Life beneath the sea is amazing!
Features spectacular imagery and video of life beneath the ocean surface (e.g., Sounds from the Sea, Whale Rescue, Coral Forests of the Deep).
"Published Online September 22 2011
Science 28 October 2011:
Vol. 334 no. 6055 pp. 505-509
DOI: 10.1126/science.1206583
Report
Increasing N Abundance in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean Due to Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition
Tae-Wook Kim1,
Kitack Lee1,*,
Raymond G. Najjar2,
Hee-Dong Jeong3,
Hae Jin Jeong4
+ Author Affiliations
1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790−784, Korea.
2Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
3East Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Gangneung, 210-861, Korea.
4School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151−747, Korea.
↵*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ktl@postech.ac.kr
Abstract
The relative abundance of nitrate (N) over phosphorus (P) has increased over the period since 1980 in the marginal seas bordering the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located downstream of the populated and industrialized Asian continent. The increase in N availability within the study area was mainly driven by increasing N concentrations and was most likely due to deposition of pollutant nitrogen from atmospheric sources. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition had a high temporal correlation with N availability in the study area (r = 0.74 to 0.88), except in selected areas wherein riverine nitrogen load may be of equal importance. The increase in N availability caused by atmospheric deposition and riverine input has switched extensive parts of the study area from being N-limited to P-limited. "
abstract
By 50,000 years ago, it is clear that modern humans were capable of long-distance sea travel as they colonized Australia. However, evidence for advanced maritime skills, and for fishing in particular, is rare before the terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene. Here we report remains of a variety of pelagic and other fish species dating to 42,000 years before the present from Jerimalai shelter in East Timor, as well as the earliest definite evidence for fishhook manufacture in the world. Capturing pelagic fish such as tuna requires high levels of planning and complex maritime technology. The evidence implies that the inhabitants were fishing in the deep sea.
The shallow water reefs of the Coral Triangle, which stretches across Indonesia and north through the Philippines, host the world's greatest diversity of corals, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and marine plant species. Now preliminary results from a joint Indonesian-U.S. marine survey indicate that the biodiversity runs deep. A remotely operated vehicle has captured stunning images of massive corals, as well as unusual crustaceans and fish living at depths never before surveyed, thousands of meters below the surface. And mapping of that sea floor has turned up a huge, previously unknown volcano.
Produced by: Plastic Debris, Rivers to Sea Project
Algalita and California Coastal Commission
Funding provided by the State Water Resources Control Board
June 2006
pdf document, 91 pages
Introduction
- The California Marine Debris Action Plan of 1990
- A State Mandate to Eliminate Marine Debris is Necessary
- The Plastic Debris, Rivers to Sea Project
- The Action Plan
- The Actions Recommended in this Plan - Process and Prioritization
Part I:
Marine Debris - Sources, Composition, and Quantities
- What is Marine Debris?
- Land versus Ocean Sources
- Abundance of Plastic in the Marine Environment
- Quantities of Plastic Debris Increasing Significantly in Oceans
- Sources and Composition of Debris Found on Beaches
- Trash and Debris in Stormwater and Urban Runoff
- Other Research Characterizing Trash in Urban Runoff
- Distribution and Composition of Marine Debris on California's Coast
Part II:
Marine Debris - Impacts
- Ingestion and Entanglement
- Ecosystem Impacts
- Debris as a Transport Mechanism for Toxics and Invasive Species
- Economic Impacts
Part III:
Current Efforts to Address Land-Based Discharges of Marine Debris
- Federal Programs and Initiatives
- State Programs and Initiatives
- Regional Programs and Initiatives
- Local Government Programs and Initiatives
- National Public Interest Groups
- California Public Interest Groups and Associations
- Industry Initiatives