Sylvia Earle - Death Row Whale Sharks?

OCEAN SPRING, Miss. – Dr. Eric Hoffmayer, a University of Southern Mississippi research scientist at the university’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, has joined forces with world-renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue to study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf of Mexico whale sharks.


Hoffmayer and Earle recently spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico where they discovered an extraordinary gathering of more than 100 feeding whale sharks 90 miles south of Grand Isle, La., and approximately 60 miles west of the oil spill.


“This may be one of the largest gatherings of whale sharks in the northern Gulf of Mexico observed by science,” explained Earle.

Hoffmayer and Earle photo identified scores of whale sharks and tagged four of them. One of the tags was equipped with satellite tracking sensors. Those sensors allow anyone to follow the shark over the Internet via www.GTOPP.org and Google Ocean.



“Whale Sharks are presently considered a ‘vulnerable species,’ which is a mere single notch down from being considered an endangered species,” said Hoffmayer.


Earle, who is currently an explorer-in-residence at National Geographic, is a highly respected and influential oceanographer. “I can only hope to do in my career a fraction of what she has done. Hopefully her involvement will help bring resources to the study of these threatened animals,” said Hoffmayer.


Whale sharks are filter feeders, meaning they siphon marine organisms at the surface of the water as food. With dispersed oil floating on the water surface, whale sharks will ingest the chemical substance along with their food.


“Some have said that these are death row whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, and that could be true,” said Earle. “Because of their feeding habits, skimming right at the surface where the oil accumulates, they’re in harm’s way.”


Indeed, since the tagging expedition, Hoffmayer has heard reports of whale sharks swimming in oil near the Deepwater Horizon spill site. “I don’t think there is any question we’re going to lose whale sharks to this oil spill. That’s why we need to tag these sharks so that we can determine how they are impacted by the oil,” said Hoffmayer. “Whale sharks are gentle giants that grow between 40 to 50 feet long and aren’t aware of the oil spill around them,” explained Hoffmayer. “They are very susceptible to the oil because they spend so much time at the surface of the water.”


The entire Whale Shark tagging expedition was captured by film director Robert Nixon and an Insurgent Media film crew which is filming Mission Blue, a feature documentary following Earle on her quest to protect the world’s oceans.



“Interacting with these death row whale sharks was a transformative experience. We may not be able to save these gentle giants from the oil. We do hope our underwater footage of Dr. Hoffmayer tagging whale sharks will galvanize the public to act to save the oceans, our life support system,” declared Earle.


For more information on the research underway by Hoffmayer visit here.


For more information on Insurgent Media and Mission Blue, contact director Robert Nixon at

RHNixon@me.com


About The University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities. In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world. Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.

Gulf Oil Slick Mystery - Where's The Oil?

It hard not to get frustrated at BP's handling of the Gulf oil disaster, when even basic questions like "where is the oil going?," cannot be answered.

But wait, there could be an answer if only someone would think out of the box - behold this nifty gizmo here.

It's a satellite tag used to track wildlife, like sharks, turtles, tuna. Every time the antenna breaks the surface waiting satellites download position data. It also floats 24/7 when not attached to a critter.

What if BP bought 10,000 of these and dropped them into the major parts of the slick?

Well then you would have a real-time understanding of where the oil was spreading and where it was going, instead of headlines like these that just make you want to break something in frustration.

If we can track a single Bluefin tuna clear across the Atlantic ocean, surely we can real-time a major oil disaster?

NOAA's "Non de Plume"

British Petroleum's CEO Tony Hayward, when not stuffing size 12 Gucci loafers into his mouth at every press opportunity, says there are no sub surface oil plumes.

His latest statement contradicts teams from the University of South Florida, the University of Georgia, Southern Mississippi University who say there are.

In the middle of this "debate" is NOAA, a government agency tasked with all things ocean.

Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, called media reports of large underwater oil plumes "premature," adding that research conducted by an academic ocean institute was inconclusive.

Are you kidding me?

Sub surface oil plumes are part of BP's ongoing strategy, we covered this many weeks ago. Anyone except NOAA it seems, can understand why BP would prefer oil to remain suspended at depth. It is also the reason why BP is ignoring EPA directives to stop using COREXIT, their dispersant of choice in the region.

With a disaster of this magnitude you have to wonder why NOAA is ignoring respected Gulf researchers, working the media cycle in tandem with BP, and basically making a laughing stock of the agency?

Who Are The BP ROV's? - Meet Little Geek

The unsung hero's on Day 44 of British Petroleum's Oilmageddon in the Gulf are the ROV's and drivers who are on the front lines of this unfolding disaster.

Everyone is watching them and yet no one knows who they are.

This is Little Geek.

Along with Be BOP, R2, The Saw and Claw - Man they have become the unwitting ambassadors and familiar face of America's oil disaster in the Gulf.

Owned and operated by oil services giant Oceaneering these bots and drivers have been working 24/7 since the disaster started, executing a series of technical maneuvers that have set the gold standard for deep water ROV technology.

We started a Facebook Fan Club this week with regular updates.

Little Geek tech specs are online here. We wish the bot drivers and maintenance crews who have been working this incredible effort all the best in the coming days. A pound of Pete's coffee is being sent to your headquarters this week with our regards.

BP Oilmegeddon Images - Aquaman Wins!

The search for The Ultimate BP Oilmegeddon Image is over and we have declared a winner.

The Aquaman BP comic book cover now making the rounds is the hands down classic. With small details like the June date in the right hand corner and the 12 cent cover hearkening back to the 1960's and a time when oil and household chemicals were our friends.

To whoever the mystery creator is behind this first rate BP image slam we say a hearty thank you.

Cannot wait until there's a T-shirt available we'll will buy a few dozen for friends and family.

The irony here being that the logo will have to be created out of an oil based product, damn you irony!

COREXIT and Oil - Video from the front lines

ABC news has excellent underwater coverage from the front lines in the Gulf. When COREXIT and oil do not mix. The EPA and BP are at loggerheads about this toxic dispersant currently banned in the U.K.

See additional Gulf coverage with whale shark researcher Dr.Eric Hoffmayer "Prime Time for Whale Sharks at Ground Zero." This is the chemical soup these animals are likely to be moving through at this time.

Ocean Futures Society Covers BP Oil Slick - Donate Today

The Gulf oil disaster needs first person coverage and got it this week with a little help from the Ocean Futures Society:

The Ocean Futures Expedition Team discovered this massive oil slick just 24 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The oil stretched as far as the eye could see and down to about 15 to 25 feet deep. Amongst the muck swims a Man o' War and a small fish that swims alongside for protection. The team is encountering many floating globs of rust colored oil; dark black fresh crude; and oily surfaces as they explore the coast.

We need funding to keep our team in Louisiana. Please consider making a donation.

For more information, please visit Ocean Futures Society

Polluted Math - BP Oil Spill Numbers

When does 5000 barrels of recovered oil per day suddenly become 2000?

In the ongoing and very strange mathematical world of BP's media team. Where oil spill numbers vary depending on the apparent whims of BP's other team in charge of America's Chernobyl, their legal team.

To follow this convoluted story we have been slavishly attached to ongoing BP media coverage from 1115.org and Sarabeth Guthberg who is on top of BP's spin machine.

Are the actual numbers important?

Yes they are. To effectively understand the ecological fall out of this disaster you first need to know how much oil has been spilled. BP, NOAA and the Coast Guard do not seem to share that basic tenet and still insist the flow rate is "officially" 5000 barrels a day.

Although 27 days into the disaster and responding to a wave of pressure NOAA has initiated the National Incident Command's Flow Rate Technical Group.

"The National Incident Command's Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG) is designed to support the response and inform the public by providing scientifically validated information about the amount of oil flowing from BP's leaking oil well while ensuring the vital efforts to cap the leak are not impeded."

Live video of the ongoing spill at 5000 feet can be found here.

Read Sarabeths report here and synopsis from Mother Jones.

British Petroleum - Fun Activities For Oil Spill

In case you're sick of 24/7 Oilmegedden coverage coming out of the Gulf, here's some fun BP oil related activities for you to do this week.

For instance, we have installed this live video feed from the well head at 5000 feet. Courtesy of BP and branded with their logo, you can watch the unfolding drama live, and even see unfortunate deep water sharks as they blunder into the plume.

Speaking of Logo's

For a more creative outlet this week, Greenpeace is asking for submissions to help redesign BP's logo, guaranteed fun.

You can submit your design here, and these are a few of the submission to date. We are featuring one of the newer logo's uploaded today.

That's it for now. Not much more to report from the Gulf, another 70,000 barrels streaming into the ocean, another day in the life of America's Chernobyl.

Oil Spill in the Gulf - Video of shark in oil

Responding to outside pressure BP, NOAA, and the Coast Guard are now admitting the amount of oil being spilled into the Gulf is far greater than 5000 barrels a day. A task force has now been set up to discover the true extent of the ongoing oil spill.

Scientists, observers and the media have made far ranging estimates from 25-100,000 barrels a day.

BP also set up a 24/7 live video feed one clip featured a deep water shark blundering into the oil plume at a depth of 5000 feet and swimming away with visibly blackened gills:

Gulf Oil in Marathon, Florida?

Scott Grey from Blue Iguana Charters found this disturbing post yesterday.

A small oil slick off the coast of Marathon Keys, Florida has been found and photographed. Officials now say tar balls found in Florida last week are not from the Gulf oil disaster.

These are the same officials who also say oil leaking from a BP well head is coming out a a rate of 5000 barrels a day, a figure hotly disputed by researchers, NPR and conservation groups.

The images and oil find was posted by Jeremy Foell at Spearboard.com.

The US Coast Guard says oil is "nearing" the Loop Current but has not yet arrived.

Sky Truth Raises Alarm - Oil in Loop Current?

The 10,000 square mile oil slick that NOAA, BP, and the media are underestimating and under reporting looks to be in the Gulf Loop Current as reported by Sky Truth today (see image).

Major media coverage of this ongoing eco disaster has pegged leaking oil at a paltry 5000 barrels a day. Sky Truth was one of the first non governmental organizations to estimate the oil flow at 26,500 barrels a day.

Last week NPR estimated the oil flow at a stunning 70,000 barrels a day.

As of this morning Sky Truth was the only source to suggest that leaking oil and 700,000 gallons of COREXIT, a toxic dispersant, is now in the Loop Current headed towards Florida and the East coast of the USA.

Update: Loop Current coverage from LA Times Blog.

More coverage at Deep Sea News.

Oil Spill in the Gulf - 2010 Hurricane Oilmageddon?

Current estimates of actual oil in the Gulf range from 4-23-57 million gallons depending on who you listen to.

See NPR Gulf oil spill widget.

None of the major media outlets have broken the ongoing story of the 2010 Hurricane Season which officially kicks off June 1.

This image is Hurricane Katrina with the latest oil spill map from NOAA put together by RTSea Productions.

If Katrina landed this year its Category 3 sustained winds of 127 miles an hour it would plow right though the oil disaster area and BP's runaway wellhead off the Gulf coast.

Colorado State University predicts this to be an "above average season." Halting relief well drilling efforts and clean up will be these storms first impacts. Taking surface oil airborne and carrying it far in shore with 100-140 mile an hour winds will be these storms second and most devastating effect.

Hurricane Oilmageddon

The real eco disaster waiting to play out are raining oil micro dropletts coming ashore as far away as Texas, the southern states, and large parts of Mexico, as Gulf hurricanes suck up millions of gallons of surface moisture and spilled oil. These micro dropletts of oil will rain down on rivers, lakes, farm land, and cities covering the landscape.

"Oilmageddon," on a biblical scale.

Latest 2010 Hurricane Forecast Predictions

• Colorado State University issued its annual report on the year's hurricane forecast predictions.http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/07/forecasters-predict-above-average-atlantic-hurricane-season/University forecasters William Gray and Phil Klotzbach each stated that El Nino conditions will likely dissipate by summer. In addition they believe that the warm tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures will not drop and will remain at the current temperatures. These temperatures have reportedly been much warmer than usual.http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/07/forecasters-predict-above-average-atlantic-hurricane-season/Because of this phenomenon, Gray and Klotzbach indicate that the 2010 hurricane season will be above-average. Specifically, they said that the warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures will "[lead] to favorable conditions for hurricanes to develop and intensify."http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/07/forecasters-predict-above-average-atlantic-hurricane-season/