Deep Sea News

[The Theme from Chariots of Fire playing]

Craig: From 64 to 32 and now to the Sweet 16. In today’s post, we follow the journeys of two strong teams, Invertebrates and Photosynthesis as they navigated the ranks of the Octopus Bracket to face off in the 3rd round of the Spring Science Showdown (S³). We turn to Peter Etnoyer, our man in the field, to discuss the rise of Team Photosynthesis.

Peter: Indeed tree huggers everywhere were angered when photosynthesis was the only team from Division Plantae 1A to be selected for the tournament.

Craig: As I understand it, Photosynthesis has failed to floor a team in some games.

Peter: That’s right. Early this season they forfeited games in Methane Seep Arena and merely three games later at Hydrothermal Coliseum. The second forfeit occurred under unusual circumstances when only one team member arrived on the court. Yet these pretournament hardships have not hindered this underdog of epic proportions against teams in S³. Photosynthesis massacred Respiration (137-56) in a game that ultimately changed the court to an open-air arena minutes before the game. The original stadium was inadvertently filled up by equipment from the neighboring Genomics vs Proteomics match-up. This unexpected change led to victory for Photosynthesis who was able to harness the Sun’s (the star not the sports team) power.

Craig: Amazing…

Peter: Not amazing just chemistry and physics. In the next round, Photosynthesis squeaked by favorite Genomics (59-58) by displaying a remarkable strategy by loading their starters with eukaryotes to protect their chemical reactions in intracellular organelles.

Craig: It seems that Photosynthesis is quick to evolve to a changing game?

Peter: Indeed. An effort by Genomics to sequence the entire genome of all Photosynthesis players ultimately did not reveal the Photosynthesis offense. Further sequencing efforts failed to match the diversity of players seen within Team Photosynthesis.

Craig: Do you think the diversity of Photosynthesis’ players is enough to take on the Invertebrates?

Peter: As you mention Team Photosynthesis as a deep roster with over 650,000 players among the plants and algae. They are going to have to reach in to the reserves and pull out some players from cyanobacteria if they are going to match 1.5 million players Team Invertebrate will bring to the match.

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Ransom A. Myers passed away this previous Tuesday. Coincidently, a reader recently asked how we know that shark populations are declining and what the affect this decline is on other marine populations? Largely, I can answer these questions because of the research that Myers both originated, inspired, and participated in.

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An expedition to the 9N Overlapping Spreading Center that is going on right now! You can catch daily dispatches from Laura Preston, an educator from UNH/Salem High School in New Hampshire.

For a marine geologist, this sonar system helps us realize a fantasy – pulling the plug on the ocean and draining the water out so we can see the seafloor features.

How to video on Giant Squid preparation from the British Natural History Museum.  This is the same individual I had the pleasure to visit last year. Click on either image to view a larger version.

photos: Craig R. McClain (2006) 

Alviniconcha hessleri (Mollusca: Mesogastropoda: Provannidae)

When you think of hydrothermal vents, what comes to mind first? Is it the gushing black smoke out of a chimney? Perhaps you envision the enormous tubeworms with their red velvety plumes sticking out of their white tubes. Some may even be familiar with the dense swarms of blind shrimp. What may not come to mind are big hairy snails!

Description Alviniconcha hessleri was discovered and described almost 20 years ago (7) and is a mesogastropod in the family Provannidae (14). It is named both after the submersible Alvin (“Alvin’s shell”) and the preeminent deep-sea biologist, Robert R. Hessler. The snail is roughly spherical in shape and has a thin carbonate shell (if allowed to air-dry, it will fall to pieces within weeks!) The protoconch is almost never visible and juvenile shells show considerable variation in sculpture (3, 14). The spiny appearance of this snail is part of the periostracum and can erode away in larger specimens. Speaking of size, we have seen specimens up to 88mm in length, larger than a softball!

In-situ photographs courtesy of Charles Fisher and photographs of shells on white are courtesy of Linda Zelnio

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Did you ever want to write a letter to the Pope, but you didn’t know what to say? Well, here’s your chance. Sea turtle advocates did all the work for you, and they vastly improved your only likely chance of an audience. Your voice will be one of thousands calling upon His Excellency to stop the slaughter of our oceangoing innocents during the Lenten season.

The Baja California Sur environmental group ProPeninsula is engaged in a letter writing campaign to His Excellency Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican asking him to remind Catholics everywhere that sea turtles are not fish.

Because of the common misconception of sea turtles as ‘fish,’ it is estimated that as many as 10,000 endangered green, loggerhead, and olive ridley turtles are taken for feast food each year during Catholic religious holidays. The misguided tradition of eating turtles for Lent is stronger in Mexico that other places, like Brazil for instance.

The fervor for turtle eggs is bolstered by rumours of libido enhancement. The poster at left is part of an environmental campaign by Wildcoast targeting the practice. The series features Argentine supermodelo Dorismar saying “My man doesn’t need turtle eggs.” The Bipolar View features a nice article on the campaign.

Here’s the letter below, forwarded by J. Nichols at the Ocean Conservancy.

Help stop sea turtle consumption during Lent
(en espanol: http://tinyurl.com/2ojduc)

For centuries, sea turtles have been used as feast food throughout Latin America during Catholic celebrations such as Semana Santa. During Easter or the Lenten season, traditional Catholic rules prohibit the consumption of ‘meat’, yet allow food such as ‘fish’ and other types of seafood to be eaten as a substitute…
Although sea turtles do live in the sea, they are actually reptiles related to tortoises, lizards, and even dinosaurs; they are not fish, invertebrates, or crustaceans, and do have ‘red’ meat. This spring, we are raising awareness about the threats sea turtles face, and encouraging people to abstain from consuming sea turtle meat, particularly during the lenten season and holy week.

We are asking for your help in this effort. Send a letter to the Vatican today. If key religious figures, and hopefully the Pope himself, become more informed of the great damage being done to sea turtle populations during Lent and Easter, they may be motivated to use their power and influence to help save these endangered creatures. If you would like to help us in our cause, please click on the link below to send a letter to the Vatican. (http://tinyurl.com/36tzpj)

Because of the common misconception of sea turtles as ‘fish,’ it is estimated that as many as 10,000 endangered green, loggerhead, and olive ridley turtles are taken for feast food each year during Catholic religious holidays. Other species, such as leatherbacks, are also at risk as their eggs are poached in massive quantities throughout Latin America.

Sea turtles have been swimming the ocean for millions of years, but are now facing a real threat of extinction. Currently, all seven species of sea turtles are either endangered or critically endangered, and for some populations there are so few that their status is simply unknown. These species are slow growing and long lived, thus making populations extremely vulnerable to massive declines. For sea turtles, each and every individual makes a difference for the future of the entire species. They are the indicators of our ocean’s health and we depend upon the ocean for our own existence. Thus, if these ancient species vanish during our lifetime, our future is likely just as bleak.

For a report with background information on this issue visit: http://tinyurl.com/hub3e

Thank you for your support.

Sunday night, cocktail in hand, I prepared myself for an anticipated 3 hours of glorious nature footage. The flash website, the advertisement at the top of this very webpage, and Peter Etnoyer managed to bolster my fervor for Planet Earth. Less than a year ago, at the Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, BBC representatives revealed a few of the excerpts from the series-a shark engulfing a sea lion, ispods swarming a food fall, and birds of paradise in stunning displays of mating ritual. Three hours later, I added this to my ongoing list of anticlimactic experiences. At least the cocktail(s) were respectable. This morning, I hesitated to write something. Have I merely become desensitized to the awe of nature? By having a front row seat to extraordinary deep-sea animals and habitats, have I forever ruined myself on nature programs that inspired me in my youth? Is it time to hang up my stocking hat?

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My understanding of what makes a good children’s book changed dramatically about 15 months ago, when my baby daughter Clara Lynn was born. Before that time, I thought a good children’s library would be a mix of Dr. Seuss, Dick and Jane, Sesame Street, and Winnie the Pooh. These were the stories I grew up with in the Seventies. I knew to beware of hypnotic modern characters like Barney and Elmo who could steal your child’s mind and win their affections. I pictured myself reading the Hobbit from a rocking chair at nighttime, while my daughter stared lovingly from under a cozy blanket. All that’s changed now.

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In case you missed Peter and I discussing this program, here is another reminder. DEEP OCEAN AIRS TOMORROW NIGHT ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL. The series is from the BBC. Last year at a deep-sea meeting a BBC representative presented some of the video. Even in its unformatted state, it was truly marvelous. As I recall, a segment shows Giant Isopods swarming a food fall. There will also be excellent footage of coral/sponge meadows on Davidson Seamount here off the California coast. Having seen some of this video and diving on the seamount with ROV’s, I can say you will not want to mist this.

Added bonus. Jot down any questions you have and post them here in this thread. Kevin, Peter, and I will monitor the post and respond.