WEEK EIGHT: 24-28 October 2011

• Opportunity for Teachers: The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Teacher at Sea 2012 Field Season program is now accepting applications until 30 November 2011. Gain your "sea legs" and first-hand experience in one-week to one-month voyages. For more information, or to apply, see http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov.

• Eye on the tropics -- No organized tropical cyclones were found across the North Atlantic or North Pacific Ocean basins during the last week. However, in the North Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Storm 2B formed over the waters of the Bay of Bengal over at the midpoint of last week. This minimal tropical storm was short-lived as it moved to the northeast and made landfall along the coast of southern Bangladesh and northern Myanmar (Burma) within 24 hours of formation. See the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite imagery on Tropical Storm 2B.
• NOAA Administrator discusses management of New England fisheries -- Last week, the NOAA Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, issued a statement in which she announced that her agency would defray the costs of fishery observers for monitoring New England groundfish through April 2013 and would commit to more stakeholder involvement in management reforms for this fishery. [NOAA News]
• Grants funded to implement monitoring and forecasting harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine -- NOAA recently announced that research grants totaling $1,665,056 were issued to two national peer-reviewed competitions run by NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science that would implement new technologies designed to monitor and forecast harmful algal bloom in the Gulf of Maine. [NOAA News]
• Cooperative institute for marine resource studies in Northwest selected -- NOAA officials have announced that Oregon State University was selected to continue the federal/academic research partnership that extends NOAA's ability to study marine resources in the Pacific Northwest by the continued funding of the Cooperative Institute for Marine Resource Studies that is located at the University. [NOAA News]
• Public asked to place economic value on Hawaii's coral reef ecosystems -- NOAA recently commissioned a peer-reviewed study that shows the American public has assigned an estimated total economic value of $33.57 billion for the coral reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands. [NOAA News]
• Public comment invited on a marine sanctuary draft management plan -- NOAA officials have invited public comment on a recently released comprehensive draft management plan and environmental assessment for Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary in American Samoa. [NOAA News]
• Status report of marine resources in Florida Keys sanctuary released -- NOAA officials recently released a report entitled "Condition Report 2011 for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary" that describes the current status and trends of the sanctuary's water quality, habitats, and marine and cultural resources, and the human activities that affect them. This report finds that pressure from increasing coastal populations, groundings of ships and boats, marine debris, poaching, and climate change are critically threatening the health of the Florida Keys ecosystem. [NOAA News]
• Future Great Lakes levels could experience less water loss -- Scientists at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory claim that their modeling of future lake levels indicates a smaller drop in lake water levels than previously thought for projected future climate conditions. The researchers new modeling efforts use an "energy budget-based approach" that better reflects the energy exchange in the region that helps drive evaporation, a key consideration in ascertaining future lake levels. Less water loss in future Great Lakes levels would have a major impact on the region's economy and environmental resources, since it is one of the nation's main shipping corridors. [NOAA News]
• Plausible explanation made for glowing California seas -- In a study partially funded by the National Science Foundation, researchers from the Emory School of Medicine and Rush University Medical Center have proposed that bioluminescence dinoflagellates, tiny, unicellular plankton, may serve as a possible explanation for the dazzling blue flashes of light in the waters off the California coast. The researchers claim that the potential mechanism for bioluminescence in dinoflagellates involves voltage-gated proton channels in membranes that can be opened or closed by chemical or electrical events. [NSF News]
• Molecules used by seaweed species to harm corals identified -- Georgia Tech scientists have identified the chemical structure of molecules used by certain species of marine seaweed to kill or inhibit the growth of reef-building coral. The researchers believe that the competition with these macroalgae could be a factor in the worldwide decline of coral reefs. [Georgia Tech Research News]
• Future El Niño and climate change interactions during this century studied -- A research team from the University of Colorado Boulder the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have run numerical simulations on the NCAR-based Community Climate System Model to determine the effects of climate change on the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) over the 21st century. These researchers found no significant changes in the extent or frequency of ENSO events for the rest of the century, even with projected changes in climate. [UCAR/NCAR Staff Notes]
• Global sea level rise could continue for 500 years -- Researchers at Denmark's University of Copenhagen have used climate models to calculate that global sea levels should rise during the next five centuries due to emission of greenhouse gases. In their modeling efforts, the researchers used four different scenarios that involve human development and greenhouse gas pollution. [University of Copenhagen News]
• An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods, and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Loss of Louisiana's Coast

According to the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force, Louisiana has been losing its coastal wetlands (bayous, marshes, and swamps) to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico at an alarming rate of about 65 to 100 square km (25 to 38 square mi) per year for the past several decades. This loss adversely affects fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and makes the coastal zone more vulnerable to storm surges such as that produced by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Since the early 1930s, the state's coastal wetlands have shrunk by an area equivalent to the state of Delaware. According to USGS estimates, an additional 1800 square km (700 square mi) could be lost by mid-century. The price tag for reversing this trend, restoring some marshes, and protecting the remaining 15,000 square km (5800 square mi) of wetlands could top $14 billion and take decades to complete. Many people argue that the value of Louisiana's coastal wetlands is well worth the expense.

As much as 75% of the fish and other marine life in the northern Gulf of Mexico depend on Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The wetlands are a nursery for commercially important catches of shrimp, crawfish, blue crab, and oysters. It is a food source for larger fish including yellow fin tuna, red snapper, and swordfish. In 2003, about three-quarters of the nation's fish and shellfish catch by weight came from Louisiana's waters. In addition, the wetlands are a stopover for millions of birds migrating between North and Central/South America. Furthermore, wetlands and associated barrier islands protect the ports, buildings, and other coastal zone structures from storm surges. Wetlands are particularly important in buffering the levees surrounding New Orleans, much of which is below sea level.

Many factors contribute to the loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands. Thousands of kilometers of pipelines transporting oil and natural gas through the marshes plus the extensive network of navigation channels allow saltwater to intrude the wetlands. Increased salinity of the originally fresh or brackish waters kill wetland grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation that anchor soil in place. The canals also allow tidal currents to flow farther inland, accelerating erosion of wetland soils. The most important factor, however, is the consequence of flood control structures (levees) constructed along the banks of the Mississippi River. Levees constrict the flow of the river so that waters and suspended sediment discharge rapidly into the Gulf. Deprived of a continuous input of sediments and vegetation-supporting nutrients, existing sediments compact, wetlands subside and Gulf waters invade the wetlands. With the anticipated continued rise in sea level due to global climate change (discussed in Chapter 12 of your textbook), erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetland may accelerate in the future.

Plans to reverse the loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands (the Coast 2005 plan and the Louisiana Coastal Area plan) seek to restore the structure and function of coastal wetlands. One proposal is to breach some levees along the lower Mississippi. This partial diversion of the Mississippi would increase the supply of sediments to the wetlands. Closing or installing locks on some navigation canals would reduce saltwater intrusion. In addition, dredged sediment would be used to re-build wetlands and restore barrier islands.

Concept of the Week: Questions

1. The most important factor contributing to erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetlands is [(saltwater intrusion)(levees along the banks of the Mississippi River)].
2. Global climate change that is accompanied by a rise in sea level is likely to [(accelerate)(have no effect on)] the rate of erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

• 25 October 1859...The Royal Charter Storm, named after the loss of the fully rigged ship Royal Charter off the coast of Anglesey, England, drowned about 500 people, along with the loss of gold bullion. The ship was one of over 200 vessels wrecked between 21 October and 2 November, with the loss of around 800 lives. This tragedy led to the introduction of gale warnings in June 1860. (The Weather Doctor)
• 25 October 1941...South Greenland Patrol expanded to include three cutters of the Northeast Greenland Patrol and form the Greenland Patrol. (USCG Historian's Office)
• 25-26 October 1980...The combination of unusually high tides and southeasterly winds gusting to 75 mph generated waves with heights to 25 ft, resulting in serious flooding, beach erosion and sea wall damage along the Maine coast. Wind damage was considerable and as many as 100,000 homes were without power for up to 40 hrs. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 27 October 1728...Captain James Cook, the famed British naval officer who was one of the first of the scientific navigators, was born on this date. Captain Cook surveyed the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland before making three expeditions into the Pacific Ocean where he became the first Englishman to explore previously uncharted locations. On his various voyages, he conducted astronomical observations and his ship's botanist studied the flora and fauna that were collected. (Today in Science History)
• 28 October 1492...The famous Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, landed on Cuba. (Wikipedia)
• 28 October 1991...Typhoon Thelma devastated the Philippines. Reports indicated that 6000 people died by catastrophic events related to the storm including dam failure, landslides, and extensive flash flooding. The greatest number of casualties occurred on Leyte Island where an 8-ft storm surge struck Ormoc, accounting for over 3000 fatalities. (The Weather Doctor)
• 29 October 1999...Tropical Cyclone 5B, with sustained winds of 155 mph, made landfall at Paradwip (Orissa, India). A storm surge of at least 20-ft height swept at least 12 mi inland. More than 10,000 people were killed. With 2 million homes either damaged or destroyed, 35 million people were left homeless. Damage from this tropical cyclone was $1.5 billion. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 30 October-1 November 1991...After absorbing Hurricane Grace on the 29^th, an intense ocean storm took an unusual course and moved westward along 40 degrees north latitude and battered eastern New England with high winds and tides. Winds had already been gusting over 50 mph along the coast 2 days before, so seas and tides were very high. Major coastal flooding and beach erosion occurred all along the New England, New York, and New Jersey coasts. Over 1000 homes were damaged or destroyed with tides 4 to 7 ft above normal. Wind gusts reached 78 mph at Chatham, MA and 74 mph at Gloucester, MA. A ship east of New England reported a 63-ft wave. Total damage from the storm was $200 million. On 1 November this ocean storm underwent a remarkable transformation. Convection developed and rapidly wound around the storm center and an eye became visible on satellite imagery. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft found a small but intense circulation with maximum winds of 75 mph. This evolution from a large extratropical low to a small hurricane is rare but not unprecedented. (Intellicast)

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Prepared by AMS DS Ocean Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2011, The American Meteorological Society.