Water status

AM Paddle Surf... Crystal clear water again, turbidity has diminished greatly in the last week. Nirvana! Life Guard reported seeing a Manatee.

Oct 9th Red Tide status is:

SOUTHWEST COAST

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Manatee, Lee and Collier counties or offshore of Hillsborough, Sarasota, Charlotte and Monroe counties. A sample collected alongshore of Mullet Key (Pinellas County) and a sample collected offshore of Manatee County contained very low concentrations of K. brevis. One sample collected alongshore of Longboat Key, inside of Sarasota Bay (Sarasota County) and one sample collected at Gasparilla Fishing Pier (Charlotte County) also contained very low concentrations of K. brevis. A research cruise currently being conducted offshore of southwest Florida has detected levels of K. brevis ranging from background to low concentrations offshore of Lee and Collier counties, west and south of Sanibel Island. Discolored water alongshore of Redington Beach (Pinellas County) is due to a bloom of the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum. No impacts have been reported from this bloom.

Visit http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=4434 for the Florida Red Tide Current Status Report and select the statewide summary or a region of interest for more information and sampling details.

Seagrass Survey Program Awards

Yesterday I enjoyed participating in the recognition of the work of Sea Grass Survey monitoring team at Sarasota County offices. Several of the commissioners were there including Jon Thaxton, Shannon Staub, Joe Barbetta and County Administrator Jim Ley all confirming their support of Sea Grass monitoring and other valuable volunteer programs in Sarasota County. Another example of what good positive partnerships can do for the community.

The next winter survey takes place in February if I remember correctly and I'll post the info as soon as I receive it. If you want to learn about sea grasses, marine life and the watershed, AND socialize and have a good time put it down on your to-do calendar.

Summer dead zones off Oregon coast here to stay, OSU researchers say

After another recent trip to Oregon and doing some 'crabbing' too in an undisclosed location (of course). I always watch to see any changes in the local watersheds and ocean. Here's the latest from Scott at the Oregonian. Thanks Scott for allowing me to use your article!

By Scott Learn, The Oregonian

October 08, 2009, 5:44PM

View full sizeElizabeth GatesDungeness crabs washed ashore at Cape Perpetua as the ocean off Oregon experienced "dead zone" conditions in the summer of 2004. Researchers said today such dead zones will likely occur every summer.



























The waters off Oregon's coast experienced low-oxygen conditions for the eighth consecutive year in 2009, Oregon State University researchers said Thursday, an indication that late summer "hypoxic" conditions that can kill crabs and other sea creatures near the ocean floor are here to stay.

"We've been looking hard at this problem for eight years now, and each year we've seen hypoxia," said Jack Barth, an OSU oceanography professor. "I really think we're in a new pattern offshore here. I would expect hypoxia to show up to some degree every year now."

The increase in persistent, strong winds and in ocean surface temperatures that are helping drive the phenomenon are consistent with changes predicted by climate change models, Barth said, meaning the problem could worsen if global warming projections pan out.

This summer, the winds that fuel annual upwelling died down in August and September, when oxygen levels are usually lowest. That allowed Oregon to avoid the severe hypoxia and significant biological "dead zones" that appeared in force in 2006, OSU researchers said.

But it was a close call in some spots: In early August, the oxygen level got as low as 0.5 milliliters per liter off Newport and Cape Perpetua, which is at the cusp of being classified as "severe," before the winds eased and oxygen levels rose. Crabs, anemones, sea stars, sea cucumbers and other creatures can die off when oxygen levels get too low.

The hypoxia area near the ocean floor, stretching from Oregon into Washington, was about average in size and duration in comparison with recent years, the researchers said.

It was less severe than 2006, when strong and steady winds led to zero-oxygen, or "anoxic" conditions, and caused alarming die-offs of crabs and other creatures, Barth said.

The low-oxygen areas are typically labeled "dead zones." But Barth and Francis Chan, a senior research professor in OSU's Department of Zoology, said that's an oversimplification. Ocean monitoring has increased dramatically with the help of crabbers and fishermen, but not enough to determine changes in ocean life beyond limited areas.

Creatures closer to the surface and those adapted to lower oxygen levels aren't as vulnerable. Some can escape to higher oxygen areas; crabbing in more oxygenated bays was "phenomenal" in 2006, Chan said, as many crabs appeared to take refuge there. Some densely populated reefs also appear to fare better than others.

But the steady rise of low-oxygen waters in the summer does appear to have decimated sea cucumber populations on the most severely affected reefs, the researchers said. It's also a significant change in how nature operates near the coast.

"We can't prove that it's a disaster right now, but we're affecting a lot of pieces of the marine food web," Barth said. "It comes down to how big (the change is), how severe and how long-lasting."

Unlike hypoxic areas in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast, which are caused by agricultural runoff and pollution, the low-oxygen waters off Oregon are triggered by summertime upwelling -- the wind-driven mixing of cold, nutrient-rich deep water with surface waters.

The upwelling generates large phytoplankton blooms. As the plankton dies, it sinks to the bottom and decomposes, lowering the oxygen level of the water just off the seafloor.

Summertime upwelling is normal off the coast. But Chan said ocean oxygen records dating to the 1950s indicate the low oxygen levels off Oregon's coast since 2002 are "unprecedented."

In the past, winds would blow at the coast for a week or so, then settle down, Barth said, easing the upwelling and allowing low-oxygen waters to be washed away. Now strong winds may last 20 to 30 days.

Climate change is likely playing a role already, Barth said. Warmer ocean surface temperatures in the North Pacific are decreasing the amount of oxygen descending to the same deep ocean waters that well up in the summer. That pattern seems clearly tied to climate change, he said.

It's less clear if the stronger, more persistent winds in recent years are tied to climate change, Barth said. But global warming models predict more winds off Oregon's coast if temperatures rise. Warming would increase the temperature differential between land and ocean, he said, a key driver of wind.

That would mean more windy and cold summer days at the beach, Barth said, as the strong winds blow across summertime's cooler coastal waters.

"You'll notice it," he said. "You won't be able to wear your shorts."

-- Scott Learn

Symposium to Address Sea Level Rise in Southwest Florida

Pretty interesting stuff, more-so in just how its going to effect our watershed in the now and future... the full conference agenda is available at www.mote.org/lsi and it can also be viewed online at www.scgov.net . Quick overview and if you want in depth details go to the Mote Marine site....

If Floridians are going to withstand the rise in sea level that is expected to accompany climate change, planning needs to start now, according to a new policy assessment by the Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory.

According to the report "Policy Tools for Local Adaptation to Sea Level Rise" by Barbara Lausche, Deputy Director of the Marine Policy Institute, scientists project that sea level may rise as much as 14 inches by 2080, and possibly by two feet or more by the end of this century because of greenhouse gas emissions and melting glaciers. While policies are being implemented that are designed to reduce future greenhouse gas emissions, Floridians aren't yet making plans to deal with the changes expected to occur and already under way because of past emissions. (Download the full report or a synopsis of the report at www.mote.org/lsi.)

To jumpstart community discussion about climate change and how the expected sea level rise will affect Florida, the Marine Policy Institute is convening a two-day symposium for lawmakers, community planners and residents on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 12-13. The symposium will be streamed live online on Sarasota County's website at www.scgov.net by Access Sarasota, Sarasota County's public access station. Streaming will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run throughout the presentations each day.

The symposium, "Land-Sea Interactions in Southwest Florida," will present an overview of the land-use issues that Southwest Florida is expected to face due to sea-level rise, and economic growth, along with a discussion of the policy tools that local governments can use to address these issues. Most of these policy tools are already in place and do not require major legislative changes before local governments can begin taking action.

"Sea level rise is expected to have significant impacts on places like Southwest Florida, but as a region, we're not yet planning for the impacts," said Dr. Frank Alcock, Director of the Marine Policy Institute at Mote and Associate Professor of Political Science at New College of Florida. "In order for Southwest Florida to be resilient in the face of sea level rise, we really do need to begin addressing the challenges associated with figuring out where to put utilities, houses and businesses. These are all decisions that are made on the local level, so it's very important for us to begin thinking and talking about these things now."

The symposium is sponsored by the Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory, New College of Florida, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Sarasota County, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, USF-Sarasota/Manatee Institute for Public Policy and Leadership, Collins Center for Public Policy, the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and the City of Sarasota

Biologists ask anglers to report tagged largemouth bass

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the University of Florida need assistance with a statewide largemouth bass research study. This year-long project is an interactive way for the public to help biologists obtain critical information necessary to manage the largemouth bass fishery for quality and trophy-sized fish.

From this study, biologists hope to learn how frequently bass are caught and harvested. They also hope to learn more about the size range of fish caught.

Beginning this month, biologists are tagging largemouth bass with small, yellow tags along the back of the fish just below the dorsal fin. These tags carry a printed telephone number, e-mail address, tag number and reward value. Anglers should carefully examine all bass caught in Florida lakes for reward tags, as biologists will tag fish in numerous lakes throughout the state.

Biologists encourage anglers to remove these tags by cutting them as close to the fish as possible and then treat the fish as they would normally. Once anglers remove a tag, they should immediately report it to the FWC Angler Tag Return Hotline at 800-367-4461 or e-mail TagReturn@MyFWC.com.

Anglers participating in the study will receive a reward for each largemouth bass tag they return to the FWC. When reporting the tag, anglers should provide the following information: the species of fish, tag number, fish length, date and time of capture, name of the lake where the fish was caught, and whether the angler kept or released the fish.

Anglers should mail the tags to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Attn: LMB Tagging Study, 601 W. Woodward Ave., Eustis, FL, 32726.

To learn more about FWC research projects, visit http://research.MyFWC.com.

To view this press release online visit http://research.myfwc.com/news/view_article.asp?id=33334.

October 12-18, 2009 Sarasota County Watershed Awareness Week

Check out the upcoming events list on agenda, lots going on in our community. To create public awareness about the importance of watersheds, the Science and Environment Council (SEC), working with the Sarasota County Commission, has declared October 12-18, 2009 as Watershed Awareness Week. Check the schedule of exciting events and activities at SEC member locations and make your plans to participate, help us celebrate the water resources that define our community. Find the week of fun and informative activities being held at local sites here:

http://www.secsc.org/Brochure%202009_Final.pdf

Seagrass Survey Program Has Won 3 Awards!

Two notable awards from the National Association of Counties:

an Achievement Award honoring its unique and effective program; and a Best of Category Award, which marks it as a model program for outstanding and creative work.

In addition to these two awards the Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program honored the SEA Team with a Gulf Guardian Award for finding innovative solutions to improve the environmental health of the Gulf, in concert with economic development.

Baird Calls for Task Force to Study Northwest Dead Zones

Baird Calls for Task Force to Study Northwest Dead Zones (Sept. 30, 2009)

Washington, D.C.- Today, the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee chaired by Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA-03) approved legislation he wrote that would create a task force to study the causes of, and solutions to the problems created by harmful algal blooms (HABs) and dead zones off the Northwest Coast. The bill will also reauthorize a similar task force in the Gulf of Mexico, and designate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the lead agency in combating these problems. "Our oceans are dying right before our eyes," said Congressman Baird, "Fifty percent of the air we breathe, or every other breath we take, comes from oxygen created by the ocean. Dead zones and HABs present a terrifying problem that could prove catastrophic to the Northwest economy, and our personal health." A HAB is rapid overproduction of algal cells that produces toxins which are detrimental to plants and animals. These outbreaks are commonly referred to as "red" or "brown" tides. Blooms potentially kill fish and other aquatic life by decreasing sunlight available to the water and by using up the available oxygen in the water, which results then in a hypoxia (severe oxygen depletion) event. These produced toxins accumulate in shellfish, fish, or through the accumulation of biomass that in turn affect other organisms and alter food webs. These toxins can be passed on to humans when consumed, potentially causing illness or death. A hypoxic dead zones is recurring off the Pacific Coast. Another is found annually in Hood Canal where algal mats suffocate everything from shrimp to lingcod. This lack of oxygen can kill everything in the water, and be lethal to the jobs that depend on the aquaculture industry. "The shellfish industry is a vital part of the economy of Southwest Washington," said Congressman Baird. "But this is also a worldwide problem. The combination of these conditions, with increasingly acidic waters affects billions of people who depend on the ocean to put food on the table or money in their pocket."