Ocean Community News
Note: View the Ocean Leadership News Archive at, http://www.oceanleadership.org/category/news-and-resources/ — if you have any additions, please email submissions to Kristin Mellon at kmellon@oceanleadership.org.
PENGUINS AND SEA LIONS HELP PRODUCE NEW ATLAS
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Birdlife International have released the first-ever atlas of the Patagonian Sea titled Atlas of the Patagonian Sea: Species and Spaces. The data for the 300-page atlas was gathered by a team of 25 scientists working over a 10-year period. The team tracked 16 species of marine mammals, which produced 280,000 individual uplinks of data over the Patagonian Sea, a globally important but poorly understood South American marine ecosystem in a large area ranging from southern Brazil to southern Chile. The atlas comes in English and Spanish and hopes to be use to help inform potential policy decisions this region, such as managing fisheries and charting transportation routes of oil tankers.
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NEW STUDY UNCOVERS KEY ROLE OF BACTERIA IN FORMATION OF ‘RED TIDE’ ALGAL BLOOMS
According to a new study that looked at the impact that the cooperative interactions between microalgae and bacteria have on the growth of harmful algal blooms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NOAA-funded university scientists are closer to understanding why harmful algal blooms – ‘Red Tides’ – form. These harmful algal threaten marine ecosystems, human health and cost local and regional economies millions of dollars annually through fishery closures, recreation and tourism losses. The study also offers new insight for climate change models.
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JELLYFISH POPULATION OUT OF CONTROL ALONG JAPANESE COASTLINE
Due to climate change and the warming of the oceans, scientists believe 2,000 jellyfish species are expanding their ranges. Scientist used to see jellyfish swarms every 40 years. Now, they are seen as an annual occurrence along thousands of miles of Japanese coastline. Japanese fishermen have even reported seeing giant jellyfish that weigh up to 450 pounds. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), jellyfish are to blame for the shutdown of seaside power and desolation plants in Japan, the Middle East and Africa.
