Robotics Inspire the Next Generation of Ocean Explorers

“The joy of discovery is certainly the liveliest that the mind of man can ever feel.”        -Claude Bernard (1813-78) French physiologist

A couple of weeks ago Dr. Sandra Brooke, Marine Conservation Institute’s Director of Coral Conservation, and a team of researchers set out on an expedition tasked with exploring deep canyon ecosystems off the US Atlantic coast. Coincidentally, on August 18th the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium located in San Pedro CA hosted the Robotics by the Sea event. Children had the opportunity to make their own robot sculptures out of items that are normally considered trash.  Yes these beautifully unique creations will likely be tossed into the recycling bin, but the children will remember the experience and put more thought into their consumption habits in the future. The tangible products might be discarded, but the intangible thought processes, inspiration and changes in habits will continue to affect these children long after their artistic creations are being reformed into new plastic products.

The beginnings of a robot sculpture
 courtesy of Save Oceans & Seas.

There were several interactive booths where children were encouraged to control terrestrial and aquatic robots. By the expressions on their faces this experience was rewarding for both the children and the students who created these robots.

 So why are these events so important? Because they may inspire a future Sandra Brooke of course!

 

Sandra Brooke in a submersible preparing
to survey deep sea coral ecosystems for
damage after Deepwater Horizon oil spill in
the Gulf of Mexico.

Children having hands-on
experiences controlling a
remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

 

 

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand."- Chinese Proverb

 

 

These unique experiences allow children to experiment through problem-based learning and most importantly have fun with science. Meanwhile, the student engineers are given the opportunity to share their creations with the public. Right now these students are creating robots that, when controller and robot become one, can pick up a tin can off the sidewalk, or a washer from the bottom of a pool. In less than a decade some of these students and young participants may be valuable members of teams that are envisioning, designing and building robots that will be instrumental in the discovery of yet-to-be explored marine habitats, species, and underwater conditions we can only theorize about now.  It is cliché but true, these children and teenagers are the future of deep sea marine exploration and events like this one foster a healthy sense of creativity and wonder that may eventually inspire children to become ocean advocates.

 

 

 

Marine Conservation Institute elects 3 eminent ocean conservationists as Directors

Marine Conservation Institute elects

3 eminent ocean conservationists as Directors

Amy Mathews-Amos, Les Watling and John Davis join Board

Sonoma County CA (August 17).  Today, in celebration of our oceans, Marine Conservation Institute President Lance Morgan announced the election of three new Directors.  They are:

John B. Davis, President of Marine Affairs Research and Education (MARE) and Editor of MPA News earned his Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington in 2001.  His experience in journalism and unmatched overview of marine protected areas (MPAs) makes him an invaluable asset in our mission to create the Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES) to serve as a lifeboat for marine species in the world’s warming, acidifying oceans.  He lives in Woodinville WA.

Amy Mathews-Amos, Principal of Turnstone Consulting, earned her Master of Public Affairs from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 1989 and is in the Science and Medical Writing graduate program of Johns Hopkins University.  An ocean expert with 25 years of experience in environmental policy analysis and scientific writing, she received NOAA’s Environmental Hero Award in 2000 for getting President Bill Clinton to issue Executive Order 13158 on Marine Protected Areas.  She lives in Shepherdstown WV.

Les Watling, Professor of Biology at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, is a world-renowned oceanographer, biogeographer and deep-sea coral biologist.  He earned his PhD in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware in 1974.  With Marine Conservation Institute Founder and Chief Scientist Elliott Norse, in 1998 Les authored the scientific analysis in the journal Conservation Biology that catalyzed the worldwide movement to restrict bottom trawling.  It’s the world’s most-cited paper on trawling impacts.  He lives in Honolulu HI and Damariscotta ME.

National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and Marine Conservation Institute Board Member Sylvia A. Earle, PhD, said “Of the organizations working to save life in the sea, the Marine Conservation Institute is among the very best.  Adding ocean experts such as Les, John and Amy to the Board will make us even better.”

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About the Marine Conservation Institute

The Marine Conservation Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating the Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES), a resilient worldwide network of havens for marine life that safeguards the interests of the 7+ billion people who depend on healthy oceans.  We work with natural and social scientists, government officials, businesses and conservationists to secure strong, enduring protection for the oceans’ best places.

Find Marine Conservation Institute online at our website, Facebook, Twitter and on Marine Conservation News.

Exploring America's Unknown Grand Canyons

For most of us, guiding the pilots of submersibles or underwater robots to explore the deep sea is something we only hope to have the chance to experience in our lifetime.

For Sandra Brooke, Marine Conservation Institute’s Director of Coral Conservation, it’s a core part of her work. On August 15, Sandra set sail on the NOAA research vessel Nancy Foster as part of the continuing Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping Expeditions project. The 2012 research cruises from August 15th to September 30th will be divided into three separate legs; the first two legs will explore natural ecosystems and habitats found within the canyons, and the third leg will examine historical shipwrecks and their biological communities.

Sandra in a submersible preparing to survey deep sea coral ecosystems for damage after the 

Deepwater Horizon oil spil in the Gulf of Mexico

As co-Principal Investigator on the first two legs of this summer’s research cruise to the Baltimore and Norfolk Canyons, Sandra and her science colleagues – representing three government agencies, numerous academic institutions, and private sector partners – will conduct video and photo transects, collect samples of invertebrates and fishes, and deploy instruments to collect long-term environmental data.

So, why these canyons?  The Baltimore and Norfolk canyons are two of America’s unknown Grand Canyons – far less explored than the Grand Canyon of Arizona and Colorado, but vitally important in their own ways. There are 13 major canyons off the American mid-Atlantic, from The Point off North Carolina to Cape Cod. Some were scoured by rivers during past low sea level periods, but most formed due to other geological processes. These deep canyon ecosystems merit continued scientific study because of their ecological importance: notably, they seem to support far greater abundance and diversity of invertebrates and fishes than other deep sea habitats, but biological studies are sorely lacking. They are also sites of intense recreational and commercial fishing interest.

                                     Spotlight on the deepwater canyons off the Mid-Atlantic to be studied in the 2012 season

Sandra and her colleagues will be busy throughout the tour. They will conduct 24-hour operations to maximize the ship’s research tools. During the daytime, she and other scientists will pilot the ROV Kraken II to survey biological communities associated with different canyon habitats and they will monitor video footage and digital images to better understand different habitats and the biodiversity of canyon communities. They will also use the ROV’s robotic arms to collect samples of deep-water corals, other canyon fauna, and sediment cores. Overnight, researchers will supplement the ROV samples by using boxcores and small trawls to collect additional deep sea life and sediment samples. 

Deep-sea studies are limited by the short duration of their field work; research cruises are expensive and are usually 2-4 weeks long. Since this is just a ‘snapshot’ of real-time information, one of the most exciting parts of this project is the application of sophisticated technology, deployed on platforms called Benthic Landers. These devices will be placed at the head, middle, and the base of Norfolk and Baltimore canyons, and will remain there for a year, collecting data on temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, currents and monthly sediment deposition. The Landers will also be equipped with a series of settlement plates to assess recruitment and colonization rates of benthic fauna, and experiments to measure growth and survival of deep-water corals. Data collected by these instruments and experiments will advance our understanding of the biology, ecology, and oceanography of canyons by bridging the gap between sampling cruises.

Marine Conservation Institute is honored to be a continued part of the Mid-Atlantic Deepwater Canyons project. The project is co-funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, and the U.S. Geological Survey, through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. The project is managed by Continental Shelf Associates, and includes scientific partners from numerous academic institutions and other partners.

So stay tuned to hear from Sandra as she reports back on her findings and gives us a chance to experience a life some of us dream to be a part of someday. 

Saving Our Sanctuaries: How You Can Help!

Great News! Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary will soon be undergoing some major changes. Originally the smallest of the national marine sanctuaries at just a quarter of a square mile (0.25 sq. mi.), new regulations adopted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) will add five reef and offshore areas, including Rose Atoll. These new boundaries will encompass just under 14,000 sq. mi., making this marine sanctuary the largest in the United States (slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island)! To reflect the additions, the sanctuary’s name will be changed to the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS). 

Sunset over Fagatele Bay. Credit: Kip Evans, NOAA

The inclusion of Rose Atoll in this monument, part of the 2009 presidential proclamation by President George W. Bush that also created the other marine national monuments in the Pacific (find out more here and here), has radically increased the size of the newly minted NMSAS. A monumental success, to be sure, and the culmination of a multiple year process to fulfill the former President’s directive. However, with the difficult budget climate and the already inadequate funding for sanctuaries management, how will we continue to successfully safeguard the best and most pristine areas of the American coastline for ourselves and for future generations?

Flourishing coral reef surrounding Rose Atoll, soon to
be incorporated into the National Marine Sanctuary
of American Samoa. Credit: Jean Kenyon, NOAA

Marine sanctuaries are an important part of how we manage our marine resources. Since the establishment of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary in 1975, the program has grown to incorporate 13 distinct sanctuaries and 1 marine national monument along both the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. They protect areas of great ecological, cultural, historical, and scientific significance. Although regulations vary between and even within sanctuary areas, many keep human activity to a minimum by heavily restricting fishing gear, prohibiting dumping, restricting speed, and prohibiting oil and gas exploration. Recent studies have shown that, in an ocean choked by debris, threatened by acidification, and intensely overfished, protected areas such as the sanctuaries dramatically improve biodiversity and increase resiliency. 

Map of the National Marine Sanctuary System.
Credit: NOAA

However, recent funding cuts and budget difficulties have placed the future success of this program at risk. Without sufficient funding, sanctuaries such as the newly expanded NMSAS will be unable to implement successful management plans. We now face the possibility of visitor center closures, the elimination of research projects and outreach programs, and the diminished capacity of enforcement agencies. 

It is imperative that the National Marine Sanctuary Program receive adequate funding as it continues to incorporate and enforce areas as directed by our nation’s leadership. Marine sanctuaries protect areas of national significance, both ecologically and culturally. They promote healthy oceans that in turn lead to economic recovery and job creation. 

How can you get more involved in the fight to save our sanctuaries? Most importantly, you can contact your Congressional representatives today and encourage them to support the National Marine Sanctuary Program. You can also include a trip to a sanctuary on your next summer vacation. These pristine reefs and surrounding communities provide ample opportunity to see the best of America’s oceans. Show your support for the Sanctuary Program today! 

This octopus in Rose Atoll needs your help to protect
him and his home!! Credit: Jean Kenyon, NOAA

Cruising Forward with Holland America Line!

Reflections from Michael Zwirn, Director of Development, on his recent trip to Seattle, Washington in support of Marine Conservation Institute's partnership with Holland America Line. 

On Saturday, July 28^th, Marine Conservation Institute welcomed friends, donors, and members of our Board to a luncheon aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship ms Westerdam at port in Seattle. 

Hosted by Holland America Line, as part of a three-year-long partnership with Marine Conservation Institute, the event focused on the importance of Protecting Deep Sea Corals: The West Coast’s Forgotten Treasures, while showcasing the recently released “Our Marvelous Oceans” video series. Dan Grausz, executive vice president, fleet operations, Holland America Line, and Dr. Lance Morgan, president and chief executive officer, Marine Conservation Institute, co-hosted the event.

Guests dined on sustainably sourced seafood and met senior scientists grappling with the world’s toughest marine conservation challenges, before participating a program showcasing the deep sea marine life just off the shore of Washington State and the American West Coasts. Many guests described the program as “eye-opening” – and raved about the menu and the hospitality aboard the ship.

Since 2010, Marine Conservation Institute has partnered with the Seattle-based cruise line to support a wide array of marine conservation and education activities. Currently, the partnership supports the “Our Marvelous Oceans” suite of programs: Holland America Line’s commitment to exclusively use sustainably sourced seafood on shipboard menus, guest and staff education on oceans issues including the “Our Marvelous Oceans” video series, and support for emerging marine scientists through Marine Conservation Institute’s Mia J. Tegner Memorial Research Grants for graduate students and young scientists working in historical marine ecology.

Marine Conservation Institute Board members and senior staff are grateful to Holland America Line not only for hosting Saturday’s event, but for the breadth of the partnership. By working together, not only can Marine Conservation Institute help Holland America Line improve its environmental sustainability, but we can reach more than 800,000 guests each year with a message about sustainable fisheries and ocean conservation.  

Executive Chef, Udo Sandering (right), ms  Westerdam, shows Dan Grausz (center), executive vice president, fleet operations, Holland America Line, and Dr. Lance Morgan (left), president and chief executive officer, Marine Conservation Institute, the sustainable seafood lunch he prepared.  The day’s menu included Grilled Scallops in Ginger Soy Glaze and Olive Oil Poached Pacific Black Cod, all purchased sustainably.
Photo Courtesy Holland America Line