April 29, 2005

New Emergency Planning Tool for 2005 Hurricane Season

In addition to dangerous high winds and storm surges, hurricanes can flood inland areas, destroying property and endangering lives. The Inland Flood Planning and Response Tool, available May 1st, lets emergency managers in the Southeast U.S. quickly compare flood inundation maps with rainfall and river level forecasts. Developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and NOAA’s National Weather Service and Coastal Services Center, the decision-support tool may help emergency managers better plan for inland flooding, and aid evacuation and response efforts. For more information, contact Mark.Kolowith@noaa.gov.


NOAA Initiates Study of Asian Oyster

In the United States, thirty people die each year from consuming shellfish that contained the toxic bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus. Additional health risks derive from oysters contaminated with fecal pathogens such as Escherichia coli. The proposed introduction of the non-native Suminoe (Asian) oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis, by Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina, is an important issue in aquaculture, invasive species, and human health research. NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science will assess potential environmental and human health concerns by comparing bacterial uptake and natural cleansing rates of the Asian and native eastern oysters this summer, when estuarine bacterial levels are seasonally high. The work is in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the state of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, and is coordinated with NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Program. For more information, contact James.Morris@noaa.gov or Jeff.Govoni@noaa.gov.


Oil Spill Simulated in Florida Keys

On April 19-21, 2005, NOAA conducted a pollution response drill, "Safe Sanctuaries 2005." The drill was a collaborative effort of NOAA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the State of Florida to respond to a simulated oil spill that impacts ocean resources and uses NOAA's scientific expertise and capabilities. By simulating the spilled oil using hundreds of drift cards (designed to disintegrate in a few months), scientists learned where floating pollutants might go under a variety of environmental conditions. The drift cards were released at the site of the hypothetical spill on Elbow Reef (25° 09' N, 80° 15' W), in the upper portion of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Despite high winds all field operations were successful and over 2700 drift cards were deployed representing two different components of the hypothetical oil spill. This effort is similar to NOAA's Hawaii Drift Card Study, which was conducted from 2002-2004. Did you find one of our drift cards? Please tell us where and when you found it, and its color, and then click Submit Report at our Safe Sanctuaries 2005 Web site. For more information, contact Lisa.Symons@noaa.gov.

April 22, 2005

Tijuana Reserve Wetlands Named Internationally Significant

Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve has been designated as a Wetland of International Importance through the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The reserve achieved this designation for its unique ecological characteristics and the cultural importance of its location on the California border with Mexico.

The site is one of the largest remaining open space areas in the San Diego/Tijuana metropolitan area. Its combination of sand dunes, vernal pools, tidal channels, mudflats, and coastal sage scrub habitats are critical for several endangered and threatened species including the Sand Diego Fairy Shrimp and the Light-footed Clapper Rail, and commercially important fish species such as the Diamond turbot, and the California halibut. For more information, contact John Dandelski.


New Imaging Technology Tested for Coastal Mapping

The Remote Sensing Division of NOAA's National Geodetic Survey is evaluating the effectiveness of the Thermal Airborne Broadband Imager (TABI) sensor for shoreline mapping. Sensor data is based on temperature differences between the land and water interface. The TABI sensor can be flown during the day or night and under moderately cloudy conditions. This will help solve problems associated with tide levels and adverse weather often encountered in coastal mapping. For more information, contact Stephen White or Jason Woolard.


Biotoxins Detected in Endangered Whales

Scientists from the NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) recently detected algal biotoxins in North Atlantic right whales, a highly endangered species with only about 300 remaining individuals. Many of these spend summers feeding in Canada's Bay of Fundy.The biotoxins of concern, saxitoxin and domoic acid, have been associated with unusual marine mammal mortality. While their effects on right whales are uncertain, research on laboratory animals suggests that these neurotoxins may interfere with reproductive functions and be highly toxic to newborn calves. They may also cause increased susceptibility to disease and possibly to ship strikes. For more information, contact Greg Doucette.

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