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Op-Ed: Unusual seabird and marine mammal die-offs — What’s going on?

While many people will swear the die-offs of marine mammals and seabirds is a direct result of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, it might be wise to also look at something more plausible, and ongoing — the increase in carbon dioxide emissions.

An article published in Scientific American in January 2014 discussed the radioactive particles, radionuclides, being released from the Fukushima site, and the impact they might have on marine life. Suffice to say, the article stated the dilution of radionuclides in the vastness of the North Pacific Ocean was very minute.

Something else in the story caught my attention, though. Marine scientists with Deep Sea News were reporting that we should be far more concerned with the mammoth amounts of carbon dioxide spewed by fossil fuel–fired power plants that are affecting the phytoplankton in the Pacific ocean.

Phytoplankton and zooplankton: The basis of the marine food chain
Plankton are a diverse group of organisms living in the water column. They are unable to swim against the current, and so are more like “wanderers” on the ocean currents. As a matter of fact, plankton comes from the Greek word “plantos,” meaning errant, or wanderer.

Plankton are further divided into large groups called Trophic groups based on function. These include the Phytoplankton. These small algae-like organisms live near the ocean’s surface where there is enough light to support photosynthesis. The more important groups of phytoplankton include diatoms and cyanobacteria.

Zooplankton is another trophic group. This group is comprised of tiny protozoans or metazoans, like crustaceans and other animals. This group also includes the larval stages of fish, crustaceans, and annelids, or segmented worms.

A schematic showing the abundance of plankton in the oceans. Plankton is richer near land masses  ow...

A schematic showing the abundance of plankton in the oceans. Plankton is richer near land masses, owing to the abundance of nutrient run-off. This map also plays an important role in assessing the amount of plankton biomass depletion.
KVDP


Phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass will decrease
Researchers from AZTI-Tecnalia, a technology center specializing in marine and food research, published a report in the journal Global Change Biology in May, 2014 detailing research that shows phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass will decrease by over six percent by the end of the century.

The report shows that a 2.0 degree increase in ocean temperature would affect the ocean’s circulation and cause higher water column stratification, meaning that water of differing densities would not mix, but form distinct layers affecting the availability of nutrients. The depletion of the biomass could result in the reduction of the fish biomass by as much as 47 percent.

Here is what is really interesting in this report: The reduction in phytoplankton and zooplankton will affect different regions of the Earth in different ways. In the North Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, higher stratification and lower nutrient levels will cause a reduction in phytoplankton. While just the opposite will take place in the Baltic, Barents, and Black Seas. The report cites studies on acidity levels in the ocean as well as the need for worldwide measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Guillem Chust, an Azti-Tecnalia researcher and the lead author of the paper, points out: “As there will be less phytoplankton, absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere by the oceans will be lower, as plankton is responsible for half of the planet’s photosynthetic activity. This in turn will reduce the ocean’s capacity to regulate the climate.”

This graph shows how the average surface temperature of the world s oceans has changed since 1880. S...

This graph shows how the average surface temperature of the world’s oceans has changed since 1880. Sea surface temperatures have been higher during the past three decades than at any other time since reliable observations began in 1880,
NOAA


Why are we seeing die-offs of the Cassin’s auklet?
It may seem that I have taken a long journey just to get to the end of this article, but it was important to include information on those studies already done on ocean temperatures, phytoplankton and zooplankton decreases so that marine trophic dynamics and the influence of broad ecological changes on seabird diets along the Pacific Coast of North America could be understood.

The North Pacific Research Board supported the development of the Alaska Seabird Diet Monitoring Plan. Started in 2010, the project includes seabird and fisheries scientists from government agencies as well as researchers and scientists from the academic world. This group has been collecting data on approximately 37 species of seabirds that nest at over 1,800 coastal and island colonies in the state of Alaska (Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, and Gulf of Alaska.

We are talking about 40 to 50 million seabirds that nest and hatch their young in the far northern reaches of North America. So why would a seabird’s diet be important? Seabirds derive their diet directly from the ocean, and their foraging behavior, the distribution of their food sources and overall diet reflect on the physical and biological processes going on in the ocean. Not only does the information obtained from the study help in understanding the influence ecological processes have on diets, but the data can provide important insights into the overall health of the marine ecosystem.

The North Atlantic around Alaska is the nesting area for millions of seabirds every year.

The North Atlantic around Alaska is the nesting area for millions of seabirds every year.
YouTube


The plight of the Cassin’s auklet
The Cassin’s Auklet is widely distributed along the Pacific Coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands to Baja, California. The breeding populations in Alaska and British Columbia are thought to move south after the breeding season. The world population of the Cassin’s auklet is estimated to be around 3.6 million, with most of the birds breeding in British Columbia on Triangle Island.

Locations of Cassin's Auklet colonies in Alaska (blue circles) and recommended diet monitoring sit...

Locations of Cassin’s Auklet colonies in Alaska (blue circles) and recommended diet monitoring site, (red circle)..
NPRB


Because Cassin’s auklets are surface-diving feeders, the importance of zooplankton being at the right level in the water column is necessary. But with the seabird diet monitoring program showing a declining population over the past several years, the uneplained die-offs being recorded over the past couple of months take on added significance, especially with the birds appearing to have starved.

It is entirely possible that the violent storms coming in on the Pacific Coast of North America have had a far greater impact on the distribution of the zooplankton and phytoplankton, perhaps dispersing this necessary food source down deeper into the depths of the sea. Another consideration is anthropogenic climate change and its impact on the reduction in zooplankton and phytoplankton biomass and the acidity of the ocean as demonstrated in the research paper printed in the journal Global Change Biology last May. I see these events as far more compelling than radionuclides in causing the die-off of the seabirds.

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Written By

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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