Ocean Stories

For those of you who missed it, here is a link to last week’s terrific episode of Science Friday with Ira Flatow featuring Dr. Earle, Dr. John McCosker, and James Cameron (by phone.) Broadcasting from the California Academy of Science, the show covers the latest in exploration of our own deep space as well as crucial information about what is happening ‘on our watch’ to the oceans as a whole.
Science Friday: Exploring the Deepest, Darkest Spots On Earth

Photo: Deb Castellana…

Bioluminescence, or cold chemical light made by living creatures, answers a simple question: how can an animal survive in the dark? Making its own light by which it can find food, attract mates or defend itself against predators is an easy fix. This phenomenon has evolved at least 40 times in evolutionary history—a clear indication of how important the trait is for various animals’ survival.
Edie Widder, president and senior scientist at the ocean conservation organization ORCA, has dedicated her career to studying bioluminescence. “Everywhere we look in the ocean, we find animals that make light,” she said. “If we drag a net through the ocean almost anywhere, in many places 80 to 90 percent of the animals will be bioluminescent.…

Since April 1, they Wyland Foundation—a non-profit group that helps children discover the importance of healthy oceans through art and science programs—has encouraged civic leaders across the country to inspire their residents to participate in the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. The idea is to reduce water and energy consumption through individual pledges in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act.
The cities with the highest percentage of residents who have signed the water petition will win, and pledge participants from winning cities will be eligible for more than $50,000 worth of prizes, such as a Toyota Prius Hybrid, water-friendly household appliances and Lowe’s gift cards.
Both small and large cities are participating, including Los Angeles, Denver and Honolulu.…

To the Arctic is the first 3D IMAX documentary ever produced about the Arctic and is coming to theaters April 20.  The MacGillivray Freeman Films crew spent a total of 8 months in the field over 4 years, shooting in remote locations in Canada, Norway and Alaska.  The film was produced particularly to build awareness and inspire greater protection for the Arctic Wilderness, which is changing faster than any place on Earth and is in danger of vanishing completely.

The film features the plight of a mother polar bear and her two cubs, and is the first time a polar bear family has been tracked—and filmed—for 5 consecutive days, 24 hours a day. To avoid losing track of the family in the ice floe, the filmmakers, who were stationed on an icebreaker, had someone on 24-hour watch, day and night.  Polar…

Mission Blue spoke with marine biologist and TED Fellow Asha de Vos to get her perspective on blue whale research and conservation in her native Sri Lanka. 

How did you get into whale research? 
My dream as a child was to become an adventurer scientist. In addition, I had this immense love for animals and the ocean. Water was always my primary element. At the age of 6, I made my first attempt to save sea mammals through a poster I drew of whales with red lips and sharp teeth. All of these things played on my mind subconsciously for as long as I can remember. When it was time to begin my undergraduate studies, I enrolled at St. Andrews University in Scotland where I studied under some of the most incredible marine mammal researchers.…

David B. Fleetham

Due to your very positive responses, our expedition to the Bahamas (May 21 – 28) has sold out.  If you were not able to take advantage of this rare opportunity to share a week at sea with Dr. Earle, and would be interested in joining us for future expeditions, please contact:
Kip Evans
Director, Photography and Expeditions
…

While strolling near a stream in the winter of 1999, Todd Steiner came across a worrying site. Trapped in the shallow water, adult coho salmon were frantically trying to navigate a golf course’s dilapidated dam. “The fish kept slamming into the dam, then falling back down only to try and jump up again,” he said.
Shaken by the experience, Steiner worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service to get the fish moved over the barrier. And he didn’t stop there. Steiner also engaged the community in converting the broken down dam into a series of jump pools that allowed the fish to continue their upstream migration. From this project, a conservation organization called the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network—or SPAWN—was born.…

On Friday’s show, comedian Ellen Degeneres tackled the not-so-funny situation that industrialized fishing has created in the ocean. Speaking with Captain Dave Anderson, who recently helped to free a gray whale entangled in fishing nets off Dana Point, California, Ellen spoke directly about drift nets, by-catch, and how she chose to give up eating fish once she realized what it took to get fish onto her plate. Pointing out to her fans that an ocean with no fish in 50 years is not the future we want, she challenged them to take action to change the dangerous course we are on while there is still time.…

Capacitor and Fort Mason Center present Okeanos, a dance-circus ocean sensory immersion devoted to improving human-ocean relations. Inspired by Bali’s coral reefs and Monterey’s Kelp forest, Okeanos was developed in collaboration with world-renowned marine biologists and oceanographers. This dance/circus performance incorporates choreography, apparatus, and set design by Capacitor Artistic Director Jodi Lomask, along with dance video, underwater cinematography, vocal improvisations, and electonic music punctuated with the voices of Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Tierney Thys.

The complete schedule of events, beginning with the Big Blue & TedX San Francisco at Thursday’s Okeanos Premiere and including a panel discussion hosted by National Geographic, “Ocean Explorers” on Saturday featuring a personal appearance by Dr. Earle, is at the following link: OKEANOS. …

Leatherback sea turtles connect cultures, seas and continents on their epic trans-ocean migrations. For 100 million years they have populated the world’s oceans. Societies around the planet revere them as symbols of good luck, prosperity and fecundity. Yet, these timeless and unique animals are in danger of extinction.
Now, a conservation organization called the Turtle Island Restoration Network hopes to make this iconic animal California’s official state marine reptile in a push to raise awareness about the leatherback’s plight.
“People protect what they love,” said Chris Pincetich, a marine biologist at Turtle Island’s Sea Turtle Restoration Project. He said he was surprised to find how few Californians know that leatherbacks occupy waters just off their coast. Elevating them to the status of state marine reptile will draw attention to their presence, Pincetich hopes, and raise interest in protecting them.…