A Tribe Called K2 Buhl-oog!

From 2003 to 2008, an international research team led by University of Alaska-Fairbanks scientists Natalia Shakhova and Igor Semiletov surveyed the waters of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, which covers more than two million sq km of seafloor in the Arctic Ocean.

"This discovery reveals a large but overlooked source of methane gas escaping from permafrost underwater, rather than on land," the study says. "More widespread emissions could have dramatic effects on global warming."

Earlier studies in Siberia had focused on methane escaping from thawing permafrost on land.

Scientists have long thought the permafrost under the East Siberian Arctic Shelf acted as an impermeable barrier that sealed in methane, a powerful greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

But the research team’s observations showed that the permafrost submerged on the shelf was perforated and leaking large amounts of methane.

More than 80 per cent of the deep water and more than half of the surface water had methane levels about eight times higher than found in normal seawater, according to the study published in the journal Science.

The release of even a fraction of the methane could trigger abrupt climate warming. Current average methane concentrations in the Arctic average about 1.85 parts per million, the highest in 400,000 years, said Dr Shakhova.

Reported by Bjarne Wildau

In Australia, where the danger of the deadly jellyfish is not ignored, beaches known to be infested have signs warning people when to swim and when not to.

The box jelly fish is clear as glass and prefers shallow water with sand bottoms – just like the millions of tourists coming to Thailand every year.

Nine year old Swedish girl Ida was nearly killed in yet another attack of the deadly box jellyfish in Thailand. Only the fast action of a Swedish fire-fighter likewise on vacation in Thailand, saved her life.
The incident took place on Koh Mak near Koh Chang. This is significant, because previously all attacks and deaths by box jellyfish have been in the Andaman sea. With this incident, the Gulf of Siam can obviously no longer be considered box jellyfish free waters.
The ordeal of Ida and her parents are described in detail in an article in Swedish language in Aftonbladet (http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article6723047.ab )
The Rosenberg family from Tyringe in the southern part of Sweden had just started their winter vacation in Thailand. Jenny, 36, and her husband Frederick Rosenberg, 35, were out snorkelling in the waters off Koh Mak Island. Their daughter Ida was splashing around in the water closer to the beach. Suddenly the parents heard her screaming in pain.
“We started swimming like mad towards the shore," the mother told Aftonbladet.
When they reached their daughter Ida, she was already unconscious on the beach. The fire fighter Anders Brunzell, 42, was fighting desperately to save her life. Ida’s heart had stopped beating by an allergic shock from the dangerous jellyfish.
The Swedish fire-fighter explains:
“I and my family were sunbathing a bit away. We ran to Ida and saw that her right leg was completely covered with long threads, like glass noodles. There was only one thing to do," says Anders who with his wife Marie began to rip off the tentacles with their bare hands.
Anders, who works as a fire-fighter in Stockholm, began heart massage and mouth-to-mouth first aid. He then ordered staff at the nearby hotel to get vinegar which will stop the tentacles of jellyfish from stinging more. He also borrowed oxygen from the hotels scuba diving school.
“The only problem was that the oxygen mask was made for diving, so it did not work, "says Anders.
But little Ida woke up thanks to the fire-fighter and his professional skills.
Then Ida was carried to a boat which brought her to the mainland, where an ambulance was waiting and brought her to a hospital.

Today, two days after the jellyfish attack, Ida is doing fine under the circumstances. She is conscious again, but is badly burned on the leg and other body parts. Over the next few days, she and her mother Jenny will stay at the hospital in Trat for observation.
“Because she was unconscious for so long, the hospital staff is worried that she has had brain damage. She is a bit groggy and still has a fever. But, everything else seems okay”, says Jenny.
Jenny is grateful for the Thai health care, and for Anders’s rapid action.
"What do you say to a man who has saved the life of one’s daughter? There are no words to describe my emotions. But one thing is clear, were it not for him, Ida had been dead today.”
But she is critical that the hotels did not warn tourists of the dangerous jellyfish, although several people have died earlier.
“No signs, no information. The day after Ida was burnt I was told that people were down there in the water at the same place swimming again. This should not be allowed to go on”.
“On the other hand, I myself have read in the newspaper back in Sweden about similar events in Thailand. But as with everything else one thinks that "it does not happen to me". Stupid really," Jenny admits.

What to do if you are attacked by the jellyfish?
Somchai Bussarawit, Chief of Reference Collection at the PMBC’s Phuket Aquarium, is working with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Australia to identify the collected specimens. His advice to victims of the jellyfish is:
Any person who has suffered a possible box jellyfish sting should get out of the water as soon as possible, have his or her pulse rate monitored, and undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event of heart failure.
* The sting should immediately be treated with vinegar to stop further injection of the toxin, the PMBC advises.
* Do not rub or scratch the site of the sting or apply fresh water or alcohol to it, the PMBC advises.
* Dr Somchai reiterated that there have been no box jellyfish sightings on west coast beaches, where the seawater is generally too saline an environment for box jellies.
However, he advises seaside resorts to keep many bottles of vinegar as a standard part of their first aid kits as it is effective in treating stings from other kinds of less venomous jellyfish.
Not all attacks are deadly
The pdf file in this link informs scientifically and in depth about the life cycle and precautions one should take in relations to the box jellyfish. Some beaches extends nets from the shore into the water which will hold the grown jellyfish out. Click to read the full report: http://scandasia.com/upload_files/cubo_brochure.pdf

Thanks Andrea from Kathy of  www.kirkscubagear.com for her review and background information about the  documentary  “The Cove”.

There are some images that cannot be unseen, and some pain that cannot be healed.  Ric O’Barry has spent the last 3 decades trying to right a wrong that led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of the world’s most loved cetaceans in a small cove tucked away in a remote corner of Japan.  Following the death of Cathy, more commonly known to the rest of the world as Flipper, O’Barry, the trainer who helped capture and train the dolphins who took turns playing Flipper on the popular television series, has been arrested countless times in countries around the world trying to free captive dolphins.  “I spent ten years building that industry up and I spent the last thirty five years trying to tear it down,” reflects O’Barry.  After the series was cancelled, Cathy took up residence in the Miami Seaquarium, but the reality of living in captivity turned out to be more than she could bear.  One day she swam into O’Barry’s arms, took a deep breath and died.  From that day forward, O’Barry has been a thorn in the side of one of the largest industries in the world, and has worked tirelessly to put an end to it.

But none of that could compare to the horror that is taking place in Taiji Japan.  Thousands of dolphins are driven into the small cove in Taiji, where dolphin trainers from around the world take their pick of dolphins to grace various aquariums and tourist attractions around the world.  The rest are slaughtered by means of handheld harpoons and their meat is sold as whale meat. At first, the dolphin meat was being served to Japanese school children as part of their mandatory school lunch program.  As dolphin meat contains dangerously high levels of mercury, it became clear why the Japanese government wanted to keep this quiet.  When two local town councillors learned of this, they spoke out about it, and since then dolphin meat has been removed from school lunches.

When O’Barry learned what was happening in this remote cove, he immediately travelled to Japan, enlisting the help of the Oceanic Preservation Society.  Working together, they brought together a team of filmmakers to capture the slaughter on film and in doing so inspire the world to put a stop to the senseless deaths of these inoffensive creatures.

This documentary is at times hair raising, following the team as they go into the cove under cover of night, deploying hidden cameras while trying to remain undetected by the nearby fishermen.  The reason for their concern is obvious, a number of years ago a fellow activist of O’Barry was strangled to death after O’Barry was taken to hospital during a hunger strike.  Fortunately, the team was successful in their endeavour, and the documentary was filmed.

While I found this film to be extremely difficult to watch, I am glad that I did.  If I had not seen these images for myself, I am not sure I would have been able to believe that such an atrocity was taking place anyplace in the world, let alone in a country as advanced and civilized as Japan.  When the filmmakers approached and spoke with the general Japanese public, none of the people they spoke with were aware of what was happening, and expressed disbelief, which was followed by shock and horror after being shown images from Taiji.

What makes the slaughter even more unbearable to comprehend, is when one considers the level of consciousness, intelligence and self awareness that dolphins possess.  While they are pinned in this small cove, they are aware of what is happening around them, and what is about to happen to them.  This elevates the slaughter to the degree of mass murder in the views of some.  My best advice to you is to grab a very large box of tissue, watch the film, and decide for yourself.  I cannot pretend that I have not seen this take place, and I cannot ignore that it is still taking place to this day, unless of course we take steps to stop it.  It’s up to you.  It’s up to us.

Andrea Skinner

Feb 2010

andrea@divewomen.com

Posted by Kathy, Padi certified diver and owner of www.kirkscubagear.com

By BRITTON BROUN, TOM HUNT and TIM DONOGHUE – The Dominion Post

A day after hundreds fled their seaside homes to escape a tsunami, people have been warned to stay away from the water, with massive earthquake aftershocks possible in Chile and the seas continuing to surge.

DESPERATE DAYS; More than 700 are dead and thousands are without food, homes, electricity or water, days after an earthquake devastated Chile.

The death toll in Chile is also expected to rise, with at least 300 reported dead last night after Saturday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake, the seventh-largest on record.

The earthquake devastated Concepcion, Chile’s second-largest city, and generated a tsunami that swept across the Pacific before hitting New Zealand yesterday morning.

It caused tidal surges of close to 1.5 metres in Napier and more than a metre on the Canterbury coast.

Leon Mickelson was fishing for paua at Red Rock Beach in Hawke’s Bay when he was swamped by a metre-high surge of water, followed by two more waves. He had no idea a tsunami alert had been issued.

COSTLY CATCH: Leon Mickelson suffered cuts and bruises when he was swept over rocks as he gathered paua at Waimarama.

“This wall of water just hit me. I was getting tumbled across all the rocks, it was unbelievable. The force was just unstoppable. There was no way you could fight it, you just had to roll with it.”

The water then sucked him 20 metres out into the ocean, bouncing over rocks. “It was like being in a washing machine. It just completely and utterly caught us out.”

Mr Mickelson, 30, managed to swim ashore, and suffered cuts and bruises.

Lower Hutt teacher Joe Nawalaniec was left clinging to rocks near Cape Turnagain in southern Hawke’s Bay when the surge hit.

“The water went milky and turbulent like it was boiling,” he said.

“It’s just a massive big surge of water that starts going up and up and up. You expect it to be a tidal wave but it’s not a wave at all.”

The 45-year-old paua fisherman was aware of the tsunami alerts but thought the wave had passed by.

Diane Ross, from Waikanae Beach Holiday Park in Gisborne, helped evacuate hundreds of people from the beachfront property at 6.45am to a marae on higher ground.

She was stunned by what had happened to Gisborne Harbour while the Turanganui River – which connects the harbour to the open sea – was virtually drained.

“I was blown away by how low the tide was and 15 minutes later it was all back again. The river dropped 1.5 metres in 10 minutes. It was really scary.”

She said the tsunami threat was taken seriously, with the normally crowded beach empty yesterday.

At least 50 other Gisborne locals, and some families up the coast, were moved from their homes until the afternoon.

Interislander ferries had to go through the Northern Passage after Tory Channel was closed. Ferry trips were delayed and trains operating on the coast stopped at the time the first surges hit.

Though the waves ranged from 30cm in Wellington to a metre in Gisborne Harbour and around Akaroa, near Christchurch, they were much more dramatic in the Chatham Islands, where swells of up to three metres were recorded.

Chatham Hotel owner Valentine Croon woke his 40 guests at 5am. “We thought nothing was going to happen, then [Petre] Bay emptied right out at about 8.30am. Everyone took it pretty seriously.”

Civil Defence Minister John Carter said the tsunami warning system worked well, five months after it was heavily criticised in the wake of the Samoan tsunami.

Though the tsunami warning was called off yesterday afternoon, Civil Defence warned people to keep away from the water, with more waves possible today.

Chile earthquake: tsunami creates havoc across the Pacific
Pacific island nations have been hit by a tsunami triggered by the powerful Chilean earthquake, although damage caused by the rising seas has been less severe than originally feared.

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney

Swimmers and board riders venture back into the water at Sydney's Bondi Beach even though it was declared closed due to a tsunami threat Photo: AFP

Swimmers and board riders venture back into the water at Sydney’s Bondi Beach even though it was declared closed due to a tsunami threat.

As the tsunami swept west across the ocean from its epicentre near the city of Concepcion, nations across the Asia-Pacific region braced for strong waves that were forecast to reach 13 feet-high in some places.

Thousands of residents were evacuated coastal areas and moved to higher ground in preparation, fearing a repeat of the devastating 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, in which more and 225,000 people were killed.

The island of French Polynesia, located miles from the coast of Chile, felt the brunt of the surge, with waves of between six and 13 feet sweeping ashore.

In the Marquesas Islands, a chain to the north of the group, damage to boats and large tracts of shoreline was reported, but ample warning meant no one was injured by the waves.

The emergency, issued by the gave the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center shortly after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck, gave the low-lying Pacific nations an opportunity to test its new tsunami warning system.

Residents of Taihiti, Hawaii, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu woke to sirens warning of an impending tsunami, triggering mass evacuations.

But despite the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center’s warning of “widespread damage” from the waves, damage was limited and no casualties have been reported outside Chile.

Hawaii was declared to have “dodged a bullet” after waves of six feet – half the size forecasters had predicted – hit the shore at intervals of one about every 20 minutes. Locals and tourists on the Big Island watched as water repeatedly drained 16 yards out to sea before surging back into shore.

Karl and Diane Champley and their five-year-old son Kai were in a hotel on Hawaii when sirens howled and hotel staff evacuated them to higher ground in shuttle buses.

“All of a sudden the reefs were exposed and we just thought ’Here comes the tsunami’,” Mr Champley said.

“But nothing happened.”

As a precaution, the US Navy Pacific Fleet had sent four warships and three other support and research vessels out to sea so that they would not be affected by the waves.

Residents in low-lying areas evacuated their homes, heading for school gyms and community centers that had been turned into makeshift way stations for evacuees.

The LA Times reported that normally crowded Waikiki Beach in Honolulu was deserted, save for a few spectators who kept dodging police to watch for incoming waves.

Elsewhere, the warning triggered panic. In Samoa, where memories of the 2009 tsunami in which 180 people died were still raw, the authorities sent out text messages warning of the danger. Frightened residents rushed for the hills and were slow to return home when the alert was later cancelled.

Further east, disaster management officials in Fiji had been warned to expect waves of as high as 7.5 feet to hit the northern and eastern islands of the archipelago and the nearby Tonga islands. But during the morning warnings were cancelled and officials said “no significant events” occurred.

New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, which lie 312 miles east of the mainland, recorded a series of tsunami waves, the largest reaching five feet. The country’s entire east coast had been considered at risk of waves up to ten feet high, but by mid-afternoon the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said the situation had stabilised and downgraded the tsunami warning to an advisory.

In Australia, where all beaches on the east coast of the country had been closed from 8.45am, surfers flocked to the water to make the most of the forecast large surf and hundreds of spectators lined the beaches hoping to get a glimpse of the tsunami.

At Bondi, it was business as usual.

“Initially everybody got out, however, people seem to be going back in and the tsunami warning is still active,” Bondi lifesaver Jacob Waxs said. “The surfers here in Bondi will still be out there when there’s a shark alarm.”

In the end, waves of 50cm were recorded on the Gold Coast near Brisbane and the warning was lifted in the early afternoon.

Australia was deemed to have narrowly missed the worst of the tsunami, which lost power as it travelled east.

But, further north, Japan was affected. More than 70,000 people fled vulnerable coastal areas as tsunami waves hit several parts of the country’s long Pacific coastline. The first tsunami wave, reaching one foot high, hit Nemuro on Japan’s northern Hokkaido island and there were reports of a second, three feet wave in Iwate prefecture.

Tsunami sirens were activated and massive steel gates shut across the entrances to several fishing ports as warnings of a large wave of up to three metres were broadcast across northern Japan.