Ocean Whispers

How to Prevent a Shark Attack, Jennifer Kennedy

2012-02-01T05:17:00.000-08:00

Australian Geographic notes that there have been 873 shark attacks in Australia since records began in 1791, 211 of which have been fatal. See webpage with excellent diagram here

With her permission please find the following interesting article by Jennifer Kennedy on shark attacks with a few insights for those whose fears exceed the danger and some for those whose don't.

Photo courtesy of Tony Isaacson, Fiji

Howto Prevent a Shark Attack

By Jennifer Kennedy, About.comGuide

Even though you'remore likely to die from a lightning strike, alligator attack or on a bicyclethan from a shark attack, sharks do sometimes bite humans. According to the International Shark Attack File there were 79 cases of unprovokedshark attacks worldwide in 2010. The top 3 attackingshark species were the white, tiger and bull sharks.

There are many ways (most of them common-sense) that you canavoid a shark attack. Below is a list of what not to do if you'll be swimmingin waters where sharks might be present, and techniques for getting away aliveif a shark attack really does happen.

What Not to Do:

· Don't swim alone.

· Don't swim during dark or twilight hours.

· Don't swim with shiny jewelry.

· Don't swim if you have an open wound.

· Don't swim too far offshore.

· Ladies: don't swim if you're menstuating.

· Don't splash excessively or make erratic movements.

· Keep pets out of the water.

· Don't swim in areas where there are sewage (for other obviousreasons!) or pinnipeds

[seals or sealions] thatare hauled-out. Both areas can attract sharks.

· Don't swim in areas being used by fishermen, as their bait couldattract sharks.

· Don't push your luck - never harass a shark. Get out of thewater if one is spotted.

What to Do If You're Attacked:

Let's hope you've followed the advice above and successfullyavoided an attack. But what do you do if you suspect a shark's in the area orare being attacked?

· If you feel something brush against you, get out of the water.According to an article from National Geographic,many shark bite victims don't feel any pain. And sharks may strike more thanonce.

· If you are attacked, the rule described here is"do whatever it takes to get away." Possibilities include yellingunderwater, blowing bubbles, and punching the shark's nose, eye or gills andthen leaving the area before the shark strikes again.

References and Additional Information:

· Burgess, George H. 2011. ISAF Statistics on AttackingSpecies of Shark. (Online). FL Museum of Natural History.Accessed January 30, 2012.

· Burgess, George H. 2009. ISAF 2008 Worldwide Shark AttackSummary (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed February 5,2010.

· Burgess, George H. 1998. Just for Kids: How to Avoid a Shark Attack Reprinted with permission from TheKids' How to Do (Almost) Everything Guide, Monday Morning Books, Palo Alto, California.Accessed February 5, 2010.

· ISAF. 2009. International Shark Attack File. (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed February 5,2010.

· Popular Mechanics. 2009. Survive Anything: How to Escape aShark Attack. (Online) Popular Mechanics. Accessed February 5, 2010.

Shark Facts

· 10 Facts About Sharks

· Great White Shark Profile

· What is the World's Largest Shark?

Shark Conservatoin

· Shark Conservation Act of 2009

· What Is Shark Finning?

More About SharkAttacks

· How to Avoid Sharks (Florida GuideSite)

· Shark Attack - The Facts Behind Shark Attacks in Hawaii(Hawaii GuideSite)

· Shark Camo Surfboard Attack Deterrent Stickers (SurfingGuideSite)

Related Articles

· Florida Wildlife: Sharks

· Dangerous Creatures: Watch Out for the Aussie Nasties

· Shark Attacked Me - A Child's Past Life Story - ReaderStories: Past Li...

· Tourist Attacked by Shark in Florida

· Beach Safety: Playing It Safe on Australian Beaches

www.ausmepa.org.au

INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC MARINE EDUCATORS NETWORK; Chilean Fjords and Ice Conference Nov 2012

2012-01-29T13:53:00.000-08:00

Initial Conference Announcement
The International Pacific Marine Educators Network (IPMEN) will hold its fourth biennial conference November 2012 in Chile. Marine educators will again gather to share resources and to advance a network aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the Pacific and the communities who depend upon it. The exact dates will be confirmed soon, so please visit this web site for updates. http://www.ipmen.net/

For More Information
For more information about the Chile 2012 conference or, more generally, IPMEN please contact:

Luis Pinto (Chile)
Harry Breidahl (Australia)
Sylvia Spalding (Hawaii).

www.ausmepa.org.au

SPREP launches Clean Pacific 2012 Campaign

2012-01-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

1/26/2012

Press Release: Pollution Prevention

The Clean Pacific 2012 campaign will be launched in partnership with the World Wetlands Day celebrations in Apia, Samoa on 2 February. The relationship between proper waste disposal practices, management and pollution prevention and healthy wetlands is a critical one. The Clean Pacific campaign will aim to promote a clean and healthy environment for our Pacific peoples through improved waste management practices.

The World Wetlands Day theme for 2012 is “Wetlands and Tourism” and with tourism being a major income earner for the Pacific Islands, this industry is set to grow over the coming years. While there are many examples of environmentally sustainable tourism, there are also a number of unsustainable examples of tourism, which generate waste and pollution and cause damage to our wetlands.

The Clean Pacific campaign is a regional waste management and pollution control campaign coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with its member countries. The campaign will galvanise actions at all levels to improve the management of wastes and pollution through promotion of a range of activities, which contribute to a healthy environment, including wetlands.

SPREP will support relevant grass roots activities for waste reduction and management, pollution prevention, and hazardous chemical management during the campaign year.

“There are major problems on the management and disposal of solid waste throughout the Pacific, so the programme is focusing on raising awareness and building capacity in this important area,” said Mr. David Sheppard, SPREP’s Director General.

“SPREP is pleased to embark on this campaign and we look forward to good work to come as we all unite on our Clean Pacific campaign.”

In the Pacific region, isolated populations and remote locations are challenges beyond our control and often make sustainable waste management and pollution control difficult. At the same time they underscore the need to focus on local solutions that can be sustained regardless of external factors such as fuel prices and shipping costs.

Recognising these and other challenges, the Clean Pacific campaign focuses on ensuring that the right practices and policies are adopted by Pacific island countries to support sustainable management of waste and prevention and control of pollution.

The campaign will also show that a clean Pacific relies on everyone from the most senior politician to the smallest family taking immediate and responsible action to solve the dual problems of waste and pollution.

For more details please contact SPREP’s Waste Management and Pollution Control Team at wasteteam@sprep.org

www.ausmepa.org.au

PACIFIC 2012 International Maritime Exposition, Darling Harbour, Sydney, 31 January – 3 February 2012

2012-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

You are invited to attend the PACIFIC 2012 International Maritime Exposition to be held at Darling Harbour, Sydney, 31 January – 3 February 2012, as a Trade Visitor (i.e. as a guest of the organisers).

Trade Visitors will enjoy FREE access to PACIFIC 2012's unprecedented program of specialist conferences, forums and seminars, including AAMA’s own seminar, “The Sea and the Environment – Opportunities, Constraints and Risks”, to be held on 31 January and 1 February. Further details of this seminar shown below.

While you are at Pacific 2012 why not visit the Australian Association for Maritime Affairs at their stand in Hall 6, stand no. 6A15. Free full size copies of the poster MARITIME AUSTRALIA 2011 will be available while stocks last. (For a preview of the poster see the AAMA web site atwww.aama.asn.au.)

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TEDxNewy TALK: Tim Silverwood - How did our lives become so plastic?

2012-01-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

In July 2011, Tim Silverwood sailed 5000km from Hawaii to Vancouver to research and document the accumulation of plastic in the infamous North Pacific Gyre, otherwise known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Tim, a keen surfer, developed a love affair with the ocean from a young age and has since become an advocate and activist of the need to protect our sea from the scourge of plastic pollution. Tim is an ambassador for Keep Australia Beautiful and is co-founder of the non-profit organization, 'Take 3' that asks everyone to simply take 3 pieces of rubbish with them when they leave the beach, waterway or... anywhere. Tim is currently gathering content for an Australian based documentary on the plastic pollution issue.

www.timsilverwood.com

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PHOTO RELEASE: Coast Guard, NAMEPA formalize partnership that promotes marine environmental protection

2012-01-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Coast Guard Headquarters

U.S. Coast Guard

Photo Release

Date: January 19, 2012

Contact: Media Relations

(202) 372-4620

Coast Guard, NAMEPA formalize partnership that promotes marine environmental protection

WASHINGTON — Ms. Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director of North American Marine Environment Protection Association, and Vice Adm. Brian Salerno, deputy commandant for operations, participate in a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2012. As part of the new partnership, the Coast Guard and NAMEPA will collaborate to create an elementary school curriculum that will focus on marine debris prevention. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley.

WASHINGTON - Ms. Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director of North American Marine Environment Protection Association, and Vice Adm. Brian Salerno, deputy commandant for operations, shake hands during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2012. This partnership allows the Coast Guard to further its marine environmental protection mission and message through NAMEPA's strategic alliances with port captains, industry and maritime interests. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Coast Guard and the North American Marine Environment Protection Associationannounced an agreement to co-develop and implement outreach, training and educational materials aimed at reducing maritime pollution.

Under the memorandum of understanding, signed during a ceremony at Coast Guard Headquarters, Jan. 10, the Coast Guard will expand its marine environmental protection education and outreach program within NAMEPA’s strategic alliances. Furthermore, the Coast Guard will collaborate with NAMEPA to develop an elementary school curriculum that will focus on reducing marine debris.

“NAMEPA is honored to be partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary in our shared goal to ‘Save our Seas’,” said Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director of NAMEPA. “Through this partnership, we will be able to join forces in promoting the reduction of marine debris, and help in the education of the public about the risks associated with careless disposal of litter. It is our hope that this initial effort will be followed by future projects which serve to protect our marine environment and promote respect and care for it.”

“By partnering with NAMEPA to increase outreach efforts to students who will be future stewards the world's ocean, we are fulfilling the Coast Guard’s maritime stewardship mission to protect our valuable marine environment.” said Vice Adm. Brian Salerno, the Coast Guard’s Deputy Commandant for Operations.

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Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

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"Hero for the Planet Ocean" Dr Sylvia Earle on Protecting Our Oceans

2012-01-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

www.ausmepa.org.au

GHOST NETS 2004-2009; Summary Report from Australia's northern shores

2012-01-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

Article taken from GNA news issue 5

Ghost Nets Australia (GNA) Summary Report

Between 2004 and 2009, Ghost Nets Australia (GNA) rangers removed and recorded 6,035 nets of varying sizes across approximately 1500km of north Australian coastline. The data that rangers recorded from these nets built into such a large database that GNA thought it was about time to get it published! So in the middle of this year, the data was collated into a summary report that gives an indication of the type and origins of the nets, as well as highlighting the impact that they have on the marine environment.

All this data highlighted distinct patterns showing the accumulation of nets in certain areas, or net ‘hotspots.’ These hotspots are predominantly found in the north-eastern and north-western corners of the Gulf and are the reason why the rangers in those areas are working so hard to clear their beaches!

By matching the nets found to examples in the ‘Net Kit’, compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an indication of both their type of fishery and the country from which they originated has been possible. The most frequently recorded nets were trawl nets and came from Taiwan and Indonesia.

Ghost nets are a threat to many marine animals, particularly turtles (of which six of the world’s seven species are found in north Australian waters). The nets recorded by GNA contained fish, crabs, sharks, sea snakes, crocodiles, dugong and over 100 turtles. Unfortunately, the true number of animals caught in nets could be expected to be significantly higher than that recorded, as the passage of time may see many of the trapped animals decay out of the net before they are found.

The results of the summary report confirm what rangers have been saying for many years - ghost nets are a huge problem in north Australia. It is only through the hard work that rangers do to record and remove the nets that people will understand the problem and change can happen.

The GhostNets team would like to send a big thank you to all the rangers who recorded this data, to everyone who helped put this document together and to those who have helped make the program a success. Copies of the 2004-2009 GNA Summary Report can be found on the GhostNets Australia websitewww.ghostnets.com.au

www.ausmepa.org.au

GHOST NETS AUSTRALIA: Dealing with debris

2012-01-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

An article taken from GNA issue 5 here

From GNA newsletter here

Since 2010 Ghost Nets Australia (GNA) has expanded our work to a broader issue of marine debris, we did this as a normal response after clearing the beach of nets, naturally moving on to the rest of the rubbish brought in by the tides. In doing this we became part of a global movement to combat marine litter.

We’ve discovered that this rubbish issue is bigger than our scope and wish to introduce a partner “Tangaroa Blue” who works with community groups to clean beaches and record information about this rubblish. Heidi Taylor is the founder of Tangaroa Blue and talks about how her organisation came about;

Once you start picking up marine debris on the beach, it's hard to walk past any item that shouldn't be there. Back in 2004 walks along Ellensbrook Beach in the south west of Western Australia meant coming back with armfuls of rubbish, so we started taking bags with us, and always managed to fill those, and so we started organising beach clean ups. And guess what? We never come back with an empty rubbish bag.....

That's when Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society was formed and launched The Australian Marine Debris Initiative. And by 2011 more than 6500 volunteers along 500 coastal sites around Australia have removed well over 650,000 bits of marine debris. Now not only did we want to remove the debris from the coast to ensure that it wouldn't entangle or be ingested by marine life and seabirds, but we collected data on exactly what we were finding, and this is all housed in the National Marine Debris Database.

The goal for the database is to provide information and evidence on what is being washed up at different sites around Australia and New Zealand, which can then be used to help trace the items back to the source, and ultimately to find practical ways of stopping those items from ending up in the marine enviornment in the first place.
Communities, industry groups, government agencies, schools and individual volunteers have joined the Australian Marine Debris Initiative by adopting a section of coastline on which to run regular marine debris monitoring clean ups and clean up materials, training & support and educational materials are all provided for those who register.

For more information on how to get involved visit www.oceancare.org.au or email heidi@oceancare.org.au

Teachers wishing to incorporate marine studies into their teaching plans AUSMEPA has units of work on Marine Stormwater Pollution here and Student Leadership here, which may assist in getting students working with community projects like these.

www.ausmepa.org.au

PLANET ARK - helping everyone to make a difference

2012-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

About Planet Ark's Environmental Campaigns (from their website here)

Planet Ark designs its campaigns so you can make a difference. Whether through recycling more, planting trees for treeday or changing to energy efficient lightglobes, small changes to individual behaviour add up to big savings for the environment.

Most of our campaigns have their own sites which provide detailed information, and focus on the ways you can make a difference. See the campaign pages fo a summary of each campaign and links to the campaign sites.

Aluminium Cans

Australians currently recycle over 2 billion aluminium cans each year. Find out more about Aluminium Cans and how you can help our environment

Business Recycling

The Business Recycling website is designed to make it easy for businesses, especially small and medium sized businesses, to find recycling services in their area.

Carbon Reduction Label

Planet Ark and the Carbon Trust have launched the Carbon Reduction Label in Australia. Planet Ark is working with businesses wanting to undertake carbon footprinting and labelling of their product.

'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark'

Australians send 34 printer cartridges to landfill every minute. We are determined to make our landfills the biggest loser by urging Australians to deprive their garbage bins of electronic waste.

Festive Recycling

Between Christmas, New Year and Australia Day Australians produce more recycling than any other time of the year. Which is why Planet Ark and Australia Post encouraging everyone to have a clean and green festive period.

National Recycling Week

Recycling aids in the fight against global warming by reducing the amount of new materials we use to sustain out lifestyle.

National Tree Day

National Tree Day, proudly sponsored by Toyota, is Australia's biggest community tree-planting event.

Make It Wood - Do Your World Some Good

When sourced responsibly, wood can play a big part in helping tackle climate change by storing carbon and through reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Make It Wood - Do Your World Some Good explains why and highlights how to choose the right wood.

Palm Oil Free

Palm Oil Free is Planet Ark's campaign to help stop deforestation in South East-Asia due to palm oil plantations, which are destroying the habit of the amazing Sumatran and Bornean orangutans as well as many other incredible birds, animals, plants and critters.

'PaperCutz 4 Planet Ark'

'PaperCutz 4 Planet Ark' aims to encourage people to switch from paper-based to electronic communications to save water, energy and resources used in paper production and distribution, as well as the solid waste and greenhouse gases emitted in the process.

Plastic Bag Reduction

Planet Ark led the National Plastic Bag Reduction Campaign in Australia from 2002 to 2005. Since then millions of Australians have embraced the use of reusable bags as part of their regular shopping habits.

RecyclingNearYou

RecyclingNearYou is your one stop shop for local recycling information.

Climate Change

While climate change may seem insurmountable the solutions don't necessarily have to involve radical changes to our lives, but rather, are achievable by working smarter and using our resources more efficiently.

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Surface Tension Exhibition; Art, Science and open source solutions

2012-01-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

Art communicates in a way that no other medium can, coupled with science it can yield remarkable innovations. An interesting integration of art and science is highlighted in the Science Gallery website here and more particularly in the Science Gallery Exhibition SURFACE TENSION; THE FUTURE OF WATER here.

Many thanks to our friend Cynthia Pannucci at Art & Science Collaborations, Inc (ASCI) here who brought this interesting exhibition to our attention. Cynthia noted that "some of today's art-science practitioners are getting involved in open-source [free collaboration], practical, physical solutions to ocean issues like clean-up of oil spills, floating garbage, and heavy metals."

"Protei_002" is a prototype for a fleet of low-cost, articulated, DIY, semi-autonomous, oil-collecting sailboats. The full-sized boat pulls a sorbent boom, which absorbs oil off the top of water near spill sites. It is the first sailboat that can catch winds from both sides and can therefore sail upwind and intercept the oil sheens as they travel downwind. It can be controlled remotely and so does not endanger the health of operators via exposure to toxins. It can travel long distances from shore, work continuously during the day or night, and is much cheaper than existing skimming technologies. It is open source, making it possible for individuals to tailor the design to different functions, and to collaborate on its development. http://www.sciencegallery.com/node/3111

"Protei_002" is included in the current exhibition, "Surface Tension: The Future of Water" at the Science Gallery in Dublin.http://www.sciencegallery.com/surfacetension

It's worth a look.

www.ausmepa.org.au

Seagrass-Watch Magazines are now available online

2012-01-04T23:56:00.000-08:00

Seagrass-Watch HQ announced that their popular magazine, most recent issue 44, is now available online (click here). Both low and high resolution versions of the magazine are available.

"Seagrass meadows are being lost globally at unprecedented rates. Yet what we know about the consequences of this loss and its relationship with charismatic megafauna such as Sea Turtles is surprisingly limited. In this issue recent research is discussed that has sought to provide further understanding to the inter-relationship of Sea Turtles with seagrass.

The loss of seagrass in the Great Barrier Reef region due to cyclones and flooding has had evident impacts upon Sea Turtles. This issue describes the efforts of many volunteers and scientists to help save these turtles and how turtles undergo dietary shifts throughout their development that may help them survive this loss."

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Review of GreenPort Congress - bridging communities

2012-01-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

03 Jan 2012

Dimitrios Theologitis

PORTS ARE NOT ISLANDS. As European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas said recently “Ports are engines of economic development and sources of prosperity for our cities, regions and nations”.

To be sustainable, a green port must bridge between its many stakeholders in business and social communities and support knowledge sharing and cooperative innovation. This was a key theme running through the 6th Green Port Congress in Hamburg (14 and 15 September 2011) bringing together 200 delegates from nearly 30 countries.

Green Port? No longer a choice!

Being a green port is no longer a choice. Ports have a key contribution to make in the sustainability of the logistics chain and their communities. This was the message from the opening speakers.

Want to know more? Click here

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WORLD OCEAN COUNCIL WORKS WITH THE ECONOMIST ON WORLD OCEANS SUMMIT

2012-01-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Collaborative efforts like this are very heartening. Here is the latest news on the World Ocean Summit.

News Release

Global Ocean Conference to Examine Future Use and Governance of the Seas

30 November 2011 –

The Economist is organizing the “World Oceans Summit” (Singapore, 22-24 Feb 2012), which will bring together a program of more than 200 global leaders from various sectors and disciplines, including business, government, academia, international organizations and NGOs.

The World Ocean Council (WOC) is a member of the summit’s Advisory Board and the WOC Executive Director, Paul Holthus, is an invited plenary speaker. The WOC is working closely with The Economist to ensure the program for the gathering, their first ocean event, is balanced and includes solid representation from the ocean business community.

Several WOC Members are invited speakers, including: Spyros Polemis, Chairman, International Chamber of Shipping and Tim Smith, Chief Executive Officer, North Asia, Maersk Line. Other confirmed speakers include: Robert Zoellick, President, World Bank; Teo Chee Hean Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Singapore; and Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

The summit will present a robust and objective multi-stakeholder examination of critical issues affecting the future of the seas such as:

How can the economic potential of the oceans be realized in a sustainable way?
What kind of global leadership and collaboration is needed to address the challenges of ocean sustainability?
Could new governance frameworks deliver better results for the oceans?
How can business take the lead in reducing the footprint of human activities in the oceans?

Please click here to download a copy of the latest summit program – or visitwww.economist.com/worldoceanssummit to register for the World Oceans Summit.

A registration rate discount of 20% is available to WOC Members (Corporate, Association and Affiliated Institution). For WOC Membership information, contact paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org

For further information from The Economist, please contact Alice Wong(+852) 2585 3312 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (+852) 2585 3312 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or alicewong@economist.com.

About the World Ocean Council (WOC)

The WOC is the only international, cross-sectoral alliance for private sector leadership and collaboration in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”. Companies and associations worldwide are distinguishing themselves as leaders in ocean sustainability and stewardship by joining the WOC. Members to date include over 36 leadership organizations from a wide range of ocean industries: oil and gas, shipping, seafood, tourism, ocean technology, maritime law, marine environmental services and other areas.

Contact: Paul Holthus+1 (808) 277-9008 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +1 (808) 277-9008 end_of_the_skype_highlighting paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org
Web: www.oceancouncil.org

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PACIFIC2012 International Maritime Exposition, Sydney 31Jan-3Feb 2012

2012-01-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

www.ausmepa.org.au

Blue Diamonds - Oceans and Coasts - the newsletter of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA)

2011-12-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

You may be interested to follow this newsletter edition which focuses extensively on environment mainstreaming' and contains articles from various authors. Additionally, the Third Intergovernmental Review on the Implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (IGR-3) will take place at the Shangri-La EDSA Hotel in Manila from 25-27 January 2012. This meeting will be a once in 5 year opportunity to guide the future direction and focus of the GPA. It will be preceded by the Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections, 23-24 January 2012.

For more information please visit http://www.gpa.unep.org

To download the GPA Blue Diamonds Mainstreaming Issue click here.

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Port Phillip Taxonomic Toolkit - just brilliant

2011-12-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

Ricketts Point Courtesy of Parks Vic.

Thanks to friends at Marine Care Ricketts Point we've been alerted to a new set of online tools that has been posted by Museum Victoria.

Those wishing to identify and research denizens of the deep in southern Australian waters will find some excellent assistance here

Inspired by the rich and diverse local habitats the Port Phillip Taxonomic Toolkit will help make it easy for students to find information, data and images about marine animals and plants for monitoring and documenting. Read more…

www.ausmepa.org.au

AUSMEPA eNewsletter Spring 2011

2011-11-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

Spring is an exciting time and this issue of AUSMEPA E-News has some of very special items for teachers.

§ School grant opening

§ New Rockpool unit of work

§ AUSMEPA AGM & news from the Board

§ AMSA education materials

§ Ocean Whispers

NOW OPEN - Rhondda Alexander Memorial Education Grant 2012

Following Rhondda Alexander's tragic death in July 2010, the Australian Marine Environmental Protection Association (AUSMEPA) Board agreed to establish a memorial to Rhondda in the form of an annual Grant. AUSMEPA is proud to announce the second round of grant nominations is now open. We invite schools around Australia to submit applications. The 2012 closing date for applications will be in midway through Term 1, and received by close of business Thursday 1st of March.

To find our more about the grant please visit our website here and to request an application form please email education@ausmepa.org.au

MEDIA RELEASE: ROCKPOOLS

Executive Director of AUSMEPA, Mr. Michael Julian said today how pleased he was to announce the release of the latest free educational resource about investigating rockpools, which is available to schools from the AUSMEPA websitewww.ausmepa.org.au/other.asp?pageId=33

To see the full media release click here

AUSMEPA AGM AND NEWS FROM THE BOARD

At AUSMEPA's 10th AGM on 21 October, members re-elected Captain Conrad Saldanha (Origin Energy) as the Chairman and also re-elected the same Board as for last year, namely Warwick Norman (RightShip) as Deputy Chairman, Karen Shaw (ASA) as Treasurer, Jim Huggett (MSQ) as Secretary, Michael Julian as Executive Director, and Kerry Dwyer, Ben Burns (SVITZER Australia) and Toby Stone (AMSA) as Board Members.

At the following Board and Advisory Committee meeting the budget for 2011/2012 was approved as was the recommendation to establish two working groups to develop a three year strategic plan for AUSMEPA, covering its marine environment educational services to schools and seafarers. The AUSMEPA Board is keen to provide more information and marine environmental training services to seafarers. The Board also set up a small group to fully evaluate and assess the nominations for the AUSMEPA Environmental Award 2011/2012, which it will announce before the end of the year.

AUSMEPA is very pleased to welcome Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics as a new Gold Sponsor and looks forward to a strong partnership with them. To find out more about this major international shipping company which is one of the world's leaders in operating their ships in a very 'environmentally friendly' way see their website www.2wglobal.com

FOR TEACHERS:

Great education resources at Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)
The trouble with acronyms is that you may find more than one. When doing an internet search on AMSA you may just turn up the Australian Marine Sciences Association rather than the national government authority, Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The Authority has some interesting and fun resources for both kids and teachers.

AMSA have several resources one is a page for kids here

Teachers page here

Fact Sheets

· Ship Pollution Regulations

· Oil Spills from Ships - Who Pays? [ PDF: 180Kb]

· Australia's National Plan to Combat the Pollution of the Sea from Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances

· How Australia responds to oil and chemical spills in the marine environment

· Disposal of dry bulk cargo residues in Australian waters

· Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas [ PDF: 171Kb]

OCEAN WHISPERS

Find links to the latest Ocean Whispers articles below

Conferences:

· STAVCON – La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC. 28 & 29 Nov 2011

· World Oceans Summit Capella Singapore 22-24 Feb 2012

· RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Brazil 4-6 June 2012

If you've been involved in something that helps keep our oceans healthy feel free to send an article and photo to education@ausmepa.org.au so that we can help celebrate with you.

www.ausmepa.org.au

ECOLOGY SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA: Wildlife photography competition

2011-11-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

This stunning photo was taken by AUSMEPA friend, Richard Whylie. It was a winning entry in the Ecology Society of Australia's photography competition for the Bizzare and Beautiful.

You can view other submissions at http://www.ecolsoc.org.au/

www.ausmepa.org.au

MARINE PHOTOBANK: OCEAN CONSERVATION PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

2011-11-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

Marine Photobank is an excellent site for those of us who don't have a good selection of photos depicting marine issues and might need them for educational purposes. "The Marine Photobank, a program of SeaWeb, advances ocean conservation by collecting and providing compelling, high-quality marine photos, images and graphics at no cost for non-commercial use as well as for media use under special terms. The Marine Photobank aims to illuminate through photographic imagery pressing marine issues and human-related impacts on the ocean." www.marinephotobank.org

Sharks Highlighted in Winning Photograph

WASHINGTON, DC—SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank today announced the winners of the fourth annual Ocean in Focus conservation photography contest. Photographers from around the world submitted their most compelling images illustrating human impacts on marine ecosystems, as well as images that inspire hope for ocean health. The Ocean in Focus grand prize is awarded to Terry Goss, of San Francisco, California, for his photograph of a blue shark off the coast of Rhode Island with a rusted hook protruding from its lower jaw.

"Photography is an impactful storytelling tool to illuminate and connect viewers with issues that are difficult to envision, such as those beneath the ocean's surface," said Dawn M. Martin, President of SeaWeb. “The Ocean in Focus contest enables people to see the impacts of their everyday life on the ocean, and inspire positive interaction with this life-giving resource.”

The steel circle hook with heavy monofilament line shown in the winning image is from a longline fishing vessel. Longline fishing can result in the bycatch of non-target species such as sharks, turtles and seabirds. While the introduction of circle hooks, like the one shown in the photo, has reduced the incidence of bycatch, it is still imperfect. In a recent study, Ward et al. (2008)* found that replacing wire leaders (such as the one in the image) with monofilament line increased the catchability of target species while decreasing shark catch rates by 58%. The issue of protecting sharks, an apex predator of the ocean, has been garnering support this year in the media due to governmental actions taken by several state and national governments, particularly around shark finning.

“It’s hard to easily understand that ocean health is critical for our survival. Photographs can create an indelible impression which touches the heart as well as the brain and helps us seek the understanding we need,” Sven-Olof Lindblad, founder of Lindblad Expeditions.

The runner-up for the Ocean in Focus contest is Peri Paleracio of Quezon City, the Philippines, for his picture of a boat in the Philippines with plastic and trash pollution suspended in the water. This over-under shot illustrates the often-unseen view of the impact of littering on the ocean.

Marine debris, especially plastic, is a major issue in the ocean for myriad reasons. Seabirds commonly ingest plastics and feed them to their young, mistaking the debris for food, which may result in injury or death due to starvation, malnutrition and entanglement, among other impacts. This is also a serious problem for many fish species and baleen whales, which consume plastics and introduce harmful toxins into the food chain. Virtually all plastic that has been produced to date still exists in some form due to its long decomposition rate.

Winning images and other submissions for the 2011 contest can be viewed at and downloaded from the Marine Photobank for free non-commercial, educational use by conservationists, teachers, researchers, students, and in some cases, the media, to enlighten others and raise awareness around the threats facing the ocean all over the planet.

SeaWeb is an international, nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to using the science of communications to transform people’s relationship with the ocean. www.seaweb.org

Teachers: The Australian Marine Environment Protection Association (AUSMEPA) provides several topics from Marine Pests and Threats to Marine Stormwater Pollution. Free online teaching units here.

Let's all get Ocean Literate!

www.ausmepa.org.au

Sanctuary Harvest of Invasive Marine Pest Undaria,

2011-11-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

One of the interesting things about wild places is the capacity of non-native species to intrude and take over from native species and Port Phillip has a long list. One of the more recent is the kelp Undaria.

Marine Care Ricketts Point is a friends group associated with a small Marine Sanctuary at Ricketts Point on the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, The group has demonstrated outstanding community leadership and has been influential both socially and environmentally in protecting it through a range of activities.

Recently the group conducted a successful Undaria Harvest. Because of the nature of Undaria it is particularly difficult to eradicate.The basic strategy was to harvest the high profile reefs areas and a small buffer area surrounding them.

The density of the infestation made the effort very labour intensive however it also yielded information on what harvesting methods proved more efficient. The effort didn't free the Sanctuary of Undaria but it did free up some significant areas for natives to re-establish.

If your community group is interested in marine park stewardship you might like to take a look at the Marine Care Ricketts Point website here for some great ideas.

www.ausmepa.org.au

UPDATE: WORLD OCEAN SUMMIT SPEAKERS

2011-11-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Dear executive,How can the economic potential of the oceans be realised in a sustainable way? Is there a broader "corporate oceans responsibility" that makes sense for business? Could new governance frameworks deliver better results for the oceans? What are the new solutions for fishing? How can business take the lead in reducing our carbon footprint in the oceans?
The Economist is convening the World Oceans Summit on February 22nd-24th 2012 in Singapore, for a robust and unsentimental examination of these and other critical issues affecting the future of the seas, and to debate the importance of the sustainable use of the oceans.

The summit will bring together a community of more than 200 global leaders from various sectors and disciplines, including business, government, academia, international organisations and NGOs, for the launch of an initiative that brings a fresh perspective to debates on the future health of the oceans.
Other key topics to be debated at the World Oceans Summit, through a variety of interactive discussion formats, include:

KEYNOTE & DISCUSSION:	The need for global common purpose around the oceans - Robert Zoellick, President, World Bank
BRIEFING:	An economic forecast from the Economist Intelligence Unit
DISCUSSION:	Why value the oceans?
DISCUSSION:	Economic growth and oceans conservation—are they reconcilable?
IN CONVERSATION:	Business, blue and green
DISCUSSION:	Who should rule the waves?
SPECIAL GOVERNANCE FOCUS:	The Arctic—beacon of hope?
DIALOGUE:	Feeding the world—are oceans the solution?
DISCUSSION:	New solutions for fishing
DISCUSSION:	Making marine protection economically viable
DISCUSSION:	The problem of pollution and marine debris
WORKING SESSIONS:	A series of outcome and solution-driven sessions covering key issues

For a full overview of all the issues to be discussed at the summit visit:www.economist.com/worldoceanssummit
Reserve your place today atwww.economist.com/worldoceanssummit; or contact us to convey your interest in supporting the initiative. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Alice Wong by telephone at (+852) 2585 3312 or email:alicewong@economist.com

Sincerely,

John Micklethwait
Editor-in-chief
The Economist

Lead sponsor:

Supporting sponsor:

Official communications partner:

View speakers | View programme

Featured speakers include:


Robert Zoellick President World Bank	Teo Chee Hean Deputy Prime Minister Government of Singapore

Sylvia Earle Explorer-in-residence National Geographic Society	Ahmed Djoghlaf Executive Secretary United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Tim Smith Chief Executive Officer, North Asia Maersk Line	Mike Barry Head of Sustainable Business Marks & Spencer

Malcolm Preston Global Head of Sustainability and Climate ChangePricewaterhouse Coopers	Spyros Polemis Chairman International Chamber of Shipping

Paul Holthus Executive Director World Ocean Council	Anisa Kamadoli Costa Vice President Global Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Tiffany & Co

Peter Boyd Chief Operating Officer Carbon War Room	Tommy Koh Ambassador-At-Large Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Click here to view the full Summit speaker faculty

Supporting organisations:

www.ausmepa.org.au

Photographing Queensland's King Tides

2011-11-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

AUSMEPA would like to remind anyone choosing to participate in this exciting project that full safety precautions should be taken particularly if children are present.

GREEN CROSS AUSTRALIA

The following excerpt is taken from the Green Cross website here

Witness King Tides

A snapshot of future sea levels (NSW photographic survey 2009)

Seafarer - a graphical representation of tidal predictions for Australia and more

Research article: Is there evidence yet of acceleration in mean sea level rise around mainland Australia?

Checkout the Flickr page for the Washington King Tides project

Report on the NSW King Tide events

What will the Queensland coast look like in the future?

Along the QLD coast, the summer of 2012 will bring very high spring tides (king tides) which are visible during daylight hours.

King tides can demonstrate what our coasts might look like in the future under conditions of sea level rise due to climate change. Relatively rare water levels today (king tides) are likely to be very common water levels along much of the coast toward the end of the century due to projected sea level rise. Photographing the impacts on the peak of the king tide enables the community to visualize what the landscape might look like when these waters levels are much higher as a result of sea level rise.

With over 85% of Australia's population living less than 50km from the coast, learning what the future might hold is important.

Green Cross Australia invites all Queenslanders to witness the 2012 king tides, and contribute to the project by taking photos and sharing them online. Your photos will play an important part in this community citizen science initiative, which will illustrate potential vulnerable areas by developing a photographic database which will assist in planning for future implications of sea level rise.

The Witness King Tides website will launch in November with all of the details for being part of the project. We would love to see your family, school, or community group get involved and be part of future solutions.

What is it?

By taking photos of the sea level during the 2012 summer king tide we can build a picture database of what the future might hold for Queensland communities. Next, all the images will be uploaded to the Witness King Tides website to create a state-wide mosaic of tidal waters that will be far more common by the end of the century as sea levels continue to rise. These images will assist to identify areas at risk and promote awareness about the urgency to plan well ahead to address these risks.

Get involved

The King Tides site will be live mid November where information about the timing of the king tide in your area will be available as well as details for registering to participate. Keep an eye on the site for details of photography workshops before the King Tides event for anyone wanting to hone their photography skills. Spread the word to your family, friends and colleagues and plan a photography outing on the day.

www.ausmepa.org.au

Smart Ocean / Smart Industries Program Program for Data Collection from Vessels and Platforms

2011-10-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

News Release

WORLD OCEAN COUNCIL LAUNCHES “SMART OCEAN / SMART INDUSTRIES” PROGRAM ON OCEAN AND CLIMATE OBSERVATIONS

Maersk, Transocean, Other Leadership Companies Joining Forces to Create International Program for Data Collection from Vessels and Platforms

31 October 2011 –

Leading ocean companies are working to expand and better coordinate the collecting of ocean and atmospheric information from ships and offshore structures through the “Smart Ocean / Smart Industries” program developed by the World Ocean Council (WOC). The UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) is hosting the initial WOC workshop on 12-13 Dec 2011 in Paris.

The need to better understand and monitor the ocean and climate has never been greater. Government and scientific institutions have limited facilities and resources to obtain marine and atmospheric data. Shipping, offshore oil and gas and other ocean industries, e.g. ferries, fisheries, offshore wind, aquaculture and others, operate thousands of vessels and platforms. These provide tremendous potential for cost-effectively collecting ocean and climate data. Expanded information will help improve the modeling and predictability of weather, ocean conditions and climate change, and will support responsible use of ocean space and resources – with clear benefits for science, government, society, and business.

A WOC Working Group co-chaired by A.P. Moeller-Maersk and Transocean is beginning work to develop a comprehensive structure and process to scale up data collection from “smart” ships and platforms and expand the spatial and temporal extent of observations by leadership companies.

At Maersk Line, Eskild Lund Sorensen, Environmental Manager stated that, "With more than 500 commercial vessels sailing on the major trade lanes of the world, Maersk Line pledges to protect the marine environment upon which its business depends. As a member of the WOC, we will contribute to promoting ocean sustainability by making our assets available to the ocean research community through strategic, structured and long-term research partnerships and collaboration."

Heather Null, Transocean’s Environmental and Corporate Responsibility Manager, said, “Transocean has approximately 100 active rigs worldwide and we have a long history of partnering with the science community and oil and gas industry colleagues to collect environmental data from offshore rigs. The WOC initiative creates a new opportunity to build on this history to jointly observe and understand the marine environment.”

The WOC program will catalyze the role of leadership companies from a range of ocean industries in the systematic, regular, sustained and integrated collection and reporting of standardized oceanographic and atmospheric data. This will provide critical information to scientific programs that improve the safety and sustainability of commercial activities at sea and contribute to maintaining and improving ocean health. The program is being developed in close collaboration with national and international ocean and climate observations programs, and with existing voluntary observation programs.

Peter Hinchliffe, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (a Founding Member of the WOC), voiced strong support, “The ICS encourages shipping companies, other ocean industries, and voluntary observation programs to get involved in this important initiative. More and better data will result in improved ocean and climate models. These will advance the predictability of ocean and weather conditions, with tremendous benefits for the safety and efficiency of all marine operations.”

The IOC will host the initial WOC “Smart Ocean / Smart Industries” workshop. The meeting will convene industry, science and government representatives to develop: a) a shared understanding of the program need and opportunity, b) the initial design of the process and institutional framework and c) the roadmap and workplan for moving forward.

IOC Executive Secretary, Wendy Watson-Wright, stated, “The IOC is extremely pleased to host the initial WOC workshop on this far-reaching initiative. The WOC, with its growing network of ocean leadership companies, is uniquely positioned to catalyze a coordinated program of ocean and climate observations by industry and ensure it is integrated with international and national science and observation programs.”

The workshop will bring together representatives from: a) shipping, oil and gas, ferry, offshore wind, mining, fisheries, navies, etc; b) existing voluntary observation programs; c) marine technology, instrumentation, IT/communications; and d) international and national oceanographic/metrological organizations. Space is limited. Interested parties should contact: paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org

About the World Ocean Council (WOC)

The WOC is the only international, cross-sectoral alliance for private sector leadership and collaboration in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”. Companies and associations worldwide are distinguishing themselves as leaders in ocean sustainability and stewardship by joining the WOC. Members to date include over 36 leadership organizations from a wide range of ocean industries: oil and gas, shipping, seafood, tourism, ocean technology, maritime law, marine environmental services and other areas.

Contact: Paul Holthus +1 (808) 277-9008 paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org

Web: www.oceancouncil.org

To subscribe to future WOC News or to update your contact information, click here.

To share this issue of WOC News with others (on Facebook, Twitter, etc), click here.

www.ausmepa.org.au

ABC Science: Great Garbage Patch exposed article

2011-10-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

The following article posted by ABC Science here reminds us why it is so important to make changes in how we live!

The Great Garbage Patch exposed

Tim Silverwood sailed the wild seas with a research team in search of the North Pacific's heart of plastic.

Tim Silverwood aboard The Sea Dragon in search of the infamous Great Garbage Patch.(Source: Tim Silverwood)

To become 'becalmed' when sailing could be considered a curse, or is at very least an inconvenience. After eight days and 1500 kilometres of rough seas north of Hawaii to be becalmed was all I could dream for.

My journey to the middle of the North Pacific Ocean on a 72-foot sailboat to research plastic pollution started around four years ago when I travelled to India and saw huge levels of trash entering waterways and the ocean.

I was confronted by the realisation that my big blue backyard was under attack from levels of plastic pollution I'd never thought imaginable, so I started organising informal beach clean ups in my local area on the Central Coast of NSW.

Together with Amanda Marechal and Roberta Dixon-Valk, I helped establish 'Take 3 - A Clean Beach Initiative, a non-profit organisation where we encourage everyone to simply take three pieces of rubbish with them when they visit a beach, waterway or coastal area.

Then earlier this year, I read an article from the San Diego Union Tribune titled '$10K buys a trip to see floating trash'mocking the announcement of a call for participation in a research expedition to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

"Still looking for that perfect Valentine's gift? How about a 20-day tour on the high seas to search for the world's largest garbage dump?" it asked in the opening line.

I didn't have $10K but boy did I want to sail to see that trash. Within a week I'd confirmed my spot on the voyage and decided this wouldn't just be a holiday, this would be the start of a new chapter.

First stop Hawaii

Not pretty: Kamilo Beach is known as the 'world's dirtiest beach'. (Source: Tim Silverwood)

My journey started in Hawaii, launch point for the sailboat, and innocent victim of the scourge of debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

On many of the islands' windward, easterly facing beaches, huge amounts of debris are dumped by waves in an unrelenting assault on these beautiful shorelines. Kamilo Beach on the southernmost tip of the Big Island of Hawaii has earned a tag line as 'the world's dirtiest beach'.

I visited the notorious 500 metres of craggy coast with the founders of Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii to help with a clean up and document their work.

I was mentally prepared to see the 'plastic sand' of Kamilo, I'd seen it portrayed on TV and in photos before, but after only minutes of excitedly darting around and photographing piles of colourful junk I had to stop and digest exactly what I was witnessing. The tiny chips of plastic spread all over the beach had once been serviceable items that had clearly spent a long and bouncy second life on the wild seas and were now reduced to unrecognisable bits of plastic, stranded high and dry on this abominable stretch.

A beach clean-up in Australia relies upon thick bags, gloves and litter pickers, but on Kamilo the team from BEACH have had to modify their utensils to dustpans and brushes and specially designed 'sand sifters' to collect the tiny shards of plastic.

We removed over 400 kilograms of rope/net, huge amounts of 'plastic sand' and an array of plastic items ranging from hagfish traps (used widely in coastal Asia), plastic tubing (used as spacers for oyster farming in Japan), fishing crates, half eaten plastic bottles, crates, buckets, toothbrushes, bottle caps and broken fishing buoys.

The next weekend we removed another 700 kilograms of rope and net from Kahuku Beach on the north-east coast of Oahu.

Time to sail

Trawling for trash: Dr Marcus Eriksen examines a trawl sample. (Source: Tim Silverwood)

After spending ten days documenting the impact of marine debris in Hawaii, I gathered at Honolulu Marina to meet the 12 people I would sail with over the next three weeks.

The group included scientists, artists, film makers, PhD students, divers and environmentalists from seven countries. Together we would collect data for a range of studies for seven scientists from five universities.

The captain and first mate, the only two paid crew, were quick to advise that we would be working every day to help run the boat and the research, which was coordinated by Dr Marcus Eriksen, director of Research and Education with Algalita Marine Research Foundation and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute.

Eriksen was undertaking his fourth crossing of the North Pacific Gyre to research marine debris and completing the final stage of a two-year project gathering evidence of plastic accumulation in each of the world's five major gyres.

We planned to sail along a transect from Hawaii to Vancouver that would pass directly through the central accumulation zone of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, known the infamous Garbage Patch.

To plot our route to the centre of the gyre, Eriksen uses a computer model developed by oceanographer Nikolai Maximenko of the International Pacific Research Centre (IPRC) at the University of Hawaii. The model maps where and when ocean currents transport floating items such as traceable buoys, which show on the screen as tiny red dots converging on the 'hearts' of our major oceans like a finely tuned virus.

Gyres are astoundingly huge (the entire North Pacific Gyre can easily be compared to twice the size of the USA) the central accumulation zones are much tighter, so basically we were chasing a garbage patch the size of Texas on our voyage.

United by the mystique and drama surrounding the issue, we were excited and apprehensive as we familiarised ourselves with the boat and prepared our small bunks for one night of acclimatisation prior to a morning departure.

On 7 July under clear skies, a moderate swell and with a steady breeze we sailed away from the high-rises of Waikiki and into the vast blue sea.

Not smooth sailing

Rope rafts: the crew spotted debris such as this conglomeration of rope from day two up until six days before they reached Vancouver. (Source: Tim Silverwood)

The central accumulation zone of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre generally aligns with the centre of a massive, consistent high-pressure system approximately 1000 kilometres north-east of Hawaii.

The calmer conditions associated with the centre of the high pressure system are critical for trawling across the surface of the ocean at the speed of 2 knots to collect a detailed snapshot of the ocean using the 'manta trawl'. If the ocean is too rough this type of trawl is ineffective and it becomes seemingly impossible to spot debris amongst a panorama of white capping waves.

But the weather wasn't on our side. Six hours into the voyage, as we rounded the western cape of Oahu, the wind and seas picked up dramatically, replacing our contented smiles with pale features and clammy hands.

Instead of tracing a path directly through the centre of the accumulation zone we were pushed by strong winds and large seas through the western flank of the convergence zone to the north-western tip, chasing calmer conditions.

The wild weather continued relentlessly for five days and resulted in some team bonding as we took turns giving our lunch back to the sea. I was horribly seasick and maintained a mild nausea for almost the entire voyage, respite only possible when on the outer deck or lying down in my bunk.

We were divided into three groups and assigned a rotating 'watch' that lasted either four or six hours and encompassed all hours of the day. Tasks like launching and collecting the research trawls and recording data were peppered among regular duties such as cooking, cleaning and sailing the boat.

For a week we battled the sea to find calm. Unable to use the manta trawl during this time we used the aptly named 'high speed trawl' (as it can slice through the surface of the water at speeds of ten knots) to gather data on the distribution of debris on the ocean surface.

Once we found calm conditions we were able to 'dip' back towards the centre of the accumulation zone but not enough to see the true 'heart'.

A soup not an island

Grim reality: The crew found tiny shards of plastic in every trawl they completed including items such as toothbrushes, spray nozzles, pen caps and a very faded grey toy gorilla. (Source: Tim Silverwood,)

There are many misnomers about the Garbage Patch. There is no floating island of trash nor has there ever been one. The concept of a 'floating island' was coined by the media after Captain Charles Moore first discovered the accumulation zone in 1997. The best analogy for the Garbage Patch is a giant plastic soup. Debris not only floats on the surface of the ocean it also descends throughout the entire water column, making it less spectacular to look at and physically impossible to 'scoop up' and remove, as so many bemused citizens suggest when they hear of this plastic 'island'.

From two days outside of Hawaii until six days before we reached Vancouver we regularly spotted larger 'macro debris' items including conglomerations of rope and net up to five metres long, fishing floats, crates, buoys and consumer products including children's toys, toothbrushes, disposable bowls, bottles and a yoghurt container.

Admittedly, I had expected to see more 'macro debris' items scattered on the surface, something to draw a parallel with the notorious reputation, but instead I discovered the true and frightening reality of the state of the North Pacific Gyre in the trawl samples.

Tiny shards of 'micro debris', just like the plastic sand of Kamilo Beach, glistened among a treasure-trove of biota almost like they were meant to be there. It doesn't take long to realise that the larger items we spotted were merely the forebears of future plastic sand. Time, friction, tide and the relentless sun would secure their fate.

Despite the conditions, we completed dozens of trawls and found plastic in every trawl, from recognisable items like pen caps and a toothbrush to tiny pieces including the infamous 'nurdle', the pre-production pellets used in the manufacture of plastic.

Slowly meandering through the Juan De Fuca Strait on the final leg into Vancouver we were confronted by our return to 'civilisation'. Huge ships en route from China to North America, vessels laden with coal and oil and cargo, steamed past our undersized eco-warrior on their way to feed the insatiable appetites of the world.

Sipping my first latte in Vancouver (out of a reusable mug of course) I wondered if Kamilo's plastic sand represents the beach of the future? Whilst our consumption of plastic is increasing, I feel with voyages like this and global education of how plastic impacts the environment and humanity, we still have time to make changes that will protect our ocean.

Don't waste that time, the time is now.

See more photos from Tim's journey in our photo gallery.

TO VISIT ABC SCIENCE click here

MEDIA RELEASE: ‘Rockpools’ – A new free educational resource for schools

2011-10-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mr. Julian acknowledged the excellent financial support of AUSMEPA’s sponsors and ship members; he said without this support we would not be able to provide marine educational resources free of charge to schools and the community. To see a list of sponsors, please see http://www.ausmepa.org.au/australian-marine-environment-protection-association-corporate-sponsors.asp

Rockpools are one of nature’s most magical and exciting places to explore. Every person should get at least one chance to seek out the secrets of this beautiful compact world of plants and creatures. Students can use this website to find out more about the secrets of the fascinating rockpool creatures and seaweeds. The curriculum materials will help teachers and their students design one of the best possible learning experiences.

The question always asked by children is ‘how do plants and animals survive in a rockpool’? Employing a student’s innate curiosity about the unusual we invite teachers to use discovery of intertidal wildlife to begin an exploration of science, ecological, environmental and conservation topics.

Research topic areas for enquiry based education include pages on an assortment of seemingly alien invertebrate and vertebrate animal types from some of the simplest up to some of the smartest. Rockpools are rich in animal foods too, like the lovely seaweeds and seagrasses brought to light in this unit.

Studded with wonderful original photos of rockpool inhabitants the webpages also feature photos of students deep in discovery of that unique place where the air the land and the sea meet.

One of the key inclusions in this unit and of special interest to teachers will be the use of

Safety is a foundation topic and essential when considering a school excursion. To assist teachers in considering an excursion we have included links to some of the wonderful Marine Discovery and Environmental Education Centres around Australia.

Another key inclusion in this unit and of special interest to teachers will be the use of the National Curriculum within the teachers’ notes. AUSMEPA understands the accountability and reporting requirements for teachers and provision of this asset has been high on the list of teacher requests.

The new education resource builds on the already established units of work on other marine education topics; marine pests carried in ships’ ballast water and hull fouling, climate change and its affect on coral bleaching, stormwater pollution, ships and ports and the marine environment and leadership in coastal conservation; all available here

These FREE marine educational programs are provided by AUSMEPA to meet the objective of making all users of the marine environment more aware of the importance of protecting the marine environment for future generations.

For more information about AUSMEPA please visit the website http://www.ausmepa.org.au or contact Michael Julian on 0417657951.www.ausmepa.org.au

Rhondda Alexander Memorial Education Grant now open

2011-10-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

Following Rhondda Alexander's tragic death in July 2010, the Australian Marine Environmental Protection Association (AUSMEPA) Board agreed to establish a memorial to Rhondda in the form of an annual Grant.

AUSMEPA is proud to announce the second round of grant nominations is now open. We invite Australia schools to submit applications.

The 2012 closing date for applications will be in midway through Term 1, and received by close of business Thursday 1^st of March.

ABOUT THE GRANT

The following information and criteria will be helpful to those schools considering projects for submission during 2012. A grant amount of up to $3,000 will be awarded to a school marine education project that leads to students actively improve the marine environment. This can include educating the local community and other behaviour change activities.

Main criteria:

1. Students must have a major role in organising the project.

2. On completion of their project the students will create a video clip communication product suitable to be placed on the AUSMEPA website. Permission slips will be required.

3. The project must have a major coastal conservation application either by direct action or involvement with community education (they have equal weight).

4. The innovative approach to the project has application to other schools.

5. The quality of the project content, outcomes and outputs.

6. The grant money should used for resources not already available at school however may be used for example to go towards purchasing or hiring equipment that the school would not normally have.

7. The application must be fully completed, signed and dated by the school Principal.

Other important information

All applications must have both a concise and a detailed description of the student project. Details of expected educational outcomes for students and how this project links to marine conservation must be outlined.
An individual teacher needs to be designated as project leader and primary contact between AUSMEPA and the school.
There must be a budget showing how the grant will be spent. There is no requirement to find matching funding. It is anticipated that some projects may find small unexpected variations in expenditure. Please note there is no requirement to obtain any additional funding however if other sources of funding are made available these should be detailed in the budget.
The project may be undertaken with a community partner. If there is a partner, details of their role and support needs to be included in the application
Supporting documentation can be provided as an attachment however the primary assessment will be restricted to the application information. NOTE: The application may also be supported by a presentation prepared by the students using one media of their choice to explain why their project is important. Examples of media could include video clip, PowerPoint presentation, song, poem, poster, or postcard etc.
Principal’s signature is required to confirm that the project has the full support and encouragement of the school community. The Principal will supervise the expenditure of the grant taking into account there may be variations that the school will be responsible for resolving.
The project will be considered to be concluded upon confirmed receipt of the student’s video clip communication about the project, accompanied by Parent Permission Slips for student images and budget sign-off by the Principal.

To register your interest please email education@ausmepa.org.au to register your interest and an electronic application form will be sent to you.

www.ausmepa.org.au

INVESTIGATING ROCKPOOLS

2011-10-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

How do plants and animals survive in a rockpool? Employing a student’s innate curiousity about the unusual AUSMEPA invite teachers to use discovery of intertidal wildlife to begin an exploration of science, ecological, environmental and conservation topics. AUSMEPA’s new unit of work ROCKPOOLS will stimulate a wide range of students. Our practical experience has shown us that many students who are difficult to engage on other topics warm quickly to this one. It is based on the study of one of natures most magical and exciting places to explore.

Research topic areas for enquiry based education include pages on a assortment of seemingly alien invertebrate and vertebrate animal types from some of the simplest up to some of the smartest. Rockpools are rich in animal foods too, like the lovely seaweeds and seagrasses brought to light in this unit.

Studded with wonderful original photos of rockpool inhabitants the webpages also feature photos of students deep in discovery of that unique place where the air the land and the sea meet.

However one of the most anticipated inclusions in this unit and of special interest to teachers will be the unpacking of the National Curriculum within the teachers notes provided in pdf format. We understand the accountability and reporting requirements for teachers and provision of this asset has been high on the list of teacher requests. The Contents of the download includes:

Rockpool poster on school request

Australian Curriculum: Science Version 1.1 December 2010
Incorporating The Australian Curriculum: Science
Overarching Ideas ‐ Organisation of the unit of work
Assessment ideas ‐ Classroom preparation
Activities – Prior learning
Student goals
Tuning in
Investigative questions
Finding out – research
Finding out – field work planning
Finding out – gathering data in the field
Finding out – analysing data
Drawing conclusions, finding solutions
Communication

Try it. We’re pretty sure you’ll like it. You can find it here

Queensland; Pacific Adventurer Oil Spill update

2011-10-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council

A major oil spill in Queensland coastal waters affected beaches and estuaries from the Sunshine Coast to Moreton Island between March 10 and March 13, 2009. The incident was the subject of a court order during October 2011.

The Pacific Adventurer was compromised when 31 containers fell off the ship and breached the hull releasing 270 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. Conditions on the sea at the time of the accident were cyclonic.

"Clean-up operations continued for two months. A total of about 2,500 people were deployed for the entire clean-up including workers from many agencies including Maritime Safety Queensland, the Department of Environment and Resource Management, local regional councils, Emergency Management Queensland, as well as workers from QR, Road Tek, Skilled and private contractors, the State Emergency Service, Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service. AMSA personnel as well as 72 members of the National Response Team from all States/NT, the oil industry and contractors also providing assistance during the period. At the height of the response operation 400 response personnel were working on Moreton Island each day" (See full AMSA article here)

The ship's registered owners, Bluewind Shipping and Swire Navigation pleaded guilty. They were fined $1.2m having already paid $17.5 million in liability, made a $7.4m donation to an environment trust and also paid $1.8m to help with the clean up.

www.ausmepa.org.au

REPORT CARD: South East Queensland Healthy Waterways 2011

2011-10-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Ocean Whispers readers are always hungry to hear news of wonderful collaborative projects like the one across this desk today.

Healthy Waterways is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation. They have been leaders in demonstrating strong partnerships with community, government and industry. Their work underscores the need to protect water quality. Clean water is required to sustain essential environmental services, the assets of healthy streams, rivers and receiving waters.

A decade's worth of high quality water assessment and reporting has brought important information to the public, industry leaders, policy makers and managers annually. Have a look at the results of their most recent annual report card here

Learn more about Healthy Waterway Education resources here.If you don't have time to
visit the site now you will find an excerpt from the Education page below.

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Education

This education section provides information and resources on water education in South East Queensland including:
a water litter education unit - Up the Creek & Down the Drain storythread
a list of local curriculum aligned water education packages
links to water education materials and litter education resources including online games and videos and topics such as aquatic pests, cultural heritage and stormwater management
teaching resources for water quality monitoring
The Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program web pages have clickable maps which give you catchment facts, downloadable maps/diagrams and links to Partner websites (such as local councils) that contain waterway information.
The resources webpage also has links to fact sheets, conceptual diagrams of many catchments in the region and detailed maps of streams and catchments.

www.ausmepa.org.au

WETLAND INFO

2011-10-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Healthy coastal waters depend on pollution free water coming off the land. Significant natural filtering systems are saltmarshes, mangroves and any other permanent or ephermeral (seasonal) wetlands occurring throughout the catchment or watershed. It is great to come across a project like Wetlandinfo initiated through the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM), in partnership with the Australian Government (via the Queensland Wetlands Program) here. The Program is designed to develop and implement measures for the long-term conservation and management of wetlands in Queensland. To illustrate the breadth of what they have undertaken you are invited to exlpore the website menu bar (below) which makes your investigation into this excellent resource a breeze.

WetlandInfo Background

What's on WetlandInfo?

Quick links: What do you want to do?

Monitoring and Assessment

Science and Research

Education and Communication

Programs, Policy and Legislation

Glossary of Technical Terms

The Education reference section is strongly supported by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park student and teacher resources, Reef Beat series, and will be of special interest to educators as will the project information sheets.

AUSMEPA are proud to associated with and support this excellent collaborative. A link will be added to WetlandInfo under our tools for Student Leadership for Coastal Conservation here.

www.ausmepa.org.au

RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Brazil 4-6 June 2012

2011-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

UN Photo/John Isaac

This is one conference that will be important to follow.

Background

The Conference here will take place in Brazil on 4-6 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The Conference will result in a focused political document.

Objective of the Conference

The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges.

www.ausmepa.org.au

REDMAP NEWSLETTER; What's on the move in Tasmania?

2011-10-26T00:40:00.000-07:00

Have you been fascinated, as I have, to find out about changing patterns of wildlife particularly in view of our warming planet?

Redmap is another interesting organisation that tracks these changes. Based in Tasmania Redmap provides a new and interactive website for the Tasmanian community to spot and log marine species that are uncommon in Tasmania. The following article is a taste of what you will find if you wish to subscribe to their newsletter.

Tasmanian educators will want to visit their education resource page here.

www.ausmepa.org.au

Marine Photobank: Photo competition

2011-09-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

1 Week Left to Photograph Your Way to the Galapagos!

Guy Marcovaldi, Projecto Tamar Brazil/Marine Photobank

Calling all ocean conservation photographers worldwide! Submit your images depicting the current state of the ocean and help raise awareness of human impacts on marine ecosystems and species.

You may just win the grand-prize trip, courtesy ofLindblad Expeditions, on the National Geographic Endeavor to the Galapagos Islands! First place, runner-up, will be off to Fiji for a dive trip atMatava, Fiji's premier eco-adventure resort.

Join the Marine Photobank as a contributing photographer and donate your most compelling ocean conservation photos.

This contest calls on photographers of all skill levels to compete and donate photos illustrating the many human impacts on marine life and marine ecosystems as well as ways in which people are working to turn the tide on ocean degradation.

Find out more about how you can compete for this incredible grand prize as well as lots of other great prizes including gift certificates to Backscatter Underwater Photo & Video, photo prints from Bob Talbot Productions, Books, DVDs, carbon offsets from NativeEnergy and more on the contest homepage >>

A special thank you to Lindblad Expeditions and all of the prize donors!

www.ausmepa.org.au

GLOBAL OCEAN FORUM, RIO+20 Friends of the Ocean

2011-09-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

If you would like to catch up with the latest on the GLOBAL OCEAN FORUM you can visit them here.

The Forum is looking forward to the RIO20+ United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Brazil 4-6 June 2012 - click here to see more.

The Rio+20 Friends of the Ocean have a mission that aims to:

Support governments participating in the Rio+20 Conference to achieve significant ocean outcomes
Provide a 'rallying point' and a unified voice for oceans and coasts at the Rio+20 Conference
Provide a multi-stakeholder platform by which the needs, interests and concerns of all sectors of the ocean community can be voiced in the Rio+20 process, including through critical policy assessments and recommendations. Internet services and information dissemination, consultations, and an Oceans Day at Rio+20
Raise the global profile of ocean and coastal issues, both within the high-level political community and the general public, on the importance of the world's oceans and coasts to the three pillars of sustainable development

See the Global Oceans Forum RIO+20 Friends of the Ocean blog here

If you are aware of Australian efforts to prepare for the Rio20+ Conference please let us know.

Ocean Whispers

How to Prevent a Shark Attack, Jennifer Kennedy

Australian Geographic notes that there have been 873 shark attacks in Australia since records began in 1791, 211 of which have been fatal. See webpage with excellent diagram here

Howto Prevent a Shark Attack

What Not to Do:

What to Do If You're Attacked:

References and Additional Information:

Shark Facts

Shark Conservatoin

More About SharkAttacks

INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC MARINE EDUCATORS NETWORK; Chilean Fjords and Ice Conference Nov 2012

SPREP launches Clean Pacific 2012 Campaign

PACIFIC 2012 International Maritime Exposition, Darling Harbour, Sydney, 31 January – 3 February 2012

TEDxNewy TALK: Tim Silverwood - How did our lives become so plastic?

PHOTO RELEASE: Coast Guard, NAMEPA formalize partnership that promotes marine environmental protection

Coast Guard, NAMEPA formalize partnership that promotes marine environmental protection

"Hero for the Planet Ocean" Dr Sylvia Earle on Protecting Our Oceans

GHOST NETS 2004-2009; Summary Report from Australia's northern shores

GHOST NETS AUSTRALIA: Dealing with debris

PLANET ARK - helping everyone to make a difference

About Planet Ark's Environmental Campaigns (from their website here)

Surface Tension Exhibition; Art, Science and open source solutions

Seagrass-Watch Magazines are now available online

Review of GreenPort Congress - bridging communities

03 Jan 2012

WORLD OCEAN COUNCIL WORKS WITH THE ECONOMIST ON WORLD OCEANS SUMMIT

Global Ocean Conference to Examine Future Use and Governance of the Seas

About the World Ocean Council (WOC)

PACIFIC2012 International Maritime Exposition, Sydney 31Jan-3Feb 2012

Blue Diamonds - Oceans and Coasts - the newsletter of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA)

Port Phillip Taxonomic Toolkit - just brilliant

AUSMEPA eNewsletter Spring 2011

Spring is an exciting time and this issue of AUSMEPA E-News has some of very special items for teachers.

NOW OPEN - Rhondda Alexander Memorial Education Grant 2012

MEDIA RELEASE: ROCKPOOLS

AUSMEPA AGM AND NEWS FROM THE BOARD

FOR TEACHERS:

Fact Sheets

OCEAN WHISPERS

Media releases:

Conservation action:

Education:

Grants and awards:

Shipping news:

Ocean and animals:

Organisations and events:

Conferences:

ECOLOGY SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA: Wildlife photography competition

MARINE PHOTOBANK: OCEAN CONSERVATION PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Sanctuary Harvest of Invasive Marine Pest Undaria,

UPDATE: WORLD OCEAN SUMMIT SPEAKERS

Photographing Queensland's King Tides

Witness King Tides

Smart Ocean / Smart Industries Program Program for Data Collection from Vessels and Platforms

WORLD OCEAN COUNCIL LAUNCHES “SMART OCEAN / SMART INDUSTRIES” PROGRAM ON OCEAN AND CLIMATE OBSERVATIONS

About the World Ocean Council (WOC)

To subscribe to future WOC News or to update your contact information, click here.

To share this issue of WOC News with others (on Facebook, Twitter, etc), click here.

ABC Science: Great Garbage Patch exposed article

The following article posted by ABC Science here reminds us why it is so important to make changes in how we live!

The Great Garbage Patch exposed

First stop Hawaii

Time to sail

Not smooth sailing

A soup not an island

MEDIA RELEASE: ‘Rockpools’ – A new free educational resource for schools

Rhondda Alexander Memorial Education Grant now open

Following Rhondda Alexander's tragic death in July 2010, the Australian Marine Environmental Protection Association (AUSMEPA) Board agreed to establish a memorial to Rhondda in the form of an annual Grant.

ABOUT THE GRANT

Main criteria:

Other important information

INVESTIGATING ROCKPOOLS

Queensland; Pacific Adventurer Oil Spill update

REPORT CARD: South East Queensland Healthy Waterways 2011

Ocean Whispers readers are always hungry to hear news of wonderful collaborative projects like the one across this desk today.

A decade's worth of high quality water assessment and reporting has brought important information to the public, industry leaders, policy makers and managers annually. Have a look at the results of their most recent annual report card here

This education section provides information and resources on water education in South East Queensland including:

www.ausmepa.org.au

WETLAND INFO

RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Brazil 4-6 June 2012