Weekly Ocean News

WEEK NINE: 31 October - 4 November 2016

For Your Information

Fifth anniversary of Suomi NPP satellite launch is hailed -- Last Friday marked the fifth anniversary of the launch of the polar orbiting environmental NOAA/NASA satellite that eventually became known as the NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) mission. This satellite was named for the late Professor Verner Suomi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center, who is considered by many to be the father of satellite meteorology. Launched in October 2011, this satellite and its onboard sensors was meant to be a prototype for NOAA's next generation Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) weather satellites, with JPSS-1 satellite scheduled to be launched in 2017. During its five years in orbit, the Suomi NPP has been helping extend measurement records for environmental variables obtained from other NOAA and NASA satellites. [NASA Feature]
"Falling back" next weekend -- Early next Sunday morning most of the nation will revert back to Standard Time after nearly 8 months of observing Daylight Saving Time. Since Arizona, Hawaii and Puerto Rico do not observe Daylight Saving Time, no time change will be needed in those parts of the country. The U.S. Congress has mandated time changes. Following the old adage of "spring ahead, fall behind", you will need to turn your clocks back by one hour to conform with the local time observance. Note: A recent Energy Policy Act has extended Daylight Saving Time, with the start on the second Sunday in March (13 March 2016) and end on the first Sunday in November (6 November 2016). Next spring, Daylight Saving Time will start on Sunday morning, 12 March 2017.
Most of Canada also observes changes to Daylight Saving Time at the same time. [National Research Council Canada].
A change from Daylight Saving to Standard Time does not deduct an extra hour of daylight from the day nor does it affect weather and climate patterns. The daily climate data collected at those automatic weather stations operated by the National Weather Service and the Federal Aviation Administration, together with all the cooperative weather observing stations around the nation are always made according to local standard time. NOTE: You may check the correct current official time at http://www.time.gov/
Asteroids, climate change and mass extinctions -- You are invited to read this week's Supplemental Information...In Greater Depth that describes how geoscientists have gathered evidence of five major mass extinctions over the last 550 million years from fossil records. These records also help in reconstructing past climates and help in the understanding of climate change.

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the Tropics -- Tropical cyclone activity was confined to the North Pacific and North Indian basins last week:

In the eastern North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Seymour intensified to become the hurricane in the eastern Pacific in 2016 last Monday morning as it traveled to the west-northwest away from the coast of Mexico. At the time the center of Seymour was located approximately 450 miles to the southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. By Tuesday afternoon Seymour had intensified to a major category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it continued its travels farther to the west-northwest. By midweek, Hurricane Seymour began a gradual turn to a direction toward the northwest and then to the north, along with weakening. During the predawn hours of Friday, Seymour had become a post-tropical cyclone as it was located approximately 820 miles to the west of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. Additional information and satellite images on Hurricane Seymour are available on the NASA Hurricane Page.
In North Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Storm Kyant developed early last week over the waters of the Bay of Bengal nearly 400 miles to the south of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Over the next day and a half, Kyant traveled toward the west-southwest. However, this tropical cyclone weakened and became a remnant low by late week, little more than 48 hours after formation. Refer to the NASA Hurricane Page for satellite images and additional information on Tropical Storm Kyant.

Annual national fisheries report released -- NOAA Fisheries recently released their annual Fisheries of the United States 2015 (FUS2015) report indicating US seafood landings at the nation's fishing ports in the calendar year 2015 were similar to levels in previous years. US fishers landed 9.7 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2015 that were valued at $5.2 billion. In addition, 8.9 million recreational saltwater anglers took 61 million marine fishing trips during the year. The report reveals that Dutch Harbor, AK and New Bedford, MA remained the top fishing ports for another year, running their dominance to at least 19 years. Americans consumed 4.5 billion pounds of seafood. The report also revealed that the average American consumed 15.5 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2015, which was nearly an additional pound of fish added to their diets than in 2014. [NOAA News] Additional FUS 2015 outreach materials are available [NOAA Office of Science and Technology]
Coastal science research receives $10.44 million in funding -- Ten coastal science research projects received $10.44 million in funding from NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. The ten projects that will receive the multi-year awards will address sea level rise, hypoxia and harmful algal blooms along the nation's Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, as well as in the Great Lakes. [NOAA News]
Reasons to love NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries are enumerated -- An illustrated list entitled "14 Reasons to Love Your National Marine Sanctuaries" has been produced and posted by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries that encourages the public to visit and enjoy the agency's 13 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments, citing a variety of interesting and unique geological, biological and historical features that can be found in these protected units. [NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries News]
World's largest marine reserve created in waters around Antarctica -- Last Friday at the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, policy makers and scientists from 24 nations and the European Union unanimously agreed to create a marine reserve in the Ross Sea off the coast of Antarctica. This new Antarctic safe zone in the Ross Sea, encompassing 600 thousand square miles, will be the largest marine protected area in the world when the agreement takes effect on 1 December 2017. Commercial fishing will be banned from about 30 percent of the area, and 28 percent will be designated as research zones. [Earth Sky]
Collaboration between US and Chile made improve tsunami warning capabilities -- During this past summer a memorandum of understanding was signed by the National Weather Service's Deputy Assistant Administrator, Laura Furgione, and the Chilean Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) Director, Rear Admiral Patricio Carrasco, that is designed to foster collaboration between their two agencies on tsunami monitoring and forecasting efforts. While in the United States, the Chileans visited with a variety of NOAA officials and the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC and the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, AK. [NOAA Weather-Ready-Nation News]
New website unveiled that details US Geological Survey's paleoclimate research around the world -- The US Geological Survey (USGS) recently unveiled its "USGS Paleoclimate Research: Lessons from the Past, Roadmap for the Future" website that permits the public the opportunity to explore many USGS paleoclimatic studies from around the world that provide information from the earth's climate history and which can be used to better forecast, plan, and adapt to future climate change. The paleoclimate information involving biological, physical and chemical proxies is obtained from a variety of marine, aquatic, and land settings. [USGS News]
More flood information about post-Matthew flooding in North Carolina Storm damage shown along North Carolina's Outer Banks -- Terri Kirby Hathaway, Marine Education Specialist for the North Carolina Sea Grant Program and an AMS DataStreme LIT Leader from Manteo, NC forwarded several articles on the flooding that occurred in North Carolina during mid October following the approach of the remnant of former Hurricane Matthew along the coast. At least six river gauges in North Carolina and one in South Carolina reported record crests that resulted in flooding. [The Weather Channel] Dr. Marshall Shepherd, a meteorology professor at the University of Georgia and a former President of the American Meteorological Society wrote a blog that described the reasons for the major flooding event on North Carolina's Tar and Neuse Rivers. [Forbes Science]
Climate appears to have helped guide early seafarers across the Pacific -- A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Oregon, Ohio State University and the University of Calgary recently published their findings showing that colonization of a section of the western tropical Pacific Ocean known as Remote Oceania occurred approximately 3400 years ago by seafaring settlers who traveled across hundreds to thousands of miles across the region using pathways of least resistance to winds and ocean currents. The team used climatic data and computer simulations to analyze ocean routes across the Pacific, taking into account winds, ocean currents, land distribution and precipitation. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) patterns were also included. Apparently, the early seafarers appear to have been knowledgeable about seasonal and ENSO variations in winds and ocean currents. [University of Oregon News]
An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA's National Weather Service, FAA and FEMA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAA/NWS Daily Briefing]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com

Concept of the Week: Controlling Nutrient Input into Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay is the nation's largest estuary; it is more than 300 km (185 mi) long, 65 km (40 mi) at its broadest, and averages about 20 m (66 ft) deep. The estuary was formed by the post-glacial rise in sea level that flooded the valley of the ancient Susquehanna River. The Bay receives about half its water from the Atlantic Ocean and the other half from the more than 150 rivers and streams draining a 166,000 square kilometer land area encompassing parts of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Major rivers that empty into Chesapeake Bay include the Potomac, Susquehanna, York, and James.

As described in more detail in your AMS Ocean Studies textbook, an estuary is a complex and highly productive ecosystem where seawater and freshwater runoff meet and mix to some degree. In Chesapeake Bay, more-dense seawater creeps northward along the bottom of the estuary, moving under the less-dense fresh water flowing in the opposite direction. This circulation combined with wind-driven and tidal water motions causes salinity to decrease upstream in the Bay, from values typical of the open ocean at its mouth to freshwater values at its northern margin.

As in all ecosystems, organisms living in estuaries depend on one another and their physical environment for food energy and habitat. Phytoplankton and submerged aquatic vegetation (e.g., marsh grass) are the primary producers (autotrophs) in estuarine food chains. Chesapeake Bay consumers (heterotrophs) include zooplankton, finfish, shellfish, birds, and humans.

Human activity has greatly modified Chesapeake Bay with consequences for the functioning of the ecosystem. Much of the original forests that covered its drainage basin were cleared and converted to farmland, roads, cities, and suburban developments. These modifications accelerated the influx of nutrients (i.e., compounds of phosphorus and nitrogen), sediment, pesticides, and other pollutants into the Bay. More nutrients spur growth of algal populations and when these organisms die (in mid-summer), their remains sink to the bottom. Decomposition of their remains reduces dissolved oxygen levels in the Chesapeake's bottom water. More sediment increases the turbidity of the water, reducing sunlight penetration for photosynthesis. Presently Chesapeake Bay is on the Federal list of "impaired waters" and in need of pollution abatement and remediation. States in the drainage basin have agreed to work together to clean up the Bay but there are significant obstacles including cost.

One casualty of human modification of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem was marsh grass-reduced by 90% from historical levels. Marsh grass anchors sediment and dampens wave action thereby controlling shoreline erosion and turbidity. Marsh grass is a food source for many organisms including waterfowl and small mammals and serves as a primary nursery for crabs and many species of fish. Reduction of this habitat along with over-fishing has been implicated in the decline of populations of blue crabs, a mainstay of the Bay fishery for more than a century. Over the past decade, the number of adult female blue crabs plunged by 80%. Without adequate protection by marsh grass, blue crabs are more vulnerable to predation by striped bass (i.e., rockfish). Striped bass turned to blue crabs as a food source when fishing reduced the numbers of menhaden, their preferred food. Menhaden is a marine fish in the herring family and the Bay's top fishery by weight.

Human modification of the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin converted it from an essentially closed system to an open system. In the original climax forests, nutrients primarily cycled within the system with relatively little input to the Bay. Modification of the land for agriculture increased the area of the soil exposed to the elements and runoff from rain and snowmelt accelerated nutrient input into the Bay. In addition to such non-point (area) sources of nutrients are point sources including the effluent of wastewater treatment plants that discharge treated water into rivers and streams that drain into the Bay.

For decades, agriculture has successfully employed various cultivation practices that limit the runoff from cropland (e.g., contour plowing, strip cropping, and retention ponds.) However, less than one-third of the 300-wastewater treatment facilities located in the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin have the technology to remove high levels of nutrients from their effluent. Under current environmental regulations, states are not required to regulate the nutrient content of this discharge. But in late October 2003, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a private, not-for-profit environmental advocacy organization called on Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia to specify nutrient limits on permits they grant to all wastewater treatment facilities. In support of their recommendations, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation cited the many water quality problems stemming from excessive nutrient load in the Bay waters (e.g., algal blooms, spread of "dead zones.") According to the U. S. EPA, under the federal Clean Water Act, a state can control nitrogen pollution if it determines that environmental harm is taking place. However, the EPA estimates that as much as $4.4 billion would be required to install state-of-the-art nutrient removal technologies at all major plants (those treating more than 500,000 gallons of wastewater per day).

Concept of the Week: Questions

In terms of nutrient cycling, the climax forest that originally occupied the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin was a(n) [(open)(closed)] system.
Excessive input of nutrients into Chesapeake Bay [(spurs the growth of)(has little impact on)] algal populations and [(increases)(reduces)] the concentration of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters.

Historical Events:

31 October 1874...A waterspout (a tornado-like vortex that travels over water) formed over Lake Erie and reached the lakeshore approximately 0.5 mi west of Buffalo, NY. Upon reaching the shore, it dissipated, scattering sand in all directions. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
31 October 1876...The Great Backerganj, also known as the Bengal cyclone of 1876 struck Bangladesh, then part of the province of Bengal in British India on this day. A maximum wind speed of 137 mph along with a storm surge of 10 to 45 feet inundated the coastal region. This storm likely caused 200,000 casualties along with displacing thousands of other individuals. (National Weather Service files)
1 November 1521...Four ships in the fleet commanded by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan began sailing through the passage immediately south of mainland South America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, now known as the Strait of Magellan. Because this passage began on All Saints Day, Magellan initially called the 373-mile long passage, the Estreito (Canal) de Todos los Santos, or "All Saints' Channel". (Wikipedia)
1 November 1755...Lisbon, Portugal was destroyed by a massive earthquake and tsunami, killing between 60,000 and 90,000 people. (Wikipedia)
1 November 1859...The current Cape Lookout, NC lighthouse was lit for the first time. Its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for nineteen miles. (Wikipedia)
1 November 1861...A hurricane near Cape Hatteras, NC battered a Union fleet of ships attacking Carolina ports, and produced high tides and high winds in New York State and New England. (David Ludlum)
1 November 1884...Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was nearly unanimously adopted at a meeting of 25 nations at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC. This time is also called Greenwich Meridian Time because it is measured from the Greenwich Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. At that time, the International Date Line was also drawn and 24 time zones created. (Today in Science History)
2 November 1493...Explorer Christopher Columbus first sighted the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea.
2 November 1743...A hurricane off the eastern coast of the United States proved Ben Franklin's hypothesis that storms off the coast move in a northeasterly direction. The storm hit Franklin's residence in Philadelphia before striking a friend's house in Boston, despite winds at Philadelphia coming from the northeast. Franklin then correctly surmised that storms do not necessarily follow winds that are felt at the surface. (National Weather Service files)
3 November 1975...The North Sea pipeline, Firth of Forth, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The first oil was piped ashore from the North Sea at Peterhead, Scotland in a pipe that ran from British Petroleum's "Forties Field" for 110 miles along the seabed and then 130 miles to the oil refinery at Grangemouth. The field was discovered by the drilling rig Sea Quest in October 1970. (Today in Science History)
4 November 1935...Called the "Yankee Hurricane", a Category 2 hurricane that affected the Bahamas and South Florida remains the only tropical cyclone to hit Miami from the northeast in November. (National Weather Service files)
4 November 2001...Hurricane Michelle became the strongest hurricane to strike Cuba since 1952 when it made landfall with top winds of 140 mph. (National Weather Service files)
5 November 1991...Typhoon Thelma was one of the most devastating tropical systems to affect the Philippines in the 20th Century. Reports indicated that 6000 people died by catastrophic events including dam failure, landslides, and extensive flash flooding. The highest casualties occurred on Leyte Island where widespread logging in recent years had stripped the hills above the port city bare of vegetation. (National Weather Service files)
6 November 1528...Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European to set foot on Texas soil, near present-day Galveston Island. (Wikipedia)