#noaa aoml

[coralmorphologic]

We are proud to share a new scientific paper co authored with NOAA - AOML on Miami's intertidal urban corals and their potential scientific value. Read 'Coral persistence despite marginal conditions in the Port of Miami' in the research journal Scientific Reports: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-33467-7

In July of 2021, our first research paper with NOAA AOML (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.695236/full) yielded strong evidence that these pioneering corals avoid bleaching and stem disease better than their conspecifics offshore on the natural reefs. 

In this new paper, the monitoring of sites throughout the Port since 2018 revealed periodic extremes in temperature, seawater pH, and salinity, far in excess of what have been measured in most coral reef environments. Despite conditions that would kill many reef species, we have documented diverse coral communities growing on artificial substrates at these sites—reflecting remarkable tolerance to environmental stressors. Furthermore, many of the more prevalent species within these communities are now conspicuously absent or in low abundance on nearby reefs, owing to their susceptibility and exposure to stony coral tissue loss disease.

As we hypothesized in 2014 and evidenced by our recent findings, Miami's system of urban waterways provides an inadvertent anthropogenic laboratory whose corals hold keys to understanding how the world's coral reefs might adapt to changing climate in the decades to come. 

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"In this study, scientists use observations and reanalysis data to show that Atlantic Niño strengthens the rainband over the tropical Atlantic which enhances African easterly wave activity and low-level cyclonic vorticity (rotation) across the deep tropical eastern North Atlantic. African easterly waves are fluctuating winds in the lower atmosphere that originate and travel westward from West Africa. These winds are seen from April until November and are responsible for about 85% of intense hurricanes and about 60% of smaller storms. Such conditions increase the likelihood of tropical cyclones developing near the Cape Verde islands, elevating the risk of major hurricanes impacting the Caribbean islands and the U.S."

[tradmais]

Impacto do IMC nas taxas de sobrevivência ao tratamento do câncerSobrevivência à obesidade e à imunoterapia Um estudo da Universidade Metropolitana de Osaka com mais de 500.000 pacientes com câncer de pulmão descobriu que um IMC mais alto reduziu o risco de morte durante a imunoterapia e a quimioterapia. No entanto, essa tendência se inverteu em um IMC de 24. Para aqueles com IMC abaixo de 28, a imunoterapia teve um risco menor do que a quimioterapia, mas para pacientes com IMC de 28 ou mais, a imunoterapia aumentou o risco. 2 horas atrás Novas espécies fósseis de peixes descobertas na Austrália OcidentalNovo peixe fóssil no mapa da tectônica de placas Em um novo estudo publicado na Nature Communications, cientistas liderados pela Flinders University e especialistas do Canadá, Austrália e Europa descobriram um antigo peixe celacanto primitivo do Devoniano excepcionalmente bem preservado na remota Austrália Ocidental. Esta descoberta fóssil sugere que a tectônica de placas também influenciou significativamente a origem e a extinção dos animais. O fóssil foi chamado de Ngamugawi Whangarei. Sua descoberta preenche uma lacuna significativa no período de transição na história do celacanto entre as formas mais primitivas e outras formas mais "anatomicamente modernas". 44 minutos atrás O gás ozônio está reduzindo o crescimento das florestas tropicaisAs florestas tropicais são “sumidouros de carbono” vitais O gás ozônio está reduzindo o crescimento das florestas tropicais – deixando cerca de 290 milhões de toneladas de carbono não capturadas a cada ano, mostra uma nova pesquisa. O novo estudo calcula que o ozônio ao nível do solo reduz o novo crescimento anual em florestas tropicais em 5,1% em média. O efeito é mais forte em algumas regiões – com as florestas tropicais da Ásia perdendo 10,9% do novo crescimento. 21 minutos atrás Os peixes limpadores percebem precisamente o tamanho do seu corpoEspelho meu, espelho meu, no meu aquário, quem é o maior peixe de todos? De acordo com um grupo de pesquisa liderado pela Universidade Metropolitana de Osaka, um bodião-limpador-de-rastros-azuis (Labroides dimidiatus) verifica o tamanho do seu corpo em um espelho antes de escolher se ataca peixes que são um pouco maiores ou menores do que eles. A equipe relatou que o bodião-limpador conseguia identificar fotografias de si mesmo como ele mesmo, com base em seu rosto por meio do autorreconhecimento no espelho. 3 horas atrás Dieta pouco saudável em pais: doença cardiovascular em filhasTal pai, tal filha. Um novo estudo da Universidade da Califórnia, Riverside, explora como a hipercolesterolemia paterna afeta o desenvolvimento da aterosclerose na prole. O estudo descobriu que pais com dietas pouco saudáveis ​​e ricas em colesterol podem causar um risco aumentado de DCV em suas filhas. Este é o primeiro estudo que encontrou esse resultado apenas em prole feminina. 3 horas atrás Uma das correntes oceânicas mais rápidas do mundo permanece notavelmente estávelModelos climáticos sugerem que atividades humanas podem enfraquecer a AMOC. Em um novo estudo, cientistas do Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), da University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, do Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) da NOAA e do National Oceanography Centre reavaliam tensões induzidas por movimento medidas em um cabo submarino e reavaliam a tendência geral no transporte de FC inferido. Eles descobriram que a força da Corrente da Flórida, o início do sistema da Corrente do Golfo e um componente vital da Circulação Meridional do Atlântico global, ou AMOC, permaneceu estável nas últimas quatro décadas. 3 horas atrás Este dispositivo elástico e portátil alimenta a bateria usando o calor da sua peleUsando calor corporal para alimentar componentes eletrônicos Pesquisadores da UW desenvolveram um protótipo eletrônico

flexível e durável que pode coletar energia do calor do corpo e transformá-la em eletricidade que pode ser usada para alimentar pequenos eletrônicos, como baterias, sensores ou LEDs. Este dispositivo também é resiliente — ele ainda funciona mesmo depois de ser perfurado várias vezes e esticado 2.000 vezes. 5 horas atrás A IA mapeia sinais cerebrais para movimentos Maryam Shanechi e sua equipe na USC desenvolveram um novo algoritmo de IA chamado DPAD que pode separar padrões cerebrais ligados a comportamentos específicos, como movimentos de braço, de outras atividades. Este trabalho, publicado na Nature Neuroscience, melhora as interfaces cérebro-computador e pode ajudar pacientes paralisados ​​a se moverem novamente. O algoritmo também pode ser usado no futuro para decodificar estados mentais. 12 horas atrás Fases da migração humana na Europa reveladas pelo modeloMigração humana aurignaciana na Europa. Pesquisadores da Universidade de Colônia desenvolveram o "Our Way Model" para rastrear a migração humana na Europa durante a Era Glacial. Ele mapeia quatro fases: propagação lenta, expansão rápida, declínio populacional e recuperação. O modelo mostra como as mudanças climáticas influenciaram a migração ao considerar o acesso a alimentos. Alguns humanos se adaptaram melhor a climas mais frios, mudando-se para novas áreas. 13 horas atrás Células mortas na inflamação desencadeiam sinais de curaOxilipinas e metabólitos. Um estudo da equipe do Prof. Kodi Ravichandran (VIB-UGent) descobriu que a piroptose, um tipo de morte celular, causa inflamação e cura do tecido. Publicada na Nature, a pesquisa sugere que as células piroptóticas liberam moléculas como a prostaglandina E2, que promovem a cura de feridas. Esse papel duplo da piroptose pode levar a novos tratamentos para feridas crônicas e doenças inflamatórias. 15 horas atrás Desvendando os mistérios da convecção e do movimento na superfície de...Revelando a superfície borbulhante da estrela R Doradus Astrônomos capturaram imagens detalhadas de uma estrela distante, R Doradus, usando o telescópio ALMA pela primeira vez. Essas imagens revelaram o movimento borbulhante de bolhas gigantes de gás quente na superfície da estrela, fornecendo insights sobre convecção, distribuição de elementos pesados ​​e comportamento estelar. As observações expandiram nossa compreensão das estrelas e ofereceram um vislumbre do futuro, indicando como nosso Sol pode aparecer em cinco bilhões de anos, conforme ele faz a transição para uma gigante vermelha. 16 horas atrás Exercícios regulares levam a uma gordura abdominal mais saudávelExercícios de longa duração alteram a gordura abdominal Um estudo da Universidade de Michigan mostra que pessoas obesas que se exercitam regularmente têm gordura abdominal mais saudável e a armazenam de forma mais eficaz do que aquelas que não o fazem. Comparando 16 praticantes de exercícios de longo prazo com 16 não praticantes, os pesquisadores descobriram que os praticantes tinham tecido adiposo mais saudável, com mais vasos sanguíneos e menos células causadoras de inflamação, levando a um melhor armazenamento de gordura sob a pele e menos gordura. 17 horas atrás

[worldtunaday]

Bluefin Tuna Index.

The Bluefin Tuna Index provides detailed information about bluefin tuna habitat to management bodies to inform decision making. The index tracks favorable habitat for the bluefin tuna in near-real time and is used by NOAA Fisheries in stock assessments. With better-informed catch limits and location information, commercial fishing operations are able to harvest their catch both successfully and sustainably.

Learn more Bluefin Tuna Index

[pdj-france]

Des fragments de corail Elkhorn sauvés de pépinières océaniques en surchauffe reposent dans une eau plus froide au Keys Marine Laboratory. NOAAArmés de brosses à récurer, de jeunes plongeurs se sont rendus dans les eaux de l'Alligator Reef de Floride fin juillet pour tenter d'aider les coraux qui luttent pour survivre à l'extraordinaire vague de chaleur marine de 2023. Ils ont minutieusement gratté les algues nuisibles et les prédateurs qui empiètent sur les fragments de corne de cerf, sous la supervision et la formation de stagiaires d'Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education, ou I.CARE. Normalement, les plongeurs bénévoles d'I.CARE transplanteraient des coraux dans les eaux au large des Keys de Floride à cette période de l'année, dans le cadre d'un effort national pour restaurer le récif de Floride. Mais cette année, tout va à l'envers. Bien que la température de l'eau augmentait dans les Florida Keys, des scientifiques d'universités, des groupes de restauration des récifs coralliens et des agences gouvernementales ont lancé un effort héroïque pour sauver les coraux. Des plongeurs ont été dans l'eau tous les jours, collectant des milliers de coraux dans des pépinières océaniques le long du récif des Keys de Floride et les déplaçant vers des eaux plus froides et dans des réservoirs géants sur terre. Le scientifique marin Ken Nedimyer et son équipe de Reef Renewal USA ont déplacé toute une pépinière d'arbres coralliens des eaux peu profondes au large de Tavernier vers une zone de 60 pieds de profondeur et de 2 degrés Fahrenheit (1,1 Celsius) plus fraîche. Même là, les températures tournaient autour de 85 à 86 F (30 C). Le scientifique marin Ken Nedimyer recueille des fragments de corail corne d'élan encore sains pour les déplacer. La structure arborescente protège les coraux des algues nocives. Reef Renewal États-Unis Leurs efforts font partie d'une intervention d'urgence d'une ampleur jamais vue auparavant en Floride. Le récif de Floride – un arc de près de 350 milles le long des Florida Keys qui est crucial pour l'habitat des poissons, la protection contre les tempêtes côtières et l'économie locale – a démarré à connaître des températures océaniques record en juin 2023, des semaines plus tôt que prévu. La chaleur continue a déclenché un blanchissement corallien généralisé au large de la Floride en particulier, mais aussi au-delà. À la mi-août, un blanchissement des coraux avait été signalé aux Bahamas, à Cuba, au Mexique, au Belize, au Salvador, au Costa Rica, au Panama et en Colombie, ainsi qu'à Porto Rico et dans les îles Vierges américaines. Ceci est particulièrement dévastateur car certains des récifs coralliens restants les plus sains se trouvent dans le sud des Caraïbes. Les chercheurs craignent de voir le sixième blanchissement massif des coraux des Caraïbes depuis 1995 et le troisième au cours des 12 dernières années, et la chaleur devrait se poursuivre. Un monticule de corail blanchi sur le site de surveillance de Cheeca Rocks dans le sanctuaire marin national des Keys de Floride qui avait été précédemment étiqueté montre le squelette de corail. AOML de la NOAA Bien que les coraux peuvent se remettre d'un blanchissement massif, de longues périodes de chaleur élevée peuvent les affaiblir et les rendre vulnérables aux maladies qui peuvent finalement les tuer. C'est ce que les scientifiques et les volontaires se sont efforcés d'éviter. Le battement de coeur du récif Le récif de Floride a lutté pendant des années sous la pression de la surpêche, des maladies, des tempêtes et du réchauffement climatique qui ont décimé ses coraux vivants. Un effort massif de restauration des coraux - la mission de la National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration : Iconic Reef - est en cours depuis 2019 pour restaurer le récif avec des coraux transplantés, en particulier ceux qui résistent le mieux à la hausse des températures.

Mais même les greffes de coraux les plus résistantes sont désormais menacées. Les plongeurs impliqués dans la mission de la NOAA : Iconic Reef montrent comment les coraux cornes de cerf et cornes d'élan sont transplantés pour aider le récif de Floride à se rétablir. Les coraux constructeurs de récifs sont les espèces fondatrices des eaux tropicales peu profondes grâce à leur relation symbiotique unique avec les algues microscopiques dans leurs tissus. Pendant la journée, ces algues effectuent la photosynthèse, produisant à la fois de la nourriture et de l'oxygène pour l'animal corallien. La nuit, les polypes coralliens se nourrissent de plancton, fournissant des nutriments à leurs algues. Le résultat de cette relation symbiotique est la capacité du corail à bâtir un squelette de carbonate de calcium et des récifs qui abritent près de 25 % de toute la vie marine. Toutefois, les coraux sont très sensibles à la température, et la chaleur extrême de l'océan au large du sud de la Floride, avec certaines zones de récifs atteignant des températures dans les années 90, les a soumis à un stress extraordinaire. Un corail cerveau boulder, Colpophyllia natans, avant et après le blanchiment pendant la vague de chaleur marine de 2014 dans les Florida Keys. Photos de Michael Childress et Kylie Smith Quand les coraux deviennent trop chauds, ils expulsent leurs algues symbiotiques. Les coraux apparaissent blancs - blanchis - car leur squelette carbonaté apparaît à travers leur tissu clair dépourvu de cellules d'algues colorées. Les coraux peuvent récupérer de nouveaux symbiotes algaux si les conditions de l'eau reviennent à la normale en quelques semaines. Toutefois, l'augmentation des températures mondiales due aux effets des émissions de gaz à effet de serre provenant des activités humaines provoque des périodes de blanchissement des coraux plus longues et plus fréquentes à travers le monde, ce qui suscite des inquiétudes pour l'avenir des récifs coralliens. Une unité MASH pour les coraux Cette année, les Florida Keys ont atteint un niveau d'alerte 2, indiquant un risque extrême de blanchiment, environ six semaines plus tôt que la normale. Les premières alertes et prévisions du réseau de surveillance des récifs coralliens de la NOAA ont donné aux scientifiques le temps de commencer à préparer les laboratoires et l'équipement, à suivre les emplacements et l'intensité de la chaleur marine croissante et, surtout, à recruter des volontaires. La température maximale de surface de la mer de cette année (graphique du haut) et les semaines de chauffage en degrés (graphique du bas), une mesure du stress thermique accumulé, sont les plus élevées depuis le début de la tenue des registres. Adapté de NOAA Au Keys Marine Laboratory, des scientifiques et des volontaires formés ont déposé des milliers de fragments de corail collectés dans des pépinières offshore menacées par la chaleur. La directrice Cindy Lewis a évoqué les réservoirs géants du laboratoire comme ressemblant à "une unité MASH pour les coraux". Des volontaires là-bas et dans d'autres laboratoires de Floride nourriront à la main les minuscules créatures pour les maintenir en vie jusqu'à ce que les eaux de Floride se refroidissent à nouveau et qu'elles puissent être renvoyées dans l'océan et éventuellement transplantées sur le récif. Les degrés-semaines de chauffage sont une mesure du stress thermique accumulé au cours des 12 semaines précédentes. À 4 degrés Celsius-semaines (7,2 semaines Fahrenheit), les coraux subissent un stress qui a la capacité de entraîner un blanchissement. Au-dessus de 8 semaines C (14,4 semaines F), ils sont susceptibles de subir un blanchiment. Montre NOAA Coral Reef Protéger les coraux encore dans l'océan I.CARE a lancé un autre type d'intervention d'urgence.

La co-fondatrice d'I.CARE, Kylie Smith, écologiste des récifs coralliens et ancienne étudiante en sciences marines, a découvert il y a quelques années que les greffes de corail avec de grandes quantités d'algues charnues autour d'elles étaient plus susceptibles de blanchir pendant les périodes de température élevée. L'élimination de ces algues peut donner aux coraux une meilleure chance de survie. Les jeunes membres de Diving With a Purpose assistent à une session de formation et à une plongée d'entretien des coraux avec l'équipe d'éducation à la conservation et à la restauration d'Islamorada à Islamorada, en Floride. I.CARE Le groupe de Smith travaille généralement avec des opérateurs de plongée locaux pour former des plongeurs récréatifs afin d'aider à la transplantation et à l'entretien de fragments de corail dans le but de restaurer les récifs d'Islamorada. À l'été 2023, I.CARE a formé des bénévoles, comme les jeunes plongeurs de Diving with a Purpose, pour éliminer les algues et les prédateurs de coraux, tels que les escargots et les vers de feu mangeurs de coraux, afin d'augmenter les chances de survie des coraux. Surveillance des coraux en danger Pour aider à repérer les coraux en difficulté, des plongeurs bénévoles sont par ailleurs formés en tant qu'observateurs de récifs dans le cadre du programme BleachWatch de Mote Marine Lab. Les plongeurs sont depuis longtemps attirés par les récifs des Florida Keys pour leur beauté et leur accessibilité. Le laboratoire les forme à reconnaître les coraux blanchis, malades et morts de différentes espèces, puis à employer un portail en ligne pour soumettre des rapports sur l'eau de Javel dans tout le récif de Floride. Plus il y a d'yeux sur le récif, plus les cartes montrant les zones les plus préoccupantes en matière de blanchissement sont précises. Ian Enochs, écologiste de recherche et responsable du programme de coraux du laboratoire océanographique et météorologique de l'Atlantique de la NOAA, a découvert que tous les coraux de la région de Cheeca Rocks avaient blanchi au 1er août 2023. NOAA AOML Reconstruire le récif Bien que la vague de chaleur marine dans les Keys tuera inévitablement certains coraux, beaucoup d'autres survivront. Grâce à une analyse minutieuse des espèces, des génotypes et des sites de récifs subissant un blanchissement, les scientifiques et les praticiens apprennent des informations précieuses alors qu'ils travaillent à protéger et à reconstruire un récif corallien plus résistant pour l'avenir. C'est ce qui donne de l'espoir à Smith, Lewis, Nedimyer et à des centaines d'autres qui croient que ce récif corallien vaut la peine d'être sauvé. Les bénévoles sont essentiels à l'effort, qu'ils aident à l'entretien des récifs coralliens, signalent le blanchissement ou sensibilisent à ce qui est en jeu si l'humanité ne parvient pas à arrêter le réchauffement de la planète. Ce post a été mis à jour le 18 août 2023, avec des cas de blanchiment signalés dans d'autres pays. Michael Childress ne travaille pas pour, ne consulte pas, ne détient pas d'actions ou ne reçoit de financement d'aucune entreprise ou organisation qui bénéficierait de ce post, et n'a divulgué aucune affiliation pertinente au-delà de sa nomination universitaire. Source

[sciencespies]

Low-cost 3D method rapidly measures disease impacts on Florida’s coral reefs

https://sciencespies.com/nature/low-cost-3d-method-rapidly-measures-disease-impacts-on-floridas-coral-reefs/

Low-cost 3D method rapidly measures disease impacts on Florida’s coral reefs

Stony coral tissue loss disease manifests as lesions of necrotic tissue that spread across coral colonies, leaving behind dead coral skeletons. Since 2014, this highly virulent disease has contributed to substantial declines of reef-building coral in Florida, impacting more than 20 coral species. The need for widespread reef monitoring and novel surveys are imperative for disease mitigation strategies. However, the various techniques currently used all require individual evaluation and often rely on visual estimates by divers in the field.

A low-cost and rapid 3D technique is helping scientists to gain insight into the colony- and community-level dynamics of the poorly understood stony coral tissue loss disease. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute adapted Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry to generate 3D models for tracking lesion progression and impacts on diseased coral colonies. By combining traditional diver surveys and with 3D colony fate-tracking, the team determined the impacts of disease on coral colonies at study sites throughout Southeast Florida in St. Lucie Reef, Jupiter, Palm Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Results of the study, published in PLOS One, demonstrated that the prevalence of stony coral tissue loss disease varied significantly across location, but not through time. St. Lucie Reef and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea sites were highly impacted by coral disease, while study sites in Jupiter and Palm Beach had lower disease prevalence. The highest disease values observed in this study were between 21 to 43 percent at St. Lucie Reef. However, no site reached the highest reported disease prevalence values of 60 percent observed near Miami in 2014.

“We observed an increase in disease prevalence during the spring of 2018, which was honestly unexpected. Prevalence values for other described coral diseases such as white syndrome, white band, black band, and white pox often increase during the summer months as water temperatures increase,” said Joshua D. Voss, Ph.D., senior author, an associate research professor at FAU Harbor Branch and executive director of the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology. “Stony coral tissue loss disease prevalence does not appear to have a strong positive correlation with temperature as has been observed for other coral diseases, but potential environmental cofactors that may drive disease prevalence need to be examined further.”

Findings from the study also indicated that total colony area and healthy tissue area on fate-tracked colonies decreased significantly over time, capturing the amount of coral tissue lost to disease. However, disease lesions themselves did not change in size over time and were not correlated with total colony area. These results suggest that targeting intervention efforts on larger colonies may maximize preservation of coral cover.

“Since stony coral tissue loss disease is a progressive and necrotic infection, the area of tissue loss, or proportion of tissue loss, may represent more impactful metrics for quantifying the severity of infection as opposed to disease lesion area or percent affected tissue,” said Ian Combs, the study’s lead author and recent M.S. graduate from Voss’ lab at FAU Harbor Branch. “Traditional coral surveys combined with 3D photogrammetry can provide greater insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics and impacts of coral diseases on individual colonies and coral communities than surveys or visual estimates of disease progression alone.”

Since 2014, Florida’s Coral Reef has experienced an ongoing outbreak of the newly-described coral disease responsible for widespread coral death throughout the Tropical Western Atlantic. The disease first appeared in the summer of 2014 following the dredging of Government Cut in Miami-Dade County. In subsequent years, reports of stony coral tissue loss disease infections have increased and spread from Miami-Dade County along the Florida Reef Tract and into the wider Tropical Western Atlantic. To date, the disease has spread north to the northern terminus of the Florida’s Coral Reef in Martin County and south to the Dry Tortugas in Monroe County, with additional outbreaks observed in at least twelve territories throughout the Tropical Western Atlantic.

The ultimate goal of this work is to increase widespread application of this and similar techniques to improve the design, implementation, and success of coral disease intervention, mitigation, and management strategies.

“Quantitative 3D approaches such as the method we used can improve our understanding of the ecology and impacts of coral diseases on coral reef ecosystems, and may guide colony selection in future disease intervention strategies,” said Voss. “We’ll use this information to optimize our efforts to slow disease outbreaks in Southeast Florida and the Dry Tortugas.”

Combs is now a coral reef ecosystem biologist at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. Additional co-authors on the study include Michael Studivan, Ph.D., a graduate of FAU’s integrative biology doctoral program and an assistant scientist at the University of Miami CIMAS/NOAA AOML; and Ryan Eckert, an FAU integrative biology Ph.D. student in the Voss Lab.

This research was supported by awards to Voss from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (B430E1 and B55008), the Environmental Protection Agency (South Florida Geographic Initiative award X7 00D667-17), and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (award NA16NOS4820052). Additional funding was awarded to Combs by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation through the Indian River Lagoon Graduate Research Fellowship.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Florida Atlantic University. Original written by Gisele Galoustian. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

#Nature

[discoverearthhq]

Nurse shark just wants to take a break for a minute ⛑🦈😴#relatable #sharkcontent #nurseshark #sharksofcoralcity #relax #rest #repeat #shark #barbels #gorgonian #coral #coralcitycamera #miami #portmiami #miamibeach #biscaynebay #bridgeinitiative #bfi #noaa #aoml #coralcity Discover more wonders of the cosmos at Discover Earth

[kuramirocket]

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased 40 percent since the Industrial Revolution (1760 to 1840) because of human activities. The ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico, has absorbed at least 25 percent of this carbon dioxide, which will almost certainly continue to increase, resulting in harmful conditions to marine life, according to a study co-authored by a team of Texas A&M University professors.

Texas A&M oceanographers Katie Shamberger, Steven DiMarco, Niall Slowey, Robert Hetland, Kristen Thyng; former Texas A&M Ph.D. student and lead author of the study, Andrea Kealoha, now at the University of Hawaii-Maui College; and colleagues from NOAA have had their work published in the current issue of  Scientific Reports.

Carbon dioxide is increasing in the open ocean Gulf, the study showed, at rates similar to what has been measured in the open ocean Atlantic and Pacific due to human carbon dioxide emissions.

The data used in the study are publicly available from The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) database, much of which were provided by the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Ocean Carbon Group.

The team also found that carbon dioxide is increasing faster in coastal (on the continental shelf) Gulf of Mexico waters compared to open ocean waters, which is consistent with other studies showing enhanced acidification in coastal waters compared to the open ocean.

“This is very concerning because several economically important coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, shellfish and others, are sensitive to acidification, which again, is occurring faster in coastal waters than open ocean waters in the Gulf, Shamberger said.

“Carbon dioxide levels are increasing in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels for energy and from deforestation. The ocean absorbs some of this human-produced, also called anthropogenic, carbon dioxide. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it leads to a process called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is harmful to many marine organisms, from phytoplankton to fish, and makes it more difficult for shellfish and corals to make the shells and skeletons they need to survive.”

The continued acidification could be especially concerning to commercial fishing in the Gulf, which is approaching the $1 billion mark.

Shamberger said carbon dioxide levels were fairly stable and did not increase in the central Gulf of Mexico, both in coastal and open ocean surface waters, where excess nutrients are delivered by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers.

This could be because this area of the Gulf of Mexico is highly variable as a result of constantly changing river inputs, or because the effects of increasing nutrients potentially mask any increase in carbon dioxide, the study said.

Shamberger added that the “the overall big picture here is that surface water carbon dioxide levels are indeed increasing in the Gulf of Mexico (except in the central Gulf) and human activities are contributing to this acidification. Also, coastal acidification is occurring faster than open ocean acidification, which is especially troubling for coastal coral reef and shellfish ecosystems that support many important fisheries species.”

It is likely that coastal and ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico will only worsen as human carbon dioxide emissions continue to increase, Shamberger said.

“A serious challenge in studying ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico is that there is no long-term time series station where carbon dioxide levels and seawater chemistry have been measured repeatedly over decades in the same location,” she said. “This has led to uncertainty about whether ocean acidification is important for Gulf of Mexico ecosystems. Our work shows that ocean acidification, and especially coastal acidification, are serious concerns for the Gulf of Mexico.”

“This is the first study to provide a Gulf-wide, long-term assessment of surface water carbon dioxide trends in the region, and it will be important to update this analysis in order to monitor the health of Gulf of Mexico coastal and open ocean ecosystems,” Kealoha said.

[hudsonespie]

NOAA's Support for the Bourbon Rhode Search and Rescue Effort

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided critical assistance during the international search and rescue (SAR) and recovery efforts that followed the sinking of the tug Bourbon Rhode in Hurricane Lorenzo last fall. This intra-agency NOAA effort included Hurricane Hunters from the Aircraft Operations Center (AOC), scientists from the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) and the Hurricane Research Division (HRD), and marine forecasters from the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) of the National Hurricane Center (NHC). 

On the morning of Thursday, September 26, French authorities received a distress signal from the Bourbon Rhode, an offshore tug in the central Atlantic en route from the Canary Islands to Guyana with 14 crew members on board. The Bourbon Rhode had made a dangerously close approach to the eye of Hurricane Lorenzo in the central Atlantic Ocean, and water was entering towards the stern of the vessel. At 0200 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) on September 26, Lorenzo was a Category 2 hurricane with 95 knot winds and seas 12 feet or greater extending 240-330 nautical miles outward from its center. At 0800 AST, a TAFB sea state analysis - issued around the same time as the last automatic identification system (AIS) signal from the Bourbon Rhode - showed peak significant wave heights in Lorenzo of up to 41 feet. By 1400 AST, Lorenzo had strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 knots. The Bourbon Rhode ultimately sank on September 26 in the central Atlantic Ocean.  

File photo of M/V Bourbon Rhode (courtesy Bourbon Offshore)

Both of NOAA’s P-3 aircraft were preparing to fly dedicated research missions into the storm. As NOAA43 (nicknamed Miss Piggy) transited from Lakeland, Florida, to Barbados on September 26, the French government and the U.S. Coast Guard reached out and requested SAR assistance. Meanwhile, the nearest marine vessel to the incident site — a bulk carrier named SSI Excellent – diverted toward the last known position of the Bourbon Rhode. Later that day, NHC/TAFB was contacted by the USCG Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) Miami to begin providing spot forecasts for surface wind and wave conditions that would impact vessels aiding in the SAR efforts. The first TAFB point forecast for the rescue detailed the dangerous marine conditions that were still ongoing in the wake of Lorenzo, with gusty tropical-storm-force winds and combined seas of 20 feet near the incident site.

NOAA aircraft fleet in Barbados for Hurricane Lorenzo research missions. The NOAA P-3 aircraft provided critical SAR support for the Bourbon Rhode incident.  Credit: LCDR Sam Urato, NOAA Corps

Flight track from NOAA43 during the Bourbon Rhode SAR mission over the central Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 27. Credit: Jon Zawislak, NOAA/AOML/HRD

NOAA43 departed Barbados on September 27 with a crew of NOAA personnel.  As requested, they planned to fly over the locations of the last Bourbon Rhode distress signals and report any findings. If nothing was sighted, the crew would continue on with the planned research mission into Lorenzo. NOAA43 was the first SAR-capable asset to reach the incident site, but the crew did not find anything upon arrival.  

With growing concern about the fate of Bourbon Rhode crew members, the NOAA43 crew quickly decided to abandon the Lorenzo research mission and continue SAR support. With little information besides the last-known location of the Bourbon Rhode, they quickly adapted to the situation and developed a SAR flight plan. Crew members rearranged themselves by any available window and called out locations of suspected targets or debris while surveying in the vicinity of the last known Bourbon Rhode position. Poor visibility, extremely large waves, and turbulence from strong rainbands posed difficult challenges as NOAA43 received sporadic emergency beacon signals. With only minutes left before the plane needed to head back to Barbados due to fuel limitations, crew members spotted debris and what appeared to be a life raft. This information was relayed to SSI Excellent, which was en route to the SAR area.

Convective cell in an outer rainband of Hurricane Lorenzo, taken during a NOAA43 SAR mission on September 27, 2019. The bulker SSI Excellent is also pictured. Credit: Kelly Ryan, NOAA/AOML/HRD

Flight track from NOAA42 during the Bourbon Rhode SAR mission over the central Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 28. Credit: Jon Zawislak, NOAA/AOML/HRD

On September 28, NOAA42 (nicknamed Kermit) flew a SAR mission in coordination with SSI Excellent and other supporting marine vessels across the search area. As Hurricane Lorenzo moved farther away, improving weather and marine conditions allowed the plane to fly as low as 200 feet above the ocean surface. The NOAA42 crew (see list at the end of the post) conducted visual searches while listening for emergency beacon signals, guided by previous reports from NOAA43 as well as new information from supporting ships. 

The crewmembers located a large debris field and the remains of several sailors, and they directed ships to these locations so the victims could be recovered. The dedicated efforts of NOAA personnel significantly narrowed the search region and guided ships toward the area where a life raft was discovered later that day. Three Bourbon Rhode survivors were rescued from that life raft in the Atlantic Ocean.

Aerial photo of the life raft carrying three surviving Bourbon Rhode crew members on September 28, 2019. Credit: Marine Nationale (French Navy) via Facebook   NOAA assets played a pivotal role in early SAR efforts, which were led by the Maritime RCC Fort-de-France on the island of Martinique. As the international search efforts continued, TAFB provided six-hourly forecast updates on wind, wave, and weather conditions. From September 26 to October 5, 2019, TAFB produced 35 spot forecasts that were shared with RCC Miami and MRCC Fort-de-France in support of this unprecedented SAR operation. Over two weeks, 21 ships and four aircraft searched over 40,000 square miles of the central Atlantic Ocean for survivors.  Four bodies were recovered and seven others were declared lost at sea after SAR efforts were officially called off on October 5.

The Bourbon Rhode incident is just one example of how TAFB has evolved to provide impact-based decision support services (IDSS) to the USCG, its primary core governmental partner.  Last year, TAFB forecasters produced 56 spot forecasts for 13 marine incidents including SAR missions, distressed vessels and even a medical rescue. 

In July 2019, the USCG and U.S. Air Force coordinated a rescue operation of two critically injured people off a disabled fishing vessel in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. TAFB provided spot forecast support for the rescue operation and subsequent transport of the injured people to a Mexican naval medical clinic on Socorro Island. “This information is truly impacting operations,” said Douglas Samp, Search Mission Coordinator for RCC Alameda (USCG District 11).

Additionally, TAFB forecasters prepare and deliver live briefings to USCG District leadership when tropical cyclones threaten USCG SAR regions and U.S. ports. In 2019, TAFB delivered 42 tropical briefings combined to USCG District 7 and District 8, including 25 briefings for Hurricane Dorian. “I cannot overstate how much [NHC/TAFB] insight into the storm’s effects is vital to our planning and response efforts,” said Captain Eric Smith, Chief of the Incident Management Branch for USCG District 7.

Tragedies like the Bourbon Rhode highlight the importance of TAFB's ability to provide year-round IDSS support to core partners. In this case, the dedicated IDSS provided by TAFB forecasters, combined with the valiant efforts of NOAA AOC crew members and HRD and NESDIS researchers, played a critical role in the international rescue efforts that ultimately saved three lives.

Brad Reinhart is a meteorologist with the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. He currently serves as the TAFB focal point for core marine partners, including the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science degree in Meteorology from Florida State University. 

Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Zorana Jelenak, Kelly Ryan, and Joe Sapp for sharing their personal accounts of this experience with the author. Additional thanks to Jonathan Shannon, Shirley Murillo, Jon Zawislak, Nathan Kahn, Patrick Didier, and Erica Rule for their helpful input and feedback.

This article appears courtesy of the National Hurricane Center and may be found in its original form here. 

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/noaa-s-support-for-the-bourbon-rhode-search-and-rescue-effort-1 via http://www.rssmix.com/

[americangeophysicalunion]

PNE/AEROSE team near Praia, Cape Verde

Hello from the dusty sea, just off the coast of Praia, Cape Verde!  We just completed servicing the 11.5N, 23W PIRATA mooring. The hazy atmosphere is due to a recent Saharan dust storm for which the team is also investigating the chemistry and atmospheric microbiome.

The primary goal of the PIRATA Northeast Extension (PNE) project is to recover and redeploy the PNE moorings and to sample oceanic and atmospheric variables along the cruise track.  The purpose of the PNE moorings is to provide real-time data of the upper ocean temperature, salinity, current structure and heat fluxes between the ocean and atmosphere in the tropical Atlantic. These data are used for climate research and weather forecasting. Shipboard observations collected during the cruise, as well surface drifters and Argo and profiling floats deployed during this cruise, will provide an improved picture of seasonal-to-interannual oceanic and atmospheric variability in the tropical Atlantic. The PNE team included two student volunteers. 

The Aerosols and Ocean Science Expeditions (AEROSE) constitute a longitudinal measurement-based study of the impacts and evolution mineral dust during long-range transport over the tropical Atlantic. During the 2019 cruise, a comprehensive suite of in situ, ground truth data were collected in the remote, tropical Atlantic Ocean for the purpose of validating satellite sensors and model forecasts under the conditions of the SAL, wind-blown mineral dust, and biomass burning outflows.  Another objective of this project is to test and evaluate decision support materials from the NUCAPS suite for scientific field campaigns.  In particular, these satellite data products will be used to strategically inform rawinsonde and ozonesonde deployments during the AEROSE 2019 campaign.  In fulfillment of a longstanding obligation to student training and the development of the future STEM workforce, the AEROSE team included five students, who assisted in all scientific endeavors.

This cruise brought together scientists from NOAA/AOML, HU/NCAS, NOAA/NESDIS, NOAA/PMEL, UMBC, VUU, and the Brazilian Navy.

-  Drs. Renellys C. Perez & Vernon Morris

[kathleenseiber]

Carbon dioxide threatens life in the Gulf of Mexico

Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the Gulf of Mexico are becoming harmful to marine life and the commercial fishing industry, researchers warn.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased 40% since the Industrial Revolution (1760 to 1840) because of human activities—and the ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico, has absorbed at least 25% of it. That’s a trend that will almost certainly continue, oceanographers say.

Carbon dioxide is increasing in the open ocean Gulf at rates similar to those measured in the open ocean Atlantic and Pacific due to human carbon dioxide emissions, the study shows.

The team also found that carbon dioxide is increasing faster in coastal (on the continental shelf) Gulf of Mexico waters compared to open ocean waters, consistent with other studies showing enhanced acidification in coastal waters compared to the open ocean.

“This is very concerning because several economically important coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, shellfish, and others, are sensitive to acidification, which again, is occurring faster in coastal waters than open ocean waters in the Gulf, says Katie Shamberger, assistant professor of chemical oceanography, ocean acidification, seawater carbonate chemistry, coastal ocean carbon cycling, and calcifying marine ecosystems at Texas A&M University.

“Carbon dioxide levels are increasing in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels for energy and from deforestation. The ocean absorbs some of this human-produced, or anthropogenic, carbon dioxide.

“When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it leads to a process called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is harmful to many marine organisms, from phytoplankton to fish, and makes it more difficult for shellfish and corals to make the shells and skeletons they need to survive.”

The continued acidification could especially concern commercial fishing in the Gulf, which is approaching the $1 billion mark.

Carbon dioxide levels stayed fairly stable and did not increase in the central Gulf of Mexico, both in coastal and open ocean surface waters, where the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers deliver excess nutrients.

This could be because this area of the Gulf of Mexico is highly variable as a result of constantly changing river inputs, or because the effects of increasing nutrients potentially mask any increase in carbon dioxide, according to the study.

“The overall big picture here is that surface water carbon dioxide levels are indeed increasing in the Gulf of Mexico (except in the central Gulf) and human activities are contributing to this acidification,” says Shamberger. “Also, coastal acidification is occurring faster than open ocean acidification, which is especially troubling for coastal coral reef and shellfish ecosystems that support many important fisheries species.”

It is likely that coastal and ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico will only worsen as human carbon dioxide emissions continue to increase, Shamberger warns.

“A serious challenge in studying ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico is that there is no long-term time series station where carbon dioxide levels and seawater chemistry have been measured repeatedly over decades in the same location,” she says. “This has led to uncertainty about whether ocean acidification is important for Gulf of Mexico ecosystems. Our work shows that ocean acidification, and especially coastal acidification, are serious concerns for the Gulf of Mexico.”

The paper appears in Scientific Reports. The data used in the study are publicly available from The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) database, much of which come from the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Ocean Carbon Group.

Source: Texas A&M University

The post Carbon dioxide threatens life in the Gulf of Mexico appeared first on Futurity.

Carbon dioxide threatens life in the Gulf of Mexico published first on https://triviaqaweb.weebly.com/

[coralmorphologic]

While bleaching has struck hard upon the offshore genotypes of staghorn and elkhorn coral transplanted experimentally to the CCC, some hopeful news is that the pioneering ‘urban’ strains of staghorn and elkhorn living alongside them have not yet bleached despite record hot temperatures. 

Taking no chances and erring on the side of caution, the good scientists at NOAA's AOML Coral Program have taken in clones of the two ‘urban’ genotypes of endangered elkhorn and staghorn corals native to Miami. 

In NOAA’s state-of-the-art Virginia Key lab, they will be provided with climate-controlled water where their well-being can be maintained until cooler water temps return. Their stay in the lab will also offer scientists the opportunity to analyze their genetics and microbiomes to try and understand the remarkable resilience of these two strains of endangered corals. 

It was the discovery of the mother colonies of these corals on Fisher Island in 2009 that sparked our ‘urban coral hypothesis’ of resilience, and inspired wider surveying of unexpected coastal locations to document the surprising local biodiversity of 26 stony coral species living on Miami-Dade infrastructure. We have seen these corals remain unbleached through extreme cold water temps in winter 2010 and the bleaching summers of 2014 and 2015. But with six weeks left of summer, this will likely be their biggest test of survival of their lives.

It is heartbreaking to realize that our oceans are becoming too hot to reliably keep corals alive. Coral restoration practitioners have been forced into triage mode. There is a desperate need to invest in land-based facilities and coral husbandry training in order to rapidly scale-up our ability to preserve their biodiversity as we slam headlong into a rapidly unfolding climate emergency. 

We will continue to monitor the health of their clones at the CCC CURES (Coral Urban Research Experimental Site) and hope that water temps don’t continue to rise. But with another 6 weeks left in summer, we have our fingers crossed and can only hope for the highest preservation of Floridian coral biodiversity possible. 

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

OTD in 1916: ​​Category 3 hurricane struck the Mobile/Pensacola area. Tide reached 11.6 feet above normal at Mobile. A three-masted ship floated down Government Street in Mobile, coming to rest on Broadway. (Photo credit NOAA-AOML) -- Bill Murray (WxH)

@wxhistorian

[gozealouscloudcollection]

席寧案真相大白 美國永久撤銷對其的欺詐指控

作為世界級的機器人和自動化專家、前密歇根州立大學(MSU)教授，席寧於2018 年2 月15 日被美國聯邦調查局（FBI）以涉嫌欺詐而逮捕，2018年3月6日從美國當局獲得保釋。近日，終於徹底洗清了莫須有的指控。

席寧，香港大學機器人與自動化講座教授、IEEE RAS 候任主席，主要研究方向包括機器人、製造自動化、微/納米製造、納米傳感器和設備，以及智能控制與系統等。他曾任密歇根州立大學電氣與計算機工程系的大學傑出教授及 John D. Ryder 講座教授，並於 1997-2015 年兼該大學機器人自動化實驗室主任。

席寧面臨的指控

根據法庭記錄，FBI在一份關於席寧的刑事訴訟中，具體的指控如下：

在2011年1月1日至2016年1月31日期間，席寧向密歇根州立大學及電子電氣工程師協會（IEEE）欺詐超過42.9萬美元（約合272萬人民幣）。欺詐活動包括席寧提供被更改、完全偽造、消費後退款或取消的收據，以及提供其他的虛假材料，並將所得的金錢用於償還巨額的信用卡欠款。

此外，密歇根州立大學還指控席寧違反了該校的政策，接受了香港城市大學的第二個終身職位，並表示他在面對調查時不合作。

“席寧沒有犯下任何罪行，”席寧的律師Ronald Safer在一份聲明中表示。

席寧在密歇根州立大學工作15 年後，於 2015年10月正式離職，直到離職前，席寧都是密歇根州立大學電子與計算機工程系的終身“傑出教授”。

八天庭審後陷入僵局

多年來，席寧一直“站在機器人和自動化相關學術研究的全球前沿”，並頻頻在世界各地出差，曾在7 年半的時間裡飛行了1175 次航班，為MSU、IEEE 和全社會的利益推廣機器人和自動化技術。

Ronald Safer稱，雖然席寧在收回其在這些旅行中花費的部分資金的過程並不完美，也就是記錄保存不夠理想，但對所有證據進行查驗後發現，席寧的報銷請求都是合法的。席寧向 MSU和IEEE 提交旅行報銷申請唯一目的，就是為了報銷他因 MSU和 IEEE 相關旅行而產生的航空旅行費���。

“我們讚賞美國檢察官辦公室在這段時期的專業精神，並讚賞他們決定駁回對席寧的指控。我們期待著席博士繼續進行這些能夠改變世界的研究工作。”

助理檢察官Hagen Frank提出動議駁回起訴書，理由是“陪審團在8天的庭審後陷入僵局，政府沒有合理的預期證據會在重審中發生重大改變，或重審將產生不同的結果。”

華裔科學家頻遭脅迫

事實上，華人科學家席寧在美國的這起遭遇，並不是個案。大約相同時期，美國國家海洋和大氣管理局（NOAA，隸屬於美國商務部）大西洋海洋學與氣象實驗室（AOML）的華裔海洋學家王春，因已接受中國方面的薪金而獲刑。

美方法律文件稱，從2010年開始，王春雖然任職於NOAA，但仍同時參與中國長江學者、千人計劃，另外還參加了“973計劃”，明知故犯地接受中國方面的薪資，違反了美國法律。

今年5月，李曉江和李世華夫婦的神經科學研究團隊被佐治亞州埃默里大學解僱，原因是他們被指控未能披露與中國的資金關係。

而近期，據彭博社報導，不少在美的中國科學家頻頻成為滋擾和調查的對象，其中，華裔應用物理學家趙鑫遭無端指控，直到花了整整一年時間，以及 11 萬美元的法律費用，美國才不情願地撤銷了此案。

事件緣由要追溯到數年前，2013年威廉瑪麗學院博士趙鑫獲得了風險投資，將該校的一些納米技術專利商業化。六年後，趙鑫的公司開始運營，但不是在弗吉尼亞州。該公司的研發和新專利註冊已經轉移到了中國。在聯邦特工追捕其創始人兩年後，這家威廉瑪麗學院的衍生公司離開了美國，當時，檢方指控他試圖從佛羅里達大學走私機器臂到中國的一所大學。

最近幾個月，數名美籍華人科學家正從美國的研究崗位上離開，越來越多地決意離開美國。

.(tagsToTranslate)��物(t)席寧案真相大白 美國永久撤銷對其的欺詐指控(t)kknews.xyz from 席寧案真相大白 美國永久撤銷對其的欺詐指控 via KKNEWS

[teachfromhere]

RT @HRD_AOML_NOAA: View from inside the eye of category 4 #HurricaneFlorence today onboard the NOAA P-3 #NOAA42. (Video credit: Heather Holbach) https://t.co/eEYOI2PBnh

View from inside the eye of category 4 #HurricaneFlorence today onboard the NOAA P-3 #NOAA42. (Video credit: Heather Holbach) pic.twitter.com/eEYOI2PBnh

— HRD/AOML/NOAA (@HRD_AOML_NOAA) September 10, 2018

from Twitter https://twitter.com/TeachFromHere September 11, 2018 at 03:18PM via IFTTT

[pdj-france]

Des fragments de corail Elkhorn sauvés de pépinières océaniques en surchauffe reposent dans une eau plus froide au Keys Marine Laboratory. NOAAArmés de brosses à récurer, de jeunes plongeurs se sont rendus dans les eaux de l'Alligator Reef de Floride fin juillet pour tenter d'aider les coraux qui luttent pour survivre à l'extraordinaire vague de chaleur marine de 2023. Ils ont minutieusement gratté les algues nuisibles et les prédateurs qui empiètent sur les fragments de corne de cerf, sous la supervision et la formation de stagiaires d'Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education, ou I.CARE. Normalement, les plongeurs bénévoles d'I.CARE transplanteraient des coraux dans les eaux au large des Keys de Floride à cette période de l'année, dans le cadre d'un effort national pour restaurer le récif de Floride. Mais cette année, tout va à l'envers. Bien que la température de l'eau augmentait dans les Florida Keys, des scientifiques d'universités, des groupes de restauration des récifs coralliens et des agences gouvernementales ont lancé un effort héroïque pour sauver les coraux. Des plongeurs ont été dans l'eau tous les jours, collectant des milliers de coraux dans des pépinières océaniques le long du récif des Keys de Floride et les déplaçant vers des eaux plus froides et dans des réservoirs géants sur terre. Le scientifique marin Ken Nedimyer et son équipe de Reef Renewal USA ont commencé à déplacer toute une pépinière d'arbres coralliens des eaux peu profondes au large de Tavernier vers une zone de 60 pieds de profondeur et de 2 degrés Fahrenheit (1,1 Celsius) plus fraîche. Même là, les températures tournaient autour de 85 à 86 F (30 C). Le scientifique marin Ken Nedimyer recueille des fragments de corail corne d'élan encore sains pour les déplacer. La structure arborescente protège les coraux des algues nocives. Reef Renewal États-Unis Leurs efforts font partie d'une intervention d'urgence d'une ampleur jamais vue auparavant en Floride. Le récif de Floride – un arc de près de 350 milles le long des Florida Keys qui est crucial pour l'habitat des poissons, la protection contre les tempêtes côtières et l'économie locale – a démarré à connaître des températures océaniques record en juin 2023, des semaines plus tôt que prévu. La chaleur continue a déclenché un blanchissement corallien généralisé. Un monticule de corail blanchi sur le site de surveillance de Cheeca Rocks dans le sanctuaire marin national des Keys de Floride qui avait été précédemment étiqueté montre le squelette de corail. AOML de la NOAA Alors que les coraux puissent se remettre d'événements de blanchissement massif comme celui-ci, de longues périodes de chaleur élevée peuvent les affaiblir et les rendre vulnérables aux maladies qui peuvent finalement les tuer. C'est ce que les scientifiques et les volontaires se sont efforcés d'éviter. Le battement de coeur du récif Le récif de Floride a lutté pendant des années sous la pression de la surpêche, des maladies, des tempêtes et du réchauffement climatique qui ont décimé ses coraux vivants. Un effort massif de restauration des coraux - la mission de la National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration : Iconic Reef - est en cours depuis 2019 pour restaurer le récif avec des coraux transplantés, en particulier ceux qui résistent le mieux à la hausse des températures. Mais même les greffes de coraux les plus résistantes sont désormais menacées. Les plongeurs impliqués dans la mission de la NOAA : Iconic Reef montrent comment les coraux cornes de cerf et cornes d'élan sont transplantés pour aider le récif de Floride à se rétablir. Les coraux constructeurs de récifs sont les espèces fondatrices des eaux tropicales peu profondes à cause de leur relation symbiotique unique avec les algues microscopiques dans leurs tissus. Pendant

la journée, ces algues effectuent la photosynthèse, produisant à la fois de la nourriture et de l'oxygène pour l'animal corallien. La nuit, les polypes coralliens se nourrissent de plancton, fournissant des nutriments à leurs algues. Le résultat de cette relation symbiotique est la capacité du corail à fonder un squelette de carbonate de calcium et des récifs qui abritent près de 25 % de toute la vie marine. Toutefois, les coraux sont très sensibles à la température, et la chaleur extrême de l'océan au large du sud de la Floride, avec certaines zones de récifs atteignant des températures dans les années 90, les a soumis à un stress extraordinaire. Un corail cerveau boulder, Colpophyllia natans, avant et après le blanchiment pendant la vague de chaleur marine de 2014 dans les Florida Keys. Photos de Michael Childress et Kylie Smith Quand les coraux deviennent trop chauds, ils expulsent leurs algues symbiotiques. Les coraux apparaissent blancs - blanchis - car leur squelette carbonaté apparaît à travers leur tissu clair dépourvu de cellules d'algues colorées. Les coraux peuvent récupérer de nouveaux symbiotes algaux si les conditions de l'eau reviennent à la normale en quelques semaines. Cela dit, l'augmentation des températures mondiales due aux effets des émissions de gaz à effet de serre provenant des activités humaines provoque des périodes de blanchissement des coraux plus longues et plus fréquentes à travers le monde, ce qui suscite des inquiétudes pour l'avenir des récifs coralliens. Une unité MASH pour les coraux Cette année, les Florida Keys ont atteint un niveau d'alerte 2, indiquant un risque extrême de blanchiment, environ six semaines plus tôt que la normale. Les premières alertes et prévisions du réseau de surveillance des récifs coralliens de la NOAA ont donné aux scientifiques le temps de commencer à préparer les laboratoires et l'équipement, à suivre les emplacements et l'intensité de la chaleur marine croissante et, surtout, à recruter des volontaires. La température maximale de surface de la mer de cette année (graphique du haut) et les semaines de chauffage en degrés (graphique du bas), une mesure du stress thermique accumulé, sont les plus élevées depuis le début de la tenue des registres. Adapté de NOAA Au Keys Marine Laboratory, des scientifiques et des volontaires formés ont déposé des milliers de fragments de corail collectés dans des pépinières offshore menacées par la chaleur. La directrice Cindy Lewis a évoqué les réservoirs géants du laboratoire comme ressemblant à "une unité MASH pour les coraux". Des volontaires là-bas et dans d'autres laboratoires de Floride nourriront à la main les minuscules créatures pour les maintenir en vie jusqu'à ce que les eaux de Floride se refroidissent à nouveau et qu'elles puissent être renvoyées dans l'océan et éventuellement transplantées sur le récif. Les degrés-semaines de chauffage sont une mesure du stress thermique accumulé au cours des 12 semaines précédentes. À 4 degrés Celsius-semaines (7,2 semaines Fahrenheit), les coraux subissent un stress qui a la capacité de entraîner un blanchissement. Au-dessus de 8 semaines C (14,4 semaines F), ils sont susceptibles de subir un blanchiment. Montre NOAA Coral Reef Protéger les coraux encore dans l'océan I.CARE a lancé un autre type d'intervention d'urgence. La co-fondatrice d'I.CARE, Kylie Smith, écologiste des récifs coralliens et ancienne étudiante en sciences marines, a découvert il y a quelques années que les greffes de corail avec de grandes quantités d'algues charnues autour d'elles étaient plus susceptibles de blanchir pendant les périodes de température élevée. L'élimination de ces algues peut donner aux coraux une meilleure chance de survie. Les jeunes

membres de Diving With a Purpose assistent à une session de formation et à une plongée d'entretien des coraux avec l'équipe d'éducation à la conservation et à la restauration d'Islamorada à Islamorada, en Floride. I.CARE Le groupe de Smith travaille généralement avec des opérateurs de plongée locaux pour former des plongeurs récréatifs afin d'aider à la transplantation et à l'entretien de fragments de corail dans le but de restaurer les récifs d'Islamorada. À l'été 2023, I.CARE a formé des bénévoles, comme les jeunes plongeurs de Diving with a Purpose, pour éliminer les algues et les prédateurs de coraux, tels que les escargots et les vers de feu mangeurs de coraux, afin d'aider à augmenter les chances de survie des coraux. Surveillance des coraux en danger Pour aider à repérer les coraux en difficulté, des plongeurs bénévoles sont par ailleurs formés en tant qu'observateurs de récifs dans le cadre du programme BleachWatch de Mote Marine Lab. Les plongeurs sont depuis longtemps attirés par les récifs des Florida Keys pour leur beauté et leur accessibilité. Le laboratoire les forme à reconnaître les coraux blanchis, malades et morts de différentes espèces, puis à employer un portail en ligne pour soumettre des rapports sur l'eau de Javel dans tout le récif de Floride. Plus il y a d'yeux sur le récif, plus les cartes montrant les zones les plus préoccupantes en matière de blanchissement sont précises. Ian Enochs, écologiste de recherche et responsable du programme de coraux du laboratoire océanographique et météorologique de l'Atlantique de la NOAA, a découvert que tous les coraux de la région de Cheeca Rocks avaient blanchi au 1er août 2023. NOAA AOML Reconstruire le récif Bien que la vague de chaleur marine dans les Keys tuera inévitablement certains coraux, beaucoup d'autres survivront. Grâce à une analyse minutieuse des espèces, des génotypes et des sites de récifs connaissant un blanchissement, les scientifiques et les praticiens obtiennent des informations précieuses alors qu'ils travaillent à protéger et à reconstruire un récif corallien plus résistant pour l'avenir. C'est ce qui donne de l'espoir à Smith, Lewis, Nedimyer et à des centaines d'autres qui croient que ce récif corallien vaut la peine d'être sauvé. Les volontaires sont essentiels à l'effort, qu'ils aident à l'entretien des récifs coralliens, signalent le blanchissement ou sensibilisent à ce qui est en jeu si l'humanité ne parvient pas à arrêter le réchauffement de la planète. Michael Childress ne travaille pas pour, ne consulte pas, ne détient pas d'actions ou ne reçoit de financement d'aucune entreprise ou organisation qui bénéficierait de ce post, et n'a divulgué aucune affiliation pertinente au-delà de sa nomination académique. Source