Constantine Alexander's blog

Saving the Baltic Sea

Geoengineering efforts to mix oxygen into the Deep Baltic should be abandoned

Over the last decade, an average of 60,000 km2 of the Baltic Sea bottom has suffered from hypoxia without enough oxygen to support its normal ecosystem. Several large-scale geo-engineering interventions are currently on the table as proposed solutions to this problem. Researchers from Lund University are calling for geo-engineering efforts that mix oxygen into the Deep Baltic to be abandoned.

In the June 28 edition of Nature, researchers warn of the unforeseen effects of geo-engineering to relieve the lack of oxygen in bottom waters. "Such radical remediation measures promise impressive improvements in water quality on short time scales. They are popular and politically attractive, but they are also potentially dangerous," says Daniel Conley a researcher at Lund University.

Yet geo-engineering schemes are moving forwards. The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management has announced a plan to build a demonstration wind-turbine-driven pump in the southern Baltic. This is a significant change in current policy to reduce nutrients to the Baltic Sea.

"We are on the pathway to a healthier marine ecosystem. We have scientific knowledge, an active monitoring and assessment program, political organizations in place such as HELCOM, and the countries have agreed upon targets to reduce nutrients in the Baltic Sea Action Plan. We need to let that process work," says Daniel Conley.

"Countries from around the Baltic Sea must immediately implement the national reductions for nutrients that have been agreed upon in the Baltic Sea Action Plan. If actions are postponed further, the situation in the Baltic Sea will continue to worsen," he added.

Conley's and Stadmark's research focuses on how human activities have changed nutrient inputs into the Baltic Sea and the responses of marine ecosystems to changes in human impact and climate.

Contact: Daniel Conley
daniel.conley@geol.lu.se
46-070-749-4341
Lund University

 

Sticky gecko toes arose independently many times during evolution

Geckos have independently evolved their trademark sticky feet as many as 11 times, and lost them nine times, according to research published June 27 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.

There are about 1,450 known species of geckos, and about 60 percent of them have adhesive toepads. The researchers behind the current study, led by Aaron Bauer of Villanova University in Pennsylvania, analyzed the DNA of many gecko species to determine their family relationships and construct the most complete gecko family tree yet. Then, they added the information about whether or not each species had adhesive toepads to determine how the different versions of sticky feet arose. The most likely model, they concluded, is that adhesive toepads arose 11 times, and were lost nine times, over the course of gecko evolution. Overall, the toepads are externally very similar, despite independent evolution, but the authors write that each independent lineage does have visibly unique anatomy.

"Scientists have long thought that adhesive toepads originated just once in geckos, twice at the most," says University of Minnesota postdoctoral researcher Tony Gamble, a coauthor of the study. "To discover that geckos evolved sticky toepads again and again is amazing."

The gecko's amazing clinging ability has inspired engineers to develop various biomimetic technologies, and the new work may help further this work. "Gaining a better understanding of the complex evolutionary history of gecko toepads allows bio-inspired engineers to learn from these natural designs and develop new applications," says co-author Anthony Russell, of the University of Calgary.

Citation: Gamble T, Greenbaum E, Jackman TR, Russell AP, Bauer AM (2012) Repeated Origin and Loss of Adhesive Toepads in Geckos. PLoS ONE 7(6): e39429.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039429

This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and by Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Contact: Lindsay Morton
lmorton@plos.org
41-593-520-94197
Public Library of Science

US research vessel winds down visit to Vietnam as part of joint oceanographic research program

Researchers discussing coastal ocean circulation and land-ocean environmental trends

		The R/V Roger Revelle, an auxiliary general purpose oceanographic research vessel (AGOR 28), is owned by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) and operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The vessel is visiting Vietnam June 22-29, highlighting the partnership between ONR and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology as part of a five-year research endeavor, the Joint Vietnam-US Research Program on the Oceanography of the Vietnamese East Sea and Land-Ocean Interaction. US Navy Photo.

U.S. scientists and Vietnamese researchers will discuss coastal ocean circulation and land-ocean environmental trends this week as the R/V Roger Revelle, an auxiliary general purpose oceanographic research vessel (AGOR 28), continues its nine-day port call in the city of Da Nang.

Owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the advanced research vessel arrived in Vietnam on June 22. Its visit highlights partnership between ONR and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology as part of a five-year research endeavor, the Joint Vietnam-U.S. Research Program on the Oceanography of the Vietnamese East Sea and Land-Ocean Interaction.

ONR promotes scientific research and technology development on behalf of the U.S. Navy. The five-year oceanographic research program will pair U.S. scientists from leading universities and research institutions to execute joint research on the complex ocean dynamics of the Vietnamese East Sea and its interactions with the Mekong River. The program also will include training; exchanges between U.S. and Vietnamese scientists and university students; and joint publication of research results in international, peer-reviewed journals.

		The R/V Roger Revelle, an auxiliary general purpose oceanographic research vessel (AGOR 28) owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is making a nine-day port call in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam. The US and Vietnam are working on a five-year oceanographic research program that will pair U.S. scientists from leading universities and research institutions to execute joint research on the complex ocean dynamics of the Vietnamese East Sea and its interactions with the Mekong River. US Navy Photo.

"The circulation and structure of the Vietnamese East Sea is strongly driven by monsoon winds and precipitation," said Scott Harper, ONR program manager for the project. "This leads to interesting seasonal variability that can be hard to model or predict without a good basic understanding of the physical processes involved. Through this project, we will be able to improve forecasts from our integrated weather, wave and ocean models in the Western Pacific, which will enable safer and more efficient naval operations."

Harper added that it will be interesting to see if global change has impacted the region's oceanography in any way, and to explore what changes might be expected in the future.

"Science expands our knowledge of the world and deepens our understanding of each other," said David B. Shear, U.S. ambassador to the country. "This program will strengthen relationships between the U.S. and Vietnamese scientific communities and provide key information to help Vietnam address pressing environmental challenges, such as climate change."

Dr. Nguyen Quan, Vietnamese minister for science and technology, and a delegation of other officials joined Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder at ONR headquarters in Arlington, Va., on June 20 to discuss the collaborative initiative.

Participating universities and research institutions include: Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, the University of Washington, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Oregon State University, with Vietnamese scientists from Institute of Geology and Marine Geophysics, the Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography, the Institute of Marine Environment and Resources, the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands, and other scientific agencies and universities in Vietnam.

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 30 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and more than 900 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,065 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

Contact: Peter Vietti
onrcsc@onr.navy.mil
703-588-2167
Office of Naval Research

UCSB scientists compile first study of potential for tsunamis in northwestern California

Using studies that span the last three decades, scientists at UC Santa Barbara have compiled the first evidence-based comprehensive study of the potential for tsunamis in Northwestern California. The paper, "Paleoseismicity of the Southern End of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Northwestern California," was co-written by professors Edward Keller and Alexander Simms from UCSB's Department of Earth Science, and published in a recent issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

The paper is based on the Ph.D. dissertation of David Valentine, a research programmer at the Spatial Information Systems Laboratory at UC San Diego. Valentine, Keller's former student, completed his doctorate at UCSB in 2002 and is first author of the paper.

The region has long been known to experience large earthquakes, and scientific studies of seismic activity in the southern end of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) –– which stretches northward from the area of Mendocino, Calif. –– have previously appeared in grey literature and in guidebooks. However, comprehensive, reviewed evidence-based work has been lacking, according to Keller.

"Science goes on evidence," he said, adding that in light of the recent earthquakes in Japan and Chile, the study of the same potential closer to home is "timely." The authors studied sedimentation patterns in salt marshes, floodplains, and estuaries in the northwestern corner of California for signs of seismic events that could lead to tsunami activity. They combined this with information gathered from numerous studies conducted over nearly 30 years by researchers at Humboldt State University

During an earthquake, the researchers say, there is a tendency for the coastal wetlands to become submerged, with coastal sediments depositing over plants and animals that live there. These become a fossilized record of sea-level change in the area.

The process has preserved a sequence of marsh surfaces and forest soils. Analysis of structure, texture, and organic content, as well as the use of radiocarbon dating to identify the age of the materials, revealed evidence of smaller strong-to-major earthquakes in the area (magnitude 6.5 to 7.2). Larger quakes (greater than magnitude 8.2) that involved the regional subduction zone, were also in evidence.

According to the study, the local California section has experienced three major earthquakes over the last 2000 years, and accompanying local sea-level changes at roughly 300- to 400-year intervals, with the last one occurring 500 to 600 years ago. The researchers also found that the entire CSZ erupted, causing local submergence at least three times in roughly 500- to 600- year intervals, the last activity taking place in 1700 AD.

"It's not a matter of if, but when," said Keller, of the potential for the next major earthquake/tsunami event in the region –– a great earthquake that would impact not only the Northwest, but also send waves to Japan and Hawaii. The evidence, he said, is leading to far more foresight and planning along the impact areas in the region to avoid catastrophes on a level with the Japan earthquake of 2011 or the Indian Ocean quake of 2004.

Other researchers contributing to the study include Gary Carver, a professor emeritus at Humboldt State University; Wen Hao Li from Northrup Grummond Co. in Redondo Beach; and Christine Manhart from Environmental Services and Consulting in Blacksburg, Va.

Contact: Sonia Fernandez
sonia.fernandez@ia.ucsb.edu
805-893-4765
University of California - Santa Barbara

Dying trees in Southwest set stage for erosion, water loss in Colorado River

Pinyon pine forests near Los Alamos, N.M., had already begun to turn brown from drought stress in the image at left, in 2002, and another photo taken in 2004 from the same vantage point, at right, show them largely grey and dead. (Photo by Craig Allen, U.S. Geological Survey)

New research concludes that a one-two punch of drought and mountain pine beetle attacks are the primary forces that have killed more than 2.5 million acres of pinyon pine and juniper trees in the American Southwest during the past 15 years, setting the stage for further ecological disruption.

The widespread dieback of these tree species is a special concern, scientists say, because they are some of the last trees that can hold together a fragile ecosystem, nourish other plant and animal species, and prevent serious soil erosion.

The major form of soil erosion in this region is wind erosion. Dust blowing from eroded hills can cover snowpacks, cause them to absorb heat from the sun and melt more quickly, and further reduce critically-short water supplies in the Colorado River basin.

The findings were published in the journal Ecohydrology by scientists from the College of Forestry at Oregon State University and the Conservation Biology Institute in Oregon. NASA supported the work.

"Pinyon pine and juniper are naturally drought-resistant, so when these tree species die from lack of water, it means something pretty serious is happening," said Wendy Peterman, an OSU doctoral student and soil scientist with the Conservation Biology Institute. "They are the last bastion, the last trees standing and in some cases the only thing still holding soils in place."

"These areas could ultimately turn from forests to grasslands, and in the meantime people are getting pretty desperate about these soil erosion issues," she said. "And anything that further reduces flows in the Colorado River is also a significant concern."

It's not certain whether or not the recent tree die-offs are related to global warming, Peterman said. However, the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected that while most of the United States was getting warmer and wetter, the Southwest will get warmer and drier. Major droughts have in fact occurred there, and the loss of pinyon pine and juniper trees would be consistent with the climate change projections, Peterman said.

Pinyon pine and juniper are the dominant trees species in much of the Southwest, routinely able to withstand a year or two of drought, and able to grow in many mountainous areas at moderate elevation. The trees are common in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, and may have expanded their range in the past century during conditions that were somewhat wetter than normal.

In some places up to 90 percent of these trees have now died, many of them during a major drought in 2003 and 2004. The new research concluded that most of the mortality occurred in shallow soils having less than four inches of available water in about the top five feet of the soil column.

Most of the tree mortality, the scientists said, was caused by trees being sufficiently weakened by drought that opportunistic bark beetle epidemics were able to kill the pinyon pine, and the vascular system of the juniper ceased to function.

Traditionally, pinyon pine and juniper were not considered trees of significant value. They were occasionally used for firewood, but otherwise small and not particularly impressive.

They perform key ecosystem functions, however, not the least of which is stabilizing soils and preventing erosion. They also provide some food in the form of pine nuts and juniper berries, and store carbon in their biomass, and in the soils beneath their canopies.

Contact: Wendy Peterman
wendy@consbio.org
541-757-0687
Oregon State University

EU LIFE and coastal management

2012 - 96 pages

Coastal zones are a key source of raw materials and ecosystems services, sustaining the transport, trade, tourism and leisure sectors while at the same time supporting important natural habitats. A high proportion of EU citizens live by the coast and the well being of these habitats is thus vital to local economies and local health. As a result, it is essential to make use of long-term management tools, such as Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The LIFE programme has played an important role in the development of ICZM through a Demonstration Programme (1996 to 1999) and is continuing to fund a wide range of coastal projects.

This LIFE focus publication highlights those projects that have developed best practices on such issues as dealing with coastal erosion, encouraging sustainable tourism, developing technology to tackle oil spills and integrating urban and rural communities with coastal habitats. Such LIFE projects and many others have demonstrated how policy has fed into practice for the benefit of Europe's coastal regions.

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