On the first day of June, ocean advocates around the world
celebrated the very first World Reef Day. The event got me to
thinking a little more about the role of corals in the most
productive ecosystems around the world, as well as the coral reefs
located in our own backyards here in the Pacific Northwest.
“Our goal was to stimulate a global conversation about reef
conservation and the simple things we can do in our own lives to
make huge changes,” said Theresa Van Greunen of Aqua-Aston
Hospitality, one of the sponsors of World Reef Day.
The event was launched with a special focus on Hawaii, but the
issue of conserving critical coral habitats has worldwide appeal,
with 5.5 million people pledging to use reef-friendly sunscreen and
reduce their usage of single-use plastics that can harm the marine
ecosystem, according to a news release from sponsor Raw
Elements and another from sponsor
Hawaiian Airlines. While there were elements of fun in this new
event, I guess it does not fit my normal criteria for “amusing,” so
we’ll have to settle for educational.
It is rather amazing to watch live video from a submarine
creeping along along the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon
Coast, and I wanted to remind everyone that this is something they
can experience right now via the Nautilus Live webfeed. The live
commentary from the operators can be amusing at times, but I didn’t
want to wait until Monday to let you know what’s going on.
Exploration Vessel Nautilus, with its remotely operated
submarines Hercules and Argus, has been exploring deep-sea vents
off Oregon the past few days, marking the beginning of a six-month
expedition along the West Coast and around Hawaii. The ROVs were
launched Sunday as the weather allowed, and the mother ship is now
moving up the coast. I’ve embedded the video on this page, but more
information and alternate channels are provided on the Nautilus homepage. One can also
send questions to the research team.
Exploration Vessel Nautilus has completed its journey north to
the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, where the research
team captured plenty of intriguing video, including a close look at
the sunken submarine USS Bugara (first video below). All videos are
best in full screen.
EV Nautilus, operated by Ocean Exploration Trust, conducts
scientific research along the sea bottom throughout the world,
specializing in biology, geology and archeology. Education is a
major part of the effort, and school curricula are built around
live and recorded telecasts from the ship. In addition, a select
group of educators and students are invited to go on the
expeditions each summer.
This year’s expedition began in May in California, where the
ship took data for high-resolution maps of offshore areas never
surveyed before. That was followed by an examination of the
Cascadia Margin, a geologically active area off the Oregon
Coast where the researchers identified bubbling seeps with
multibeam sonar.
Dives using remotely operated vehicles began in June when the
ship arrived off the Canadian Coast west of Vancouver Island. One
dive, which went down to 2,200 meters, captured images of a
hydrothermal vent, where water gets expelled after being
superheated by the Earth’s magma. Watch the video saved on the
Nautilus
Facebook page. In another
video, the temperature at one vent got so hot that the
researchers found themselves cheering as the temperature at the
probe kept going up.
I am easily amused, but I have to say that I was intrigued by a
9,000-year-old living reef made of glass sponges that was
discovered off the coast of Galiano Island, British Columbia
(second video this page).
One amusing video was created while watching a six-gill shark in
the Channel Islands off California. Suddenly, a crab came into view
carrying another crab (third video below). “It’s an Uber crab!” one
researcher commented. “Is that lunch?” another wondered.
Another great shot from the Channel Islands showed a big ball of
shimmering anchovies along with a select group of predators,
including several fish, a six-gill shark and a sea lion. This video
can be seen on the Nautilius
Facebook page.
The examination of the submarine Bugara (first video on this
page) occurred Aug. 25 off Cape Flattery in Olympic Coast National
Marine Sanctuary. The event was live-streamed with commentary from
scientists, archaeologists and historians, as well as veterans who
served on the submarine. Bugara was built during World War II and
later became the first American submarine to enter the Vietnam War
after Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
After its decommissioning in California, Bugara was being towed
to Washington state to serve as a target for a new weapons system.
On June 1, 1971, the submarine took on water during transit and
sank to the bottom, where it has rested ever since. No injuries
occurred during the incident. For historical details, go to
Bugara.net, which
was set up for former sailors and others associated with the
submarine.
A longer 1.5-hour video of the Bugara inspection by ROV can be
viewed on the Nautilus
Facebook page. This is basically what was viewed online in real
time by observers — including a group gathered at Naval Undersea
Museum at Keyport.
Another interesting video shot in Olympic Coast National Marine
Sanctuary shows a siphonophore, a colony of specialized organisms
that work together to form a chain of individuals that together are
capable of swimming, stinging, digesting and reproducing.
Researchers working the 4-to-8-p.m. shift were able to observe more
than their share of these interesting colonies, so the group became
known as the “Siphono4-8” (video below).
Nautilus currently is moored in Astoria, Ore., where it is
scheduled to begin the next leg of its expedition on Wednesday. The
goal is to search near Oregon’s Heceta Bank for ancient coastal
landscapes that may have been above sea level 21,000 to 15,000
years ago. More live sessions and archived video are planned.
Follow these Nautilus links for details:
The Ocean Exploration Trust was founded in 2008 by Robert
Ballard, known for his discovery of RMS Titanic’s final resting
place. The 2017 Nautilus expedition, which will continue into
November, marks the third year of exploring the Eastern Pacific
Ocean. The expedition has been covered by these news media:
The advisory council for the Pacific Coast National Marine
Sanctuary has voted unanimously to oppose the proposed expansion of
the Navy’s Quinault Underwater Training Range. The plan is to
increase the range from 48 square miles to 1,854, much of it within
the sanctuary.
Council members said they were especially concerned about
activities in the sensitive surf zone as well as plans for
deploying landing craft at Kalaloch Beach, within Olympic National
Park.
Similar concerns were expressed in a joint letter from the
Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups.
See my story in
Sunday’s Kitsap Sun.
Balancing environmental concerns and military readiness is never
easy. Every time I write a story in which environmental concerns
are raised about Navy activities, it triggers a debate about which
is more important, the Navy or the environment.
There are some people who believe the Navy would never cause
undue harm to the ecosystem, while others are quick to point out
that the Navy has created some of the most toxic sites in the
nation.
It’s an interesting debate, but a couple of things are worth
noting. First, the Navy has become more environmentally concerned
as the years go by. As with general society, some previously common
practices in the Navy are considered appalling today. (They don’t
shoot whales, do they?)
Second, the Navy is fairly responsive to the civilian
administration in power at the time — which means that the
environment may be more or less protected, depending on who we have
for president.
Also, for better or worse, Navy commands change constantly. Rear
Adm. Len Hering, commander of Navy Region Northwest from 2002 to
2005, was widely recognized for his protective attitude toward the
environment. I believe he is largely responsible for a dramatic
decrease in the number of oil spills that have occurred in recent
years.
The question in my mind is not whether the Navy is all good or
all bad. And it’s not whether environmental groups lack respect for
the military and its needs. The answer may be as simple as the need
for everyone to respect and understand each other while trying to
resolve competing goals.
Remember, we’re talking about training conditions. In cases of
conflict or potential conflict, the environment is not really a
consideration.
