In the past several decades, global plankton populations have declined due to climate change. Because human life depends on the presence of these oxygen-producing creatures, marine biologist Chris Bowler is working to study plankton as much as possible before they disappear. Bowler and a team of other scientists have been collecting plankton samples across the world for the past 2 1/2 years as part of the Tara Oceans expedition.

The expedition was a massive effort along a 62,000 mile journey, visiting 32 countries with a total 196 people who took turns aboard (126 scientists, 24 journalists, 7 artists, 8 cooks, 23 sailors, 3 customs officials, 1 doctor, 4 guests). The expedition cost about 9 million euros.

An ideal study of climate change impact on plankton populations would involve monitoring the same location over a period of time, watching what happens to the various species of microorganisms as time passes. The Tara Oceans team, however, collected samples from around the world, and will use that data to determine which plankton are likely to migrate, thrive or go extinct as certain conditions arise in waters across the globe. The expedition has collected approximately 27,000 samples, which the team will study to determine which varieties of plankton prefer particular habitats (more polluted, more acidic, etc.) and have a better understanding of which species will be able to survive forecast conditions.

The team has discovered up to one million new species of microorganisms. It will take years to sift through all of the samples, by which point some species may already be extinct. Hopefully, however, the research will show a great enough population of plankton will be able to live in warm, acidic waters.

Main image: plankton mix from scientific station 146. Credit: C. Sardet/CNRS/Tara Oceans

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The Dutch-owned boat, named the Abel Tasman (formerly known as the Margaris, it was renamed in honor of its new home in Tasmania) was registered in Australia on Sept. 7. The giant trawler can operate nonstop, processing 250 metric tons of fish each day. As it tows its 300-meter long net through the ocean, fish are sucked up through a long pipe and processed onboard.

The boat’s owners, Seafish Tasmania, say that the boat has an “excluder” that is intended to prevent large animals from becoming caught in the net. The net also has an escape hatch. A similar, smaller boat owned by Seafish Tasmania caught 14 dolphins in its nets, but didn’t have the excluder device. Greenpeace is arguing that because the excluder hasn’t been tested with this boat, it’s possible it won’t work as intended.

While large animals might or might not be slightly safer, local fishermen say the boat may decimate fish stocks. Seafish Tasmania has been approved to take 18,000 metric tons of jack mackerel and redbait, two species of fish that are critical as food for seals, tuna and other sea life. In the past, when redbait were fished in the area, tuna disappeared. The super trawler is more than twice as big as any past ship ever used in the area. In other parts of the world, like West Africa (where, incidentally, the Australian fish are intended to be sold) super trawlers have been accused of wiping out fish populations.

For now, the government has banned the boat for two years to allow more environmental studies, though the company is already fighting the ban.

Main photo credit: Greenpeace

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The combination of ORNL’s high-capacity reusable adsorbents and a Florida company’s high-surface-area polyethylene fibers creates a material that can rapidly, selectively and economically extract valuable and precious dissolved metals from water. Since the 1960s, many adsorbent materials have been developed and evaluated, but none has emerged as being economically viable. The new adsorbents are made from small diameter, round or non-round fibers with high surface areas and excellent mechanical properties. By tailoring the diameter and shape of the fibers, researchers can significantly increase surface area and adsorption capacity.

“We have shown that our adsorbents can extract five to seven times more uranium at uptake rates seven times faster than the world’s best adsorbents,” said Chris Janke, one of the inventors and a member of ORNL’s Materials Science and Technology Division.

Though the laboratory’s new technology is significantly less expensive than past methods, ocean-harvested uranium would still cost about five times more than mined uranium.

The downsides of additional uranium

While non-fossil fuel energy sources are generally good, nuclear fission has its problems.

One major concern, even for some anti-renewable folks, is the potential danger of radioactive materials. We’ve seen three disasters in less than one century of nuclear fission energy generation. Last year we saw the devastating effects of the Fukushima disaster, following accidents at Chernobyl in 1986 and Three Mile Island in 1979. In addition to deaths from accidents, radioactive waste regularly released from the plants leads to increased cancer risk for anyone residing near a nuclear reactor.

An increased supply of uranium would fuel the anti-renewable energy crowd. There is an estimated 4.5 billion tons of uranium in the world’s oceans — enough to fuel the planet’s nuclear reactors for centuries. As long as there is supply, certain lawmakers will fight to utilize our resources and maintain existing nuclear reactors instead of building new renewable power plants.

Nuclear is great in that its power generation does not emit greenhouse gases. However, plenty of air pollution is created in the transporting process. If we utilize the ocean’s uranium supply, materials will have to be transported across half the country to reach certain areas.

It is also worth mentioning that nuclear reactors require an enormous amount of water. Considering this year’s drought is a sign of the new normal, continuing on the nuclear path could result in more power outages.

Main photo credit: Tobin/Flickr

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The 35-year license allows the New Jersey-based OPT to proceed with plans for a 1.5-megawatt power project about 2.5 miles off the coast of Reedsport, Oregon. The wave power plant will utilize OPT’s PowerBuoy system, which integrates patented technologies in hydrodynamics, electronics, energy conversion and computer control systems to extract the natural energy in ocean waves. The company has already successfully deployed this technology in the waters off of Scotland, Hawaii and New Jersey.

“The issuance of this license by FERC is an important milestone for the U.S. wave energy industry as well as for OPT,” stated the company’s CEO, Charles F. Dunleavy. ”It represents the culmination of thorough due diligence and consideration of input from a broad array of groups interested in our Reedsport project. The 35-year term of the license demonstrates the commercial potential of wave power, and this will support initiatives to secure financing for the project.”

The grid-connected project will eventually feature 10 of OPT’s wave power buoys, will generate enough power for about 1,000 homes, according to Ocean Power Technologies. Construction of the initial PowerBuoy is nearing completion and it is expected to be ready for deployment later this year.

According to a 2010 settlement agreement signed with 11 federal and Oregon state agencies and three non-governmental stakeholders, the OPT wave power project will be constructed in a manner that protects aquatic resources, water quality, recreation, public safety, crabbing and fishing, terrestrial resources and cultural resources.

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To onlookers the device may look like a lost yellow surfboard, but the “wave glider” is actually high tech spy gear to watch the ocean’s most feared creatures. It uses a satellite transmitter to send the positions of tagged fish to researchers tracking their movements.  The glider is powered by solar panels along its topside and the waves propelling it, giving it the ability to track the thousands of sea creatures previously tagged by scientists within a 1000 foot range, even though it is currently only following the sharks.

“Our goal is to use revolutionary technology that increases our capacity to observe our oceans and census populations, improve fisheries management models, and monitor animal responses to climate change,” Stanford marine biologist Barbara Block said in a statement.

Built by the California-based Liquid Robotics, the glider moves slower than the speed of walking but made 200 detections of 19 sharks in one eight-day test.  Working with fixed buoys, the glider has picked up on “mysterious gatherings” in the oceans, which the scientists have dubbed the “white shark café.”  Because of its mobility, the glider has been able to find these “hot spots” which the buoys had missed.

The information collected is not just available to the researchers – for those of us that want to keep up with the shark movements (or just like to check for shark watches before heading to the beach), the new Shark Net app allows anyone with an iPhone or iPad to track the great whites. Though the app was designed to help people get to know the sharks as individuals, some of us might just like to know Elvis, Showtime, and their finned friends are nowhere near the shore.

Image via Shutterstock

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The announcement follows the government’s confirmation last month that wave and tidal projects will now receive five Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), up from two ROCs, for developments up to 30 MW.

The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park will incorporate the world-leading European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) where testing of a wide range of wave and tidal energy devices is already under way. Scotland has continually led the UK’s charge for independence from fossil fuels, making headlines in 2010 when First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond upped Scotland’s renewable energy goal from 50 percent to 100 percent by 2020. The country is on track to meeting that incredible target, as renewables now represent 35 percent of total electricity production in Scotland, beating the government’s current goal of 31 percent.

According to experts at the EMEC, energy from waves or tides has the potential to generate 27GW of power in the UK alone by 2050, equivalent to the power generated from eight coal fired power stations. A move to marine power can also help cut emissions, tackle climate change, and provide a much-needed economic boost.

“This park will help bring together local knowledge and expertise to spur on further development in this exciting industry,” said Minister Barker during the park’s ribbon cutting ceremonies. “Marine power is a growing green clean source of power which has the potential to sustain thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15 billion ($23.4 billion) to the economy by 2050.”

The move has been celebrated by environmental advocates and clean energy technology companies alike, but some caution that marine power is only one element of the plan. Support for all types of renewable energy needs to remain strong in order to achieve independence from coal, oil and natural gas.

Main photo credit: EMEC

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Initially, the pilot project featuring Ocean Renewable Power Company’s (ORPC) TidGen Power System will generate enough electricity to power about 100 homes. Once expanded to full capacity, it will generate 3 MW of power, enough for more than 1,000 local homes and businesses. A 20 year purchase agreement was approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission in order for ORPC to sell the generated electricity to three Maine utility companies.

The project was publicly recognized Tuesday by Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Developing America’s vast renewable energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to create jobs and strengthen U.S. global competitiveness,” said Chu. “The Eastport tidal energy project represents a critical investment to ensure America leads in this fast-growing global industry, helping to create new manufacturing, construction, and operation jobs across the country while diversifying our energy portfolio and reducing pollution.”

Tidal energy is generated by harnessing the kinetic energy of moving tides in order to generate electricity. Tidal energy, while currently more expensive than solar or wind, is much more predictable than both as tides never stop moving and thus don’t stop generating energy. Tidal energy systems are similar to wind turbines but are installed underwater, where they can capture the movement and flow of the currents and tides.

Off the coast of of Eastport, Maine where ORPC is installing its system, nearly 100 billion tons of water moves through Cobscook Bay during tidal shifts, carrying with it the force of 8,000 locomotives. Because it generates that much power, it’s no surprise that the Energy Department believes that there is about 1,420 TWh hours of annual generation potential from tidal and wave projects – enough to provide for 15 percent of our nation’s energy needs.

[via Equities]

Image Credit: ORPC

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If you haven’t yet heard the term “ocean acidification,” it’s really no surprise. The term is not as sexy and easy to use as the generic “global warming” but yet it’s just as important to know about. Decreases in the pH of our sea water over the last several hundred years, due to increased levels of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and absorbed by the ocean, is changing seawater chemistry and having a detrimental effect on the health of the marine ecosystem. As CO2 is absorbed in the ocean, it makes carbonic acid which then breaks down into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions. The hydrogen ions reduce the water’s alkalinity and increase its acidity.

The ocean absorbs about one quarter of the CO2 we release, and over the last 250 years there has been a nearly 30 percent rise in acidity in our oceans. This is calcifying corals, altering underwater acoustic properties that fish count on for navigation, destroying parts of the food chain, and leaving shellfish and corals without the essential ingredient (carbonate) they use to make shells and skeletons.

Recent models are predicting that if we don’t move fast to reduce CO2 emissions, pH levels in the ocean will drop to 7.8 – a level not seen for millions of years. These changes are happening 100 times faster than ever before and time is running out to protect the health of our oceans.

For more information on ocean acidification, check out the following links:

• Ocean Acidification
• National Science Foundation
• Center for Biological Diversity

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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You would think that we’d be more respectful to the ocean, considering the fact that it is a vital source of nutrition for around a third of people on the planet.

But it’s hard to fight against the lure of short-term financial gain and for every step made in protecting parts of the ocean, it seems that we fall two steps behind. For every new marine park established, there are a hundred oil-spills. For every recovery in one species, there are sharp declines in five others.

You can’t fight against that which you can’t see and it’s important to know your enemy. Take a little time and familiarize yourself with some of the biggest threats to the ocean.

Overfishing
Humans are too good at catching fish and other sea life. Technological advancements has given us the ability to scoop up hundreds of miles of floating nets, taking any fish, dolphin, whale, or shark caught within. Large fleets of towering fishing ships spend months at sea harvesting its life, docking with enormous floating factories that take in their catch to freeze and prepare for shipment to shore. History is strewn with historic fish stocks that collapsed after being overfished (and it’s continuing today). The problem is exacerbated by the shifting baseline phenomenon — people compare how things are now with how things were when they were young, failing to see that conditions had already degraded far from their natural state by the time they were born. We look at fish stocks now and compare them to how things were in the 1950s and 60s, not how they were hundreds and thousands years ago before widespread human exploitation.

We once thought that the ocean was too big for our activities to really have an impact. We’re seeing all over the world that that supposition is a stupid, short-sighted one. As we plunder the ecosystems and marine biospheres with our nets and hooks we rob ourselves of a future where we can feed ourselves from the sea. We’re racing to see who can pull out the last fish.

Habitat destruction
One of the things that makes protecting the ocean more challenging is that it’s hard to see underneath its waters. We don’t see the damage wrought by fishing trawlers which drag their bulldozer-like nets over the sea floor, scraping up and netting everything in their wide path. We don’t see the negative impact of the countless loads of trash and waste that are dumped into the seas every day (inadvertently or not). We miss the fields of dying coral and the seagrass and mangrove forests that get whittled away by chemical and oil spills.

Plastic
Plastic is, at once, one of the greatest and one of the worst of humanity’s inventions. It has facilitated a world of technological advancement and proven its utility by becoming virtually indispensable to modern life (look around where you are sitting right now and take note everything made of plastic, remembering that many of our clothes and fibers are made of plastic). But on the flip side, the very durability that makes plastic so valuable as a building material makes it an ecological monster — an immortal and invulnerable material that resists the pull of time and the biodegredation that return most natural materials back into biologically useful forms.

Our addiction to plastic has not been good for the ocean. As our use of plastic has risen, so too has the amount that has been dumped, blown, lost, or dropped into the worlds oceans and rivers (which tends towards the sea). You might have heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area in the Pacific Ocean between the west coast of America and Hawaii that, due to the circular ocean currents surrounding it, collects and aggregates plastic waste. There are places within the garbage patch that have more plastic than plankton. Sadly, this phenomenon is happening all over the world wherever currents circle. Plastic in the waters leach chemicals and are often mistaken as food by marine wildlife. Instead of biodegrading, plastic just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, leaching toxic chemicals and invading food webs at every break.

Invasive Species
Like their land-based counterparts, invasive marine species have caused widespread damage to ecosystems all over the world. Species like the lionfish, shore crab, Asian clam, and even the humble starfish have disrupted food webs and driven native marine plants and animals to extinction. The loss of one species in an ecosystem is bad enough, but knock enough out of the picture and entire food webs can collapse. This is happening in oceans all over the globe and shows little sign of slowing down.

Sunblock
The danger posed by sunblock pales in comparison to the other four threats on our list, but I’m including it here because most people have no idea that the lotion they put on their skin ahead of a day in the sun can fatally damage coral reefs. A little sunscreen may not sound like a real threat, but when you multiply it by a few tens of millions of swimmers jumping into the oceans every day, you get thousands of tons of sunscreen polluting the waters. What’s an eco-conscious swimmer to do? Wear more clothes (think light and airy), buy ecologically friendly sunscreen, and wear a wide-brim hat.

Main photo credit: Green Fire Productions/Flickr, overfishing photo credit: John Wallace/NOAA, habitat destruction photo credit: Bruno de Giusti, plastic photo credit: Falken, invasive species photo credit: OpenCage, sunblock photo credit: Victor Martinez/Flickr

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The groups, which include Oceana, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and other big-name organizations, say their goal is to set high standards for all drilling in the area. The suit does not try to block Shell from drilling this summer.

Shell plans to drill several experimental oil wells this summer, but unusually heavy sea ice has delayed its start date, originally set for mid-July, to early August. Drilling is only possible in the area for a narrow window of time. Ice will return early in the fall.

Shell has established itself as the major player in Arctic drilling, with  rights to 2 million acres off of Alaska. Lawsuits and permit challenges, along with new spill prevention requirements put in place after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, have delayed its operations.

The environmental groups’ suit argues that the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement “rubber-stamped plans that rely on unbelievable assumptions.” It argues that Shell’s cleanup plans depend on equipment that has never been tested in the arctic and ignore the possibility that a spill could continue through the winter, when it would become far more difficult to address.

The Los Angeles Times has editorialized against Shell’s plans, arguing that the government should not have accepted the oil company’s assertion that it would recapture 90 percent of the oil released in any spill.

“That’s a wildly optimistic number, never achieved in a major oil spill, even in much calmer waters than the Arctic’s,” the paper wrote.

Main image credit: jkbrooks85/Flickr

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