Less rats mean more birds and fish

SUBHEAD: Rodent eradication saves chicks and fertilizes soil and reefs for better biodiversity.

By Jan TenBruggencate on 6 July 2018 for Raising Islands -
(http://raisingislands.blogspot.com/2018/07/new-study-finds-rat-eradication.html)


Image above: Rat in tree eating Hawaiian bird eggs. From (https://conservationbytes.com/2015/01/06/help-hawaiis-hyper-threatened-birds/).

If the rat eradication of Lehua Island (in Kauai County, Hawaii) ends up being successful, it could result in a more productive nearshore fishery.

Which is ironic, in that many of those fighting the eradication program were fishermen.

A new study in the journal Nature says that when rats kill off seabirds on islands, it means those birds are no longer pooping in the nearshore waters, fertilizing reefs. And that means fewer fish on those reefs.

This study was done in the Chagos Archipelago, where some islands have rats and others are rat-free. Researchers looked at both the fertility of the land on those islands and the productivity of their reefs, where erosion from the land would carry nutrients like bird-poop-sourced nitrogen.

The Chagos are atolls and reefs just south of the Equator in the Indian Ocean. Their ownership is disputed between Great Britain and Mauritius. One is Diego Garcia, which houses a U.S military base.

The results of the research were clear, said the authors, who are from Australian, British, Danish and Canadian research institutions.

On islands without rats, seabird density as well as nitrogen deposits were hundreds of times higher. Yes, hundreds: 250 to more than 700 times higher.

Those rat-free islands had reefs that had 48 percent more biomass of "macroalgae, filter-feeding sponges, turf algae and fish."

The researchers looked specifically at damselfish, and found that they both grew faster and had higher total biomass on the rat-free islands.

The theory, then, is that seabirds feed in the open ocean, deliver bird poop to the islands, and that the islands then feed the nearshore waters, which makes the waters more productive and capable of producing more fish.

"Rat eradication on oceanic islands should be a high conservation priority as it is likely to benefit terrestrial ecosystems and enhance coral reef productivity and functioning by restoring seabird-derived nutrient subsidies from large areas of ocean," the authors wrote.

Rats are not the only problems on islands. On Midway Atoll, near the western end of the Hawaiian archipelago, mice began eating seabirds after rats were removed from the islands there. The case of the vampire mice, which chewed into the necks of Laysan albatross, is reviewed here.

On other islands, the mice even seemed to be getting bigger on their diets of eggs and bird flesh. The Washington Post was among the many international publications that picked up the vampire mouse story.

All that said, rodents mainly go after eggs and chicks of nesting seabirds. That was the case at Lehua Island. Here is a description of the situation on the little island north of Ni`ihau before an application of a rodenticide to try to wipe out the rats.

"We found Wedge-tailed Shearwater and Red-tailed Tropicbird eggs broken open, the edges gnawed, the insides consumed. Tiny seabird chick bodies were commonplace–pulled out of burrows and half eaten.

This was particularly true for the diminutive Bulwer’s Petrel–the vast majority of Bulwer’s Petrel burrows we found had bits and pieces of chick inside," wrote Andre Raine, Project Manager for the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project.

A couple of months after the 2017 rat eradication effort at Lehua, Raine said he could clearly see the difference:

"Fat, healthy Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks shuffled about in their burrows looking like animated fuzzballs. One of our burrow cameras showed a Bulwer’s Petrel chick exercising outside its burrow and actually fledging – a great omen, as this is something we have never recorded on our cameras in previous years," he wrote.

Most, but not all the rats were killed off at Lehua, and wildlife crews were back this year with rat-hunting dogs to try to kill off the survivors and protect the island's nesting seabird population.

And the island's coastal reefs and fisheries.
The removal of rats from islands is a major conservation effort. It has been done successfully at islands in Hawai`i like Mokoli`i off O`ahu and Mokapu off Molokai.

When it was accomplished at Palmyra Atoll south of the Hawaiian Islands, it had the unintended effect of killing off the disease-causing Asian tiger mosquito, which had depended on rats for blood meals. 
.

By 2050 no living coral reefs?

SOURCE: Katherine Muzik PHD (kmuzik@gmail.com)
SUBHEAD: In a generation all ocean reefs may succumb to Global Warming from human activity. 

By Dahr Jamail on 15 May 2017 for Truth Out! -
(http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40579-coral-reefs-generate-half-of-earth-s-oxygen-and-they-could-all-die-off-by-2050)


Image above: An aerial photograph of a small portion of the Great Barrier Reef in northeast Australia. From (http://www.businessinsider.com/australias-great-barrier-reef-will-disappear-within-two-decades-with-no-intervention-2014-3) Click to enlarge.

When he was six years old, Dean Miller already knew he wanted to be a marine biologist. At that time, growing up in Australia, the world of marine biology seemed both spectacular and limitless, he says.

"I wanted to study the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, the intricate and complex connections between the thousands of different life-forms that represent the most diverse ecosystem on the planet," Miller told Truthout.

But in the last two years, this has all changed for him.
 
"I now look at the reef as an ecosystem that is suffering from our actions and I feel guilty beyond belief that this is happening in my backyard, on our generation's watch," he explained. "I no longer dream of the kaleidoscope of life, color and movement that represents the world's coral reefs.

Instead, I worry and fight for the actual existence of coral reefs as we know them, as the changes I see are happening all too quickly -- much quicker than the reef can adapt."

This is because over the last two years, the Great Barrier Reef, which is so dear to Miller and countless others who revel in the beauty and mysteries of the oceans, has been dying off at an unprecedented rate due primarily to warming ocean waters.

Coral bleaching occurs when corals become stressed by warmer-than-normal water, causing them to expel symbiotic algae that live in their tissues, from which they get their energy. Coral turns completely white when it bleaches. If it remains bleached long enough, it dies.

One scientist has already gone so far as to declare the Great Barrier Reef is now in a "terminal stage." Most of those studying the reef agree that what is happening is unprecedented. This is because, at a minimum, two-thirds of the 1,400-mile long reef bleached out last year, which led to 22 percent of it dying. Now another bleaching event has resulted in at least two-thirds of the reef bleached again.

"The bleaching this year has moved much farther south and has taken scientists by surprise in its severity and extent," Miller said. And he fears the state of the reef could be even worse than scientists realize, since only aerial surveys have been conducted to assess the damage and no research vessel is currently active on the reef to provide finer details.

With ocean temperatures rising across the globe as anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD) continues to pick up speed, the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral ecosystem on Earth, may well be an example of what is happening to all of the coral on the planet.

"This Is New for All of Us"
Marine biologist David Burdick coordinates a NOAA-funded long-term coral reef monitoring program out of the University of Guam Marine Laboratory, and has been conducting field studies of Guam's coral reefs for more than a decade.

"In 2013, we had a moderate to severe bleaching event that came out of nowhere and lasted for three months, and we lost a quarter of the coral that was impacted from the 80 percent of the coral species that bleached," Burdick told Truthout during a recent interview on Guam.

Then, less than seven months later, what he called "an unusual sea-surface temperature spike" caused another moderate to severe bleaching event. "Corals that were already weakened by the 2013 event -- many of them died," he explained. "The event was fairly widespread, and corals that survived the 2013 event did not survive this one."

Fifty percent of the coral that bleached during the 2014 event died.

"Then, while we were still analysing all of our data from that event, we had another large bleaching event in 2016," Burdick said. "So we had three major bleaching events, essentially having one per year, which is a pattern now, apparently."

Prior to these events, they'd never seen anything on Guam that would be classified beyond a "moderate" coral bleaching event.

"This is all new for us," Burdick said.

Miller is equally stunned by what he is seeing along the Great Barrier Reef, which is eerily similar to what Burdick is seeing on Guam.

"Parts of the reef that didn't bleach last year are now under immense pressure, and this is totally different because this is back-to-back bleaching," Miller explained. "The system was already stressed, and this is a new stress event. We are seeing much mortality on reefs in our area…. What didn't die last year is dying this year."

In addition to the new bleaching in this year's event, southern portions of the reef that are typically in cooler waters are now also bleaching out.

"It's heartbreaking to see," Miller added. "Seventy thousand direct tourism-related jobs and a $6 billion tourism industry are all at risk, especially on top of the recent damage from Cyclone Debbie."

A study published this March in the journal Nature found that last year's bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef was so severe that there was no similar analog in the thousands of years of ancient coral cores scientists use to study past climates.

Another study published in Nature projected that by the year 2050, more than 98 percent of global coral reefs will be afflicted by "bleaching-level thermal stress" every single year.

However, the prognosis could be even worse: The scientists involved in the study from this March speculated that the era of never-ending global coral bleaching may have already arrived, albeit several decades earlier than was predicted even just last year.

They explained that the Great Barrier Reef needs 10 to 15 years between bleaching events in order to fully recover, and that recovery time period is "no longer realistic."

"We Don't Even Know What We Are Losing"
Laurie Raymundo is a coral ecologist at the University of Guam Marine Lab who has worked closely with Burdick for years.

Similar to Miller, she knew when she was 11 years old that she wanted to study coral. She now teaches at the University of Guam, and is designing a course in coral reef ecology and management that will include ACD impacts. She has lived in Guam since 2004 and is a co-author of the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement.

Like the other scientists Truthout spoke with, Raymundo is deeply troubled by what she is seeing.

If we lose coral reefs, Raymundo warned Truthout, "We will lose all our sensitive species, and we will have lower diversity."

Equally worrying to her is the fact that there is still so much we don't know about the importance of coral reefs.

"We don't even know what we are losing, and we don't understand what a loss of biodiversity fully means, for pharmaceuticals, ecologically, and in so many other ways," she said. "We are losing things before we even actually know, fully, what we are losing."

One crucial function we do know we're losing: While coral reefs only cover 0.0025 percent of the oceanic floor, absorb nearly one-third of the carbon dioxide generated from burning fossil fuels.

A report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization shows that coral reefs are responsible for producing 17 percent of all globally consumed protein, with that ratio being 70 percent or greater in island and coastal countries like those of Micronesia.

At the time of this writing, Earth has lost nearly half of its coral, and oceanic warming only continues to accelerate.

"We are finding that reefs living under anthropogenic stresses for many years have already lost their more sensitive coral species, and the ones that are there now are already the tough bastards," Raymundo said. "And when reefs have lower diversity, there is less ecological redundancy; hence, they are more likely to collapse."

A Future Without Coral?
A 2012 study revealed that half of the Great Barrier Reef had already vanished in just the previous 27 years. Two years later, the world's most qualified coral reef experts released a report showing that, without dramatic intervention, the Great Barrier Reef would disappear completely by 2030.

Furthermore, a study published and released by NOAA in 2011 warned that, "unless action is taken now to reduce the threats," 90 percent of all reefs will be "threatened" by 2030, and all of Earth's coral reefs could be completely gone by 2050.

The study, "Reefs at Risk Revisited," listed human-caused climate disruption, warmer water temperatures, ocean acidification, shipping, overfishing, coastal development and agricultural runoff as the contributing factors.

While that might sound extreme, Miller told Truthout he thought the report actually didn't go far enough.

"I think it's too conservative," he explained. "Corals need many years to adjust to the warmer ocean waters, and we don't have that kind of time anymore. The warming we are seeing now is happening far too fast to allow for evolution…. So what we're seeing now is death. That's what bleaching is."
Burdick, who described Guam's reefs as "getting clobbered," agreed.

"Various factors will buy some areas some time, so some coral species might eek out a bit longer, for a while," he said. "But [with] bleaching events every five to 10 years, you won't give coral enough time to come back to where it was. It is all about the rate of change. And right now, that rate is increasing, and rapidly at that."

Back in Australia, Miller is dismayed by the fact that his government is doing very little, if anything, to mitigate the crisis.

Truthout asked Miller what steps the Australian government is taking to save the Great Barrier Reef.
"From what I can tell, virtually nothing," he answered. "They are not focussed on this at all, but rather are pushing for the Adani Coal Mine to go ahead. We here in Australia can hardly believe it, to be honest. In fact, the government has had almost no comment on the bleaching at all."

The coal mine he referred to is looking like it is going to move forward, which will, according to Miller, bring an additional 500 ships carrying coal across the Great Barrier Reef every single year.
Truthout interviewed Miller's colleague, John Rumney, the managing director of Great Barrier Reef Legacy in February, when this year's bleaching event began.

"This coral is in big trouble," Rumney said at the time. Like Miller, Burdick and Raymundo, Rumney warned of the extreme loss of biodiversity that comes with the disappearance of reefs.

"When all that coral goes, all that diversity of fish that depends on it goes," Rumney told Truthout. "The entire food chain is in big trouble."

Miller concurred, saying, "We might see ecosystem collapse as we know it."

The need for independent research on the Great Barrier Reef during this second mass-bleaching event is needed more than ever, according to Miller. His and Rumney's organization is striving to get more scientists out to the reef as quickly as possible.

"The world's greatest natural icon and largest living structure needs our help more than ever, and unless we act as a concerned global population, nothing will be done," he concluded. "It is not too late. The reef is worth saving -- and our actions now will determine the fate of coral reefs in as little as 5 to 10 years. We must act."
.

Great Barrier Reef in terminal decline

SUBHEAD: New aerial surveys show damage has spread to two-thirds of reef, up from one-third last year.

By Nadia Prupis on 10 April 2017 for Common Dreams -
(http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/10/great-barrier-reef-faces-terminal-stage-climate-change-fight)


Image above: Part of this year's mass bleaching occurred even in the absence of an El Niño event. (Photo by Ryan McMinds. From original article.

The Great Barrier Reef may be at a "terminal" point after being hit with unprecedented bleaching events in consecutive years, scientists warned Monday.

According to new aerial surveys conducted by the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, two-thirds of the reef have now been affected, up from one-third last year. This year's mass bleaching occurred even in the absence of an El Niño event.

Professor Terry Hughes, who led the surveys, told the Guardian, "The significance of bleaching this year is that it's back to back, so there's been zero time for recovery."

"It's too early yet to tell what the full death toll will be from this year's bleaching, but clearly it will extend 500km (310 miles) south of last year's bleaching," he said.

Australia now faces a rapidly approaching deadline for saving the reef by addressing climate change, Hughes added.

"It takes at least a decade for a full recovery of even the fastest growing corals, so mass bleaching events 12 months apart offers zero prospect of recovery for reefs that were damaged in 2016," said Dr. James Kerry, who also took part in the surveys.

Bleaching occurs when overly warm ocean waters cause coral to get rid of its internal algae, which turns the coral white and erodes its structures. The loss of structure makes shorelines more vulnerable to extreme weather and destroys natural habitats for marine life.

A groundbreaking study published last year found that climate change is the primary cause of coral reef degradation around the world.

Jon Brodie, a water quality expert, told the Guardian that the reef was now at a "terminal stage" and that many scientists have lost hope that it can be salvaged.

"We've given up. It's been my life managing water quality, we've failed," Brodie said. "Even though we've spent a lot of money, we've had no success."

Others remained hopeful that the reef had a future, but warned that time was of the essence.

"You've got to be optimistic, I think we have to be," said Jon Day, former director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. "But every moment we waste, and every dollar we waste, isn't helping the issue. We've been denying it for so long, and now we're starting to accept it. But we're spending insufficient amounts addressing the problem."

Hughes continued, "The sooner we take action on global greenhouse gas emissions and transition away from fossil fuels to renewables, the better."

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: Ray of (false) hope for coral 4/5/17

.

Ray of (false) hope for coral

SUBHEAD: In Fiji a coral gardener is trying to save the world by saving one dying reef at a time.

By Richard Walker on 5 April 2017 for Future Perfect -
(http://www.goethe.de/ins/cz/prj/fup/en16243793.htm)


Image above: Dr Austin Bowden-Kerby searching for coral suitable for nursery. From original article.

---

IB Publisher's  note: Yesterday, when I was about publish this article I emailed its content to fellow Kauaian Dr Katherine Muzik PHD who is an expert in reef biology to get her take on Dr Austin Bowden-Kerby efforts. Her reply came a bit after I posted the piece. She wrote:

"Well, the short answer is what he is doing is not working. Realize that "his" reefs were wiped out by the Category 5 hurricane/cyclone last year, and coincidentally also the nearby village where he routinely sipped tea. Venturing on to Christmas Island, he reported to me that all was bleached, quite hopeless."

"The Southern Hemisphere is pretty much f***ed, by climate change. We are at over 400 parts per million of CO2 in effect forever. That's way too far over McKibben's 350ppm limit for a sustainable planet, for at least the foreseeable future. Too hot."

"I met Dr. Austen Bowden-Kerby in Honolulu last year, at a "Coral Gardening" meeting at the University of Hawaii. He is a very effervescent guy, he even included my program and Mala Moana on a multi-million dollar proposal, for me to work on Kauai and Molokai, teaming up with  the University of Hawaii guys."

"Nary a word back though. Poof! So I would say, a better title would be "False ray of false hope for coral", much like the lab research on Oahu. Until we clean up the watersheds, and embark on "degrowth", planetwide, the corals are doomed."

---

Coral reefs are vital for the health of the planet, but they’re dying. In Fiji a coral gardener is trying to save the world, one reef at a time.

Dr Austin Bowden-Kerby is not so young anymore. But he overflows with the energy and passion of youth. “Wow! Look at this coral!” I swim over. “It’s a staghorn. They’re very rare here” he gushes.

We’re exploring in waters off the Beach House, a small retreat on Fiji’s famous Coral Coast. Soon after, another call: “I found Nemo!” A shy clown fish darts into hiding. Later he chomps into an edible seaweed drifting past. “They say it’s a great aphrodisiac” he winks.

His enthusiasm for life on the reef is infectious, but it hides a more serious concern. That these reefs that he loves might not be around in just a few decades.

“Most of the projections say that by the year 2050 the coral reefs will be gone.” But Austin has a plan. He wants to save the world, and he’s starting with coral.

Save coral reefs - Save the planet
“The Earth has a fever, and it is called climate change.” Austin – an American-born marine biologist who now calls Fiji home – is blunt about the challenges we face. “We all know that our home is in big trouble… we are out of balance.” But why focus on coral?

Coral reefs provide food, livelihoods and coastal protection to a billion people worldwide. They occupy less than one percent of the ocean’s area, but are home to a quarter of all marine species. According to Austin, coral reefs are the most sensitive of our environmental systems. They are the front line in the battle against climate change. “If we can save this system, we can save the planet.”

To save a reef, garden it!
But how do you save a coral reef? Here’s one way: cultivate it, harvest it, regrow it. Garden it! Austin Bowden-Kerby is a coral gardener. He has been working in the ocean for more than 40 years.

The idea for coral gardening was planted – literally – on the dynamite-blasted reefs of Micronesia. “I tried breaking up corals, branches of corals, and throwing them down.

And on these broken areas I got instant reef!” It’s not quite instant – the coral branches that Austin placed on the rubble of dead reefs took at least six months to fully establish themselves.

But they grew, and Austin was encouraged. Lots of work and one PhD later, and he is confident that coral gardening is the way to save the world’s reefs.

Decades on, Austin has used coral gardening techniques to start rebuilding reefs across the world, and trained others to do the same. But he stresses that it’s not a quick fix. “I don’t pretend that I’m trying to replant the whole reef. You can’t do it.” What you can do is replant a patch to create “a pocket of health” that will grow and spread on its own.

So how does it work? First, find a good spot that has everything a garden needs – sunlight, space, protection from the elements. Create a nursery where the corals grow. In time, harvest the corals and place them back into the reef, where they take hold, reproduce and spread.

And the best thing? With a bit of training and know-how, anyone can play their part. “This is something people can do. It can be done on a small scale and repeated, repeated, repeated to have a major impact”.


Image above: Kerby planting coral in underwater nursery. From original article.

Saving the reef with ‘super corals’
But coral gardening has changed since Austin first started. In early 2016 global water temperatures rose dramatically. Reefs were damaged across the world. Once flourishing sites that Austin had worked on became completely bleached, and died. These spikes in temperature are likely to be the norm from now on.


So Austin only wants to plant corals that he knows can withstand hotter water without bleaching. He calls them ‘super corals’. The waters off the Beach House reached 34 degrees Celsius in early 2016.

That’s three or four degrees higher than bleaching temperature for most corals around the world. Which means that whatever has survived here may be some of the most heat-resistant coral on the planet.

I’m following Austin as he hunts for surviving super corals. But there isn’t much to be found. When he finds a small colony he is ecstatic. He carefully detaches the coral from its rock and transports it back to the nursery.

The whole point of this trip is to figure out which of these corals will survive in a hot-water future. “Unless we actually know that what we’re planting will survive into the future, why plant it?” Austin is looking for as many different species and genotypes of coral as he can find to put in the super coral nursery.

Some may not survive the summer, but the ones that do will be some of the toughest corals around. Perfect for regrowing a heat-resistant reef.

In a year or so, these super corals will be trimmed and the second-generation corals put back onto the reef. From there everything is in Mother Nature’s hands. The corals will grow and eventually spawn, releasing their offspring into the water to create new colonies of heat-resistant corals as far as the tide will take them.

But why not just leave these ‘super corals’ where they are? Sadly, rising water temperatures are not the only threat to corals.

With its natural predators overfished, the coral-eating Crown of Thorns Starfish runs rampant across Fiji’s reefs. They eat one fist-sized coral every day. “Every bleaching resistant colony that we bring into the nursery has a much better chance of surviving under care than it does in the wild,” says Austin.

Seeing the bigger picture
Austin wants to see coral gardeners all over Fiji. And he wants to train them in his techniques to manage and restore their home reef. What’s more, he wants them to team up with resorts. Already, several resorts have employed trained coral gardeners. Communities need the reef for their food.

Resorts need the reef for their business. It’s a win-win.

But Austin knows that coral gardening alone is not enough. If fish are to return to the reef they need protection from overfishing. So locally managed marine areas and ‘no take’ zones are vital. But if you ask local villages not to catch fish, where do they get their protein? Austin is working on that too – his ‘Happy Chickens for Healthy Reefs’ project trains people in poultry farming. So far he has hatched and distributed over 15,000 baby chicks.

Austin thinks big – it isn’t just about saving the reef. Austin’s whole purpose is to provide hope. To show people that something can be done. To inspire. “Corals excite people. They get people involved. It’s like a ray of hope in this really dark time. We need this hope.”

.

Oura Bay is being destroyed

SUBHEAD: US and Japanese finally begin destruction of last intact reef on Okinawa for military airbase.

By Gavan McCormack on 6 February 2017 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2017/02/oura-bayis-being-destroyed.html)


Image above: The dredge ship Fukada on Oura Bay before it begins destruction of bay's ecosystem.

The destruction of Oura Bay starts in a matter of hours.

The Poseidon heavy-duty dredge ship (the “Fukada”), the crane ships, the multiple layers of security guards and their various craft: everything is now in place, ready for the “shock and awe” assault on Oura Bay.

No more surveying or preparation. This is the start of the real thing, after all these years. This is a No 1 Kokusaku (national policy) project, the equivalent of the Battleship Yamato.

What hope for democracy and human rights with the dictators, Abe to the East and Trump to the West. We have basically failed to generate enough international interest, awareness and protest.

Miyagi Chie went out on the Bay yesterday in a canoe and took photograps. This morning she issues the following SOS. See the photographs she attaches of the Poseidon ship that just arrived yesterday, the concrete blocks, etc. She asks for widest dissemination of the news of what is happening.

I don’t know that we can do. But the minimum will be to try to communicate Okinawa’s pain and anger and sadness.


Image above: Barge with concrete blocks in Oura Bay before it begins destruction of bay's ecosystem.

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: Japan's Anger is Past its Limit 6/21/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa an American Protectorate 10/30/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Fear and Hope in Oura Bay 1/27/15
Ea O Ka Aina: "Sit on Sea" Free Movie Sunday 9/3/11
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa breathes easier 4/27/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawans wish US military gone 4/26/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa mayor caves to US military 4/22/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Japan struggles with Okinawa base  4/6/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Voila - World War Three 7/1/14

Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa resists US Military 2/11/14
Ea O Ka Aina: US Okinawa base setback 1/20/14

Ea O Ka Aina: The Pacific Pivot 6/28/14
Ea O Ka Aina: Help save Mariana Islands 11/17/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Pagan Island beauty threatened 9/16/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Navy to conquer Marianas again 9/3/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Navy Next-War-Itis 4/13/12
Ea O Ka Aina: America bullies Koreans 4/13/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Despoiling Jeju island coast begins 3/7/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Jeju Islanders protests Navy Base 2/29/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Hawaii - Start of American Empire 2/26/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Korean Island of Peace 2/26/12   
Ea O Ka Aina: Military schmoozes Guam & Hawaii 3/17/11
Ea O Ka Aina: Living at the Tip of the Spear 4/5/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Living at the Tip of the Spear 4/15/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam Land Grab 11/30/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam as a modern Bikini Atoll 12/25/09
Ea O Ka Aina: GUAM - Another Strategic Island 11/8/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Diego Garcia - Another stolen island 11/6/09
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 - Navy fired up in Hawaii 7/2/08
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 uses destructive sonar 4/22/08
Island Breath: Navy Plans for the Pacific 9/3/07
Island Breath: Judge restricts sonar off California 08/07/07
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 sonar compromise 7/9/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 - Impact on Ocean 5/23/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2004 - Whale strandings on Kauai 9/2/04
Island Breath: PMRF Land Grab 3/15/04  
 

EPA vs Pflueger and other violators

SOURCE:  Michael Guard Sheehan (mailto:hanaleirivermichael@gmail.com)
SUBHEAD: EPA closes Pflueger case on Kauai but ignores other owner's environmental violations.

By Dean Higuchi on 24 August 2016 for the EPA.gov -
(https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-closes-pflueger-stormwater-case-after-successful-restoration-kauai-property)


Image above: This photo from 2004 was taken prior to environmental damage caused by this unauthorized grading and landscaping by retired car dealer James Pflueger on his Pila’a property. From (http://www.staradvertiser.com/breaking-news/pfluegers-environmental-repairs-on-kauai-shoreline-meets-epa-muster/).

Editorial comment  by Michael Guard Sheehan:
This case is a tragic case of selective enforcement against one man while surrounding him were numerous persons and politicians doing far worse to the Environment with their own illegal digging and construction in Habitats for Endangered Species. Instead of self-congratulatory news releases, your organization should be shamefully quiet and reflective.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the successful conclusion of its case against James Pflueger for construction activities that damaged his former property and the beach and coral reefs at Pila’a on Kauai. The consent decree settling the Clean Water Act violations was closed after Pflueger stabilized and restored the slopes and streams.

“Thanks to the work completed under this settlement, this once-degraded land has a healthy population of native trees and shrubs and restored stream channels,” said Alexis Strauss, EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “With continued care by the new owners, these restoration efforts can be sustained for the future.”

EPA initiated its case after Pflueger conducted extensive grading and construction at the 378-acre coastal site without obtaining necessary Clean Water Act permits. Those activities included excavating a hillside to expose a 40-foot vertical road cut, grading a coastal plateau, creating new access roads to the coast, and dumping dirt and rock into three perennial streams. As a result, massive discharges of sediment-laden stormwater flowed to the ocean at Pila’a Bay in November 2001.

The settlement required Pflueger to build a wall to stabilize the road cut adjacent to the shoreline, remove dam material in streams, install erosion controls on roadways and trails, terrace slopes to slow runoff, use native plants to control erosion, and control invasive plants and animals on the property. He was also required to reconstruct natural rock-lined stream beds and reestablish native plants along the banks.

The 2006 stormwater settlement was the largest for federal Clean Water Act violations at a single site, by a single landowner, in the United States. Pflueger paid $2 million in penalties to the State of Hawaii and the United States, and was expected to spend approximately $5.3 million to conduct the required restoration efforts.

The State of Hawaii was a co-plaintiff in EPA’s case against Pflueger, and the settlement was joined by the Limu Coalition and Kilauea neighborhood organizations, which had also filed a lawsuit against Pflueger.

EPA and local community organizations involved in the settlement conducted oversight inspections throughout a ten-year restoration effort that was slowed by funding obstacles and the necessity of adapting the restoration projects to changing field conditions.

.

Whatever it Takes

SUBHEAD: We want the rest of the world to know how the Japan-U.S. security treaty is affecting us.

By Nadia Prupis on 26 December 2015 for Common Dreams -
(http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/26/whatever-it-takes-okinawa-sues-tokyo-effort-block-us-base)


Image above: Protesters in Tokyo rally against the proposed construction of the Henoko base in 2014. From original article.


Okinawa officials on Friday filed a lawsuit against the central Japanese government in a new bid to block the slated construction of a U.S. military base in the prefecture's Henoko region.

"We will do whatever it takes to stop the new Henoko base," Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga said during a press conference Friday. "Okinawa's argument is legitimate, and I believe that it will be certainly understood."

Residents and officials charge that the Japanese government's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism illegally intervened in Onaga's order earlier this year that halted preliminary work on the base. The prefecture said that the ministry acted unlawfully when it suspended Onaga's permit cancellation for work needed to move the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to its slated spot in Henoko.

The legal challenge is the latest effort to block the continued militarization of the southern Japanese island, which has long served as home base for more than half of the 50,000 American military service members in Japan, as well as over two-thirds of U.S. bases in the country. In late October, hundreds of Okinawa residents, largely elders, linked arms and physically blocked vehicles transporting building materials to the base.

"Don't the people of Okinawa have sovereignty?" one protester, 70-year-old Katsuhiro Yoshida, told Japanese paper The Asahi Shimbun at the time. "This reminds me of the scenes of rioting against the U.S. military before Okinawa was returned to Japan (in 1972). Now we are facing off against our own government. It is so contemptible."

Residents have long expressed anger and frustration over the crime and pollution they say comes along with the presence of foreign troops.

"Democracy and local self-determination in Japan are in severe condition," Onaga, who was elected on an anti-base platform, said Friday. "We want the rest of the world to know how the Japan-U.S. security treaty is affecting us."

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa an American Protectorate 10/30/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawans wish US military gone 8/26/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa mayor caves to US military 4/22/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Japan struggles with Okinawa base  4/6/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Fear and Hope in Oura Bay1/27/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa resists US Military 2/11/14
Ea O Ka Aina: US Okinawa base setback1/20/14
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa breathes easier 4/27/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Pacific Resistance to U.S. Military 5/24/10

.

Can "Super Coral" save reefs

SOURCE: Sam Monet (monets001@hawaii.rr.com)
SUBHEAD: Researchers in Hawaii are using an "assisted evolution" to grow coral to withstand the hotter more acidic oceans.

By AP Staff on 5 November 2015 for the Guardian -
(http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/05/scientists-attempt-to-breed-super-coral-to-save-threatened-reefs)


Image above: Juvenile coral is prepared to transplant on to reefs in hopes that the high-performing specimens will strengthen the overall health of the reef. Photograph by Caleb Jones/AP. From original story.

[Note from Source: In the 1970's, acid rain from Germany killed much of Sweden's native forests and lakes.  After the German's initiated green controls, the Swedes replaced their native forests with mono cultured trees that, unfortunately did not and cannot replicate or replace the bio diversity that existed in their native forests.  However, that is better than nothing.  President Ronnie Reagan denied the existence of Acid Rain or ozone depletion, both well documented by the Swedes.]

The super coral might help us, however, if it cannot support the entire ecosystem, the life forms that depend on the existing corals will not survive and will not support the rest of the food chain that is much more complex than a Swedish forest.  Mono cultured coral reefs will not be the same.

I have been writing about and warning the politicians and people of Hawaii about global warming since the very early 1990's.  The direct result of our global greed and ignorance, today it is upon us.

The Ala Wai yacht harbor is much hotter, more polluted, acid and silted than Kaneohe Bay.  What little corals we have, have been bleached in our harbor.  I suggest the real test of the super coral is in Ala Wai harbor.  If it can live and breed here, then it can do that anywhere in Hawaii and similar climate zones world wide.


Researchers in Hawaii are using an "assisted evolution experiment" to grow coral that can withstand the hotter and more acidic oceans caused by global warming

Scientists at a research centre on Hawaii’s Coconut Island have embarked on an experiment to grow “super coral” that they hope can withstand the hotter and more acidic oceans that are expected with global warming.

The quest to grow the hearty coral comes at a time when researchers are warning about the dire health of the world’s reefs, which create habitats for marine life, protect shorelines and drive tourist economies.

When coral is stressed by changing environmental conditions, it expels the symbiotic algae that live within it and the animal turns white or bright yellow, a process called bleaching, said Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

If the organisms are unable to recover from these bleaching events, especially when they recur over several consecutive years, the coral will die. Gates estimated that about 60 to 80% of the coral in Kaneohe Bay has bleached this year.

“The bleaching has intensified and got much more serious,” said Gates, of the coral around the bay. Where they once looked for the bleached coral among the h

Gates and her team are taking the coral to their centre on the 29-acre isle and slowly exposing them to slightly more stressful water.

They bathe chunks of coral that they’ve already identified as having strong genes in water that mimics the warmer and more acidic oceans. They are also taking resilient strains and breeding them with one another, helping perpetuate those stronger traits.

The theory they are testing is called assisted evolution, and while it has been used for thousands of years on other plants and animals, the concept has not been applied to coral living in the wild.

“We’ve given them experiences that we think are going to raise their ability to survive stress,” Gates said. She said they hope to see these corals, which will soon be transplanted into the bay, maintain their colour, grow normally and then reproduce next summer.

In early October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said that coral reefs worldwide are experiencing bleaching, calling the event extensive and severe.

“We may be looking at losing somewhere in the range of 10 to 20% of the coral reefs this year,” Noaa coral reef watch coordinator Mark Eakin said when the report was released. “Hawaii is getting hit with the worst coral bleaching they have ever seen.”

And this is the second consecutive year Hawaii has experienced widespread bleaching.

Scientists say some coral has already fallen victim to global warming. About 30% of the world’s coral population has already perished as a result of above average ocean temperatures, El Niño’s effects and acidification.


Image above: Researcher Jen Davidson places a tray of enhanced coral on to a reef during a practice run for future transplants off the island of Oahu. Photograph by Hugh Gentry/AP. From original story.

Gates and her team understand the challenges of scalability and time. Having success locally does not necessarily mean they will be able to scale their project to address a massive, global marine crisis before much of the world’s coral reefs are already gone.

Tom Oliver, a marine biologist and team leader at Noaa’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, said the project is scalable with the requisite amount of effort and funding. He said, “the question is not can they do it, it’s can they do it fast enough?”

Oliver said that many reef restoration projects struggle because of the cost and time involved with raising standard coral and planting it in the ocean. “Restoration needs to have brood stock that can handle the changing conditions on reefs,” he said.xxx

Gates said more research needs to be done before they can begin to address scalability.

In 2013, Gates and her Australian counterpart Dr Madeleine van Oppen, who does coral research at the Australia Institute of Marine Science, won the $10,000 (£6,500) Paul G Allen Ocean Challenge for their proposal to assist coral evolution.

Allen’s foundation then asked them for a proposal to fully fund the idea, which they eventually did with a $4m grant in June. Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates, has various climate-related projects in his philanthropic portfolio.

Hawaii’s Gates said that while the goal of their project is to help coral survive global warming, there is still a need to end human’s reliance on fossil fuels and to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gasses that cause global warming.

“Even if we stopped all greenhouse gas emissions today, there is still this lag in the atmosphere where climate change will continue for probably hundreds of years,” Van Oppen said. “It’s hard to imagine it’s not going to get worse.”


.

Roundup Threatens Coral Reefs

SUBHEAD: Glyphosate, used primarily in GM agriculture, is particularly resistant to biodegradation in sea water.

Sayer Ji on 30 January 2014 for Green Med Info -
(http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/roundup-weed-killer-threatens-coral-reefs-persists-seawater)


Image above: The RoundUp Weedkiller logo floats over the Great Barrier Reef. From original article.

The coral reefs are dying and the seas are increasingly depleted of sea life. Could Roundup 'weed killer' be partially to blame?

A highly concerning new study published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin indicates that the world's most popular herbicide glyphosate (aka Roundup), used primarily in GM agriculture, is particularly resistant to biodegradation in coral reef collected sea water, and could therefore be a major contributor to the decline of marine coral reef systems such as the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms, and is so massive it is visible from outer space.[i]

Sadly, according to a study published in 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985,[ii] which is believed to be caused by a combination of factors, including climate change induced acidification of the ocean, outbreaks of predator species and extensive pollution.

Despite the established role of agrichemicals in harming sea life, glyphosate has yet to be included in marine monitoring programs for its impacts on the reef -- this despite being used at a rate of 30,000,000 lbs annually in Australia.

In the new study titled, "Glyphosate persistence in seawater," Australian marine researchers describe "increasing concern over the global loss of corals and seagrass and this has been particularly well documented for the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR)".

The researchers point out that extensive agriculture activities impact water quality around reefs and seagrass beds, especially during the summer wet season from November to March, when rain-induced flooding delivers "runoff containing excess sediments, nutrients, and pesticides," and with satellite imagery reveals their associated plumes travel up to 50 km offshore as far as the midshelf coral reefs.

In order to ascertain the potential impact of glyphosate, they quantified its biodegradation using "simulation" flask tests with native bacterial populations and coastal seawater from the Great Barrier Reef. They discovered that, "the half-life for glyphosate at 25°C in low-light was 47 days, extending to 267 days in the dark at 25°C and 315 days in the dark at 31°C, which is the longest persistence reported for this herbicide."

When compared to previously reported half-life estimates for glyphosate biodegradation in soil and fresh waters, the sea water estimates are dramatically higher. Previous soil and water data described glyphosate's biodegration half-life to be as rapid as 5 days for field soil and 49 days for bog and natural water.*

If the new sea water flask experiments accurately reflect real world conditions, glyphosate's maximal 315 day half life in sea water would add up to 63 fold increased persistence to the chemical's toxicological profile.

The researchers also pointed out that flooding events which would bring glyphosate to sea would involve co-occurrence of massive quantities of sediment to which glyphosate readily binds, which would further prevent glyphosate's biodegradation, potentially greatly enhancing its persistence and toxic effects.

Despite previous assurances by both the manufacturer (Monsanto) and regulatory bodies that glyphosate is safe to the environment and highly biodegradable, an increasingly alarming body of experimental data on glyphosate's toxicity indicates that the chemical is extremely toxic, exhibiting potentially carcinogenic endocrine disrupting activity in the parts-per-trillion concentration range, as well as a laundry list of multiple modes of toxicity to animal life.

For direct access to the biomedical data on glyphoste's toxicological profile, view our section on the topic: Glyphosate Toxicity.

• Note: accumulating evidence reveals that these original estimates are inaccurate and that glyphosate's persistence in the soil, groundwater, and even air, is a far greater problem than officially acknowledged.

[i] Sarah Belfield (8 February 2002). "Great Barrier Reef: no buried treasure"

[ii] Eilperin, Juliet. "Great Barrier Reef has lost half its corals since 1985, new study says". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 October 2012.

.

RIMPAC 2014 Impact Postmortem

SUBHEAD: Our congresswoman Tulsi Gabbarb seeking information from Navy on their methods of protecting Hawaii's environment.

By Chris D'Angelo on 22 October 2014 for the Garden Island -
(http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/rimpac-impact/article_2f295fe0-59c3-11e4-8eed-8742041b52ed.html)


Image above: Marines test military robot in Hawaii during RIMPAC 2014. From (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28290945).

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is requesting information from the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor about the Navy’s efforts to monitor the effects of the Rim of the Pacific military exercise and Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on the ocean and marine ecosystems.

“Several constituents have raised concerns about RIMPAC, as well as the exercises conducted at PMRF, causing serious damage to marine life, including injuring sea turtles, cetaceans and corals,” Gabbard wrote in an Oct. 2 letter to USPF Commander Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr.

Held every two years and hosted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, is the world’s largest international maritime war exercise. In total, 22 nations, 49 surface ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in this year’s event, which lasted from June 26 to August 1 and included live fire target practice and the sinking of the decommissioned USS Tuscaloosa 57 nautical miles northwest of Kauai.

The drills take place in the Hawaii Operating Area and several off-shore ranges, including Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility. About 500 PMRF employees were actively engaged in supporting this summer’s event.

In her letter, Gabbard inquires about specific actions the Navy took during RIMPAC 2014 to prevent adverse impact to the marine environment, including sea life.

“Additionally, has the Navy, or any other entity, conducted other research to show that RIMPAC and other training exercises are not adversely impacting the environment?” she asked Adm. Harris.

If not, Gabbard requested the Navy examine such a course of action.

“As the Navy conducts training and testing in the ocean, we all must keep in mind that the ocean is an integral part of Hawaii, our economy, and our culture, and we all must continue the work to ensure that our ecosystems are not irreversibly damaged,” she wrote.

As of Tuesday, Harris had not yet responded to Gabbard’s request for information, according to PMRF spokesman Stefan Alford,who said he would provide a copy once one has been sent.

“Until that happens, I do not know of a timeline,” he wrote in an email. “It is being worked, however, so shouldn’t be too long.”

Every two years, the month-long RIMPAC exercise brings with it concerns from individuals and environmental groups who say it negatively impacts marine life, including endangered species.

One of those citizens on Kauai is Hanalei resident Terry Lilley, who has copied Gabbard on dozens of emails and photos over the last year documenting what he says shows the serious damage being caused to Kauai’s nearshore marine environment, including turtles and corals, by the Navy’s activities.

Lilley applauded Gabbard and said he doubts she would put her neck out on the line the way she did without serious concerns of her own.

“I do think something tipped the hat on this,” he said. “The bottom line, one way or another, she’s standing up after listing to the complaints of her constituency.”

Attempts to reach Gabbard’s press secretary Tuesday were not successful.

In late July, a 16-foot sub adult pilot whale washed ashore and died in Hanalei Bay. While some suspected the death may have been a result of naval activities, a Navy spokesman said at the time there was nothing to indicate that and it would be premature to speculate.

A team of scientists conducted a necropsy on the whale on July 26, but the examination did not produce results indicative of a cause of death. Tissue analysis intended to help determine the cause of death have been started and will take several weeks to months to produce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a release.

PMRF Commander Capt. Bruce Hay previously said he was pleased with the cooperative efforts during RIMPAC in the successful use of protective protocols for marine life.

“Our Navy has committed approximately $160 million over the past five years to marine mammal and sound in water research,” he said. “We are proud to be at the forefront to improve understanding of the behavior and abundance of marine mammals within and in near proximity to our water ranges.”

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC 2014 in Full March 7/17/14
Even if RIMPAC didn't harm wildlife or the environment these war games are pointless.
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC 2014 - another whale death 7/26/14
It's not like this has not happened here before. The Navy washes off the blood and wears white.
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC War on the Ocean 7/3/14
The unseen wars on the Pacific Ocean lead by the United States Navy is cranking up this summer.
Ea O Ka Aina: The Pacific Pivot  6/26/14
RIMPAC is only a small piece of a huge, systemized federal project of destruction in the Pacific.
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC IMPACT 6/8/14
If you think that RIMPAC 2014 will be anything but harmful to Hawaii you are delusional.
Ea O Ka Aina: Operation Dominic & Hawaii  6/3/14
The modern PMRF is the spawn of thermonuclear tests conducted on Johnson Island in 1962.
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC Now and Then 5/16/14
The history of RIMPAC will be more of the same. Destruction to life in the Pacific Ocean.
Ea O Ka Aina: Earthday TPP Fukushima RIMPAC 4/22/14
Excuse us while we turn the Pacific Ocean into a radioactive ashtray.
Ea  O Ka Aina: An Ugly Dance  - The Asian Pivot 12/5/13
It's a feeble attempt by USA to outplay Asia in the game of who can destroy the planet the fastest.
Ea O Ka Aina: End RIMPAC destruction of Pacific 11/1/13
Pacific Rim countries led by the US Navy take part in exercises in death and destruction in our ocean.
Ea O Ka Aina: Sleepwalking through destruction 7/16/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Military schmoozes Guam & Hawaii 3/17/11
Ea O Ka Aina: Pacific Resistance to U.S. Military 5/24/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Shift in Pacific Power Balance 8/5/10
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC to Return in 2010 5/2/10 
Ea O Ka Aina: Living at the Tip of the Spear 4/5/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam Land Grab 11/30/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam as a modern Bikini Atoll 12/25/09
Ea O Ka Aina: GUAM - Another Strategic Island 11/8/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Diego Garcia - Another stolen island 11/6/09
Ea O Ka Aina: DARPA & Super-Cavitation on Kauai 3/24/09
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 - Navy fired up in Hawaii 7/2/08
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 uses destructive sonar 4/22/08
Island Breath: Navy Plans for the Pacific 9/3/07
Island Breath: Judge restricts sonar off California 08/07/07
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 sonar use feared 5/23/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 sonar compromise 7/9/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2004 Strands whales in Hanlei 09/02/04 
Island Breath: PMRF Land Grab 6/5/04 

.

RIMPAC War on the Ocean

SUBHEAD: The unseen wars on the Pacific Ocean lead by the United States Navy is cranking up this summer.

By Oceans4Peace Staff on 2 July 2014 in Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2014/07/war-on-ocean.html)


Image above: Detail of image from poster for panel discussion and talk-story on July 12, 2014. Click to enlarge and see full poster (for printing and handing out).
 
WHAT:
Free panel discussion and talk-story on impacts on Pacific Ocean by military activity focusing on Jeju Island, Okinawa and Hawaii (RIMPAC 2014).

PANEL:
"What happens when coral reefs are militarized: Jeju Island, South Korea"
Jim Maragos PhD - Expert on Pacific Ocean atoll ecology

"The last pristine coral reef ecosystem of Okinawa Island"
Kenta Watanabe MS -  Tropical Botanist Okinawa national College of Technology

"Effects of RIMPAC on Marine Life"
Katherine Muzik PhD - Director of Kuku Wai Environmental Education Instititute

Moderator will be Juan Wilson, publisher of IslandBreath.org

WHEN:
Saturday July 12th 2014 at 5:00-7:00pm

WHERE:
Kapaa Public Library
4-1464 Kuhio Highway
Kapaa, HI, 96746

INFO:
Call (808) 822-7646

SPONSORS:
Kauai Alliance for Peace & Social Justice
Kohola Leo
Hawaii Sierra Club Kauai Chapter
Surfrider Foundation
People for the Protection of Kauai


Video above: Public service announcement about RIMPAC 2014 and its impact on Hawaii's ocean creatures by Surfriders. From (http://youtu.be/DIF9tdtmU0E).

INTRODUCTION:
Below is a draft  of the planned introduction to the panal discussion to be presented by the moderator, Juan Wilson:

RIMPAC Panel Introduction Introduction by Juan Wilson - moderator. INTRODUCTION TO WAR ON THE OCEAN Aloha to all of you, Thank you so much for coming out this evening. I'll be moderating. My name is Juan Wilson - I'm a member of the Executive Committee of the Hawaii Sierra Club Kauai Group and the publisher of IslandBreath. Tonight Oceans4Peace presents a panel discussion and talk story.   Our subject tonight is the War on the Ocean and RIMPAC 2014. We'll focus on Jeju Island, Okinawa and Hawaii. BATTLEGROUND OVERVIEW (see below). As human beings our attitude about the ocean is characterized by its use as the ultimate trashcan. The oceans can absorb as much garbage as we can put into them. When we were small in numbers and our technologically immature, that was true. Not so now. Living here on Kauai our home is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is largest crucible of life on earth - and it is suffering. It's not just Americans that have damaged it, but the Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, Russian, etc. The Pacific Ocean has been used as a sushi bar, a strip mine, a junk yard, a toilet bowl, a bombing range, and a nuclear wasteland. We now face ocean acidification, global warming, climate change, rising seas, poisonous trash gyres, radioactive pollution, over-fishing, and coral reef die-off. Behind this destruction have been our financial, economic and industrial interests. Until now it has been cheaper to just look the other way. America's navy is the starring actor in the drama - securing the continuation of this large scale destruction through its military dominance in the Pacific. Our navy adds to the mix the use of sonar, radar and microwave radiation that damage the ecosystem. Even worse are large military exercises and weapons systems testing that intensify the degradation of life in the ocean. As destructive as RIMPAC exercises are they are largely just a biennial public relations effort - a satin curtain over the tip of the sharpened spear. The PRMF Open House and fireworks show, the outreach and TGI Puff Pieces, the balloons and NASA liftoffs, the Rim of the Pacific "joint cooperation" are all part of the hype. But underlying the gloss there are many ongoing and overlapping military activities in the Pacific that we do not see advertised and that are deeply troubling. For example as RIMPAC14 began so did CARAT14… the joint US and Filipino marines Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise on the shores of the South China Sea. Also Japan has just announced it has reinterpreted its constitution to again allow it to adopt a more aggressive military posture in the Pacific. This coincided with an US Presidential executive order of a huge expansion of millions of square miles of "national marine monuments". This will greatly increase the regulatory rights of America in the Pacific Ocean. Add to this the military base expansions in Korea, Guam and Philippines - as well major extensions of our military test ranges in the Mariana and Hawaiian islands. A pattern emerges that clarifies the purpose of the Trans-Pacific Parternship (or TPP)…. It is is in effect a demand for the surrender of the Pacific Ocean to America's Asian Pivot. It should be clear that the War on the Pacific has been going on since Pearl Harbor and that from 1945 on it has been a nuclear conflict. The same American corporations - like General Electric, (that built the Fukushima nuclear reactors) helped build our Nuclear Carrier Strike Forces and our Nuclear Submarine Strategic ICBM fleet. This nuclear technology is the fist in the glove of the US Navy's Pacific Command - USPACOM. PACOM enforces American empire over half the surface of the world. From San Diego to the Indian Ocean. The War on the Pacific may now be morphing into World War Three. The conflicting resource claims in the South China Sea may be the flash point - and the US will be at the center of the maelstrom. This downward spiral must be stopped - And being informed helps! This evening we have a panel of three experts to clarify what is happening in the Pacific. After their presentations will be a Q and A session with some talk-story. Our panelists include: First, Jim Maragos PhD - Expert on Pacific Ocean atoll ecology He will address - "What happens when coral reefs are militarized: Jeju Island, South Korea" Then, Kenta Watanabe MS - He is a tropical botanist at the Okinawa National College of Technology He will describe the - "The last pristine coral reef ecosystem of Okinawa" And finally, Katherine Muzik PhD - Director of Kulu Wai Institute here on Kauai. Her topic will be - "Effects of RiIMPAC on Marine Life"

Below is map combing various US territorial claims in the Pacific Ocean including enormous military test range and war simulation areas. For more details see Island Ea o Ka Aina: The Pacific Pivot 6/26/14.


Image above: BATTLEGROUND OVERVIEW - Thumbnail of map joining  Maps A, B and C showing Pacific Ocean U.S.A. state, territory and protectorates as well as military range and testing facilities US marine national monuments existing and proposed.  Together these areas provide a complex and overlapping set of protocols, regulation and control that clusterfuck much of the Pacific Command area. Map by Juan Wilson (www.isladnbreath.org). Click for larger more complete view.

.

Doppler Radar & Kauai Reefs

SOURCE: Michael Sheehan (hanaleirivermichael@gmail.com)
SUBHEAD: Several high-energy, pulsed Doppler radar sites are reflecting off clouds and maybe damaging reef organisms.

By Terry Lilly on 11 June 2014 in Dark Matter a Lot -
(http://darkmattersalot.com/2014/06/11/cc-world/)


Image above: Iconic view of Makana Peak looking north (known by some as Bali Hai from movie South Pacific. From original article.

[Author's note: High Power, Pulsed Doppler Reflectivity off overhead clouds and scattering to ocean surface below, polarizing water and dissolving/diseasing coral reefs (CaCO3 skeleton). North Shore of Kauai. Shaded areas get less radiation and have less diseased coral. Ocean surface acts like an antenna with lots of surface area.]

[Source's note: Difficult to evaluate the negative ramifications if radar is determined to be a major culprit here on Kauai of so many recent strange and disturbing physical problems. High Cancer rates in Kilauea Town and the West Side of Kauai, adjacent to the Pacific Missile Range Facility. Concerned people really need to know.]

I figured if the massive amount of Doppler Radar that is being used by the military on Kauai is killing the reef then I would have to set out to prove it. So I did a snorkel today from Haena down to Kee taking video of the reefs in shallow water.

What I found was stunning! The famous Makana Peak (Bali Hai) is a direct block to the radar from the tower up above Kalalau. On either side of the peak there are valleys which would not block the radar from the tower or reflecting off of the clouds.

With less radar hitting the reef I figured the shallow reef protected by Makana Peak should be in better shape than the reefs on either side. This whole area is a shallow lagoon with constant similar habitat that is flushed daily by big surf and wind. Three years ago this entire lagoon was pristine with thousands of corals.

It was just amazing to see the reef out in front of the valleys, as it was 99% dead! I only counted two live corals on a 15 meter by one meter stretch of the reef.

Directly out in front of the towering Makana peak was a beautiful coral garden with hundreds of old growth mound and lobe corals, plus rice and cauliflower corals! I counter over 20 live healthy corals in the same 15 meter stretch of reef.

If it is not the Doppler Radar and microwaves killing our reefs then what could cause one single continuous lagoon to go from totally dead to healthy then back to being totally dead, within 100 yards!

I hope to get some sophisticated monitoring equipment out on this reef to see if we can make sure of the connection, but for now it seems obvious.

It just so happens that the giant corals at Salt Pond on the south shore are also dying like flies and I just learned from Stewart that there is a huge Doppler Radar tower at Port Allen sending radar and microwaves directly at the reef at Salt Pond!


Image above: Healthy reef off Makana Peak in shadow of reflected Doppler radar. From original article.

Here are some pictures out of my video from today. You can see from the water the one area looking directly at Makana Peak, and that is where all of the beautiful large yellow corals are, along with all the other coral species. The two pictures looking on each side of the peak is where the barren brown reef is that was covered in healthy coral only three years ago! In the middle between the healthy reef and dead reef the corals are diseased and partially dead.


Image above: Dead reef off Makana Peak not in shadow of reflected Doppler radar. From original article.

I really feel we need to do a massive study on the effects of Doppler Radar on our reefs here in Kauai soon as during RIMPAC they are going to blast our whole north shore with this electromagnetic frequency along with sonar and who knows what else that will kill our reefs and marine life! I am also sure all of this electromagnet radiation is not good for human health.


Image above: GoogleEarth illustration of pulsed radar reflection reaching northshore reefs. Click to embiggen. From original article.

I would be more than happy to take anyone out snorkeling at this location so they can see the damage for them selves.

[Publisher's note: For more pictures of reef go to original article.]

.

RIMPAC 2014 Panel Discussion

SUBHEAD: Environmental destruction, political fallout and Pacific rim economic implications will be analyzed.

By Kip Goodwin on 31 May 2014 for Oceans 4 Peace -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2014/06/rimpac-panel-discussion.html)


Image above: Detail of event flyer color inverted. To see, print and distribute full flyer click here. Design by Kalasara.

WHAT: 
Preparing for War: RIMPAC 2014 Teach-in and Film

WHEN:
Saturday June 7th, 6:00pm

WHERE: 
Lihue Neighborhood Center
3353 Eono Street, Lihue

INFO:
Call: (808) 631- 7792
Email: may11nineteen71@gmail.com
Surf: www.oceans4peace.org

COALITION PARTNERS:
Oceans4Peace.org
Kaua`i Alliance for Peace and Social Justice
Kohola Leo
Sierra Club
Surfrider Foundation
IlsandBreath.org

Beginning in late May, for five weeks, more than 40 warships plus submarines and warplanes from 23 countries will mass just off Kaua`i's northwest shore. It is the biannual Rim of the Pacific war preparation exercise, or RIMPAC 2014.

At 6:00pm there will be a showing of the 15 minute documentary film "Paradise Lost".

Marshall Islander Lijon Eknilang was 8 years old when the U.S. dropped its biggest and dirtiest H-Bomb on Bikini Atoll (1000 times more powerful than Hiroshima). Even while suffering multiple radiation induced disorders, Lijon dedicated her life to educating the world community about the inherent dangers of nuclear weapons.

Video above: "Paradise Lost" a 15 minute ABC-TV video on the US Navy and its hand in the destruction of the Marshall Islands. From (http://youtu.be/pN3IP8bLJRI).

Environmental destruction, international political fallout and Pacific rim economic implications will be analyzed by a three member panel, with audience participation after. The three panelists and their topics:

Juan Wilson: Will speak on recent destructive activities of RIMPAC on and near Hawaiian Islands. 
He is architect and on Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Kauai Group. He is publisher of IslandBreath.org - an advocacy group for peace, environment, and sustainability.

Koohan Paik: Will Speak on the US military's destructive strategies reaching throughout the Pacific.
She is the Campaign Director for International Forum on Globalization and co-author of The SuperFerry Chronicles; "The Pentagon's 'Pacific Pivot', an Environmental Holocaust".

Katherine Muzik Ph.D: Will speak on military sonar and destruction it causes to ocean creatures.
 She is a marine biologist studying military effects on octocorals. Also director of Kulu Wai (water drop) Children's Education Institute, "Military Soundblasting's Effects on Wildlife".


Video above: "RIMPAC IMPACT" a short review of recent land and sea military operations in Hawaii during RIMPAC exercises as well as Operation Dominic on Johnston Atoll 700 mikes from Hawaii. Compiled by Juan Wilson. From (http://youtu.be/NLZx9fg7Gvg). 

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC Panel Discussion 6/2/14 
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC Then and Now 5/16/14
Ea O Ka Aina: Earthday TPP Fukushima RIMPAC 4/22/14
Ea  O Ka Aina: An Ugly Dance  - The Asian Pivot 12/5/13
Ea O Ka Aina: End RIMPAC destruction of Pacific 11/1/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Sleepwalking through destruction 7/16/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Military schmoozes Guam & Hawaii 3/17/11
Ea O Ka Aina: Pacific Resistance to U.S. Military 5/24/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Shift in Pacific Power Balance 8/5/10
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC to Return in 2010 5/2/10 
Ea O Ka Aina: Living at the Tip of the Spear 4/5/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam Land Grab 11/30/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam as a modern Bikini Atoll 12/25/09
Ea O Ka Aina: GUAM - Another Strategic Island 11/8/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Diego Garcia - Another stolen island 11/6/09
Ea O Ka Aina: DARPA & Super-Cavitation on Kauai 3/24/09
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 - Navy fired up in Hawaii 7/2/08
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 uses destructive sonar 4/22/08
Island Breath: Navy Plans for the Pacific 9/3/07
Island Breath: Judge restricts sonar off California 08/07/07
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 sonar use feared 5/23/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 sonar compromise 7/9/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2004 Strands whales in Hanlei 09/02/04 
Island Breath: PMRF Land Grab 6/5/04 
   .