paused despite rising greenhouse gas emissions, many scientist were not worrying about the warming. Starting in April 2014 scientists were noticing the temperatures taking off again. 

Why?

In the North Pacific, sea surface temperatures started to rise unusually quickly in the extratropical in January 2014. In April and May, westerly winds pushed a large amount of very warm water usually stored in the western Pacific along the equator to the eastern Pacific. This warm water has spread along the North coast, releasing enormous amounts of heat that had been locked up in the Western tropical Pacific for nearly a decade.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/graphic-science-map-shows-vast-regions-ocean-warmer/

Meteorologist Eric Holthaus states, "Simply put, this is one of the most extreme weather patterns I’ve ever seen. And, at least for the time being, there is quite literally no end in sight.”

Sources:

"News." Warmest Ever Seas End Ocean Warming Pause. N.p., 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

"Ocean Warming Picks up Speed, Hits Warmest Temperatures Ever Recorded." - Chinook Observer. N.p., 16 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Coastal Pollution

http://coastalcare.org/2010/08/new-garbage-patch-discovered-in-indian-ocean/

Coastal pollution is a real problem happening in the world today. The causes of coastal pollution can be determined from two sources; point and non-point.

Details:

Point Sources:

http://libertynewsservice.org/tag/oil-spill/

Point sources are those that we can identify exactly what it is and where it is coming from. These sources come from chemical leakage from ships or oil tanks, discharge pipes from industrial sites, leakage from underground storage tanks, and sewage overflow. 

Non-Point Sources

http://www.trincoll.edu/orgs/scialnce/isp/Sample%20Project/Paper.htm

Non-point source pollutants are those that cannot be identified or found to come from one source. The results from these non-point sources are excess chemicals, nutrients, trash, and bacteria. Storm water is a major source of transport of these pollutants.These sources do not hurt coast lines and waters in one location, but there are many different locations that are emitting these pollutants which is a huge problem. 

How do these pollutants affect the coast?

 All of these pollutants are continually being put into the ocean. They eventually make their way to our coast lines and can lead to many negative impacts. 

• Excess sediments: large amounts of sediments washed down rivers into coastal areas can deplete coral life that need clean water conditions to thrive.
• Marine life threatened: Many organisms that live in the shallow waters off the coast are digesting harsh chemicals and dying.
• Demand for timber: Mangrove wood is very strong and is being cut down excessively. With large spans of these trees gone, all of the animals thriving there will have to find new homes. 

http://www.tentree.com/blog/mangrove-must-knows/

What can we do? 

To improve this pollution problem many of us can do things that will help. 

• Don't litter
• Understand that the storm drain leads to the ocean 
• Use fertilizers sparingly 
• Pick up your pets waste
• Maintain your septic system 

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/keyword/throw-away

Sources:

Stewart, Robert. "Sources of Coastal Pollution." Sources of Coastal Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

"Pomperaug Watershed Coalition - Protect Watershed." Pomperaug Watershed Coalition - Protect Watershed. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Acidic Oceans

With rising CO2 levels on the planet, there is no doubt that the oceans are becoming increasingly more acidic.

How do oceans become so acidic? 

Earths oceans absorb roughly one third of the CO2 created by humans. The problem here is that CO2 reacts with seawater to create carbonic acid.

The pH of the ocean over the past 300 million years has been basic, at 8.2. The pH is now at 8.1, this means that the oceans acidity has risen 25% over the past two centuries.

http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification

What's the problem? 
The problem with the oceans becoming more acidic is that it will affect the ecosystems food chain. Acidity affects coral reefs, killing them. Coral reefs are home to thousands of marine animals and organisms. Acidification would also affect the fishing industry which would further affect peoples food supplies and security.

http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-acidification

This picture above shows a sea butterfly that was placed in a container of acidic sea water and over 45 days it decayed this much.

The ability for the ocean to absorb anthropogenic CO2 is decreasing, which will further increase global warming.

http://climateinterpreter.org/content/effects-ocean-acidification-coral-reefs

What does change look like? 

Acidification has increased so rapidly in the past two hundred years, that scientists have pushed policy makers to start making changes fast. Because acidification has to do with CO2, it correlates with climate change. These policy makers working on this issue are making efforts to lower carbon emissions that cause alarming increases in ocean acidity.

http://www.slideshare.net/terrya/terry-anderson-alt-c-final