A Blue View: Sea Turtle Conservation Series

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

In a two-part interview series with Dr. Kat Hadfield, Associate Veterinarian at National Aquarium, CEO John Racanelli discusses the endangered status of the world’s seven species of sea turtle and how organizations like the Aquarium and working to save them.

February 5, 2013: Sea Turtles and the Challenges They Face

Click here to listen to John and Dr. Hadfield discuss
the challenges facing sea turtle populations worldwide. 

The 33rd Annual International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation is happening in Baltimore, Maryland, this week. More than 1,000 scientists from 75 different countries are gathering to discuss sea turtle biology, research and conservation, collaborative projects and community-based conservation efforts.

All sea turtles occurring in U.S. waters are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and are under the joint jurisdiction of NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Major threats to sea turtles in the U.S. include, but are not limited to: cold-stunning; destruction and alteration of nesting and foraging habitats; incidental capture in commercial and recreational fisheries; entanglement in marine debris; and vessel strikes.

January 31, 2013: A Busy Year for Sea Turtle Rescues

Click here to listen to John and Dr. Hadfield discuss
this extraordinarily busy season of turtle rescues!

In a normal year, the New England Aquarium takes in between 25 and 60 sea turtles. In 2012, that number was more than 200, with an extraordinarily high number of loggerheads (10 times the usual number seen in a year).

Such an influx of rescues caused significant strain on staff and resources, which lead New England Aquarium to reach out for help from other stranding partners. Dr. Kat Hadfield, associate veterinarian at the National Aquarium, was among those who headed to Quincy, Massachusetts, to help. The Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program tended to multiple patients from New England until they were ready for release!

A Blue View: Menhaden Makes a Splash

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

January 23, 2013: Menhaden Makes a Splash 

Click here to listen to John discuss the importance
of protecting the “most important fish in the sea.”

 

At first glance, the menhaden is not a glamorous fish – it’s not one that is brilliantly colored or one that you would find on a restaurant menu.

Also known as “bunker”, “pogy” or “bugmouth”, this bony, oily fish, is a humble fish. But there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the menhaden. The menhaden has several critical roles for countless creatures under the sea, leading some to refer to it as “the most important fish in the sea.”

Late last year, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission made history by voting to limit the catch of this critical species of fish. By putting a catch limit on menhaden, the ASMFC has given conservationists hope that enough fish can stay in the water to fulfill their ecological role.

A Blue View: The Environment Up Close at the 2013 Maryland General Assembly

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

January 15, 2013: The Start of the Maryland General Assembly

Listen to John discuss the important environmental legislation that will be debated during this session of the Maryland General Assembly. *

The 433rd legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly opened on January 9, and with it, several environmental issues that will shape the future of life in Maryland are being debated.

Issues like shark finning, plastic consumption, hydraulic fracturing and wind energy affect the people of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed every day, and the quality of life in our state going forward.

Our government affairs team will be hard at work in Annapolis this year to advocate on behalf of these environmental initiatives.

Want to stay up to date on National Aquarium’s legislative efforts?  CLICK HERE to sign up for e-mail updates!

*Editor’s note: The audio and script for this week’s A Blue View incorrectly referred to 2013′s legislative session as the 429th. It is the 433rd.

A Blue View: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

January 1, 2013: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Listen to John discuss the serious impact the GPGP is having on our marine ecosystems.

Have you ever noticed a piece of trash or a plastic bottle carelessly discarded in the gutter? Someone may come along and pick it up. OR  perhaps it will make its way through the sewer into our streams and waterways, eventually ending up in our ocean.

Once there, it will follow the prevailing currents and either wash up on a beach or end up in one of the gyres that exist in each of our oceans. Gyres are large areas of calm water that are encircled by ocean currents formed by the earth’s wind patterns and rotation of the planet. Debris that drifts into these gyres stays there for years—pushed gently in a slow, spiral toward the center.

Approximately twice the size of Texas, the North Pacific Gyre, one of the more infamous, is commonly referred to as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”. This gyre is estimated to cover anywhere from 270,000 to 5,800,000 square miles of ocean.

Last year, we were happy to host our friends from 5 gyres during their “Last Straw Plastic Pollution” bike tour. They shared stories from their tour along the east coast to raise awareness about the GPGP and how we can lead plastic-free lives! 

Kick-start 2013 by reducing your plastic consumption: 

• Forego the straw and the lid on your drink.
• Bring your own reusable mug when you stop for coffee.
• Stuff a trash bag in your pocket when you go for a walk and pick up the pieces of trash you see on the sidewalk, along the trail, or on the beach.
• Choose products that come with less packaging.
• Bring your reusable bags to all of the places you shop.

These are just a few easy tips. What other ways do you reduce your use of plastic at home? 

A Blue View: Climate Change and the Rise of Mega Storms

A Blue View is a weekly perspective on the life aquatic, hosted by National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli.

From the smallest plants and animals invisible to the human eye to entire ecosystems, every living thing depends on and is intricately linked by water.

Tune in to 88.1 WYPR every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. as John brings to the surface important issues and fascinating discoveries making waves in the world today.

December 20: “Global Weirding”

Listen to John discuss how climate change has led to the rise of mega storms

Until recently, scientists and meteorologists have been hesitant to make a direct connection between climate change and rapidly changing weather patterns.

Coined “global weirding,” distinct trends and records for nearly every type of extreme weather are occurring: high temperatures get higher, rainfalls set new records, droughts get deeper, wildfires burn more acres. But with the increasing frequency of these events, and particularly with the devastation brought to the East Coast by Hurricane Sandy, climate change is becoming far less taboo in discussions about the causes of these mega storms.

“Global weirding” by the numbers …

• Sea levels are expected to rise by as much as 3 feet by the year 2100.
• The global population is expected to grow from 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion people between now and 2050, demand for renewable energy and clean water will continue to soar.
• The average global temperature could rise between 2°F and 11°F by the end of the century.

Want to learn more about the basics of climate change? Check out this great video!