Restoring the Chesapeake Bay

UD plant and soil science professor Deb Jaisi is examining how phosphorous contributes to Chesapeake Bay dead zone.

(Photo courtesy: University of Delaware/Kathy F. Atkinson)

Legislation and economic factors can present as an obstacle that might occur when attempting to preserve the vibrant and clean nature of our waters. In an article written in the Delaware First Media News by Noelle Swan, we see how the lack of funding and support from government agencies can ultimately halt the progress of restoring the Chesapeake Bay. University of Delaware associate professor of plant and soil science, Deb Jaisi, talks about the severe conditions of the Chesapeake Bay that have been accumulating over the last few decades.

“Restoration efforts in recent decades have helped improved water quality and ecological conditions in the Chesapeake Bay. However, the extent and severity of [the dead zone] has not improved as expected,” said Deb Jaisi associate professor of plant and soil science at the University of Delaware.

This past summer, in 2011, the Chesapeake received its worst report card yet from EcoCheck, a partnership between NOAA and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, despite concerted efforts to reduce the amount of nutrients released into the bay through human activities.”

The reason for the dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay is the high amount of phosphorous found in the water.

“Jaisi believes that a hidden record of phosphorous concentrations lies buried in the Bay floor. By decoding that record, he hopes to learn how concentrations have changed over time, and potentially pinpoint when and how a nutrient found in the bay for centuries became a pollutant capable of threatening the health of the entire bay.”

The problem is prevalent for Jaisi as well as the rest of the community of which it affects, however the budget to continue funding the restoration of the bay dwindles, as states try to balance the budget each year to accommodate.

“Doing more to reduce pollution in Chesapeake Bay will require significant financial investments, at a time when states are struggling to balance their budgets. The economic climate is tough, but efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay have been taking place for 20 to 30 years. We can’t delay implementation of additional pollution control measures because of costs,” said Nicholas DiPasquale, director of the Chesapeake Bay Program at the Environmental Protection Agency. “We must also consider the economic and non-economic benefits that will result from these efforts.”

Although funding is still being debated, there has been slow progress from the work that has already been implemented to the bay. “Numbers of striped bass, or rockfish, an important commercial and recreational sp that lives in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries dwindled in the 1980s, but since then the fish has recovered.”

The more information of the status of these dead zones and how much of an impact they make on our environment, can hopefully lead to more policy and legislation changes, making way for more funding to support these restoration projects.

Source:
http://www.delawarefirst.org/27307-research-chesapeake-bay-dead-zone

- Luann Algoso

Simple Way of Understanding Dead Zones

The nature of dead zones is an area of public interest that lacks, well, the interest. Unless you’re an aspiring biologist or future scientist of a related-area, you might not have a clue as to what a dead zone actually is. Like me for example! Prior to taking this course, I didn’t have the slightest clue as to what a dead zone consisted of. But in simple layman’s terms a dead zone “is an area in a river or bay that doesn't have enough oxygen in the water to sustain the presence of fish, crabs, and shrimp” as stated by Allison Quantz from the Virginia Foundation for Humanities. If you are like me and you need a simple demonstration as to what dead zones consist of, why it happens and what you can do to eliminate them, then watch this video from Assignment Earth.

If more people become aware of the current state of our oceanic environments, we can establish a better and cleaner ocean, the animals that live there and provide a better future for future generations.

Source:

http://wamu.org/news/12/05/17/dead_zones_reversible_virginia_biologist_says

- Luann Algoso

Dead Zones trigger sex changes study says

From earlier blog post we come to the understanding of what deadzones are and what happens in them and why are the caused. I would like to discuss something I found out to be very interesting that I found while looking up information on deadzones. I came across this news article that discussed deadzones, but also what happens to some of the fish that are in those dead zones. 

What mainly that is discussed is that of the findings of Rudolf Wu PH.D at City University of Hong Kong. What he finds is that the fish he studied have changed some of there sex characteristics. Overall there were 75percent of fish that have male characteristics. While in a normal ratio it should be 60% male and 40% female. I will post a link to the news article so everyone could look at it.

I find out interesting that this happens in deadzones and that it is not more well known around the world. I feel that we as society should be more informed about this kind of stuff because at the end of the day if this keeps happening with having more male fish then female fish then mating for the fish well go down. Then that will make the fish population go down as well. With that being said we already have a problem with it as it is.

Link to Article
http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=23608179104

Don’t Hate the Algae

With all the talk of dead zones caused by phytoplankton, it is important to understand that this menace is not always so devastating.  Under normal conditions phytoplankton is provides a much needed element in local ecosystems, also directly effecting us as these little guys produce about half the oxygen that we breath.  What causes issues is that; if they hit a nutrient rich area (caused by nitrogen ritch fertilizer for example) they will overfeed, creating what’s known as an algae bloom.  As the massive amount of plankton begin to die this process uses oxygen this is normally mitigated by ocean currents churning the waters and dispersing the less originated waters.  When the water is stagnating due to location or a higher temperature that’s what creates a dead zone and when the real damage is caused. 

So don’t get it twisted, phytoplankton are friends, we just need to make sure to keep them a little hungry by keeping our fertilizer out of the oceans.

Source-

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone

The Issue of Poaching

This past week I was going through the channels and I came apron a show called "Wild Justice" that was on the national geographic channel. I watched the show and I came away with a lot of useful information. The people on the show is talking about poaching. Which is illegally taking of wild plants and or animals. There is many different types of poaching like killing a dear that isn't legal and or when it's not in season to kill. The people who are in charged of helping protect them are California game wardens. I would highly recommend everyone watch the show if you are interested learning more.

Now the issue of poaching is not just hurting one type of wildlife it's hurting many different types of wildlife. It hurts the deer. Then also it hurts the crab's when they are hunted or captured during mating season. Some animals are killed illegally so that parts of them can be sold for cash on the black market. The thing that gets me the most is that more poaching id done to endanger species that those that are not endangered. Like for example with Rhinos that's becoming more and more popular. Now this staticts are from Africa but still poaching is poaching.  

Red Tide in La Jolla Beach and the Afflicted Sea Lions

Surfrider Foundation National Office http://www.beachapedia.org/Domoic_Acid_and_Sea_Lions
Wikipedia

You are looking at red tides in Southern California near the Surfrider Foundation National Office. The red tides can be beautiful to look at, however, they are dangerous to the ocean, as well as to marine life. The subtle brown, purple, and red hue, can be seen in this part of the ocean during the summer, and as late as October in the fall; they have been proven to be harmful to the sea lion population, as well as other marine life. When the water becomes discolored it is because the algal has become dense. The red tide is on the surface and the algal blooms very rapidly come together to form the discoloration of the water. You can see these colors in a vibrant blue at night. You can also put the water in a jar and take it into a dark room and see the blue color. (which exhibits algal)
　

Domoic acid which is a naturally-occurring neurotoxin found in plankton when it blooms, has been the cause of hundreds of sea lions falling to an early death. The sea lions naturally eat sardines, mussels, clams and anchovies, which have injested the plankton. When the toxin begins to affect the hippocampus, (part of the brain) the marine mammal begins to deteriorate. What you will see the sea lion exhibiting when they have been infected with this domoic acid is, bobbing, mucus coming from the mouth, bulging of the eyes, head weaving, disorientation and sometimes even seizures. The ailing sea lions are almost always female and they are usually pregnant. Not much can be done unfortunately, for the afflicted sea lions. There have been times when Dr.s have given vitamin B12 mixed with 4 liters of an electrolyte solution to flush out the poison . They also receive medication to help control the seizures. However, the survival rate is only 25-50%. That is a very low percentage The suffering of these animals should not be happening. The deterioration is not fast. Look again at the pictures of the expired sea lions.

So, what can you do to help? How can you help save our marine animals and our oceans? Please click on the url provided and consider joining this wonderful cause.

-Kelly Peters

Sources:

http://www.beachapedia.org/Domoic_Acid_and_Sea_Lionshttp://www.beachapedia.org/Red_Tides_and_Harmful_Algal_Blooms#Human_Illness_Associated_with_

Harmful_Algae

Gulf of Mexico: Paradise or Zone of Death?

     The Gulf of Mexico...we think of the beach, spring vacation and fun in the sun. But while taking a dip next time, consider the fact that you may be in the midst of a dead zone!

     The Gulf of Mexico is a large salt water basin enclosed by southern United States, Mexico, and the Island of Cuba. While often warm, inviting waters, a large 6 to 7 square miles of this basin makes up one of the largest dead zones in the world.

     Extending from the Mississippi River Delta to the upper Texas Coast, the dead zone can be seen even by satellite images showing millions of tons of nutrients being washed from land in to the ocean. Overloads of nitrogen and phosphorus caused by run off from all the major farming states of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Many tons of fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and sewage are dumped into the ocean. The large input of nitrogen and phosphorus sparks a boom in algae, then a chain reaction of major oxygen depletion.

    As we saw with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf of Mexico is a huge supplier of most of North Americas seafood industry. 72% of U.S. harvested shrimp, 66% of harvested oysters, and 16% of commercial fish (Potash and Phosphate Institutes of the U.S. and Canada, 1999) directly come from the gulf. These dead zones are potential killers for all sea life and directly limit the seafood industry. If we are not mindful of our interaction with the planet, the fishing industry might very well become a subject for the history books.


-Justin Buley