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Making Waves: Episode 3 (Nov. 14, 2008)

(INTRO)

… EXPLORING AN UNKNOWN SEA FLOOR IN THE ARCTIC
… TRYING TO KEEP SHIPS FROM STRIKING WHALES IN CALIFORNIA
… AND DIGITALLY MAPPING SHALLOW COASTAL WATERS IN TEXAS

THOSE STORIES ARE COMING UP ON THIS WEEK’S MAKING WAVES FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE...

(ARCTIC OCEAN SEA FLOOR MAPPING)
SCIENTISTS FROM NOAA'S OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY AND U-N-H -- THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE -- RECENTLY FINISHED UP AN EXPEDITION IN THE ARCTIC.

THEY WERE THERE TO MAP THE SEA FLOOR NORTH OF POINT BARROW, ALASKA – THE NORTHERNMOST POINT IN THE U.S.
BUT THEY WERE 500 MILES NORTH OF THAT IN THE ICY SEA. AND UNDERNEATH ALL THAT ICE AND SEA IS A HUGE RIDGE CALLED THE CHUKCHI CAP...ONE OF THE LEAST-KNOWN SEA FLOOR AREAS IN THE WORLD.

THE RESEARCHERS ON THIS TRIP TRAVELED FROM THEIR BASE AT THE JOINT HYDROGRAPHIC CENTER AT U-N-H TO SPEND THREE WEEKS ABOARD THE HEALY, A U.S. COAST GUARD ICEBREAKER. ON BOARD THE HEALY, THEY USED A HIGH-TECH ECHO SOUNDER TO SENDS PULSES OF SOUND DOWN TO THE OCEAN FLOOR. WHEN THE SOUND BOUNCES BACK UP TO THE SHIP, THE SOUNDER MEASUES HOW FAR IT TRAVELED – AND THIS IS HOW THEY ARE PRODUCING A HIGHLY ACCURATE THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAP OF THE RIDGE.

IT’LL TAKE MORE TRIPS TO FINISH UP THE MAPPING, BUT WHEN IT’S DONE SCIENTISTS WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE DOWN THERE – AND IT WILL HELP TO IMPROVE CLIMATE AND OCEAN CURRENT CIRCULATION MODELS.

(WHALE MONITORING)
LAST FALL, FOUR BLUE WHALES DIED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY VESSELS IN THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF WHALE DEATHS FROM SHIP STRIKES IN ONE AREA.

NOW, THIS YEAR, NOAA AND THE COAST GUARD ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL FALLS WITHIN NOAA’S CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY.

STAFF THERE ARE NOW FLYING OVER THE AREA ONCE A WEEK TO LOOK FOR WHALES – AND THEY’RE COORDINATING WHALE-WATCHING VOLUNTEER EFFORTS. THEN THEY ARE PLOTTING ALL OF THESE OBSERVATIONS ON A CHART FOR THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY.

NOW SHIPS TRAVELING THROUGH THE CHANNEL HAVE BETTER INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THE WHALES MIGHT POP UP. AND NOAA AND THE COAST GUARD ARE ALSO ADVISING SHIPS TO SLOW DOWN AND STAY ALERT WHEN HIGH NUMBERS OF WHALES ARE PRESENT.

BLUE WHALES OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST ARE SLOWLY RECOVERING FROM COMMERCIAL WHALING -- BANNED SINCE 1986. THE EASTERN PACIFIC POPULATION IS NOW NEARLY 2,000 WHALES.

THE NUMBERS ARE GETTING STRONGER AND NOAA IS ONE OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

IN ADDITION TO SHIP STRIKES, YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT MARINE DEBRIS IS ALSO A LEADING WHALE KILLER. IN FACT, BY SOME ESTIMATES NEARLY 50 PERCENT OF WHALES FATALITIES ARE TIED TO SHIP STRIKES AND GETTING TANGLED UP IN OUR TRASH.

WE’LL TALK ABOUT NOAA’S EFFORT TO CLEAN UP MARINE DEBRIS IN A FUTURE EPISODE.

(NEW SHALLOW WATER MAP)
FINALLY, A NEW MAP OF SHALLOW WATER SEABED HABITATS ALONG A REGION OF TEXAS NEAR CORPUS CHRISTI IS NOW AVAILABLE FROM NOAA’S COASTAL SERVICES CENTER.

IT JOINS A GROWING LIST OF COASTAL MAPS MADE BY NOAA THAT TELL US THE CONDITION OF UNDERWATER VEGETATION AROUND THE NATION.
THE MAIN USE FOR THIS MAP IS TO HELP THE TEXAS SEAGRASS MONITORING PROGRAM LOCATE, KEEP AN EYE ON, AND PROTECT SEAGRASS BEDS AND SHALLOW-WATER SHELLFISH IN THE AREA.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? WELL, MAPS OF OUR COASTAL AREAS ARE PLACES THAT NEED TO BE BETTER UNDERSTOOD AND PROTECTED … BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN THERE THAT HUMANS AND ANIMALS DEPEND ON.

UNDERWATER VEGETATION IN SHALLOW COASTAL WATERS SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF MARINE CREATURES. THE SEAGRASS ALONG THE TEXAS COASTAL BEND IS A GOOD EXAMPLE - IT PROVIDES A SAFE PLACE TO SPAWN, A SAFE NURSERY, AND A PLACE TO HIDE AND FORAGE FOR FOOD FOR SMALL CREATURES.

AND THESE SMALL CREATURES ARE FOOD FOR COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL FISH THROUGHOUT THE GULF OF MEXICO.

AND THAT SAME SEAGRASS SUPPORTS OVER 75 PERCENT OF ALL THE NATION’S REDHEAD DUCKS EVERY WINTER.

AND CALLING IT A MAP DOESN’T REALLY DO IT JUSTICE. THOSE IN THE BUSINESS CALL IT SPATIAL DATA – WHICH BASICALLY MEANS IT’S A WAY TO VIEW A LOT OF DATA OVERLAID IN LAYERS LIKE THE SKIN OF AN ONION OVER IMAGES OF THE REGION.

SOME OF THE INFORMATION IS GATHERED FROM AERIAL AND SATELLITE PHOTOS, SOME BY PEOPLE WADING OUT INTO THE WATER TO TAKE SAMPLES,

SOME BY ACOUSTIC SAMPLING … EVEN LASERS ARE SOMETIMES USED TO GET CLEARER PICTURES OF THE SEAFLOOR IN DEEPER OR MURKY WATER.

(TAKING A CLOSER LOOK)
OK, SO WE KNOW THAT THESE MAPS LET US ZOOM IN TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SEA FLOOR. NOW LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT PEOPLE LIKE POLICY MAKERS, SCIENTISTS, AND RESEARCHERS MAKE BASED ON THESE MAPS.

WE’VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON ONE – THE MAPS PROVIDE A VIEW OF THE HEALTH OF A SEA FLOOR HABITAT, AND THEY ALLOW PEOPLE TO SEE HOW AN AREA IS CHANGING OVER TIME. THIS HELPS PEOPLE FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROTECT THE UNDERWATER PLANTS AND CREATURES THAT LIVE IN THESE HABITATS.

AND KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE SEAFLOOR IS ALSO THE FIRST STEP IN CHOOSING LOCATIONS FOR MARINE RESERVES – ONCE WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR MOST CRITICAL HABITATS ARE – THE ONES THAT ARE BEING THREATENED BY POLLUTION OR OVERFISHING, FOR EXAMPLE -- WE CAN THEN CONSIDER PROTECTING THEM WITH SPECIAL LAWS.

SEAFLOOR MAPS ALSO HELP PEOPLE CHOOSE LOCATIONS FOR AQUACULTURE FACILITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, INFORMATION ABOUT AREAS WHERE CLAMS NATURALLY THRIVE IN THE WILD CAN BE USED TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST PLACES TO SET UP A CLAM FARMING SITES.

MAPPING IS ALSO USED TO DETERME THE EFFECTS OF HABITAT CHANGE DUE TO NATURAL OR HUMAN IMPACTS. FOR INSTANCE, AN AREA CAN BE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF FISHING GEAR ON THE SEAFLOOR AND ON THE CREATURES THAT LIVE THERE. BY MAPPING THESE HABITATS OVER TIME, PLANNERS CAN DETERMINE IF AND FOR HOW LONG AREAS SHOULD BE CLOSED TO FISHING TO ALLOW A THREATENED AREA TO FULLY RECOVER.

AND FINALLY, SEAFLOOR MAPS OF DEEPER WATERS ARE OFTEN USED TO ESTIMATE THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY TRAWL-FISHING GEAR TO SEABED SEDIMENTS AND ANIMALS THAT LIVE ALONG THE OCEAN FLOOR IN DEEPER WATERS.

(OUTRO)
WELL, YOU DON’T NEED A MAP TO FIND OUR WEB SITE. WE’RE AT OCEANSERVICE.NOAA.GOV – FROM THERE YOU CAN VISIT THE SITES OF THE OFFICES WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY – THE OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY, THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES, AND THE COASTAL SERVICES CENTER.

AND BY THE WAY, THOSE WHO STUDY THE SEA BOTTOM USE THE TERM BENTHIC TO REFER TO ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH OR OCCURING ON THE BOTTOM OF A BODY OF WATER. THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS THAT LIVE ON OR IN THE BOTTOM ARE KNOWN AS THE BENTHOS. SO IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHALLOW WATER SEAFLOOR MAPS, YOU’LL WANT TO SEARCH FOR BENTHIC HABITAT MAPPING. THAT’S B-E-N-T-H-I-C.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS PODCAST, ABOUT NOAA’S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE, OR ABOUT OUR OCEAN, SEND AN EMAIL TO NOS.WEB@NOAA.GOV.

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EPISODE. I THINK I HEAR THE OCEAN ... THIS IS MAKING WAVES FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE. SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

-END-

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