Scientists call ‘Code Blue emergency’ for Australian oceans, as off-the-scale marine heat looms

 

OCEAN
IMAGE: AdobeStock_207088658

Climate Council, media release, 9 November 2023:

Scientists call ‘Code Blue emergency’ for Aussie oceans, as off-the-scale marine heat looms

AUSTRALIA’S OCEANS ARE in crisis, as extreme heat punishes marine life and raises the spectre of irreversible changes with profound consequences for all life on our planet, a new report has found.

The Climate Council’s CodeBlue: Oceans in Crisis report reveals the immense amount of climate-change induced heat currently being absorbed by the world’s oceans is equivalent to boiling the Sydney Harbour every eight minutes.

In addition, the Climate Council ran a highly targeted survey of 30 leading ocean scientists across five continents. All (100%) were ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ concerned about climate-driven changes to the world’s oceans. Half (53%) said these changes were outpacing scientific predictions.

Overwhelmingly, these scientists agreed ‘rapidly phasing out fossil fuels’ is the single most important action governments could take to address ocean warming.

Report author and the Climate Council’s Research Director Dr Simon Bradshaw said: "The science can’t be any clearer: our oceans are in deep trouble. Today the ocean is absorbing excess heat energy that’s equivalent to five Hiroshima bomb explosions every second, or enough to boil Sydney Harbour every eight minutes. [my yellow highlighting]

"As our climate changes, driven by rampant burning of coal, oil and gas, our seas are transforming before our eyes. More frequent and severe marine heatwaves are pushing coral reefs to the brink, ice sheets are melting at an alarming rate, ocean currents are slowing and seas are rising. The climate crisis is also an ocean crisis.

"In hospital emergency rooms, a code blue is called when a very serious life-threatening event is underway. We are calling a code blue for our oceans today, because this threatens all the species that inhabit them, the people who depend on them, as well as all life on land.

"Over the past few decades as the climate has warmed, the oceans have done an incredible job of protecting us by absorbing CO2 and an immense amount of heat, but there’s a limit to what they can take and we are close to crossing dangerous tipping points. We must scale up the use of clean energy like solar and wind, backed by storage, as quickly as we can so the use of coal, oil and gas is phased out. Every step that cuts pollution will help secure our future."

Ocean scientist Professor Gretta Pecl, Director for the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania, author of the Australian ocean section of the latest IPCC report and report co-author added: “Make no mistake, ocean scientists around the world are growing increasingly concerned about rapid and intensifying changes to our oceans.

"While much of the worry for the brutal summer ahead is quite rightly about the impact on our iconic Great Barrier Reef, the scientific community is also extremely concerned about the Great Southern Reef. With forecasts of unprecedented and 'off the charts' marine heat this summer, these critical marine ecosystems face risk of utter devastation.

"We’re observing the transformation of the oceans in real time, as marine species move to survive. In Australia, at least 200 marine species have shifted since 2003, with the vast majority headed south. As waters warm further south, many will have nowhere left to go.

"While climate change has already caused extensive change to our oceans - and we’ll continue to see devastating impacts for decades - stronger action by governments to reign in fossil fuels right now can limit future harms and ensure more species and ecosystems are given a fighting chance. Scientists agree: the single most important action we can take now is to leave fossil fuels in the polluting past - and it has to happen this decade."

Pro-surfer Adrian ‘Ace’ Buchan, Surfing Australia Deputy Chairman, has joined the Climate Council’s call to declare a Code Blue emergency, adding: “Surfers have a deep and spiritual connection to the ocean and we are deeply concerned about the devastating impact the climate crisis is having on our big blue playground. Erosion is threatening our most iconic surfing spots. Our water is being polluted from flood runoff and dangerous jellyfish moving south. Loss of coral reefs and impacts on sandbars, is not just altering where and how waves break, but is also having devastating impacts on marine life.

"This is all terrible news for the millions of ocean loving Aussies - every one of whom should be concerned and take note. This is a call to action: we must work to draw attention to the ocean’s plight and push for decisive and rapid climate action now."

Tishiko King, a proud Kulkalaig woman from Masig in Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islands) marine scientist and co-author of the report said: “We know what is needed to protect our futures: leaving fossil fuels in the ground, having the resources to adapt to our changing climate and ocean, being able to access funds to address loss and damage.

"We have the opportunity to work together: First Nations, Pacific Island nations, non-Indigenous Australians. It starts by listening, and understanding what we all have in common. The ocean is what connects us all together."

ENDS

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. It was founded through community donations in 2013, immediately after the then-Abbott Government dismantled the Climate Commission. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community. For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au Or follow us on social media: facebook.com/climatecouncil and twitter.com/climatecouncil

Full report can be found at:

https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/code-blue-our-oceans-in-crisis/

NSW coastline becoming thick with shark nets and drumlines

 

"The RSPCA does not support killing sharks as a response to shark incidents involving humans. This approach causes unnecessary animal suffering to both target and non-target species. In addition, culling disturbs marine ecosystems and affects protected and vulnerable species including the targeted great white shark and non-target species such as the grey nurse shark. The available scientific evidence does not convincingly support the claim that killing sharks will reduce the risk to public safety. The RSPCA only accepts the management of wild animals where it is justified, effective and humane; the killing of sharks does not meet these criteria......

Drumlines 

A drumline consists of a floating drum (a rubber buoy) with one line attached to an anchor on the sea floor, while a second line features a large, baited hook to lure, catch and ultimately kill sharks.....

SMART drumline is designed to be a non-lethal method which, via a satellite link, sends an alert when the baited hook has been ‘taken’, with the aim that the shark or other species will be retrieved within a short period of time to enable live release. " [RSPCA,"What is the RSPCA’s view on killing sharks to reduce shark incidents?"]

Live release from drumlines is not always successful and over time many more non-target marine species than sharks are hooked on these lines, including protected & vulnerable species. 

The jury is also out on whether SMART drumlines are actually an effective shark mitigation strategy.

There are now 15 potentially lethal SMART drum lines approx. 500m offshore along an est. 52km long stretch of coastal waters between Woody Head and Wooli on the Clarence Coast.

These drumlines have been in place since late last year and will be deployed until mid-2022, allegedly being placed in ocean waters at dawn and retrieved at dusk.

Australian east coast 'peak' southern whale migration underway but so far fewer whale sightings & fewer calves

ABC News, 19 September 2021:

The Australian coast is a busy route for whales during their annual migration north.
(Supplied: Go Whale Watching)

Queensland researchers say whale watchers have reported fewer sightings this east coast migration season.

But experts say there has been less traffic near popular beaches this year.

Griffith Centre for Coastal Management researcher Dr Olaf Meynecke said it's been an unusual season with whales remaining further out to sea.

"Very different to the last three years at least, because we've had the whales migrate quite far offshore," Dr Meynecke said.

"There's a lot less happening closer to the coast."

Dr Meynecke said the southern migration was now underway, with whales and their calves making their return journey.

He said pods had been more commonly spotted 10-to-15 km offshore.

"We've actually had less entanglements in shark nets and those entanglements usually happen when the whales are close to shore," he said.

"Of course the mums and calves usually come close to shore to rest.

"But there's not as many as we had last year and definitely not as many newborns.

"It's been a very different season."

Whales and their calves are currently on their return journey south along the east coast.(Supplied: Seaworld)

Dr Maynecke said the East Australian Current (EAC) - made famous by a certain clownfish - serves as a navigation tool for migrating humpbacks.

He said this year the EAC was further offshore which could explain why whales were too.

Ocean Analyst Lucinda Matthews from the Bureau of Meteorology said the EAC did appear to weaken along the Gold Coast in August and move slightly east.

"It's possible the whales are now staying offshore to stay in the maximum current available to hitch the best ride south," Ms Matthews said……

The East Australian Current begins at the point where the westward flowing South Equatorial Current splits into two. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)

Green Turtle hatchlings race to the sea at beach near Evans Head, NSW

 

Green Turtle hatchings making their way to the sea near Evans Head, NSW
IMAGE: Rick Pagotto

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, media release, 9 March 2021:

Furious flipper action has been seen on a remote beach near Evans Head as tiny sea turtle hatchlings emerged from their buried nest and made a break for the ocean.

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchling, Evans Head 

Andy Marshall from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said more than 100 Green Turtles hatched last week and their first moments were caught on camera by a local photographer coincidently walking the beach.

“These eggs have been incubating underneath the sand since around December and the hatchlings all emerged over a few hours in the early dawn,” said Mr Marshall.

“NPWS and NSW TurtleWatch are keeping a keen eye on around 7 more sea turtle nests along the coast as they should also hatch over the next few months.

“Along the NSW coast we expect the hatchlings will either be green turtles (Chelonia mydas) like the ones we saw at Evans Head or the endangered loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), both are generally around 5cm in length when born.

“If anyone sees a hatchling please don’t pick it up or interfere with its path to the sea, instead report it immediately to NPWS or NSW TurtleWatch so we make sure these little ones make it safely to the water,” Mr Marshall said.

Holly West from NSW TurtleWatch says early reports and information from the public is vital in being about to monitor these hatchlings.

“With such a large coastline to cover it is likely that we could have missed some nests being laid and may miss them hatching so public help at this time is vital,” said Ms West.

“Hatchlings should emerge at night as they are safer from predators and the heat of the sand but there are of course always stragglers, so we are asking people to keep their eyes peeled, especially close to sunset and sunrise.

“As well as reporting all sightings, you can help these baby turtles by removing your rubbish from the beaches, drive slowly along the beaches, and stay off the dunes,” Ms West said.

If you find a sea turtle hatchling along the beach please notify NSW TurtleWatch immediately on 0468 489 259, or contact NPWS on 1300 0PARKS.

NSW TurtleWatch has been developed by Australian Seabird Rescue, in partnership with NSW Government's Saving Our Species program. Visit Saving Our Species for more information on green turtles.

More photos: Dropbox: Green turtle hatchlings

Purpose-built artificial reef in Tweed Heads coastal waters likely to be complete this summer

NSWDPI map

Approx. 7.5km south of the Tweed Heads river entrance, situated between Cook Island Nature reserve and Wommin Bay, this purpose-built artificial reef is being installed at a depth of 25 metres.

It is hoped that installation will be complete in time for summer fishing this year. 

Species anticipated to frequent the reef are expected to include Kingfish, Cobia, Trevally, Snapper, Mulloway & Mackerel.

According to NSW Dept. of Primary Industries, the Tweed offshore reef will be the State’s most northern reef complex and is likely to be influenced by subtropical species endemic to Queensland waters.

The artificial reef itself is a 10 metre high conical steel construction surrounded by 32 concrete modules.

Enormous pumice “raft” arrives on Australia’s east coast - from Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales

7 News, 21 August 2020:

An enormous pumice “raft” has arrived on Australia’s east coast, bringing with it new marine life that could help with the recovery of the Great Barrier Reef.

The massive floating sheet of volcanic rock was first spotted by Australian sailors on August 9, 2019, days after an underwater volcano is believed to have erupted near the Pacific island of Tonga.

Australian sailors Michael Hoult and Larissa Brill said at the time they encountered volcanic rocks “made up of pumice stones from marble to basketball size such that water was not visible”.

The raft is more than 150 square kilometres in surface area - almost three times the size of Sydney Harbour or about 8000 football fields.

It is now crashing into Australia’s east coast between Townsville and northern New South Wales.

Pumice is a lightweight, bubbly rock, formed when frothy magma cools suddenly.

The rock can float on the surface of the water and it often houses tiny reef-building animals.

Associate Professor Scott Bryan, collecting pumice on North Stradbroke Island. Credit: Anthony Weate/QUT

“Each piece of pumice is a rafting vehicle,” Queensland University of Technology geologist Scott Bryan said in a statement.

“This is about a boost of new recruits, of new corals and other reef-building organisms, that happens every five years or so.

“It’s almost like a vitamin shot for the Great Barrier Reef.”.....

First turtle hatching on the New South Wales coast for 2020

Turtle hatchling
Image supplied

Turtlely cute hatchlings cause for shellabration

In eggciting news, the first hatchlings have emerged from one of eight turtle nests being monitored along the NSW coast by volunteers from the NSW TurtleWatch program.

The nest was laid at Port Macquarie in December and the hatchlings found during a nest inventory last week.

NSW TurtleWatch Project Officer Holly West said northern NSW beaches can provide important nesting habitat for green and loggerhead turtles, listed as vulnerable and endangered, respectively, in NSW.

“People should keep their eyes out from now until May for turtle hatchlings on north coast beaches.

“Our volunteers are like expectant parents at this time of year, eagerly awaiting signs our efforts have paid off.

“When we see those indications of hatchlings emerging from the nest, it’s an exhilarating feeling to think another lot of hatchlings have made it to the ocean.

“We did have some fears for the Port Macquarie nest after evidence of fox disturbance, but National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) rangers undertook some preventative measures including installing predator mesh to deter digging.

“After a nest has hatched NPWS conduct a nest inventory that will give us vital information about the success of the nest. 

This information can be used to help future monitoring and conservation efforts. 

The Port Macquarie inventory revealed over 90% of hatchlings from more than 100 eggs made their way to the ocean.

“15 live hatchlings were uncovered during the excavation and released after sunset.

“This has been a great start for the NSW coast turtle hatching season and our volunteers stand watch over another 7 nests in the Tweed, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie areas.

“While we try to intervene as little as possible, we have worked with NPWS and council staff to give two nests a helping hand this year.

“One green turtle laid eggs on Manly Beach and we have relocated all 144 eggs from this nest to the Coffs Coast as they would not have survived in Manly due to the cool temperatures experienced there.

“Another nest laid on the Tweed Coast over the Australia Day weekend had to be relocated as it was laid below the high tide line.

“Fingers crossed we get some successful hatchlings from these and all of our other nests,” Ms West said.

To help hatchlings please remember to keep our beaches free from marine debris, sea turtles dig in the dark so keep lights low and keep your eyes peeled for hatchlings while walking the beach. 

If you see a hatchling on the beach, please contact Australian Seabird Rescue immediately on 02 6686 2852 or environment line 1300 361 967.

The NSW TurtleWatch program  is an initiative of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Saving our Species Program with Australian Seabird Rescue. 

It is a citizen science program involving volunteers collecting valuable data for marine turtles nesting in NSW and their potential threats.

To find out more or get involved with the NSW TurtleWatch Program e-mail turtlewatchnsw@gmail.com or visit NSW TurtleWatch for more information

Jacki Roberts
Senior Public Affairs Officer

Office of the Coordinator-General

Hatchling stragglers
Image supplied

Norway needs to withdraw its majority-owned petroleum mining company from the Great Australian Bight

Plans to drill in the middle of the Great Australian Bight have led to a fierce battle, as a Norwegian Energy giant faces off with Aussie surfers, environmentalists and fishermen. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/2ppO02m0or

— The Project (@theprojecttv) April 8, 2019

 ABC News, 12 March 2019:

A Norwegian MP has called for a state-owned Norwegian oil and gas company not to start drilling in the Great Australian Bight, while a scientist says noise from the project could hurt marine life.

The Norwegian Government has a 67 per cent majority stake in Equinor, which wants to start searching for oil off the coast of South Australia at a depth of almost 2.5 kilometres by the end of 2020.

It needs approval from the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

MP Kristoffer Robin Haug addressed the Norwegian Parliament last week and said going ahead with the project could see Norway become the enemy.

"Will the [Petroleum and Energy] Minister use this power as a majority shareholder in Equinor to instruct their company to stop their oil exploration in the Bight?" he asked.

Fight For The Bight, April 2019:

New research from The Australia Institute shows that 60% of Australians are opposed to drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, while the rate of opposition amongst South Australians is even higher at 68%.

The first ever national poll on the issue found that only one in five Australians, and 16% of South Australians, support drilling in the Bight, while more than two thirds of Australians want to see the area given World Heritage protection.

The poll also found there is greater support, both nationwide and in SA, for ending coal, gas and oil exploration across Australia than there is for allowing it to continue.

“The Great Australian Bight is a national treasure and now we know that people across the country want to see it protected from exploitation,” said Noah Schultz-Byard, The Australia Institute’s SA projects manager.

“Equinor and the other oil giants looking to drill in the Great Australian Bight are attempting to do so in direct opposition to the wishes of the Australian people.

“We’ve known for some time that the Great Australian Bight holds a special place in the hearts of South Australians, but this research has shown that opposition to exploiting the Bight exists across the country.

The Norwegian Greens Party has also adopted the Australian Greens slogan "Fight for the Bight".

South Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Mr Haug's speech showed the fight was now receiving international attention.

"This is starting to cause problems and waves overseas," Senator Hanson-Young said.

"People are questioning why Australia would put at risk our beautiful pristine areas.

"This is a whale sanctuary. This is an untouched wonderland. Why would we put this at risk?"….

Protesters took to Encounter Bay this morning to protest against oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

See https://www.facebook.com/abcadelaide/videos/2538309232876968/

The rare Omura’s whale

The New York Times, 22 March 2019:

An Omura’s whale in waters off Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. CreditCreditGabriel Barathieu/Biosphoto, via Alamy

Salvatore Cerchio stunned the small world of whale science in 2015 when he found examples of a new species in the wild for the first time. Now, he’s mapped the habitat of that species, called Omura’s whale after Hideo Omura, a prominent Japanese whale biologist.

The surprise in the new study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, is that Omura’s whales, though little seen, are widespread across the tropical world.

Dr. Cerchio, a researcher with the New England Aquarium in Boston, found a population off the northwest coast of Madagascar, where he works, and compiled reports of sightings from Japan, Australia, Brazil and off the coasts of Indonesia, among others. In total, from photographs, audio recordings, museums and documents, he identified 161 accounts of Omura’s whales in 95 locales.

Scientists said the finding is a reminder of how little we actually know about what goes on in the world’s oceans….

Japanese researchers first identified Omura’s whales in 2003, based on a 1998 stranding in Japan and tissue from eight animals killed during Japanese scientific whaling operations in the 1970s. The Omura’s whales have relatively small bodies, distinct genetics and unusually shaped skulls, leading researchers to conclude that the new species had split off from its genetic cousins 17 million years earlier.

Omura’s whales are baleen whales, meaning they are filter feeders, and they can be identified by their asymmetric coloration. The right side of their jaws are white, with a swirling, smoky splash of light coloration and four bisecting dark stripes on the right side of their heads, and their backs are decorated with asymmetrical chevrons. They favor tropical environments more than most whales and don’t migrate, Dr. Cerchio said.

After publishing his 2015 paper, in which he described more than 40 whales seen in the wild and expanded their range beyond the Indo-Pacific, Dr. Cerchio said people sent him pictures of similar looking whales.

“Little by little it became clear that there were a lot more out there that could be researched and tallied,” he said.

At the urging of Bob Brownell, the paper’s senior author, Dr. Cerchio counted images he received, those he’d stumbled across on the internet, as well as sound recordings and historical sightings dating back to a 1955 magazine article from Hong Kong University that misidentified an Omura’s whale as an immature fin whale.

Bob Pitman, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was not involved in this research, said he was surprised to learn the scope of the species’ habitat. “I think most of us whale scientists expected that it would have a small, relatively localized population,” he wrote.

As Mr. Pitman noted, “if new whales are still being described, it means we are probably also losing species of animals that we never even knew existed.”

From September 2019 onwards underwater seismic blasts will rock the Great Australian Bight around the clock over a 30,100 sq kilometre area

ABC News, 15 January 2019:

Oil and gas testing is set to take place in the Great Australian Bight this year, after the national petroleum regulator granted permission to exploration company PGS.

Environmental groups have slammed the decision to allow seismic testing near Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln, while the tuna industry has questioned whether it is even likely to go ahead.

Seismic testing involves firing soundwaves into the ocean floor to detect the presence of oil or gas reserves….

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) granted permission for the testing to be done over a 30,100-square-kilometre area, located 80 kilometres from Port Lincoln and 90 kilometres west of Kangaroo Island.

The testing is set to take place between September and November.

The fishing industry has long had reservations about the impact seismic testing would have on the local tuna industry.

PGS has been ordered not to interfere with or displace pygmy blue whales, southern bluefin tuna, and southern right whales…..

The Wilderness Society has slammed the permit, saying the practice can deafen whales and even kill smaller marine animals.

"It's obvious that blasting massive amounts of noise constantly for months on end through a water column in a space where animals communicate and navigate and live by sound and sonar, it is obvious that this is going to have a terrible impact on those animals," the environmental group's Peter Owen said.

"I fail to see how you can actually approve this type of seismic activity in the middle of one of the most significant whale nurseries in the world.

"It's totally unacceptable."

The Greens say the seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

"Why on Earth would we be wanting to sink oil wells in the Great Australian Bight, put our marine life and beaches at risk and make climate change worse," senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"We've got to be getting out of fossil fuels and transitioning to a clean, green economy."

There has been little research into the impact of seismic testing in Australia, but Western Australian researchers have found noise from seismic air guns significantly increased mortality in scallops.

Commencing on or about 1 September 2019 for an initial period of 91 days a fofeign-owned PGS survey vessel will be operating sounding equipment 24/7 in the Bight at a seismic source pressure of est. ~2,000 pounds per square inch (psi) with the two or three arrays firing alternately every 16.67 to 25 m, each with a maximum volume of 3260in. (See Duntroon Multi-client 3D and 2D Marine Seismic Survey Environment Plan at pp.24-25).

This is what happened when such testing went ahead in the Atlantic Ocean……..

https://youtu.be/9CsHz3lesC4

Earthjustice is suing the federal government to prevent seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. The process involves the blasting of shockingly powerful seismic airguns every few seconds for hours or even days on end and can cripple or kill marine life in the search of offshore oil or gas deposits.

Earth Justice: because the Earth needs a good lawyer, 20 February 2019:

Earthjustice is challenging the administration’s actions in court, and on Feb. 20, we joined a coalition of other conservation groups asking a federal judge to block the start of seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean until our case has been heard.

The tests, harmful in their own right, are just the first step in the administration’s broader plans to open up 90 percent of U.S. federal offshore waters to the fossil fuel industry, despite widespread opposition from Americans across the nation.