Discovery News: Deep Sea News

Farewell

Craig McClain — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:20:00 -0500

Today marks the end of our tenure here at Discovery Channel. We've enjoyed ourselves here over the last few months and appreciate the opportunity afforded to us. Please join us at our new home at deepseanews.com!

New Ocean Atlas from Her Deepness Sylvia Earle

Peter Etnoyer — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:31:50 -0500

Lets just say for the sake of argument that some day soon we do get our own submarine. Where are we going to go with it? The Tropics or the Poles? Hot vents or cold seeps? So much to do, so little oxygen.

Fortunately, Her Deepness Sylvia Earle and her colleague Linda Glover recently released a new illustrated ocean atlas in full and glorious color to help us make those tough decisions. Its called "Ocean - an Illustrated Atlas."

I haven't seen the book yet, but if somebody sends us a copy we'll be sure to review it. Hint, hint, nudge nudge. The New York Times covers the breaking story on the new Ocean Atlas here. - PJE

TGIF: Dance of the Box Jellies

Peter Etnoyer — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:35:33 -0500

Cheryl (Lewis) Ames, a Research Assistant with the National Systematics Lab of NOAA's Fisheries Service at the Smithsonian, has found that a tiny cubozoan medusa no bigger than a dime called Carybdea sivickisi has an intimate courtship routine. And she caught it in on film!

Its a little too spicy for us to share at the family-friendly Discovery Channel network, but if you go to the Smithsonian NMNH Department of Invertebrate Zoology website called "Jellyfish Romance" you can observe this intricate mating dance. Turn the lights down, sit back, and relax. Cue the music.

Image from Cheryl Lewis Ames. Hat tip to Andrea Q. for the story and the link. - PJE

School of Rock

Peter Etnoyer — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:07:20 -0500

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), Deep Earth Academy, and the Consortium for Ocean Leadership have announced their School of Rock for 2009 -- Cores, CORKS and Hydrology on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The "corks" part does not refer to red wine, nor will Jack Black will be teaching (sigh), but it sounds like a pretty fun week at sea for any science teachers interested to apply.

CORKs are Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits installed in exploratory drill holes to monitor conditions. Its hard core geology, dude. Learn more about CORKS here.

School of Rock 2009 will be a hands-on, research-based expedition for Earth and ocean science educators. Slated for 23 June – 5 July 2009 aboard the JOIDES Resolution, this workshop is open to science teachers at all levels, including undergraduate faculty, preservice, and informal educators. Help spread the word by posting this announcement wherever you can, and sharing with friends and family who teach.

The application and further information are available at http://www.oceanleadership.org/learning/school_of_rock/09. The deadline is Wednesday, 4 February 2009. - PJE

Marine Life Videos are Better with a Live Studio Audience

Kevin Zelnio — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:01:00 -0500

I think I will randomly edit all movies to insert canned laughter at seemingly not funny moments. btw why are the japanese so freakin brilliant??? The musical edits are perfect!

Hat tip to the Pink Tentacle.

Carnival of the Blue #20

Kevin Zelnio — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:48:11 -0500

The 20th edition of the Carnival of the Blue is up at Biomes Blog for all your oceanic oratories. Go there and say hi to Eunice, the 3 foot bristle worm!

Bush Designates 3 New Marine Monuments!

Kevin Zelnio — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:05:29 -0500

I never thought I would say it, but this is a huge BUSH WIN!! And of course a win for the oceans, the Pew Environment Group and Angelo who have worked tirelessly on this for a long time. Congratulations are in order all around.

The Washington Post reports:

"President Bush will create three new marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean Tuesday, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, designated areas that will span 195,280 square miles and protect some of the most ecologically-rich areas of the world's oceans.

The decision to make the designations under the Antiquities Act, coming just two weeks before Bush leaves office, means that he will have protected more square miles of ocean than any person in history. In 2006 Bush created the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, an area of 138,000 square miles.

Two of the areas encompass a region known as the Line Islands, a relatively isolated and uninhabited string of islands in the central Pacific. The third area, in the western Pacific, includes the waters around a few islands in the northern Marianas chain and the Mariana Trench, the deepest ocean canyon in the world.

<snip>

"The president's actions will prevent the destruction and extraction of natural resources from these beautiful and biologically-diverse areas without conflicting with our military's activities and freedom of navigation, which are vital to our national security," Perino said. "And the public and future generations with benefit from science and knowledge. The President has a strong eight-year record of ocean conservation, and these new designated protected areas will comprise the largest area of ocean set aside as marine protected areas in the world."

Say what you will about G.W. Bush, no other individual has protected more ocean in history - over 333,000 square miles of Pacific ocean. The long-term economic value of Mariana Trench Marine National Monument will be invaluable to the people of the Mariana Islands.- KAZ

6-Gill Sharks Attack Submarine

Kevin Zelnio — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:58:06 -0500

Via National Geographic (Link for the firewall impaired)

What a frightening and awesome experience! Did you hear the screeching sound? That's teeth grinding on plexiglass... You can actually see the sub recoil a small bit from some of the less "friendly" nudges. The host notes that the sharks might be attacking because of the electrical signals emitted by the submarine. It makes sense to me but do any of the fish biologists reading want to weigh in? It didn't look like the submarine was doing anything to aggravate the sharks other than by just being there. They aren't attacking the lights, unless it is the light in the submersible. Maybe the sharks didn't like the bait they put out and are "voicing" their opinion? - KAZ

TGIF: TOTELY AWSUM SEE KUKUMBR!!!11!!!!11!

Kevin Zelnio — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:11:32 -0500

Arctic Claims In List of Top 100 Science Stories

Peter Etnoyer — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:09:57 -0500

The Top 100 science stories of the year are now listed at Discover Magazine. The story of Arctic ice retreat, resource claims, and seafloor mapping for the extension of Outer Continental Shelf areas is placing 5th out of that 100. A nice map of Arctic resource claims is provided. The story of Arctic claims ranks highly here at DSN, too. Craig has been reporting dutifully on Russian shenanigans with the MIR submersibles, for example.

The emerging story of Arctic claims is the subject of the United States Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) project, executed under Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration (ICOSRMI) and Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science (JSOST) leadership. Through this program, NOAA applies funds from the Ocean Exploration budget across multiple federal agencies to accomplish the resource mapping entrerprise. The article above contains a link to a NOAA webpage reporting on one of the Ocean Exploration cruises executed by the ECS Task Force, involving the Joint Center at UNH, NOAA, USGS, and USCG.

Hat tip to JP for the story and the link. - PJE