July 2012 - Page 3 of 3 - Mission Blue

Monthly Archives: July 2012

Spotlight on a New Study that Shows Dead Reefs Can Come Back to Life

Coral reefs around the world are at risk due to global climate change. However, a new study may serve as a sign of hope for the long-term existence of coral reefs.
Professor Richard Aronson at the Florida Institute of Technology and his colleagues discovered, by taking core samples of a coral reef off the coast of the Pacific coast of Panama, that a 6,000-year-old reef had literally “shut down” for an extended period of time. Yet, the reef still managed to survive and flourish once corals emerged from their period of dormancy.
“These [Panamanian] reefs were shut down for 2,500 years,” Aronson says, “that represents about 40 percent of their entire history.” The study suggests that despite dramatic shifts in climate, dormant periods helped ensure long-term survival of the vibrant reefs that populate the waters off the coast of Panama today.…

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Why Aquarius

By Ted Reckas
For six days this month One World One Ocean will broadcast live coverage and in depth reporting of what could be the final mission to Aquarius Reef Base, the world’s last undersea research station, 60 feet underwater in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The lab allows scientists to live underwater for up to two weeks at a time, pushing the boundary of what we know about the ocean. It is the last vestige of a rich 50-year tradition of ocean explorers living underwater, started by Jaques Yves Cousteau with Conshelf I, in 1962. Aquarius has been cut from next year’s federal budget and may be closed as soon as December.
When there are plenty of ocean issues that deserve attention flying under the public’s radar, why is a team of top-notch cinematographers going to train their lenses on a little-known research base that may be closed by Christmas?…

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Happening Now: The International Coral Reef Symposium

The 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) is taking place at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Australia over the next five days.
Held only once every four years, the symposium will cover a full spectrum of coral reef science with the aim of sustaining reefs globally in the future.
Coral reefs are declining rapidly almost everywhere in the world and the ocean community is seeking both a deeper understanding and increased management of the reefs in order to preserve them,
The Symposium is bringing together over 2,000 of the world’s leading natural scientists, resource managers, conservationists, economists, educators and graduate students from 80 countries.  Featuring more than 1,500 talks and presentations, ICRS is the largest conference dedicated to coral reefs and reef issues.…

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Canadian Diver Broadcasts Mission Blue’s Message

For Canadian diver Mavis McRae, having the chance to join with Dr. Earle on May’s Bahamas Hope Spot Expedition was a dream come true. Fourteen years ago, McRae picked up ‘Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans’ in the University of Manitoba bookstore. The book changed her view about our ocean planet, and she determined that someday she would meet her hero, Dr. Earle in person.

McRae’s wish came true in May of this year when Mission Blue invited members of the public to join in a Bahamas Expedition to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
Even before joining the expedition, McRae queried Mission Blue about how she might help to spread our message of throughout Canada. Engaging the services of a public relations consultant to create a campaign, she has just now finished a tour of Canada from Winnipeg to Calgary, including radio and television appearances, newspaper articles and visits to several schools.…

Posted in Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mavis McRae, mission blue |

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Underwater Fireworks: Meet Six Fascinating Light-Producing Marine Species

Yesterday, July 4th, people across the United States looked to the skies to enjoy elaborate firework displays. However, some of the most impressive “fireworks” go on underwater every day, deep in the world’s ocean.
Researchers say that 80 to 90 percent of undersea creatures can generate light through an intricate chemical process known as bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the result of a chemical reaction between two chemicals, luciferase and luciferin, in the presence of oxygen.
Marine vertebrates, invertebrates as well as microorganisms generate bioluminescence. In today’s gallery meet six fascinating marine creatures that literally light up the dark, often to distract predators and sometimes, to attract prey and mates.
Click through the gallery and enjoy this underwater lightshow….…

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A Hero for Sea Turtles in Australia: PhD Candidate Julia Reisser

Julia Reisser spends her days poring over mapping data in the hopes she can help sea turtle hatchlings negotiate a deadly, and increasingly prevalent, ocean hazard: floating plastic.
Reisser, a researcher and PhD student at The University of Western Australia, is creating the first map to show the distribution of floating marine plastics in Australian waters. The map will allow her to create computer models of plastic pathways and sea turtle hatchling movements to determine where the creatures are encountering large amounts of plastic that threaten their health.
A researcher for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (ISIRO), Reisser, who is from Brazil, has been studying sea turtles for nearly a decade and only broadened her research to include marine plastics in 2010.…

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Mission Aquarius: Spawning the Next Generation of Seekers and Solvers

This July, Mission Blue’s founder Dr. Sylvia Earle will team up with One World One Ocean for a 6-day mission to Aquarius Reef Base — the mission has been dubbed “Mission Aquarius.”
As previously reported by Mission Blue, Aquarius Reef Base, located off Key Largo, Florida, is the world’s only fully-functional underwater laboratory dedicated to marine science, education and outreach and ocean exploration. While the Mission Aquarius team will oversee an ambitious research agenda, outreach and education about Aquarius and the many scientific achievements it’s helped support will also take center stage.
Starting July 16, One World One Ocean and Mission Blue will be reporting in real-time from the Aquarius Habitat. One World One Ocean will bring our followers live interviews and real-time footage that highlights the scientific research conducted by the mission team.…

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Advancing Scientific Knowledge by Living Underwater

By Mera McGrew
Four miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida sits the world’s single fully-functional underwater laboratory dedicated to marine science and exploration.
Sitting on a sand patch some sixty feet below the ocean’s surface the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Aquarius underwater habitat has allowed marine scientists and ocean explorers to stay underwater for days, even weeks at a time to conduct cutting-edge research that has broadened our understanding of the world’s ocean and it’s many fragile ecosystems.
Typically, scientists live in Aquarius, which looks like a submarine fixed to the ocean floor, during ten-day missions. During that time they’re able to dive continuously without ever re-surfacing. Instead they return directly to the underwater laboratory, which also houses their living quarters.…

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