ATTACK OF THE KILLER SPONGE

It's been a while since I've introduced a crazy-sea-creature...OK, it's been a while since I posted at all, but lets get back to our watery-roots. Today, I'd like to take you down the eddy to a seafloor nightmare: Sponge Bob's evil twin (dun, dun, dun!)



Sponge Bob's Evil Twin?

 ...the Harp Sponge.

The harp sponge (Chondrocladia lyra) is a species of carnivorous deep-sea sponge. Yes, you read that right. Carniverous. Predators.

They don't eat in the typical way of sponges that sweep water into their pores and filter out microscopic bacteria and bits of organic matter for dinner. This sponge is a hunter: it traps larger marine life like copepods and other crustaceans with Velcro-like hooks.

The harp sponge was discovered by Monterey BayAquarium Research Institute off the coast of California. As you can see in this picture, it gets its name (both common, Harp Sponge, and Latin species name, lyra from it's branching arms, or vanes, with vertical limbs that look like the strings of a harp or lyre.

A deep sea Harp Sponge. Photo from MBARI

Don't let the delicate beauty of this bad-boy-Sponge-Bob fool you. Those branching limbs are covered with barbed hooks that trap their prey. Then, the sponge encapsulates them in a digestive membrane, dissolving them into a fish-smoothie that it can absorb through its pores. Yummmm.

Here's another look.

 Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the ocean...


 

Climate Change: Are You Cool? (RUCOOL)

One of the most frequent arguments voiced by climate change deniers is, "there's no data that show that." I have to chuckle every time someone says that because what the rest of us hear is, "I'm too stupid to find the data." A plethora of data, analyzed and raw, is out there for you, me everyone, and anyone to examine.

Even better, much of that data has been made available in user-friendly formats. One of my favorite places to visit to see and play with the data is the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observing Lab, RUCOOL.

Sea Surface Termperature Data available at RUCOOL

For those who like to get right to the end result, check out COOL Research, where you can download the latest research reports.

If you want to know about the technology used to collect and analyze data, check out the COOL Technology page.

Want to get right to the sea surface temperature data to see it for yourself? You can do that here and here.

Climate change and rising seawater temperatures are complex topics and making sense of the data can be a challenge. Scientists have been studying climate change for over a century, and have spent a good deal of time learning about the chemistry, physics, biology, and geology that go into understanding the Earth, and a lot more time gathering and analyzing data on it. It is true that for as much as we know about the Earth, there's a whole lot we don't know. It's also true that just because we don't know everything doesn't mean that what we do know is wrong.

What we do know, without any doubt, is that the ocean is getting warmer, and at a faster rate than has happened in millennia. Why should that matter? Because the oceans continuously interact with the atmosphere, sea surface temperature has a profound effect on global climate. Increasing sea surface temperature can affect what species of plants, animals, and microbes are present in a location, threaten corals and other sensitive organisms, and change the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms HABs (discussed in my previous post).

Bleached coral due to increased water temperatures.
(Photo courtesy of NOAA Photo Library.)

Don't care about any of that? Consider those changes could reduce fish populations, including popular food species, leading to less (and more expensive) seafood, and job losses to the fishing industry.

Commercial fishing fleet, LI, NY.
(Photo courtesy of the NOAA Photo Library)

Don't care about any of that?  Increases in sea surface temperature mean more atmospheric water vapor over the oceans.  This water vapor feeds weather systems that produce rain and snow, meaning more frequent and more severe storm events. Changes in sea surface temperature can also shift storm tracks, potentially contributing to droughts in some areas.

Folly Beach, SC after Hurricane Hugo, 1989
(Photo courtesy of the NOAA Photo Library)

With any luck, climate change deniers and those on the fence will get their heads out of their asses before it's too late, stop listening to politicians who don't know anything except how to get re-elected, and start listening to scientists who have devoted their lives to understanding what's happening in the world around us--the one we live in. Even if it's already too late to reverse the trend, as many scientists believe, it isn't too late to start preparing for and mitigating against the future impacts.

For more information, data, and details on how scientists study global climate change, check out these sites.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/oceans/sea-surface-temp.html

http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/

http://www.skepticalscience.com/

http://www.whrc.org/resources/primer_home.html

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND YOU!

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) occur when usually harmless phytoplankton--microscopic or very small, photosynthetic marine organisms--reach high densities. Their numbers rapidly increase in a given area to the point where they go from harmless to hazardous.

The hazard they present can come from their anatomy, physiology or metabolism.

ANATOMY
Some diatoms, like those pictured below, have sharp spines that can cause fish to suffocate by getting lodged in their gills and causing acute inflammation. Some microscopic algae produce mucus, clogging gills and leading to fish's respiratory failure.

Fish with spiny diatoms in its gills.
(Image from www.bigelow.org)
 

The spiny diatom Corethron pennatum 
(image from www.phys.org)

PHYSIOLOGY AND METABOLISM
Some phytoplankton affect theorganisms that prey on them by interfering with feeding. The mucus the phytoplankton produce might make them unpalatable or indigestible. Others have such low nutritional value that the organisms that eat them actually starve to death!

Perhaps the most well-known HABs are those that produce toxic blooms. We commonly call those "red tides" although the water color isn't necessarily red, but can be yellow, green, or brown due to the sheer numbers of phytoplankton. Some of the algae that cause the color changes are capable of producing powerful toxins that are harmful or deadly to other species. The toxins may kill fish, injure marine invertebrates, and cause human illness or death from ingesting shellfish that have accumulated the toxin in their tissue. Some of the human illnesses from ingesting contaminated seafood include Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP), Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP), Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), and Ciguaterra Fish Poisoning (CFP).

A "red tide" bloom.
          From The Baltic Sea Portal (Itameriportaali).

While phytoplankton use photosynthesis to create their food source and release oxygen into the environment, their high productivity and short lifespan means a high turnover of biomass---lots of dead microalgae. As those decompose, they quickly deplete all the oxygen in an area, resulting anoxia---low or no oxygen in the surrounding water. Their decomposition also results in the formation of toxic sulfides in the water. The lack of oxygen and production of sulfides creates a deadly scenario for most marine life that can lead to massive fish die-offs.

Fish die-off due to anoxic conditions from a HAB
(photo from G. Pitcher, via www.bigelow.org)

PREDATION
At least one species of phytoplankton, Pfiesteria piscicida, is actually a predator, killing and then feeding on fish in the waters they inhabit.

WHO CARES?

We all should. HABs affect everyone! They're a global threat to living resources, fishing, tourism, and human health because the number and intensity of these events appear to be increasing in many countries. In the last two decades, HABs are estimated to have caused as much as $1 billion in losses to coastal resources and communities (NOAA). Check HERE for more information on the socioeconomic impacts of HABs (WHOI).

Preventing and eliminating harmful algal blooms is no easy tasks. There are numerous factors that influence the formation, distribution and duration of blooms. It’s difficult to control one factor in the environment, let alone all factors for all algae in all locations. In addition, any action taken to prevent or to remove a bloom has consequences for the other organisms in the environment.

A combination of factors contribute to the development of HABs such as the presence of  nutrients, warm temperatures and lots of light. Rising ocean temperatures from climate change, increased nutrient run-off from land due to poor land-development practices and a loss of wetlands, and the break down of marine food chains due to overfishing all play roles and are all increasing, so we can most likely expect to see more and more HABs in the future. 

Researchers are constantly trying to gain a better understanding of HABs to help find ways to control their development and reduce their impacts. Early detection of their formation is critical to prevent impacts to human health by issuing fishery and beach closures in impacted areas. 

If that makes you feel helpless to do anything about HABs, you're NOT! You can help by asking state and local lawmakers to implement better land-use planning and wetland preservation to protect coastal water quality, learning the facts about climate change, and demanding good, research-based science, not hype, someone's political- or financial-gain, or fear, drive government decision-making.



FOR MORE ON HABS, CHECK OUT THESE SITES

• Bigelow Lab for Ocean Science  http://www.bigelow.org/edhab/help_hab.html
• Environmental Health, 2008. Impacts of climate variability and future climate change on harmful algal blooms and human health. http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1476-069X-7-S2-S4.pdf
• Environmental Protection Agency http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/climatehabs.pdf
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service  http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/lessons/bad_algae.html
• Texas A&M, Ocean World Online Textbook http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/harmfulagalblooms.htm
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute https://www.whoi.edu/redtide/home

A Long Overdue "Thank You!" to My Mentors, or How I Became a Marine Scientist

"The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises." --Leo F. Buscaglia

I received a lovely message from one of my former students who took an Intro to Oceanography class from me a few years ago. What a lift to read that I'd had a positive influence on him! Because of me and my class, his career went in a completely different direction than he'd planned. He'd taken my class to fulfill a science elective requirement toward his business degree. He's now working on his master in environmental chemistry. He changed majors because I "got him excited about science," and made him "believe I could do it."

Wow.

Maybe I've had that impact on other students--I hope I have--but to have it acknowledged...Wow. It made my day and more.

It also made me reflect back on the influential teachers I've had along the way. I am the person I am today, not only a marine scientist, but all of me, because of them. If I am a fraction as helpful to my students as these people were to me, my time in the classroom and lab, office and field will have been well-spent.

To get me started on my journey, I have two professors I need to thank whose names I can't even recall. As an undergrad at SUNY-Binghamton (now Binghamton University), I floundered from one major to the next, excelling most at partying. Until my introductory biology class. In a lecture hall with 300 students, I felt this now nameless professor was speaking directly to me, and I found my major. The second nameless zoology professor recommended I spend a summer at a field station. Although he gave that advice to a lecture hall with about 100 students in it, I again felt he was talking directly to me. I found Shoal's Marine Lab, and found my passion: marine science.

My Alma Mater's Logo

After a summer at Shoals, I transferred to the (then) College of the Virgin Islands (now University of the Virgin Islands) and that's where I had the honor, pleasure, and pain of being instructed, scolded, harangued, and mentored by the five most influential people in my life. I can't pick one above the others because each provided me with some different thing that I desperately needed at the time. Together, their guidance--sometimes loving, sometimes with a swift kick as needed--formed me into who I would become, and continues to mold me. Their influence put me on the path to my career in marine science, and made me want to "pay it forward" as a college professor. They also gave me the audacity to dream big and live big--enough to pursue my second career as a writer.

Long overdue as it may be, "THANK YOU"--and that's hardly sufficient for the debt I owe them--to my mentors: Sabino, Watlington, Ragster, Gorham, and MacLean.

When I arrived in St. Thomas alone, not knowing a soul, and somewhat adrift, Mark Sabino, took me under his wing, included me in the group, made me part of his family, and helped me feel I belonged. Sabino accepted each of us for who we were, and let us feel that was okay. He showed by example how to embrace life on our own terms, not those of anyone else. From him, we learned that fun, hard work, and excellence aren't mutually exclusive. Mark showed me how to embrace life, and live it well.

My favorite view in the world:
UVI, Brewer's Bay, and Saba and Flat Cay in the distance.

Professor Watlington made us all better than we were. He saw the potential in each of us, even when we didn't. In his eyes, the most irresponsible among us, the biggest partiers, the screw-ups, still had it in us to go on and become PhDs, MDs, community leaders--productive, intelligent adults. And we did. We fed off his positive energy and got excited about physics, about geology, about the natural environment, and the history of the Virgin Islands. We learned through his example, that we could and should have a wide range of interests, hobbies, and activities; to not be one-dimensional. I became better and more than I ever thought I could because he believed I could, because he acted like I already was, and so I lived up to it. Roy showed me how to exceed expectations, my own and others.

Dr. Ragster became my undergraduate advisor and I became her headache. She set some pretty high standards for herself and expected us all to do the same. One of the worst days of my life was when I had to explain to her that I'd failed statistics because it was an 8:00 a.m. class and I bartended until 4:00 a.m. then had after-hours parties to go to until 6 or 7. Her look of disappointment devastated me. She didn't give me the benefit of the doubt, but instead demanded better. She asked for results, not excuses. She made me work harder than I wanted to. I must have done okay because a few years later, she hired me to work for her. LaVerne showed me how to challenge myself.

The William P. MacLean Marine Science Center.
When I returned to UVI with the Sea Grant Program in 1992,
my office was behind that window to the left of the door, steps away from Brewer's Bay. 

Dr. Gorham was my de facto advisor both in school and life. He mentored me in the best way possible: He gave me the latitude to screw up--at times royally--and the trust to let me find my way back after I did. He never told me an answer, but kept questioned me, making me look more closely, forcing me (sometimes kicking and screaming) to think critically, making me figure it out and draw logical, evidence-based conclusions. Because he didn't tell me the answer, but made me work things out, I gained a real appreciation of the power of the scientific method, and the nuances and structure of it. The most amazing part of Dr. Gorham's influence on me is that I rarely felt it. It wasn't until later, in grad school and in life, that I realized what an incredible gift his guidance was. He let me go, falter, stumble, and back-track while he just stood back, letting me know he was there if I needed him, not judging me, not doing the work for me, but supporting me. How much easier it would have been for him to step in and tell me the answer, tell me what to think, tell me what would or wouldn't work. But he didn't. He trusted the scientific method--critical thinking--and my own intellect enough to patiently wait for me to get there. He gave me the confidence to make mistakes, and the knowledge that our greatest progress comes from them, as long as we learn from them. He encouraged me to go to grad school and made me believe I could succeed. Bill gave me confidence in myself.

Finally, Dr. MacLean, who had been something of a bogey man to me as I progressed through my classes, became my hero. Dr. MacLean had a reputation as a hard-ass. The sign on his office door announced, "Be aware that if you ask me to write you a recommendation, it will reflect the grade you received in my class. A B-grade gets a B-recommendation, a C gets a C-recommendation, etc." While students occasionally received an A on his tests, the number who'd gotten an A in his classes could be counted on one hand. He made us work, he demanded that we not only read the book, but understand it. We couldn't spit back memorized words, but had to think and explain ourselves to demonstrate real understanding. There was no leeway between an almost right answer and a wrong answer. He assumed we were all capable and competent, assumed we could all keep up or we wouldn't be in his class. He didn't talk down to us and didn't slow down his lectures for us. We surprised ourselves my keeping up. He gave us a glimpse into what our science careers would look like by inviting us to his house to have discussions on breakthroughs in the field  over dinner, and going on impromptu field trips. He gave me my first glimpse into what it would feel like to not be a student, but a scientist, a colleague. When I received the first 100 he'd ever given on an exam, I cried. Getting one of the few, hard-earned As in his class, and his recommendation for grad school gave me real pride. He made me believe I could be more than I'd ever imagined. 

Each of these five people are larger than life to me. The are my heroes, mentors, and role models. Eventually, they became my colleagues and friends, as well. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for them, individually, and together as my UVI professors. I swell with pride thinking about my alma mater, the University of the Virgin Islands, because it--and they in particular--made me who I am today.

I caught my love of science and teaching, and of sharing my passion for discovery with my students from Sabino, Watlington, Ragster, Gorham, and MacLean. I hope it's as contagious to my students as they made it for me. I'm so pleased that, for at least one of my students, I succeeded.

Who were your role models and mentors? Leave a comment and tell us about them. Better yet, give them a call or send them a message letting them know it!

 

P.S.

Here's another testament to the impact Bill MacLean had on us from another former student: http://weareuvi.blogspot.com/2012/07/dr-lawrence-lewis-1973.html

WRITERS AFLOAT: An Interview with Amy Biddle, Sailor and Author of "The Atheist's Prayer"

Welcome to "Waterblogged: Writers Afloat" -- interviews with sailors who write and writers who sail. Read how my talented and interesting guests have managed to blend writing, sailing, family, work, and their passion for life at sea into fascinating stories, best-selling books, and successful writing careers.

Today's Writer Afloat is Amy Biddle. Her debut novel, The Atheist's Prayer, is scheduled for release by Perfect Edge Books on February 28^th, and available for pre-order now on Amazon! Amy is also a book reviewer at Underground Book Reviews (http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com/)

 

Author Amy R. Biddle hard at work!

The Atheist's Prayer, available for pre-order NOW!

 

Welcome, Amy and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with me. 

 

LYNNE: What came first, writing or sailing?

AMY: Writing, no contest. I’ve been writing since before I learned the alphabet. I used to read stories aloud from my scribbles. As for sailing, I’ve always loved the ocean but I grew up in the mountains and didn’t get many chances to get on the water until I was in high school.

LYNNE:  Tell us a little bit about how you came to both your sailing and writing life.

AMY:  When I was in high school, I enrolled in a semester-long alternative education program on a traditional, wooden schooner and it changed my life. I never thought I’d make a career out of it, but somehow I just couldn’t escape the pull of the ocean. I ended up going to college at Massachusetts Maritime Academy to get a license to work on big ships. My career has brought me to all corners of the globe, and has also afforded me the time to pursue my writing goals.

LYNNE:  When and where do you prefer to write?

AMY:  I travel so much there isn’t a particular when or where. My laptop goes with me wherever I go. In order to really get into a story, I need a few hours of alone time. I find a coffee shop, hole myself up in my room, or get comfortable in a hammock.

Most of The Atheist’s Prayer was written on boats. It started as a short story when I was working on a schooner and the rest of it I wrote on a research vessel. When I’m not traveling or working, I have an apartment in Cambridge, and I work at a desk in my room.

 

LYNNE:  Do you follow a schedule for writing? How do you juggle sailing, work, book reviews, and writing?

AMY:  For six months out of the year I spend every day on the bridge of a ship. Sometimes it’s hectic, and sometimes it’s excruciatingly slow. When I’m on watch I dream up crazy characters and impossible plot twists, then scribble notes on scraps of paper which eventually accumulate at the bottom of my dresser drawer. I used to spend a lot of time writing new material when I was at sea, but since I’ve gotten involved with Underground Book Reviews I can barely keep up with my reviews. Luckily, the two other co-founders, Brian and Katie, are able to pick up my slack when I’m at work.

The other six months out of the year I have all the free time in the world. If it weren’t for that time off, the first version of The Atheist’s Prayer would be sitting in draft form somewhere, unedited and forgotten.

 

LYNNE:  What's the most difficult part of being a writer afloat? The most rewarding?

AMY:  The biggest difficulty for me was breaking into the literary world without an English major or a single piece of published work. Underground Book Reviews helped immensely with that, but it was still a struggle.

Writing is my reward. When I’m on the ship, writing is my escape. When I’m off the ship, it’s my life. And of course, there’s community. Meeting other writers is a thrill. The people I work with at Underground Book Reviews helped me write The Atheist’s Prayer and have supported me through thick and thin. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help.

LYNNE:  Tell us about The Atheist's Prayer and when and where readers can buy it.

AMY:  The Atheist’s Prayer is about an alcoholic mall Santa and a coke-dealing stripper who get tangled up with a fairy-worshiping suicide cult. It’s dark, and it’s funny, and I like to think that there’s some meaning underneath the crass humor.

It’s being published by Perfect Edge Books, an imprint of John Hunt Publishing. The authors at Perfect Edge are a fantastic bunch, and in fact two of them will be reading with me for an event at the Harvard Coop in Cambridge, MA on March 27th.

 

LYNNE:  What else have you written or are you working on now?

AMY:  I’ve been writing some short stories, but I’m not ready to start a new novel until after The Atheist’s Prayer comes out. I’m putting all my efforts into the book release and Underground Book Reviews. But the ideas for my next novel are always brewing…

 

LYNNE:  Do you have a favorite character that you've written, and why?

AMY:  I put a little bit of myself into every character I write, and I make sure none of them are perfect. I love them all in their own right. It might be easy for readers to choose a favorite, but not me.

 

LYNNE:  Who is your favorite author and why?

AMY:  I have a lot of favorite books, but Kurt Vonnegut is by far my favorite author. He gets you laughing and thinking at the same time. It’s an underrated talent.

 

LYNNE:  What inspires you, both in your writing and in your sailing?

AMY:  I’m inspired by the world around me. Wherever I am- at sea, in the car, at a party, on a hike- I’m thinking about how I’d capture that scene in writing. How do I capture the essence of the experience? A description of a bus stop from the point of view of a weary traveler might be dirty and overcrowded. From the point of view of someone on their way to meet the love of their life it might be bustling with life and excitement. Experience is so subjective. It’s not what you write about, but how you write about it that really makes the impact.

LYNNE:  Last question. Underground Book Reviews is a great showcase for new and emerging authors and gives you a great opportunity to get to know them and their experiences. Based on your reviews, interviews, and your own experience, what advice do you think new/emerging authors most need to hear?

 
AMY:  Passion, inspiration and obsession get a book written. Sweat, pain and perseverance get a book ready for publication. Editing is a bitch, but it’s also necessary. Be hungry for feedback, and be open to criticism. But in the end, remember that you are the master of your world. Consider advice with an open mind but don’t feel obligated to please everyone, because you won’t. Ever.

And learn how to sell yourself. Stand on that street corner and strut your stuff, because no one will notice you otherwise.

____________________________________________________________

I urge you all to run over to Amazon and order a copy of The Atheist's Prayer. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud. Funny and poignant, The Atheist's Prayer is a fast-paced, comic exploration of belief, disbelief, gullibility, and faith. Biddle seamlessly blends the lunacy of a fairy-worshipping cult with a cast of quirky characters searching for answers, usually in all the wrong places. Written with style and humor, The Atheist's Prayer will pull you in, make you laugh and think, and want more. I'm eagerly awaiting Amy's next novel!

 

You can read more by and about Amy's life as a sailing writer at her blogs and website:

http://www.amyrbiddle.com/

http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com/

 

You can pre-order The Atheist's Prayer HERE.

 

The Blobfish

Yesterday, The Ugly Animal Preservation Society voted the blob fish the ugliest animal in the world. In honor of the blobfish, I'm reposting this blog from a little over a year ago.

Today, the Smithsonian came up with a rebuttal, In Defense of the Blobfish. The article includes a picture of what the blobfish would look like if we saw it swimming, supported by the ocean's buoyancy. Be sure to take a look if you'd like to see the blobfish in its full and true glory!

From June 2012: My Tribute to the Blobfish

If you've seen "Men in Black 3" the animal in this picture should look familiar. It's a blobfish. Yes, there really is a fish that looks exactly like Jimmy Durante swimming around, or more accurately, floating around, in the ocean.

The blobfish only grows to about 12" in length. It lives 2,000-3,000 feet below the ocean surface in the waters south east of Australia. That's the same depth that fishermen have to go to catch lobster, crabs, and some of our other favorite seafood that we've fished out from shallower waters. The blobfish has no commercial value: it's inedible.

Blobby has no way to escape the fishing nets because, just like he(she?) looks, he's basically a glob of Jell-O. His body is buoyant and he floats in the water column at a depth of about 800m. He doesn't need muscles or oxygen to swim because he doesn't have to swim.

According to Dr. Callum Roberts, one of the world's most respected experts on marine conservation, the blobfish is in danger of becoming extinct because of overfishing: "The Australian and New Zealand deep trawling fishing fleets are some of the most active in the world so if you are a blobfish then it is not a good place to be."

It's sad that, to satisfy our demand for seafood, we're willing to eliminate animals that most people don't even know about. This isn't a case of "people are starving so we have to do this to feed them." These are high-end seafood products going to feed people who all ready have too much protein in their diets. It's even sadder to think, given the vast ocean, that we're unwilling to protect even small areas of it to ensure ocean resources are around for future generations.

Those grumbling loudest about "traditional values" might want to remember back to the day when saving was a prized value. People delayed gratification, foregoing something now for something better in the future. I hold little hope that the marine environment will improve in the future--not with a world population of 7 billion and growing--but maybe by saving some of it now, we can at least have something left for the future.

If you're worried about the blobfish, or any other animal we might be destroying with poor fishing practices, here are some things you can do:

• Before you order that lobster, crab, or other seafood item on the menu, find out where it's from. Only order, buy, eat sustainably harvested seafood. http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/seafoodguide/
• Eat lower on the food chain.
• Support the establishment and management of marine protected areas.
• Use birth control. (Seriously. Don't you think 7 billion people on the planet is a little ridiculous? You don't really need more than replacement children, i.e. 2 kids per couple?)

Sources:

Bathroom Reader Institute (2007). Uncle John's Under the Slimy Sea. Bathroom Readers' Press, Ashland, Oregon. 144 pp.

Hough, Andrew (2010). Blobfish: world's most 'miserable looking' marine animal facing extinction. The Telegraph. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/yju7o5b

Photo from The Telegraph.

Oh, Those Wild, Sexy Reef Fish!

WARNING: If you're easily offended by "unnatural" phenomenon like sex-changes this is NOT the post for you to read! It's all about the all-too-common occurrence on the reef of fish undergoing a sex change.

For the rest of you, read on. This is fascinating stuff!

Out in the real world, meaning the one we humans haven't artificially insulated ourselves from with technology, where the realities of life and death are governed by chemical and physical laws, animals must stick to a strict budget. It isn't a financial budget, but an energy budget that must be balanced. Every living organism, for its survival and the survival of the species, does whatever it takes to optimize energy use.

Energy In = Work to Survive 

Where:

Energy In = the number of useable calories an organism takes in, and

Work to Survive = using those calories for growth, finding food, shelter, defending your shelter, finding a mate, the process of mating, and repair of tissue damage or injury incurred from any of the above activities.

If you don't take enough energy in, you can't do all of the activities needed to survive. The whole point of survival in the animal kingdom is to reproduce. The more offspring you have, the more likely your genes are to survive through subsequent generations, thereby making you somewhat immortal.

As anyone on a budget can tell you, making sure that what you take in can cover all your expenses, you have to make some trade-offs. The more you spend on having fancy things and defending them, the less you have to wine and dine potential mates. But, without those accoutrements that announce your relative fitness, even your superiority, to prospective mates you won't get that opportunity.

No surprise that the perfect balance is different for males and females. In most species, females do the majority of the work in the offspring department. Whether they carry those embryos internally, or scatter them to the currents in the ocean, they still have the greater energy investment in egg production. Their eggs provide all the initial nutrition and organelles, as well as DNA, to the newly fertilized offspring. Sperm are packs of DNA and nothing more. It doesn't take much energy to make them.

This difference in energy expenditure for reproduction is one of the driving forces behind sexual dimorphism: differences in physical appearance between the males and females of a species. In particular, this accounts for size differences: When males have to protect territory or a harem from other males, spending energy to get bigger makes sense. When you can swim in, release lots of sperm, and leave, being small and quick is beneficial. Likewise, if a female produces many eggs, a far more energy intensive undertaking than sperm production, being large is beneficial.

Since "survival of the fittest" doesn't really mean not dying, but actually reproducing, "success" in the natural world means producing healthy offspring that go on to be successful themselves, the more offspring you produce, the better. If a female with a larger body cavity can produce more eggs per reproductive episode, and the more eggs produced increases her potential reproductive success, it's to her benefit to be a big female. Conversely, if larger males have greatly increased reproductive success (i.e. gain control of a harem), it would be beneficial to be a big male.

This is known as the size advantage model, developed by Ghiselin in 1969, that states "if an individual could significantly increase its reproductive success after reaching a certain size by being a different sex, it would be to their advantage to switch to that sex." And on the coral reef, they do!

Here are some of the brilliant reef fish that can change sex--sometimes in a matter of a few hours.

The Blueheaded Wrasse

The cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus. Typically, live in harems with a dominant male around cleaning stations. When the male is removed, the largest female becomes a functional male. The Blueheaded wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, do not form harems, but the dominant or terminal males take temporary control of spawning sites. Removal of terminal males results in the largest females transforming.

 

Moonheaded Wrasse

When the largest female turns into a male, it is called Protogyny, Almost all the sex-changing species in the Caribbean are protogynous hermaphrodites, switching from females to males after reaching a certain size, age, or when the harem's male is removed. Some other examples are the parrotfish, Spanish hogfish, Holacanthus tricolor (the rock beauty angelfish), and some damselfish.

 

Rock Beauty

Clownfish in their anemone

Anemone fish, like the skunk anemonefish Amphiprion akallaopisos, and clownfish, like Nemo, are protandrous. They change from male to female. Anemonefish live in monogamous pairs composed of a large female and a smaller, functional male. The pair may share their anemone-home with other, small, stunted (not sexually developed) males (juveniles; all anemonefish are born male). When the female is removed, the functional male changes sex and the largest juvenile becomes a functional male. Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) are one of the few known Caribbean protandrous fish.

Some reef fish, like gobies, can actively change sex in either direction. This lets them maximize their genetic fitness under any environmental situation.

There are many amazing things in the natural world. We'd do well to study them, be amazed by them, and learn from them. Our lesson from these fish? Embrace change, especially when it benefits us!

For More Info on Sex Changing Fish:

DeLoach, Ned and Paul Humann (1999). Reef Fish Behavior: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications, Inc. Jacksonville, FL. 359 pp.

Hendrickson, Robert (1984). The Ocean Almanac. Doubleday. New York, NY. 446 pp.

The National Audobon Society (1997). Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York, NY. 720 pp.

 

Rice, Aaron N. (undated). Physiology of Sex-Change in Reef Fish. Available at: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anphys/1999/Rice/Rice.htm

 

A Herd of Turtles?

Most people are familiar with the nouns used to refer to collective groups of common terrestrial animals and birds: herd of cows, flock of birds, congress of baboons, litters of cats/kittens/puppies, to name a few. Everyone has also heard of schools of fish.

Here are a few more collective nouns to describe other marine and aquatic  animals (and no, it isn't a herd of turtles!):

A bale of turtles
A bed of clams or oysters
A gam, herd, school, or pod of whales
A herd or pod of seals (also a bob, colony, crash, harem, rookery, or spring of seals!)
A hover of trout
A knot of toads

A herd or pod of walruses
A pod or school of porpoises
A siege or shoal of herring
A shoal of bass (or of most fish species)
A smack of jellyfish

A pack of polar bears (sounds like the start of a tongue-twister, doesn't it?)
A seige or sedge of bitterns
A flight of cormorants
A glint of goldfish
A colony of gulls
A hedge, sedge, or seige of herons
A romp of otters (ottes also come in bevies, families, or rafts, but I like romp!)

A colony, cr`eche, huddle, parcel, or rookery of penguins
A congregation or wing of plovers
A run, school, or shoal of salmon
A shiver of shark

Sailing Lore and Legends: It's Unlucky to Kill a Porpoise. The story of Pelorus Jack

Sailing history is filled with superstition and lore. It's unlucky to start a cruise on: a Friday (the day Christ was crucified), the first Monday in April (the day Cain slew Abel), the second Monday in August (the day Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed), December 31 (the day Judas Iscariot hanged himself). Black travel bags are unlucky but black cats are good luck and bring sailors home from the sea. Women aboard a ship make the sea angry, but naked women can calm the seas.

My favorite sailing superstition is that porpoises swimming around a ship are a good sign, and it's unlucky to kill one.

Need proof of the veracity of this bit of superstition? Look no further than the story of Pelorus Jack in New Zealand. Jack was the first dolphin to ever be protected by law.

In 1888 a Risso dolphin--a species uncommon to New Zealand waters--came to the attention of sailors on the ship Brindle as they made their way from Wellington to Nelson and back. This trip required a traverse through a dangerous bit of water between NZ's North and South Islands, a narrow channel filled with rocks hiding just beneath the surface, currents of up to 8 knots, and the remains of hundreds of vessels that didn't make it through. Sailors aboard the Brindle spotted the dolphin ahead of them, but it wasn't playing in the ship's wake as they expected. It appeared to be leading them through the channel!

The dolphin met the ship at the mouth of the channel on their return trip, too, and guided them safely back to the harbor. The sailors aboard the Brindle named the dolphin Pelorus Jack.

For 24 years, Pelorus Jack met ships from the entrance of Pelorus Sound and led them to French Pass, then picked them up again as they came out of the pass on their return journey to lead them safely back to the harbor. He was so reliable that many captains refused to go forward until he appeared. Clearly, this dolphin brought luck to all the vessels he brought safely home from their voyage. His reputation and fame grew, and people came from around the world to see him, including Mark Twain!

But, sadly, people are people and it wasn't just those who were amazed and awed that flocked to see the dolphin that seemed intent on helping sailors. In 1904, a passenger aboard a ship named Penguin fired a shot at the dolphin. Jack swam away, leaving a trail of blood in the water. Thankfully, he survived and reappeared two weeks later and proved he was as smart as he seemed: he never again led the Penguin through the channel.

Public outcry over the shooting incident led to passage of a law protecting Pelorus Jack and making it illegal to shoot a dolphin in New Zealand waters.

Pelorus Jack guided his last ship to the channel on April 12, 1912. He disappeared after that, probably dying of old age. New Zealand declared a day of national mourning to honor him, a candy bar was named after him, and songs have been written about this dolphin that brought luck to the sailors and led them safely home.

As the perfect post script to Pelorus Jack's story, five years after the passenger shot at the dolphin, the Penguin sank on the rocks in French Pass. It was the only ship lost in the channel during all the years Jack led ships through.

Closer to home, this past year, the South Carolina legislature refused to pass a law lowering the speed vessels can travel in the Charleston harbor--a law proposed because of an alarming increase in the number of fatal collisions between commercial ships and marine mammals. When a fourth-grade school class submitted a proposal to make the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin the state marine mammal, the legislature refused. One of our illustrious elected officials defended his vote against it by saying, "If we did that, we'd have to lower the vessel speed in the harbor to protect them, and that would be bad for commerce."

Maybe the SC legislature needs to hear about Pelorus Jack, the sailing superstition that it's bad luck to kill a porpoise, and the fate of the Penguin?


SOURCES:

The Bathroom Readers' Institute (2007). Uncle John's Under the Slimy Sea. Bathroom Readers' Press, Ashland, OR. 144 pp.

The Encyclopedia of New Zealand at http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/dolphins/5/2

Hendrickson, Robert (1984). The Ocean Almanac. Doubleday Books, New York, NY. 446 pp.


* Photo of Pelorus Jack downloaded from Wikipedia.com