Deep Sea -Blog: April 2009

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ocean Carbon: A Dent in the Iron Hypothesis

Plankton blooms do not send atmospheric carbon to the deep ocean.

Oceanographers Jim Bishop and Todd Wood of the U.S. Department of Energys Lawrence.

Berkeley National Laboratory have measured the fate of carbon particles originating in plankton blooms in the Southern Ocean using data that deep-diving Carbon Explorer floats collected around the clock for well over a year. Their study reveals that most of the carbon from lush plankton blooms never reaches the deep ocean.

He explains that assumptions about the biological pump the way ocean life circulates carbon – are mostly based on averaging measurements that have been made from ships at intervals widely separated in time. Cost not to mention the environment would have made continuous ship based observations impossible in this case. Luckily one Carbon Explorer float costs only about as much as a single day of ship time.
Return to the Southern Ocean

In 2007 Bishop and Lam who was now at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution published measurements from shipboard instruments deployed during SOFeX which suggested that the rosy picture of plankton blooms sending carbon to the deep ocean wasnt so simple after all. Carbon reaching the deep ocean depended partly on particle size and weigh more important there seemed to be much less particulate matter reaching depth where the biomass was highest in plankton blooms.
This paper was criticized on the grounds that it was based on limited shipboard observations says Bishop. So Todd Wood and I turned to the treasure-trove of virtually continuous observations in the records of the Carbon Explorers.

Continual deep mixing can starve zooplankton but if the mixing is regularly interrupted more phytoplankton grow during the winter to supply the zooplankton lurking at depth. In the region where Carbon Explorer 55C spent the winter storms were intermittent and mixing below 400 meters was interrupted on a daily basis. When phytoplankton growth began in the spring the healthy zooplankton were there to mow the lawn as it were – probably accounting for the modest phytoplankton growth near the surface with increased carbon sedimentation from the zooplankton.

Bishop says these observations point to an important lesson Iron is not the only factor that determines phytoplankton growth in HNLC regions. Light mixing and hungry zooplankton are fundamentally as important as iron.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Deep Sea Water Industrial Park

The Deep sea water industrial park will be out next year to promote the Participation Act To promote civil participation in public construction law years of hard work for the county had proven to be successful

On April 24th 2009 the Public Construction Commission of the Executive Branch released to promote civil participation in public construction law to amend the provisions of the enforcement rules a new deep sea water industrial park the applicable law to promote participation the future of deep sea water of the County Industrial Park will be of major public works in accordance with industry types of facilities to seek private participation is expected to be the introduction of billions of private capital not only to enhance the quality of public services and operational efficiency but also bring considerable county-based business opportunities to increase employment opportunities. Amendments to the provisions of the relevant information are released on the Public Construction Commission website.
On April 24th 2009 the Public Construction Commission of the Executive Branch released to promote civil

participation in public construction law to amend the provisions of the enforcement rules, a new deep sea water industrial park the applicable law to promote participation, the future of deep sea water of the County Industrial Park will be of major public works in accordance with industry types of facilities to seek private participation is expected to be the introduction of billions of private capital not only to enhance the quality of public services and operational efficiency but also bring considerable county-based business opportunities to increase employment opportunities. Amendments to the provisions of the relevant information are released on the Public Construction Commission website.
Magistrate Kuang strongly fighting the central government for the Deep sea water County Industrial Development

Zone the Executive Branch approved the final decision for the civil participation in public construction law however deterred by relative laws without applicable provisions the county government had a hard time passing the law and putting it into effect this created a delay in the process of policy changes. Fortunately County Magistrate Kuang leading the county government team after years of hard work the Executive Branch released the applicable provisions on April 24 allowing the deep sea water industrial park to have a legal basis and formally embark in Taiwan.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Resource During Hurricane Season

When hurricanes strike, you can find critical information to help protect lives and property at the U.S. Geological Survey .

More than half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coast and coastal populations are increasing. Many of these areas, especially the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, will be in the direct path of hurricanes.

Throughout hurricane season, reliable scientific information is essential in order for emergency managers to keep the American public safe,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The USGS provides this science, which helps prevent hazards from becoming disasters.
The USGS hurricane Web site highlights important storm information, such as flood levels near your home; pictures of the coastline before and after the storm; information on the timing, extent and magnitude of storm tide; and much more.
USGS research and analysis supports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which is responsible for monitoring and issuing warnings for hurricanes and tropical storms in the United States and its territories. Science to forecast hurricane impacts is a collaborative effort among the USGS, NOAA, NASA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others.
The USGS strives to reduce the vulnerability of the people and areas most at risk from natural hazards. By working with people from all sectors of society, the USGS and its partners are taking action to prepare for this years hurricane season. The USGS anticipates that these actions will provide many benefits, including improved monitoring of ground conditions affected by flooding and storm surge, enhanced ability to navigate in a disaster zone, more effective search and rescue operations, and better assessments of the effects on coastlines and ecology.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Amazing Discovery Unearthed by Deep-Sea Mapping

A rugged underwater landscape along the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef has recently been discovered using deep-sea mapping technology by scientists from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, in collaboration with other government agencies.
James Cook University Marine Geologist Dr Robin Beaman said a program of deep-sea mapping had been conducted using advanced echo-sounder technology over the past few years.
Deep-sea mapping has uncovered some amazing landscapes which look similar to many of the ridges and gullies that drain the highlands of Queensland. More than one kilometre deep, huge undersea landslides have left scars and slump deposits on the abyssal seafloor which border the Great Barrier Reef shelf.
Sediment cores recovered from the base of these canyons have revealed they are the conduits for shallow coral rubble to be transported into the deep basin.
An area in the Coral Sea offshore from Cairns holds a cluster of huge blocks which have been colonised by cold water corals. These corals are very different to their shallow-water cousins as they not only exist in perpetual darkness, but also under incredible pressure.
Dr Beaman also said that offshore from Townsville the continental slope becomes gentler in gradient and the canyons begin to disappear. The upper continental slope holds a veneer of live algae and extensive soft corals.
It is hoped these exciting discoveries and the detailed 3-D maps will be used to target future research projects and be used by marine park managers to better understand the diversity of seascapes under the Great Barrier Reef.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The majority ocean pollution instigates on land

Eighty percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land. One of the biggest sources is called nonpoint source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff. Nonpoint source pollution includes many small sources, like septic tanks, cars, trucks, and boats, plus larger sources, such as farms, ranches, and forest areas. Millions of motor vehicle engines drop small amounts of oil each day onto roads and parking lots. Much of this, too, makes its way to the sea.

Some water pollution actually starts as air pollution, which settles into waterways and oceans. Dirt can be a pollutant. Top soil or silt from fields or construction sites can run off into waterways, harming fish and wildlife habitats. Nonpoint source pollution can make river and ocean water unsafe for humans and wildlife. In some areas, this pollution is so bad that it causes beaches to be closed after rainstorms. More than one-third of the shellfish-growing waters of the United States are adversely affected by coastal pollution. Correcting the harmful effects of nonpoint source pollution is costly. Each year, millions of dollars are spent to restore and protect areas damaged or endangered by nonpoint source pollutants.