This marks the second day of the drop cam project – a collaboration between University of Miami and National Geographic

For those of you now familiar with the project. Check out:

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/30/the-drop-cam-project-an-exploration-science-initiative/

Day 2 of the project did not go as planned.

Our team arrived at the dock at 6 pm to set out for our first night time camera deployment. However, one of the boat’s engines would not start.

After trying to troubleshoot the issue, we called the mechanic who said that we would only be able to try and fix it the next day.

So we spent the night stranded at the dock testing the gear. We did a full trial run of the system and all looks good to go for the next night.

The good news is that I guess it is better having and engine fail at the dock instead of 20 miles offshore in the middle of the night!

Testing the drop cam system at the dock while stranded (Image: Neil Hammerschlag)

Checking out the Miami skyline while trying to get our engine problems fixed (Image: Neil Hammerschlag)

The University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society, has created a new “Exploration Science™” Program.

A collaboration between the University of Miami and National Geographic

The Drop Cam Project is among the first collaborative efforts of the program. The goal of this project is to characterize the nocturnal species distribution and potential interactions along a vertical depth gradient spanning from the surface down to 2000 ft.

The largest migration on earth is that of the plankton that moves from the depths of the ocean to the surface at night. Following the plankton is a chain of species taking advantage of this pulse in resources. However, the night-time distribution of species relative to one another along this depth gradient remains poorly understood. Along this gradient there is potential for unique predator-prey interactions among the different species. The objectives of this project are to (1) identify the night-time species assemblages, (2) describe their vertical distribution and (3) explore their potential predator-prey interactions along a depth gradient from the surface down to 2000 ft deep.

For this project, the latest underwater video technology in ocean exploration will be utilized.  These drop cameras are self-contained, autonomous, units that are able to regulate their own depth using a specialized bladder system. The drop cams are programmed to move and record throughout the water column without any tethers. The use of lights and reflectors allow the cameras to capture video at night.

The core field team is made up of:

-       Eric Berkenpas – National Geographic

-       Alan Turichik – National Geographic

-       Brad Henning – National Geographic

-       Neil Hammerschlag – University of Miami

Day 1

The first day of the expedition was used for testing the gear. The day started at 6 am. The team went offshore to deploy the drop cams. However, the swells and choppy seas forced the team to go back to the dock and test the gear at the marina. The day was spent working to get the buoyancy system dialed in. A mistake in the buoyancy can result in the cameras failing to sink, but even worse, failing to ascend to the surface from depth. Losing a camera would not only be detrimental to the project, but would also be a huge hit to National Geographic. The cameras are extremely expensive and are a result of thousands of hours of brainstorming, engineering, building, programming and testing.

Stay tuned for day 2.

The drop cam set up. In the background is the camera and in the foreground is the bladder system to maintain buoyancy (Image: Neil Hammerschlag)

This was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. While underwater I was amazed by these awesome predators.

I was able to capture a series of photos (both during day and night) of these mysterious creatures.

As you look through the photos below, you should know that the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) is listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Recent studies suggest that great hammerheads have declined drastically in certain regions of the world due to overfishing. This is, in part, because great hammerhead fins are prized in the shark fin trade, leading to targeted fishing for these sharks; however, they are also caught unintentionally as bycatch. I have previously posted about the shark fin trade here.

In a few days (March 3-14), governments around the world will meet to discuss potentially providing protection for three species of hammerhead shark (the great, smooth, and scalloped hammerhead).

At this meeting, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), governments will vote whether or not to limit the international trade of hammerhead shark fins and meat. Such protection will help reduce the targeted fishing and trade in hammerhead shark fins.

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English: Menhaden fishing - menhaden in the hold of the mother vessel. These fish are used for fertilizer and pet food. Photo: Bob Williams. Wiki Commons

A growing number of studies are also showing that marine protected areas (MPAs) can safeguard habitats from destructive fishing, and well-located and strongly protected MPAs increase species diversity, abundance and average size in many species.  The benefits of MPAs include restoring the essential services that functioning marine ecosystems provide and improving fishing by enhancing fish populations outside MPAs (Norse 2010).

A dolphin swims in the azure waters of the Bahamas. Photo: Neil Hammerschlag www.neilhammer.com

“In the short term, there are two kinds of benefits from protecting marine areas,” says Elliott Norse, Founder and Chief Scientist of the Marine Conservation Institute.  “First, within MPAs, the diversity of species, average size of many groups of organisms and total biomass generally increase.  Second, MPAs export eggs, larvae, young and adults of living things into surrounding areas.  But these effects are seen primarily in strongly protected areas, such as no-take marine reserves.  Less-protected areas show far fewer benefits, if any,” he added.

A recent report to the UN Meeting of Biodiversity in Hyderabad, India found that   roughly 2.3% of the ocean is designated as a Marine Protected Area (MPA)(Spalding et al. 2012). Moreover, the report suggested that at the current rate of MPA implementation, global coverage would reach about 10 % in 10 years.

The most recent rise in MPAs is largely attributed to the establishment or expansion of several colossal ones, including:

• UK-controlled Chagos archipelago – 545 thousand sq km MPA
• Australia – 2.7 mil sq km increase in Great Barrier Reef MPA
• Cook Islands plan for a 1.1 million sq km MPA
• New Caledonia plan – 1.4 million sq km MPA

These areas range from strongly protected to existing only on paper.  Paper parks are not MPAs.

Other analysts that filter out bad data (e.g., MPAs that are on land or in freshwaters) or don’t include MPAs that don’t meet even the weakest definition of “protected” have lower estimates of MPA coverage (e.g. MPAtlas.org).  But overestimating MPA coverage is not the most important reason why people overestimate adequacy of the world’s MPAs.  A bigger reason is that many of the world’s MPAs do not actually protect against the greatest threat facing marine species: fishing! For example, many MPAs prevent oil and gas exploration, but do not prevent the removal of wildlife from the ocean. This issue is highlighted in a study by Mora et al. (2006) that examined the effectiveness of MPAs on coral reefs. They found that about 18.7 % of the world’s coral reefs fell within an MPA; but less than 0.1 % of the reefs were managed in a way that prevented fishing or poaching within MPA boundaries. Although these figures are outdated, the message is still clear – although MPA numbers and area are on the rise, the great majority of MPAs don’t prevent fishing or habitat damage caused by fishing. And that’s crucial because fishes (from the sharks, tunas and groupers at the top of the ecological pyramid to the small fishes near the bottom) are major drivers of marine ecosystem processes.  Remove them and you’ve started and uncontrolled experiment that quite probably will dangerously alter marine ecosystem services we humans need.

MPAs are the way we save fishes, which are the oceans’ version of seed corn.  MPAs allow us to save the life forms that will everything evolution has shaped them to do to keep the world’s oceans hospitable for humankind.

Marine reserves (= no-take marine reserves) are a type of MPA that prohibits all extractive activities, including fishing. Reserves significantly rebuild fish biomass in overfished areas. A great example is Cabo Pulmo National Park (CPNP) in the Gulf of California, Mexico. In 2011, Aburto-Oropeza and colleagues published a paper that compared fish biomass among no-take reserves, MPAs that permitted some fishing) and open access areas.  The study found that  four years after establishment of the reserve, there were no significant differences in fish biomass between the most-protected and least-protected areas. However, ten years after establishing the reserve, there was a 463% increase in total fish biomass at the CPNP reserve, including an 11-fold increase in the biomass of top predators! Moreover, fish biomass did not significantly change in other MPAs or open access areas. Not surprisingly, the study also found that the recovery of fish biomass inside CPNP generated significant economic benefits for the local community.

So what about creating a global system of strongly protected MPAs that saves marine life and improves fishing?   There are lots of models.  For example, a growing number of studies suggest that establishing a no-take marine reserve surrounded by an MPA buffer is a useful place-based management strategy.

For those interested in keeping tabs on MPAs, the world’s most comprehensive online map of MPAs was just released (http://www.mpatlas.org). The new interactive mapping tool, called MPAtlas, allows users to see the global scope, scale and distributions.

Marine Protected Areas increase species diversity, abundance and average size in many species. Photo: Neil Hammerschlag

Reference Cited:

Aburto-Oropeza O, Erisman B, Galland GR, Mascareñas-Osorio I, Sala E, Exequiel Ezcurra. (2011) Large Recovery of Fish Biomass in a No-Take Marine Reserve. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23601. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023601

Jackson BC, Kirby MX, Berger WH, Bjorndal KA, Botsford LW et al. (2001). Science 293 (5530), 629-637.

Mora C, Andrèfouët S, Costello MJ, Kranenburg C, Rollo A, Veron J, Gaston KJ, Myers RA. (2006). Ecology. Coral reefs and the global network of Marine Protected Areas. Science 23; 312(5781):1750-1

Myers, R.A. and B. Worm (2003). Rapid worldwide depletion of predatory fish communities. Nature 423:280–283

Norse E. (2010) Ecosystem-based spatial planning and management of marine fisheries: why and how? Bulletin of Marine Science 86(2): 179–195

Spalding MD, Meliane I, Milam A, Fitzgerald C, Hale LZ.The Nature Conservancy – Policy Brief – October 2012 – Aichi Target 11 – Reshaping the global agenda for MPAs

This is the case when it comes to shark fin soup, primarily a Chinese delicacy. The soup itself has no color, taste, or smell and requires addition of chicken, beef, or pork broth to add flavor. However, the cartilage from the shark fin provides texture to the soup. So, why consume it? Because it is a cultural sign of wealth and traditionally consumed at celebratory events including weddings.

Sadly, the demand for shark fin is driving several shark populations toward extinction. Tens of millions of sharks are killed annually for their fins[1]!  However, many shark species are late to mature, have few young and reproduce very infrequently – they are simply being removed faster than they can reproduce. For example, studies suggest that some hammerhead species in the northwest Atlantic have declined over 89% between 1986 and 2000[2]. A new study, which carried out DNA testing on shark fin soup served in 14 U.S. cities, revealed that endangered shark species, including hammerheads, were being served up at local restaurants[3].

Shark meat is rarely consumed. Their tissues contain high levels of urea (as in the main substance found in urine) that helps them osmoregulate in the oceans (jargon that basically means maintaining water balance so they don’t become too dehydrated)[4]. This makes their meat, for the most part, worthless. In contrast, trading in shark fins is extremely lucrative. A single bowl of soup can cost hundreds of dollars. So, when a boat goes out to harvest shark fins, they would prefer not to waste their precious cargo space on massive shark bodies, instead keeping only their fins. So, in most parts of the world, fisherman catch the sharks, hack off their fins, and discard the rest of the shark’s body at sea, leaving them to die on the ocean floor. This act is called “finning.”

In many countries, such as the U.S., finning is illegal. Here, the whole shark has to be brought back to shore before their fins are removed and body discarded. The notion is that this restriction limits the amount of sharks that can be brought back (due to boat space constraints). However, several shark populations have declined so much, that this constraint may not be enough…at this point, it is becoming a numbers game.

Shark fins drying in the sun in Kaohsiung before processing. 30 percent of the world’s shark species are Threatened or Near Threatened with extinction. Photo Credit: Shawn Heinrichs for the Pew Environment Group

Although shark fins are primarily consumed in Asia, shark finning (and fishing for their fins), is a global phenomenon. According to trade data from Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department, 83 countries or territories supplied more than 10.3 million kilograms (22.7 million pounds) of shark fin products to Hong Kong in 2011[5]. The top countries exporting fins to China include Spain, Mexico, and the U.S.

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2011 Imports of Shark Fins into Hong Kong. Figure above and below from Navigating Global Shark Conservation: Current Measures and Gaps[5

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Top 15 countries exporting fins [5

Shark fishing also doesn’t have to be destructive. Shark catch and release fishing is a great way to enjoy the animal and is another way that the economy can benefit from live sharks.

As if you needed another reason to curb your appetite for shark fin, a recent study found that shark fins contain high levels of a neurotoxin called BMAA. This toxin is linked with neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The study suggested that consumers of shark fin put themselves at risk of getting these diseases[10].

Despite the ecological, economical, and health reasons to save sharks, I personally cringe at the thought of allowing a magnificent creature to go extinct under my watch. Sharks have inhabited the planet for 440 million years, surviving many of the worlds’ natural mass extinction events. Now, several shark populations are on that downward spiral to extinction due to human actions. In the future, old episodes on Discovery’s Shark Week may be the only way for people to see several shark species.

The iconic fin of a great white shark cuts through the water, but is it soup bound? (Image courtesy Neil Hammerschlag)

Most consumers of the soup are unaware of these issues. In fact, in Chinese, shark fin soup is often called “fish wing soup.” I believe that increased awareness of these issues will lower the demand and ensure the survival of these species.

What can you do to help? Lots! Here is a list to get you started:

-          Educate yourself (Congrats, you are already doing that)

-          Educate others (Spread the word)

-          Go see sharks (Go on a shark dive)

-          Take your kids to an aquarium (Georgia Aquarium has 4 whale sharks and offers opportunities for swimmers)

-          Practice responsible catch and release fishing

-          Eat sustainable seafood

-          Support the creating of Marine Protected Areas and Shark Sanctuaries

-          Don’t eat shark fin soup and support shark fin bans

-          Encourage and praise restaurants that make the choice not to serve shark fin soup

-          Support reputable shark conservation organizations

-          Support reputable shark conservation research

-          Speak up!