PENSACOLA, Fla.–Scientists and representatives of several organizations head into the northern Gulf of Mexico from Pensacola this week on an expedition led by Dr. Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, and Dr. Thomas Shirley, professor at the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The expedition aims to explore and document several areas west and east of the site where the BP Deepwater Horizon released nearly five million barrels of oil from a depth of 5,000 feet, beginning April 20, 2010.
“Our goal is to identify areas with potential for Gulf ecosystem recovery,” said Dr. Earle, founder of SEAlliance and recipient of the 2009 TEDPrize that developed into Mission Blue, an international ocean conservation movement. “That is going to require protection of places healthy enough to replenish and rebuild populations.…

by Kip Evans,SEAlliance Director of Expeditions and Photography

Deep Worker (c) Kip Evans

In 1977, Alvin, the first untethered manned submersible, was used to confirm theories of seafloor spreading along the Mid-Atlantic ridge. Much to the amazement of scientists, the area was home to a thriving community of organisms living in extremely hot, sulfuric rich water. This discovery, along with hundreds of others, has made Alvin and other manned submersibles, one of the most valid oceanographic tools in the world.
During the past 30 years there has been a lot of debate about the need for using manned submersibles. After all, we have high-tech remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) capable of probing the ocean depths without depositing a single person in the water.…

by Brendan Tougher,SEAlliance Contributor

SEAlliance Hope Spots, Google Earth

Although 71% of the earth is made of water, currently less then 1% of the global marine environment is protected. As humans continue polluting and overfishing the ocean, it becomes increasingly evident that protected areas must be established. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or Hope Spots as the Sylvia Earle Alliance (SEAlliance) calls them (http://www.thesealliance.org/hopespots) are gradually being established to partially compensate for destructive human activities. SEAlliance has identified 18 Hope Spots across the globe that are unique places critical to the health of the ocean. By focusing their efforts to impart protection through MPAs, the SEAlliance hopes to help increase awareness towards the need for protected areas in the ocean. This action will provide an environment in which marine life can thrive.…

by Jake SultanSEAlliance Contributor

Plankton Rich Water, Purple Striped Jelly (c) Kip Evans

Phytoplankton are the oceans major consumer of carbon dioxide, a primary producer of atmospheric oxygen, and the base to any marine food web. In general, these tiny organisms that are often only visible through a microscope, make up the majority of plant-like material in the ocean. Tiny as they may be, these organisms are one of the most important living things on Earth, as they account for over half of the global primary production (the organic compounds that are built up by photosynthesis over time). Unfortunately phytoplankton abundance and diversity is reducing at a significant rate. Studies conducted by Canadian scientists revealed that over the past century there has been a consistent decrease in the number and diversity of marine phytoplankton, while the greatest loss continues to occur in the open ocean where phytoplankton primary production is highest.…

by Kip Evans,SEAlliance Director of Expeditions and Photography

Whale Shark / Holbox  (c) Kip Evans

Looking back on our expedition travels of 2009 and 2010, we made considerable progress towards elevating the case for both species and habitat protection. We laid the groundwork for future partnerships in Cuba, Belize, and Mexico. Our efforts saw measurable results in Holbox, Mexico, which is part of the Mesoamerican Reef Hope Spot and the site of our first “Mini expedition” and documentary film. Our short film – Isla Holbox-Whale Shark Island, won “best non-broadcast documentary” at the Blue Ocean Film Festival this past August. This film is now being used by both the Department of Tourism in Cancun and by scientists on Holbox Island to educate tourists, whale shark guides, and boat operators about the importance of protecting whale sharks.…

Sylvia Earle (c) Kip Evans

2011 is a few hours old . . .a good time to reflect on the all that has happened concerning the ocean since our shared Mission Blue days in the Galapagos — some of you in person, some in spirit.
2010 marked setbacks for blue fin tuna, sharks, the Gulf of Mexico, and plankton globally, but magnificent gains for the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, the waters aroundSal y Gomez in the eastern Pacific, and the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone in the North Atlantic. The amount of blue with some form of protection now exceeds one percent, although thearea where fish have true safe havens remains minuscule.
The culmination of ten years of assessing the ocean by 2700 scientists working with the Census of Marinelife and the launch of Galatee’s film, Oceans, sparked global awareness of the magnificence— and vulnerability — of life in the sea, and its relevance to all of us.…

Photo by Kip Evans

The SEAlliance is proud to announce that Dr. Sylvia Earle has been honored as TreeHugger’s Person of the Year for 2010!  As posted on Treehugger.com “When TreeHugger compiled a short list of contenders for the title of “Person of the Year” in 2010, we knew it would be difficult to choose a single winner. Everyone on the shortlist, we agreed, deserved some recognition.”
“In the end, however, it became clear that if a Person of the Year was going to be named, he or she would be honored not only for a history of contributions to environmentalism but also for significant and specific accomplishments in 2010. This person, whose strong legacy was punctuated by recent notable achievements, is none other than “Her Deepness,” Sylvia Earle.”…

Serving as the Toastmistress for the Census of Marine Life’s Celebration at the Royal Academy of Sciences in London, Dr. Sylvia Earle applied her considerable knowledge, wit and wisdom to both a tribute to participants and a celebration of accomplishment. Following is her poetic toast:

First . . . .

A salute to Fred Grassle, with vision ambitious,

A dream, an idea, to census the fishes!

Another, with courage– remember him well.

The one, the only – Jesse Ausubel.

But fishes alone were not enough.

The sea, after all, is alive with stuff.

What about urchins, sea stars and snails?

What of the microbes, the kelp, the whales?

It sounds, at first, slightly outrageous.

But the idea caught on – it was contagious!…

The historical review of data on the Sargasso Sea is vital.  Knowing how people have regarded this critical part of the ocean over time will seriously strengthen the case for protection now.  The “shifting baseline” of turtles, tunas, eels, and other creatures — including maybe the Sargassum itself — will come as news to many.

Dr. Sylvia Earle – Sargassum & Coral Spawn – Photo: Look Bermuda

I am in Bermuda now with some of the Sargasso Sea “constituency” looking forward to a second day of searching for Sargassum patches between hurricanes.  Thanks to arrangements made by Sheila McKenna, senor research scientist for Mission Blue,  we went aboard Explorer, the boat Teddy Tucker had for years (now owned and operated by Michael Hayward), and had a remarkable encounter with masses of floating coral spawn — zillions of golden eggs enmeshed in small patches of Sargassum.  …

From Florida Today
While researchers scoop up endangered sea turtles coated in oil in the Gulf, a scientist warns that this summer’s fragile turtle hatchings could choke on tiny tar balls as they feed off the Space Coast.
Blair Witherington of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission in Melbourne returned recently from working with a federal and multistate team to rescue turtles. They captured 64, mostly a species called Kemp’s Ridley, which is among the rarest in Florida.
Back on the Atlantic side, the worry is more about loggerheads that nest here in some of the highest numbers in the world.
As the eggs hatch in the coming weeks, the baby turtles must head immediately to sea, where they swim as many as 25 miles to feed on Sargassum seaweed along the Gulf Stream.…