Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Seashells on the Seashore

Seashells on the Seashore
Kiera O'Neill



If you have ever visited a beach, you have probably taken a seashell at some point. Have you ever thought of what that can do to the ecosystem? By removing shells from beaches, it could damage ecosystems, and endanger organisms that need the shells to survive. Sea shells provide material to make nests for birds, an attachment for algae, shelter for hermit crabs, and as a hideout for fish. 




Researchers have found that when tourism increases at beaches, the number of shells then decreases. This can lead to a decline in the overall health of the beach. One research group, studied the coast of Spain's north-eastern shore, where they conducted monthly data research of seashell abundance between the years of 1978 and 1981. They found that throughout the years, tourism had increased by 300% in the area, while seashells had decreased by 60%. This shows that the behavior of humans impacted the decline in seashells. Shells break down, and provide essential nutrients to organisms that live in the sand. If tourists remove shells, there is an increase on beach erosion, a drop in biodiversity of animals and plants that depend on shells, and a decline in calcium carbonate from recycled shells.





Shells play an important role in the ecology of all beaches and oceans. Once removed, some marine life is greatly impacted, left without shelter and protection from predators and wave exposure.  By removing the spiral shells that hermit crabs house in, they have to find new shelter, living in toxic plastic waste. These items don't fit the curvature of their bodies and make it uncomfortable and potentially dangerous to their living conditions. Other than hermit crabs being affected, shells also provide shelter or an attachment for microorganisms. Crabs, octopuses, and fish also use shells to protect themselves from predators. 
In Costa Rica, it is illegal to remove seashells from all beaches, unless the collector has a permit. Although many get away with it, if put in carry on bag and it is searched by security, it can be confiscated. In Florida, a tourist was sent to prison for trying to take seashells from the beach. In Florida it is illegal to take conch shells if they are still living. The tourist was found guilty and spent 15 days in prison and had a fine of $500. The tourist was traveling from Dallas and had intended on taking the shells to give as gifts back home. This is an ongoing problem with tourism as many are uninformed of the laws where they are travelling. By doing an act they think is harmless, they then face the consequences. Some people are taking actions to inform people how to collect seashells in an eco-friendly manner. Some tips are: Don't take anything that is alive, any large shells or spiral shells, and to take less if you must.








Questions: 
1. Have you ever taken shells from the beach?
2. What can we do to help minimize this problem?
3. Were you aware of the effects taking shells from the beach has on the environment? 


Sources:

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Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Poaching Problem

Poaching Problem
Sameeksha Nalla

The amount of endangered animals has risen from roughly 11000 to roughly 41000 from last year to this year. While there are multiple reasons why this number has increased so drastically in such a short span of time, one of those major reasons is poaching. Poaching is illegally hunting or capturing of animals for various purposes such as meat, money, or medicine, and it has very strong negative effects on the environment.


In areas where there is rampant poaching, the populations of animals that are illegally hunted such as rhinos, elephants, and wolves are decreasing more rapidly than the species can recover which is leading to a majority of those species to become threatened, endangered, or extinct. The environment is also suffering due to the decrease in all of these species at the same time. 

As one species is poached, it becomes endangered and threatens the stability of the environment in the process as the environment of the poached species is usually sensitive, and this imbalance can lead to other species to become threatened, endangered, or extinct since all of the species in that environment are connected through the food web. 

For example, the North American gray wolf was almost extinct due to poaching. Since the North American gray wolf is a keystone species in its environment, Yellowstone National Park, the decrease in wolves caused the food chain to slowly crumble as the elk population soared due to a lack of predators. With virtually no predators, the elk almost ate the aspen tree to extinction. Ever since the North American gray wolves have been reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, the elk populations have stabilized, but more importantly, the aspen population came back from the brink of extinction.


What are some potential solutions to poaching? 
What would you do to combat the effects of poaching on the environment? 
Would you ever own an animal product that was obtained through the method of poaching?






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Wednesday, October 2, 2019

A Slithering Problem

Johniel Najera

At least when I think about my personal fears, snakes come to mind. This is shared with a large amount of the population in the world. However, there are some people that like to keep certain breeds such as the Burmese python as pets. These people do not think of the future of their pet and the environment. A large snake like that is not meant to be kept in a small enclosure being watched by someone who most likely does not have an advanced degree in zoology which would give them the ability to take care of the animal. So when the owner no longer wants to take care of the large snake, they just let them go. This is what has and is happening in Florida. People do not think about what they are doing and how it will change in the future which is why the python is an invasive species in Florida. 


In the 80’s, a small amount of Burmese pythons got released into Florida, and as invasive species do, their numbers grew rapidly. Almost nothing eats this large snake, so they were free to grow in numbers. They had an easy time finding prey and dominating the ecosystem that they lived in. They preyed on birds and mammals and they have now drove some species into the endangered list. This is a classic example of how an invasive species can completely disrupt how and ecosystem functions. This animal was introduced at first in the 80’s, and then more as owners released them after having pets. This led to them finding prey in the wild and since they are a natural dominant predator, it was easy for them to do this. This lead to their numbers growing rapidly and their prey numbers dropping. With no natural predator, this trend will continue until all the prey is gone, destroying the ecosystems that are important to the environment and people of Florida.


It is only fair that since humans created the problem, that they try to fix it. Programs such as civilian hunting initiatives have been created to help stop the growth of the population. People can go out and capture and kill this python as an effort to save their ecosystems. An agency also hires 25 hunters that can locate these animals and kill them. They get paid an hourly wage, but serve as protectors of the wildlife that is trying to survive and beat these invasive animals. They have made a dent in the population with over 1000 kills, but they know that there is still a lot to be done. The experts on this issue have a hard time determining how many snakes there are, so it will be very hard to know based on the snake population when major change has been achieved. However, the environment would change and adapt back to what it was before the snakes if the numbers were low enough to where native species could repopulate. 


There is one more concern with the Burmese python issue in Florida: they are breeding so much that a new hybrid has been created. When something like this occurs, the new hybrid has a better ability to survive in that environment and have unique characteristics that give it special advantages in the environment. These specific snakes have already adapted to the environment to be able to disrupt the food web to their advantage, and now they will be more suitable to the environment that they already control. Scientists are fearful that this will only end badly for the people of Florida and their ecosystems if nothing is done. Without more education and awareness of this huge issue, it will never be solved. Citizens of Florida need to stop buying these snakes as pets only to release them a few years later because they are too big. They need to step up and know how to prevent this from happening so that they can stop this invasive species take over.



Questions:

Would you ever own a pet snake? Why or why not?
What other systems could be put into place to lower the number of pythons in Florida?
Do you agree with the killing of the snakes? Or do you think they should be captured and kept somewhere else?

Sources:



https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/insane-snake-attacks/7/

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Overfishing

Overfishing
by: Zachary Luong

 Humanity has long overlooked the consequences of depending on the seas in order to survive. Similarly, like every other natural resources, the seas are becoming depleted at an intense rate which is identified as the problem of overfishing. Due to overfishing, a large amount of marine species are becoming endangered, causing the disruption of food chains and ecosystems, as well as causing an insecurity for human consumption of resources, due to the overall lack of fish in the sea. 
Environmentalist can agree that Overfishing has brought upon negative effects not just for wild animals, but as well have a backlashing effect on humanity as well. As seen in an article written by the Ceo of World Wildlife Fund Australia, the author gives first hand experience of the negative effects from overfishing on local fisheries: “I saw local fishermen returning at the end of each day with fewer fish to feed their families. I watched as they unloaded their diminished catches, made up mostly of juvenile fish.... It is as much a humanitarian issue and one with profound implications for food security as demand for seafood...” Similarly, in The State Of World Fisheries And Aquaculture, The Food and Agriculture Organization statistics show how marine fishery resources has continued to decline. Statistics also show that the rate of consumption of fish has gone over sustainable rate: “Between 1961 and 2016, the average annual increase in global food fish consumption (3.2 percent) outpaced population growth (1.6 percent)” 
In other respects, it is known that overfishing has caused problems with ecosystems not just by the general decrease in fish in the sea, but as well for putting other aquatic species at risk. For example, according to Jesse R. Zaneveld, the Microbiologist informs: “...overfishing and nutrient pollution impact reefs down to microbial scales, killing corals by sensitizing them to predation, above-average temperatures and bacterial opportunism.” Another way that overfishing causes issues with aquatic ecosystems is through bycatches which is through the process of fishing, a non-target species can be inadvertently killed, injured or impacted. Conjointly, Overfishing is not just a problem in the vast oceans but as well in inland waters. The constant fishing of an individual species in inland waters not only threaten fisheries from making a profit but as well threaten ecosystems to face a biodiversity crisis. For example, the Murray Cod which is native to the Murray-Darling River of Southern Australia and is relatively slow producing, has experienced a sharp decline in population as catch statistics shows during the 1940-1950s. 
As a result of overfishing, we humans have diminished a critical amount of resources in our oceans. Because of overfishing, not only have we negatively affected the environment around us but have brought damage upon ourselves. HOWEVER, there are organizations providing solutions to fix this issue. For instance the Marine Conservation Institute plans to create 10% of our oceans to be marine protected areas. Additionally, The chinese government has placed a ban on trawling that took into effect in December 2012. 

The solutions to overfishing do not only rely on big organizations but onto you as well. As consumers, we can also help avoid the problems of overfishing by making smarter choices by: buying locally, avoiding big fish which have been overfished for years, consuming smaller fish, consuming wild instead of farmed fish, etc. Above all, the most vital solution we could have is the education and spread of awareness of overfishing.

Questions:

Do you like seafood?

Were you aware of the problems faced with overfishing?

What do you think are some long term effects of overfishing?

How can you help fight overfishing? 

Sources:

http://therevolutionmovie.com/index.php/open-your-eyes/overfishing/solutions/

www.theguardian. com/sustainable-business/2016/feb/16/overfishing-is-as-big-a-threat-to-humanity-as-it-is-to-our-oceans.

www.jstor.org/stable/30245163.




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Thursday, September 26, 2019

How Long Do We Have Left?

The Yellowstone Super volcano
JP Lipari
   
Deep in the heart of the most famous national park in our country lies what many believe to be the most dangerous entity in our nation. Beneath the surface of the spectacular Yellowstone national park lies the Yellowstone super volcano, which is believed to have produced three of the biggest eruptions in human history. The volcano is caused by plumes of magma rising due to convection currents in the mantle. Once the magma reaches the rocky crust it melts the rocks there, and then more magma is produced. Over time this creates hotspots of volcanic activity. This process eventually yielded two magma chambers of partially molten, part solid rock close to ground level in Yellowstone. These chambers emitted so much heat onto the crust above it, the crust actually expanded causing faults to from on the newly expanded ground. At last the magma chambers pushed their contents up through the cracks, and huge amounts of pressure, volcanic gasses, and magma combined to create potentially the largest volcanic eruptions in history. Ash from the explosion stretched as far away as Missouri, or 5,790 square miles. Estimates have concluded that this was roughly 6,000 times more volcanic material than Mt. St. Helen’s.

On the off chance that the Yellowstone supervolcano were to explode to its full potential, the greater Midwest region of the United States would be left in dier conditions. However, due to the immense size of the volcano there would be ample warning to anyone in the vicinity that doomsday was near. At least a couple weeks of intense seismic rumbling would have to occur in order to crack the rocks enough for an eruption to happen. That said, the main source of danger would actually be the ash produced by the explosion, not the lava itself. The ash generated by the explosion would affect the entire continental United States to varying degrees. The states surrounding the national park: Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Utah would see parts if not all of their territory devastated by the splintered rock and glass that makes up the volcanic ash. That volcanic ash is lethal to humans, animals, plants, and potentially could even destroy structures. In addition to the immediate impact it would have on the people near the volcano, the whole country would see air quality drastically drop. This means agriculture and quality of life would plummet for the entire country.

Although it is interesting to speculate what the implications of the super volcano might be, it is quite unlikely that anyone alive today or the near future would experience it. The U.S. Geological Survey has done the math on the theoretical probability of the volcano exploding in any given year is about a .00014 chance, which happens to be less than the odds of being killed by a lethal asteroid. There is also a chance that the volcano might never end up exploding due to the movements of the North American tectonic plate. The magma needs to gain more heat from underneath then it losses to the crust above to remain active, and with the North American sliding southwest the hot spot is moving northeast. This is yet another piece of evidence scientists have gathered to put themselves at ease when it comes to the matter. What is much more likely to occur some time soon are small events resulting in lava flows. This lacks the nation-wide devastation that an eruption entails, and instead would only spell local issues.

However, this is not the only natural disaster that has been under the microscope in recent years however. As geologists and seismologists have improved and developed new technology, concern around the world has grown around looming natural disasters. Almost the entire United States is under warning of a huge natural disaster to occur at some point. From earthquake induced tsunamis ravaging both coasts, to climate change powered hurricanes tearing apart Florida, the world could be in for a world of hurt in the coming years. Although it would be near impossible to prepare for most or all of these possibilities, we have to make use of our foresight into their possibility. Organizations like the Red Cross would be stretched too thin if asked to save areas as big as the whole Midwest United States, so some other entity would have to step and help.
Questions:
Which group / organization should be responsible for preparing for these natural disasters?

   Does the world have the capability to bounce back from a devastating event such as the Yellowstone supervolcano exploding?

 How could we potentially tie our class goal into helping with these looming disasters?
Sources:


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Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Climate Change is Killing the Corals

Climate Change is Killing the Corals

Mincheol Kim

The ocean and its plastic pollution has gained more media coverage recently. As a result, more people have started to try to reduce their plastic usage, like by using reusable bags instead of plastic ones or using a metal straw to “save the turtles”. However, plastic isn’t the only threat to the ocean and turtles and birds aren’t the only marine life that are dying due to human activity. Coral reefs have been silently dying off for decades and scientists have recently figured out that climate change is a main factor of their death.
Climate change can directly cause corals to die or “bleach” (called because a coral turns white and loses its vibrant colors when it dies). Researchers have found that an algae essential to corals called zooxanthellae starts to die at temperatures above 86.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Global warming can also indirectly cause mass bleaching of coral reefs. Fertilizer runoff from farms brings in excess nitrogen and phosphorus into the ocean. This then throws off the natural ratio of phosphorus and nitrogen currently in the ocean, which causes certain membranes in the corals to break down. This ultimately causes the corals’ ability to survive in high light and temperatures to diminish, thus dying in the warmer waters caused by climate change.
Currently, coral reefs are dying at an extreme rate and show no sign of slowing down. The Great Barrier Reef has gone through four mass bleaching events since 1998 due to higher average sea temperatures and is expected to undergo another one in the coming years. According to Terry Hughes, a professor for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook, while there many be a couple minor ways to reduce coral deaths, the only solution is “to tackle the root cause of global warming by reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero as quickly as possible.”
While saving the turtles are important, they aren’t the only marine life that are facing mass death rates. Coral reefs play a vital role for both humans and animals. They house a diverse group of marine life, assist in carbon and nitrogen fixation, and help with nutrient recycling. For humans, they are able to generate money through fishing and tourism as well as providing food and medicine. Finally, coral reefs are a natural barrier that protects the coastline from wave damage and tropical storms, such as hurricanes, which is why we need to pay attention to the damage we have done to coral reefs and search for ways to fix it.


Questions:
Are there any solutions to rebuilding the coral reef habitat?
How can you raise awareness towards this issue?
What are some small steps everyone can take that will reduce mass bleaching?

Sources:



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Thursday, September 19, 2019

Climate Change Shakes Things Up!


Climate Change Shakes Things Up!

 By: Shaan Jani

I believe it's safe to say that people are growing more and more familiar to the concept of climate change. We've all heard that one guy say, "your old six cylinder car is emitting way too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." And of course we've all made the argument that we, as humans, are obligated to the future purchase of a Tesla to "save the environment." Aside from the concerns of droughts, the melting of ice caps, the loss of habitats, and flooding, climate change has, quite literally, decided to shake things up. The idea that climate change has a connection to earthquakes is attempting to make the change from science fiction to reality. 


Image result for earthquake images


Earthquakes, being a topic of much concern and many questions, is being debated over its effect being rooted to climate change. To understand how these earthquakes could have a connection to climate change, we should explore earthquakes themselves. The Earth isn't lazy, it's just kind of slow. 
The heat of the mantle and the pull of subduction zones account for the movement of tectonic plates at the speed of two to three centimeters per year. As a result, tectonic plates react with one another, sometimes rubbing against each other, creating fault lines such as that running down California known as the North American San Andean fault.  

Image result for san andreas fault

So how can our involvement in the Earth's atmosphere have any affect on this enormous process? Some researchers suggest the answer lies in the melting of our enormous ice caps. In a study assessing the changes in the fault line running between Denmark and the Pleistocene Epoch, researchers model how changes in glaciers ultimately cause faulting, therefore, earthquakes 12.5 million to 12 thousand years ago. The research by Dr. Brandes and his colleagues even suggest that the stress caused by the melting of ice-sheets in the last Ice Age around autumn of 1612, may have been the root cause of the Osning Thrust's fault reactivation and earthquakes. Other researchers make the claim the reduced atmospheric pressures, due to climate change, allows for the increased rate of typhoons which have enough force to induce an earthquake!  

Image result for glaciers melting

Although there is research in support of the connection between climate change and earthquakes, the matter is still refuted and deemed controversial. Small amounts of research regarding odd hurricane patterns is traced backed to the effects of events such as El Nino and Multidecadal Oscillation. There is simply not enough research to make any long lasting claims that our effect on the environment has a direct relationship to an even larger scale mode of mayhem. However, the normal, boring, everyday effects of climate change are topics of much importance. Regardless of its implication in being a reason to buy a Tesla, it is important that we all take the time to consider what exactly we are putting our home through. 


Image result for tesla next to cars with gas


Questions:


Were you aware of the debate regarding climate change's connection with earthquakes?

What are some other effects of climate change you would think people are unfamiliar with?

Climate change seems to be an immense issue, what are some small things we can do to help make a change for the better?


Links to Sources!









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