As part of the ecosystem, coral reefs are an important descriptor of current conditions around them, so the science (biomedical approaches) behind studying their ideal environmental conditions and the stressors that afflict reef-building corals are an ongoing study.

That’s where the Charleston facility comes in – their unique areas of expertise include: advanced analytical and biomolecular technology used in harmful algal bloom, coral disease, marine mammal, and fisheries-related investigations, and several other fields way over my head; the important thing is that the NOAA facility here is more than just a masthead – they are conducting real science, and we all benefit from it.

While dealing with coral and coral reefs everyday in your work life, they obviously have the chance to take some spectacular photos, and thanks to volunteer James Nicholson at NOAA NOS NCCOS Coral Culture and Collaborative Research Facility here on Fort Johnson , we get to see one closeup:

A 6x resolution photo of a mushroom coral, winning 13th Place in the 2010 Nikon Small World Photography Contest.
Credit: Nikon Small World

Speaking of reefs, here’s an incredible video of an artificial reef created via sculpture!

And finally, here’s several pictures of dead coral, exactly how you don’t want it looking – thanks BP!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Reef Art

You can hear the enthusiasm in Barbara Block’s voice about these tuna as she narrates the video. She shares with us how billfish, sharks, and tuna move around (and stay warm) in the open ocean. Knowing how these large predators travel through the open ocean will help us understand their role in the wider ocean ecosystem, she says – something many tuna hunting ships have apparently already mastered given the incentive they have for the high price obtained on the worldwide seafood market.

She describes, and indeed admires, tuna as ocean athletes — saying they are fast, far-ranging predators whose habits we’re just beginning to understand. As a marine biologist, she fits tuna with tracking tags (complete with transponders) that record unprecedented amounts of data about these threatened fish and the habitats they swim through.

Near the end of the video, you can see incredible animations of the migratory patterns for these tuna – pretty cool stuff!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Going deep with tagged tuna

Sharks have been around for millions of years, but like all things at the top of the food chain that we consume, our insatiable appetites will get the best of us in the end if we don’t practice some good conservation techniques.

We already know from the WWF that bluefin tuna will be extinct by 2012. Now we have another big problem: sharks are being killed by the millions — 100 million a year according to the NYT!

Click on those piles of shark fins. Notice the guy in the back hiding his face? Yea, he knows scalping sharks just for their fins is wrong, but one way or another, the industry flourishes.

Their specialty: Double Boiled Superior Shark’s Fin w/Seawhelk 响蜾炖鸡鲍翅

As a matter of fact, American owned Citibank has been using shark fins for marketing; their website is currently advertising a 15% discount at Singapore’s Imperial Court Shark’s Fin Restaurant.

Thanks to public awareness from conservationists though – most notably Hong Kong’s Shark Saver’s campaign – the word is finally getting out. Maybe now, sharks will be left alone and allowed to continue their important job as a top-level predator.

Here’s a short teaser of Shark Saver’s Hong Kong campaign highlighting several people taking a stand, vowing not to eat shark fin soup, and asking others to join in. It’s the first in a series of several films from their Hong Kong filming project launched in conjunction with the “Pledge Not to Eat Shark Fin Soup” campaign and Shark Savers Hong Kong. Take the pledge now!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Sharks, poised for extinction?

As President of Royal Caridea, LLC, they are setting up bio-secure, closed-system, super-intensive, shrimp farming facilities to produce fresh 30g shrimp.

Large fresh shrimp are always in high demand at upscale restaurants everywhere you go, but right now, there’s no market for live shrimp, or any other seafood, since transportation costs are too high.

Dr. Kemp says that if indoor shrimp farms were built close to major metropolitan areas, it’d drastically reduce the distribution costs, and Royal Caridea would have a good shot at supplying a whole new market.

Like any distribution business, it’s economies of scale; if Royal Caridea, or anybody else, can deliver live shrimp on a consistent basis at a reasonable cost, markets would grow quickly and significantly.

Maurice Kemp’s Summary
Background is multidisciplinary, with much of career directed towards preventing microbial induced disease and/or development of pharmaceuticals to alleviate clinical symptoms or signs associated with a disease state.

Most recently, he has worked on the development of methods to detect pathogens and development of chemical methods to eliminate food & airborne pathogens.

He also developed methods to inhibit mold & fungi associated with building products and participated in the interdisciplinary development of pharmaceutics for veterinary & medical applications.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Super-Intensive Raceway Shrimp Farming Technology (SIRSFT) is coming our way

Hear personal accounts from select Aquarium staff members of recent trips to the Gulf, where they have aided in sea turtle rescue and vitally important dolphin surveying.

Enjoy live performances by Red Top Ramblers, Henry’s Attic and a special appearance from Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish, and Doug Jones and Gary Greene from Cravin’ Melon.

Cajun food will be provided by Krewe of Charleston, and beer and non-alcoholic products will be served.

Proceeds from the event will support the South Carolina Aquarium’s wildlife care, conservation and rescue programs, as well as allow the Aquarium to lend world-class care and expertise to the Gulf.

Tickets are $30 per person.
Additional donations will be accepted at the door.
Saturday, July 17, 2010 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Advance reservations suggested by calling (843) 577-FISH (3474).
The event is held in partnership with Awendaw Green, Sewee Outpost, Krewe of Charleston and Palmetto Brewery.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Save Our Seas, a SC Aquarium event benefiting wildlife rescue at home and in the Gulf Coast

That’s my complete experience with jellyfish in SC, and that’s a good thing.

Matter of fact, if I never see a jelly fish swimming next to me again, I’ll be a happy man – especially one that looks like this big guy: the Bloodybelly Comb Jelly.

From the Shem Creek blog.

The Bloodybelly Comb Jelly

In it, photographer Brian Skerry shoots life above and below the waves – as he puts it, both the horror and the magic of the ocean. Sharing amazing, intimate shots of undersea creatures, he shows how powerful images can help make a change with people’s habits.

Well worth a few minutes!

At the end, Brian says, “the ocean is willing to give to a point, but we need to be better stewards”. Hopefully the world is listening.

From the Shem Creek blog.

The ocean is not our supermarket

Jay and his fellow workers are busy cleaning up any marine life they can rescue from the Gulf oil spill.

In this video, he says oil-drenched pelicans first become hypothermic (since the water will no longer roll off their feathers), and then if they sit in the sun, they can overheat, because their skin can’t breathe under their matted feathers.

I’m sure the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel are trained in this procedure, but hopefully we won’t see any oil-doused pelicans, turtles, or other marine life here in Shem Creek or elsewhere on the east coast like they have down at the Fort Jackson Rehabilitation Center in Louisiana.

If we do though, here’s a great before-and-after photo of their great work!

For more information, see Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response.
IMG SRC: flickr

btw: I’m sure Dove appreciated Jay’s quick plug!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Got oily feathers? Give that bird a bath!

In it, we see deep-sea creatures glowing in the dark in all their spectacular glory.

Not all bioluminescent sea creatures are deep-sea though – she shows some dolphins swimming through the glowing water of the harbor’s surface, cool stuff!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Bioluminescence in Shem Creek

That’s fine, but I consider it a waste of gas on their part. If all the fish are gone, what would they do then? Once there’s proof things are okay, the government will loosen their restrictions, and we’ll all be able to enjoy fishing again.

Legare Smith, captain of a private sport fishing boat, says “What if they come back and say dolphin or wahoo numbers are down?” I’m assuming it’s because their population numbers are too low to sustain themselves – surely they’re not trying to drive away our tourism dollars…

Don’t forget: NOAA declared four fish stocks fully rebuilt as a result of international fishing pressure, so they’re on the right track with their regulations.

Overfishing is going to be the death of the fishing industry unless steps are taken to curb our ferocious appetites for seafood, and I for one, am 100% behind the government regulations, because I love seafood so much and want it to always be here – if you do, you should be encouraging their sustainability efforts.

For more information on new fishing regulations, visit South Atlantic Fishery Management Council website, where you can read the current Snapper Grouper Recreational Regulations Summary.

That ‘United We Fish’ rally will be held Feb. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. in Washington. For more information, go to unitedwefish.blogspot.com.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Gee, lets keep fishing ’til there are no more out there!