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Micro-organisms may exist
News / Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 (2002) 92–95
93
The Adelie colony at Cape Crozier is the sixth largest in the world. The emperor penguin colony is one of the smallest for that species, at about 1200 pairs, but was the first discovered. Members of explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition first visited the colony at the beginning of the 20th century.
per cent of the weed. At this rate, the weevils could become a critical tool in the continued fight against the invasive plant.
PII: S0025-326X(02)00039-5
Chemical pollution and human sewage link to coral disease
PII: S0025-326X(02)00041-3
More funding to protect Australia’s coastline Up to 300 new projects will protect Australia’s coasts with around A$4.3 m in the latest round of Commonwealth-State funding, announced recently by Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp. The funding is part of the Australian Coastcare programme and is one of the many continuing success stories of the $2.5 billion Natural Heritage Trust. Since 1996, more than 60,000 people and nearly 2,000 community groups have tackled a range of projects including weed removal, dune and headland protection, wetland restoration, the construction of boardwalks and viewing platforms, cultural awareness and marine and intertidal zone awareness. Coastcare estimates that volunteers in these projects have built around 186 kilometres of fencing and 67 kilometres of paths, cleared 1500 hectares of weeds and planted 610,000 plants. The Coastcare programme is seen by Dr Kemp as a great example of Federal, State and Territory Governments working co-operatively to maintain the beauty of much of the Australian coastline and to tackle the problems posed by pollution, introduced marine pests and the impacts of recreational and commercial use. He said the Federal Government was committed to the Coastcare programme under plans to streamline the Natural Heritage Trust. In addition the objectives of Coastcare will be more closely integrated with other Natural Heritage Trust programmes such as Bushcare, Landcare and Rivercare to deliver ‘‘on-ground results on a regional basis’’. PII: S0025-326X(02)00040-1
Water hyacinth back in Lake Victoria At a time when scientists and local politicians are taking credit for having eradicated it, the water hyacinth has resurfaced on Lake Victoria, blocking lakeside recreational facilities and hindering marine transport. Thick mats of the weed have returned to the Kisumu Port and the surrounding beaches. This has meant that Beach hotel owners were unable to provide Christmas visitors with boat rides in the area and many complaints have been received from their guests. The unexpected return of the weed after a year’s absence poses a fresh challenge to the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project, which has spent huge amounts of money to eradicate it. The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, which was involved in the project, recently announced that its scientists had made a breakthrough in the use of weevils to eliminate the weed. The scientist in charge of the KARI Kibos sub-station, Dr Gerald Ochiel has claimed that the weevils had destroyed 60
Recent work carried out by a team of scientists from University of Illinois has shown that a combination of human sewage and shipyard discharge may be responsible for the development and spread of deadly black band disease in corals. To better understand the disease, a group of four researchers, led by geologist Bruce Fouke, studied corals off the island of Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, near the Venezuelan coast. Black band disease is characterized by a ring-shaped bacterial mat that migrates across a coral colony, leaving dead tissue in its wake. Healthy corals contain a natural population of bacteria within a mucous-rich biofilm that provides protection from light, exposure and sedimentation. Environmental stresses cause corals to secrete more of this mucous to coat their outer tissues. This leads to elevated levels of natural microbial populations, as well as the introduction of new, potentially harmful bacteria. By mapping the outbreaks of the disease along the reef, the scientists were able to relate its incidence to the occurrence of pollutants such as aluminium, cadmium and zinc that are commonly associated with shipyards and oil refineries. The highest number of infected corals, as well as the highest concentration of dissolved metals, occurred near the city of St. Annabaai, which has a major harbour and a large oil refinery. This suggests that diseased coral may be experiencing increased environmentals tress due to pollution, which in turn decreases the coral’s resistance to bacterial infection. Several organisms were found inhabiting the black band biomat. These included at least two species of bacteria, Arcobacter and Campylobacter, which are human pathogens and could be a direct link to raw sewage. Also present in the biomat was a network of cyanobacteria, a unique group of photosynthetic bacteria that can not live without light. Although more work is needed to confirm the findings, the distribution of the diseased coral and its relation to high metal concentrations and presence of human pathogens suggests that human pollution is playing a significant role. PII: S0025-326X(02)00042-5
Micro-organisms may exist in lakes underneath Antarctica It is likely that liquid lakes buried thousands of metres below the Antarctic ice sheet will provide unique habitats occupied by organisms as yet unstudied. Antarctica is home to more than 70 lakes that lie thousands of metres under the ice sheet. The lakes include one under the South Pole and another, Lake Vostok, deep in the Antarctic interior, that is comparable in size and depth to one of the North American Great Lakes.
94
News / Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 (2002) 92–95
The pressure exerted by the continent-wide ice sheet, together with heat generated by the Earth from below and the enormous insulating properties of the overlying ice sheet, may mean that liquid water exists in many, if not all, of the lakes. It is this that has led a team of researchers, led by Martin Siegert of Bristol University working with John Priscu of Montana State University to believe that they could harbour life. Working with ice samples gathered from deep beneath Russia’s Vostok Station, thought to be refrozen water from Lake Vostok itself, the researchers have argued that microorganisms may survive in extreme cold and darkness under more than 4,000 metres of ice. The microorganisms would be potentially unique to sub-glacial Antarctica and, if they are isolated hydrologically, unique to each lake. However, they caution that developing both the technology and the experimental protocols to explore the lakes without contaminating the waters or harming any microbial communities that may exist there will be an extremely complex undertaking that will require significant multinational cooperation. Recognizing the scientific and technological challenges and opportunities of such an undertaking, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Polar Programs has established an NSF committee to study the possible scientific exploration of the lakes. PII: S0025-326X(02)00043-7
Pets and humans disturb beach breeding birds Disturbance by people and their pets is causing shorebirds, such as the threatened western snowy plover, to move to more remote locations where less human disturbance occurs, according to a United States Geological Survey (USGS) study. Protection of small areas of special habitat can provide important sanctuaries for these beach-nesting birds, but the majority of former breeding sites has been rendered unsuitable because of the frequent disturbance by humans and pets. Dr. Kevin Lafferty, a marine ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Research Centre in Santa Barbara, California, measured rates of disturbance on beaches, providing managers with information that they in turn could use to reduce disturbance at Coal Oil Point Reserve, a public beach in Santa Barbara. Lafferty then evaluated the success of resulting management actions. He discovered that 10 percent of humans and 40 percent of dogs disturbed birds, and more than 70 percent of birds flew away when disturbed. Bird species varied in their frequency of disturbance, partially because a few bird species foraged on the upper beach where contact with people was less frequent. Most disturbances occurred near the water, but people used so much of the beach that birds were unable to find predictable places without people to rest and feed. Even when using the dry sand at the top of the beach Lafferty found that each snowy plover was disturbed about 115 times per week, 16 times more than at remote or protected areas where these birds still breed. Lafferty developed a mathematical model that predicted the smallest portion of the beach that could be closed to maximize
protection of plovers with minimal inconvenience to beach users. Preliminary trials have begun, roping off selected areas, and the results have been promising. Snowy plover densities doubled inside the fenced area and the number of least terns, an endangered species, increased six-fold. In total, the abundance of birds in the protected area increased four-fold. Interviews with beach-goers revealed that many people valued the increased opportunity to view wildlife, and even more said they were glad that the minor inconvenience was an alternative to beach closures used elsewhere to protect endangered birds. PII: S0025-326X(02)00044-9
Attempts underway to identify giant deep-sea squid A squid, now known as the Mystery Squid, has been properly sited only eight times since it was first recorded in 1988. It was so named by the researchers until its true classification and taxonomy is complete. This work is already under way by scientist Michael Vecchione of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Services Systematics Laboratory at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The most recent siting took place during a National Undersea Research Program mission in the Gulf of Mexico last year. While investigating gas hydrates at a depth of approximately 6,300 feet below the surface, the Mystery Squid drifted close to the submersible Alvin and some good images were filmed on video. Of the eight squid sightings noted, the earliest is September 1988 off northern Brazil. The Mystery Squid has also been seen west of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, and in Hawaii, at depths ranging from 6,300 to 15,390 feet. According to Vecchione, the squids are not just a new species as they are very different from any squid ever seen before. None of the squid had been collected, but they all have the same characteristics; extremely long, slender arms and tentacles that have ‘elbows,’ and very large fins extending beyond the end of the body. One of the squids was estimated to be about 21 feet long and another was 13 to 16 feet long. Vecchione noted that scientists cannot be certain of the identity of these squid until specimens are captured but he suggested that the Mystery Squid could be the adult of the a squid family presently known only from juveniles. From the number of sightings, it seems that these are fairly common large animals in very deep water. That they have not been previously observed or captured, indicates how little is known about life in the deep ocean, PII: S0025-326X (02)00045-0
Plan to preserve Long Island Bay The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a comprehensive plan to clean up and preserve Long Island’s Peconic Bay, the 100,000-acre estuary separating the two forks of the eastern part of the island.
93
The Adelie colony at Cape Crozier is the sixth largest in the world. The emperor penguin colony is one of the smallest for that species, at about 1200 pairs, but was the first discovered. Members of explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition first visited the colony at the beginning of the 20th century.
per cent of the weed. At this rate, the weevils could become a critical tool in the continued fight against the invasive plant.
PII: S0025-326X(02)00039-5
Chemical pollution and human sewage link to coral disease
PII: S0025-326X(02)00041-3
More funding to protect Australia’s coastline Up to 300 new projects will protect Australia’s coasts with around A$4.3 m in the latest round of Commonwealth-State funding, announced recently by Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp. The funding is part of the Australian Coastcare programme and is one of the many continuing success stories of the $2.5 billion Natural Heritage Trust. Since 1996, more than 60,000 people and nearly 2,000 community groups have tackled a range of projects including weed removal, dune and headland protection, wetland restoration, the construction of boardwalks and viewing platforms, cultural awareness and marine and intertidal zone awareness. Coastcare estimates that volunteers in these projects have built around 186 kilometres of fencing and 67 kilometres of paths, cleared 1500 hectares of weeds and planted 610,000 plants. The Coastcare programme is seen by Dr Kemp as a great example of Federal, State and Territory Governments working co-operatively to maintain the beauty of much of the Australian coastline and to tackle the problems posed by pollution, introduced marine pests and the impacts of recreational and commercial use. He said the Federal Government was committed to the Coastcare programme under plans to streamline the Natural Heritage Trust. In addition the objectives of Coastcare will be more closely integrated with other Natural Heritage Trust programmes such as Bushcare, Landcare and Rivercare to deliver ‘‘on-ground results on a regional basis’’. PII: S0025-326X(02)00040-1
Water hyacinth back in Lake Victoria At a time when scientists and local politicians are taking credit for having eradicated it, the water hyacinth has resurfaced on Lake Victoria, blocking lakeside recreational facilities and hindering marine transport. Thick mats of the weed have returned to the Kisumu Port and the surrounding beaches. This has meant that Beach hotel owners were unable to provide Christmas visitors with boat rides in the area and many complaints have been received from their guests. The unexpected return of the weed after a year’s absence poses a fresh challenge to the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project, which has spent huge amounts of money to eradicate it. The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, which was involved in the project, recently announced that its scientists had made a breakthrough in the use of weevils to eliminate the weed. The scientist in charge of the KARI Kibos sub-station, Dr Gerald Ochiel has claimed that the weevils had destroyed 60
Recent work carried out by a team of scientists from University of Illinois has shown that a combination of human sewage and shipyard discharge may be responsible for the development and spread of deadly black band disease in corals. To better understand the disease, a group of four researchers, led by geologist Bruce Fouke, studied corals off the island of Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, near the Venezuelan coast. Black band disease is characterized by a ring-shaped bacterial mat that migrates across a coral colony, leaving dead tissue in its wake. Healthy corals contain a natural population of bacteria within a mucous-rich biofilm that provides protection from light, exposure and sedimentation. Environmental stresses cause corals to secrete more of this mucous to coat their outer tissues. This leads to elevated levels of natural microbial populations, as well as the introduction of new, potentially harmful bacteria. By mapping the outbreaks of the disease along the reef, the scientists were able to relate its incidence to the occurrence of pollutants such as aluminium, cadmium and zinc that are commonly associated with shipyards and oil refineries. The highest number of infected corals, as well as the highest concentration of dissolved metals, occurred near the city of St. Annabaai, which has a major harbour and a large oil refinery. This suggests that diseased coral may be experiencing increased environmentals tress due to pollution, which in turn decreases the coral’s resistance to bacterial infection. Several organisms were found inhabiting the black band biomat. These included at least two species of bacteria, Arcobacter and Campylobacter, which are human pathogens and could be a direct link to raw sewage. Also present in the biomat was a network of cyanobacteria, a unique group of photosynthetic bacteria that can not live without light. Although more work is needed to confirm the findings, the distribution of the diseased coral and its relation to high metal concentrations and presence of human pathogens suggests that human pollution is playing a significant role. PII: S0025-326X(02)00042-5
Micro-organisms may exist in lakes underneath Antarctica It is likely that liquid lakes buried thousands of metres below the Antarctic ice sheet will provide unique habitats occupied by organisms as yet unstudied. Antarctica is home to more than 70 lakes that lie thousands of metres under the ice sheet. The lakes include one under the South Pole and another, Lake Vostok, deep in the Antarctic interior, that is comparable in size and depth to one of the North American Great Lakes.
94
News / Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 (2002) 92–95
The pressure exerted by the continent-wide ice sheet, together with heat generated by the Earth from below and the enormous insulating properties of the overlying ice sheet, may mean that liquid water exists in many, if not all, of the lakes. It is this that has led a team of researchers, led by Martin Siegert of Bristol University working with John Priscu of Montana State University to believe that they could harbour life. Working with ice samples gathered from deep beneath Russia’s Vostok Station, thought to be refrozen water from Lake Vostok itself, the researchers have argued that microorganisms may survive in extreme cold and darkness under more than 4,000 metres of ice. The microorganisms would be potentially unique to sub-glacial Antarctica and, if they are isolated hydrologically, unique to each lake. However, they caution that developing both the technology and the experimental protocols to explore the lakes without contaminating the waters or harming any microbial communities that may exist there will be an extremely complex undertaking that will require significant multinational cooperation. Recognizing the scientific and technological challenges and opportunities of such an undertaking, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Polar Programs has established an NSF committee to study the possible scientific exploration of the lakes. PII: S0025-326X(02)00043-7
Pets and humans disturb beach breeding birds Disturbance by people and their pets is causing shorebirds, such as the threatened western snowy plover, to move to more remote locations where less human disturbance occurs, according to a United States Geological Survey (USGS) study. Protection of small areas of special habitat can provide important sanctuaries for these beach-nesting birds, but the majority of former breeding sites has been rendered unsuitable because of the frequent disturbance by humans and pets. Dr. Kevin Lafferty, a marine ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Research Centre in Santa Barbara, California, measured rates of disturbance on beaches, providing managers with information that they in turn could use to reduce disturbance at Coal Oil Point Reserve, a public beach in Santa Barbara. Lafferty then evaluated the success of resulting management actions. He discovered that 10 percent of humans and 40 percent of dogs disturbed birds, and more than 70 percent of birds flew away when disturbed. Bird species varied in their frequency of disturbance, partially because a few bird species foraged on the upper beach where contact with people was less frequent. Most disturbances occurred near the water, but people used so much of the beach that birds were unable to find predictable places without people to rest and feed. Even when using the dry sand at the top of the beach Lafferty found that each snowy plover was disturbed about 115 times per week, 16 times more than at remote or protected areas where these birds still breed. Lafferty developed a mathematical model that predicted the smallest portion of the beach that could be closed to maximize
protection of plovers with minimal inconvenience to beach users. Preliminary trials have begun, roping off selected areas, and the results have been promising. Snowy plover densities doubled inside the fenced area and the number of least terns, an endangered species, increased six-fold. In total, the abundance of birds in the protected area increased four-fold. Interviews with beach-goers revealed that many people valued the increased opportunity to view wildlife, and even more said they were glad that the minor inconvenience was an alternative to beach closures used elsewhere to protect endangered birds. PII: S0025-326X(02)00044-9
Attempts underway to identify giant deep-sea squid A squid, now known as the Mystery Squid, has been properly sited only eight times since it was first recorded in 1988. It was so named by the researchers until its true classification and taxonomy is complete. This work is already under way by scientist Michael Vecchione of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Services Systematics Laboratory at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The most recent siting took place during a National Undersea Research Program mission in the Gulf of Mexico last year. While investigating gas hydrates at a depth of approximately 6,300 feet below the surface, the Mystery Squid drifted close to the submersible Alvin and some good images were filmed on video. Of the eight squid sightings noted, the earliest is September 1988 off northern Brazil. The Mystery Squid has also been seen west of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, and in Hawaii, at depths ranging from 6,300 to 15,390 feet. According to Vecchione, the squids are not just a new species as they are very different from any squid ever seen before. None of the squid had been collected, but they all have the same characteristics; extremely long, slender arms and tentacles that have ‘elbows,’ and very large fins extending beyond the end of the body. One of the squids was estimated to be about 21 feet long and another was 13 to 16 feet long. Vecchione noted that scientists cannot be certain of the identity of these squid until specimens are captured but he suggested that the Mystery Squid could be the adult of the a squid family presently known only from juveniles. From the number of sightings, it seems that these are fairly common large animals in very deep water. That they have not been previously observed or captured, indicates how little is known about life in the deep ocean, PII: S0025-326X (02)00045-0
Plan to preserve Long Island Bay The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a comprehensive plan to clean up and preserve Long Island’s Peconic Bay, the 100,000-acre estuary separating the two forks of the eastern part of the island.