A monthly round-up of news and trends important to the AltaSea community.
MARINE SCIENCE
First-annual sea-level report cards (Science News)
Researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science are launching new web-based “report cards” to monitor and forecast changes in sea level at 32 localities along the U.S. coastline from Maine to Alaska. They plan to update the report cards in January of each year, with projections out to the year 2050.
US Absent From Global Meeting on Ocean Health. That’s Bad News for the Planet (Futurism)
Last week, world leaders, researchers, and advocates of ocean health gathered in Mexico for the fifth annual World Ocean Summit. But one global presence was noticeably absent: No United States government representatives attended the summit, either in person or via teleconference.
In contrast, the presidents of Iceland and Norway, the former president of Costa Rica, and officials from Canada, Portugal, Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Ecuador, Sweden, Thailand, and Chile were listed as speakers for the three-day event.
A U.S. State Department travel ban for the area may have prevented government officials from traveling to Playa del Carmen. Yet the ban doesn’t explain the country’s lack of virtual presence, even while U.S. university researchers and companies were present.
Scientists discover fish scale-derived collagen effective for healing wounds (Science Daily)
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have established that collagen derived from fish scales could be effective for various biomedical applications such as wound healing.
Commonly removed before cooking, the research team found that fish scales contain collagen that, when further modified and applied to mice, promoted blood and lymphatic vessel formation, thus improving the potential for tissue repair and regeneration.
SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE BUSINESS
Promoting a Sustainable Blue Economy (Sea Technology Magazine)
The blue economy is gaining global attention as more people from academia, industry and government (the “Triple Helix”) recognize that we have the responsibility and the opportunity to optimize conservation and economic development of ocean resources. Increasingly, we are looking at the “Quadruple Helix,” which includes civil society; specifically, how blue economic activity impacts the public at large through the lens of the natural environment, jobs and quality of life.
Merger means bigger global presence for Marion oceanography company (South Coast Today)
Representatives from CLS America, Inc., Horizon Marine, Inc. and The Woods Hole Group Inc. announced the merging of the three companies effective January 1, 2018 resulting in the new company retaining the name The Woods Hole Group, Inc. CLS America is a leading force in satellite technology while Horizon Marine’s expertise lies in offshore oceanography for the energy industry. The merger with Woods Hole Group provides services including: environmental assessment, fisheries and wildlife satellite tracking, ocean current forecasting, coastal engineering, ocean monitoring systems, habitat restoration and climate change planning projects.
EDUCATION
Student-Scientists Get to Use Florida Marine Research Vessel (U.S. News)
About 40 Florida Gulf Coast University students got hands-on experience in offshore marine research, thanks to a collaboration between FGCU and the Florida Institute of Oceanography.
The opportunity came through a local visit by FIO’s brand-new ship, the 78-foot-long R/V W.T. Hogarth. This boat, whose home port is St. Petersburg, was built by Duckworth Steel in Tarpon Springs, and is named for William Hogarth, a recently-retired dean of the USF College of Marine Science, and a leader in the scientific response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Women in aquaculture: Dr Solveig van Nes (The Fish Site)
Dr Solveig van Nes, Marine & Maritime Director of Creuna, Norway, has played a key role in initiating a digital education platform that teaches Norway’s next generation about the vast potential of the ocean, as well as the importance of sustainability in harvesting and aquaculture. Bonnie Waycott interviews Dr Solveig van Nes for her ongoing series on women in aquaculture.
COMMUNITY
LA Harbor International Film Festival (LAHIFF)
2018 marks the 15th Anniversary of the LA Harbor Film Festival (LAHIFF), a San Pedro based film festival that will take place from March 15-18, 2018 at the Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, CA. LAHIFF showcases film and video that reflects the harbor and all that it embraces – shipping and commerce, fishing, sailing, water sports, sea life and the area’s rich ethnic and cultural influences – to create a cinematic bridge between the people of the region and the people of the world.
An annual educational program of LAHIFF is “Read the Book, See the Movie.” Through the generous support of its sponsors, LAHIFF has been able to donate thousands of books to local students so that they can first read the book and then attend a field trip to the historic Warner Grand Theater to watch a movie on which the book was based. This year’s installment is the classic, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” The program will include AltaSea executive director, Jenny Krusoe, who will give a talk to the students about Dr. Robert Ballard’s career in ocean exploration.
For more information click here.
Artist-at-Sea (Aquarium of the Pacific)
You’re invited to the opening reception of the Artist-at-Sea exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific on March 15 at 6:00 PM. The Artist-at-Sea exhibit features artwork made and inspired by the science conducted onboard the Falkor, the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel.
Complimentary appetizers and drinks will be served. RSVP Required by end of day 3/14.
For questions and to RSVP, contact Linda Brown at 562-951-1648 or LBROWN@LBAOP.ORG.
The Lowdown on the High Seas: What We Don’t Know about the Oceans Can Kill Us (Aquarium of the Pacific)
The land is intrinsically connected and dependent on the ocean, which covers 71 percent of Earth’s surface. Any threat to the ocean is a threat to all of us. This is why we need to understand our oceans, as they govern our systems and play an important role in our future. Wendy Schmidt, cofounder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, will discuss how philanthropy can impact ocean science and conservation.
On March 19, 2018 from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, will discuss how philanthropy can impact ocean science and conservation. This speaking engagement will also be streamed live via the web and is free to view.
To make reservations or for more information, click here.
Rising Tide Summit (XPRIZE and AltaSea)
With support from XPRIZE Ocean Initiative and AltaSea, the two day Rising Tide Summit will be held on March 28 and 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles. The summit was founded by Vipe Desai, ocean activist, CEO of HDX Hydration Mix, and AltaSea Campaign Ambassador.
The inaugural conference will raise awareness about the state of our ocean and help the ocean conservation community to unite on issues and solutions by bringing together leaders, thinkers and innovators for rapid solutions. Join innovators and speakers from 5 Gyres Institute, Algalita, AltaSea, Blue Robotics, Earth Technologies, Lonely Whale, Ocean Champions, reCUP, Save the Waves, Sea Status, Surfrider Foundation, Sustainable Surf, XPRIZE Ocean Initiative, and many more.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Surf, Sand, and Silversides: Research and Outreach with California Grunion (Cabrillo Marine Aquarium)
On Friday, April 06, 2018 from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, join Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for their Discovery Lecture Series event featuring Dr. Karen Martin. Karen Martin is a Distinguished Professor of Biology and Frank R. Seaver Chair in Natural Science at Pepperdine University.
The spectacular midnight runs of California Grunion are well known to patrons of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. This endemic silverside fish, found only off California and Baja California, shares critical spawning habitat with millions of beach goers along one of the world’s most heavily populated coastlines. Spawning occurs during spring and summer, the times of heaviest human use. Although regulations offer some protection, human impacts on California Grunion include a recreational fishery with bare-handed catching, and habitat loss from shoreline armoring and beach erosion. The focus of this talk will be the adaptations and adventures of these amazing fish in the California beach sand, and the grunion’s influence on beach goers and beach management.
Click here to reserve your free ticket on Eventbrite.