“Our relative a Salp a jellylike sea animal”

August 11, 2010 at 7:11 am (ancient animals, animals, sea life)
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Salps are free-float in most ocean waters, but abundant in the Southern Ocean. They eat and move about  propelled by air and water, but hey can even link up in a train to live a communal lifestyle. They look like jellyfish, however structurally the Salps actually are thought to be the ancient ancestor of all vertebrate or backboned animals.  The tiny groups of nerves in Salps are one of the first instances of a primitive nervous system, similar to the primitive streak in our early vertebrate embryology.

Only half-inch to 5-inch-long Salps are the most efficient filter feeders in the ocean. “…They consume particles spanning four orders of magnitude in size. This is like eating everything from a mouse to a horse.” said Laurence P. Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Director of Research and one of the investigator. Salps capture food particles, mostly phytoplankton, with an internal mucous filter net. Until now, it was thought that only particles as large as or larger than the 1.5-micron-wide holes in the mesh.
The salps’ role in carbon cycling is very important.  As they eat small, as well as large, particles and microbes of all sizes, they condense their waste products into carbon-containing pellets, the larger and denser sink to the ocean bottom. This effectively removes carbon from the surface waters and sequesters it on the ocean floor where it cannot escape again into the atmosphere for many years or longer.
Small, but mighty important the Salps help  save our planet.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/apnkem

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Image 1. courtesy of   http://bit.ly/bfKMyV

Image 2. courtesy of  http://bit.ly/aI7rjG

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“Safe to eat Gulf fish Feds smell test says yes”

August 8, 2010 at 10:45 pm (children, Environmental crisis, food safety, sea life)
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Now,  this is the ultimate in scientific testing. the fish taken  from the Gulf are now declared “safe to get”. Why, because they smell almost fine.

Last week, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fishers (LDWF) in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ordered an emergency reopening of commercial fishing areas closed due to the BP oil spill. Commercial fishing reopened specifically for finfish and shrimp in portions of state waters east of the Mississippi River in Orleans, St. Tammany, St. Bernard Parishes and in Plaquemines.

These reopenings were ordered following the completion of comprehensive testing by the NOAA in consultation with the FDA. The FDA advised that following extensive sensory testing by NOAA’s sensory experts
and analytical chemistry results, the fish samples tested from previously closed areas are safe for consumption.
Reminder: There is no test developed yet that measures the amount of dispersants in the fish. The smell test will not work as a detection tool much less a confirmatory test, because these toxic chemicals have little to no door. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) also opened oyster areas 1, 4, and 6 last week. These areas are also east of the Mississippi River, but away from the Chandeleur Sound area.

Louisiana continues to push for the FDA to reopen crab fishing in these newly opened areas as well. Feds told the state that testing crabmeat takes longer than the tissue samples of shrimp and finfish.

On July 21, 2010, Dr. Sylvia Earle, ocean explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society; Dr. Carl Safina, president of Blue Ocean Institute; Dr. David Gallo, oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Dr. David Guggenheim, marine biologist and conservationist; Dr. Edith Widder, president of Ocean Research & Conservation Association; and Dr. Wallace Nichols of the California Academy of Sciences reported

“Herring and whale sharks indiscriminately feed on those oil globules… In oiled areas like Louisiana’s Barataria Bay, bottom-feeders have been decimated. They said big fish like amber jacks, tuna and grouper and marine mammals are exposed to oil and dispersants by feeding on contaminated fish. Skin contact with COREXIT and oil can cause ulcers and burns to eye and mouth membranes… dispersed oil can enter the marine food chain at many points, and can bioaccumulate in animal tissue, potentially impacting marine ecosystems over many years and over a broad geographical area.”

Kevin Kleinow, an LSU professor of aquatic toxicology, said he is laying off Gulf seafood until the government releases more specifics about the testing it conducted, including exactly what species are being monitored and what levels of toxic substances are being found.
He said he is also concerned that a smell test won’t sniff out dispersants.

So picture this. Oil is still washing up daily on the beaches of these coastal areas, the shrinp, crab and oysters are bottom feeders. So if it smells fine then eat those toxins. Yumm!

Sign the Petition: Tell the FDA to Come Clean About Gulf Seafood
The safety of the Gulf’s seafood is in question because of the prolonged use of chemical dispersants on oil flowing out of the Deepwater Horizon oil well.
A study from Imperial College in London earlier this month revealed that oil spills can block the ocean’s natural ability to filter arsenic out of seawater. As these levels rise, the poison can enter the marine ecosystem and become more concentrated as it moves up the food chain. And samples of crab larvae from the area tested positive for hydrocarbons.
Consumers deserve to know the safety of the food they eat and what the FDA is doing to regulate the safety of seafood from the Gulf.

Please let your voice be heard on seafood safety. Please sign the Petition

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/aQ9cYc

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Excerpts courtesy of  http://bit.ly/a2pc3h

Image courtesy of   http://bit.ly/9Jmllk

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“Selflessly rescuers toil to save oiled critters”

August 6, 2010 at 5:01 pm (ancient animals, endangered animals and plants, Environmental crisis, reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, turtles, working together)
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It is a lonely, dangerous and potentially health threatening job.

Rescuers are working tirelessly to save the wildlife impacted by the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. They are faced with the overwhelming task of finding and saving thousands of oiled birds and hundreds of injured sea turtles and marine mammals.

We’d like to let them know that we appreciate the incredible work that they are doing. Please join us in sending a thank you letter to the wildlife rescuers on the Gulf Coast.

Take a moment to

Thank the rescuers for saving wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hundreds of government and non-profit staff are working in the toxic environment and the hot oppressive weather to find and rescue injured wildlife.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service alone, has over 500 personnel actively engaged in the response, working to protect wildlife and their habitats, including 36 national wildlife refuges. They have saved 1,643 oiled birds. They have rescued and relocated over 2,000 sea turtle hatchlings. They are also assessing the damage from the oil spill in preparation for the work that will be needed to restore the Gulf of Mexico.

Of course, more staff and resources are needed to help with the wildlife rescue efforts. But, we shouldn’t ignore the great work that is currently going on.

Let them know that you support their work to save wildlife and that you appreciate their dedication. We will compile the thank you letters and send them to the wildlife rescuers.

To send a thank you letter to the wildlife rescuers, click here.

Thank you for your help to save endangered species and their habitat.
The Endangered Species Coalition is a national network of hundreds of conservation, scientific, sporting, religious, humane, business and community groups across the country working to protect our nation’s wildlife and wild places.

www.StopExtinction.org

“Thank you to all of you for all your dedicated hard work. Our admiration and hearts go out to all of you for your tireless efforts.”

–Mother Nature and  Nature’s Crew

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“Blue holes in the Bahamas – keys to origins of life?”

August 4, 2010 at 8:04 am (sea life, water/ice, working together)
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A sense of danger and intrigue fill the divers as they descend into the unusual waters of  the blue hole.

“Fifty feet from the surface looms a pale haze, less smoky than fibrous, like a silvery net of faint, swirling cobwebs hovering motion­less in the darkness. It’s a layer of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas created by bacterial colonies and decaying organic matter. Divers entering the gas may experience itching skin, tingling, or dizziness; some smell rotten eggs as it penetrates their skin and metabolizes through their lungs. is a submarine cave or underwater sinkhole. They are also called vertical caves.”

There are many different blue holes located around the world, from Belize and the Bahamas to the Red Sea.Blue holes are roughly circular, steep-walled depressions formed during the last ice age. The center of the hole is deep filled with dark blue waters and surrounded by the lighter blue of the shallows. Their water circulation is poor, so oxygen supply is low so most sea life is low, but large numbers of bacteria can easily thrive in this environment.

The deepest blue hole in the world at 202 meters (663 ft) is Dean’s Blue Hole, located in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas.

Scientists now think these blue holes may hold

Check out the beautiful blue hole images  at National Geographic Magazine online.

Reference

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/aFLAU3

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/9fhlZA

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“Polar bears win one -now after big oil”

August 1, 2010 at 9:11 pm (endangered animals and plants, Environmental crisis, good news, mammals, Saving endangered animals + plants, saving native fish, sea life, water/ice, working together)
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The ruling is a huge victory for polar bears, bowhead whales, other Arctic wildlife and tens of thousands of NRDC supporters like you who enabled us to go to court and fight off Big Oil’s planned invasion of this sensitive habitat.
A federal court has just halted oil and gas companies from moving ahead with drilling operations in

We win a big one!

millions of acres spanning Alaska’s Chukchi Sea  one of our nation’s two “Polar Bear Seas.

Beginning with the Bush administration a massive sell of drilling rights in the Chukchi Sea was initiated, opening the door for a oil rush into the heart of the bear’s melting sea ice habitat.

 NRDC, The Center for Biological Diversity, EarthJustice and Alaska Native groups and other conservationists sued.
A federal judge has agreed  has put a hold on the sale of rights and told the Obama administration to get a more science-based approach to protecting America’s endangered Arctic. Don’t let the Gulf spill happen again in Alaska.

It could be catastrophic for polar bears and other wildlife.

The oil industry has no technology for cleaning up oil in broken sea ice — one of the main places where polar bears search for food. And oil-covered polar bears have almost no chance of

First and foremost, we are still waging our legal fight to stop the Shell oil company from drilling off the coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the Beaufort Sea — the second of the two Polar Bear Seas.
We will continue fighting Shell and any other company that targets the polar bear’s home for P.S. If you want to help build on the momentum of this victory, please make a special donation today that will enable us to carry the fight to Shell and other oil companies that threaten the polar bear’s home.

“Thank you” from the wildlife in Alaska, Mother Nature, NC and all the environmental groups and individuals involved.
Resources

Excerpts courtesy of   NRDC.com

Image courtesy of  http://bit.ly/dosAyR

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“The ghost of Otter past”

July 23, 2010 at 7:44 pm (endangered animals and plants, mammals, Saving endangered animals + plants, sea life, working together)
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If ever there was an animal with a personality much bigger than its body, it must be the endangered Southern California sea otter. This animal is the coastal equivalent to the honey bee in its  importance in keeping the balance of plant and animal life in its’ environment.

Now why anyone would get a thrill out of killing this helpless young female?  Late one June 2010 morning, a young female sea otter was likely swimming and playing in kelp beds off Morro Bay, California. was shot to the head.

southern sea otter

Did anyone see this shooting take place?  Your information would be kept condidential, but killing endangered species is a crime agsinst society and Mother Nature.

Please donate today to help us catch this heartless thrill seeker and save the lives of other threatened sea otters like this young female and protect other wildlife struggling to survive.

Take action for otters taking many directions

The good news is otters are recovering and are moving south into their old stomping grounds along the coast of California. The challenging news is they are moving south. Seems no one told them that they are entering a no otter swim zone established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service has determined to be off limits to sea otters—this means they are not protected by the same laws that cover otters outside of the zone.

Range expansion is normal and necessary for sea otters. Their population cannot recover without it. The unnatural boundaries must be lifted.

Act NOW to end the no-otter zone by writing to Ken McDermond, acting director of the Service’s California and Nevada Operations Office, and request that a FINAL ruling on the no-otter zone be published immediately.

Please sign this letter for the otters’ sake today. “Thank you.” – Mother Nature

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“Clearing the way to save energy +wildlife-naturally”

July 17, 2010 at 3:36 am (Environmental crisis, global warming, good news, sea life, turtles, working together)
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The Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal (CLEAR) Act in the House Natural Resources Committee, while fending off several harmful amendments to this important bill. It will 82 new sea turtle hatchlingspromote clean energy choices, protect our communities and save the lives of sea turtles, dolphins and thousands of other species threatened by polluter-friendly energy policies.

This week, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the CLEAR Act, landmark legislation aimed at promoting a cleaner energy future for our wildlife… and for our communities. With oil still fouling the gulf and climate change threatening mass extinctions, the full House of Representatives must take the next step and pass this important bill into law and promote smart, wildlife-friendly energy policies.

The outstanding conservation advances in this bill include:

dead dolphin oozing oil

  • Reforms for both onshore and offshore oil and gas development by addressing failures in the leasing program by ending clear conflicts of interest, enhancing the role of science and independent review, and calling for the establishment of mandatory safety and environmental management standards.
  • Provisions to strengthen wildlife sustainability requirements for over 400 million acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Lands.
  • Full funding for the chronically under-resourced federal land acquisition program — Land and Water Conservation Fund.

“I am encouraged by Sen. Cantwell’s bipartisan effort to advance a more sensible approach to greenhouse gas emission reductions. A great deal of work remains to find consensus on legislation, and ensure that both the economy and the environment are protected, but this bill is intellectually honest and moves the debate in the right direction. We need to keep all of our climate policy options on the table, and the CLEAR Act should certainly be one of the approaches we spend time considering in the coming months.” declares U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski

Take Action: Urge your representative to work to pass the CLEAR Act and protect the lives of sea turtles and other wildlife threatened by climate change and pollution.

We do not need another Gulf of Mexico disaster.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of    http://bit.ly/92F52n

Excerpts and Video courtesy of    http://bit.ly/6sYCto

Images courtesy of   Nature’s Crusaders library

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“Tarball stew coming to beach near you”

July 9, 2010 at 4:35 pm (children, Environmental crisis, water/ice, working together)
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What are tarballs anyway?

Tarballs can be small to large chunks of crude oil and debris. They may be  dark in color congealed oil globs that stick to our feet, skin, sand, rocks, plants and soil.

(Example only tarballs depicted in image to the right.)

During the first few hours after a crude oil spill, the oil spreads into a  slick. Winds and waves tear the slick into smaller patches that are scattered over a much wider area. Weathering changes  the appearance of the oil.
First, the lighter components of the oil and methane gas mixed with it evaporates, leaving the heavier crude behind. Then some of this crude mixes with water to form an emulsion that often looks like reddish dark brown chocolate pudding. This emulsion is much thicker and stickier than the original oil. Winds, temperature, weather and waves then continue to stretch and tear the oil patches into smaller pieces, or tarballs. Hard and crusty on the outside while being soft and gooey on the inside, like a toasted marshmallow. tarballs may be as large like the one in the picture above or small coin-sized.

Tarballs are very persistent in the marine environment and if picked up by the deep ocean currents can travel long distances. The damage this goo reeks on the environment and all living tings and people is unknown.   Do not let children, animals  or pregnant women play with tarballs or on oily beaches.

Caution
If you are especially sensitive to chemicals, including the hydrocarbons found in crude oil and petroleum products avoid contact with them. They may have an allergic reaction or develop rashes even from brief contact with oil.

Contact with oil should be avoided.

If contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water, baby oil, or a widely used, safe cleaning compound such as the cleaning paste sold at auto parts stores. Avoid using solvents, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, or similar products on the skin. These products, when applied to skin, present a greater health hazard than the smeared tarball itself.

Report tarball sightings
If you notice unusual numbers of tarballs on the beaches, call the U. S. Coast Guard any time at 800-424-8802.
References

Excerpts courtesy of  http://yhoo.it/9sCy3i

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Excerpts courtesy of    http://bit.ly/divjzh

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“Nothing says “I love you and thanks for all your help like formaldehyde”

July 2, 2010 at 12:09 am (Environmental crisis, working together)
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About 120,000 trailers with such high levels of formaldehyde that the government banned them from ever being used for long-term housing  after Katrina are now on there way to the Gulf again. Cheap housing is needed for the growing number of cleanup personnel needed in the Gulf. Several cleanup contractors hired by BP have purchased trailers at bargain-basement rates. Why bring these formaldehyde soaked trailers?  Buddy Fuzzell, an executive with one of those contractors, Cahaba Disaster Recovery, succinctly explained the appeal of the trailers: “The price was right.”

Endangering workers lives to pad the bottom line-hummmmm such a familiar theme.

Hang safety and concern for life and health.

Health Risks Dangers
Formaldehyde poses a number of health problems if inhaled at a high concentration at close range. It can cause nasal cancer and advanced respiratory problems, and has been linked to some forms of leukemia.
Many housing materials contain some quantity of formaldehyde, but the cheap wood that the feds used to construct the trailers contained dramatically higher levels of formaldehyde.

The acute effects of formaldehyde exposure include soreness and rawness to the eyes, the nose, the throat and skin rashes that can cause scarring.  Other complications  can include coughing and some trouble breathing may also be present until the individual is removed from the area where the formaldehyde is in use. However, as exprosure continues the respiratory may be impaired causing pain when breathing.and eventual development of lesions in and possible permanent lung damage.

From prolonged exposure to formaldehyde the incidence of lung and nose cancer appears to be significantly higher among people who regularly come in contact with formaldehyde. This has led many countries to establish guidelines that set what is considered a maximum amount of exposure on a daily basis.
In some cases, formaldehyde exposure can lead to death. Professionals who make use of the substance as part of their work often wear protective clothing, including breathing masks, in order to safeguard against this possibility. Installing air qualitydevices in these toxic trailers might help these workers know when unsafe levels of formaldehyde emissions may be present and  airing the space maybe in order.

The gift of these trailers reminds me of the witch’s apple to Snow White in the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Resources

Excerpts courtesy of    http://yhoo.it/aTebiy

Excerpts courtesy of     http://bit.ly/ar8scE

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“Gulf of Mexico crisis brings caring nations together”

June 30, 2010 at 4:08 am (sea life, working together)
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Help is being offered from many countries and the US is accepting assistance from 12 countries to date.  Only Mexico and the International Maritime Organization and the Monitoring and Information Center has offered assistance without expecting remuneration.
More than 30 countries and international organizations have offered to help with the spill.Most of the countries and groups have offered skimmers, boom or dispersant chemicals, according to a chart on the State Department’s website. From mid May Mexico,  Norway and Brazil have been hard as work helping the US.
To date there were 24 foreign vessels working in the Gulf as part of the clean up team. Nine countries had provided boom, skimmers and other assistance.
The International Maritime Organization and the Monitoring and Information Center, run by the European Commission are offering technical assistance. Mexico, Norway, Holland and Japan are providing skimmers; Canada is providing containment boom; and Croatia is pitching in with technical advice.
With the possibility that these BP contaminants could effect all the oceans of the world endangering all life, it would be wise for everyone to pitch in to solve this potential international crisis.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of  http://yhoo.it/cCyaSl

Excerpts courtesy of  http://bit.ly/b2Y4ee

Image courtesy of    http://bit.ly/bmnzUx

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