Ocean protection pays off for green sea turtles

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Study confirms that turtles are using protected areas around Florida

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Green sea turtle. Photo courtesy Andy Bruckner/NOAA.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — U.S. Geological Survey scientists say they’ve tracked endangered green sea turtles in Dry Tortugas National Park and the Florida Keys Marine National Sanctuary, showing that efforts to protect marine habitat are paying off.

The researchers confirmed the turtles’ use of the protected areas by tracking nesting turtles with satellite tags and analyzing their movement patterns after they left beaches. Until now, it was not clear whether the turtles made use of existing protected areas, and few details were available as to whether they were suited for supporting the green sea turtle’s survival.

“Our goal was to better understand what types of habitats they used at sea and whether they were in fact putting these designated areas to use. This study not only shows managers that these designated protected areas are already being used by turtles, but provides insight into the types of habitats they use most,” said the study’s lead author, USGS research ecologist Kristen Hart. (more…)

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Conservation pays off in Florida marine sanctuary

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Limiting fishing and other disturbances can trigger a recovery of marine ecosystems, according to studies conducted at Dry Tortugas National Park. PHOTO COURTESY NOAA.

Researcher document recovery in coral reef ecosystems of Dry Tortugas National Park

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Focused and collaborative conservation efforts can pay off in coral reef ecosystems, federal biologists say, reporting that they’ve documented a resurgence of reef fish and corals in the Dry Tortugas National Park, located about 70 miles west of Key West.

NOAA established the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 2001, consisting of 151 square nautical miles of protected marine habitat. To monitor the progress of this protected area, which had suffered from overfishing and other environmental changes, the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies funded a marine census to examine how the ecosystem was responding after seven years as a protected area.

“We are very encouraged to see that stocks have slowly begun to recuperate since implementing ‘no-take’ marine protected areas in the region,” said Jerry Ault, chief scientist on the project and a professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. “We are currently crunching the data collected to see what adjustments may need to be made to help guide future management decisions to address the issues of biodiversity protection, restoration of ecological integrity, and fishery management.” (more…)

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Everglades pythons threaten adjacent ecosystems

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

An invasive Burmese Python on Her Nest in South Florida. PHOTO COURTESY JEMEEMA CARRIGAN, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

Saltwater may not be an effective barrier to halt the spread of invasive snakes in south Florida

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Invasive Burmese pythons breeding in the Everglades may pose a threat to adjacent ecosystems and even nearby islands like the Florida Keys, according to U.S. Geological Survey scientists who recently tested the pythons for their tolerance to saltwater.

Resource managers had hoped that saltwater would block the spread of pythons from the Everglades, but the study showed the young snakes can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments.

The research was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.

The pythons were released as unwanted pets. They can grow up to 20-feet long in their native Asian habitat. In the Everglades, they’ve been eating gray squirrels, possums, black rats, house wrens, and even bobcats and white-tailed deer. The National Park Service is also concerned that the snakes may be preying on species of concern, including native mangrove fox squirrels and wood storks. The agency estimates that there are now thousands of pythons living in the Everglades. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, endangered species, Environment, Florida, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Environment: Florida Keys ecoystem at risk

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Reef-building corals are declining the Florida Keys, and recovery in uncertain at best. PHOTO COURTESY NOAA.

Annual conditions report outlines threats, shows low rates of recovery for declining species

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Large reef-building corals, fish, sea turtles and many invertebrates are all on the decline in the Florida Keys and recovery is questionable, according to the annual conditions report for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

NOAA scientists say pressure from increasing coastal populations, ship and boat groundings, marine debris, poaching, and climate change are critically threatening the health of the Florida Keys ecosystem. Many historically abundant marine resources such as green sea turtles and coral habitat continue to be at risk with low rates of recovery.

The annual report will guide a comprehensive review of sanctuary regulations and management plan beginning in 2012 and provide an important baseline on the status of sanctuary marine resources. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, coral reefs, Environment, global warming, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Environment: Elkhorn coral disease traced to human waste

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

The human disease serratiosis is caused by the fecal coliform bacterium Serratia marcescens. When it infects coral, as in this case from Key West, Fl., it destroys the overlying coral tissue, revealing the dead, white limestone skeleton underneath. PHOTO COURTESY JAMES PORTER, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

Endangered coral can be protected with better wastewater treatment

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — By analyzing the genetics of bacteria found in partly treated sewage in the Florida Keys, researchers from Rollins College in Florida and the University of Georgia have identified human waste as the source of a pathogen that’s wiped out 88 percent of the elkhorn coral growing in Florida’s offshore reefs in the past 15 years.

The bacterium, Serratia marcescens, causes white pox disease in elkhorn coral. Because of the rapid die-off, the coral was listed under the endangered species act in 2006. Elkhorn coral across the Caribbean is affected by the same disease to varying degrees.

It’s the first time that a human pathogen has been found to cause disease in a marine invertebrate species, said University of Georgia ecology professor James Porter, one of the scientists who recently published their findings in the peer-reviewed open access journal PLoS ONE. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, coral reefs, Environment, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Biodiversity: Rare Florida butterfly gets protection

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

The rare Miami blue butterfly. PHOTO COURTESY ROBERT EIBL.

Can emergency endangered species protecting bring the Miami blue back from the edge of extinction?

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A delicate blue Florida butterfly that’s been buffeted by hurricanes, habitat loss and invasive species now has the full protection of the Endangered Species Act — but will it be enough to save the tiny insect.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week that the Miami blue butterfly gets emergency protection under the landmark environmental law, but only a few known remnant populations remain, mainly in the Florida Keys. The butterfly was thought to be extinct after Hurricane Andrew hit the area in 1992. Whether or not the protections will enable the species to recover remains to be seen, but at least the butterfly now has a fighting chance, according to the environmental group that pushed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make the listing.

“We’re thrilled that the Miami blue now has the Endangered Species Act protection it so desperately needs to survive and recover,” said Tierra Curry, a conservation biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. “We applaud the Service for protecting this very rare and beautiful butterfly on an emergency basis.” (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, endangered species, Environment, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Climate: Florida cold snap devastated some coral reefs

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Photographs of coral colonies from Admiral Reef before (panels a, c, e) and after (panels b, d, f) the cold-water anomaly. Photographs were taken in May 2009 (before) and February 2010 (after). Coral species shown are Montastraea faveolata (a, b), Porites astreoides (c, d), and Siderastrea siderea (e, f). “After” photographs of M. faveolata and P. astreoides (panels b, d) show dead colonies, whereas S. siderea (panel f) remained alive. Pigmentation of dead M. faveolata (panel b) is due to overgrowth of the coral skeleton by cyanobacteria and filamentous algae. PHOTO COURTESY DUSTIN KEMP, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

Water temps below 54 degrees proves fatal to reef system in the Florida Keys

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Amid all the concern over the impacts of rising sea temperatures to coral reefs, University of Georgia researchers have found that cold water is just as bad.

An extended cold snap in Florida in January and February 2010 killed nearly all the coral in a 200- to 300-year-old reef that had survived other extreme events, including the 1998 El Niño bleaching that damaged coral reefs across widespread regions of the world’s oceans.

During the 2010 cold snap, water temperatures at inshore reefs in the upper Florida Keys dropped below 54 degrees and remained below 64 for two weeks. The University of Georgia team had planned to sample corals at Admiral Reef, an inshore reef off Key Largo. When they arrived, they discovered that the reef, once abundant in hard and soft corals, was essentially dead.

“It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen,” said lead researcher Dustin Kemp. “The large, reef-building corals were gone. The severe cold water appeared to kill the corals quite rapidly. Corals and their symbiotic algae have a range of stress tolerance,” Kemp said. “Some can handle moderate stress, some are highly sensitive, and some are in between. But extreme cold is just one stressor among many.” (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, climate and weather, El Niño, Environment, global warming, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Florida’s coral reefs hit hard by record cold water temps

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

A drawing from an 1851 survey of Florida's coral reefs. Click on the image to see NOAA's online library of historical drawings.

Cold-water bleaching in the Keys the first since late 1970s

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — The planet may be heating up, but parts of Florida experienced the coldest December on record, chilling the waters around the Keys to the point that it killed coral reefs.

During the first two weeks of January, water temperatures dropped below 50 degrees, to some of the coldest readings ever recorded, leading to coral bleaching and deaths in the Florida National Marine Sanctuary. Coral reefs generally can’t survive at water temperatures below 60 degrees. The cold snap also killed manatees and untold numbers of fish.

The hardest-hit areas include the inshore and mid-channel reefs from Biscayne Bay in southeast Florida to Summerland Key, according to a press release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Click here to visit NOAA’s coral reef website. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, coral reefs, Environment, global warming, La Niña | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Weekend headlines

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

The Obama administration, led by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, is making significant progress on developing renewable energy resources.

Renewable energy is in the news in a big way …

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The weekend Summit Voice stories tilted toward coverage of renewable energy topics, as we reported on a huge federal push to ease the way for offshore wind power development. Another story looked at the need to develop storage and transmission capacity for renewable energy.

In another big under-reported story, we looked at the settlement of a lawsuit involving billions of dollars of Native American money held in trust and improperly handled by federal officials.

Finally, in the weekend travel feature, we visit a national park in Austria, where we learn how mindful agriculture can help promote biodiversity. Click, read and share with the social media buttons at the end of each story.

 

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Divers hunt lionfish in the Florida Keys

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Teams of divers recently tackled invasive lionfish in the Florida Keys.

Invasive species threaten coral reefs

By Summit Voice

On top of global warming, pollution and over-fishing, coral reefs in the Caribbean are facing a new threat. Voracious lionfish that were probably released from aquariums are taking a big bite out of coral reef ecosystems in places like the Bahamas, said Oregon State University zoologist Mark Hixon, leader of a lionfish study funded with $700,000 of stimulus money via the National Science Foundation.

“This is a new and voracious predator on these coral reefs and it’s undergoing a population explosion,” Hixon said. “The threats to coral reefs all over the world were already extreme, and they now have to deal with this alien predator in the Atlantic. Lionfish eat many other species and they seem to eat constantly. Native fish literally don’t know what hit them,” he added. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, Environment, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

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