Changing Oceans, Changing Habitat

We've already posted about the Changing Oceans special issue of Science, but we think it's important to focus on how climate change is affecting marine wildlife habitat.

Marine ecosystems are centrally important to the biology of the planet, yet a comprehensive understanding of how anthropogenic climate change is affecting them has been poorly developed. Recent studies indicate that rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving ocean systems toward conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation. The impacts of anthropogenic climate change so far include decreased ocean productivity, altered food web dynamics, reduced abundance of habitat-forming species, shifting species distributions, and a greater incidence of disease. Although there is considerable uncertainty about the spatial and temporal details, climate change is clearly and fundamentally altering ocean ecosystems. Further change will continue to create enormous challenges and costs for societies worldwide, particularly those in developing countries.

Authors Hoegh-Guldberg and Bruno acknowledge that "change has been the norm as Earth has swung through a variety of states in which life has prospered, dwindled, or experienced calamitous declines" as well as the fact that "long-term studies of climate change in the oceans are rare by comparison to those on land." They go on to cite study after study indicating that there is plenty of evidence that change is rapid and driven, at least in part, by human activity. Changing ocean temperatures and composition mean changing currents and nutrient cycles.

Especially visible are the effects of climate change on "habitat-forming species such as corals, sea grass, mangroves, salt marsh grasses, and oysters." When these species are at risk, so are the many species dependent on them. Of course, warmer oceans expands the potential habitat for some. We see warm-water species ranging from sea turtles to sea urchins expanding beyond their normal ranges, but the expansion of warm waters also means the expansion of marine-based diseases and parasites.

Over all, it's important that the conservation community to continue its research as we try to understand more about our changing oceans. We remain committed to playing our role in contributing to scientific understanding. We also continue to take cutting-edge science to the field as we work to mitigate climate change and restore and conserve wildlife habitat from ridge to reef.

Leatherback Conservation on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua

Felicitaciones to our friends at Fauna & Flora International. Their Leatherback Conservation project was named Eco-Index Eco-Initiative of the Month:

Through this project, Fauna and Flora International (FFI) aims to contribute to the conservation of the critically endangered leatherback turtles on the three most important nesting beaches of Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast. This goal builds on FFI’s progress in beach monitoring and capacity building since 2002, and implements critical elements of the Pacific Marine Turtle Strategy in Nicaragua. In addition, FFI will extend its successful protection and monitoring programs at Juan Venado beach and Chacocente Wildlife Refuge to the newly discovered Salamina beach, which could potentially become Nicaragua’s most important leatherback marine turtle nesting beach, and central to ongoing efforts to conserve this species.

Bringing Light to Rural Nicaragua

This week only, you can support Paso Pacífico by participating in this e-Bay auction for one of eight solar powered, designer handbags. Proceeds will go to supporting Paso Pacífico’s program in partnership with Portable Light, which distributes solar-powered lights to women and children in energy-poor Nicaraguan communities. For the many families without electricity, simple nightly tasks like finishing homework or cooking dinner become possible for the first time. Additionally, Paso Pacífico and Portable Light worked together to develop a prototype suitable for use in the field, which includes a soft red light that allows our sea turtle rangers in Nicaragua to monitor these light-sensitive animals without disturbing them.

Elle Magazine, Portable Light, and eight acclaimed fashion designers, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Diane von Furstenberg, collaborated to create the handbags, each outfitted with flexible solar panels that power HBLED lights, USB ports, and a battery pack which allows you to charge your iPod, camera, or phone. These one-of-a-kind bags are on auction THIS WEEK only, until July 15th. All proceeds from the auction will go to Paso Pacífico and Portable Light’s other partners, giving us the resources to continue our mission to protect the environment while empowering local communities. Place your bid today, and be one of the first to join in a new era for fashion and sustainable energy!

For more information about Paso Pacífico and this project, visit our website or watch a Flickr slideshow to see photos of the Portable Lights in action.

The Science of Changing Oceans

"The ocean is a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment, a long-appreciated truth which becomes increasingly apparent as we observe it ever more carefully."

Last month, Science magazine ran a special issue on ocean science and ocean conservation. We especially liked the updates on new technologies for studying the ocean. Two such examples are buoys and fiber-optic cables.

• Buoys: There are now over 4000 science buoys in the world's oceans, gathering temperatures, wave heights, wind speeds, water conductivity profiles, and helping scientists understand ocean dynamics better than ever before.
• Fiber-Optic Cables: Strung from shore and across the ocean floor, fiber-optic cables are gathering data on crustal dynamics and deep-sea ecosystems.

We were also interested in the piece on ocean garbage patches:

Chances are you've heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the vast mass of floating debris midway between Hawaii and California that is twice the size of Texas. Although many media stories conjure up a chunky soup of bottles and tires, it is mostly an unstrained consommé of small bits of floating plastic. And it isn't the only one. A similar accumulation of plastic particles—which include weathered fishing line, Styrofoam, wrappers, and raw resin pellets—has shown up in the North Atlantic Ocean. But the potential harm to marine life is far from clear.

Most of the floating debris is small enough that it's difficult to determine what happens to it. It's also small enough to be ingested by marine life low on the food chain. Further study is necessary to understand what is happening to plastic particulate and how much of its chemicals are absorbed into animal tissue.

ICAPO in Nicaragua

Paso Pacífico’s sea turtle program is made possible through collaboration and information sharing with scientists around the world. Our work with the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO) focuses on the Hawksbill turtle, one of the rarest, most endangered sea turtles in the Eastern Pacific. Last year, Paso Pacífico and scientists from this network successfully placed the first satellite tag on a Hawksbill Sea Turtle in Nicaragua, allowing us to track the path of two Hawksbill turtles through the ocean and learn more about their migration patterns and foraging habits.

This month,  the network is holding its "2nd Workshop on Hawksbill Sea Turtles of the Eastern Pacific" in Nicaragua. This meeting will bring together conservation scientists across the region to discuss innovative conservation tools for saving this beautiful turtle from extinction.

Survivor: Paso del Istmo

News that CBS’s hit reality television show Survivor is filming its Fall 2010 season in the Paso del Istmo dominated Nicaraguan headlines this past month. Filming is taking place south of the popular beach town San Juan del Sur, in a section of the Paso del Istmo Biological Corridor which Paso Pacifico is striving to preserve.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Survivor contestants are left to “survive” unfamiliar terrain, exotic conditions, and hostile competitors, battling to be the last remaining “survivor” who takes the prize.

The show will feature the same tropical dry forests and pristine beaches that Paso Pacifico works to protect and will provide an opportunity for the world to witness the country’s natural beauty, rich biodiversity, and ecological treasures. Paso Pacífico is also coordinating with the Survivor production crew to ensure sea turtle protection and monitoring on beaches where filming is taking place.

Meet the Forester

As our Community Forester, Miguel Melendez plays a lead role conserving forests in the Paso del Istmo by assessing the status of tree seedlings and coordinating the teams of workers that clear weeds and brush. A lifetime farmer, Don Miguel’s leadership and years of experience have helped the trees in our reforestation projects thrive. Don Miguel is also a leader in his community, helping catalyze improvements to schools, roads, and healthcare services.