Ocean Issues: Climate change

When the Heat's On, Some Fish Can Cope: Certain Tropical Species Have Greater Capacity to Deal With Rising Sea Temperatures Than Thought

ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2011) — Australian scientists have discovered that some tropical fish have a greater capacity to cope with rising sea temperatures than previously thought -- by adjusting over several generations.

Munday et al. 2011. Rapid transgenerational acclimation of a tropical reef fish to climate change


J. M. Donelson, P. L. Munday, M. I. McCormick, C. R. Pitcher. Rapid transgenerational acclimation of a tropical reef fish to climate change. Nature Climate Change, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1323

Understanding the capacity of species to acclimate and adapt to expected temperature increases is critical for making predictions about the biological impacts of global warming, yet it is one of the least certain aspects of climate change science^{1, 2, 3, 4}. Tropical species are considered to be especially sensitive to climate change because they live close to their thermal maximum and exhibit limited capacity for acclimation^{5, 6, 7}. Here, we demonstrate that a tropical reef fish is highly sensitive to small increases in water temperature, but can rapidly acclimate over multiple generations. Acute exposure to elevated temperatures (+1.5 °C and +3.0 °C) predicted to occur this century caused a 15% and 30% respective decrease in individual’s maximum ability to perform aerobic activities such as swimming or foraging, known as aerobic scope. However, complete compensation in aerobic scope occurred when both parents and offspring were reared throughout their lives at elevated temperature. Such acclimation could reduce the impact of warming temperatures and allow populations to persist across their current range. This study reveals the importance of transgenerational acclimation as a mechanism for coping with rapid climate change and highlights that single generation studies risk underestimating the potential of species to cope.

Ocean Issues: Overfishing

Overexploitation of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna continues in the Mediterranean Sea. A report commissioned by the Pew Environment Group concludes that Bluefin tuna boats in the Mediterranean Sea harvest many more fish than they report. The BBC reports findings of the study that show "last year 140% more bluefin meat from the Med entered the market than was reported as caught".

Under-reporting of catch is an issue, as evidenced by the gap between reported catch and total catch; as is a lack of information on illegal fishing operations. 

Another part of the problem is overcapitalization of the fishery - boats have far more capacity to catch tuna than the quotas allow. "Many Mediterranean fleets acquired new, more powerful purse seine boats in 2005-6; and having invested in them, owners now need to catch above quota to break even".


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Follow up with an earlier story on the Atlantic bluefin tuna here.

Ocean Issues: Aquaculture

Pacific wild salmon populations may be at risk for Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA), a disease that has caused severe mortality at fish farms in Europe and South America. Researchers from Simon Fraser University have detected the disease in wild populations on the West coast. Here is a link to the story released by Simon Fraser University.


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"Wild sockeye salmon from B.C.’s Rivers Inlet have tested positive for a potentially devastating virus that has never been found before in the North Pacific." - Vancouver Sun

Ocean Inspiration: Tool use by the orange-dotted tuskfish

A fascinating observation of tool use in fish by Giacomo Bernardi, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A clever wrasse, the orange-dotted tuskfish (Choerodon anchorago) excavates a clam and then searches for a suitable rock to crack it open!

The original article and electronic supplementary material is at Coral Reefs.
Reported on by Science Daily.

Ocean Issues: Seafood sustainability

California State University, Channel Islands ESRM 462: Coastal and Marine Management - Fisheries Biology


The Monterey Bay Aquaruim Seafood Watch Program provides tools to help everyone choose more sustainable sources of seafood. Here's a link to their great website.





As we discussed in class, recent studies have quantified the global economic contribution of fisheries and examined the negative social and economic impacts of overfishing. Here's the link to some studies of the importance of global fisheries. You'll also find links there to excellent summaries of this work in the Pew Ocean Science Series.

In class we'll mostly be discussing wild capture fisheries, but if you're interested in aquaculture, here is a link to a recent article that discusses recent advances in aquaculture. You might also want to check out links to books and articles found on the suggested reading page.


Amazing predator-prey interactions here:

Ocean Issues: Island conservation

This month I'll be guest lecturing at California State University, Channel Islands in the Environmental Sciences and Resource Management department. In the ESRM 313 Conservation Biology class we'll be discussing Island Conservation and Management, focusing on specific case studies of resource use and conservation on islands.


Photo via The Nature Conservancy


One of the case studies we will be discussing is the Santa Cruz Island Restoration in the California Channel Islands.

• Watch the "Restoring Balance: Santa Cruz Island" video here. 

• Feral pigs facilitate hyperpredation by golden eagles and
  indirectly cause the decline of the island fox Roemer et al. 2001 

Another case study we will explore is the conservation of the Crested Iguana in Fiji.

Here's a link to an interesting story of conservation conflicts in the Galapagos islands.

Dr Clare Wormald

Ocean Inspiration: Pacific barreleye

As we discuss during our class, the diversity of fishes is amazing. See this photo gallery and video of the curious barreleye at the National Geographic website.

Ocean Issues: Aquaculture

Are we at "the end of the line" of ocean exploitation? Is aquaculture the solution to the problem of overfishing? Here's a link to an article by Bryan Walsh published in Time magazine that discusses the issues.




Other interesting books and articles can be found and linked to at the Suggested Reading page.

Test your knowledge of fish

Some fun quizzes are over on the active learning elements page.

Three Seas Panama 2011

Light Trap Lab

Want to learn about some of the research in Three Seas Panama 2011? Follow the link to the New England Aquarium Global Explorers Blog.



Photo: C. Marks via

Ocean Inspiration : Coelacanths

Coelacanths: Fossil Fish


The coelacanth was thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs.

Rediscovered in 1938, it is chronicled here in a rare photographic account.





via National Geographic.com

The importance of stupidity in scientific research

An interesting essay on how scientific research is different than scientific study. Useful for anyone thinking about grad school and future research projects. It's OK that sometimes research makes you feel stupid. That means it's working! Just as long as you're being productively stupid.



The importance of stupidity in scientific research. Martin A. Schwartz June 1, 2008 J Cell Sci 121, 1771.doi: 10.1242/​jcs.033340

Ocean Issues: Illegal fishing

From Dr John Bruno, a sad story of illegal fishing in the Galapagos Islands:

Link to the story "What a marine massacre looks like".

 

Photo: J. Bruno via

Ocean Issues: Aquaculture

Genetically modified salmon can breed with wild salmon | California Watch

"Although transgenic males displayed reduced breeding performance relative to nontransgenics, both male reproductive phenotypes demonstrated the ability to participate in natural spawning events and thus have the potential to contribute genes to subsequent generations."

Darek T. R. Moreau, Corinne Conway, Ian A. Fleming (2011). Reproductive performance of alternative male phenotypes of growth hormone transgenic Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Evolutionary Applications

Article first published online: 4 JUL 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2011.00196.x

Photo: E. Kilby / Flickr via

Three Seas Panama 2011: STRI

The tropical semester of the Three Seas Program is based at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute at Bocas del Toro, Panama. The courses taught at STRI include Biology of Corals, Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Ocean Coastal Processes, Coral Reef Ecology, and Tropical Terrestrial Ecology. There is also the opportunity for independent student research during the semester.


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Three Seas Panama 2011

Global Explorers Blog

Follow the link to the New England Aquarium's Global Explorers Blog to learn more about the Three Seas Program Panama in 2011.

 

Photo: C. Wormald

Three Seas Panama 2011

Light Trap Lab

Want to learn about some of the research in Three Seas Panama 2011? Follow the link to the New England Aquarium Global Explorers Blog.



Photo: C. Marks via

Ocean Issues: Invasive species

Lionfish are prevelant on the reefs around Bocas del Toro, however, they are a recent addition to the fish community. They are an invasive species and a voracious predator, without many natural enemies in the Caribbean. View a timeline of their rapid colonization of the Caribbean here: timeline of lionfish invasion.


Link here to an NPR story: Spreading Lionfish Invasion Threatens Bahamas



Photo: C. Wormald

Making lionfish safe to handle in the lab or for eating.

Ocean Issues: Invasive species

Lionfish are prevelant on the reefs around Bocas del Toro, however, they are a recent addition to the fish community. They are an invasive species and a voracious predator, without many natural enemies in the Caribbean. View a timeline of their rapid colonization of the Caribbean here: timeline of lionfish invasion.


Link here to an NPR story: Spreading Lionfish Invasion Threatens Bahamas



Photo: C. Wormald

Making lionfish safe to handle in the lab or for eating.

Ocean Issues: Bycatch

Ocean Issues: Bycatch

Ocean Inspiration

Ocean Inspiration

Ocean Inspiration

Ocean Inspiration

Ocean Inspiration: Former Three Seas student has an ocean encounter

Ocean Inspiration: Former Three Seas student has an ocean encounter