WEEKLY OCEAN NEWS

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK EIGHT: 24-28 October 2005

Ocean in the News:

(Thurs.) Major coral bleaching event in progress -- The NOAA coral monitoring network has detected the spread of bleaching in corals from the Florida Keys to the bulk of the Caribbean. The bleaching reflect coral stress, mainly from increased water temperatures. [NOAA News]
(Thurs.) Just in time for Halloween - creeping crinoids -- Michigan and Nova Southeastern scientists have filmed an escape mechanism crinoid species (sea lilies) use to get away from predators, losing their stems and moving to a new attachment point. [New Scientist]
(Thurs.) European Union to form "marine health plan" -- The European Union proposes to extend its environmental policy to cover marine waters although some groups say there is insufficient control proposed. [ENN]
(Tues.) Future of Puget Sound in troubled waters -- A report recently released by researchers at the University of Washington indicates that the region around Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean in western Washington State, was experiencing increased flooding and higher air and water temperatures due to increased global temperatures. The researchers foresee vanishing beaches, more rain, less snow, with more flooding and landslides, along with a less inviting marine environment for salmon and shellfish. [USA Today]
(Tues.) Saltwater fish farming to be promoted -- The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution was to host the 2nd International Sustainable Marine Fish Culture Conference in Ft. Pierce, FL this past weekend that was intended to discuss advances in the aquaculture of saltwater fish at both onshore and offshore sites in an attempt to promote this industry. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Cessation of fishing for threatened species urged -- A marine research group based in Copenhagen, Denmark recently called for a termination of fishing for a variety of threatened deep-sea species in the North Atlantic Ocean. [ENN]
Wilma slams Florida -- After spending more than 24 hours along the northeast coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a rejuvenated Hurricane Wilma crossed the Gulf of Mexico and hit the southwest Florida coast Monday morning at 6:30 am EDT south of Naples as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale packing winds of 125 mph. 2.2 million homes were without power in southwest Florida as the storm was crossing the peninsula. [CNN]
Wilma's progress -- Monitor the current progress of Hurricane Wilma as it moves across Florida and along the East Coast, including satellite images and forecast maps, using several of the links provided in the "Top Story" appearing on the NOAA Homepage.
A rogue's gallery online -- NASA officials have unveiled a Hurricane Resource Web Page where http://www.nasa.gov/hurricane hurricane images and video can be downloaded. This site includes new NASA animations that show each of the 21 named tropical cyclones of this season from Arlene to Wilma. [NASA]
Historic storm hits the Dominican Republic -- Tropical Storm Alpha, the record-breaking 22nd named tropical cyclone of the 2005 North Atlantic hurricane season and the first to start a new list of names, formed on Saturday over the Caribbean and made landfall on the coast of the Dominican Republic on Sunday morning. Alpha was expected to weaken as it moves across the mountains of that island nation. [USA Today]
Building along the North Carolina coast undeterred by hurricanes -- Although hurricanes could threaten residents along coastal North Carolina, large scale building projects continue with little respite. The availability of federal flood insurance, along with a variety of beach re-nourishment and other public works projects appears to be contributing to this surge in coastal construction. [USA Today]
"Milky sea" phenomena explored -- Scientists from the Naval Research Laboratory's Marine Meteorology Division in Monterey, CA, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the National Geophysical Data Center are collaborating in the documentation and exploration of the low-level light emission from the ocean commonly called the "milky sea" phenomenon, using a combination of shipboard observations and high resolution satellite imagery. [EurekAlert!]
US Navy is sued for sonar use -- Several environmental groups are suing the US Navy for the failure to take proper precautions during its use of sonar, which the groups claim are causing mass stranding and internal bleeding of whales and dolphins due to the emitted sound.[ENN]
A typhoon is added to a new photo gallery -- Officials with the European Space Agency (ESA) announced a new "Earth Images Gallery" that provides interesting satellite images obtained from its fleet of Earth Observation Satellites. The ESA officials point to the images made of Typhoon Kirogi as it passed south of Japan as examples of the 480 images currently in the gallery. [ESA]
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 shellfish such as 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 DataStreme Ocean 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

The most important factor contributing to erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetlands is [(saltwater intrusion)(levees along the banks of the Mississippi River)].
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.

Historical Events:

23-24 October 1918...The Canadian steamship Princess Sophia carrying miners from the Yukon and Alaska became stranded on Vanderbilt Reef along coastal British Columbia. A strong northerly gale hampered rescue attempts, and the next day, the ship sank with the loss of the 268 passengers and 75 crewmen onboard. (The Weather Doctor)
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 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)
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 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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