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

The Problem Wtih Bycatch

http://www.wakeproject.net/?q=node/21

This picture gives you a glimpse at what bycatch is. Bycatch is the accidental capture of non-targeted species such as dolphins, marine turtles, sharks, and seabirds. It happens when fisherman set out their ginormous nets that catch anything and everything that it sweeps over. These nets are very useful for catching large quantities of specific species of marine life, but also catch many other unintended species in the process.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/wicked-tuna/articles/still-waters-the-global-fish-crisis/

While some regulations have passed concerning bycatching, many places around the world can still bycatch with no punishment. In New Zealand the Maui's dolphin population is roughly sitting at only 100 dolphins. This is due to the entanglement of many dolphins in fishing nets. 

http://www.medicinehunter.com/deep-trouble

The least harmful method of fishing is pole and line, and trolling. These two ways of fishing are virtually bycatch free. Pole and line fishing has been practiced for years, but the amount of fish caught is very small. This is why huge fishing industries tend to not use pole and line. Troll fishing is when fisherman catch fish by towing a a baited hook behind a slow moving boat. Like pole and line fishing, troll fishing does not bring in big numbers of fish. 

Pole and Linehttp://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/campaigns/oceans/get-involved/

Luckily there are advances in fishing technologies to ensure the least amount of bycatch possible. There are also disincentives such as if fisherman catch so much of a non-intended species, they will be penalized. All of these regulations are improving the numbers of bycatches. 

Sources:

"Fishing Problems: Bycatch." WWF.panda.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

"The Wild Way." On The Boat. Wild Planet, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

How does Minnesota affect the ocean?

www.google.com/maps

Minnesota is roughly 1,500 miles from the Gulf of Mexico; how could we possibly effect the ocean here? 

http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html

What is this? 

Well this is the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. A dead zone is an oxygen-depleted area of water, and the largest area of a dead zone happens to be along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. 

What caused this?

This dead zone was created by an excess amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that pour out of the Mississippi River. Most of the nitrogen comes from midwestern farming states, such as Minnesota, when the runoff of fertilizers and sewage run off into the Mississippi River. These huge amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus creates major algae blooms, which in turn changes the food chain and depletes oxygen in the area. 

http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/extremeevents/hab/features/hypoxiafs_report1206.aspx

What are the effects of a dead zone?

The massive algae blooms in a dead zone can cause eutrophication or damage to the many plants and organisms living at the bottom of the gulf. 

https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/programs/environmental/courses/seniorseminar/springbreak/students/burke.php

The sea food industry could become greatly effected by this dead zone because it holds 72% of the U.S. shrimp and 66% of the oysters. There needs to be changes made.

Changes? 

The biggest factor in the creation of a dead zone is linked to fertilizers dumped in the Mississippi. If farmers could limit their use of these fertilizers or the run off they create, change could happen. 

http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html

Sources:

www.google.com/maps

Bruckner, Monica. "The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone." The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html>.

Coral Bleaching

What is it?
Due to rising ocean temperatures, coral has been excreting algae and turning white.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching

How does this affect coral?

Although coral that is bleached is not dead, it is under a great amount of stress, and is more apt to die. 

Why are coral reefs important to us?

Coral reefs are a home to 25% of marine life. If coral dies, so do these organisms. Coral reefs are also a great resource for fishing industries as well as protecting the shorelines. 

http://www.noaa.gov/features/economic_0708/coralreefs.html

What can be done to stop coral bleaching?

Because coral bleaching occurs when there is a dramatic change in temperature, climate change is a factor. So influences to stop climate change could have an impact on the coral. 

Climate change is affecting the water temperature, which warms the ocean, and leads to coral bleaching. 

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/

Source:

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/coralreefs/coral-reefs-coral-bleaching-what-you-need-to-know.xml

How Oil Spills Effect The Ocean

http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/oilspills.htm

Oil spills have been prominent in the news and media in recent years. Many may remember the BP spill in 2010, or the Persian Gulf spill in 1991. Both of these massive spills have had an astounding impact on both wildlife and plant life. (4)

How do oil spills hurt animals and plants?

Animals:
Since oil floats on the surface of the water, animals that dwell in this area are greatest affected. This animals include birds, sea otters. If the oil finds the beach animals that live on the beach, such as snails, clams and crabs can be harmed as well. (1)

When birds and sea otters get oil on their coats it is almost impossible for them to get it off. Their fur provides insulation, which can not keep them warm if not kept clean. (1)

http://naturescrusaders.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/louisiana%E2%80%99s-oil-spill-came-at-the-worst-time/

http://www.glogster.com/greengeekster/history-fair/g-6mamfe2mciud89d8bt721a0

Plants and Ocean Ecosystem:
When oil reaches the shoreline it can lead to other animals becoming exposed to its toxins. It can also have an affect on the land itself.

When oil meets the land it can cause many plants to die, which can eventually lead to land erosion. (3)Many wetlands and marshes are also greatly damaged by oil spills.(2)

http://bpoilspill.us/

There are clean up efforts in place for massive oil spills, but the lasting affect they have on the oceans ecosystem could be irreversible. 

http://www.oilspillnews.net/tag/oil-spill-cleanup/page/5/

Sources:

1. http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/how-oil-harms-animals-and-plants.html

2. http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/oilspill/wildlifeimpacts.html

3. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/06/27/study-oil-spill-caused-some-land-erosion/

4.http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/13/world/oil-spills-fast-facts/

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Plastic. You can't go a day without using it. The problem with plastic is that it doesn't go away, it's here practically forever. Our oceans are full of it too. Whether it's dumped off cargo ships or finds it's way from land to sea, plastic is abundant in the ocean.

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/12/are-there-reall.html

What's really scary is so much plastic and trash have accumulated in the ocean that it has formed garbage patches. The most well known of these patches is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These patches have been found mostly to be comprised of plastic. (1)

The Eastern Garbage Patch, located between California and Hawaii is created by an ocean gyre. A gyre is a system of ocean currents that move in a circular motion. The middle of the gyre is very calm, while the outside moves very fast towards the center, causing debris to get trapped. (1)

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1#page=1

The word "patch" may be incorrect for what the system really is. While there are visible hunks of plastic and other trash in the patches, much of it is made up of microplastic. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that can range from .3 to 5 millimeters in diameter.(1)

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1#page=1

Marine life can be greatly affected by these particles by ingesting them, which can lead to negative health affects. Entanglement is also a hazard to many larger marine life such as seals and turtles because a lot of the debris looks like what there diet consists of (plastic bags as jellyfish,plastic pellets as fish eggs).(1)

http://www.expeditionmed.eu/fr/fr/2010/06/galerie-des-horreurs/ 

National Geographic states "Scientists have collected up to 750,000 bits of microplastic in a single square kilometer of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - that's about 1.9 million bits per square mile."(1)

These garbage patches are no easy clean up. The microplastic nets cannot get much of the trash. What we can start doing to help is limiting our production of non-degradable plastics, and promote biodegradable products. 

In order to save many aquatic species and keep our oceans clean for the future, change needs to happen now. 

Types of plastics found in patches

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1#page=2

Sources:

(1) "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." - National Geographic Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. <http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1#page=1>.

What is Ocean Pollution?

What is considered ocean pollution? Is it,

a) the trash that floats on the surface

b) the chemicals that run into it

c) something we can’t see at all

d) all of the above

Answer: d; unfortunately it’s all of the above. 1

The Truth

In many minds the ocean is a huge, big, blue, and clean body of water. How could the ocean, a body of water that covers 71% of the earths surface, be polluted? That’s the problem, people don’t know the impact of their actions. Or they do, and there is no one stopping them from causing destruction.

From the plastic and trash that make their way into the ocean, to the runoff of fertilizers and other chemicals, the ocean is being used as a landfill. The ecosystems and marine life that are being affected by this pollution are trying to adapt, but how much longer until it becomes to large to handle...

Here are some statistics:

• “Around 60% of the wastewater discharged into the caspian Sea is not treated” 2

• “ In a study released in the February 2008 journal Science, researchers found that human activity -- from over-fishing to greenhouse gases and global warming to the introduction of toxins into the environment – has affected every square mile of ocean on the planet and strongly impacted roughly 40 percent of marine ecosystems.”3

• “Despite the Ocean Dumping Reform Act, the U.S. still releases more than 850 billion gallons of untreated sewage and storm runoff every year”4

• “Plastic constitutes approximately 90% of all trash floating on the ocean’s surface, with 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile.”5

Throughout this blog I will be going over all the different types of marine pollution in detail, and describing different news stories that spring up about them.

Works Cited

Pictures:

Trash wave: http://yesurun.blogspot.com/2013/10/kamuflajl-dusman.html
Seal: http://coastalcare.org/2009/11/plastic-pollution/
Runoff: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/


Content

1 "Marine problems: Pollution." WWF. WWF, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/pollution/>.

2 "Rapid Response Assessments." What is Marine Pollution and How Does it Affect Marine Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/our-precious-coasts/page/1292.aspx>.  UNEP. 2006. The state of the marine environment-trends and processes. United Nations Environment Programme and the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The Hague. 52 p.

3 Bohle, Bob. "The Effects of Ocean Pollution on Marine Mammals." Ocean Pollution and Marine Mammals – BlueVoice.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.bluevoice.org/news_issueseffects.php>.

4 Hohn, Donovan. "Sea of Trash." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 June 2008. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/magazine/22Plastics-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

5  "Oceans: Plastic Pollution." TakePart. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. <http://www.takepart.com/oceans/plastic-pollution>.

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