Friends of MLML Host Screening of “Otter 501″

By Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology Lab

One great aspect of being a student at Moss Landing Marine Labs is Friends of MLML, an organization designed to inform the public about MLML through tours and events, as well as help students with their research by providing scholarships. Friends of MLML put on events every other month that are free to the public. Last night was one such event: the screening of the film “Otter 501” presented by Sea Studios Foundation.

Otter 501 being rehabilitated at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

This film revolved around a stranded otter pup, Otter 501, and the young woman who found the pup, Katie Pofahl. The film depicts Otter 501’s journey toward rehabilitation at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Although her training on how to hunt was initially slow, Otter 501 learned the tricks to diving and finding prey from her adoptive otter mother, Toola. The film then shows Otter 501’s subsequent release into Elkhorn Slough, located about a mile north of MLML.

Otter 501 and her adoptive mother, Toola.

Following the movie, those who came to the event had a Q&A with Katie, who was also the narrator of the film. When asked if there were any updates on Otter 501’s whereabouts, Katie and fellow researchers present in the audience happily reported that she was spotted that very day in the Slough, interacting with a male!

For more information on events hosted by Friends of MLML, visit their Events page.

For more information about “Otter 501″ visit their Facebook page.

That’s Not a Seashell!

By Michelle Marraffini

Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology

Massive dock from Japan that washed ashore in Oregon. Photo by Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department.

At 66 feet long, 19 feet wide, and 7 feet tall, the massive dock that washed ashore on Oregon’s Agate Beach is larger then anything I have ever found on the beach.   This dock is one of the first large pieces of debris to make it across the Pacific ocean from Japan after the earthquake and tsunami in March of 2011.   According to news reports, the debris came from the northern Japanese city of Misawa, arrived almost nine months earlier than officials originally thought.

Hitchhikers from Japan made it alive and well despite the almost 5000 mile journey.
Photo by Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department

But this dock did not arrive alone.   Many organisms hitched a ride on this dock for the almost 5,000 mile journey across the ocean.   Floating docks and other harbor structures provide habitat for many invertebrates and algae.   The movement of these organisms to the Pacific Northwest, many of which are not native to this coast, may pose a threat to the diversity of native species that live there.   To prevent these possible problems, scientists and managers took samples of organisms that arrived on the dock then scrapped the remaining organisms, buried them deep in the sand up the beach, and then used blow torches to dock to remove all remnants and reproductive material of the organisms.

NOAA Budget Cuts: MLML Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Vanishing?

By Stephanie Hughes, Vertebrate Ecology Lab

If marine mammals are deemed the “canary in the coal mine” for our oceans, how can we predict threats to oceans and human health if funds that support long-term monitoring of these sentinels are eliminated?

The importance of monitoring the health of marine mammals goes beyond our “good Samaritan” duties of saving the cute and cuddly. Rescue and recovery attempts don’t always result in a happy ending, even though we hope for the best outcome. Regardless, our efforts are never in vain, for even failed attempts present us with the opportunity to discover clues for how the animal lived, so we may (hopefully) reveal how and why it died. Responding to diseased, injured, distressed, and even deceased marine mammals is our gateway to unveiling what these animals, and even humans, may be up against as environmental conditions are in flux.

The Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Network operates through the Vertebrate Ecology Laboratory (VEL) at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) and is a participant of the National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. The VEL-MLML stranding network has been in operation for over 20 years under the direction of Dr. Jim Harvey, professor and interim director of MLML. At its infancy, VEL-MLML stranding response, in collaboration with other stranding response organizations such as The Marine Mammal Center and Long Marine Laboratory, was conducted voluntarily.  Students, faculty, and members of the community would volunteer for rescuing, recovering, or collecting data on live and deceased stranded marine mammals. During the early years, equipment for stranding response was limited, thereby making the sample collection and storage to support long-term research difficult, though not impossible.  Volunteers often lacked proper transportation, sampling equipment, and protective gear, and many were without formal training on data or sample collection. Despite these shortcomings, dedicated volunteers would drag hundreds of pounds of dead, beached marine mammal heads, tails, flippers, etc. (yes, without latex gloves) through miles of sand dunes, then would strap their prized possession on top of their ’78 Toyota pick up, tails and flippers flapping in the wind on Highway 1 as they returned to the lab. During the early 1990s, the VEL-MLML stranding network had many willing, committed, and dedicated volunteers (still does). What it didn’t have were sufficient funds to support the infrastructure necessary for rapid, large scale, and long-term stranding response.

Battle Under the Docks

By Michelle Marraffini

Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology Lab

With continued global expansion of humankind and climate change, how will native communities be affected by introduced species?  Recent state surveys identified at least 312 non-native species in California coastal waters, many of which are known to have strong negative impacts on shipping, recreational and commercial fishing, and native habitats and local species (CDFG, 2008).  Factors regulating the success of non-indigenous species are of interest to scientists and managers.

A view of boats that use Monterey Harbor and may unknowingly transport invertebrates from other marinas and harbors.

Artificial habitats like floating docks and pontoons act as ground zero for newly arrived non-indigenous species.  These species arrive though many mechanisms, such as ballast water and fouling on the bottom of boats; we heard all about ballast water from fellow MLML student Catherine Drake, The Ballast Water Balancing Act.  Species that settle in marinas and harbors can than travel along the open coast and into estuaries, where they may outcompete native species for resources and become dominant on human structures such as water pipes, sewer grates, and aquaculture cages.

Dockside view of my thesis installation with helpers Hannah and Heather. Photo by Scott Gabara

Under the floating docks of Monterey Harbor animals are battling for space. For my thesis at MLML, I am studying the role of native invertebrate species on invasion success.   I will look at the sessile invertebrates like tunicates (Phylum Chordata), mussels (Phylum Mullusca), bryozoans (Phylum Byrozoa), hydrozoans (Phylum Cnidaria), feather-duster worms (Phlyum Annelida) and anemones (Phylum Cnidaria).   By making experimental treatments that vary the number of species, the amount of native verse non-native species, and the amount of open space in artificial communities hopefully I can untangle part of the story about how non-native species become established.

Take a look under the dock as the battle is under way and stay tuned for the winner!

Diver, Heather Hawk helps steady treatment plots of native and non-native sessile invertebrates Photo by Scott Gabara

Students and Faculty Compete for Glory in Inaugural MLML 3K

by Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab

In the spirit of community building and maintaining positive energy during finals in May, MLML Student Body hosted the first official Moss Landing Marine Labs 3K race.  The course covered what most students, staff, and faculty know as “the loop,” with the race starting and ending at the entrance to the labs.  Students challenged the faculty to a friendly cross-country style competition.  While the faculty team gave the students a run for their money, the students’ overwhelming turnout dominated the competition. Approximately two dozen participants and supporters came out for the inaugural race and post-race BBQ.  Stay tuned for the next running of this fun and sporting community event!

Participants prepare to go the distance
(Photo: A. Woods)

It’s Whale Soup Out Here!

Looking for whales in Monterey Bay

Ok, so it’s not literally whale soup out here, but Monterey Bay has been full of humpback whales for the past few weeks.  Casey Clark, a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Labs, has been taking advantage of this opportunity to investigate migrations and feeding behavior humpback whales in this region.  Each whale’s tail (known as a fluke) has a unique pattern of black and white markings and scars, which can be used to identify individual whales, much like fingerprints are used to identify humans.  As part of his research, Casey has been photographing the flukes of whales encountered in the bay and referencing them to a catalog to determine when and where they have been seen in the past.  Spring and summer are great times to see humpback and blue whales in Monterey bay, so keep your eyes out for a glimpse of these huge marine mammals!

Last look at a humpback whale.

Moss Landing’s 2012 Open House a Huge Success

by Angela Szesciorka, Vertebrate Ecology Lab

On April 21 and 22, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories held its 44th annual Open House. We had 2,385 visitors and raised $9,869.58. To put that into context, the first Open House in the summer of 1968 had 40 visitors! The lab has certainly grown since then and so has the surrounding community’s interest and support for marine science.

A future marine scientist having her photo taken as a scientific scuba diver. (photo by Will Fennie)

Welcome to Moss Landing Marine Labs!

Michelle Marraffini

Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology

Have you ever wondered about the secret life of deep sea fishes?  Or what the inside of a whale looks like?  Have you touched one of the largest sea slugs in the world?  Well, visitors to this year’s Open House at MLML got a chance to do all of this and more!   Over the course of this two day event students, faculty, and staff opened their labs and their minds to over 2300 visitors of all ages from around the Monterey Bay area.  If you missed it come on a tour with me and walk through the labs.  At the first stop we see a large mahi mahi fish and skeletons of local and far away fish.

Mahi Mahi on display at Open House

Fish skeleton to be viewed but not touched in the Ichthyology Lab

Lights, Camera, Action!

By Michelle Marraffini

Invertebrate Zoology

MLML’s annual Open House is fast approaching and our students are busy trying to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.  One of our main attractions is the marine adventure themed puppet show.   Students invite the audience to dive into the ocean with a much anticipated, “Welcome to the Moss Landing Marine Labs Open House Puppet show!”  This puppet show aims to teach the audience about the ocean and get them really excited about studying and conserving it.

Check out previous puppet show here

To learn more about how the creators of this year’s show feel about the show I asked each of them a few questions.

What is the best thing about the puppet show?

Nicole: The creative process that brings the whole show together; writing songs, developing choreography, crafting sets and props, all for the purpose of educating visitors about marine life in a super fun way!!

Marilyn: The best part of the show for me has to be people coming up afterwards to tell us how much they learned from and enjoyed the show, especially when we’re able to reach both kids and adults. It means a lot when we’re able to communicate crazily complex scientific concepts to everyone in a fun and accurate way. And the singing and dancing, of course. And writing the songs. Wait. That was more than one best thing…

The Ballast Water Balancing Act

By Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology Lab

Docked in the Carquinez Strait, an offshoot of the San Pablo Bay in the city of Vallejo, is the TS Golden Bear.  It is a training ship for the California Maritime Academy, which—like MLML—is a campus of the California State University.  The Biological Oceanography lab at MLML utilizes the ship for ballast water research.  As ships traverse the globe, they pick up ballast water from one area and release it back into the ocean once they reach their destination.  Ships uptake seawater into their ballast tanks to optimize balance and streamlining when traveling a great distance.  During this process, potentially invasive planktonic organisms are brought into the tanks and transported by being held in the ballast tank during travels.  As these organisms are released back into the ocean, they are now introduced into a new environment.

The TS Golden Bear, which houses the laboratory and is the source of ballast water used in the research conducted by the MLML Biological Oceanography lab.

Ships take in seawater and store it in ballast tanks in order to remain balanced as they glide through the oceans. Then, they discharge the ballast water as they enter a port or harbor.

This can pose a problem, as some plankton can become invasive, meaning that they can outcompete native organisms in a habitat.  According to Ruiz, et al., shipping is considered the largest transfer mechanism for coastal invasions.   As a result, regulations developed by IMO (International Maritime Organization) are implemented to reduce invasive plankton.  One of their requirements forces ships to reduce the number of live zooplankton to 10 live zooplankters per 1000 liters after the water has been treated with a kill-factor (toxic reagents, oxygen reduction, UV light, heat, etc).  “Though the challenge of coming up with an effective but environmentally safe kill factor is still up and coming, so are the methods to determining the quality of the treatment system,” says Julie Kuo, a student in the Biological Oceanography Lab.  Consequently, this has enhanced the collaboration between engineers, and scientists to construct standard operating procedures to determine the quality of a treatment system based on IMO regulations.

Copepods, tintinnids, rotifers, and cladocera are all zooplankton that can be found in ballast water.

Enter Dr. Welshmeyer and the Biological Oceanography lab: the purpose of their project is to count the number of live zooplankton alive before and after the treatment.  This process is used to determine whether or not the treatment tested on the Golden Bear is successful at meeting the IMO regulations.  As we boarded the ship, we carried microscopes and coffee down through the ship to a room that was designated as our lab.  In the 8 by 15 foot room, we setup our microscopes and began counting zooplankton.  That particular day, we were counting pre-treated water, which was full of zooplankton swimming around; this included tintinnids, copepods, rotifers, and nauplii.  After our counts of the live and dead zooplankton, we extrapolated that there were anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 live organisms per cubic meter; up to 60% were alive in an untreated sample that was concentrated from one cubic meter of water from the Carquinez Strait.  So, treatment systems have to be incredibly affective in order to kill all but ten zooplankton in ballast water!

Julie Kuo, a graduate student in the Biological Oceanography lab at MLML, counts the number of zooplankton in a sample of pre-treated ballast water.