Bottlenose dolphins encounter drag when they are swimming at a cruising speed, which is generally about six miles per hour, or at a sprinting speed, which could be double that of the cruising speed. The fact of the matter is that as the drag increases, the swim speed increased. Shawn R. Noren, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has decided to calculate the additional drag that pregnant bottlenose dolphins experience during pregnancy. He is especially concerned with the correlation between drag and the end of the gestation period. A dolphin's pregnancy usually last about 12 months, and like cows they are both descendants of ancient ungulates. They drop their calves one at a time. During the course of her pregnancy, a female dolphin's girth will increase about 50%. The added girth brings about a substantial increase in drag. In fact, according to Dr. Noren, a female dolphin in the last weeks of her pregnancy will encounter the same amount of drag swimming at four miles per hour as she usually experiences swimming at eight miles per hour. In addition, pregnant dolphins are fatter, and the additional blubber contains higher amounts of lipids, which increase buoyancy making it harder for the pregnant dolphin to dive. This limitation on diving affects the pregnant dolphins' ability to garner prey. Furthermore, the pregnant female alters her swimming stroke making shorter strokes with greater frequency, as the fetus inside her continues to grow stretching her muscles and limiting her ability to employ her tail in a natural up and down motion. Dr. Noren's research is found in the Journal of Experimental Biology under the catchy title, "Pregnancy is a Drag".

The Texas oyster-harvesting season has been delayed by the presence of toxic algae in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This algae is known as the red tide. It turns water into a red brownish color. It has been over a decade since the Texas coast has seen an outbreak of this magnitude. Millions of oysters could be rendered toxic, and state officials have no idea when they will allow the season to open. Last year's oyster harvest, in this region, yielded 5.2 million pounds of the bivalves. This is one more problem that has hit an industry, already plagued by hard times as result of the recent Gulf oil spill. The state of Texas estimates that oysters represent between $8.8 million to $19.2 million annually to state fisherman. In addition, the state itself realizes at least $25 million from oyster related industries and sales. Texas is not the only state along the Gulf that has to close its oyster beds. Mississippi was recently forced to close her beds due to flooding, which raised the salinity levels above accepted norms. The right salinity level is essential to oyster health and survival. Mississippi's Department of Marine Resources is reluctant to say that there will be a harvesting season this year. Last year, Mississippi accounted for1.5 million pounds of oysters. Louisiana expects to have an oyster harvest this year. Last year's haul was only 6.7 million pounds, the lowest total harvest in the last 60 years. The Horizon oil spill is the reason for such a low yield and Louisiana fisherman are not expecting a bountiful harvest this year. Although Texas has experienced red tide, conditions in the past are usually limited to the southernmost portion of the Texas coastline, and generally last just a couple weeks. However, the current algae bloom covers a large portion of the Texas coast from South Padre Island to Galveston Bay, and has lingered on for two months. Marine biologists blame the summer drought and heat wave, which has helped raise the salinity levels in

A strain of infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus was found in two wild sockeye salmon smolts, located in British Columbia's River's inlets. This is the same type of virus that negatively impacted salmon farms from Norway to Chile. Two leading anti - salmon farm activists, Alexandra Morton and Dr. David Routledge of Simon Fraser University, had identified the virus as a European strain that had likely originated on a farm located in this province of British Columbia. This was the first time, after thousands of tests had been conducted on the local salmon farm population, that a strain of the deadly ISA virus had been identified. Prior to this finding, there had been no reported cases or positive tests recorded in British Columbia or any other region of the Pacific Northwest. Of course, the news was met industry wide with both fear and shock. Some experts feel that the report has been sensationalized, blurring facts and creating unnecessary panic. The call for immediate and drastic changes in the BC salmon farm industry might be bit of an overreaction according to Seattle based virologist Dr. Fred Kibenge. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has taken over the testing in an attempt to separate fact from fiction and contain the ensuing panic. Dr. Kibenge had reported that two out of 48 sockeye salmon smolts, taken from a location 100 km from the nearest salmon farm, had tested positive for the ISA virus. Although, these findings have been reported to both the CFIA and Dr. Routledge they have yet to find their way to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for independent testing and verification. Several issues needed to be clarified. The first being that the testing method employed by Dr. Kibenge is extremely sensitive and has been known to illicit false positive responses for the ISA virus on occasion. Furthermore, there are two strains of the ISA virus, one being extremely virulent, but not always lethal for Atlantic salmon bred on farms, and another s

This paper examines whether current technologies make desalinization a sustainable solution for the world's ongoing water shortage. Currently over 1/3rd of the world's population lives in countries that have a stressed water supply. This list of countries is constantly growing, because of climate change; a result of global warming, and pollution that affects a number of nations' water tables. One thing is for sure: an adequate supply of fresh water goes a long way in securing a particular country's social and environmental status. Most of the new technologies involving desalinization are more energy intensive than the more conventional methods of treatments for fresh water. Not enough is known how these new desalinization plants and projects being built all over the world will impact the environment. New technologies, coupled with the latest materials are improving performance and making desalinization a more viable and sustainable solution. The problem is simple; the new technologies require more energy than more traditional sources of conserving fresh water. Methods like treating low quality local water sources, recycling water, and water conservation although more energy efficient will not alleviate the world's water supply problems according to experts. The advanced technologies that include employing membranes, in conjunction with chemistry to filter certain chemical species resulting from the desalinization process, should reduce environmental risks. These systems also have been found to be more energy efficient, which is a primary goal of all the research being done in this area. Fresh water is essential to life; maybe the long-term answer lies in desalinization process.

Satellite Images posted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show a major algae bloom that is impacting the New Jersey coastline. These pictures show the bloom to be about 127 miles long, and as much as fifty miles wide at some points. The area of greatest concentration is between Barnegat Inlet and Cape May. A combination of conditions are said to be causing the bloom. The first is the warm ocean water that has been present off the New Jersey coast. This, coupled with the large amounts of rainfall, has caused increased runoffs, which carry nutrients from the land to the ocean and provide an ideal set of conditions to promote the bloom. The bloom has also been aided by the remarkably calm ocean water that prevents the mixing of seawater and fuels the bloom. John Tiedemann, Assistant Dean and Director of the Marine and Environmental Policy Program at Monmouth University, said that large algae blooms do not pose threat to public health. This event will be aesthetically displeasing, but the real problem is the effect the bloom has on the environment. An algae bloom of this size will be difficult for the organisms that feed on it to consume it in its entirety. Algae have a short life span, and the excess algae will die and wash up on shore where it will be devoured by bacteria. These bacteria will take oxygen from the seawater, negatively impacting oxygen levels in the ocean. This draw down of oxygen could present problems to organisms higher up on the food chain. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences are monitoring the entire situation.

Small squid and octopuses, which live about ½ mile below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, employ camouflage to avoid predators. Hatchet fish dive below the squid and octopuses, and then look upward looking for the shadows of their potential food source. In this case, the squid and octopus appear transparent to avoid casting a shadow, which enables them to sneak past the Hatchet Fish looking for meals. However, Hatchet Fish are not the only fish seeking to eat these squid and octopuses. Dragonfish use a biological type of lightening system to illuminate their potential food source. This system works like a flashlight being aimed at a windowpane. It illuminates their transparent prey. In order to thwart the efforts of these dragonfish, research now shows that at least two species the Japetella octopus and the Onychoteuthis squid are able to instantaneously flip a switch and become as dark as the water around them. These two species of Cephalopods have sacs of black pigment, which they twitch like muscles. When they want to be transparent the sacs form compact spheres allowing the glassy flesh to appear, and when darkness is required these same spheres flatten out and stretch so the animal is able to go dark. This remarkable use of the black pigment, in conjunction with these sacs, creates a true defense system against varying predators.

In the seabed offshore from the crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant, radiation levels were found to be several hundred times above normal levels. The Kyodo News Agency reported that nuclear material had been found along a 190 mile stretch of coastline from Kesennuma to Choshi. Iodine and cesium were found at fifteen different test sites at distances between fifteen and fifty kilometers from the Japanese coastline. Greenpeace, an environmental agency, conducted tests on marine life residing in waters twenty kilometers from the Fukushima Plant. Results revealed radiation levels that far exceeded legal limits. Further testing conducted on fish and shellfish, found in these waters, revealed that they contained amounts of iodine-131 and caesium-137 that also violated acceptable limits. Scientists upon examination of seaweed indigenous to these waters discovered radiation to be fifty times greater than accepted norms. As a result, the Japanese Government has been severely criticized for their inadequate response to this on going nuclear crisis. The government, in turn, has responded by saying that it continues to monitor produce, fish, shellfish, kelp and seaweed for excessive levels of radiation. Fishing, as well as shipping has been banned from the waters in close proximity to the plant, and continued testing by neighboring nations such as China, South Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam; all of whom acknowledge the presence of a radiation drift in extremely low levels. Never the less, environmental groups are concerned about the long term effects to people, marine life, and the ecosystem resulting from this contaminated seawater. At this juncture, solutions are required that will produce a significant decline in radiation levels, reducing the threat to the environment.

The National Wildlife Federation has released a recent report stating that some species are recovering, while others are at great risk and will require significant help. One of the main obstacles many of these species are facing is the health of the coastal wetlands where they live and breed. The condition of these wetlands is classified as poor. Even prior to the spill, this area was suffering from the effects of erosion from storms and river channeling. Varying amounts of oil from the spill has contaminated over 3,000 miles of coastal wetland and beaches. The disaster response teams have concentrated on cleaning up the oil, with little concern about the long-term effect the spill will have on this fragile ecosystem. Today, sea turtles and Bluefin tuna are among the species that have been classified as in poor condition. Prior to the spill, four out the five species of sea turtles that reside in the gulf were endangered. During the actual spill, the encroaching oil stranded many sea turtles. It is not exactly clear how many perished, but 609 sea turtles were found dead, 481 of these were Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, which is the most endangered specie in the world. This is an on going problem, because of the damage done to their habitat by the spill. The damage places this species of sea turtle in grave crisis. The population of tuna in the Gulf has been in a steady decline due to over-fishing. Marine life experts are now facing an even larger problem concerning this species. They breed only twice a year, and the spill took place during one of their traditional breeding seasons. At this point of time, it is impossible to measure the short or long-term impact this will have on their population. This is an on going problem that needs to be addressed; the oil is no longer floating on the gulf's surface, instead it is lurking in the very habitats that man needs to protect.

The Mariana Trench located in the western Pacific is the deepest part of the world's oceans. Researchers recently returning from an expedition in the Mariana Trench reported that they have found a single celled organism that is more than four inches in length. This expedition was conducted by scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California located in San Diego. They employed high definition cameras encased in plastic bubbles to prevent damage due to the extreme pressure found at these depths. These cameras allowed the scientist to film these organisms at depths of 35,000 feet. This creature is known, as Xenophyophores and is the largest single-celled organism living in the deep sea. The Scripps oceanographers who identified them on video reported that they built the structures they live in using sediment and these, in turn, act as habitats for starfish, clams, crustaceans, and sea worms. With this new technology, researchers hope to be able to film and categorize other animals residing in the deepest parts of the ocean. NASA helped fund this project because they believe there maybe a connection to what is found in the deepest ocean trenches and what is found in deep space. The contention here is that the findings from the seafloor may promote an increased understanding of the solar system. The above information, recently gathered, has not been published in a scientific journal as of yet.

Beach erosion was extensive as a result of this recent storm. The beach, which had been recently dredged, suffered loss of sand and deep scarring because of the powerful storm surge. Littered with seaweed and foam, it might take several weeks to assess the full damage. The channels formed by the storm surge created ledges at the base of the strand, limiting beach access in several areas. Jacksonville had hoped to enjoy the fruits of the recent beach renourishment plan. This project was to provide a boost economically, as well as recreationally to the city. Instead, residents now face the uncertainty of a withered and damaged shoreline. The recent storms, coupled with coastal development seemed to return the beaches back to their eroded state before the sand was pumped ashore. Many local environmental groups protested the dredging fearing it would have negative effects on the local marine organisms that resided in these waters. Now it seems that this project was all for naught.

Has global warming added power and intensity to recent hurricanes? Hurricane historian Jim Barnes of Pine Knoll Shores North Carolina states that ocean heat plays a major role in hurricane formation. He maintains that greater heat levels will produce more storms and more intense hurricanes. There is no evidence to prove that an increase in global temperatures results in more hurricanes. However, a study in the journal "Nature" states that hurricanes and typhoons have grown stronger and lasted longer over the past thirty years. These increases have a direct correlation to rising sea temperatures. Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at MIT, has conducted study that stipulates that hurricanes have increased in duration and strength over the last 30 years and according to Emanuel this might be a result of ocean temperature rising at a faster rate than atmospheric temperature. This event theoretically is capable of yielding more hurricanes that carry greater levels of intensity. Emanuel's basis premise is that as global temperature rises, so will the number of hurricanes, because the increased heat will help to power more storms. Where Emanuel's study differs from those that try to measure hurricanes and typhoons is that he is concerned with the energy generated by these storms over the lifetimes of these storms. His study maintains that storm intensity varies from decade to decade and these fluctuations are a result of El Nino and other weather events. Professor Emanuel proves that the strength of a hurricane is tied to ocean temperatures. The higher the temperature of the ocean the more hurricanes will be produced. Many scientist believe the rise in ocean temperatures is result of global warming. Although Emanuel does not stipulate this, he does maintain that the intensification of recent hurricanes is a direct response to global warming.

New decade long study, allows scientists to observe marine life migrations! "It's precedent-setting. It's a tremendous tool for conservation and management," said Jesse Ausubel, vice president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and co-founder of the Census of Marine Life. "We were literally blind. We can now see. We know what's underneath now."

"The scientists emphasized that the fact that many of these commutes largely take place within the exclusive economic zones of the United States, Canada and Mexico - the 200-mile stretch from shore that individual countries can govern - means that the three countries can adequately protect these areas." Would/should protecting these areas be a priority for the US?