Underwater Oil Plume Has Been Mapped: It’s not over yet
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is no longer the lead news story, but it’s not over yet. Scientists affiliated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and funded by the National Science Foundation have mapped a giant underwater plume that has been sampled and shown to be oil from BP’s well. The underwater plume measures an astonishing 1.2 miles wide, 650 feet high, and 22 miles long. It is more than 3000 feet beneath the surface, where cold water will slow the processes that break the oil down into less harmful components. The plume is currently located to the southwest of the well site and is migrating slowly (0.17 miles per hour) in that general direction. The colder water temperatures at this depth mean that the plume could persist for “some time” according to researchers. Full articles can be found at:
September meeting location has changed
Due to the Labor Day Holiday on September 6, our monthly meeting will be pushed back to September 13. In addition, some renovations at The Turtle Hospital mean that we also have a change in location. The September meeting will be held in the 2nd floor meeting room of the Sheriff’s Air Hanger, 10100 Overseas Highway, Marathon. This is the large building at the north end of the airport and it can be reached by turning onto the access road at the commercial terminal (across the highway from Pizza Hut).
Sacramento the latest to attempt banning plastic bags
As Keys residents, we see first-hand the amount of plastic that ends up in our waters. Sacramento, CA is the latest municipality attempting to ban free plastic shopping bags beginning in 2012. If the bill passes, shoppers will either have to bring their own reusable bags or will have to pay a minimum of 5 cents each for paper bags containing at least 40 percent recycled content. The plastics industry is, of course, fighting the bill in a campaign that has been compared to the tobacco industry’s fight against no-smoking laws. To view the complete article and a fantastic “mockumentary” on the life of a plastic bag, visit the San Fransisco Chronicle.
Keys Nesting totals as of August 5, 2010
Here are the updated nesting numbers for beaches that are reporting in:
As of August 5, 2010
Ft. Zachary Taylor (Key West): very busy, but no numbers available.
Key West (all other): 4 nests (3 hatched), 5 false crawls
Long Beach, Big Pine: 8 nests (2 hatched), 10 false crawls
Bahia Honda State Park: 15 nests (4 hatched) and 28 false crawls.
Sombrero Beach, Marathon: no nests or crawls
Coco Plum Beach, Marathon: 2 possible nests and 10 false crawls. 1 hatching disorientation with 3 hatchlings found dead, 2 rescued.
Key Colony Beach: 0 nests and 0 false crawls
Grassy Key: 1 nest, 2 false crawls
Long Key, south end: 10 nests, 45 crawls
Sea Oats & Sunset Beaches, Lower Matecumbe: 7-8 nests and 27 false crawls
As of July 12, 2010
Ft. Zachary Taylor (Key West): no update
Key West (all other): 2-3 nests, 1 disorientation (cause under investigation)
Long Beach, Big Pine: 5 nests, 7 false crawls
Bahia Honda State Park: 9 nests and 22 false crawls. 1 nest hatched (late at 63 days)
Sombrero Beach, Marathon: no nests or crawls
Coco Plum Beach, Marathon: 5 nests and 10 false crawls
Grassy Key: 1 nest, 2 false crawls
Long Key, south end: 10 nests, 40 crawls (1 disorientation due to lighting with 2 hatchlings found dead on US1)
Sea Oats & Sunset Beaches, Lower Matecumbe: 7 nests and 20 false crawls
As of June 7, 2010
Ft. Zachary Taylor (Key West): 2 nests
Key West (all other): 1 nest, 1 false crawl
Long Beach, Big Pine: 2 loggerhead nests, 4 false crawls
Bahia Honda State Park: 5 nests and 11 false crawls
Coco Plum Beach, Marathon: 5 nests and 5 false crawls
Long Key, south end: 2 nests, 1 crawl with turtle being chased back into the water by an unleashed dog
Sea Oats & Sunset Beaches, Lower Matecumbe: 2 nests and 7 false crawls
GO TURTLES!
After-effects of 1979 Ixtoc spill give us hope
The 1979 spill of the Ixtoc well off Mexico spewed oil for 290 days, with most estimates placing the total between 3.3 and 3.5 million barrels of oil. Yet 31 years later, the effects are virtually undetectable in most places. However, there are 2 important things to note:
1) while microscopic and small organism populations recovered very quickly, large slower-breeding species like sea turtles were very slow to recover
2) the Ixtoc spill didn’t involve any damage to wetland areas, so it’s unknown how those will react.
Read full articles at:
Kemp’s Ridley hatchlings being released into the Gulf
Unlike loggerhead hatchlings along the Florida Coast, Kemp’s Ridley hatchlings from the Padre Island National Seashore are being released into an uncertain future. Read the full story at MSNBC.
Outlook for Gulf Recovery is Cautious
While 4 million barrels of spilled oil have disappeared from view, almost a million barrels is still visible on water surfaces, in marshes and on beaches, and in the form of tarballs. Experts caution that recovery will be a very long process and full effects may not be known for decades. A good overview can be found on AP news, from which the following statistics are taken:
” It’s still early in damage assessments, but so far about 600 miles of coast has been fouled with oil. The official government death toll so far: 3,606 birds, 508 endangered sea turtles and 67 marine mammals. More than 2,100 birds, turtles and marine mammals have been found oiled, but alive.
But those are only the losses seen. Scientists suspect many more animals have died, but their bodies have not been found.”
Read the full article here.
Ken Nedimyer is our August speaker
Please join us at our August meeting when our guest speaker will be Ken Nedimyer, founder of the Coral Reef Restoration Foundation located in Tavernier, FL. Ken will share how he developed his technique for growing and replanting Staghorn and Elkhorn corals and will show pictures of his nursery and successful transplants.
WHEN: August 2, 2010 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: The Turtle Hospital, Marathon FL
What’s Killing Turtles in the Gulf?
As dead sea turtles continue to wash ashore along the Gulf coast, experts are hard at work to determine causes of death. The New York Times has a great article with video documenting some of those efforts. The work is important, because any deaths attributable to the Deepwater Horizon spill will be factored into the fines levied against BP.
Note: video contains footage of turtle necropsies and may not be suitable for younger viewers.
On Florida Beaches, Let There Be Dark
New York Times – The BP oil gusher has focused attention on just one of many threats to sea turtles. One that is likely far more significant is simply artificial light. I encourage you to watch this video shot earlier this month on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., showing sea turtle hatchlings emerging from their sandy nests at night and, attracted by the city lights, heading inland instead of out to sea.
Full article – http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/on-florida-beaches-let-there-be-dark/
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