SEA GRANT NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE NATION - APRIL 8, 1998
STUDY FINDS HUMPBACK WHALES AT RISK
An increasing number of humpback whales in Hawaiian waters are dying by entanglement in natural and synthetic lines, according to a recent study funded in part by Hawaii Sea Grant. The study, published in the January issue of Pacific Science, analyzed humpback deaths over a 25-year period and found that an average of one humpback dies each year in these waters. In 1996 there was a sharp rise in deaths, with the loss of eight humpback whales due to direct strikes by moving vessels or entanglement in fishing gear. While the numbers are not yet tallied for 1997, Hawaii Sea Grant researcher Shannon Atkinson, co-author of the report, believes the losses may be equally alarming. More than half of the deaths and entanglements occur during February, the peak season for humpback whale activity around Hawaii. Nearly 75 percent occur off the more populated islands of Hawaii, Maui and Oahu, and most fatalities happen to newborn calves. While aerial surveys suggest an increase in the!
overall humpback whale population wintering in Hawaii, deaths of newborn calves do not bode well for the recovery of this endangered species. Atkinson claims the new data reinforces the importance of protecting habitat for the humpback whale, in particular lactating females and their newborn calves. "It is important for the recovery of our state mammal that we act as responsible stewards of the humpback whale's reproductive grounds," Atkinson said. "This includes a heightened awareness of marine debris and a sense of caution when boating around marine mammals." The report authors recommend better monitoring and management of the endangered humpback whale population in its breeding grounds around Hawaii and increased public education and awareness of the effects of human activities on visiting humpback whales.
CONTACT: Shannon Atkinson, Hawaii Sea Grant Researcher, (Honolulu, HI), (O) 808-956-8625 or 808-236-7417; E-Mail: [email protected]
RESEARCH AIMS TO REDUCE INTRODUCTION OF EXOTIC SPECIES INTO THE GREAT LAKES
Researchers from the University of Michigan and Michigan Sea Grant are developing ways to prevent the release of nonindigenous species into the Great Lakes. Their preliminary findings indicate that dispensing a small amount of an environmentally benign chemical, called glutaraldehyde, into ballast water may help eliminate invading species. A $300,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust will enable the researchers to field test the effectiveness and costs of this new treatment approach. "This is an extremely important investigation into this overlooked option for preventing the introduction of exotic species into the Great Lakes," commented Michigan Sea Grant director and principle investigator, Russell Moll. "We are hopeful that the results of this study will provide resource managers with a safe and effective new tool for stopping the spread of unwanted aquatic organisms." One reason researchers are excited about the potential use of glutaraldehyde is that only smal! l amounts are necessary for it to be effective and it degrades quickly into nontoxic naturally-occurring compounds, such as carbon dioxide.
CONTACT: Russell Moll, Director Michigan Sea Grant (Ann Arbor, MI), (O) 734-763-1437; E-Mail: [email protected]
LINKING TOWN HALLS TO TECHNOLOGY, PROJECT NEMO EDUCATES DECISION MAKERS
Town officials and land-use planners in Connecticut are getting a preview of how future development may affect their watersheds with the help of NEMO, a program developed by Connecticut Sea Grant and the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. NEMO stands for Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials. It was developed to educate town decision makers about land use planning and its effects on nonpoint pollution and water quality. NEMO uses aerial and satellite images to compile high-tech GIS maps of municipalities. GIS or "geographic information system" is a computer system that can map out various data from a particular location. The maps can then be manipulated with computer software to show the consequences of development that is allowed by current zoning regulations. NEMO's message is not that all large-scale development must be prohibited, but rather that municipalities can preserve and protect water resource and community character while accommodatin! g compatible economic growth, provided appropriate planning is done. The NEMO team advises a three-tiered strategy to accomplish this goal: natural resource-based planning, innovative site design, and the use of best management practices. "The key to NEMO it that is provides a broad framework for decision making, rather than the more typical case-by-case situation," says Heather Crawford, Connecticut Sea Grant Extension Program educator and member of the NEMO team. The NEMO concept is traveling rapidly as other Sea Grant Programs, extension programs, and water districts all over the nation adopt programs like it. Currently, 15 Sea Grant programs are actively engaged in conducting or initiating community-based, land-use oriented watershed programs that use GIS technology.
CONTACT: Heather Crawford, Connecticut Sea Grant Extension Program Educator, (New Haven, CT), (O) 203-432-5118; E-Mail: [email protected]
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