Thriving Oceans

Happy sea turtle Friday everyone!  Thought I’d send you off for the weekend with an encounter we had on the Big Island of Hawaii last week.  It must be the happening place for a slumber in the sun.  The photos are a little washed out as we were using our underwater camera, but if you look closely that’s a pile of 9 sea turtles.

Conservation, like expression, comes in many forms and a topic such as declining bluefin tuna is no different.  I recently received a digital copy of the following piece of art from Susan S., which was created in response to the latest failures to protect bluefin tuna.  The original is pastel and collage so enjoy yet heed its warning. 

A love for the ocean can be quite varied and in some instances inexplicable.  It is calming, extraordinary, deadly, mystical, full of life and truly deserves respect.  Honestly, I am not quite sure why I’m drawn to our marine ecosystems but my hypothesis is that it includes the previously mentioned adjectives as well as a hundred more that I could rattle off.  When you are hooked there is no turning back, ask any fish hobbyist; it’s an addiction.  And perhaps my first 10 gallon tank oh those many many years ago was the catalyst that sparked a lifelong love for all that is ocean.  Nirvana is breathing through a snorkel, watching fish, invertebrates, mammals, birds, reptiles and algae come together in perfect ecological balance.  I am an ocean lover!

I am also a conservationist, a biologist by training, and by default an anthropologist.  I look through the eyes of common sense, which is governed by conservation and biology.  And I watch and study people as they interact with the marine world; hence I delve into amateur anthropology.  Watching wildlife can be amazing, but watching people can be just as insightful.  With that I must conclude conservation is an interesting thing;  you never know how it will materialize but as for when it is every day.

A beer can left on the beach, a plastic bag allowed to blow into the waves or a parent that urges children to approach and prod a resting sea turtle are perfect opportunities to impart conservation ideals.  Which by the way can often be accomplished by simply setting a good example.  A beachcomber collecting debris that has washed ashore, a snorkeler collecting bottles and cans while swimming the reef, and an individual capitalizing on situations to educate the next generation are a few easy but worthwhile endeavors.

So just what is this all about?  Well a recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii presented just such an opportunity as my wife and I wandered a beach along the Kohala coast.  We happened upon a green sea turtle that had pulled itself onto a beach made of lava rocks for a little rest in the morning sun.  As we captured a few snapshots from a distance (thanks to telephoto lenses!), a mother and her two children approached us and asked to see our sea turtle pictures.  After the exchange of a few words we pointed to the resting sea turtle…why look at pictures when actual observations can be made.  From a safe distance, the two girls watched the sleeping reptile as excitement filled their faces.  “Get closer,” the mother said softly, “it is OK as long as you don’t touch.”  As my wife and I exchanged glances the mother again urged the girls to get closer and closer.  After a moment of hesitation, the children heeded their mother’s wishes and were soon sitting next to the resting sea turtle. 

To be honest I was a little shocked at the request, but awe set in rather rapidly as the older child began using her plastic magnifying glass as an exploratory tool in lieu of her fingers.  Sidestepping the do not touch command on a technicality.  I understand the actions of the child and no doubt would have probably done the same at her age as such investigations are essential in learning.  But I was left waiting for the mother to step in and provide some guidance, a little lesson in wildlife respect, a explanation of threatened species, anything.  Although there was a lack of action by the parent, I could not bypass this incredible sea turtle encounter to make a positive learning experience, suggest a safe viewing distance, and hopefully spread a few cool sea turtle facts that she regurgitates while sharing her photos during show and tell.

It’s all in the attitude and one can often move conservation mountains by being non-confrontational, friendly and informative; especially when children are involved.  As I said, one never knows how an opportunity to teach marine conservation will present itself, but when it does just make sure you don’t miss the chance to set a good example.

An organization that delegates [tries to] policy without any foreseeable recourse at their disposal is simply a Think Factory.  They ‘THINK’ they can get offenders to comply merely on the basis of suggestion.  Perhaps this tactic works in the world of science fiction when the wave of a Jedi’s hand is all that is needed to persuade the weak minded to act in accordance, but on this blue planet it’s the greenery that ‘s the driving force.

As per PhilBee’s recent comment  on the posted video “A Ban on Bluefin Tuna?”,

Therein lies the major problem with the whole system: if a country wants to catch a particular species, it knows it can do so without fear.  Japan’s done it for years with whales, and intends doing it with Atlantic bluefin tuna until stocks are gone.

When you combine short term philosophies with big profits now, we find ourselves constantly hovering on the brink of a catastrophe.  Yet we dismiss the blatant warning signs in an inane refusal to admit a problem is brewing because wallets continue to grow.  And this global trend of denial spans Wall Street, the housing market, whales, salmon, bluefin tuna, sharks, and the list goes on and on.  Are we so short sighted that we cannot make the historical connections?  The age old saying describing those who do not  learn from history are condemned to repeat it is not just a cleaver witticism is it?

Well, we again find ourselves nodding in shame that organizations designed to protect global resources have managed to fall short of garnering enough protections to ensure sustainability.  But, it is not the sole fault of the United Nations or the International Whaling Commission to eradicate the problem.  It is the consumer behind the iron mask that is completing the profitable circle, continuing to order fish species plagued by depleted stocks, and are thus responsible for contributing to the overharvesting problem .  Making responsible choices is of the utmost importance and is quite necessary for conservation.  And of course that does not let negligent industries, businesses, and nations off the hook who continue to practice and promote unsustainable fishing and poaching practices.

So what we end up with is a lack-of-action scenario that is aptly manifested by an AP quote in “UN rejects export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna”:

“Let’s take science and throw it out the door,” said Susan Lieberman, director of international policy with the Pew Environment Group in Washington. “It’s pretty irresponsible of the governments to hear the science and ignore the science. Clearly, there was pressure from the fishing interests. The fish is too valuable for its own good.”

Those concerned for ocean conservation must continue to educate friends and family, spread the word, make responsible consumer choices, and continue advocating sustainability.   While we fight for better legislation and protections, it doesn’t hurt to hit them where it hurts…their pocket books.

Photo: Captive bluefin tuna inside a transport cage. Credit: Gavin Newman / European Pressphoto Agency

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It’s not rocket science!  When the vocalizations of an animal experience a world-wide decline one of the most obvious answers is a population decline…or is it?  Well, the answers definitely don’t fall within the territory of rocketry but are more suited for marine biology.  And researchers are beginning to wonder if the decline in the pitch of Blue whale songs is actually a signal of good things to come.  According to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography:

The sound level of songs blue whales sing across the vast expanses of the ocean to attract potential mates has been steadily creeping downward for the past few decades, and a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and his colleagues believe the trend may be good news for the population of the endangered marine mammal.

Mark McDonald of WhaleAcoustics in Bellvue, Colo., along with John Hildebrand of Scripps Oceanography and Sarah Mesnick of NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center studied blue whale song data from around the world and discovered a downward curve in the pitch, or frequency, of the songs. The decline was tracked in blue whales across the globe, from off the Southern California coast to the Indian and Southern Oceans.

“The basic style of singing is the same, the tones are there, but the animal is shifting the frequency down over time. The more recent it is, the lower the frequency the animal is singing in, and we have found that in every song we have data for,” said Hildebrand, a professor of oceanography in the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps.

The study’s results are published in the most recent issue of the journal Endangered Species Research.

The researchers examined a list of possible causes for the frequency drop-from climate change to a rise in human-produced ocean noise-and believe it may be explained by the increase of blue whale numbers following bans on commercial whaling activities.

While the function of blue whale songs is not known and scientists have much more to learn, they do know that all singers have been determined to be males and that the high-intensity, or loud, and low-frequency songs propagate long distances across the ocean. Blue whales are widely dispersed during the breeding season and it is likely that songs function to advertise which species is singing and the location of the singing whale.

In the heyday of commercial whaling, as blue whale numbers plummeted, it may have been advantageous for males to sing higher frequency songs, the researchers believe, in order to maximize their transmission distance and their ability to locate potential mates (females) or competitors (other males).

“It may be that when (blue whale) densities go up, it’s not so far to get to the closest female, whereas back when they were depleted it may have been that the closest female was a long way away,” said Hildebrand.

In the 1960s, when blue whale numbers were substantially reduced and recordings of the animals were first made, there may have been a tradeoff in which the male suitors chose to sing higher frequencies that were louder and heard over greater distances, Hildebrand said. In more recent years, as population sizes have increased, it may now be more advantageous for males to sing songs that are lower in frequency rather than louder.

“When they make these songs they need to use most of the air in their lungs,” said Hildebrand. “It’s like an opera singer that sees how long he can hold a note. The (male) songs are made to impress the females and/or other males, so I think that’s how the boy blue whales are impressing the girls, or are showing off to other boys: by making a loud and long song.”

The scientists say the same downward pitch phenomenon may be true in other whales such as fin and humpbacks, but the blue whale song, with a comparatively easier song to analyze, is a good springboard to study other species. Hildebrand says such knowledge about whale songs could be important in monitoring whale populations and recovery efforts.

During the study the researchers analyzed thousands of blue whale songs divided into at least 10 worldwide regions. These include the Northeast, Southwest and Northwest Pacific Ocean; the North Atlantic; the Southern Ocean near Antarctica; and the North and Southeast Indian Ocean. Blue whale songs have been recorded for the last 45 years through scientific and military applications by seafloor seismometers tracking regional earthquakes and dedicated whale acoustic recording packages.