tarasfoundation, Author at Taras Oceanographic Foundation

Common Dolphins – Basic Knowledge

2021-04-11 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Oceans, Science, Threats

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Common dolphins are colorful, with a complex crisscross or hourglass color pattern on the side; the long-beaked common dolphin being more muted in color. When looking at the profile of the two common dolphin species, the short-beaked common dolphin has a more rounded melon that meets the beak at a sharp angle, as compared to the long-beaked common dolphin that has a flatter melon that meets the beak at a more gradual angle.

COLOR: Color patterns on the common dolphin are the most elaborate of any cetacean. The back is dark gray-to-black from the top of the head to the tail dipping to a V on the sides below the dorsal fin. The flanks are light gray behind the dorsal fin and yellowish-tan forward of the dorsal fin, forming an hourglass pattern. Its belly is white. There are large dark circles around the eyes connected by a dark line that runs across the head behind the beak and a black stripe runs from the jaw to the flippers.

FINS AND FLUKES: The dorsal fin is triangular-to-falcate (curved). It is pointed and located near the middle of the back and is black-to-light gray in color with a black border. The flippers are long and thin and slightly curved or pointed depending on geographical location. Flukes are thin and pointed at the tips with a slight notch in the center.

LENGTH AND WEIGHT: Common dolphins can reach lengths of 7.5 to 8.5 feet (2.3-2.6 m) and weigh as much as 297 lb. (135 kg). The short-beaked common dolphin is relatively heavier, and has a larger dorsal fin and flippers than the long-beaked one.

FEEDING: Delphinus delphis feeds on squid and small schooling fish. In some parts of the world, they feed at night on the deep scattering layer, which moves towards the water’s surface during that time. Common dolphins have been seen working together to herd fish into tight balls. Like many other dolphin species, the common dolphin will sometimes take advantage of human fishing activities (such as trawling), feeding on fish escaping from the nets or discarded by the fishermen.

MATING AND BREEDING: Sexual maturity is reached at 3 to 4 years of age or when they reach 6 to 7 feet in length (1.8 to 2.1 m). Calves are 30 to 34 inches at birth (76 to 86 cm ); gestation period is 10 to 11 months.

DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION: The common dolphin may be one of the most widely distributed species of cetaceans, as it is found world-wide in temperate, tropical, and subtropical seas. The long-beaked common dolphin is found more in coastal waters; the short-beaked common dolphin is found in offshore waters, including the Eastern Atlantic Ocean as far south as Florida. The common dolphin throughout history has often been recorded in art and literature. It was recently proposed that two forms of this species, the short- beaked (delphis) and long-beaked (capensis) common dolphin, represent two distinct species.

NATURAL HISTORY: Like all mammals, dolphins are warm blooded, breathe air, give birth to live babies, feed their new born milk, and are born with hair. Being warm, blooded, or homeothermic, dolphins maintain a constant body temperature regardless of the surrounding water temperature. Unlike terrestrial mammals, including humans, dolphins are conscious breathers, meaning they must be aware of their breathing to avoid involuntarily taking a breath while underwater. Common dolphins can dive for as long as 15-20 minutes but typically hold their breath for only a few minutes. Common dolphins may live for 35 years or more, with females generally living longer than males. Common dolphins are often found in large herds of hundreds or even thousands. They are extremely active, fast moving, and engage in spectacular aerial behavior. They are noted for stampeding in these extremely large groups across the ocean, riding bow and stern waves of boats, often changing course to bow ride the pressure waves of fast-moving vessels and even large whales. Common dolphins can be frequently seen in association with other marine mammal species.

THREATS: Traditionally, hundreds of thousands of common dolphins have been taken incidentally, along with spinner and pan-tropical spotted dolphins, in purse seine nets used during tuna fishing operations in the eastern tropical Pacific although these numbers have improved. Common dolphins also may be caught accidentally in other fishing gear, such as midwater trawls. Turkish and Russian fishermen used to catch large numbers of common dolphins in the Black Sea for meat (to be used for fish meal) and oil. The fishery stopped after the common dolphin numbers became and remain severely depleted; there are several reports suggesting that the Turkish fishery may have recently resumed. Many common dolphins are taken in a Japanese small cetacean fishery and directly caught in the Mediterranean. Some common dolphins have been taken in Peru for human consumption. Studies suggest that the immune system of these animals can be severely affected by heavy metals, PCBs and other pollutants. The status of common dolphins, relative to OSP, in the U.S. Atlantic Eastern Economic Zone (EEZ) is unknown. The species is not listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. There are insufficient data to determine the population trends for this species.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Archaeocetes

2021-02-26 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Ocean Sentinels Club, Science, Whales

Well, we can’t exactly tell you what archaeocetes were, but we can tell you what they were not. They were not filter-feeders like the baleen whales (mysticetes), and they had no form of echolocation, as the toothed whales (odontocetes) do. There are very few clues, but we believe they are not categorized by any unique characteristic.

We know they lived from 50 to 35 million years ago (the eocene period) after which they somewhat abruptly disappeared (geologically speaking, that is). Evidence of their existence has been found in all parts of the world. Archaeocetes probably spent some time on land, and some time in shallow coastal waters, feeding in the tidal zone. There is some debate about whether or not the archaeocetes were the evolutionary predecessor to the odontocetes and mysticetes, but either way there is no doubt that the odontocetes and the mysticetes flourished once the archaeocetes disappeared.

Research has shown that two separate families of cetaceans existed then: the Protocetidae were small-bodied animals, less than 3meters long (9 feet), with their nostrils just behind the tip of their long, slender snout and their teeth not unlike those of a wolf. The Basilosauridae was a medium-sized cetacean, ranging in length from 15-20 meters (45 to 60 feet) in length. This was a rather serpentine animal with un-fused vertebrae, allowing for great mobility in all directions. They had a defined rostrum, but no melon (bulge on the front of their head), and small hind, somewhat useless, legs. They were foragers and lived of fish. It is believed that they hauled themselves out of the water onto beaches to breed, in a way similar to that of seals. The first of these two families disappeared nearly 50 million years ago, and the second family disappeared about 40 million years ago.

Among the archaeocetes were also distinct types of dolphins. Although they were very easily recognized as dolphin in appearance and lifestyle, we would say they both had a very primitive air about them. Both animals were about average in size and used a limited form of echolocation. The Kentriodontids were foragers, similar to the modern-day bottlenose dolphins. The Squalidontids had very long rostrums (beaks) and triangular, serrated teeth (similar to shark teeth). It is believed that they had a very active carnivorous lifestyle, not unlike that of the killer whale. What an interesting appearance they must have had, with their blowhole situated at an odd, forward angle, atop but near the front of their heads. Five or six million years ago both these families disappeared, after sharing the planet for about 25 million years. The reason for their disappearance remains a mystery.

Today, we recognize 14 species of baleen whale including the blue, bowhead, right, humpback, minke and grey whale. Baleen whales are generally larger than toothed whales except for the sperm whale which is very big and has teeth. Depending on the source, tooth whales comprise 69 – 76 species and 6 – 10 families.

The two dolphins most frequently encountered in our study area (off Palm Beach County) are the bottlenose dolphin. And the Atlantic spotted dolphin, both members of the family Delphinidae.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins -Basic Knowledge

2021-02-21 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Ocean Sentinels Club, Oceans, Science

The Atlantic spotted dolphin is considered playful and acrobatic. They love to ride the bow wave of boats and surf the wake of ships they encounter. They are also more likely to approach humans than other dolphin species and become easily habituated to human activity in the wild, but do not survive in captivity.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Spotted dolphins are difficult to describe because their size and coloring vary according to their geographic location. Found only in tropical waters, and subtropical waters, there are two recognized species: the Atlantic spe¬cies, Stenella frontalis, and the worldwide species, the pan-tropical spotted dolphin, Stella attenuata. Their long slim beak con¬tains 35 to 48 small conical teeth in each side of the upper jaw and 34 to 47 small, conical teeth in each side of the lower jaw.

COLOR
Spotted dolphins change their coloration as they mature. Newborn calves are dark gray with a white belly (two-tones). As the animal grows older, dark spots begin to appear. First dark spots appear on the lower part of the body (speckled). When sexually mature, light spots begin to appear on the dark upper portion of the body (mottled). Eventually, the spots merge into almost solid color patterns (fused). This color pattern process is a visual indicator of the age of the dolphin.

FINS AND FLUKES
The dorsal (top) fin is tall and curved; the flippers are small and pointed. The flukes are small and pointed at the tips with a small median notch.

LENGTH AND WEIGHT
Length averages about 7 feet (2.1 m); weight averages 220 pounds (100 kg). Calves are 32 to 36 inches (80 to 90 cm) at birth.

FEEDING
Spotted dolphins feed on many varieties of fish and squid found in various water depths. They also feed on small fish and eels found buried in the sand in shallow waters.

MATING AND BREEDING
This species reaches maturity between 6 and 8 years of age or when the animal is about 6.5 feet (2 m) in length. Mating and calving take place throughout the year; the calving interval is believed to be about every 2 – 3 years, but in stressed populations mating takes place at an earlier age and calving at shorter intervals, a response to the enormous mor¬talities suffered from being entangled in nets by the tuna fishery. Gestation is 11 1/2 months and calves are nursed for 11 months. This interval is also longer for male infants, as mothers tend to spend more time caring for the boys. Female calves separate from their mothers earlier and spend a year babysitting the calves of other mothers before becoming mothers themselves.

DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION: Atlantic Spotted dolphins are generally found in groups of fewer than 50 individuals but have populations comprising hundreds of animals. These animals are highly social. Schools may contain both sexes and all ages. Some populations are found exclusively in deeper water, some populations prefer to frequent shallow waters, especially for behaviors associated with child care and pregnancy. Atlantic Spotted dolphins are sometimes seen together with bottlenose dolphins.

NATURAL HISTORY
Like all mammals, dolphins are warm blooded, breathe air, give birth to live babies, feed their new born milk, and are born with hair. Being warm, blooded, or homeothermic, dolphins maintain a constant body temperature regardless of the surrounding water temperature. Unlike terrestrial mammals, including humans, dolphins are conscious breathers, mean¬ing they must be aware of their breathing to avoid involuntarily taking a breath while underwater. Atlantic spotted dolphins are capable of diving to up to 60 meters, remaining underwater for up to 6 minutes. They are known to be preyed upon by sharks, but killer whales and other small-toothed whales may also be a threat.
The Atlantic spotted dolphin can often be seen traveling in small pods consisting of up to 15 dolphins. These dolphins enjoy maintaining a high level of social interaction with one another and can often be seen performing leaps and various acrobatic stunts. The Atlantic spotted dolphin communicates using vocal sounds and body language. When it comes to sound these dol¬phins use high-pitched clicks and whistles to communicate about nearby threats, food, a desire to play, and a number of other things. Each dolphin has its own unique frequency which helps them understand who is communicating, and also provides them with a geographic reference (location). This can be extremely useful when a mother for instances needs to keep track of one of her kids or when two friends are communicating with one another in a large pod. Body language is also important for commu¬nication. Dolphins may bump into one another or visualize their body language by spy hopping or leaping out of the water to alert other dolphins of various interests or threats or to display their physical abilities.

THREATS
Spotted dolphins are protected in U.S. waters by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. While the species is not considered endangered, they are, like all marine mammals, exposed to pollutants and biotoxins, and viral outbreaks. Studies of large, high mortality event over the last few decades suggest that the immune system of these animals can be severely affected by heavy metals, PCBs and other pollutants. Atlantic spotted dolphins are not listed as threatened or endangered under the En¬dangered Species Act, and the Western North Atlantic stock is not considered strategic under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. No fishery- related mortality or serious injury has been observed during recent years; therefore, total fishery-related mor¬tality and serious injury can be considered insignificant and approaching the zero mortality and serious injury rate. There are insufficient data to determine the population trends for this species.

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Bottlenose Dolphins – Basic Knowledge

2021-02-15 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Ocean Sentinels Club, Science

The bottlenose dolphin is the most studied and best known of all cetaceans. This is primarily due to its ready adaptability to captive environment, such as research facilities and marine parks, and its appearance on the TV show Flipper. This dolphin has an extensive range and is the most encountered dolphin species in coastal U.S. waters.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The bottlenose dolphin has a long and robust body shape, with a pronounced, stubby beak (hence the name ‘bottlenose’), and a distinct melon. Because 5 of the seven neck vertebrae are not fused together as in other dolphin species, the neck of these dolphins is more flexible. They have about 40-48 sharp conical-shaped teeth in both the upper and lower jaw.

COLOR: The color of bottlenose dolphins may range from light to dark lead gray, with lighter shading on the sides, and a white, sometimes pink to pinkish-gray belly.

FINS AND FLUKES: The dorsal fin is triangular, curved and moderate in size, up to 35 cm in height, and located near the middle of the back. The flukes are proportional, curved, with a deep median notch, and are 65-80 cm from tip to tip. Their flippers are pointed and of moderate length.

LENGTH AND WEIGHT: Adult bottlenose dolphins can reach 4 meters (12 feet) in length, and, in some geographical areas, weigh as much as 650 kg (1,430 pounds). However, in most part of the world their weight seems to be limited to about 350 kg (770 pounds). Males are typically larger than females.

FEEDING: These dolphins can be found foraging in deep and very shallow waters. They may hunt and feed individually or in a concerted effort of a group, chasing fish against the water surface, onto mud banks, and shorelines. Association with human fisheries is also reported. They consume about 8-15kg (15-30 pounds) of food each day. Their diet includes a variety of fish species, but also squid and crustaceans.

MATING AND BREEDING: Male bottlenose dolphins reach sexual maturity at age 10, females between 5 and 10 years of age. The gestation period (pregnancy) is 12 months and calves are born in all seasons although in some geographical areas seasonal peaks during spring and fall have been reported. Females give birth once every 3-4 years. At birth, calves acre about 100 cm (3 feet) in length and may weigh around 10 kg (22 pounds). Calves depend on their mother’s milk for 12-18 months but stay with their mother for up to 5 years learning how to catch fish and the social skills to become a full member of dolphin society.

DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION: With the exception of polar waters, bottlenose dolphins are found in every ocean around the world, in coastal waters and the open sea. They are frequently encountered in estuaries, lagoons, bays and harbors. There appears to be a coastal and offshore ecotype. Population density appears to be higher in near-shore areas. Bottlenose dolphins are known to have limited home ranges or may be migratory.

NATURAL HISTORY: Like all mammals, dolphins are warm blooded, breathe air, give birth to live babies, feed their new born milk, and are born with hair. Being warm, blooded, or homeothermic, dolphins maintain a constant body temperature regardless of the surrounding water temperature. Unlike terrestrial mammals, including humans, dolphins are conscious breathers, meaning they must be aware of their breathing to avoid involuntarily taking a breath while underwater. Bottlenose dolphins can dive for as long as 20 minutes but typically hold their breath for only 30 seconds to 3 or 4 minutes between breaths.

Bottlenose dolphins may live for 50 years or more, with females generally living longer than males. They live in social communities, sometimes called pods. Group size in near-shore populations is typically 30 or less while offshore groups may comprise several hundred individuals.

Even though they appear to live in relatively open societies, they exhibit strong social bonds that help provide protection against predators, assist in locating and catching food, and aid in the rearing of their offspring. Like in other social animals, play is an important part of learning. Behaviors such as fish toss, bow riding and seaweed-keep-away are considered play but also help dolphins develop social bonds as well as useful hunting techniques. They use multiple feeding strategies, including “fish whacking,” where they strike a fish with their flukes and knock it out of the water, and driving schools of fish into shallow areas or onto mudflats. Bottlenose dolphins use high frequency echolocation to locate and capture prey, and high-pitched ‘whistles’ to communicate with one another.

THREATS: Bottlenose dolphins are protected in U.S. waters by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. While the species is not considered endangered, they are near depletion in some areas and threatened in many others. Incidental and direct exploitation are generally reported at moderate to low levels. According to NOAA, current threats come primarily from incidental injury and mortality from fishing gear (such as gill net, seine, trawl, and long-line commercial and recreational operations), exposure to pollutants and biotoxins, viral outbreaks and direct harvest in some countries (e.g. Japan and Taiwan). Studies of large, high mortality events over the last decades suggest that the immune system of these animals can be severely affected by heavy metals, PCBs and other pollutants.

In an effort to reduce injury and mortality of coastal bottlenose dolphins along the eastern seashore of the U.S., the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP). This initiative includes provisions for research and education, and requires modifications of fishing practices for small, medium, and large-mesh gill-net fisheries from New York to Florida.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

The Face is Familiar, but …

2021-02-01 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Ocean Sentinels Club, Science

The casual identification of individual cetaceans probably started when humans began interacting with coastal species over a century ago, when whalers and fishermen could identify a few individual killer whales by the shape and coloration of the dorsal fin. This technique, much refined, is still used today.

Scientists, studying cetaceans have long understood and appreciated the need to track individual whales or dolphins. Identifying individuals can help in the collection of information on group composition, site fidelity, movement patterns, population size, as well social structure. Given that dolphins and whales are extremely social animals, understanding the social structure of the population is vital to understanding cetaceans.

Most cetacean studies are conducted from the surface, where the dorsal fin is often the only visible part of the dolphin and therefore the only part usable as an identifier. Luckily, the trailing edge of the dorsal fin, which consists of a thin sheet of flesh and connective tissue, is the most identifying feature of most dolphins and porpoises. Small nicks or larger notches in this area of the dorsal fin are consistent markings that can be used to track individuals over time. However the shading, coloration and overall shape of the dorsal fin can also be helpful.

Some cetaceans have other areas that are more useful as identifiers. The humpback whale has unique markings on the bottom of its flukes, the right whale has large crusty growths on its upper lip that grow in unique patterns and are used to identify individuals and the spotted dolphins have spots; clusters and constellations of spots which are great individual markings and very helpful in the identification process. These dolphins, however, get more and more spots as they develop from infants to adults, identifying spot clusters get covered by new spots, and so it is important to continuously track them over time. All of these identifiers are, in most cases, very subtle, and hard to track in the field. This is where capturing images with photo or video cameras becomes important.

In nearly all studies of cetaceans that track individuals, photo-identification techniques are used to some degree. Most researchers depend on their cameras and photo files a great deal. To get a usable id photo from the surface, it is important to get the dorsal fin on film from a 90-degree angle. This eliminates distortion from angle and helps prevent misidentifications. Any time, we can observe dolphins from underwater, we can use the entire body of the dolphin for identification purposes, which can be very useful, especially in the case of spotted dolphins where we use the spotting pattern across the entire body to identify individual dolphins.

As any field researcher will tell you, it takes a great number of photos to get usable shots. But then, experience does matter and now that we use digital photography, having to throw away bad shots does not hurt as much as it did when we used film.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

In the Eyes of the Dolphin

2021-01-24 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Ocean Sentinels Club, Science, Whales

Cetaceans have extraordinary eyesight.

Dolphins can use their sonar to detect complex shapes and identify them visually. Captive animals have been known to throw frisbees and catch fish without using their sonar. And at any oceanarium it is common to witness dolphins demonstrating their amazing ability to leap out of the water and touch a small target many feet above the surface. These same dolphins repeatedly sail over tightropes and through hoops without touching them, often times in unison. All demonstrating that cetaceans are capable of seeing, not only underwater, but also in air and from water to air. The combination of their visual acuity and sonar abilities makes dolphins well equipped to evaluate any and all objects in their environment.

When the ancestors of the modern dolphin re-entered the water, so many eons ago, their eyes and eyesight went through some major transformations.

On land, eyesight is primarily challenged by dust and the threat of physical harm. These problems are counteracted by hairy eyebrows and lashes and eyeballs that are located in deep sockets of the skull for protection. Tears help wash away dust and clean the eyes. In the sea, the challenges to the eye are more associated with salt and particles in the water, as well as the massive pressure associated with deep dives. Cetacean eyes are encapsulated to protect the shape and integrity of the orb from pressure during dives. There are no dolphin tears, instead special glands secrete oil that continuously wash the surface of the eye to prevent irritation from salinity.

Land animals depend on detection of movement, position, color, detail and sharpness as visual cues. Dolphin vision is more dependent on brightness. The cetacean eye is adapted to perform at depths where light is minimal. At thirty feet, as much as 90% of sunlight is lost and color disappears. The dolphin pupil is capable of opening enormously wide to enhance brightness. The eyes are also lined with a highly reflective substance that concentrates light, similar to the silver of an old traditional headlight. The eyeball has an oval shape, and the lens is positioned to prevent even the weakest ray of light from escaping the retina.

On the other hand, dolphins must see not only at lightless depths, but also at or just below the surface, where it is the brightest. Due to water movement and its effect on sunlight, it can be more than seven times brighter just below the surface than it is above the water. The eye is equipped with a flap like structure that closes over the restricted pupil. It can look as if the dolphin has two tiny pupils at times. Even so, the ability of the dolphin to go from near complete darkness to extreme brightness is one of the miracles of the dolphin eye.

The position of the dolphin eye on each side of the head not only provides additional protection from the onslaught of ocean particles as the dolphin swims forward through the water, but also allows for a nearly complete field of vision. This position of the eye provides some stereo vision directly below them, but also creates a blind spot directly in front of the dolphin. This is one of the places where the sonar comes in handy as they can virtually “see” anything in this blind spot… with sound.

Dolphins don’t just use their eyesight to locate food. The structure of dolphin societies suggests a strong use of visual cues in communication. It makes perfect sense that in an environment where danger can come from any and all directions, silent communication is important. Body posture and subtle swimming techniques can effectively give the others a warning. They can also express irritation, initiate romance and/or provide comfort. An S-shaped body posture by an individual is thought to represent some degree of annoyance, an inverted swim under a female by a male suggests courtship, and companions often swim side by side, eye to eye and rub pectoral fins, possibly during new or unique situations.

Since the dolphin body has adapted to be optimum in the aquatic world, they have lost the ability for facial expression common in terrestrial mammals. They cannot smile with satisfaction, nor grimace in pain. Therefore there must be a lot to be seen in the eye of the dolphin. As many of us here at the Palm Beach Dolphin Project can attest, dolphins are not only capable but sometimes insistent on making eye contact. Not only with each other but with us as well. Here’s looking at you kid!

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Coral Cartography Advances Conservation

2021-01-16 tarasfoundation Biodiversity, Coastlines, Man's Future, Oceans, Science, Threats

Considered among the most complex and diverse environments on Earth, coral reefs play a key role in the health of our planet’s oceans. Pollutants, algae blooms, over-fishing, damage due to development and mooring are well known threats to their own health and recent changes in the global climate are causing additional stresses, including a rise in water temperature and acidity. The result is a further decimation of the existing reefs and the creatures that underpin the ocean’s food web.

Most of our knowledge about coral reefs and benthic habitats is based on monitoring data gathered through a range of methods, mostly reef surveys, varying from rapid monitoring by trained volunteers to highly detailed, species level observations. However, these surveys provide little, if any, information on adjacent benthic habitats, such as sea grass beds or hard bottom, and more importantly, fail to appropriately address and document the spatial component of the marine ecosystem. While coral reef mapping in itself is not new, most of these maps may differentiate shallow from mixed reef areas, but they do not provide further detail, nor do they include adjacent areas of sea grass beds or other benthic habitats.

Caring for coral reefs, however, is dependent on us knowing far more about these extraordinary benthic environments and the associated ecosystems they host, and the establishment of baseline data against which future assessments of ocean health can be measured.

To generate maps of coral reefs, we have used aerial and satellite imagery, remote sensing and ArcGIS, and on-site field-surveys combined with the marine habitat classification framework defined by the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and the National Oceanography and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Habitat Conservation, which provides for the distinction of community types and density variations therein.

The image shows a highly precise map of the marine area surrounding Peterson Cay that discerns different habitat types from bare ocean floor to algae, sea grass, and coral reef, highlights density variations in each, and pinpoints the exact location of individual species of interest such as the endangered Elkhorn coral.

The ArcView software allows us to determine with impressive precision the spatial expansion of each marine habitat across the study site. As it turns out, coral reef, in its various expressions of density covers 208 acres, sandy bottom with various degrees of sea grass spread out over 263 acres, and areas of hard pad, with algae (generally red and brown algae) of one degree or another covered 209 acres. It is worth emphasizing though that the density of algae coverage in two-third of these areas is less than 10%.

Being able to accurately locate individual corals or territorial fish species is essential for successful management and conservation programs. For instance, observations of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans), which poses a significant risk to native species, can be charted on the map facilitating its capture and eradication. Having a visual representation of the entire reef, or a number of reefs stretched out across a larger area, is the best means in determining where to install fixed monitoring devices, such as sedimentation traps. The comprehensive understanding of spatial features across the reef will also facilitate the identification of additional dive sites suitable for commercial scuba operators. Increasing the number of dive sites will alleviate the pressure of those currently used every day by multiple groups. Marking mooring sites adjacent to shallow reefs will help avoid reef damage caused by boat traffic and anchors. Last but not least, knowing the exact location, dimension and composition of the reefs will help develop sustainable land use plans for coastal projects that benefit from these natural jewels rather than harming or destroying them.

By documenting the actual environmental conditions, we are able understand the relationship between different habitat types and the larger reef ecosystem as well as monitor expansions or declines of certain habitats. Conducting similar studies on adjacent reefs will eventually lead to a larger-scale map and a deeper understanding of both local and regional reef ecosystems and their processes.

Although this new mapping technology doesn’t necessarily represent the natural state of any ecosystem, it can at least provide a baseline against which we can compare future observations, thus establishing a powerful framework for conservation and management. And that’s what the map of Peterson Cay’s coral reef will do. By combining traditional observational recordings with precise spatial information, it provides new insight into the fascinating world just below the water’s surface.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Florida’s Wild Dolphins Reveal Unique Social Feeding Behavior

2021-01-09 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Health & Well-Being, Man's Future, Ocean Sentinels Club, Oceans, Science, Threats

For the last decade, the Taras Oceanographic Foundation, under a general authority of the National Marine Fisheries Service, has been conducting dolphin surveys in Palm Beach County. We position or boat within three miles from shore, and travel at slow speed, until we see dolphins. We will then follow the dolphins long enough to photograph each dolphin and document their behavior. And although we have studied wild dolphins for decades, we still find new and different behaviors that are remarkable.

There are days when bait fish seem to fall fro m the sky. On those special days, when the seas are flat, we watch all kin ds of fish jumping out of the water; some high in the air in a single arc, others low and repeatedly as they travel some distance. Flying fish routinely glide, with ease, for several meters. Ballyhoo and Bonita will jump to avoid being eaten. Every once in a while, a clever dolphin will take advantage of these jumping fish; a clever dolphin like Odyssey, and her offspring.
Odyssey was conducting a master class in the art of catching fish. And when I say ‘catching fish’ I mean CATCHING fish. She was throwing a fish into the air, and artfully catching with in her mouth. She demonstrated the process a few times for her calf, and then did something remarkable.

She bit off the head of the fish, before throwing the body in the air, for her calf to catch. We could not help but make the comparison of a mother cutting the crust off a sandwich, before serving it to her child. But it is more than that; she was keeping her calf safe.
For the significance of this simple act, we need to first ex amine the basic anatomy of a fish. Fish use gills to acquire oxygen from the water. These gills are located just at the base of the head. When a fish breathes, it draws in a mouthful of water and pulls the sides of its throat together, forcing the water through the gill openings, which expand away from the body.

Dolphins do not chew their food. It is imperative, therefore, for a dolphin to swallow their prey, head first. If a fish were eaten tail first, it might expand its gills while passing through the throat of the dolphin and become wedged. In all the necropsies I performed, I once found one dolphin with a fish caught in its throat. The fish was swallow ed tail first, and the res ult was deadly. Back to Odyssey and her calf.
She was biting the heads off the fish, so her calf would not catch the fish backwards and choke to death. She threw the fish body high in the air, and her calf made repeated attempts to make the catch. More likely motivated by the game than the food, the small dolphin was still nursing and probably not too hungry. Over the next few months, as this calf grows, Odyssey will insist it hunt down its own food. The catching strategies learned now, will be all the more important in the future.

But even the best strategies and the most prepared youngster will not grow to be an adult unless there continues to be the abundance and variety of fish to eat. We are currently living through the sixth mass extinction event this planet has experienced. ln the past, these epic occurrences were the result of volcanic eruptions or asteroids striking the earth, but this time they are our own doing.

Why is it important to study dolphins? Sure they are cute and all, but why should anyone support such endeavors? Because in many ways, we are alike. Dolphins eat the fish we eat. They raise their kids to be better citizens and work every day to make a living and support their families. They are the masters of the ocean environment; a subject about which we are remarkably naive. And the ocean is vital to the survival of us both.

Although we continue to harvest the resources the oceans provide, at unsustainable rates, we could learn from the marine mammals how to find areas of highest productivity and hunt selectively. As we increase the noise in the ocean with our recreational watercraft, commercial ships and military exercises, we learn from the dolphins that in the deep ocean, it is by listening and hearing we can have the best vision. Marine mammals are the ocean canaries, warning us about the disastrous effects of pollution and habitat destruction, and they can be our guides to find answers, to questions we have not yet thought to ask about the ocean realm.

It is through the long- term studies like the one we have been carrying out in Palm Beach waters, that dolphins teach us about the ocean, the world and ourselves. We just have to keep going to school.

***
We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Quo Tendimus

2021-01-03 tarasfoundation Biodiversity, Global Warming, Health & Well-Being, Man's Future, Science, Sea level Rise, Sustainability

The scope of the problems we are currently facing can be illustrated with catchwords such as global warming, sea level rise, soil degradation, potable water shortages, and the loss of species and biotope diversity. It is obvious that an ecologically focused structural change is needed. The adaptive capacity of the economic and social systems, and the confined possibilities of using the environment, must be considered.

Too many people still believe that the future will be much like the past, with the task of avoiding disaster falling to markets and technologies. But think about this: the earth is stable; it does not grow. The input of the sun likewise remains constant. Much of the wealth, derived from that input and stored over tens of millions of years in fossil fuels, has already been consumed in less than two centuries. No technology in the world can alter this equation.

Obviously, our activities, especially all-harvesting of natural resources, has tremendous impact on the ecosystem. But there is also a widespread consensus that non-sustainable harvesting, and causing the extinction of species, is ethically unacceptable and unjustifiable. And we all need nature; for food, health and scientific innovation, the prevention of floods, droughts and epidemics, and of course we need wild places, animals and plants for recreation, renewal, and inspiration.

Our steadily narrowing spectrum of consumed products from agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and the concentration on a few economically valuable species, has resulted in a specialization of land and marine food harvesting systems. Combined with the conversion of habitats, these are prime causes of species loss within any particular ecosystem. The greatest problem may be the illusion that subtle changes in course direction could guide us towards a good life that will include both a ‘conserved’ nature and cozy shopping malls.

It may be useful to realize that we are dealing with the conservation of Man in nature, which requires us take Man’s cultural identity into consideration as well. If people are denied their culture, nature and the environment will also suffer. Cultural diversity must be considered part of biodiversity, and like other aspects of biodiversity, cultural diversity helps people adapt to changing conditions.

I believe, given the complexity of the challenges, only a cross-disciplinary approach with a very close and intense collaboration between science, business and all other stakeholders promises to fulfill our hopes for a better, common future. Corporations, being the dominant institutions on the planet, must squarely address the social and environmental problems that affect mankind. Science must provide the information needed to make sensible choices and decisions. Together they must rewrite economics texts and fine-tune the notion of sustainability, as only then can they create an enduring society with a system of commerce and production where each and every act is inherently sustainable and restorative. Where economics, biology, and human systems are integrated and profitable, and expandable companies created that do not destroy, directly or indirectly, the world around them.

A scientist is primarily concerned with understanding the world. That commitment must, in turn, lead to the scrutiny of some aspects of nature in great empirical detail. The reward comes at the split second of time when something new has been learned. The results need then to be communicated in a timely and comprehensible fashion, so that knowledge is expanded, and trust and confidence prevail.

A corporate leader is primarily concerned with quarterly earnings and shareholder equity, often forsaking the curiosity for new things and foresight of a long-term time line. As Dow Chemical manager Fussler said in an interview many years ago, corporate leaders have to re-direct their thinking, away from short-term costs arguments, into new directions, including the invention of products that are completely different from what we know today. In fact, we need to re-discover a horizon, one that goes beyond a single generation, one that ensures that our actions are based on knowledge and not on public opinion, polls or junk science. And we need to subordinate the present-day advantage under the long-term necessity of the future. In the words of Charles F. Kettering, ‘We should all be interested in the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there’.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

The Objectives of Marine Mammal Research

2020-12-27 tarasfoundation Dolphins, Oceans, Science, Threats, Whales

The aim of marine mammal research is to develop progressive knowledge and understanding of their biology, adaptations, behavior and ecology, which will lead to better protection of species and their habitats, contributing to biodiversity in such a way that a sustainable use of the sea becomes possible. Furthermore, such research strives to understand how we affect their lives and how we can gain from them, e.g. through tourism.

If you understand dolphin echolocation and how it works, then you have the tools to apply that knowledge. If you are a conservationist and are concerned about dolphin entanglement in nets, the knowledge allows you to build better fishing nets that will not harm them. The application of the knowledge depends on what you value: for an academic, to further knowledge and understanding; for an applied researcher, to be able to provide information to managers on the implications of a range of management options, for a conservation biologist: to find ways of ensuring the health of populations.

In the end, all this will contribute to a better understanding of the impact we have on our planet. You can’t have seven billion people growing and running around on a planet without having some major impacts. Right now we are making choices we don’t even understand; better to make an informed choice don’t you think?

There are various tools that can be used to achieve this goal, including expanding the knowledge base through biological inventories, research, monitoring, training of professionals, planning (environmental impact assessment), action plans and integrated area management, regulating threats to marine species and ecosystems, establishing protected areas, and ensuring active involvement of citizens in government decision making. Public education is very important in all conservation efforts.

Most of science consists of answering very small questions. Each one may not have much value in and of itself, but when the whole picture is to be seen, each of the many small pixels of knowledge will be required. So in the long term, we can expect to truly understand some of the things that are affecting cetaceans and their behavior. In the short term, however, one cannot expect too much. Important results in this field are usually gained through long-term research, which will then constitute the wisdom and the power to make the best possible decisions about the future. Research aimed only at solving a specific, well-understood short-term problem is not going to provide us with the answers we need ten or twenty years from now. We need to commit some fraction of our resources, our dollars, to basic science, understanding that it is a risk-taking investment; not all science hunches pay off, but when they pay off, they pay off big. And this investment of resources should not be done because it is `en vogue’ to be concerned about the animals, the oceans and the planet, but because it is intellectually and morally the correct thing to do. By better understanding one group of marine creatures, with which we compete for resources – prey and habitat -, we may be able to better manage our affairs on this planet.

In sum, excellent research provides several results: Firstly, it leads to a deeper understanding of the world and its basic mechanisms of function, or in other words, an increased appreciation of the world in which we live. Secondly, it provides a baseline of data against which we can measure changes and information that can be put to practical use, thus reducing our impact on these animals and their environment. And third, the advancement of knowledge usually entrains an increase in public awareness and then support from the general public, which is a crucial determinant for maintaining biodiversity, the survival of the variety of species and their habitats and a wise resource use by man.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Why Oceans Are Important To Us

2020-12-20 tarasfoundation Coastlines, Health & Well-Being, Ocean Litter, Ocean Sentinels Club, Oceans, Science, Threats, Waste and Litter

In his charming and insightful book called ‘The Immense Journey’, biologist-author Loren Eiseley said:

“We have many ways to quench our thirst, but no way to overcome our need for water…its substance reaches everywhere; it touches the past and prepares the future; it moves under the poles and wanders thinly in the heights of the air…If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in water.”

There are about 326 million cubic miles (=525 cubic kilometers) of water on this planet. The largest percentage, 97.4% is found in the oceans. 2.6% is on land and most of this is locked in the great polar ice caps. All the life-sustainable fresh water found in the worlds lakes, creeks, streams, and rivers and in the groundwater or aquifers, represents less than 0.01 percent of the total. Water is virtually and intrinsically important!

The world’s oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface. Life probably originated in the seas, and life still depends largely on their well-functioning. Most of the solar heat that hits this planet is stored there, most of the conversion of sunlight to food energy by plants takes place in water, most of the world’s fresh supplies of oxygen are produced by microscopic plant-like organisms floating near the surface of the oceans, the global climate is regulated, and a lot of our food protein comes from the sea. The Ocean is also one of the most important traffic routes and a sink for a large portion of our wastes. It provides natural resources and, to an increasing extent, raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry.

In addition to these primarily material aspects, the ocean has acquired significant value as a recreational area. More and more people seek recreation and relaxation in, or near the water. Marine tourism is one of the most rapidly growing branches of industry. Proximity to the sea has great value, reflected in incredibly high real estate prices for seashore property. Roughly 70% of the world population lives within 200 km of the coast, and two third of all metropolises, having a population of more than 2.5 million, are situated on the coast. Between 100 and 200 million people live in coastal zones below storm tidal level. Ignoring these fragile and vital eco-systems can only spell disaster.

From the earliest days of human settlements, up to the industrial revolution, waterways have been a major means of transport. Cities and industrial plants, even after the industrial revolution, have been located on these waterways, because many of them require water for manufacturing and/or shipping to coastal ports. With very few exceptions, all streams and rivers flow into other rivers or into lakes, which, in turn, have outlets to wetlands, bays, estuaries, seas and oceans.

The aggregation of wastes flowing into our streams and estuaries, and ultimately into the oceans, is a biochemical soup carrying thousands of different chemicals. Rainwater and snow melt, that run off from congested urban areas, collect street oil and chemicals as well as many metals. Runoff into streams and rivers adjacent to farmlands carry tons of suspended particles of soil. This is not only damaging to fish but can also choke-out submerged oxygen-giving grasses in coastal woodlands, bays or estuaries. Runoff from timber harvesting activities, especially clear cutting, deprives the exposed land of thousands of tons of soil and has caused the pollution of some of the most valuable spawning grounds for trout and salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

Runoff of the nitrogen and phosphorus components of fertilizers leads to an oxygen depletion in the water. This depletion has caused massive fish die-offs and can wipe out whole areas of marine habitat necessary to maintain the life cycles of myriads of species of aquatic life. Other chemicals, such as DDT can accumulate in the tissues of marine animals to toxic levels, even if they live their entire lives in remote parts of the globe (Antarctic penguins and seal species for example).

The incredibly rapid petrochemical revolution, which forms the basis for this modern age of plastic, has spawned a nearly exponential increase in major sources of pollution affecting our stratosphere, atmosphere, lands and waters. We build this material to last and now, after years of dumping it into the sea, it has come back to haunt us, killing and maiming marine life. Plastic is believed to be the most far-reaching man-made threat facing many marine species, annually killing or maiming tens of thousands of seabirds, seals, sea lions and sea otters, as well as hundreds of whales, dolphins, porpoises and turtles.

We know that the deadly flows we are adding to our oceans do not just disappear. Many of them do not even decay. In all, this mixture can kill plant and marine life, contaminate food supplies and endanger people and entire coastal communities. With over 50% of the US population now living within 100 miles of our coastlines, it is no accident that the highest chemical contamination can be found in waters of the largest of the cities on these coasts – Boston, New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

What long-term effects and future afflictions are in store for our “water planet” is beyond our present knowledge, but there is doubt that global environmental changes will have serious effects on the oceans will pose great problems for many countries, and the very existence of some island states may even be threatened. Given the different functions oceans and coastal areas have for human society, conflicts between different interests, such as utilization and protection, will arise.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Sustainable Development and Biodiversity

2020-12-13 tarasfoundation Biodiversity, Science, Sustainability

Today, the internationally acknowledged basis for agreements on environmental protection, resource management, and conservation, consists of the principles of sustainable development and the maintenance of biodiversity. The concept of sustainable development is based on the realization that the conditions for economic activities will continue to deteriorate in the future, if the natural resources underlying these activities continue to be destroyed at the present rate.

By exploiting non-renewable raw materials, we consume resources as if making withdrawals from a limited saving account, without making deposits. At the same time, our species is using renewable resources above and beyond their regeneration capacity. The earth’s limited absorption capacity is overtaxed by emissions and waste volumes, leading to consequential ecological costs, which can no longer be ignored. A discussion about the fundamental rules involved in our economies is tantamount to a renaissance of nature as a factor in the production-function concept.

The supplies of resources, and the absorption of residuals, both prerequisites for economic activities, are to be seen as irreplaceable functions of nature. The preservation of the capital stock (= natural resources) is a key element of sustainable development. Unlike current approaches, this capital stock should at least be kept at a constant level to prevent future generations from suffering from shortages of natural resources or a deterioration of environmental quality. First and foremost, sustainable development means preserving the vital functions of the environment, including the potential for change, evolution and self-regulation.

Biodiversity is meant to be all-inclusive; it is the genetic-based variation of living organisms at all levels. It includes the world’s millions of species and the ecological systems they live in, ranging from Polar Regions with relatively few species, to the tropics with their great abundance of different life forms. Conserving biodiversity provides us with at least three domains of benefit:

Maintenance of our ecosystems in healthy condition
Source of new pharmaceuticals, crops, fibers etc., all holding economic value
‘Biophilia’, which is a term used by E.O. Wilson to describe the natural affiliation humans have for the natural environment

In the words of paleontologist Niles Eldredge, it is our failure to recognize our connection with the global ecosystem that lies behind the biodiversity crisis facing our planet. We have to recognize that biological diversity is part of our heritage and is incomparably older and more complex than anything else.

Our own single species, out of the 5-30 million species that exist today, consumes nearly half of the total produce from land-based ecosystems, and 25% of all plant energy from the land and sea combined. Today there are less than 1 million elephants, but 100 million cattle on earth. These numbers do not reflect intrinsic worthiness, but rather developed usefulness. And yet, we must confront the demographic realities honestly, if we hope to preserve biodiversity, achieve a sustainable development, and to prevent a massive Sixth Extinction.

Although it may be impossible to determine the exact rate of extinction, estimates are that about 27,000 species are lost each year, which means that three species are lost forever every hour. It is also commonly accepted that there is a relationship between habitat loss and species numbers. Reducing a habitat’s original size by 10% is expected to eventually lead to the numbers of species inhabiting that area dropping by half. Every species that disappears is a loss of evolutionary potential. Human-caused extinction is up between a thousand and ten thousand times over what it was before humans came to Earth. This is far in excess of the rate at which new species are being created. So again, we are quickly running out of the capital that took many millions of years to create.

***

We all depend on a healthy ocean; a healthy ocean depends on us. Let us be the change we would like to see in the world. Our new Ocean Sentinels Club is proof that conservation can be fun, rewarding and effective. The Club unites and empowers citizens to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment across Palm Beach County, and beyond. Join us. The time is now. It begins with you.

Common Dolphins – Basic Knowledge

Archaeocetes

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins -Basic Knowledge

Bottlenose Dolphins – Basic Knowledge

The Face is Familiar, but …

In the Eyes of the Dolphin

Coral Cartography Advances Conservation

Florida’s Wild Dolphins Reveal Unique Social Feeding Behavior

Quo Tendimus

The Objectives of Marine Mammal Research

Why Oceans Are Important To Us

Sustainable Development and Biodiversity

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

Post Categories

Taras Oceanographic Foundation

Blogroll

We Are On Social Media

Sustainable Development and Biodiversity