Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. ET
Science: Studying the Ocean
Tuesday, December 19, 2006; 1:00 PM
Washington Post science writer Juliet Eilperin was online Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss how technology is transforming our understanding of the ocean.
Read her story here:
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A transcript follows.
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Alexandria, Va.: Is there going to be any seafood in 50 years, or our we overfishing our oceans into a lifeless desert?
Juliet Eilperin: I assume you're referring to the study authored by Dalhousie University professor Boris Worm and several other colleagues that came out within the last couple of months, and predicted that according to current trends we will run out of commercially-available fish by 2048. The study is well done and accurate, especially in light of the growing demand for seafood across the globe. However, Worm noted in an interview with me that it's not too late: if we change our fishing practices and catch fish more sustainably, we can avert the scenario he outlines in his paper in Science.
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Washington, D.C.: It strikes me that these scientists are engaging in what techies call "user-generated content" by contributing to a database. Would this "social revolution" of cooperation among scientists have been possible before the Internet? Was it sparked by something online (a listserve or discussion group) or offline (an international conference)?
Juliet Eilperin: Without a doubt, the Internet has enabled scientists to share their data more easily. At the same time, it's not like they couldn't do this before, since they attend conferences together frequently and spend time traveling the globe together on research projects. But it's much easier to communicate using the Web and equally important, the public can access this sort of scientific data in a way it couldn't before.
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washingtonpost.com: Here is Juliet's story about the fish supply study: World's Fish Supply Running Out, Researchers Warn.
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Detroit, Mich.: One reads about the effect that global warming is having on land animals such as polar bears, but I have seen little written on the effect that it might be having on underwater creatures. Is there any evidence that some underwater forms of life might be endangered by climate change?
Juliet Eilperin: I actually wrote a front page story on this in early July, if you're interested. Because the ocean aborbs roughly 40 percent of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it is becoming more acidic over time. This could have a huge impact on some of the creatures that form the basis of the sea's food web, because they build their shells from calcium. Climate change could also wipe out the world's coral reefs by the end of the century, according to the Carnegie Institution's senior scientist Ken Caldeira, and it could also impact some fish species directly. So global warming is absolutely going to affect the ocean's biodiversity, it's just a question of how soon and to what extent.
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Silver Spring, Md.: What controls are in place for foreign countires to not overfish stocks. I traveled to India and Thailand and saw vast fleets of fishing boats. Are systems in place to limit all countries from overharvesting, or just the nations that join and agree to these fishing treaties.
Juliet Eilperin: Beyond the 200-mile boundary each nation controls off their coasts, fishing rules are subject to a series of international treaties. People spend months, if not years, negotiating complicated pacts on how to regulate both fish catches and means of fishing, and the results vary. For example, the U.N. was recently on the cusp of instituting a ban on bottom trawling on the grounds that it was destroying critical ocean habitat, but Iceland blocked it. So now there is no ban in place.
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Crofton, Md.: What new technology is going to be used for man to explore first hand the depths for extened periods? For example breathable liquids, habitates, etc.
Juliet Eilperin: That's a really interesting question. I'm not sure what cutting edge technology will help humans explore underwater though certain research centers, such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, devote a great deal of time and money to developing such techniques. Felicia Coleman, one of the scientists I interviewed for my piece, said she and other researchers depend heavily on remote operated vehicles (ROVs) that can spend a much longer period of time underwater compared to humans.
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washingtonpost.com: Here is that story on the growing acidity of the ocean affecting coral reefs: Growing Acidity of Oceans May Kill Corals.
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Va.: What is this Ocean Commission I've heard about?
Juliet Eilperin: The U.S. Ocean Commission was a bipartisan, presidentially-appointed group that issued a comprehensive report on ocean policy more than a year ago (it may have been two years ago). The commission highlighted an array of reforms aimed at protecting the sea, most of which have not been enacted. There also was a separate Pew Commission, which was also bipartisan but independent of the government, which issued its own report before the Ocean Commission. Many of the suggestions, however, overlapped.
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Bethesda, Md.: Is using technology to study the oceans a relatively new concept - it seems to me, the science community would be some of the early adapters of new technologies. Or was there an element of fear that the technologies would not give accurate readings?
Juliet Eilperin: In some cases there have been some real technological advances that have transformed conservation: for example, researchers can take much better photos underwater than they used to. In other instances I'm sure you're right, people have been skeptical of technologies that capture something we can't see. And to this day, there are still heated debates over estimates of fish population sizes and such, especially since fish can move around so quickly.
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Rockville, Md.: There's real creepy stuff in the ocean.
Juliet Eilperin: Tes, there's no question that some marine creatures are dangerous, so it's something to watch out for when spending time at sea.
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Fairfax, Va.: Juliet,
Was that you in that vonage commercial, where the young woman runs down to the ocean to see the dolphins?
Juliet Eilperin: I deny any and all commercial appearances, including ones featuring dolphins.
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Arlington, Va.: What is your opinion on the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and how it will affect the U.S. fisheries?
Juliet Eilperin: I don't talk about my opinions on legislation, but I think it's fair to say the bill tightens the nation's fishing rules by emphasizing the importance of science. At the same time, it does not go as far as many scientists and environmentalists want it to go. On the other hand, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) a strong advocate of fishermen, dislikes aspects of the bill. You can look at the editorial the Post ran on this subject on Dec. 11, I believe, and Frank may have written a letter on it that was published in the Post.
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Pittsburgh, Pa.: I have read that in some fishing industries various kinds of technology (LIDAR, sonar, etc) are used to assist the industry in increasing their catch. Are there any kinds sensor technology that have been banned from use after they have been found to be too effective? I also remember reading an article about an advanced sonar that was being developed and was curious if there were any bodies that regulated these issues.
Juliet Eilperin: That's an excellent question. To be honest I don't know if any of the technologies you're talking about have been specifically banned, regulators have generally focused on fishing gear that involves too much bycatch, and things like that.
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Dublin, Ohio: Is there any program that tags Atlantic sealife as comprehensively as this one seems to tag the Pacific? That map with your story is very cool.
Juliet Eilperin: Researchers at Duke University tag tuna as well as sea turtles, and there are other scientists focused on other species. For example Barbara Block, whom I quoted in my piece, will be tagging tunas in the Atlantic next month along with some Duke scientists.
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Juliet Eilperin: I'm signing off now, thanks for all the smart questions.
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