Archive for July, 2011
by GREENWISE on JULY, 2011
This is a guest post by Lydia-Quibbin Jones
Children nowadays are becoming less in-tune with the environment. With modern technology crammed in every aspect of their lives, it’s so easy for the little ones to get sucked into a vortex of indifference and completely forget about nature.
This is sad news to think that a couple of years down the road, our kids will inherit what we have propagated. It’s already accepted that we (the adults) have done the environment more harm than good over the past couple of years, but pointing fingers will not change anything. What we can do now, as parents, is strive to raise a generation of earth savers.
There is no shortage of incidental lessons to learn at home if we only take time to join our kids in the learning process.
Here are ways we can encourage our kids to adopt a Green attitude.
The State Column |
Staff | Thursday, July 28, 2011
U.S. Senators Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., today introduced legislation that calls for dedicating at least 80% of BP penalties paid under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to Gulf states to invest in the long-term health of the coastal ecosystem and its economies. Joining Sens. Landrieu and Shelby as original cosponsors of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act of 2011 are Sens. David Vitter, R-La., Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. Sen. Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who was instrumental in forging an agreement on the bill, has committed to taking up the bill in her committee as soon as possible.
The RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act of 2011 will establish the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund to be made up of 80% of all civil penalties paid by BP or any other responsible party in connection with the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Read more: http://www.thestatecolumn.com/louisiana/landrieu-shelby-lead-bipartisan-introduction-of-bill-to-restore-gulf-coast/#ixzz1TWQ4o0cp
ScienceDaily (July 28, 2011) — In the last 30 years, more than 90 percent of the reef-building coral responsible for maintaining major marine habitats and providing a natural barrier against hurricanes in the Caribbean has disappeared because of a disease of unknown origin.
Now a University of Florida geographer and his colleagues applied Geographic Information Systems, known as GIS — as well as software previously used to examine human illness — to show where clusters of diseased coral exist. Their findings, published this month in the journal PLoS One, may help scientists derive better hypotheses to determine what contributes to coral disintegration. Read the full article
This is an unique opportunity for children 6-12 years of age to learn about coastal environments, the basics of ocean ecology, and threats facing the survival of these ecosystems. Coral Camp is an interactive nature-based educational summer camp experience. Camp activities include visits to NOAA’s Nancy Foster Eco-Discovery Center, the Key West Aquarium, Fort Zachary Taylor State Park for snorkel school, Key West Wildlife Center and two days of snorkeling at the reef. Join today and help us carry on our legacy of educating the next generation of ocean lovers.
Next week August 1st – 5th and our last week August 15th – 19th still have a few opennings but are filling up quickly.
For more information contact at Reef Relief, 305-294-3100, reefrelief@gmail.com, or P.O. Box 430, Key West, FL 33041, or visit the Reef Relief Environmental Center at 631 Greene St., Key West, FL
T.R.A.S.H.E.D. in the Keys and Reef Relief are hosting a mangrove and shoreline clean-up Saturday August 27, 2011 from 10am-1pm. Volunteers are needed to help remove marine debris that is harmful to marine life and contributes to poor nearshore water quality.
The clean-up will start at 10:00am leaving out of Hurricane Hole Marina. 5110 U.S. 1, Key West, FL 33040-4324. We should be done by 1:00 pm.
Please RSVP to Reef Relief by emailing us at reefrelief@gmail.com or call 305-294-3100.
We would like to recognize and thank our members, sponsors, and guests who attended Reef Relief’s 24th Annual Member Meeting at the Pier House on July 18th.
The meeting highlighted ongoing Reef Relief programs and celebrated the many successes over the past year. Just a few of last year’s many accomplishments include: Reef Relief staff and volunteers removing nearly 3 tons marine debris from nearshore waters. The Discover Coral Reefs School Program was presented to over 800 3-4 grade students in Monroe County and in only the fourth year of Coral Camp, we were honored to be invited to present the camp at the National Marine Educators Conference in Boston. We also helped defeat legislation that would have retracted our progress to shut down the sewage outfalls in S. Florida, in turn protecting and preserving water quality within the Biscayne Aquifer supplying water to the Florida Keys. These accomplishments and many more are only made possible only through the support of Reef Relief members, partners, sponsors, foundations, and volunteers.
We would especially like to thank our guest presenters: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Superintendant Sean Morton and the Southeast Regional Director of the National Marine Sanctuary Dr. Billy Causey for presenting this year’s State of the Reef Address; Chris Berg, Florida Keys Director of the Nature Conservancy for presenting TNC’s Reef Resiliency Program; Dr. David Vaughan of M.O.T.E. for presenting the latest Long-spined sea urchin research; Reef Relief Scientific Advisor Dr. James Porter’s report on storm damaged Elkhorn Coral recovery.
Thanks, also, to the Pierhouse Resort and Spa, Margaritaville Café, Bobalu’s, Old Town Mexican Café, Turtle Kraals, Alonzo’s Oyster Bar, Half Shell Raw Bar, Salsa Loca, Key West Cakes and Coles Peace Bakery for their generous donations.
Sincerely,
Millard McCleary
Program Director
Reef Relief
Your voice needs to be heard, tell your Representative to support the Reauthorization of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act.
As you know, marine debris (plastic and other garbage in our oceans) is a huge and growing problem. Marine debris is estimated to kill millions of seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year. In all, 270 ocean species are affected by entanglement or ingestion by the roughly 14 billion pounds of trash that flow into our oceans each year.
Faced with this massive assault on our oceans, is there anything we can do? Absolutely.
Since 2006, NOAA has been running a Marine Debris Program in partnership with the Coast Guard. This program uses research, engagement and education to better understand the problem, and to prevent it by changing human behaviors. The program also ventures out into the ocean to remove existing marine debris, reclaiming destructive fishing gear, and other garbage.
This good program is making a difference, and Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) has introduced a bill to ensure that NOAA and the Coast Guard can continue and expand this important work.
Please contact your Representative and tell them to support H.R. 1171, the Reauthorization of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act.
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TAKE ACTION NOW! Visit the Ocean Champions page at http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1145/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3195
CANBERRA, Australia — Reduced catches of small oceanic ‘forage’ fish like sardines and anchovies may be required in some ocean areas in order to protect the larger predators that rely on these species for food.
This is a finding of the first major study of the ecosystem effects of fishing forage species: ‘Impacts of fishing low trophic level species on marine ecosystems’, reported today in the journal Science.
Dr Tony Smith of CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship led the international team of 12 authors from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, France and Peru.
“Forage species such as anchovy, sardine, herring, mackerel and krill often are the main food source for larger predatory fish, marine mammals and seabirds,” Dr Smith said
Read the full article
By Shelby Lin Erdman, CNN. July 18, 2011
(CNN) — Massive global greenhouse gas pollution is changing the chemistry of the world’s oceans so much that scientists now predict it could severely damage shellfish populations and the nations that depend on the harvests if significant action isn’t taken.
A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts shows that ocean acidification is becoming a very serious problem. The study was published in July online in the journal Fish and Fisheries. Read the full article
by Underwatertimes.com News Service – July 18, 2011 19:52 EST
ScienceDaily (July 18, 2011) — Taking another major step in sleuthing the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a research team led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has determined what chemicals were contained in a deep, hydrocarbon-containing plume at least 22 miles long that WHOI scientists mapped and sampled last summer in the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Moreover, they have taken a big step in explaining why some chemicals, but not others, made their way into the plume. Read the full article
