Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter
March 2017
13
“If you missed it this year, be sure to look forward to attending next year’s symposium on February 17-18, 2018!”
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY SYMPOSIUM ROB STEWART NEW DISCOVERIES
March 2017
Volume XXXI, Number 3
Articles Page 3: Letter from the Editor Page 4: Maritime Archaeology Symposium Page 14: Improving Your Air Consumption Page 18: Rob Stewart Page 20: Generation Blue Page 22: New Discoveries Page 24: Marine Mammal of the Month Page 26: Ocean Art Page 28: The Future of Climate Change and Conservation Page 30: Ocean Updates Page 35: How to Make and Artificial Reef Page 36: Flashback Page 37: Critter of the Month Page 28: Hanauma Bay: Calender of Events Page 39: Crossword Puzzle Page 40: MOP Calendar of Events
About the Photography -Cover: Koa Matsuoka, UHM MOP Alumnus -Table of Contents: MOP -November Calendar of Events: Jessica Lotts, Associate Editor -Back cover: Daniel Jemings, UHM MOP Alumnus -All uncredited photos by: MOP -Disclaimer: any photo taken from flickr.com is used under the Creative Commons License and is credited appropriately with links to the user’s flickr account. 2| Seawords
Letter from the Editor
A
loha! The March 2017 Issue of Seawords is filled with events and updates!
The Maritime Archaeology Symposium is a that took place on February 18-19 was a great success! There were a bunch of amazing presentations, including one of our own Mānoa MOP Students, Emily Menzies. After the symposium, many of the attendees joined Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator, at his home to relax, social and enjoy Samoan food by TIHATI. Sadly, Rob Stewart, Canadian filmmaker, known best for Sharkwater and Revolution, mysteriously died while diving. Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student, looks into the details to figure out what could have happened and how you can prevent accidents. Seawords would also like to put YOU to the challenge, on page 39 of this issue is a crossword puzzle put together by Jessica Lotts, Associate Editor. The first person to email seawords@hawaii.edu with all of the correct answers will receive a prize! Good luck! What would you like to see more of in Seawords? Send us your thoughts! Mahalo for reading!
Camra Hopper, Seawords Editor Seawords
Volume XXXI, Number 3, March 2017 Editor: Camra Hopper Associate Editor: Jessica Lotts Dr. Cynthia Hunter (éminence grise) Jeffrey Kuwabara (éminence grise) Seawords- Marine Option Program University of Hawai‘i, College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Telephone: (808) 956-8433 Email: <seawords@hawaii.edu> Website: <http://www.hawaii.edu/mop> Seawords is the monthly newsletter of the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawai‘i. Opinions expressed herein are not necessariliy those of the Marine Option Program or of the University of Hawai‘i. Suggestions and submissions are welcome. Submissions may include articles, photography, art work, or anything that may be of interest to the marine community in Hawai‘i and around the world. All photos are taken by MOP unless otherwise credited.
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The 28th Annual Symposium on Maritime Archaeology & History of Hawai‘i & the Pacific By: Camra Hopper, Editor and Jessica Lotts, Associate Editor Photo by Wayne, Flickr Session: Early Watercraft Chair: Hans K. Van Tilburg
tasi ’s role in today’s modern racing. Herdrich talked story about his own personal experience in the annual Fautasi race in his presentation “Going Fishing: A Palagi (CaucaKEYNOTE SPEAKER & A HISTORY OF THE DEVELsian) Tries His Hand at Fautasi Racing,” which is considOPMENT & USE OF THE SAMOAN Fautasi ered the single largest cultural event in American Samoa. Presented by: David J. Herdrich Through many trials, tribulations and even a running bet against his failure, Herdrich and his team trained vigorThe 28th Annual Maritime Archaeological Symposium ously and came out on top, despite a comment from one of kicked off with a keynote presentation from the historic his teammates, “Dave, maybe you’re too old for this,” which preservation officer of the American Samoa Historic Preswas a little disheartening. ervation Office and President of the Micronesian Endowment for Historic Preservation, David J. Herdrich. THE JUNKMAN COMETH: LEGACY OF THE FORThis presentation highlighted the origin, development and REST H. WELLS COLLECTION use of the historic Samoan long boats, Fautasi , and war canoes, tuamualua, in their journey as war boats to the Fau- Presented by: Hans K. Van Tilburg, NOAA Maritime 4| Seawords
Heritage Program This lecture discussed the life of Lieutenant Forrest H. Wells, who after becoming fascinated with Chinese sailing craft during his tours in East Asia, left his daughter, Kathryn, with thousands of photos and replicas of old Chinese sailing junks. Many of these artifacts are extremely detailed and give accurate representation into the lives of these cultures. With her home in Missouri stockpiled with historic relics, Kathryn was more than delighted to have Van Tilburg take her father’s collection off her hands. Today the photographs are being scanned and archived, despite hard drive malfunctions which have caused the rescanning of some 2,500 photos, the models are now owned and curated by Texas A&M’s ship model laboratory at College Station. Session: Local and International Projects Chair: Don Froning SCUTTLEBUTT
Hans Van Tilburg & David J. Herdich pose for a quick photo in between sessions
Every year, the Maritime Symposium holds a “Scuttlebutt”; an informal open forum for anyone to share news, concerns or questions they have on any marine/ maritime matter. For the 28th Scuttlebutt, a wide variety of topics were discussed, such as:
wThe Maritime Museum of Australia
her years of service doing various jobs such as carrying molasses and oil, playing a part in the historic Hawaiian Trans-pacific sugar trade, acting as a fuel barge in Alaska and even becoming a well loved museum ship parked in Honolulu Harbor. Today however, despite being declared as a National Historic Museum Landmark Vessel in 1989, her continued presence at the harbor is under threat, as the State considers the ship hazardous, and renovations to preserve her existence would cost millions.
wRick Rogers’ invitation for the Travel Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” to record field studies offered by the universities, maybe QUEST or MAST? For information on how to help, visit: http://www. wA suggestion that diving specialty courses and friendsoffallsofclyde.org maritime archaeological identification classes be introduced to the university. REDUCING A THREAT: ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WRECK OF USNS Mission UPDATE ON OUR NATIONAL HISTORIC LAND- San Miguel MARK VESSEL Falls of Clyde AT HONOLULU HAR- Presented by: Melissa Price, senior archaeologist BOR Florida Bureau of Archaeologist Research Presented by: Don Froning
This lecture made MOPpers everywhere proud, considConsidered one of the most successful general cargo ering that our very own MOP alumna, Rebecca Weible, ships in her day, the four-mastered Falls of Clyde now played a key hand in the 2015 discovery of the Unitfaces new threats that may forego her existence in the ed States Navy Ship Mission San Miguel in the Northstate of Hawai‘i. Built in 1878, the Falls of Clyde spent western Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) at Maro Reef. This MARCH 2017 |5
destroyer they had been hoping for. The wreck lay upright, with large steel containers and valve connections still identifiable. Although typically not associated with this infamous battle, the Amakasu Maru No. 1’s discovery sheds light upon the often overlooked auxiliary ships that still played crucial roles in the war. THE MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Presented by: Chris Dewey, President Maritime Archaeological Society This presentation updated the symposium on the recent activity UHM MOP alumnus Rebecca Weible with Jason Raupp, Ryan Harris & Melissa of the Maritime Archaeological Society based in Astoria, WashPrice ington. Presented by Captain Rick discovery brought to light the unglamorous and hard Rogers, the crowd was informed role these tankers played in U.S. maritime history, as a of this non-profit organizations efforts to document reminder of America’s race to find oil and match ser- shipwrecks/archaeological sites and assist with artifact vice demands during wartime. Its uncovering also had a conservation through community interaction and outhuge environmental importance. The ship had hit a reef reach. One program in particular that has had success at full speed due to bad weather, and was considered is Big Anchor Project, which has worked with the coma top threat for pollution impacts and environmental munity to document hundreds of anchors discovered threats in the Pacific. However, after countless hours of throughout the country. This project has recently been research, inspections and 3D image photogrammetry, granted the opportunity to develop and design ROVs the ship’s status was reduced to low impact, and is no to record data. This technique has already been used to longer considered a high environmental risk, showing document a 19th century shipwreck in the lower Cothe importance of understanding the maritime heritage lumbia River. and ecology in the NWHI. THE WAKE ISLAND SURPRISE: Amakasu Maru No. 1 Presented by: Hans K. Van Tilburg, NOAA Maritime Heritage Program In the summer of 2016, NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer deployed its ROV system into the sea to survey what was expected to be the infamous Japanese destroyer, Hayate, which was sunk in the Battle of Wake Island on December 11th, 1941. Operated by the Office of Ocean Exploration, they teemed with excitement over their future discovery only to be greeted with “Amakasu Maru No. 1” scrawled across the ship’s stern. This was not the 6| Seawords
IN SEARCH OF LOST SUBS: THE S-19 & THE S-28 Presented by: Hans K. Van Tilburg, NOAA ONMS Maritime Heritage Program On September 3, 2015, a survey of the S-19 submarine was conducted in order to provide insight into the potential discovery of its sister sub, the S-28. The S-28 sub was an early American model that conducted seven war patrols in the Aleutian Islands during the WWII era. While completing torpedo training in Hawaiian waters, the S-28 lost communication with her surface support, and was never seen again. However, the S-28 may be seeing the surface very soon. NOAA in collaboration with various other agencies are planning to locate and
Presenter: Marianne George, Pacific Traditions Society Taking the Polynesian “stick charts” that locate different islands and the Marshallese knowledge of swell patterns using studies by Joe Genz, Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and coordinator of the Pacific Island Studies Certificate. Genz was able to help identify swell patterns that were used during inter-island voyages. “He was able to use his swell patterns and connect them to a larger body of knowledge,” said Marianne George, “a sysJust a few members of the very first Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Society’s tematic practice that he used, not just for voyaging, but for gardening, weather work, cohort and planning events.” This allowed for a betsurvey the wreck in attempt to answer the mystery of ter insight and understanding of wind behow this sub was lost in the first place. haviors, the mysterious light that flashes from islands to people at sea up to 200 miles away, the rise and set of stars, and seasons. It’s important to look at everything Session: Revitalizing Voyaging pt 1 as a holistic system of knowledge. Te Aliki Kaveia’s sysChair: Suzanne Finney tem of way-finding is shown, taught, and explained in a mental model using the 32 different points of the winds VOYAGE INTO THE DEPTHS OF KANALOA around the horizon and creating swells, which are also Presented by: Bonnie Kahape‘a- Tanner, Executive affected by the seasons. This is a complete system that Director/Captain is constantly changing, making this mental model exThe first day of the symposium wrapped up with a truly tremely complex, and requiring a comprehensive ununique insight into the Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging So- derstanding of the environment. ciety’s (KVA) journey to sail through Hawaiian history. The team presented an outreach film documenting the journey of 15 young teens and their mentors as they learn to sail and discover who they are and how their kupuna (elders) influence their daily lives. The KVA is a Hawai‘i based non-profit organization with a 29 ft double hull canoe that offers hands-on experience for students to learn the historical and cultural importance of sailing and navigation. The film was presented by some of the actual students who were on the KVA’s first voyage, and there was not a dry eye in the house. DAY 2 Session: Revitalizing Voyaging pt 2 Chair: Suzanne Finney
A slide from Marianna George’s presentation showing how different swells form around the islands. Photo by: Camra Hopper, Editor
Presentation: WHAT DOES A SWELL PATTERN Session: Mapping of the Landscapes of the Pacific USED BY POLYNESIAN VOYAGERS EXPLAIN Chair: Cindy Hunter ABOUT THE SPINES BETWEEN ISLANDS IN Presentation: INITIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURMARSHALLESE STICK CHARTS? MARCH 2017 |7
VEY OF KAHO‘OLAWE, HAWAI‘I
all of his favorite high chiefs land, he also gave them fishing rights. There are 400 different fisheries, with Presenter: Richard Gould, Professor (Emeritus), AnO’ahu having 118. Only in 1909 do the fisheries square thropology, Brown University, Providence, RI off from native land divisions in the Montserrat Map. The first ever archaeological survey of Kaho‘olawe was Once the U.S. took over Hawai‘i the land became pridone in 1980, when Richard Gould was invited by Dr. vate, but not the water, which ended the fishing rights. Maury Morgenstein, and assisted by the U.S. Marine Corps, Kāneʻohe Bay. In 1941, the island became a Presentation: ISLANDS ADRIFT ON THE SEA OF bombing practice zone for the U.S. Navy, which wreaked havoc for the island. This bombing continued until 1994, but attempts were made to make the island safe by removing military items. They attempted to preserve the island by allowing Hawaiians to come on the island and rehabilitate it. By 1981, 481 archaeological sites have been documented on the island. Some of these were from Gould’s team’s surveys. The archaeological evidence is quite rich, but Gould and his team still aren’t sure if ancient Hawaiians were living on the island year-round or only seasonally to make adzes, a tool similar to an ax with an arched blade at right angles to the handle, used for cutting or shaping large pieces of wood, in the quarries. They suggest it was only seasonally, since the island’s resources were very limited. These quarries’ depositional history is estimated from 1400 - 1450 AD, which is just before European contact. Next An example of old fishery rights from Victoria Creed’s presentation. to a few quarries there are small shrines, but not big enough to be a Heiau, most likely used to pray for the gods during the final making TIME of the adzes so they didn’t break during the last force. Adzes from Tuamotu were tested to be originated from Presenter: Captain Richard W. Rogers, Sandwich IsKaho‘olawe. lands Maritime Museum There’s a group of islands to the east of the “Sandwich Presentation: A LOOK AT TRADITIONAL HAWAI- Islands” on “The General Chart” produced after CapIAN PRIVATE FISHERY RIGHTS WITH EARLY tain Cook’s third voyage. The islands shown are actuMAPS ally not there and continue to move around throughout time even before Captain Cook, meaning he wasn’t Presenter: Victoria S. Creed, Waihona Aina Corp. & the first to map these islands. Most maps were printed Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i around Europe, but hardly ever in Spain. Certain things During traditional Hawaiian times, King Kamehameha that were Spanish discoveries were still printed by the III gave fishing rights to the ali‘i more, rather than the Europeans first. Most of the early maps show certain Maka’ainana (most Hawaiians, people who lived on the islands with volcanoes next to another island, Farfana. land). Every piece of land given to the ali‘i contained The earliest dated map of these islands is from Mercator fishing rights. “In the Hawaiian point of view, the ocean Atlas, 1569, which is the beginning of the Manila Galis part of the responsibility of the land. The land and leon trade of cargo. Most likely, “during this time word the ocean are connectors, not separators, as in Western got to Europe about these islands and a map maker in thought,” Victoria Creed said. When Kamehameha gave his office decided that those islands were located there,” 8| Seawords
Capt. Richard Rogers said. Two groups of islands were “discovered” in 1580 – 1600, but by the 1800s map makers decided that these two groups were actually the same group, just rediscovered at least twice, so only one group was left on the map. In 1640, Japanese maps were also printing the group of islands, making these groups of islands located in the middle of the Pacific well known throughout the world. In 1527, volcanoes were put on the map as a “drive by” by the Spaniards, making this the first discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. Tom Wolforth, Cultural Resource Manager and Tribal Liaison; Alaska “What I’ve figured out is that the Los Army National Guard, beginning his presentation. Volcanos (the volcano islands of the Hawaiian Islands) were discovered as see a thing that resembled an ancient Hawaiian site, una drive by in 1527. 1548, La Farfana was discovered as til he met a man who explained to him about the battle an interactive discovery, and by 1580 during the Galthat took place there. He read the entire book about leon trade somebody came out here and properly surthe battle that took place in Pu‘u Pa and wrote a report veyed the islands geographically.” One of the islands that prevented people from mining there. During anwere given a name The Monk islands, which could be other survey, one spot was dated at 600 AD as a camp because the islands looked like monks or that monks for a battlefield, but actually these camp areas are found came aboard, Captain Rogers suggests that some Hafrequently around the island. Another discovery made waiian legends would agree with the second option. By was from a petroglyph panel showing “paddle dancers,” 1804 there is a clear depiction of the Hawaiian Islands it’s first assumed they’re doing hula, having a fun and on the maps, while the first two islands (Los Volcanos lovable event, but oral history explains that there was and La Farfana) disappear. a battle there. “When you know there’s a battle near by, then there’s a different context for it. Maybe they’re not happy dancers,” Wolforth said. Which then led him to Presentation: WHERE ARE THE HAWAIIAN BATcreate his public and free-to-use website, “HawaiianTLES ON THE BIG ISLANDS, AND IN THE CRM Warfare.com,” where he updates information about REPORTS? battle sites around the island. Presenter: Tom Wolforth, Cultural Resource Manager and Tribal Liaison; Alaska Army National Guard Presentation: THE SUBMERGED MARITIME Tom Wolforth created a model to show examples of LANDSCAPE AND INVENTORY OF THE HAWAIpossible warrior camp features on a new website that IAN ISLANDS makes the historical data easy to access. This will allow everyone to learn whether they have been on a battle- Presenter: Hans K. Van Tilburg field or hiked trails, where warriors once hiked to battle. In 1989, the systematic investigation of the underwater Wolforth had to look outside of written data and into cultural heritage in Hawai‘i was created by the Univeroral history to find the missing links and discover new sity of Hawai‘i’s Marine Option Program’s MAST (Marbattlefield grounds. It’s considered anecdotal data. “One itime Archaeological Survey Techniques field school), day I stopped reading the archaeological data about the while manned submersibles of the Hawai‘i Undersea land and started reading the oral histories. And man, I Research Lab contributed to many deep water discovnever looked back,” Wolforth said. Someone wanted to eries and site surveys within in the islands. In 2013 the mine Pu‘u Pa, but before they could do that they had to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which reviews do an archaeological dig and survey to find if it had any offshore energy development proposals, entered a cultural Native Hawaiian connection. Wolforth didn’t MARCH 2017 |9
Session: Local and International Projects part 2 Chair: Don Froning Presentation: MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY: THREE MYSTERIOUS UNDERWATER PLANE WRECKS OF O‘AHU Presenter: Blade Shepherd-Jones, USCG reserve; diver/researcher
MAST 2012 group looking over their survey of the wreck site that was used in The unseen Landscape Inventory Assessment database. Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, Mānoa MOP Coordinator. three-year contract with NOAA to compile and analyze the submerged cultural resources. During this process, one of the resources created to help collect and organize the shipwreck inventory was a Microsoft Access georeferenced database known as The Unseen Landscape: Inventory Assessment of submerged cultural resources in Hawai‘i. This database currently holds 2,114 entries of either certain, somewhat certain, unsure, and unknown wrecks that happened within Hawaiian waters. The wrecks first began around 1850- 1860, which is the beginning of the plantation period, but dropped off in the 1930’s due to better navigational skills and technology. Then spiked again, when most of the wrecks (ships, planes or others) occurred during war years in 19401941. Hans Van Tilburg showed the audience a few examples in the database, such as a ship named Kauai, which MAST surveyed in 2012. This sit is listed as “easy” to locate because it was found and surveyed and the sketches created by the MOP MAST students. Due to the sensitivity of information in the database, it has not been released to the public. 10| Seawords
Hawai‘i’s first aircraft flight took place on December 31, 1910. Since then planes have been a major resource and way of transportation to the islands, creating several accidents. In 1927 a flight derby challenge took place from the west coast of California to Hawai‘i, but only two of eight planes made the trip. Some crashed, while others turned around. After technology advanced, the first commercial non-stop flight from Tokyo, Japan, to Honolulu, Hawai’i was successfully completed in 1950. Blade Shepherd-Jones talks about three recently discovered plane wrecks that were found in the waters of O‘ahu. The first one is known as Nānākuli Wings, is a pair of wings off Nānākuli beach in 72 ft of water, 700 yards off shore. Turns out the wings are from the de Havilland DH.104 Dove which went down March 4, 1972. The next crash was first found by someone on Ebay in 2012 who claimed it is LT Samuel Bishop’s Plane. The only evidence found near a similar location were landing gear, engine and props, but that makes it a completely different crash than what the Ebay seller saw. This aircraft is a P-40 Warhawk from World War II. The last wreck is an upside down Piper PA-28R Cherokee Arrow off Diamond Head, which crashed on July 6, 1972. The pilot described the landing as smooth, but the wreck site tells the exact opposite, since it was found upside down with wreckage scattered Blade Shepherd-Jones’s presentat everywhere. relation to th
have decomposed, this leads to another conclusion that the ocean is actually losing oxygen. This allowed for the Presentation: VISUALIZING A DEEPLY SUBamazing preservation of this crash site. MERGED WWII B-29 USING A NOAA ROV: EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL FOR USING THIS TOOL IN FULFILLING DPAA’S MISSION Presentation: INFLUENCE OF TEDDY TUCKER Presenter: Wendy M. Cobie, Defense POW/MIA Ac- ON BERMUDA AND MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY counting Agency Presenter: Emily Menzies, University of Hawai‘i The B-29 Superfortress aircraft wreck site was located Mānoa student; research conducted under University by the ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) near Tinian Island, of Rhode Island Northern Marianas. Much of the craft still remains inOver the summer, Emily Menzies had the opportunity tact; the wing, landing gear and three of the four ento dive around the island of Bermuda, which is only 22 gines were still attached. The most magnificent thing miles long and is surrounded by over 400 sunken vesabout this crash site though, is about how well it was sels, which is how a patch of thick coral got the name preserved under water. The aluminum on the wing and “Bermuda Triangle.” One of the most well-known exother certain aspects of the crash aren’t deteriorated. plorers in Bermuda was Edward “Teddy” Tucker, who The aluminum on the wing is still shiny, meaning the first brought to light maritime archaeology ethics. He metal has yet to corrode and rust, even though this discovered more than 100 shipwrecks around Bermuda, crash occurred around the 1940’s. Another item still inone of them being the San Pedro, a 16th century Spantact in the crash are the parachutes, which should have ish vessel that was discovered with gold and jewelry decomposed since they are made from very fine silk. aboard. Menzies was able to excavate this site, but beOne of the suggested information for this is because at cause no conservation efforts took place during Teddy this depth there is less oxygen, although it should still Tucker’s time all artifacts had deteriorated. A few of the artifacts included six cast-iron pots, a bronze mortar, and silver and gold coins. Once these items were found, they continued to excavate the site even more, which led them to several other valuable treasures, which they either sold or kept in their private collection. The only information left about the items was that Tucker told the local newspapers. This caused a huge cultural and historical lost about these items origins and their story. This brought to light the deeper ethical issue about preserving historical items and set restrictions about what archaeologist should do.
tion showing the locaions of the P-40 Warhawk from WWII in he P-45. Photo by: Camra Hopper, Editor.
Presentation: SOUTH O‘AHU’S BOMB MUSEUM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA Presenter: Steve Price, University of Hawai‘i Undersea Research Lab diver/researcher At the end of World War II, the U.S. Military had several amounts of ordnance just in case there was a land invasion from Japan, but this never happened. In 1946 this left them with all of those ordnance unused with nowhere to put them. Their solution was to dump them into the deep ocean. There are about 16,000 dumped off O‘ahu, most of them being a collection of different mustard gas bombs. A few others include conventional MARCH 2017 |11
A few of the bombs found in the “Underwater Bomb Museum” on South O‘ahu. Photo by: Camra Hopper, Editor bomb of 1000 lbs, MK-17 depth bomb, MK 6 Hedgehogs, moored sea mines (acids), and even a MK 24 “Fido” acoustic torpedo. The safety protocol when surveying these different bombs was “No touch, only get close enough to take a picture.”
sure the ship is clear of anything that could come loose and harm divers or the surrounding environment. This required the volunteers to strip the ship of everything. They recycled or reused what they could at Marisco, which allowed them to keep the ship docked in their yard and use their equipment for free. All of this took a year and a half of pure volunteer work. The proposed Presentation: MOKO HOLO HELE ARTIFICIAL location would be near Wai‘anae’s Artificial Reef site. REEF PROJECT: HAWAI‘I’S NEWEST SHIP- There’s still a lot of legal paperwork that needs to be done WRECK? before the ship can be sunk in its proposed location, but if you would like to stay updated about the ship, they Presenter: Blade Shepherd-Jones, USCG reserve; divhave a Facebook page: “WikolianaReefProject.” er/researcher The Moko Holo Hele (YFB-87) is a 162 foot U.S. Navy car ferry that traveled to and from Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. She was in service from 1970 – 1998, but was discontinued as the Admiral Bernard Clarey Bridge was completed. She was sold 2004, turned into a fishing barge until it was abandon at Marisco Shipyard. Luckily in 2015 volunteers wanted to turn this into an artificial reef and dive site. Shipwrecks make great artificial reefs because, if done correctly, they can provide a home for marine life in a place they may not have been able to live before. They also make a great dive site for recreational divers to explore. In order to make them great and safe for the environment, a lot of effort is required to make 12| Seawords
Presentation: THE PUZZLING RIDDLE OF THE PUULOA STEAMSHIP WRECK Presenters: Steve Price, University of Hawai‘i Undersea Research Lab diver/researcher and Blade Shepherd-Jones, USCG reserve; diver/researcher Steve Price began the talk by showing us a dark spot on a map from 1873 of Pearl Harbor near the Pua‘loa entrance. When they first jumped in they saw a lot of debris of broken pipes, stern rudder, hot water heater, lantern and bits of other debris. This ship is about 135 feet long from around 1880 – 1960, since there weren’t many
CLOSING REMARKS: Jeff Kuwabara, Mānoa MOP Coordinator, hosted a catered BQQ at his home to celebrate and congratulate another successful year at the Maritime Archaeology Symposium. Almost all presenters and viewers attended the BBQ to enjoy delicious food and talk story with one another. Authentic Samoan food was brought by TIHATI and the Honorable Consul of Samoa that consisted of sweet potatoes, breadfruit, tea leaf wraps and more! Archived photo of the Caucus II burning before it was sunk at Keahi Point. Photo As everyone ate, they made by: Camra Hopper, Editor themselves comfortable in Kuwabara’s home and socialships that were whalers during this time, they came up with 9 different options of ships. After taking out most ized with each other. It was great opportunity to learn of the ships based on location and size, their closest even more about the topics everyone spoke about and bet was the Kaimiloa, which was the one and only ship to get to know each other personally. The BBQ was a of the Hawaiian Navy and was built in 1871 as a gun perfect way to let everyone relax and have fun after the boat explorer and became part of the Hawaiian Navy in weekend’s symposium. If you missed it this year, be sure 1887. It made one trip to Samoa in an attempt to form to look forward to attending next year’s symposium on a confederations of Polynesian Nations, but failed be- February 17-18, 2018! n cause the Germans were there. Honolulu businessmen used this trip as an example to prove that King Kalakaua was squandering away the kingdoms funds. She was then decommissioned in 1887. 1904 she was disarmed to help transport coal and oil, then in 1912 it burned as part of the 1912 celebrations of the Fourth of July in the harbor before it was brought to Pua‘loa. When Price and ShepherdJones went back a couple months later they found both of the boilers to a steamship, and a big wheel in between, making this ship not the Kaimiloa. Around the shipwreck there were several ordnance and bricks. The writing on the brick said “Laclede St. Louis” and “Laclede King St. Louis.” The Laclede Brick Company was founded at a trading post in St. Louis, which was officially incorporated by 1867. After asking a brick expert, they determined that the time frame of the ship was between 1921 – 1942. Because of this time frame they now know that she was a dredge barge named Caucus that was built in 1905 and burned in Pearl Harbor and towed in The food served at the symposium BBQ was SaKeahi Point. moan, made by TIHATI. Photo by: Alexa Gonzalez, UHM MOP Student Coordinator.
MARCH 2017 |13
Dive Safety
Improving Your Air Consumption By: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student
Photo by: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student
“H
ow much air do you have left?” This is one of the most common questions asked after a dive. Most divers have it engrained in their subconscious that if you use a lot of air, you are a “bad” diver. Or if you do not use as much, you are a “good” diver. I believe the root of this stigma came from your Open Water class. At least this is when I was introduced to my fixation on breathing. Naturally, your instructor wants to ask how much gas you ended the dive with. Your class rattles off their pressures. Curious, you ask your instructor what they ended with. You then find yourself questioning whether they’re really human. How is it possible that they used half of what I used?
rates would be a rigged game! It does not matter how many more dives I have than she. Since her lungs are so much smaller than mine, she will win. I bought my mom smaller tanks for her birthday and that still does not level the playing field. My only hope is if we find a sea turtle or trumpet fish to level the playing field because of her adrenaline-filled excitement. What ultimately drives the respiration rate is your body’s production of carbon dioxide (CO2). The production of CO2 is your body’s way of telling you to breathe. Everyone has experienced this. At the end of a climb up a long flight of stairs, you find yourself breathing harder. Your
The answer to this is generally either experience, physiology or a combination of both factors. It takes practice to dial in your buoyancy so you are not using your buoyancy compensator device (BCD) like an elevator button, and wasting gas in the process. It takes practice to clear a mask with only a small puff of gas from your nose. Individual physiology also plays a large determining factor in gas consumption. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, men generally have larger lungs than women, which translates to more volume used during gas exchange. Take my mom and me for example. I am a full foot taller and a hundred Tyler Phelps, diving with the ultimate victor in the air consumppounds heavier than she. Comparing air consumption tion game, his mom. Photo by:Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student. 14| Seawords
body is exerting itself, thus creating CO2, triggering you to breathe to replenish your depleted oxygen levels.
You Alive is a Side Effect I believe this is the most important. Your air consumption will improve significantly as your buoyancy improves. This statement is a fundamental change in the way most of us look at buoyancy and is not something traditionally taught. Great buoyancy needs to be proactive, not reactive. The correlative mind understands that if I inhale right now, I will go up and if I exhale, I will go down. This seems pretty basic but think back to a time when you might have been “overweight” or “floaty.” Did your breathing change? Did you make a conscious effort to exhale more while at the surface in order to descend? The rhythm in our breathing shouldn’t be static (i.e. three seconds in, three seconds out), it’s dynamic based on our situational needs. By reprogramming the way you view breathing, your buoyancy will dramatically improve and so will your gas consumption.
It’s good to be conscious of your breathing but this shouldn’t be taken to extreme measures such as holding your breath in an attempt to make your gas last longer. This is called “skip breathing,” and is unfortunately common in newer divers. There are a couple of problems with skip breathing. One, you are violating the cardinal rule to never holding your breath on SCUBA! Heaven forbid you ascend in the water column, causing a lung overexpansion injury. Second, you will actually use more gas this way! Essentially, you are burning oxygen faster than your body is receiving it, building up your CO2 levels. As your body becomes hypercapnic, also known as hypercarbia and CO2 retention, is a condition of abnormally elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the blood. Carbon dioxide is a gaseous product of the body’s metabolism and is normally expelled through the lungs, it Tip # 2 – Streamline will increase your respiraYour Gear and Trim tion rate. Other symptoms This is pretty self-explanof CO2 poisoning include atory. Reducing drag will splitting headaches and a require less effort to swim. sensation of doom. Mental Less effort means a lowstress can further increase er gas consumption rate. heart rate causing you to Ways to streamline your breathe more. Even more gear could be adding bolt troubling than these is the Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP student, documenting snaps to clip off dangling increased susceptibility to coral health in Utila, Honduras. Photo by: Tina instrument consoles and decompression sickness Sotis, Dive Instructor. hoses. For your body posidue to lack of gas exchange, tion, focus on a flat prone and increased risk of a dive position. This will provide the least amount of drag to accident. Most accidents occur as the inappropriate reaction to a situation, which is often panic. I think we swim forward while provide the maximum surface area can all agree now that skip breathing is bad. Promise me to slow changes in buoyancy for better control. Imagine your hips are a fulcrum to a scale. If you find your legs you will not do it? Okay, good! sagging when you dive, look for ways to move weight If you have a naturally low heart rate from good physi- up past your hips. This could be adding weights to your cal fitness, your air consumption rate will also be low. cam band straps, or investing in lighter fins. Or even So after all of this, I could tell you to do more cardio if simpler, extending your arms past your head to bring you want better air consumption. But since that’s not more weight forward. particularly helpful, here are a few tips that you could apply right now that would make your gas last longer. Tip #3 – Watch Your Depth
Tip # 1 – Breathing is for Buoyancy, Keeping
Boyle’s Law teaches us that the deeper you go, the greatMARCH 2017 |15
UH Hilo Unit Diving Coordinator, Dr. John Burns, driving a scooter to complete a fish survey. By using less energy on the scooter, they can dramatically reduce how much gas you consume on a dive. Photo by: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student. er ambient pressure is exerted on you. As a result, it requires more gas to fill your lungs with each breath, causing you to use more gas with depth. I might have a reputation of being a “deep diver,” but usually you will find me shallower in water column when I do fun dives. That’s because I understand that being at these deeper depths pushes inert gas into my tissues faster, and causes me to use more gas. If you find yourself using more gas than your dive buddies, or want to extend your gas supply, be conscious of your depth.
you work. Just be respectful of the environment.
Tip #5 – Use Efficient Fin Kicks Flutter kicking is not a desirable kick in diving. The propulsions from your fins sends a jet stream downwards that can stir up sediment. Suspended settlement can worsen visibility and settle on top of corals. Flutter kicking is also a constant aerobic exercise which cases you to use more gas.
Frog kicking is a better option, unless there is a curTip #4 – Use the Environment to Your Favor rent. By keeping the knees bent at a 90 degree angle and scooping outwards with your ankles, it sends the jet In the wisdom of tai chi, “go with the flow.” Usually we stream back and not down. This is the kick that is used find ourselves working the hardest and using the most by cave and wreck divers as it does not stir up silt. The gas at the entry and exit of a shore dive. Rather than glide in the frog kick also provides a resting phase that fighting against the surge, hold on to a piece of barren uses less energy. rock with a gloved hand and wait. As the surge comes back from behind you, leap off the rock with your hand Tip #6 – Manage Your Metabolism to catapult you to the next rock. It saves energy, which saves gas, and is a lot of fun! Think about other ways The more your body is working, the more energy is beyou could use your surroundings to reduce how hard ing drawn, the more your breathing rate will increase. If 16| Seawords
you are cold, your body is going to have to work harder to stay warm. If you just ate a big meal before diving, your body is going to be working to digest that food. And your body needs oxygen to carry out these functions. Could nitrox help? Maybe. More oxygen certainly does provide more energy, and extends your no decompression limits. In the grand scheme of things, these might not seem significant. But paired with everything else, they will make a difference to the extra paranoid breather.
Tip #7 – Slow Down This applies especially to new divers. It’s fantastic to be excited about diving but I’ve seen far too many jittery divers looking like dogs in a tennis ball factory. Rapid movements waste energy and can scare marine life away. To improve your air consumption keep the hand sculling to a minimum and maintain buddy contact instead of darting off to chase fish.
doesn’t mean anything unless you assign it significance. I believe it does become a concern when you are finding yourself in reoccurring low-on-gas situations. For these instances, good awareness and conservative planning are the best solutions. It’s also important to remember that your dive does not end when your gas ends. Always plan your dive. Determine a conservative turn pressure that will allow enough gas for you and your buddy enough time to reach the next gas supply, such as the surface. This is applicable from deep technical dives to recreational dives; ensuring both you and your buddy have enough gas to ascend, while making your stops in a controlled manner.
If you are one of those divers that has been called an “air hog” or “air sucker,” let me say you are not alone. We all have been there. I invite you try these tips but remember, you can usually rent a larger cylinder. Instead of an aluminum 80 cubic foot (AL80), ask if they have a 100 cubic foot cylinder. Or if your dive buddies are teasing you, you can take the AL80 and give your friends the In conclusion, how much stock should you put into your AL63s! n gas consumption? In my opinion it’s just a number that
Keelee Martin,UHH MOP Student (left), deploying a transect line as Julia Stewart, UHH MOP Student and Dive Safety Assistant, follows behind while frog kicking. Photo by: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student. MARCH 2017 |17
The Mysterious De
Rob gearing up for a day on the water. Photo by: Sharkwater Extinction Production.
R
ob Stewart’s untimely death at only 37 years old shocked a generation of marine conservationists. The Canadian filmmaker, known best for Sharkwater and Revolution, brought massive attention to the shark finning industry and the urgency to combat climate change. His films inspired countless young aquatic stewards and led to the introduction of policies that would save the lives of hundreds of millions of sharks. Stewart was reported missing on January 31, 2017, after surfacing from a series of deep dives in Key Largo, Florida at 5:15pm. After three days of searching, his body was recovered from 300 feet of water. For an international celebrity there is an awful lot of mystery still surrounding his death. Stewart was diving with Peter Sotis, a wellknown instructor in closed-circuit rebreathers, which is what they were using on the day of the accident. As a technical diver with hundreds of hours on rebreathers, I hope to offer possible explanations as to what might have happened given the scarce information from their dive profiles. This article is not intended to tarnish the memory of Rob Stewart as he was an inspiration to ME and many other marine scientists. While an official report is not available at this time, we can still identify hazards and risks associated with the kind of dives Stewart and Sotis were involved with to shed light on this mystery. Unlike conventional SCUBA units, a closed-
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circuit rebreather (CCR) allows divers to recycle the breathing gas to extend dive times and maintain a constant partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) to extend no decompression limits. Depending on the size of the carbon dioxide scrubber canister and volume of on-board gas, some rebreathers can allow divers to spend over eight hours under water. As nitrox divers, we know that a PO2 of above 1.4 can lead to possible oxygen toxicity to the central nervous system. Symptoms can include visual disturbances, ringing of the ears, nausea, twitching of facial muscles, irritability, dizziness, and convulsions that can lead to drowning. This is why rebreather divers must always know their PO2! In fact it is so important that most rebreathers have not one, but three oxygen sensors for redundancy and voting logic. Buoyancy is also completely different on a CCR than in traditional open-circuit SCUBA. When you exhale in open-circuit, your precious breath is released into the water column, causing your lung volume to empty and your buoyancy to decrease. On a CCR your breath is exhaled into “counter lungs” which passes through one-way valves removing the carbon dioxide so it can be “rebreathed.” As a result, your buoyancy does not change when you inhale or exhale into the counter lungs. While they offer extended dive times and closer interactions to wildlife from lack of noisy bubbles, CCRs are inherently complicated to operate, requiring extensive training for each kind of rebreather. Closer interactions with wildlife is what drew Stewart to CCRs in the first place. Debuting his interest with a “selfie” on a rebreather in Sharkwater, he set out to go deeper with them to capture the elusive sawfish for his next film. Stewart reached out to Sotis, the well-known rebreather spe-
cialist, to complete his South Florida. While he ence, it is hypothesized to this particular mod his training was comple dive a 111 foot wreck i of the deep dwelling saw hand, Stewart and Soti tive dives to 230 feet on
Diving to these depth sion, meaning divers a immediately. Instead t ries of incremental stop enough time for variou solved inert gas. As a re nical divers subscribe to one decompression div also popular to do two d a day if there is an ade in between, but to mak dives to these depths in of.
From released testimon and Stewart surfaced to third dive. There was a with 10 to 12 knot win
In a rebreather, gas flows from the diver’s mouthpiece down the breathing hoses and counter lungs to be scrubbed of carbon dioxide, allowing divers to stay down much longer with improved bottom times. Photo by of Hollis.
eath of Rob Stewart
s mixed-gas training in e did have prior experid that Stewart was new del. Just four days after eted, the two set out to in Key Largo in search wfish. With cameras in is made three consecuthe day of the accident.
By: Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student
ily to support additional search teams. Finally a remote operate vehicle (ROV) from the U.S. Border Patrol found Stewart’s body in 300 feet of water and a deep dive team was deployed to recover his body.
At this time, an official cause of death has not been released. Given Sotis’s loss of consciousness soon after surfacing, it can be reasonably assumed that Stewart also did the same. Given the aggressive dive profiles for the day and symptoms, I suspect they had neurological decompression sickness. Another possibility could be cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) which is rare and usually fatal. Due to the fact Sotis regained consciousness, I am hesitant to suspect either he or Stewart had a CAGE.
hs requires decompresare not able to surface they must make a seps coming up to allow us tissues to release disesult, a majority of techo the idea of only doing ve a day. However, it is decompression dives in If Stewart did lose consciousness, why was he equate surface interval not floating at the surface? What could have ke three decompression caused him to sink? Between a bulky rebreathn a single day is unheard er and bailout cylinders, Stewart’s rig would have weighed a lot. As a generally experienced nies, we know that Sotis diver, it’s unlikely he would have forgotten to ogether at the end of the inflate his BCD, unless he was out of gas makone to three foot swell ing more difficult to orally inflate it. Unlike nds. Upon climbing up most SCUBA regulators, the mouthpiece of a the ladder onto the rebreather is not designed to get wet due to the dive boat, Sotis had sensors and electronics within the breathing collapsed to the deck. loop. Had Rob forgotten to close his dive surSupposedly the crew face valve (DSV), a possibility considering he directed their atten- had only been trained on this rebreather four tion to him for only days prior. The loop could have been flooded a second and when causing a significant loss of buoyancy. they looked back to Since the two were diving below 190 feet, they Stewart, he was gone. would have needed a hypoxic trimix gas to Sotis was adminishave a greater maximum operating depth. In tered pure oxygen, reother words, to go deeper there needed to be gained consciousness less oxygen in their mix to get the PO2 below and declined further 1.4 as mentioned above. If either of them were care. During the next breathing this gas on the surface, they could three days the Coast have lost consciousness. However, my gas of Guard would search choice for 230 feet would have been 15/55, 15% over 1,300 square oxygen, 55% helium which is a “standard” gas. miles. A “GoFundBreathing 15% oxygen at the surface isn’t exMe” account was esactly comfortable, but won’t necessarily cause tablished by his fama blackout. If their loss of consciousness was
from the gas, then it would have had to been a much leaner mix. While there is a high degree of uncertainty with what happened, there are some lessons to take away from this tragic accident. Speaking from experience, operating a rebreather and camera together requires an incredible amount of task loading. In my opinion, it was too hasty for Stewart to have been filming while diving a CCR to those depths immediately after training. As an experienced instructor, it may not have been wise for Sotis to have allowed him to do this nor supported the idea of doing three decompression dives in a day. If there had been better support from the crew, it’s likely they would have been able to keep track of Stewart. Rob’s death is a tragic loss to our industry. Condolences are extended to his family, friends and other young scientists that were inspired by his films. Hopefully the official report will be released soon to answer the lingering questions surrounding this accident. n
Stewart’s film, Sharkwater usgered in an era of shark conservation after winning over 22 international awards. Photo courtesy of Sharkwater. MARCH 2017 |19
BLUE A
Actions for the Ocean
GENERATION
By: Jessica Lotts, Associate Editor
ll drains lead to the ocean. It’s a statement of fact that we’ve all heard, but have you ever really put into perspective how much water & waste that really accumulates to? Every time you take a shower, flush the toilet, pour something down the sink, wash your clothes or even wash your hands, that run-off heads straight to sea. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) agency has estimated that the average person uses between 80-100 gallons of water each day, roughly 30,000 gallons a year! 30,000 gallons of soaps, cleaners, food waste, human waste and more. Impacts from this water overload have already been documented in various coral reefs. Recently, Rollins College & University of Georgia teamed up to discover that ‘White Pox’ a disease that causes white splotches to appear on corals due to tissue loss, is directly correlated with human waste. This is the first proven example human disease transmission to marine invertebrate. Reducing your personal waste and saving water can be easy with a few minor lifestyle adjustments, for example:
20| Seawords
Background photo by Rafa Puerta, Flickr
Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. The average faucet releases 2.5 gallons of water a minute, save that wasted water by only turning on the faucet when you need to rinse. Consider a natural toothpaste without any harmful chemicals or fillers, like : http://www.lushusa.com/face/ teeth/ Photo by Alexis J, Flickr
Try using a shower bucket. Instead of letting all the cold water run down the drain waiting for your shower to heat up, place a bucket to collect the cold water to use for other things, like watering your plants.
Photo by Andrew MaloneFlickr
Look for shower products with natural ingredients that don’t harm the ocean, like: https://shop.drbronner.com/body-care
Put a plastic jug of water in the back of your toilet. The USGS records toilets use 2-4 gallons of water per flush (depending on the age of your toilet), putting in a heavy container displaces the water, tricking your toilet into using less. Or maybe consider “letting the yellow mellow. Though some may cringe at this option, imagine all the water saved! Photo by dirtyboxface, Flickr MARCH 2017 |21
Photo by: Daniel Jemings, UHM MOP Alumnus
New Discoveries
By: Mason, Mellot, UHM MOP Student
I
n today’s times it often seems as if there’s nothing left in the world to be discovered. Humans have traversed the globe, enduring harsh environments and discovering the natural world. It is overwhelming attempting to learn about all the species of animals we have classified. Marine organisms alone are one million species strong with an estimated nine million species yet to be discovered. Even though we often think that we’ve discovered it all, there are actually more species to be found than there are species that we know about. New discoveries happen fairly frequently, and although most fly under the radar, many particularly interesting finds become widely publicized. In this article you will be introduced to four captivating marine species that have been recently discovered. Hopefully you will be left with an increased ambition to go out and explore the wonderful world in which we live!
Casper – The Gh topus (Hawai‘i)
Bucktoothed Ghost Shark – Hydrolagus erithacus (South Africa) The 50th known species of ghost shark was discovered earlier this year in a study published on January 31st in the journal Zootaxa. Ghost shark is one of many informal names for a group of cartilaginous fishes in the order Chimaeriformes. The name ghost shark is misleading because, while chimeras are closely related to sharks, they are not true sharks. The new species is the largest chimera known to science, measuring nearly three feet in length. The new species is the fourth of the genus Hydrolagus, all of which are found below South Africa. Fisherman in South Africa have noted differences between what is now known as Hydrolagus erithacus and its smaller cousin Hydrolagus africanus for years, but science has only recently confirmed the suspicion that they are separate species. Since most chimeras live very deep in the ocean, not much is known about them. One particularly interesting find from this study was a crab claw found in the stomach of the newly acclaimed species. This evidence suggests that Hydrolagus erithacus uses its strong, rabbit-like teeth to crush the shells of crabs that live on the seafloor. With continuing research, it is likely that we will learn much more about these fascinating deep sea creatures. 22| Seawords
The 50th ghost shark species has recently been discovered and recorded by researchers. Photo by: Kristin Walovich, discovery scientist.
In March of 2016 off east side of Neck Hawai‘i, a robotic from NOAA encou small white octopus 4000m below the su octopus, nicknamed “ so newly discovered not yet received a scie ignation. However, ob of the animal have b light some information According to a study in Current Biology, the to the stalk of a dead around the clutch. Th ing its eggs without fee parent dies. This repro but necessary for sur strategy may already tivities. Several compa research on large, und sea floor for valuable the end of creatures su
Bonnethead – Sphyrna tiburo (Belize): The bonnethead shark was previously thought to exist as a single species over a wide distribution. A study in Belize by David Chapman, a researcher from Florida International University, has produced genetic data that suggest there are actually two separate species of bonnethead shark. The study is still being conducted and no official results have been published, however the data collected so far suggest that the two species have separate and smaller ranges than single species had. If true, this data could lead the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) to reevaluate the conservation status of the species, which is currently listed as “least concern” for the current single species classification. The discovery of significant genetic differences between bonnethead sharks was an accident. After sequencing the DNA of a couple sharks, researchers were shocked to find dramatic differences in the genomes. With this new genetic data, we will be able to more accurately classify the endangerment status of this small species of shark.
host Oc-
the northker Island, submarine untered a more than urface. The “Casper”, is that it has entific desbservations Photo by: NOAA brought to n about Casper’s mating behavior. published in December of 2016 e species attaches a clutch of eggs sponge, and then wraps its body The octopus will stay there protecteding until the eggs hatch and the oductive strategy is heartbreaking rvival. Scientists believe that this be under threat from human acanies and nations are conducting derwater mines from scraping the minerals, that would likely mean uch as Casper.
Bonnethead at the Birch Aquarium, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California. Photo by: Matthew Baldwin, Flckr.
Harry Potter Crab – Harryplax severus (Guam)
In 1998 late Harry Conley, researcher and former U.S. Marine discovered tiny crabs while digging on the shores of Guam. Twenty years after his discovery, researchers have identified this crab as Harryplax severus, after Harry Conley and Harry Potter, a character from the famous J.K Rowling series named Severus Snape. Christopher E. Mendoza, one of the two co-authors of the study, was responsible for the Harry Potter reference. Mendoza said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put his favorite fictional character into the name. Peter Ng, the other co-author, wasn’t difficult to persuade. Ng, who had known Harry Conley, said the late Marine would have liked the name. Despite having a name rooted in pop culture, the newfound crab is rather ordinary. Harryplax severus is extremely small, only measuring 0.3 by 0.2 inches. The crab is light brown and white in color, and resembles a very generic crab in body structure. The identification of this species is a testament to Harryplax severus, named after a Harry PotHarry Conley and to magical ter character, Severus Snape. Photo by: Popsci. discoveries of all kinds.
MARCH 2017 |23
Vaquita Species: Vaquita Scientific name: Phocoena sinus Range: Sea of Cortez Diet: Small, benthic fish and squid Size: 5 feet
Marine Mammal of the Month: Vaquita
By Jeremy Gasta, UHM MOP Student ter environment. With its peculiar preference for warmer water, as well as the isolated environment it lives in, it’s no surprise that the vaquita has no close relatives, having evolved on a different evolutionary path than other porpoises.
J
The vaquita is an opportunistic predator that will generally eat any fish or squid small enough for it to prey upon, although it mostly eats benthic species (bottom dwelling). Despite this, the porpoises are shallow water dwellers, rarely diving beyond 100 feet, they are most often found to live in shallow lagoons, so that they can easily reach their preferred prey. Besides water depth, another factor that determines prime vaquita location is water turbulence. Turbulent or restless water helps to mix nutrients in the water column, which attracts the species that the vaquita prey upon. Therefore, this elusive porpoise is best looked for in shallow, turbid lagoons.
Besides now being the world’s most endangered cetacean, the vaquita (also known as the cochito, desert porpoise, or Gulf of California porpoise), is also the world’s smallest. It reaches a maximum length of only five feet, with the females being the larger of the two genders. Being porpoises, vaquitas have much shorter rostrums (or “beaks”) than their dolphin relatives, which gives their faces more of a blunt look. Porpoises also tend to be smaller and have slightly more rotund bodies than dolphins. While the majority of the vaquita’s body is colored a steely grey, this cetacean can be easily recognized by the black coloration on its dorsal fins, flippers, eyes, and mouth (which gives it the strange appearance of wearing black lipstick). The vaquita is also unique for being the only porpoise species that lives in a warm wa-
Vaquitas have a reputation for being mysterious and fairly difficult to research. They spend very little time on the surface (likely due in part to their benthic feeding), and are shy of boats. This little porpoise is so elusive that it wasn’t even discovered until 1958, and spent the next half century proving to be just as difficult to learn about. However, researchers and hard-core vaquita fans have managed to scrounge up at least some knowledge of their behavior since.
ust this past month, a survey being conducted in the Sea of Cortez - also known as the Gulf of California - to estimate the numbers of a little known cetacean known as the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) concluded with somber results: this creature, the most endangered marine mammal on the planet after last decade’s extinction of the freshwater Baiji dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), has only thirty individuals left. As this creature teeters on the brink of extinction and conservationists rush to save it, there is no better time than now to learn just what is so special about the vaquita and why it is worth saving.
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Porpoises tend to be more solitary than dolphins, and the vaquita follows suit, with most individuals usually spotted alone, or with a nursing calf. Occasionally they will be spotted in small groups, though the largest recorded had forty animals. Young will stay with their mother for six to eight months, meaning that a female
Photo by: Paula Olson, NOAA. may be able to give birth every year. Similar to migrating whales such as humpbacks, the vaquita’s mating and reproduction seems to be based around yearly cycles, and most calves are born around March every year. The animal’s exact lifespan is unknown, but is thought to be around twenty years for a healthy individual. While some other factors may be threatening the vaquita’s survival - including pollution, shark predation, and habitat alteration - by and large the sole cause of the porpoise’s sudden decline is the rampant use of gillnets. These nets, used for commercial fishing, are essentially walls of mesh set up in the ocean, that vaquitas cannot sense with their echolocation. Gillnets are notorious for catching and killing many unintended creatures as bycatch, and the vaquita greatly suffers from this. Their population is dropping immensely: a survey in 2014, not even three years prior, found only eighty-five animals left. This was horrifying and shocking at the time, but even worse is how fast the population has dropped since then, with the most recent report only finding thirty.
porpoises, with open-water sea pens and nearby pools built on land for use in special circumstances or medical care. Special US Navy-trained dolphins, which have been trained to use their echolocation to track down bombs, are now being employed to round up the last vaquitas. While some porpoises may be released back into the wild with tracking tags to monitor how they’re doing, the majority will remain in the freshly-built sanctuary, to take part in a captive breeding program and try to up their numbers. If the Mexican government is able to fully eradicate gillnet fishing in the Sea of Cortez, the vaquitas will be released back into the wild, hopefully to live fuller and safer lives. The plan does have its flaws, however. First, the sanctuary/breeding complex will not be fully constructed until October 2017, which at that point may be too late. Furthermore, porpoises are easily overstressed and may react poorly to the planned dolphin round-up. Porpoises in general are also known to generally fare poorly in captivity, and there are fears about how well the breeding program will work - certain animal species are simply very hard to breed in a captive environment. So much remains unknown about the vaquita that no one is able to guess how well the breeding program will actually work. Furthermore, even if the breeding is successful, there are so few individuals left that this could result in a bottleneck effect: a loss of genetic diversity due to a large amount of the population being wiped out, which leaves any remaining individuals and their offspring vulnerable to risks such as disease. However, they wouldn’t be the first marine mammal to bounce back so close to extinction, and there is hope. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) was extremely endangered, at one point were thought to have only twenty individuals remaining alive. However, helped in part by last-minute conservation measures, the seals’ numbers skyrocketed and are now well over 100,000, despite experiencing a bottleneck effect. (They also jumped from one extreme of the IUCN endangered species list to the other - they were critically endangered, but are now classified as “Least Concern”).
The 2014 survey did spark some conservation attempts, and in April 2015, the Mexican government placed a two-year ban on gillnet fishing in the Gulf. Unfortunately, illegal fishing still ran rampant, due to black market demand for the also-critically-endangered Totoaba fish (Totoaba macdonaldi). While poachers depleted one vulnerable species, they also took out another as col- While the future for the vaquita looks uncertain, the important thing is that measures are being taken by lateral damage. governments and conservation groups to try to give the Thankfully, there are major steps being taken to try to species a rebound. This is the key feature that the unforconserve the last of the vaquita, parts of which sound tunate Baiji lacked, but hopefully now that action is belike something out of an aquatic spy thriller. Special ing taken the world’s newest most-endangered cetacean housing is being constructed to contain the remaining won’t face the same fate. n
MARCH 2017 |25
Ocean art
Mother
Poem by: Kiana Fumiko Photo by: Marine Option Program
With motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s watery breat began. The salt of the e those frothy waves. B ancient treasures l seen. A belly full o victim to wate
both life and have rocked toy sail steam ships in stormy seas have been the bane of all seen through different eye those soft, salt-lick kisses; so
and died in fear a cold, clutchi of those who have ridden e have learned to mind m icy fingers that hav chariot in a land on to ou
26|â&#x20AC;&#x192;Seawords
er Ocean
Yasana, HCC English 201 Student
th, the world earth rests within Beneath green waters, lie that most eyes have never of man’s secrets have fallen ery jaws that have swallowed
d death. The same cradling arms boats have thrown great y tantrums. Mysterious f millions of paper worlds, es. Some have loved ome have lived
ing grip. But all earth’s ancient waters mother’s hand. The sea’s same ve held the reigns of the sun’s firey d before time continue to hold ur dying rock.
Photo of and by: Kiana Yasana, HCC Student.
Kiana’s poem was chosen from a collection of poems submitted to us by Eric Shaffer, an HCC professor, and written by his English 201: Creative Writing class. Mahalo for your support and yearly controbution. MARCH 2017 |27
The Future of Climate Change & Conservation
W
By: Jessica Lotts, Associate Editor Photo by Todd Kravos, Flickr
hether you are on the left or the right, in the swarm of political battles happening seemingly every day, there seems to be at least one thing we can all agree on…we are all a little unsure of what the future holds. This question, along with the rumored slew of fake news circulating, the internet, poses an even greater threat. Not knowing what will happen and having to doubt the validity of sources telling you what’s happening is a scary combination. This confuses us and makes us feel a little angry and lost on who or what to believe. To hopefully alleviate some doubt on what our future holds, particularly in the field of climate and environment, we’ve gathered the words straight from the POTUS himself…or at least what’s posted on his website. Here’s some of what we know: “President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years.” and “Unleash America’s $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, plus hundreds of years in clean coal reserves.” This would occur specifically at Native American Reservations. Although these territories only cover a mere 2% of American soil, they may contain nearly a fifth of the nation’s oil, gas and coal reserves according to Fortune. This would include moving forward with the Dakota Access Pipeline which CNN has reported has officially been given green light. This movement is a controversial topic mainly because the pipeline could seriously affect the water supply of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
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Photo by Gage Skidmorer
“Open onshore and offshore leasing on federal lands, eliminate moratorium on coal leasing, and open shale energy deposits.” An example of a location would be more in the Gulf of Mexico according to PolitiFact Florida. “Encourage the use of natural gas and other American energy resources that will both reduce emissions but also reduce the price of energy and increase our economic output.” Trump’s plans to unleash more natural gas coincides with his new leasing for oil on federal lands, where he and some others believe it’s trapped. Although they are unsure where it might be. “Rescind all job-destroying Obama executive actions. Mr. Trump will reduce and eliminate all barriers to responsible energy production, creating at least a half million jobs a year, $30 billion in higher wages, and cheaper energy.” This has already been attempted with the president’s EPA and Natural Parks Service lockdown, however these environmental agencies refused to be stopped and created alternative means to communicate with the public.
Photo by Jasper Morse, Flickr
With “fake news” swirling across every corner of the web, it is important for the community to get their news from real, reliable sources such as legitimate news stations and official press releases.
All quotes were pulled directly from: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/energy/ and https://www.whitehouse.gov/america-first-energy n MARCH 2017 |29
cean updates
By Keelee Martin, UHM MOP Student
“IF WE KEEP PRODUCING (AND FAILING TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF) PLASTICS AT PREDICTED RATES, PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN WILL OUTWEIGH FISH POUND FOR POUND IN 2050,” WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. A Blacktip Reef Shark effortlessly glides through the sea, photo by Klaus Stiefel, Flickr.
Rare Marine Life Fossils Found in Canada
at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch was a lobster, and because their chitin skeletons are somewhat flexible, they are not usually well preserved. This observation led to more discoveries—delicate shrimp, full fish skeletons with visible scales and gills, ichthyosaurs (extinct dolphin-sized marine reptiles), and vampyropods (a kind of Coleoid cephalopod that is related to modern day vampire squid and octopus) with their soft ink sacks still intact.
In 2013, a rare soft-bodied fossil site was discovered in a private property managed by Parks Canada at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch (near Banff National Park) in Southwestern Alberta, Canada. Since the site’s discovery, paleontologists have come every year to look for more fossils, and they’ve found something new on every expedition. The discoveries of these expeditions were published in January 2017, by researchers at the University of Texas The diversity of fossils deposited at the same time has in Austin. The marine fossils at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch date back to the Jurassic, 183 million years ago. This site is one of four worldwide, classified as “Konservat-Lagerstätte” which is a fossil bed that preserves hard and soft bodied tissues together. The other three sites are located in Europe and also contain fossils from the early Jurassic. Because all four of these sites date back to around the same time and have considerable distance between them, scientists can piece together the marine life from millions of years ago on opposite sides of the North American continent. Konservat-Lagerstätte sites are exceptional finds because they provide a greater diversity of organisms representative of the time. In a normal fossil deposit, only the hard-bodied tissues are fossilized which limits the permanent record of organisms during that time. The first find 30| Seawords
The fossilized mantle of a vampyropod (Coleoid cephalopod relatives to modern vampire squid) pictured bottom left. Photo by Rowan Martindale/The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
prompted researchers to study the cause. One hypothesis suggests an extensive extinction during hypoxic or anoxic (little to no oxygen present) conditions in the oceans during the Jurassic. Low oxygen areas with few scavengers would have created exemplary conditions for a carcass to settle and be preserved.
in killer whales.
The killer whales in this study were from two populations that inhabit the U.S. and the Northwest Pacific Coast of Canada. Several pods make up these populations, one of which is known as J-pod. The 24 individuals of J-pod were led Mammalian Menopause by J2, affectionately known as “Granny” who was reHumans, short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macported missing and presumed dead in January. Though rorhynchus), and killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the there’s debate of how old she was, it is presumed she only species of mammals that undergo menopause, livlived at least 40 years being decades after they stop yond her last calving. Dr. reproducing. In the wild, Deborah Giles of the Cenfemale killer whales reach ter for Whale Research, reproductive age around recounts the whale’s ability 15 and stop reproducing in to, “call the other whales to their 30-40s, living someher by vigorously slapping times into their 100s. Alterher tail on the water, even natively, male killer whales from miles away the other do not live much longer whales would turn around than 30 years. In January, a and come immediately to study was published by an J2’s side.” international research team The evidence in this study representing Fisheries and is not substantial enough Oceans Canada, the U.S. A skyhopping orca, photo by Talyor Shedd, MOP to prove that the reproCenter for Whale Research, Alumnus ductive conflict between and three Universities of females in pods is the only reason for older females to the United Kingdom (Exeter, Cambridge and York), to gather 43 years of data to understand why killer whales go through menopause, but it certainly has played a role go through menopause. The team found that when as the menopausal trait evolved. To study these poputwo females of different generations reproduce at the lations further, the next phase of research plans to use same time, the older female’s offspring has a 1.7 times drones to monitor behavior between females. One the higher mortality rate than that of the younger female’s populations of killer whales under study, the southern offspring. Researchers attributed this “reproductive resident killer whales are listed as endangered, underconflict” between mothers and their daughters to their standing their reproductive success is crucial before dependence on sharing food. The pair forages together there is greater danger of extinction. and calves can rely for years on their mothers for food. Dr. Daniel Franks, the study’s co-author from the University of York explained that if an older female reproduces later in life, her offspring are out-competed by her own grandchildren. In addition to this factor, Dr. Darren Croft, the study’s leader from the University of Exeter, said that, “older females are more closely related to the family group than younger females. This imbalance in local relatedness between mothers and their own female offspring means that older females do best to invest more heavily in the wider family group whereas younger females should invest more in competition.” These factors may explain the evolution of menopause
MPAs and the Future of Sharks
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been in effect for decades. They usually trace a coastline, with one square mile as an average size. Exceptions to these smaller enclosures are the recently expanded Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (582,578 square miles) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the Ross Sea Protected Area (589,000 square miles) in the Southern Ocean of the Antarctic—the largest marine reserve in the world. Tim White, a graduate student at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, led a study in the U.S. Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge MPA, MARCH 2017 |31
1,000 miles south of Hawai‘i to track sharks and fishing boats within the area. MPAs have a long, debated history of their effectiveness, and with reserves like Papahānaumokuākea and Ross Sea in mind, White said that, “Some of these protected areas are twice the size of Texas and they’ve been very recently established, so they hold great conservation potential… but we’re not sure of the effects that these marine protected areas will have on a range of species.” The size of MPAs is a large topic of discussion, especially for larger species trying to be protected, like sharks, because they are more likely to swim outside the non-physical boundary of an MPA than a small reef fish. In order to track shark movement, two tagging techniques were used in this study: number tags and satellite tags. The number tags are much cheaper and they can track a larger population of sharks, however, this method also depends on getting the tags back from the fisherman who catch the shark, naturally this does not always happen. Regardless, White’s team tagged 262 with numbered tags. Satellite tags give a constant satellite location for a given amount of time, but are very expensive. Eleven sharks were given satellite tags.
Using this information, the team applied it into an algorithm created by Global Fishing Watch (the collaboration of Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google) to determine the time and location of anticipated fishing boats. This study’s findings concluded that MPAs are doing their job at protecting wildlife from fishing, giving them a chance to reach reproductive age and inhabit an area with enough available resources to thrive. More sharks were found inside the MPA than outside of it, and the fishing vessels were found outside of the reserve, though they were found in larger numbers than expected. The team also found that one of the reef sharks swam more than 575 miles from where it was tagged in the reserve, spending 97% of its time in the pelagic zone. More tags off these same species of reef sharks were found farther than these sharks were suspected of swimming, suggesting that maybe their “reef shark” classification should be re-evaluated.
Managing MPAs is not a simple feat, but White’s team concluded that they do help preserve shark populations. Sharks are key players in a healthy ecosystem. With so many factors affecting our oceans, the last thing humans should be doing is overfishing these top predators In addition to tracking shark movement, researchers that have existed for the last 423 million years—what used automatic identification system (AIS) transceivers would our oceans be like without them? Let’s work to which are standard on boats to communicate their loca- protect them so we never have to find out. tion, identification, and the make and size of the boat.
A galapagos shark in Hawaiian waters, photo by MOP 32| Seawords
The Origin of Humans? Tracing a species ancestry back to where they originated is a human characteristic, and the popularity of DNA testing and genealogical tracing websites is proof that it matters to many where they came from. It matters to scientists as well, and in an exciting new discovery, researchers from the UK, China and Germany have discovered what they believe to be the oldest prehistoric ancestor of humans. The microfossils of this creature were found in China and named Saccorhytus coronarius for its sac-like appearance. The fossils are dated back to 540 million years ago. Saccorhytus’ sac-like form is elliptical with a large mouth, but its entire body is not more than a millimeter in size. It has been classified as earliest form of deuterostome (a wide biological classification that comprises several sub-groups, one of which are vertebrates). Saccorhytus is thought to have lived in between sand grains in the shallow seas of the early Cambrian period. Under a microscope researchers discovered that this creature did not have an anus, only a very large mouth. The word deuterostome means “second mouth” because during embryonic development the anus forms first and the mouth develops second. Saccorhytus is also bilaterally symmetrical, and covered with a thin and somewhat flexible skin suggesting there was some degree of musculature present to help the creature wiggle through sand grains. Tiny conical features were found on the body and speculated to be a way for water to leave the body—perhaps a form of the earliest gills that would later develop to what is seen in fish today. The majority of other early deuterostome groups date to 510-520 million years ago. By that time groups had already begun to diverge into subgroups of tunicates (i.e. sea squirts), vertebrates, echinoderms (i.e. starfish), and hemichordates (i.e. acorn worms). Such diversity has made for challenging work in developing what their common ancestor may have looked like. Degan Shu of Northwest University, a researcher on this project said, “Saccorhytus now gives us remarkable insights into the very first stages of the evolution of a group that led to the fish, and ultimately, to us.” It can be humbling and fascinating discovering one’s history, and though silly it may be worth framing a picture of Saccorhytus and putting it on the family wall as a reminder of how far we have come.
DNA Strand. Photo taken by Enzymlogic, Flickr
Storing Carbon—Where to keep it? As carbon emissions continue to affect climate change, the scientific community has heightened their studies of how natural ecosystems deal with excess carbon. Industrialization is one of the top threats for coastal ecosystems when it comes to storing carbon. Coastal wetlands like tidal marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass beds have been found to be significant long-term storage sinks of carbon within their soils. In a study published early February 2017 in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Howard et al., stated that though coral reefs and marine fauna are important players in the ocean carbon cycle, they are not a part of long-term carbon sequestration. Sequestration takes MARCH 2017 |33
the carbon out of the system making it biologically un- we have now is to spend time studying the ways enviavailable and storing it long term lessening detrimental ronmental systems already control carbon storageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for effects of excess carbon. coastal wetlands, this is huge. Seagrasses, mangroves and marshes have complex root systems that trap sediDiscovering the ways the environment naturally disment and the carbon within it. When these areas are poses of carbon is of great importance. The ocean is the cut down or industrialized for harbors, or building delargest carbon sink the Earth has; it absorbs 20-35% of velopments, the stored carbon is released back into the all anthropogenic CO2 emissions (Khatiwala et al. 2009 atmosphere. Preserving these areas by limiting coastal cited in Howard et al. 2017). Because the ocean is so big, development and environmental disturbance allows the attempts to control the absorption of carbon is currentenvironment to naturally do its job to take carbon out ly unrealistic and the potential environmental impacts of the system. n of interfering are too unknown. One of the best options
Shows an intact wetlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to store carbon. B. Shows the same wetland after anthropogenic disturbance and carbon being released (Fig. 1 from Howard et al. 2017).
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How to Make an Artificial Reef
The Kraken being sunk of the Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Matrix New World Engineering.
By: Camra Hopper, Editor
If
you’ve ever wondered how artificial reefs are made, it’s more than just dropping an old vessel on the bottom of the ocean. Placement and safety is extremely important. The first step to building an artificial reef is to sink a large, strongly structured object to the bottom of the ocean. An example would be a 6,000-ton, 371-foot former cargo vessel, like the Kraken, that was sunk 76 miles off the Galveston coast. Matrix New World Engineering helped the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program ensure that the vessel was free of environmental hazards and safe to support marine life such as corals, fishes, sea turtles and other aquatic species.
triad of coral reef systems popular with divers and fishermen located about 100 miles off the Gulf Coast,” Eric Haun, writer for Marine Technology said. Along with the Kraken, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also manages 70 separate artificial reef programs, making it one of the world’s largest active artificial reef programs. These programs are essential to the Gulf of Mexico since there are very few natural habitats for corals, barnacles and sponges to colonize.
“Funding for the project came from donations and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill natural resource damage settlement, jointly provided by natural resource trustee agencies in Texas which include the Texas Parks and The Kraken went through six months of work that enWildlife Department, Texas Commission on Environabled it meet the strict U.S. Environmental Protection mental Quality and Texas General Land Office,” Haun Agency’s Best Management Practices for future artificial said. reefs. This included ensuring that cleanup contractors removed oil, fuel, damaged paint, asbestos, polychlori- The Kraken serves as a recent example of an artificial nated biphenyls (PCBs) and other hazards from the ves- reef, but they come in many different shapes and sizes, sel, which Douglas Jackson, Senior Project Manager for specially here in Hawai‘i. The state’s first artificial reef was created in 1961 at Maunalua Bay, of Kahala, O‘ahu. Matrix, oversaw. Shortly after two more reef sites were created in 1963 Not only does the Kraken serve as an artificial reef for off Keawakapu, Māui, and Waianae, O‘ahu, but there are marine life, but it’s also become an underwater destiseveral sites spread out around the islands. Some of the nation for divers. This led to extra precaution during materials used included, but not limited to: car bodies, deconstruction of the vessel to ensure no one would be concrete pipes, barges and minesweepers, derelict conhurt during dives. crete “z-modules,” tires, and several other small vessels. “The Kraken’s new resting place is in close proximity to n the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a
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T
FLASHBACK: 1997
his flashback goes back to March 1997, when MOP hosted the Annual Maritime Archaeology and History of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. This event was held during Presidents’ Day weekend and was co-sponsored by NOAA Sanctuaries, the Hawai‘i Maritime Center, and the Marine Option Program. A total of thirteen papers were presented.
By Emily Menzies, UHM MOP Student
Some papers presented were about the 1996 MAST summer field school. Directed by Dr. Hans Van Tilburg, the field school conducted mapping of ancient Hawaiian fishing sites of Waikīkī each. The symposium also had a panel discussion led by UHM facility member William Still with William Dudley of the Naval Historic Center, Bruce Terrell from NOAA Sanctuaries and Reserves Division, and Kevin Foster of the National Parks Service, all based from the East Coast. Their discussion was about federal government funding for maritime archaeology and history. On the final day of the symposium, the attendees went on a field trip to the He‘eia fishpond. This fishpond is over 400 years old and fish that live in it include ‘ama’ama, awa, pualu, palani, aholehole, moi, kokala, kākū, and papio. The fishpond is also home to different species of papa’i, ‘ōpae, 36| Seawords
puhi, and pipi. Researchers, professors and students alike have been presenting their research at the symposium for 28 years. The symposium is a good opportunity to get involved with the marine community through a different angle. This year’s symposium was February 18th -19th. This flashback allows us to see how much the annual Maritime Archaeology and History of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Symposium has grown and developed over the past 20 years. n
critter of the month Ashy Sea Cucumber (Holothuria cinerascens)
Hawaiian Name: Loli Distribution: Indo Pacific & Hawaii
By: Alicia Gregor, UHM MOP Student
T
he ashy sea cucumber (Holothuria cinerascens) is one of the most common species found on Hawaiian shorelines. It’s most frequently found in coastal tide pools or shallow reefs where they often squeeze themselves into small crevices, leaving only their tentacles extended. They thrive in these areas because they are protected from predators and wave action. The currents and waves provide ashy sea cucumbers with their main source of nourishment. As the waves roll over, their mucuscoated tentacles extend and capture detritus
Size Range: up to 6 inches in length Diet: Plankton, suspended detritus
Photo by Ria Tan, Flickr
traveling with the current. Sand particles stick to their purplish-brown to black bodies, giving them an “ashy” appearance because flecks of sand are adhering to the body of the sea cucumber. On O‘ahu, the ashy sea cucumber can be seen at the Makapu‘u tide pools, Lanikai, and at Hanauma Bay. If you are looking, you will most likely be able to spot one; these organisms are of least concern according to ICUN. n
MARCH 2017 |37
March 2017 Interesting Invertebrate Investigations 16 March
2 March •
The "hitched" and "single" lifestyles of the marine sponge Xestospongia deweerdtae
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Taking the sting out of box jellyfish • •
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The magical world of plankton and invertebrate life cycles
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Live long and prosper: why the complex sex life of jellyfish and coral may bring them closer to immortality • •
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Diplomatic relations between the Hawaiian Bobtail squid and its luminous bacterial • •
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Seawords Crossword Puzzles
Aloha MOPpers! This is the first issue that Seawords has decided to create a puzzles related to MOP. Not only is this a super-duper fun puzzle to complete, but the first person to send us an e-mail with all of the correct answers (seawords@ hawaii.edu) will get PRIZES, even if you don’t live on O‘ahu. You will also be featured in next issue!
Seawords Crossword! 1 2
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10 Created with TheTeac hers Co rner.net Cro s s wo rd Puz z le Generato r
Across 2. March's critter of the month 7. A bad breathing habit for scuba divers 8. The most endangered mammal on the planet 9. Editor of Seawords 10. Hurray there's...
Down 1. What's on the calendar for March 4th? 3. UHM MOP Coordinator 4 . Two week field study in Hilo 5. The cabinet where all the answers are 6. One of only three mammals that experience menopause
MARCH 2017 |39
March
Photo by Jessica Lotsts, Associate Editor & Photo Contestant
Sun.
Next month: April
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- April 2 - MOP Day/Night Snorkel - April 8 - MOP Symposium -April 22- Earth Day Beach Cleanup
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Sunday’s at the Bay: Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm
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19 Sunday’s at the Bay: Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm
26 Sunday’s at the Bay Hanauma Bay 3 - 4 pm
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<<<<<<<<SPRING BR
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MOP & Community Events
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Fish Auction (16th-24th TBA) Commercial Fishing Village 5:30 a.m. - 7:45 a.m.
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Tour of Dolphin Quest Kahala Resort 8:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
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REAK Y’ALL!!>>>>>>>>>> 30
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University of Hawai`i at MÄ noa Seawords, Marine Option Program College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Address Service Requested
Thank you for reading!