Scientists Warn of Rising Oceans From Polar Melt

By JUSTIN GILLIS and KENNETH CHANG
MAY 12, 2014

A large section of the mighty West Antarctica ice sheet has begun falling apart and its continued melting now appears to be unstoppable, two groups of scientists reported on Monday. If the findings hold up, they suggest that the melting could destabilize neighboring parts of the ice sheet and a rise in sea level of 10 feet or more may be unavoidable in coming centuries.

Global warming caused by the human-driven release of greenhouse gases has helped to destabilize the ice sheet, though other factors may also be involved, the scientists said.

The rise of the sea is likely to continue to be relatively slow for the rest of the 21st century, the scientists added, but in the more distant future it may accelerate markedly, potentially throwing society into crisis.

“This is really happening,” Thomas P. Wagner, who runs NASA’s programs on polar ice and helped oversee some of the research, said in an interview. “There’s nothing to stop it now. But you are still limited by…”

Read the entire article online here. NYTimes.com

Vital part of food web dissolving

Scientists have documented that souring seas caused by CO2 emissions are dissolving pteropods, a key marine food source. The research raises questions about what other sea life might be affected.

It didn’t take long for researchers examining the tiny sea snails to see something amiss.

The surface of some of their thin outer shells looked as if they had been etched by a solvent. Others were deeply pitted and pocked.

View the article here. — SeattleTimes.com
Story by
CRAIG WELCH

NOAA to Commission Fishery Survey Vessel, Reuben Lasker

Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 4/29/2014

What is 208-feet long, glides through the ocean as silent as a gray whale, counts schools of fish with the speed of sound, and calls San Diego home? NOAA Fisheries’ new fishery survey vessel Reuben Lasker, the most advanced technology platform for monitoring fish, turtles, marine mammals and oceanography, will be placed in active service on Friday, 2 May 2014. NOAA will officially commission the ship at the Navy Pier, close to the ship’s permanent port in San Diego, California on the 10th Street Terminal.

The fishery survey vessel, Reuben Lasker, arrived in San Diego on 29 March 2014 after traveling 5000 miles from Norfolk, Virginia and through the Panama Canal, a 20-day journey. This distance is a pittance compared to the miles she is expected to rack up over the next many decades as a platform for researching fish, marine mammals and turtles off the U.S. West Coast and in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. “Reuben Lasker provides a living laboratory for monitoring ocean animals and their environment,” said Francisco Werner, Science Director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) in La Jolla, CA. “She will support superior stock assessments and ecosystem-based management of the region’s living marine resources for today, tomorrow and future generations.”

“The addition of the sophisticated Reuben Lasker to our fleet of modern fisheries research vessels on the West Coast amplifies our ability to understand the ecosystem and inform wise management of its resources,” reiterates John Stein, Science Director of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA. “Together with the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, we now have the capability to build highly refined stock assessments for valuable West Coast fisheries and conduct ecosystem and species-specific studies to support healthy and resilient coastal communities

Built by Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wisconsin, from 2010 to 2013, Reuben Lasker is quiet, quieter than other research vessels, which allows scientists to study ocean life without affecting their behavior so much as other vessels might. This is useful, for example, when studying where fish live. “The fishery survey vessel Reuben Lasker is designed to produce so little sound that our scientists can survey marine species without disturbing the animals’ behavior or compromising the capabilities of our most sensitive acoustic equipment,” said Richard Merrick, chief scientist for NOAA Fisheries.

The ship also has several acoustic technologies that can identify the shape, type and mass of fish schools as well as map the ocean floor. Her dynamic positioning system accurately holds the vessel in a fixed position so scientists can more easily deploy their equipment –trawls, longlines, plankton nets, oceanographic equipment and other gear collect samples and data. And scientists can process data and samples on board during research cruises in the five laboratories, providing enhanced efficiency.

The 24 staff, command and crew, on board Reuben Lasker support more than just science. That’s 24 new jobs in San Diego, 24 more professionals contributing to the community. “We look forward to a long relationship with the Lasker and her command and crew,” said Werner. “Together we will provide an integrated view of the California Current’s ecosystem and address the challenges and emerging issues facing our marine resources.”

Reuben Lasker replaces the last NOAA Ship stationed in San Diego, David Starr Jordan, which was retired in 2009 after logging over 1.5 million miles during her 44 year tenure off the West Coast.

“The fisheries survey vessel Reuben Lasker is inspired by its namesake, a renown and well-loved fisheries scientist with a passion for his research and those who worked with him,” said Roger Hewitt, Assistant Director for Ships, SWFSC. “Reuben conveyed a sense of joint purpose, that the mysteries of the sea could only be addressed by a multi-disciplinary team. The design of Reuben Lasker embodies this spirit. Reuben would be proud, even if he got a bit sea sick.”

Welcome home, Lasker.

Contributed by Sarah M. Shoffler

More information on the design and features of the new ship and the science of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center may be found online:
• NOAA’s New West Coast Fisheries Survey Vessels
• https://facebook.com/NOAAShipReubenLasker
• http://moc.noaa.gov/rl
• NOAA Takes Delivery of New Fisheries Survey Vessel
• Lasker Photos

Southwest Fisheries Science Center
http://swfsc.noaa.gov/
Northwest Fisheries Science Center
http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/

U.S. Fisheries – Reports on Economics and Status of Stocks

April 29, 2014
Fisheries of the U.S. – Economics and Status of Stocks Released Today

Today NOAA Fisheries released two important reports that continue to document positive trends in the sustainability of U.S. federally-managed fisheries–Fisheries Economics of the United States 2012 and the Status of U.S. Fisheries 2013. Together, these two reports highlight the strength of our federal fisheries as responsibly managed and underscore the broad and positive economic impacts that commercial and recreational fishing contribute to the nation’s economy.

In 2012, U.S. commercial and recreational saltwater fishing industries generated more than $199 billion in sales impacts, contributed $89 billion to gross domestic product, and supported 1.7 million jobs in U.S. marine fishing and across the broader economy.

With regard to the status of our nation’s federal marine fisheries, in 2013, 91 percent of assessed stocks/complexes were not subject to overfishing and 83 percent not overfished. This underscores the strength or the U.S. fisheries management system and the significant progress that collectively NOAA Fisheries, the regional fishery management councils and our stakeholders have made to end overfishing and rebuild our nations’ fisheries.

For full details on each report visit us online.

Warm Regards,

Laurel Bryant
Chief, External Affairs
NOAA Fisheries Communications
Laurel.Bryant@noaa.gov
www.nmfs.noaa.gov

Fisheries Economics of The U.S. 2012

Economic information related to commercial and recreational fishing activities, and fishing-related industries in the United States are reported in the annual Fisheries Economics of the U.S. statistical series. These reports cover a ten year time period and include descriptive statistics on commercial fisheries landings, revenue, and price trends; recreational fishing effort, participation rates, and expenditure information; and employer and non-employer establishment, payroll, and annual receipt information for fishing-related industries. The economic impact of commercial and recreational fishing activities in the U.S. is also reported in terms of employment, sales, and value-added impacts.

Glucosamine, made from shellfish shells, may have exciting new health benefits

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Daily Mail] By John Nash – April 22, 2014

Could the elixir of youth in fact be a potion made from the shells of crab, lobster and shrimp?
Last week, in the highly respected journal Nature Communications, scientists reported how the food supplement glucosamine, often made from shellfish, can make mice live nearly 10 per cent longer. That would add an average eight years to human lifespans, taking the average UK life expectancy to 89.

The researcher, Dr Michael Ristow, a biochemist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, gave the supplement to ageing mice in addition to their usual diet and compared them with similar mice not given the supplement.

He believes the benefits are down to glucosamine making the body think it’s on a low-carb, highprotein diet. It does this by creating amino acids that the body mistakes for proteins.

In response, our bodies start burning more protein. This can keep weight down and, as a result, may also fend off problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Glucosamine supplements, available in health food shops, are already a popular remedy for arthritis, with annual sales estimated at £41.6 million, according to recent figures.

This is because glucosamine is thought to help the body produce synovial fluid, which lubricates joints and helps cartilage to repair itself. If cartilage isn’t repaired, bones in joints are more likely to rub against each other, causing arthritis — inflammation and pain in the joint.

The body itself produces glucosamine but the amount starts to dwindle after the age of 45.

However, the jury is out on whether glucosamine supplements really help ease arthritis.

While supplement manufacturers are keen to claim it is proven by lab tests, a 2010 review of ten trials published in the British Medical Journal found that glucosamine was not useful in reducing osteoarthritis joint pain.

The evidence for glucosamine promoting longevity may in fact be more promising.

It appears to protect against several common causes of death, according to a 2012 study by The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in the U.S.

The large-scale study, involving more than 77,000 people over an eight-year period, found those taking glucosamine for their joints had nearly a fifth lower risk of premature death. Furthermore, they had a 13 per cent reduced risk of dying from cancer and a 41 per cent reduced risk of dying from respiratory disease, reported the European Journal of Epidemiology.

Scientists have suggested that glucosamine may have an anti-inflammatory effect similar to that of aspirin but without the long-term adverse side-effects such as stomach bleeding.

There may, however, be another explanation. Glucosamine has been found to boost a process in the human body called autophagy, according to a 2013 report in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Autophagy is a system in which cells get rid of their toxic waste. If this process fails, the cell dies, explains Katja Simon, a researcher in immunology at the University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Medicine, who is exploring this process in human studies. ‘In the ageing process it has been shown that autophagy levels fall. It may be that things such as wrinkles, hearing loss and cancer are actually due to these falling autophagy levels and accumulation of toxic wastes in the cells.’

This may help to explain why glucosamine used in a cream appears to have an anti-ageing effect on the skin.

A series of studies presented to the American Academy of Dermatology in 2006 suggested it may reverse the ageing effect of sunburn on skin cells.

Tests from Harvard Medical School found that a cream made with the chemical reduced liver spots and freckles in those with sunburn-related damage.

Other studies presented at the conference showed that glucosamine in skin cream may stimulate production of hyaluronic acid, believed to help keep skin hydrated, and collagen, which can make skin appear youthfully plump.

But these are early days. As Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology and a consultant rheumatologist at King’s College London, says: ‘Glucosamine is an interesting molecule that could affect us subtly in many ways. If even a modest effect on ageing were proven, it would be a major advance. However, humans are not the same as worms or rodents and studies will need careful replication before we get overexcited.’

It should also be acknowledged the substance has potential side-effects. People taking the bloodthinning drug warfarin should be cautious, as glucosamine may make the drug too potent.

And those who are allergic to shellfish should also be wary, although the allergenic part of shellfish is usually the flesh and not the shell, and some glucosamine supplements are based on alternative sources, such as plant fungus.

Nevertheless, we may now be nearer the day when a lobster can help us to look less crabby.

Ken Coons
Copyright © 2014 Seafoodnews.com
Source: Seafood.com News

Fish Oil May Help the Heart Beat Mental Stress

Fish oil may help the heart beat mental stress, says a recent study, “Fish Oil and Neurovascular Reactivity to Mental Stress in Humans.” It appears online in the May 2013 edition of the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, published by the American Physiological Society.

The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil have long been thought to protect against cardiovascular disease… Read the entire story here. [examiner.com]

One Fish Two Fish: Monitoring MPAs Educator Guide

“The California Wetfish Producers Association partners with both state and federal scientists to advance the knowledge of ocean cycles and their influence on coastal pelagic resources.  California marine resources now benefit from the best fishery management in the world, thanks to strict regulations and the collaboration of scientists, management agencies and fishermen.”

Read the original article — kqed.org

One Fish Two Fish: Monitoring Marine Protected Areas Educator Guide

Time to Take Ocean Acidification Seriously?

    
November 22, 2013 — HUMANS, being a terrestrial species, are pleased to call their home “Earth”. A more honest name might be “Sea”, as more than seven-tenths of the planet’s surface is covered with salt water. Moreover, this water houses algae, bacteria (known as cyanobacteria) and plants that generate about half the oxygen in the atmosphere. And it also provides seafood—at least 15% of the protein eaten by 60% of the planet’s human population, an industry worth $218 billion a year. Its well-being is therefore of direct concern even to landlubbers.

That well-being, some fear, is under threat from the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a consequence of industrialisation. This concern is separate from anything caused by the role of CO2 as a climate-changing greenhouse gas. It is a result of the fact that CO2, when dissolved in water, creates an acid.

That matters, because many creatures which live in the ocean have shells or skeletons made of stuff that dissolves in acid. The more acidic the sea, the harder they have to work to keep their shells and skeletons intact. On the other hand, oceanic plants, cyanobacteria and algae, which use CO2 for photosynthesis, might rather like a world where more of that gas is dissolved in the water they live in—a gain, rather than a loss, to ocean productivity.

Read story from Saving Seafood here.
Read story from The Economist here.

Ocean acidification progressing at an alarming rate

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [BBC] By Matt McGrath – November 15, 2013 -The world’s oceans are becoming acidic at an “unprecedented rate” and may be souring more rapidly than at any time in the past 300 million years.

In their strongest statement yet on this issue, scientists say acidification could increase by 170% by 2100. They say that some 30% of ocean species are unlikely to survive in these conditions.

The researchers conclude that human emissions of CO2 are clearly to blame.

The study will be presented at global climate talks in Poland next week.

In 2012, over 500 of the world’s leading experts on ocean acidification gathered in California.

Led by the International Biosphere-Geosphere Programme, a review of the state of the science has now been published.

This Summary for Policymakers states with “very high confidence” that increasing acidification is caused by human activities which are adding 24 million tonnes of CO2 to oceans every day.

Read the full article here.