Oceans and Public Health I: Water Quality Connections?

Did you get your flu shot this year?  If only promoting the health and wellness of our oceans was as easy as being inoculated against the flu virus.  We often forget how strongly public health issues are tied to the environment.  Our mental well-being, for one thing, is always improved after a day at the beach or an afternoon hiking through the forest.  But, the issues run much deeper than that.  From recreational safety to hygienic products and cancer, we rely heavily on the oceans for production of goods and ecosystem services that are essential to maintaining healthy communities and lifestyles.

Health-related concerns stemming from poor water quality include PCBs in fish and wildlife, the spread of infectious diseases, harmful algal blooms, and the interconnectedness of contaminants and immune functioning.  Dr. Gulland, head veterinary doctor at The Marine Mammal Center in California, has dedicated much of her life's work to studying the impacts of pollutants on seals, sea lions, and whales on the U.S. west coast and around the world.  Recently, her team has been investigating the apparent connection between genetics, pollutants, and an epithelial cancer diagnosed in a staggering 17% of stranded California sea lions.  They have learned that these animals have lower genetic diversity and are exposed to PCB pollutants in utero, meaning pups are born with it already in their tissues.  In addition to cancer and pollutant exposure, these animals are all infected with a type of herpesvirus that is similar to the virus that leads to Kaposi's sarcoma in humans.

Putting the pieces of this puzzle together, researchers are studying how these genetically predisposed animals whose immune system is compromised by pollutants are being infected by a virus and developing cancer.  Phew, what a diagnosis!  One of the most fascinating, and at the same time terrifying, aspects of this research is how informative it can be for human health.  They are mammals just as we are, living at the interface of water and land, so what affects them can also affect us.  After a strong storm when all of our pollution rushes to the ocean, disoriented animals wash ashore just as avid surfers can contract bacterial infections or stomach viruses.  As we often gaze out across a beautiful ocean, it is important to remember that we cannot see what goes on beneath the surface.  It is difficult to know how close we are to worrisome thresholds that lead to irreversible changes in the future.  Wonder how your local waterways are doing?  Check out Surfrider here in DC to find out what you can do!

A Tsunami of Questions: Marine Debris

Nine months ago, the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan raised countless immediate concerns about radiation, fisheries, and human loss, but in case the tragedy had drifted to the back of your mind, the media has stirred up controversy and brought it back to the forefront of public concern.  This time, many worry that we will be reminded of the tragedy through the physical debris caused by the natural disaster.  NOAA's Marine Debris Program is working hard to collaborate with ocean modelers to determine the facts of the situation and to appease public concerns.  This situation highlights the challenges of making high-profile predictions when so much remains unknown.

Shortly after the tsunami struck the coast, the wave of physical debris was visible from outer space.  Now, months later, the evidence of destroyed buildings, cars, schools, and farms has been dispersed by ocean currents or has sunk to the sea floor.  Current models predict that debris might begin washing ashore this winter and then hit the west coast of the U.S. in 2013.  Because the Pacific Ocean is a gyre (made famous by the ocean garbage patch), the debris would circle back to the Hawaiian Islands by 2015.  One of the biggest concerns is that larger items might cause damage to sensitive coral atolls or disrupt regional fishing activities.  Less known impacts include concerns over toxic chemicals accumulating in the food web, navigation hazards, or interference with coastal recreation.

Predicted path of the debris

NOAA is collaborating internationally and with various industries and research institutions to ensure that misconceptions are kept to a minimum.  With concerns over radioactivity and questions of how many tons  of debris were actually swept to sea, the communications team has their hands full.  As with most public health concerns, the media can often blow things out of proportion.  Head on over the the Marine Debris Program's website to track the tsunami debris and for more information, podcasts, videos, and FAQs.  Make sure you're a source of truthful facts when these issues come up at happy hour, or among friends, family, and colleagues.  Even better, ask our very own Ben Carswell for insider information!

Book Review: Voyage of the Turtle

It's not every day that a prominent marine scientist publishes a compilation of engaging tales about the trials and tribulations of conservation around the world.  But that is just what Carl Safina has done in the Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur.  Readers follow Safina onto nesting beaches, up in helicopters, and into conversations with countless sea turtle experts along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.  As a successful author and ocean advocate, Safina is among those exemplary scientists such as Sylvia Earle who effectively engage audiences for a cause.  Founder of the Blue Ocean Institute, Safina inspires the public to learn about conservation, sustainable seafood, and climate change through literature and art.

In the Voyage of the Turtle, Safina shows readers the complexities of conservation projects focused on one of our world's most charismatic and unique species.  The leatherback turtle represents one of the oldest evolutionary links to prehistoric creatures and is the only surviving species of its genus.  The largest of all sea turtles, the leatherback's soft carapace allows it to dive deeper than any whale into cold waters of the world's oceans.  Its life history traits and dispersed nesting areas create conservation challenges on both coasts of the U.S.  

The future of these animals is inextricably linked to human activities in that survival depends greatly on successful conservation initiatives.  A surprising recovery along the Atlantic coast contrast a worrisome and dramatic decline in the Pacific.  Safina highlights cases of unexpected consequences, such as turtles selectively nesting on Florida beaches in front of hotel resorts that have instituted low light policies because those areas are actually darker than the nature reserves that have the city's distant glow in the background.  From shrimp fishermen in the gulf to helicopter surveys in the mid Atlantic, Safina's flowery metaphors remind readers to appreciate the beautiful places and animals that people work so hard to use sustainably.  All-in-all, a good read for anyone looking to learn more about the successes and challenges of ongoing sea turtle conservation!

Visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy or ask our very own Katrina Phillips to learn more about our worlds turtles, where they go, and what we still don't know about them!

Fish News: Some Like it Hot, Part II

A few months ago, our attention was drawn to the fish in Australia that can thrive in warmer temperatures as long as they were spawned in those warmer waters.  This week, scientists have discovered another example of surprising climate adaptation: a hybrid shark!  This new fish subspecies is direct evidence that changing oceans have given rise to uncharted reproductive territory.  Species that normally do not come into contact with one another are not only coexisting, but are actually mating and shaking up the evolutionary genetics of the shark world.  

Distribution of the common blacktip

Interestingly enough, like our last climate change story, this one also comes from James Cook University in Australia.  They've proven that Australian blacktip sharks have been intermingling with the common cosmopolitan blacktip shark.  Hybridization naturally occurs at very low rates and it is uncommon to actually find multiple hybrid generations in significant numbers.  Researchers think that this phenomenon is not simply coincidence or happenstance because these two species have very specific temperature ranges.  One likes it cold, and the other prefers warmer waters, leading experts to believe that these hybrids might have a larger tolerance for temperature extremes.

Not only are these new creatures fascinating local and global shark geneticists, but the situation has caught the attention of Australian resource managers because of its implications for the shark fisheries.  If the hybrids are disproportionally caught, or if they are more vulnerable to predation pressure, or if they reproduce less often, the fisheries will risk miscalculating their allowable catches in any given season.  In other words, these hybrids introduce a large degree of uncertainty into the equation, which generally leads to smaller, more conservative quotas.  At this early stage, everyone will have to hold their breaths to see what happens next!

Stay tuned for more stories of climate adaptation from around the globe.  So far, it looks like fishy things are happening in Australia!



 

Book Review: Sea Cows, Shamans, and Scurvy

If you consider yourself an explorer and have an adventurous spirit, this is a book for you.  Ann Arnold takes us back to the late 18th century in the North Pacific Ocean in her story of Georg Wilhelm Steller, Sea Cows, Shamans, and Scurvy: Alaska's First Naturalist.  Arnold departs somewhat with literary conventions to bring us a story filled with illustrations, ship logs, and diary excerpts that give readers an intimate sense of Russian and European culture blended with a young man's irrepressible love of scientific discovery.

Steller got his start in science the way many of us do: by being studious and ready to sign on to the next and nearest adventure.  Unlike today, there was less of a demand for budding scientists and Steller had better luck working as a physician for diplomats.  After earning the good favors of high-ranking members of the Academy of Sciences, he was finally assigned a professorship on Bering's ongoing expeditions through Siberia and beyond.  Arnold takes readers through the trials of exploring uncharted territories in one of the harshest environments in the world.  On the one hand, we learn about the devastating impacts of provisioning and supplying these armies in the name of claiming land and national pride.  On the other hand, Arnold portrays Steller as the gentle naturalist who befriended the natives and spent hours cataloging wildflowers.

As the expedition made it's way east over the course of ten years, the sailors and their captains were eager to determine whether there was a passage into the Arctic Ocean or whether Russia was in fact attached to the Americas.  Meanwhile, Steller continued to document each plant and animal he encountered along the way.  Readers travel with Steller throughout Siberia, onto the Kamchatka peninsula, over to the Kuril Islands and Japan, and through the Sea of Okhotsk.  In the Barguzin Mountains, he discovers Lake Baikal and it's landlocked seal inhabitants.  As any naturalist throughout history, Steller struggled against those that saw his endeavors as a waste of time.  When his demands to find cleaner drinking water along the Aleutian Islands were ignored, his crew suffered.  In time, his reputation improved when he saved many of the sailors from scurvy with herbs that the natives had shown him.  Eventually, after surviving the winter on Bering Island, Steller was well-respected for his contributions and described countless species we still know today, including the extinct sea cow, Steller sea lions, and numerous birds and fish.

Through this incredible story of an early explorer, Arnold reminds us of the humble origins of ocean exploration and the inevitable politics surrounding the countries involved.  By reading these compiled journal excerpts and quotes, we can imagine the heart-stopping storms and Steller's enduring spirit.  Her playful story-telling style makes this a book that I would highly recommend for anyone looking to learn more about a bright mind living through a unique and trying historical time period.

What have you read recently?

Resolution #1: Find Job

For many Knauss fellows, January is crunch time on the job front.  Still haven't landed your dream gig?  Don't worry, you're not alone.  The lean budget climate and the holiday festivities have dampened the job search and many of us are still anxiously awaiting to hear what interviews and excitement January will hold.  We're all so excited for those among us who have accepted offers (congrats Andy, Colin, and many others who have made steps toward securing contracts with their hosts!) and no longer have to worry!  If that isn't true for you, never fear - job hunting tips are here!

• Develop a top-notch resume: if you missed the career development workshop in September, ask around and find someone to forward you the information.
• Be strategic: if you are braving USA Jobs, don't forget to match your resume to the words in the job announcement.
• Use RSS feeds to your advantage!  Did you know that not only can you create email notifications in USA jobs, but you can even get RSS feed updates to your Google (or other internet) Reader.  Use this technique on the job pages of other nonprofits in the area.
• Share information: talk with your friends, family, peers, and colleagues about what you're thinking, what you've seen open, and who you haven't heard from.  It's always good to sympathize with others sharing your stresses.
• Cast a wide net and think outside the box: don't limit yourself to your comfort zone - the walmarts and Exxon-Mobils of the world need smart and environmentally-minded employees too!
• Remember to dress and act the part: always live the job that you want next.  
• Create incentives: when reaching out to your network of contacts that we have all worked so hard to nurture, remember to offer something in return (coffee, lunch, secrets of the trade, etc). 
• Think before you leap: we've all worked really hard to imagine and then position ourselves into a dream job, so don't be too hasty to settle for something less.  If you're not sure whether you could enjoy the job, ASK if there is room to explore your passions and grow within the office. 
• Lastly, always stay positive - nobody wants to hire a sourpuss!

Cheers to the search, and let us know when you hear about your next steps so we can celebrate.

Happy New Year!

Ancient premonitions about 2012 have penetrated pop culture (Hollywood not withstanding) and hung a dark, ominous cloud over the coming year.  However, the marine conservation community isn’t letting the Mayans get them down.  As evidence mounts for a dramatically changing climate, growing impacts of development, and continued resource exploitation, researchers and practitioners will be looking to promote their causes and make it a big year for the oceans.  Within the government, strategic planning and annual guidance developed years in advance help prioritize activities and projects. 

For NOAA, some of these priorities will include improving the capacity for science and energy development in the Arctic, evaluating newly implemented fisheries catch share programs, and enhancing the nation’s ability to prepare for and recover from extreme weather events.  Despite slim budgets, agencies and organizations around the country will pursue such diverse conservation issues ranging from illegal fishing, protecting corals, and studying ocean acidification.  Perhaps one positive outcome of budget shortfalls will be greater collaboration and teamwork.  Regardless, we wish for a good year for our world’s oceans, lakes, and coasts. 

Got any good New Year’s Resolutions for 2012?  In case you’re lacking inspiration, doubt your own resolve, or worry about commitment, here are a few simple things you can do for the ocean.  

• Learn your local recycling rules.  In DC, we can recycle most everything, but find guidance here. 
• Take reusable (or re-use plastic) bags to the market for fruits and veggies.
• Make a donation to one of the numerous NGOs for an annual membership and put it on your resume to advertise your loyalties. 
• Take eating utensils to the cafeteria – each fork matters! 
• And lastly and perhaps the most fun, talk with your friends and family about the ocean and coasts, and stay up-to-date by talking to us fellows about our numerous conservation and management projects! 

These simple activities will remind you why we’re all living miles away from the ocean and perhaps inspire our friends and family to think about the connections between human activities and environmental health the next time they take a seaside walk or coastal hike. 

Happy New Year!