Tag: Conservation

Deepwater Horizon: Eight Years Later

Has the Gulf of Mexico recovered from the Deepwater Horizon disaster?

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig, located 42 miles off the Louisiana coast, exploded on April 20, 2010. The initial explosion and subsequent fire killed 11 people. The badly damaged oil well dumped oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico and did so for 87 days until it was successfully capped. By that time, an estimated 210 million gallons of oil had poured into the Gulf, the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Some of the oil was at the surface and clearly visible. A variety of government agencies, as well as workers from the owners of the rig (BP and Transocean), tried to contain the spreading oil slick with floating booms. A chemical dispersant was spread to dissolve the oil. Still, over 1,000 miles of coastline from Texas to Florida were affected. The ecological impacts from the surface oil were devastating and the images of dead marine life and seabirds covered with oil remain etched in our memories.

But these were only the visible effects. The damaged wellhead was located 5,000 feet below the water surface. There wasn’t just oil at the surface but all the way down to the seafloor. The oil spill had significant impacts on aquatic life, but it has only been through scientific analysis that the extent of the effects has become known. Much of the research has been funded by BP, which is part of their settlement for the damages produced.

Lasting Consequences of Deepwater Horizon

One study on fish populations used an ecosystem model verified by actual measurements. A 25 to 50 percent decrease in reef fish was noted in areas closest to the spill. Demersal fish (bottom dwellers) were decreased even more by 40 to 70 percent. Predator populations also decreased with fewer prey species. With juvenile fish being affected more, a whole generation may have been lost, and effects may continue with some slower-growing populations taking 30-plus years to fully recover.

A NOAA study concluded that oil contamination can cause cardiac deformities in commercially important species, such as bluefin and yellowfin tuna and mahi-mahi, and this can lead to premature death. Another study on fish shows that species nearest the oil spill were hardest hit with red snapper and southern hake showing the greatest declines. The study showed that oil contamination of fish continues to decline, but no areas studied are free from oil; however, fish populations seem to be recovering.

Workers removed tons of contaminated soil and sludge from the shoreline.

One NOAA study centered on bottlenose dolphins living in Louisiana’s Barataria Bay. Besides “historically high” death rates, reproductive failure rates reached 80 percent and were directly related to exposure to oil in this area, one of the hardest hit. Bottlenose dolphins in nearby areas of Louisiana and Texas also showed higher death rates.

Overall, in a 2017 NOAA assessment, it was estimated that tens of thousands of birds were killed, perhaps over 100,000 sea turtles died, billions of harvestable oysters were lost, and trillions of newly hatched fish were killed. Of great concern was the effect of the oil spill on the seafloor and the “deep sea” or benthic zone, the layer of very cold water extending down to the seabed. It is a zone of little light and extremely high pressure, but aquatic life does exist there. It is also a region that is extremely difficult to observe, so not much is known about it.

Biodiversity Blight

One study showed that there was a large loss of diversity of soft-bottom infauna (creatures living in the sediment). Another research project in 2014 indicated that some species of microbes in the sediment were eliminated. Microbes are important because they recycle nutrients and are at the base of the food chain. Colonial octocorals were covered with a flocculent material and died. The flocculent material consisted of particles, such as bacteria or phytoplankton, to which oil molecules had attached and then fell to the ocean floor as “marine snow.” Bottom effects were noted up to nine miles from the wellhead site.

A conservationist attempts to clean oil from a young sea turtle

Today, over eight years later, there are some encouraging signs. One study indicated that naturally occurring marine microbes and bacteria were breaking down or biodegrading the oil. Various species of fish are making a comeback. Even where die-offs were most pronounced, fish populations have been replenished by migration from unaffected parts of the Gulf. Other studies have shown that smaller, short-lived species with high reproductive rates seem to be rebounding well. But it is still too early to tell the long-term effects on larger species, such as turtles, whales, and dolphins. Longer life spans mean slower reproductive rates, which may be impacted.

Exxon Valdez

Prior to the Deepwater Horizon incident, the benchmark for U.S. coastal waters oil spills was the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989. After running aground and splitting its hull, the tanker discharged nearly 11 million gallons (262,000 barrels) of oil into the pristine waters of Prince William Sound. The oil-covered shorelines and coastal waters were deadly to sea otters, harbor seals and, especially, seabirds (hundreds of thousands died). Fish populations also declined with the loss of salmon and herring eggs estimated in the billions. Many species of fish and birds took a decade to recover, while others took two decades. The herring population still hasn’t recovered.

Although there are some similarities, there are also many differences between the Exxon Valdez spill and the Deepwater Horizon disaster. More than 10 times the amount of oil entered the Gulf. It wasn’t just at the surface; it extended throughout the water column to the seafloor. And the oil itself was different in terms of its composition and toxicity. One similarity is that it is difficult to actually ascertain the effects of these events. To a large extent, preexisting conditions weren’t known in terms of marine life populations and natural fluctuations.

Another problem in determining the long-term effects of a single event is that there are many other negative factors affecting marine life today. In the Gulf (and elsewhere), overfishing has depleted fish populations. Pollution, especially from agricultural area runoff, has produced the “Dead Zone” in the northern Gulf and likely affected other areas. The highly toxic “Red Tide” has both natural and man-made components. Furthermore, ever increasing water temperatures due to climate change have obvious impacts on all sea creatures.

For years, marine biologists have marveled at the resiliency of the Gulf of Mexico, but with multiple negative events, that resiliency is in question.

By Ed Brotak, Southern Boating December 2018

Lionfish: Eat ’em to Beat ’em

Lionfish: Eat ’em to Beat ’em

Lionfish don’t belong here.

Their natural domain is in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. There, they are a normal and healthy part of reef ecosystems. Here in the US? Not the case.

Learn more about the 2019 Lionfish Challenge. 

About 30 years ago, the (admittedly beautiful) red-and-white striped lionfish began appearing off the coast of Florida. They’ve expanded quickly since, demolishing native fish populations in the Caribbean and up the Eastern Seaboard.

The pesky species can and will eat anything: their appetites are voracious and unending. Unfortunately, native species of small reef fish like baby snapper and grouper don’t recognize them as predators. That makes bad things happen to the ecosystem.

In the Bahamas, the bait fish (or prey fish) biomass fell between 65 to 95 percent after the initial invasion. That’s according to Stephanie Green, a marine scientist at Stanford’s Center for Ocean Solutions.

And the big predators, like sharks, don’t see the fish as a meal. Their venomous spines have allowed them to spread rampantly. So, it’s the perfect storm: lionfish spread, unchecked, devastating reef ecosystems and fisheries.

Unchecked may even be an understatement. The fish are prolific breeders, putting even rabbits to shame.  A single female can release upward of 6 million eggs a year. Those millions of eggs are capable of floating for more than a month, dispersing for thousands of miles, spreading into new areas. They’re everywhere: lionfish can be found in shallow mangroves or 1000 feet deep, which is why populations are hard to wipe out once established.

Eat ’em to Beat ’em

That’s not to say that efforts are not underway. With nets and spears, divers and scientists are taking to the water to turn the hunters into the hunted.  There are lionfish hunts from North Carolina to the Caribbean and beyond. Organizations like REEF and agencies like Florida Fish and Wildlife provide resources and information on hunts, biology and more.

There is some good news though. Lionfish are delicious. There’s even a “Eat ’em to beat ’em” campaign among conservationists, biologists, hunters, and chefs. Comparable to any other flaky white fish, the species can be baked, fried, ceviche-d, and more. Whole Foods is developing its own product lines, too, like smoked lionfish. There are a million ways to prepare it.

Here’s one way we like:

Lionfish Nachos

from The Lionfish Cookbook by Tricia Ferguson and Lad Akins

Ingredients:

8 wonton wrappers
1/2 cup oil
8 lionfish fillets
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
1 cup seaweed salad*
1/4 cup wasabi mayonnaise

*Items can be found at Asian markets.

Directions:

Place oil in a small frying pan and heat oil until hot. Place one wonton wrapper in at a time. Cook briefly until it starts to bubble (approximately 10 seconds). Turn and cook another 10 seconds. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.

 Put wasabi mayonnaise into a squeeze bottle and set aside. Combine sweet soy sauce, sweet chili sauce together in a bowl and set aside. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook lionfish fillets in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until flaky and tender. Cut or flake lionfish so it is in small pieces. Toss lionfish in soy sauce mixture.

Place lionfish on wonton wrappers, top with seaweed salad and drizzle with wasabi mayonnaise.

By Erin Brennan

Seagrass Struggling Years After Heatwave

Seagrass Struggling to Revive

Massive seagrass beds in Western Australia’s Shark Bay—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—haven’t recovered much from the devastating heat wave of 2011, according to a new study demonstrating how certain vital ecosystems may change drastically in a warming climate.

The peer-reviewed research, recently published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, was led by Dr. Rob Nowicki, a Mote Marine Laboratory postdoctoral research fellow, who conducted the fieldwork while earning his doctorate from Florida International University (FIU). Dr. Michael Heithaus, dean of FIU’s College of Arts & Sciences, and colleagues from multiple institutions have examined Shark Bay’s ecosystem for more than 20 years. The current study included partners from FIU, Deakin University in Australia and Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Shark Bay earned its World Heritage status, in part, because of its 1,853 square miles of seagrass beds, which UNESCO’s website calls the “richest in the world.” This vast, subtropical ecosystem hosts thousands of large sharks, other fish, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, and a critical population of dugongs, plant-eating mammals related to manatees.

“We were studying a relatively pristine ecosystem, but in summer 2011, we had the hottest water temperatures on record at the time, and we saw 70 to 90 percent losses of seagrasses at our study sites; no one expected it to be that bad,” Nowicki said. “After our colleagues documented the losses, we wanted to know how much the ecosystem might recover over a few years. If you take a punch and get up quickly, you’re ready for the next punch. But our study has suggested this system took a punch, and in the short term, it has not gotten back up.”

The researchers surveyed 63 sites in Shark Bay four times between 2012 and 2014 to assess seagrass recovery and changes. Before the heat wave, many sites were dominated by the temperate seagrass known as “wireweed” (Amphibolis antarctica), whose dense and tall thickets provide ample food and shelter for numerous species. The heat wave drastically thinned many wireweed beds, and in many places their
rhizomes (underground stems) blackened and died, leaving bare sand.

The new study showed that surviving A. antarctica beds appeared stable but didn’t reclaim much turf. Instead, the tropical seagrass Halodule uninervis, a close relative of the shoalgrass native to Florida, began filling the gaps. H. uninervis was spotted at 2 percent of sites in 2012 but had expanded to almost 30 percent of them by 2014.

“The seagrass hit hard was the most common species—and was dense like a mini forest,” said Heithaus, doctoral advisor to Nowicki and co-author of the study. “Losing that cover is really huge; it’s like going from a bushland in Africa to a well-mowed lawn.”

The loss of that much structure has consequences. “After the die-off, we also saw water clarity go down a ton,” Nowicki said. Fewer seagrasses were available to trap sediments, and decaying seagrass may have nourished a bloom of microscopic algae observed in 2014. Study authors say these ramifications aren’t surprising given the valuable ecosystem services healthy seagrass beds provide.

A scientist measures the growth of seagrass that is in the process of recovery from a 2011 heat wave.

Seagrass beds stabilize sediments, preventing erosion and clarifying water. More seagrass biomass can store more carbon dioxide, decreasing its availability to harm ecosystems through climate change and ocean acidification. Dense seagrass beds are also critical for economically important fisheries. Seagrass meadows are valued at $1.9 trillion worldwide just for their role in cycling nutrients, according to a 2009 study by others in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. However, major seagrass ecosystems around the world have declined by about 7 percent per year since 1990, reminiscent of the drop in coral reefs and other vital ecosystems.

In Shark Bay, beds of slow-growing A. antarctica seagrass may struggle to recover further, the study suggests. Shark Bay, located where temperate and tropical ecosystems overlap, is among the warmest areas that A. antarctica can occupy, and hotter temperatures are predicted to become more common with climate change.

Because of its temperate-tropical overlap, Shark Bay has a diverse group of about 12 seagrass species—roughly twice as many as the entire state of Florida. Its diversity survives, along with other key features that helped earn the site’s World Heritage status.

It’s imperative to continue investigating how the recent loss of some seagrass, a basis of the marine food web, will affect plant-eating animals and their predators in Shark Bay.

Some take-home messages are clear: It’s critical to monitor ecosystems well after a disturbance; they’re not guaranteed to bounce back. “It shows the importance of these long-term, comprehensive, ecosystem-level studies,” said Heithaus, referring to team efforts to examine Shark Bay. “If we hadn’t been doing this since 1997, we wouldn’t have had the baseline data to know that the declines were a big deal.”

Also, if relatively pristine seagrass beds of Shark Bay are vulnerable to extreme weather, then it’s unclear how seagrass beds damaged by human activity will fare in the coming decades. This seagrass struggling is an indicator that humans need to be aware of these occurances.

Nowicki said that minimizing local stressors, such as nutrient pollution from fertilizer runoff into bays and estuaries, may give seagrasses better odds amid climate change and other global stressors. “If Shark Bay had poorer water quality, we might have lost a lot more.”

By Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium for Southern Boating Magazine June 2017

SeaKeepers Bermuda 2017

The International SeaKeepers Society will host SeaKeepers Bermuda 2017 on Thursday, June 22nd at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) and Harbourfront Restaurant in Hamilton, Bermuda. The event will honor Wendy Schmidt as the 2017 SeaKeeper of the Year for her outstanding leadership and support of the environment and ocean conservation.

Also recognized as part of the evening’s program will be the SeaKeepers of Bermuda: Philippe Max Rouja, Judy Clee, Chris Flook, and John Paul Skinner as a part of the SeaKeepers of the World Program. This effort identifies individuals who demonstrate a commitment to ocean research and conservation in their local communities.

The event chair is Dr. Stefano Tositti, CEO of BWA Yachting, and the reception sponsor is Caroline Bay Bermuda. The evening will highlight the work of the International SeaKeepers Society in partnership with the yachting community through the DISCOVERY Yachts Program.

Wendy Schmidt is President of The Schmidt Family Foundation, which works to advance the wiser use of energy and natural resources and to support efforts worldwide that empower communities to build resilient systems for water, food, and human resources. The foundation houses its grant-making operation in The 11th Hour Project, which supports more than 150 non-profit organizations in areas including climate and energy, human rights, ecological agriculture, environmentally conscious sailing, and the vitality of the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Schmidt is also Founder and Vice President of the Schmidt Ocean Institute – established in 2009 to advance oceanographic research, knowledge, and discovery, and catalyze sharing of information about the oceans. The Institute is devoted to the inspiring vision of its Founders on how the advancement of technology and open sharing of information is vital to expanding the understanding of the world’s oceans.

To extend her commitment on ocean health issues, Schmidt partnered with XPRIZE in 2010 to sponsor the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup XCHALLENGE, a $1.4 million competition designed to identify effective and innovative resolutions to address oil spillage from ocean tankers, platforms, and other sources. The 18-month-long competition was prompted by The Deepwater Horizon disaster and resulted in a solution that produced a fourfold improvement over existing cleanup capabilities.

Schmidt partnered again with XPRIZE In 2012 to create the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE, a prize that responds to the global need for better information about the process of ocean acidification, one of the indicators of climate change. 

Schmidt serves on the boards of The Natural Resources Defense Council, The California Academy of Sciences, Climate Central, XPRIZE, The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, GRIST, Maiyet, The Nantucket Dreamland Foundation, and The America’s Cup Organizing Committee.

Wendy Schmidt joins an elite and influential group of leaders in marine conservation including: Jean-Michel Cousteau; Monaco’s own H.S.H. Prince Rainier III and H.S.H. Prince Albert II; Canadian film director/producer and deep-sea explorer, James Cameron; American marine biologist, author, lecturer and National Geographic explorer-in-residence, Dr. Sylvia Earle; French fashion tycoon, agnès b.; Sargasso Sea Alliance (SSA), a partnership to protect the Sargasso Sea, led by SSA Board Chair, David Shaw and the Government of Bermuda; Fabien Cousteau; and yachting community pioneer, Alexander W. Dreyfoos.

SeaKeepers would like to thank our generous event sponsors: BWA Yachting, Caroline Bay Bermuda, Insetta Boatworks, Isotropic Networks, and MetOcean Telematics. We would also like to thank our annual sponsors: World Fuel Services | Yacht Solutions, and BWA Yachting. Event media partners are:  Charterworld.com, ECO Magazine, MACO Magazine, MegayachtNews.com, SailBrasil Miami, SEVENSEAS Magazine, SoFlaNights.com, South Florida Luxury Guide, Southern Boating Magazine, SuperYacht Industry, Venü Magazine, and Yachts International.

For more information visit http://www.seakeepers.org.

Global Fishing Watch

Private citizens now have the means to take action against illegal fishing.

Our oceans are under siege from a variety of threats, including the excessive extraction of wild fish. Most fisheries in the world are fished beyond their limits— indiscriminate bycatch is decimating populations of marine wildlife, and bottom trawling and other destructive practices are destroying nursery and spawning habitat. This results in rapidly declining fish stocks and population crashes that ripple throughout the ocean food web.

The good news is that oceans are resilient and can regain their former abundance, but for that to happen we must manage our fisheries responsibly. More and more countries are putting in place catch limits and habitat protections that are necessary to rebuild ocean resources. But for these efforts to be successful, the rules set to protect our most precious ocean resources must be vigorously enforced.

Sailors understand what is at stake. And more than others, they are in a position to help monitor the conduct of the global fishing fleet to hold it accountable. Global Fishing Watch is the first technology platform that allows anyone with an Internet connection to see global fishing activity in near real-time, for free. Global Fishing Watch—built by a partnership between Oceana, the search engine giant Google and the technology nonprofit SkyTruth—is free, easy to use, global in scale, and open source, which means as more users access the technology and create additional applications over time, the tool will become even more powerful.

Global Fishing Watch uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS), a tracking system employed by more than 200,000 vessels around the world for safety purposes. Large fishing vessels, including the ones that catch the most fish globally, are required to utilize AIS to prevent collisions at sea. Global Fishing Watch can access AIS data, which typically includes vessel identification information, and plug it into algorithms built to use vessel movement and location to identify apparent fishing activity. It then makes information on where fishing is occurring available.

This map depicts the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). These historically productive fishing grounds were severely depleted, leading Kiribati’s President Tong to ban all commercial fishing within the reserve starting in January 2015. Oceana discovered through Global Fishing Watch that the government’s ban was effective and gave fish stocks a chance to recover.

This is where sailors come in. Imagine being out on the water and you see a passing fishing vessel. Perhaps it seems suspicious indicate whether the ship has been fishing, where and when it fished, whether it fished in a protected area, and where and when it returned to port.

Your “eyes on the ocean” might also identify odd behavior like a vessel meeting up with another ship at sea for a potential transshipment or a vessel that does not have its AIS activated. If you are sailing in or near a marine protected area and see a vessel fishing, you may be able to determine whether that ship was fishing in a “no-take” area. In all cases, reports can be made through Global Fishing Watch, and your report will be sent to the relevant enforcement agency.

When citizens show governments that laws are not being enforced, it will put pressure on those governments to act. Global Fishing Watch will help sailors, fishermen and everyday citizens hold governments accountable to enforce fishery laws.

Global Fishing Watch is especially powerful in the hands of sailors around the world, who can match eyewitness accounts with recorded satellite data. Imagine if every sailor in the world could give evidence to authorities enabling them to determine which fishing vessels are following the law and those that are not.

Global Fishing Watch can also be used by seafood retailers to identify the source of the seafood they purchase for sale, by seafood certifiers to strengthen the certification process, by companies that insure fishing vessels to track their policy-holders, and by honest fishermen who want to ensure the rules are enforced so that they can compete on an even playing field. The project is brand new and will reap the benefits of combining technology with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in an effort to curb those practices.

Global Fishing Watch uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS), a tracking system employed by more than 200,000 vessels around the world for safety purposes.

– Jacqueline Savitz

Most importantly, Global Fishing Watch allows fishing vessel operators to show the world they are fishing legally. By consistently using an AIS transponder, they might be able to fetch a higher price for their catch or get access to markets that in the future could be closed to any fishing vessel that doesn’t meet this basic transparency standard. In the meantime, it will put the bad actors on notice, essentially telling them, “We’ve got our eyes on you.”

Currently, sailors traveling to more remote areas of the ocean will be able to provide the most beneficial information to Global Fishing Watch because they are more likely to be traveling through no-take marine-protected areas and regions that are managed by small countries and have limited resources. Additionally, sailors may be able to help identify types of gear that are not allowed in certain places. For example, some areas of the Mediterranean have banned drift nets since they create a large amount of bycatch.

Both Oceana and Sailors for the Sea strive to preserve the richness and biodiversity of the ocean for future generations. Now, with Global Fishing Watch, we all have a powerful new tool to deter illegal fishing.

Article courtesy of Sailors for the Sea

Exploring the Unexplored Oceans

It is estimated that 95 percent of the earth’s oceans remain unexplored. No wonder since the ocean covers 140 million square miles of the earth’s surface with an average depth of 12,000 feet.

The ocean floor’s deepest point is 36,000 feet below the water’s surface in the western Pacific Ocean and is called the Challenger Deep section of the Mariana Trench. It is extremely inhospitable down there. There’s virtually no light, water temperatures are near freezing and the pressure is a crushing 1,000 times what it is at sea level. But, in order to manage and protect ocean resources, we must learn what’s far below the surface.

The U.S. government agency that does much of the basic research for both the atmosphere and the oceans is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Department of Commerce. One branch of NOAA is the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER), which is touted as “the only federal organization dedicated to exploring the unknown reaches of our ocean”. To support these endeavors, the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) supplies the ships and aircraft needed as well as the personnel to run them (omao.noaa.gov/).

OMAO is staffed by civilians and also has an enlisted contingent. The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps—simply known as NOAA Corps—is one of the nation’s seven uniformed services. Prior to admission, candidates must possess a baccalaureate degree preferably in math, science or engineering. Basic training in seamanship is held in conjunction with the Coast Guard’s officer training program. After successful basic training and commissioning, officers receive their first ship assignment based on their qualifications and service needs. The 321 officers of the NOAA Corps are seamen and scientists and support NOAA’s wide variety of oceanic research efforts.

One of the primary duties of NOAA Corps officers is to operate NOAA’s research aircraft and ships. NOAA has nine manned aircraft which are stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. Two Lockheed WP-3D aircraft are designated “Hurricane Hunters” and fly into these great storms to gather vital data. Other smaller aircraft fly a variety of scientific missions across the country. NOAA also has drones it uses for monitoring wildlife.

NOAA has a fleet of 16 ships, the nation’s largest fleet of oceanographic research and survey ships, which are administered by the OMAO. These ships are engaged in fisheries surveys, hydrographic surveys and oceanographic research. Operations centers are located in Norfolk, Virginia, Newport, Oregon, and Honolulu, Hawaii. The ships are run by NOAA Corps officers with some civilian seamen completing the crew.

The pride of the NOAA fleet is the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, dubbed “America’s ship for ocean exploration”. A former U.S. Navy ship, Okeanos was refitted for oceanographic exploration and commissioned in 2008. The name was actually the winning entry in NOAA’s nationwide ship-naming contest and according to Greek cosmology, Okeanos was the river/ocean that encircled the world. The 224-foot Okeanos Explorer has a crew of 27 and typically sails with 19 scientists on board. These are OER research missions, and NOAA wants to involve as many experts as possible. Interested scientists can apply for the limited number of positions actually on board the ship. But much of the expert input on missions comes from teams of scientists at various Exploration Command Centers with the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus being the primary one.

Okeanos Explorer is equipped with a high-bandwidth satellite communications system (the large satellite dome on the ship) which allows rapid data transmission. Scientists on shore can then have “telepresence”, which enables them to view Okeanos’ findings almost instantaneously and communicate back to the ship as necessary while helping to direct the mission.

Exploration missions often take the vessel to remote ocean areas. With high-powered sonar equipment, a major objective of the research cruises is to map previously unknown sections of the sea floor. For a closer examination of deep water sites, Okeanos has two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), Deep Discoverer (D2) and its sister vehicle Seirios. With 20 LED lights and 9 video cameras, the ROVs can plunge to depths of nearly four miles and send back high-definition video, which is live-streamed to scientists on the ship and back on shore.

In 2016, the Okeanos Explorer explored the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam and the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. Scientists on board and connected remotely could view previously unexplored areas of the seafloor. They observed a number of new animal species and unusual geological features. This year, the Okeanos Explorer will again be involved with Project CAPSTONE, a multi-year scientific investigation of deep-water, U.S.-protected marine areas in the central and western Pacific Ocean. These include national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments, the underwater equivalents of national parks. Again, the goal will be undersea mapping and further explorations of biological and geological features with the ROVs.

When a mission is ongoing, the video is live streamed and broadcast through standard Internet connections.

If you’d like take part in an ongoing mission, go to the NOAA Ocean Explorer website oceanexplorer.noaa.gov. The live video feeds on the last mission generated a record-breaking 3.1 million views over the course of the expedition.

— By Ed Brotak, Southern Boating Magazine March 2017

Brett Fitzgerald

Executive Director of the Snook & Gamefish Foundation, Brett Fitzgerald, explains the concept of Ales for Anglers and shares easy ways to contribute to waterway conservation while keeping track of your good days on the water.


SB: Please tell me about the Snook & Gamefish Foundation and describe how it aids the fishing and boating community.

BF: The Snook & Gamefish Foundation began as a fundraiser for MOTE marine laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, but shifted its focus to raising awareness for anglers rather than strictly raising funds for NOAA. Today it partners with mariners and anglers by laterally transmitting info from them straight to NOAA via the Angler Action Program. The personal logs of boaters and fishermen directly aids the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) in its pursuit to better maintain the waterways each mariner uses. The Snook & Gamefish Foundation acts as a liaison between waterway conservation and human use to leave our waters in a better state than they are now for our future generations.

SB: In what ways do the personal logs of mariners and anglers directly partner with NOAA?

BF: The Snook & Gamefish Foundation has created the Angler Action Program, which is a data collection database where users log their trip information, which is used for state-level stock assessments. It allows mariners and anglers to be personally involved, and creates ownership in waterway management. The information logged by the anglers is used by the government to set laws, and the immediate, accurate reports helps avoid overfishing, but also doesn’t punish anglers with unnecessary closures or restrictions. It also helps us identify where habitats are damaged or water quality is poor, in which cases our foundation and NOAA can intervene to positively impact the boating experience across the board—whether you are fishing, diving, snorkeling, etc.

SB: Tell me more about the upcoming Ales for Anglers event March 29th in Boca Raton, Florida. How did the Snook & Gamefish Foundation become involved and what was the process of turning this concept into reality?

BF: Well it all started with a conversation I had with Sally, owner of BX Beer Depot in Lake Worth, Florida, last December. I love good beer as much as I love being on the water and Sally shared my sentiments. We were discussing how “beer fests” are kind of stressful now—packed with crowds rushing from vendor to vendor to get their money’s worth—and to me, a craft beer festival isn’t about rushing; it’s about enjoying. I basically said, ‘Someone should have an event like this …’ and I described a Florida-brew-only festival with live music and minimal crowds, and Sally added that she had the beer connections but she just needed a charitable organization to benefit. ‘I have a charitable organization!’ I piped in, and thus Ales for Anglers was born.

By the end of that night, we had a plan to combine local home-brews and talented Florida musicians to raise awareness and funds for the Snook & Gamefish Foundation, along with a handful of other noteworthy marine groups. Today, with the festival only a few weeks away, we have 10 environmental non-profit organizations with booths at the event, over 100 volunteers, and no promoters—making this a real grassroots community event. Although, I did have a woman from Germany call because she couldn’t buy a ticket online; I told her I would reserve one for her at the door … who would’ve expected that!

SB: How did you and your team choose the musicians and craft brews that will headline?

BF: We are featuring breweries from all over Florida’s coast—Pensacola, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and Due South in Boynton Beach has been overwhelmingly helpful, as many others have. They are all very excited to participate, as many live near the water. JJ Grey is a performer from Jacksonville who has a huge following, and he is on the board of our foundation. He was thrilled to help our cause and pair his musical influence with a great marine charity. Rock Brothers Brewery is a company that brings brewers together with musicians to create a “celebrity beer” and is featuring a “JJ beer” at the event, which will be really unique. We are going to have a lot of exclusive offerings like that, which should attract a decent crowd to relax and also learn more about what goes on underneath the water we all love.

SB: What are your personal hopes or expectations for the event’s inaugural year?

BF: First, I hope it becomes an annual event. Second, I want people to leave with a smile on their faces. Third, I want people who come for one thing to leave loving another thing. For example, if someone comes because they love craft brews, I want them to leave loving the musicians they saw and recognizing the importance of waterway conservation. I’m also really hoping not to lose money and to provide a comfortable, enjoyable environment. I’m very passionate about promoting today’s angler as the “conservation-oriented angler” and I hope our foundation and the 10 other non-profits at the event will encourage people to become passionate, also.

SB: What do you think participants of the Ales for Anglers event can expect? Are you excited for anything in particular?

BF: On the beer side of things, I think people should expect some incredibly unique and tasty choices. I really encourage everyone to come at the beginning for the free home-brew sampling at 2:30, because these aren’t amateurs brewing in their garage; these are brewers on the verge of breaking into the business, and they have well-crafted offerings made uniquely for this event and the cause it serves. I also think everyone should expect to be blown away by the musicians. They each have something really diverse to offer and JJ is one of the best, most engaged performers I’ve ever seen. I am excited for people to learn about the benefits of waterway and ecosystem conservation, and the balance between activity (whether boating or fishing or watersports, etc.) and conservation efforts. Most people think you either have to be a tree-hugger or an active mariner, but they really go hand-in-hand.

SB: How can boat owners become involved with the Snook & Gamefish Foundation and/or Ales for Anglers? Also, is there a way for individuals who are passionate about the water but do not own a boat to get involved?

BF: Boat owners who also like to fish (which is a large majority in the South)—no matter how frequently or infrequently—can immediately get involved by logging their boat trips on our Angler Action Program through the Snook & Gamefish Foundation’s website. A boater can input tides, weather, moon phases, sunsets, catches, and anything else about their trip to keep a personal log. It acts as a powerful tool that helps boaters (mainly fishermen) become more efficient, while also aiding in vital fishery information that the government and organizations use on a daily basis.

SB: How often do you frequent the water? Do you own a boat? If so, what is the name and make?

BF: I own a skiff boat and I try to fish and dive off it as much as I can with my wife and kids, but we boat more than anything else. We just enjoy days on the water together and try to make it out there as much as possible. We also love to charter boats or rent a pontoon on a lake, and we make it our family mission to visit as many places in and around Florida’s waters as possible. We are looking forward to lots of boating this summer!

SB: What is one of your fondest memories or favorite stories working for the Snook & Gamefish Foundation?

BF: I give a lot of talks and seminars about what we do and why we do it, and afterward people always share their personal fishing stories, which I enjoy. I think my favorite part is meeting the children who are positively impacted and see them connect with their parents through time on the water together. I also enjoy experiencing the paradigm of what a responsible fisherman and woman is, and I am proud of today’s anglers and boating community.

By Christine Carpenter, Southern Exposure March 2014

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