The shark whisperer of Cuba

From David Guggenheim, 1Planet1Ocean

Though a bit unnerving at first to dive with so many sharks in the water, after a few days we became quite accustomed to these magnificent animals circling us throughout out dives.

Unfortunately, this is becoming an increasingly rare sight as more than 90 percent of the world’s large predators, including sharks, have been eliminated over the past 50 years due to overfishing. Sharks certainly have more to fear from us than we do from them.

Areas like Jardines de la Reina in southern Cuba are called “predator-dominated ecosystems” because of the presence of many large predators, including sharks and groupers.
These predators play an important role in maintaining the health and integrity of marine ecosystems, and this was the healthiest marine ecosystem any of us had seen in the Caribbean.
The corals were vibrant, as were the fish populations. Jardines de la Reina is part of the largest marine protected area in the Caribbean and has been protected since 1997.
Fishing is not permitted within the reserve, and the positive effects of this policy are striking.

If you heard The Ocean Doctor radio broadcast or saw the YouTube video (above) of my very first dive with these sharks, you’re probably as curious as I was as to how our divemaster, Noel, who was snorkeling, was able to grab a large silky shark by the tail, place it on his lap, and pet it, without being torn to shreds!
It turns out that folding the shark’s tail in a particular way causes a nervous system reaction that temporarily puts the animal into a trance.
You’ll see in the video that Noel never lets go of the tail.
It appears to work quite well, though Noel later told us he’s been bitten four times!

Please: Never do this! These are wild animals and need to be treated as such.
There are numerous examples of humans treating animals as pets and paying a dear price for it. I am sharing this video with the hope that it helps focus attention to the importance of these animals to the health of marine ecosystems around the world.
If you enjoyed the radio broadcast and/or the video, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution of $1.00 to The Ocean Foundation’s Cuba Marine Research & Conservation Fund, a portion of which is focused on the ongoing study and protection of Jardines de la Reina, home of these sharks and the Shark Whisperer of Cuba, Noel.

Surfing breaks the silence: autistic kids turn out in waves for program

From FloridaToday

If you get close enough, you will see plenty of emotion. Parents and volunteers will be overjoyed. But the most notable phenomenon will be the emotion from the kids participating in the second annual Surfers for Autism (SFA) event.

Many of the children, who fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, have a history of showing no emotion and some of not even talking. But bring them to the ocean and put them on a surfboard and everything changes.

"Total transformation, instantaneous and complete," is how SFA communications director Dave Rossman described it.

"It's unbelievable to see a child come to the beach who doesn't communicate, hasn't spoken in a year plus, who didn't want to walk on the sand, to see a child go from that to high-fiving their instructor."

Rossman continued to list all the means of enthusiasm displayed by the children who participate in the SFA events -- children who are diagnosed with a condition known for suppressing expression -- and it choked him up.

"It's an amazing scene, to see something like that," he said. "If it doesn't touch you, you don't have a heart."

Rossman decided to leave a job as a journalist after he learned of surf buddy SFA president and co-founder Don Ryan's mission for the nonprofit and after he covered an SFA event in Deerfield Beach.

"Within five minutes, my objectivity was gone and I was completely hooked," Rossman said. His work for SFA is pro bono, and he makes a living as a teacher at several colleges in South Florida.

Rossman and Ryan put together three SFA events last year, and this year have eight scheduled from South Beach to Jacksonville.

Some families have registered their children for every event, Rossman said. They had to cap the Cocoa Beach event at 200 participants, keeping it manageable for the 300 volunteers to offer each child a great surfing experience for an entire day.

"The outpouring of support and generosity in your community is overwhelming to us," said Ryan, who lives in Boca Raton.

Ryan said he thinks as many as 3,500 people could pack the beach Saturday for this event, despite weather concerns. Families are coming from as far away as Texas, Utah, Arizona, New York, New Jersey and Maine.

Local businesses have donated items for raffles and fundraising, and local restaurants will be feeding the families and volunteers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an average of one in 110 children in the United States have an autism spectrum disorder.

"These events are examples of inclusion at the highest level," Ryan said.

Lynda Ayers of Merritt Island will be returning with her 6-year-old son, Gavin. He was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome last year just before the event.
"He's so excited, he already has his bathing suit set out for Saturday," she said.

But Ayers said trips to the beach are not the same on their own and that Gavin responded to how the volunteers worked with him.

"It was absolutely awesome . . . He has a lot of anxious and anxiety issues, but the surfers were so patient with him," she said.

The involvement of the Brevard community has made it easy for such an event to succeed.
"People are so passionate about the ocean, it's a very easy market to get things done in," Rossmsan said.
"The ocean's healing powers are undeniable. When I'm surfing, whatever is ailing me disappears. It's the same for everybody. It's a great equalizer."

Links :

• August 13 event : Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) paddle to benefit autism awareness
• Surfers healing / Surfers for autism / Surfer's way / Ride a wave
  
• ‘Just Add Water’ movie featured the story of Clay Marzo a professional surfer who is also autistic
• Guardian : surfing therapy
• Ocean psychology : about the possibility of nature, particularly the ocean, having healing effects on autistic children
  

3,000 Miles South: harmonizing surfing and ocean conservation in Nicaragua

From SurfLine

As any surfer knows, surfing is about a whole lot more than catching waves.
True, the stoke from catching that perfect barrel is second to none, but think about how much better it is when the view from that perfect barrel, or from your board between sets, is of a beautiful natural landscape.
Or how much better your session is on the days you surf with a school of dolphins or a solitary seal.
We surfers are lucky - on a daily basis, we get the unique opportunity to commune with the ocean and its creatures--to remember why conservation of our natural resources is so important.

In California, though we may often surf with seals and views from the lineup include natural landscapes, far more frequently, that view is obstructed by houses, and you might surf with trash like used syringes, plastic bottles, or dirty diapers. 3,000 miles south of here, off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, the view from the lineup is of lush coastal mangroves and expansive seasonally dry tropical forests, and sea turtles are common surfing companions.
The 300 km of Pacific coastline receives consistent swell and prevailing off shore wind, with many of the best waves breaking in front of pristine beaches.
Yes, Nicaragua is a surfing paradise, but it shares California's struggle to maintain trash-free beaches and clear waters.

Ventura-based conservation organization, Paso Pacífico, is working tirelessly to preserve this Central American country's natural biodiversity and beautiful coast.
The organization annually coordinates Nicaragua's participation in the International Coastal Clean-up, an event sponsored annually by the Ocean Conservancy which again and again reveals the need for action.
Last year's Clean-up removed 332, 924 pounds of trash from Nicaragua's coastline, including 521 tires, 2,595 diapers, and 95,561 plastic bags--nearly twice the numbers of the same items found in Mexico.

Paso Pacífico sees Nicaragua's need first-hand, and has begun programs in the Paso del Istmo as a starting-point for conservation.
Paso del Istmo is biological corridor designed for the narrow Rivas Isthmus located on Nicaragua's southwestern coast, sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest freshwater lake.
For millennia, this narrow passageway has served as a land bridge for wildlife migrating between North and South America.
But under the pressure of growing population, agriculture, and land development, the Paso del Istmo and its ecosystems face a serious threat.
Paso Pacifico has targeted this area, from the forested mountain ridges to the ocean's rocky reefs, as one of the most important for the continued health of the nation's ecosystems.

Though adventurous ex-pats have been surfing in Nicaragua for years, surfing has become increasingly popular with young Nicaraguans.
Particularly in coastal fishing communities, surfing is both an outlet and a source for positive energy.
For years now, particularly in the US but abroad as well, organizations like the Surfrider Foundation have proven that tapping into a surfer's passion can help achieve real action in ocean conservation.
With a recent grant from SIMA, Paso Pacífico will harness Nicaragua's growing passion for surfing to expand environmental protection and education programs to the Nicaraguan surfing community and beloved ocean playgrounds.
Paso Pacífico will hire and coordinate with a local surfer to educate peers about marine conservation issues and to communicate emerging threats of coastal development.
Local surfers will also lead their communities in Nicaragua's International Coastal Clean-up, thereby involving even more of the coastal population in conservation efforts.
Last year, Paso Pacífico mobilized over 6,000 volunteers in Nicaragua, but this year Paso Pacífico hopes that increased awareness will draw far greater numbers.
If you plan to be in Nicaragua or Ventura, CA on September 25th and are interested in joining Paso Pacífico's cleanup efforts, or if you are interested in participating in your own local beach cleanup, you can find out more information here.

Paso Pacífico's other ocean conservation initiatives extend beyond the beaches to marine wildlife.
For example, a community ranger program protects endangered sea turtles, an ecotourism guide training program provides jobs in sustainable tourism, and hands-on educational projects with local schools motivate local children.

Paso Pacífico pictures a Nicaragua where surfers and sea turtles continue riding waves together, where diapers and tires in the lineup are not a common reality, and where an empowered Nicaraguan population becomes part of the solution.
With the help of the surfing community, Paso Pacifico is working to realize that vision along Nicaragua's important and fragile Pacific coast.

Research says climate change undeniable

From FinancialTimes

International scientists have injected fresh evidence into the debate over global warming, saying that climate change is “undeniable” and shows clear signs of “human fingerprints” in the first major piece of research since the “Climategate” controversy.

The research, headed by the US National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration, is based on new data not available for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 2007, the target of attacks by sceptics in recent years.

The NOAA study drew on up to 11 different indicators of climate, and found that each one pointed to a world that was warming owing to the influence of greenhouse gases, said Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring at the UK’s Met Office, one of the agencies participating.

Seven indicators were rising, he said.
These were: air temperature over land, sea-surface temperature, marine air temperature, sea level, ocean heat, humidity, and tropospheric temperature in the “active-weather” layer of the atmosphere closest to the earth’s surface.
Four indicators were declining: Arctic sea ice, glaciers, spring snow cover in the northern hemisphere, and stratospheric temperatures.

Mr Stott said: “The whole of the climate system is acting in a way consistent with the effects of greenhouse gases.” “The fingerprints are clear,” he said. “The glaringly obvious explanation for this is warming from greenhouse gases.”

Some scientists hailed the study as a refutation of the claims made by climate sceptics during the “Climategate” saga. Those scandals involved accusations – some since proven correct – of flaws in the IPCC’s landmark 2007 report, and the release of hundreds of emails from climate scientists that appeared to show them distorting certain data.

“This confirms that while all of this [Climategate] was going on, the earth was continuing to warm. It shows that Climategate was a distraction, because it took the focus off what the science actually says,” said Bob Ward, policy director of the Grantham Institute at the London School of Economics.

But the report nonetheless remained the target of scorn for sceptics.

Myron Ebell, of the Competitive Enterprise Institute in the US, said the new report would not change people’s minds. “It’s clear that the scientific case for global warming alarmism is weak. The scientific case for [many of the claims] is unsound and we are finding out all the time how unsound it is.”

Pat Michaels, a prominent climate sceptic, ex-professor of environmental sciences and fellow of the Cato Institute in the US, said the NOAA study and other evidence suggested that the computerised climate models had overestimated the sensitivity of the earth’s temperature to carbon dioxide. This would mean that the earth could warm a little under the influence of greenhouse gases, but not by as much as the IPCC and others have predicted.
“I think it is the lack of frankness about this that emerged with Climategate, and that seems to continue [that make people doubt the findings],” he said.

Steve Goddard, a blogger, said the conclusion that the first half of 2010 showed a record high temperature was “based on incorrect, fabricated data” because the researchers involved did not have access to much information on Arctic temperatures.

But Jane Lubchenco, the administrator of NOAA, said the study found that the average temperature in the world had increased by 0.56° C (1° F) over the past 50 years. The rise “may seem small, but it has already altered our planet ... Glaciers and sea ice are melting, heavy rainfall is intensifying, and heat waves are more common.”
The report also suggests that more than 90 percent of the warming over the past 50 years may have gone into the oceans.

Links :

• HuffingtonPost : International Scientists Confirm Climate Change Is 'Undeniable'
• Guardian : Climate change
• Telegraph : The Met Office's climate change report, between denial and alarm lies reality
  

Wiring the ocean: researchers build world’s first permanent undersea broadband remote sensing network

From SmartPlanet

Oceanographer John Delaney is building an underwater network of high-definition cameras and sensors to turn the world’s oceans into a massive interactive lab.

Delaney and a University of Washington research team are implanting robotic sensor arrays along the Juan de Fuca Ridge and other ocean sites — on the ocean floor and throughout the water column — that link to the Internet using submarine electro-optical cables.

The mission: to build a cabled network of deep-ocean sensors that will study, over time and space, the way the ocean’s complex processes interact.

In essence, Delaney and his team are networking the ocean — for the benefit of ocean science.

In a TED talk, Delaney explains how the system will document and measure previously-inaccessible phenomena such as erupting volcanoes, migration patterns, submarine slumps, undersea earthquakes and storms.

The hope? That all of that data will lead to richer computer models of ocean behavior.

Or as Delaney puts it: “The system is the whole planet.”

Links :

• NYTimes : 'Bringing the Ocean to the world', in High-Def
  
• Observing the Oceans – A 2020 Vision for Ocean Science
• Interactive Oceans : Regional cabled component