The numbers of top-level predators in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, such as halibut and swordfish, decreased significantly from population levels 100 years ago, according to a new NOAA report released today by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
The National Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series report, "Stellwagen Bank Marine Historical Ecology Final Report" describes fish populations in the sanctuary that are resilient, but have suffered declines in numbers and species diversity over time.
The report, produced by the Gulf of Maine Cod Project at the University of New Hampshire, presents results of a three-year survey and analysis of historical documents and manuscripts relevant to the historical ecology of the sanctuary. The authors, Stefan Claesson and Andrew Rosenberg, former director of NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office, said the report’s findings challenge currently established baselines "and should influence the direction of management actions needed to improve overall ecosystem integrity."
Key findings from the research include:
Halibut, swordfish and other top predators in the sanctuary were overfished to near commercial extinction in the late 19th and 20th centuries;
Declines in diversity of bottom-dwelling species in the western Gulf of Maine, including the sanctuary, from 1900 to 2000;
Maximum annual catch levels of important commercial species declined by nearly 50 percent over a 100 year period; and
Proportional catch ratios of haddock and cod in the sanctuary have reversed in the last 100 years from 3:1 to 1:7.
"These findings present a serious wake-up call to marine resource managers, the fishing community and environmentalists," said Craig MacDonald, superintendent, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. "Biodiversity conservation is one of the key management priorities for the sanctuary, and a major focus in our new management plan."
According to the report, the waters of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary have been fished for nearly 400 years, since European mariners came to the New World even before the Pilgrims. Near-shore fish populations and micro-banks, such as Stellwagen, were already showing declining numbers by the early 1800s, the report notes.
Since the late 19th century, human interactions with the Stellwagen Bank ecosystem caused dramatic changes to animal populations, according to the report’s authors. They attribute the relatively quick ecosystem shifts to the development of new fishing technologies, such as gill nets and trawl gear, which were invented and adopted to improve efficiency and catch levels in an environment of declining numbers of fish caught and increasing market demand.
The report recommends additional analysis that examines historical trends for fish populations and habitat conditions back to 1800, and identifies socio-economic and cultural drivers related to shifts in catch levels.
Designated in 1992, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 842 square miles of ocean, stretching between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Renowned for its scenic beauty and remarkable productivity, the sanctuary supports a rich diversity of marine life including 22 species of marine mammals, more than 53 species of seabirds, more than 80 species of fishes, and hundreds of marine invertebrates.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
There was plenty of dramatic action on day two of the Extreme Sailing Series at Cowes Week today. With 18-20 knots of breeze, gusting over 20 at times, the nine teams were racing right on the edge, demanding 100% concentration and a constant rush of adrenalin for both the sailors and the spectators from the near capsizes, near misses and some not so near misses…
In race 11 (the fourth inshore race of today), approaching the windward mark Yann Guichard’s Groupe Edmond de Rothschild hit Franck Cammas’ Groupama 40 wiping out both rudders, leaving Groupama with no steerage whatsoever. Groupama 40 were heading straight for the shore at speed and for safety the crew leapt into the water to avoid the impact of hitting the rocks – deciding they would prefer getting wet than being thrown forward on the boat and potentially injuring themselves. Groupama 40 has sustained both rudder and daggerboard damage and it will be a long night for the shore team to get them back racing tomorrow. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild has lodged a protest which the jury will hear and award redress if relevant.
Paul Campbell-James, the youngest skipper on the circuit at just 28, ensured The Wave, Muscat finished inside the top four in today’s races including the morning offshore race and the five inshore races this afternoon held off Egypt Point. Two wins this afternoon, two seconds and two third places put them top of the Extreme Sailing Series leaderboard on 85 points: “We got good starts which is a big part of today and we were pushing really hard downwind when we needed to. Sometimes we were so close to capsizing but you have to push it hard at times and back off at others.”
Yesterday, British skipper Mike Golding said he didn’t mind if they didn’t score any ‘bullets’ today, stating finishing inside the top four was more important. But his helm Leigh McMillan and the crew had other ideas – posting a win in the offshore race in the morning, then two further bullets in the penultimate and ultimate race of the day to finish in second place with 80 points. This kept the home crowd, who packed into the Extreme Bar and along the shoreline, happy as they cheered Golding’s crew all the way.
All the skippers talk about the importance of consistency but yesterday’s leader Loick Peyron on Oman Sail Masirah found his top form elusive today, only posting a third place in the second race this afternoon which leaves Peyron’s team in third place overall with 74 points – 7 points ahead of Guichard’s team in 4th.
Double Olympic Gold Medalist Roman Hagara had another day of mixed fortunes – one race win and a second place in the penultimate race, keeps them in contention in the middle of the leaderboard in 6th place, five points behind Mitch Booth’s The Ocean Racing Club who did well in this morning’s offshore finishing in second. Another frustrating day for Roland Jourdain’s Veolia Environnement who had rudder problems before the start of the first race then had to drop the mainsail between races to sort out another problem. The team unpracticed in the art of Extreme 40 racing, put a reef in early and raced cautiously throughout the afternoon, although the 1989 Formula 40 World Champion demonstrated why he clinched that title with a couple of great starts.
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.
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
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.
