A Nearly Irreversible Infestation

A map depicting where the infestation is occurring

In the Caribbean and surrounding picturesque locations, the infestation of Lionfish is a growing problem. While very beautiful, these lionfish are considered highly dangerous because of their venomous nature 

and large reproduction numbers. Lionfish will eat everything and everything and because they are not a naturally occurring fish in the Atlantic Ocean, they are changing the food chain and impacting the surrounding wildlife in a very negative way. The problem, other than unnatural occurrences in the ocean, is that the Lionfish have no natural predators other than humans. The rapid reproduction rates make them impossible toe exterminate for humans. "The lionfish invasion is probably the worst environmental disaster the Atlantic will ever face," said Graham Maddocks, president and founder

of Ocean Support Foundation. The Lionfish reproduce faster than almost any other marine life form. They produce 30,000 to 40,000 eggs every few days and reach sexual maturity at only about 1 years old. They are currently spread through the Amazon, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, as well as waters around North Carolina. According to most of the research done, just a few fish that escaped from owners In Florida started this lionfish epidemic. In fact, DNA evidence shows that all the lionfish in the Atlantic were started by just 3-4 female lionfish escaping and rapidly became an absurd amount of them. Maddocks said, "I don't know if we can stop the lionfish invasion. This isn't a battle we can win, we can only maintain," he said. "Human beings started this problem. It is our fault they are here. We have to take responsibility and try to fix or hope we can control it."

Citations:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/innovation/lionfish-infestation-atlantic-linendoll/

A Problem for Everyone

Plastic Ocean Pollution

The oceans of the world are in very dangerous trouble. Many problems within the oceans are gaining more interest and become more of a scare. These things include ocean temperatures rising, seawater acidification, and the oxygen concentration levels dropping. These problems have gained great notice as of late.  The International Program on the State of the Ocean made a presentation recently on other things have that negatively been affecting the oceans such as destructive fishing, over fishing, and pollution. They stated that these problems that people have complete control over have shaped the current state of the oceans just as much as things like temperature rise. These problems such as ocean degradation, similar to deforestation, are causing problems not just for the oceans but also for humans. The oceans provide at least half of the 

This diagram shows how ocean pollution is caused and how it can effect us 

 oxygen we breathe. They absorb more carbon dioxide than forests do. Harm to the oceans clearly has a great impact on the things we do every day as well as the animal life that exists in the oceans. Many countries have started to charge additional taxes for using certain things then putting that tax money back into the environment. One country that was one of the first to do this was Costa Rica. In the early 1990’s, when Costa Rica began this practice, it began charging taxes on fossil fuels and using the revenue to protect forests. The net result was a reversal of deforestation. The economy in Costa Rica has benefited directly through a growth in tourism, and indirectly by preserving ecosystem services such as pollination. Obviously these precautionary steps Costa Rica took as well as many other countries has benefitted not just the environment, but the local economies as well. Manny countries have started taking precautions and enforcing the laws having to do with littering or pollution but every country around the globe needs to take these growing problems more seriously from here on out.

Cite:

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-trouble-with-our-ocean-ecosystems-by-andres-velasco

The Government Shutdown's Impact on the Ocean

The recent Government shutdown has meant more than just loss of jobs on land but also many in the maritime industry. With the last week heating up in Washington, many fisherman were ordered to stop going out to fish as food distribution to many government sources have been ceased until the government is back up and running. It comes as a surprise to many that even small fisherman would be impacted by this shutdown but it certainly has. This shows the widespread effects of the Government shutdown as well as the impact on the marine industry it has had. In addition to fisherman being told to cease work, the Obama Administration has closed parts of the ocean because of the shutdown. They closed part of the ocean around Florida to public access. Until the governments funding is restored, any ocean considered to be part of a national ark will be closed. This will have a great impact of the tourism industry in those areas, which will negatively affect the economy of those small towns that need the business. These are just a few of the many examples of the way that the government shutdown has negatively affected our everyday lives.

Citations:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/03/3668028_p2/shutdown-day-3-food-distributor.html

http://www.newsmax.com/US/obama-ocean-shutdown/2013/10/06/id/529515