Radiation: The Next Round!

The aftermath of the Japanese 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami still makes the news today. The Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered a melt down after the disasters on the March 11, 2011. Environmental and public health concerns, and even government and corruption controversies surround the whole incident. All of which have validity. For the sake of science, this post will only focus on the most recent developments from the disaster that are affecting North Americans. 

Recently this moth, Canadian and U.S. scientists have detected radio active isotopes, cesium-134 and cesium-137, on the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia. The radioactive material has yet to reach the west coast of the U.S. according to Woods Hole ocean scientists. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. For example cesium-134 has less neutrons than cesium-137. Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years and remains in the environment for several decades. The problem, at least right now, is cesium-134. It only has a half life of two years, but it is more toxic and can cause more problems than cesium 137. 

What makes cesium-134 bad? Currently, any detectable isotopes can be traced back to Fukushima. Surprisingly, cesium-137 has already been present in the atmosphere for decades. Besides Fukushima, sources of cesium-137 can be traced back to nuclear weapons testing overseas and all the way back to the Manhattan project. 

Scientists have been on the look out for radiation along the west coast since the wake of the disaster. All of the cesium-134 was concentrated in the upper 100m of the ocean according to the most recent tests. The results from the February 2014 sampling will be ready soon.  

Despite how scary this all sounds, it is still to early to tell how this will affect certain things. Also, the levels scientists are detecting are very minimal and are not high enough to cause any harm. The infamous Chernobyl disaster released 1000s of times more radiation than what is currently being detected. Currently, scientists are monitoring the Fukushima radiation closely and diligently. Just like the Bluewater Horizon disaster, the management of the Fukushima disaster is a giant science experiment because nothing like this has ever happened before. 

Fukushima's radiation reached coastal Canada first due to the Kuroshio Current. This is a powerful current that flows from Japan across the Pacific. In time, the current and the radiation it is carrying will flow downy he coast of North American and circle back toward Hawaii. This is however, only predictions based of models of the current. To this day, radioactive materials are still leaking into the water and are being carried across the ocean to North America. 

Article Source: http://local.msn.com/fukushimas-radioactive-ocean-water-arrives-at-west-coast

The Heaviest Bony Fish...

Common mola

An Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola, also known as the Common mola.  This fish deserves the title of "heaviest bony fish" because it averages 2,000lbs.  The current record for the largest Common mola is 10ft in length, weighing 4927 lbs.  The term 'mola' means Millstone in Latin.  A millstone is used to grind grain, and this fish relates to one in color and size, thus earning the name Mola mola.  When Common molas hatch out of eggs they resemble floating pincushions, very similar in appearance to puffer fish.  As they age, they lose their spikes and their tales.  From the above picture, it is evident that these fish do not have a caudal fin; instead they contain a “clavus,” which is the fusion of the dorsal and anal fin rays.  Adults also lack swim bladders. 

Ocean Sunfish

These giant fish feed on jellies, specifically the Portuguese Man o' War, and also Ctenophores and Salps.  Because these organisms are not completely nutritious, Ocean Sunfishes will prey on anything they may have to, such as small squids, sponges, other fish and several types of crustaceans.  They may additionally feed on weeds floating among the surface.  When feeding, these fish suck jellies in and out of their mouths until the food is small enough to ingest completely.  A mucous-like lining in their digestive tracts allows Common molas to eat such prey.  Shopping bags littered in the ocean become an extreme danger to these animals.  This is because shopping bags in water resemble jellies, which attract the Common molas.  Once they ingest the bag, there is a possibility of it getting trapped in their throats.  If the bag does not immediately stop in the throat, it could make its way to the stomach and cause a block, which would lead to slow starvation for the fish.  (This is a good reason to reduce your use of plastic shopping bags... go green!) 

The only aquarium in the United States to possess Common molas is the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey California.

 The Common mola also enjoys basking in the sun near the surface of the water.  Mola mola live in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, along with the Mediterranean Sea.  Two common predators are sea lions and orcas, however they do not have many predators due to their great size.  Nonetheless these creatures still encounter many threats, such as parasites and being caught unintentionally from fishing.  There are nearly forty different kinds of parasites on one Common mola, one specifically being the larval stage of a shark tapeworm.  Around thirty percent of the a swordfish catch in California consists of Common molas, and ninety-three percent of the Spanish gillnet fishery's catch in the Mediterranean Sea is made up of Molas. 

 

Presentation-Seahorse

Seahorses are more than just pretty fish to look at, they play a major role in the ocean ecosystem.

 
Presentation will include the description of seahorses, mating behavior, section of habitat, and concerns for future of the population as a whole. Because there are so many different species, over 30 that have been described, the focus will be on the genus Hippocampus in the family Syngnathidae. Many of the species are endangered and researches are working on methods to protect them. Each species has a unique look and size to it making this such an interesting part of the ocean.

 Fun Facts:  They are ray-finned fishes.
                   Found all over the world.
                   Many carry diseases so seahorses as pets can be risky. 


http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Sea-horses/