Producer's Notes: Tagging Pacific Predators
When most of us think of tuna, we think of the can. Maybe we remember "Charlie Tuna" from the old commercials. What many people don't realize is that these amazing animals are at the pinnacle of fish evolution. Tuna are capable of covering vast distances, traversing the entire Pacific Ocean in a matter of days. They are incredible athletes, described as the "Olympians of the sea." They are sleek, powerful and oftentimes, massive animals. A bluefin tuna can grow up to 1,500 pounds and 15 feet long. And for generations, they were so abundant it was thought that you could never take all the tuna from the sea. Things change. Our insatiable appetite combined with the technical advances that allow us to over-harvest have pushed tuna to the brink. Scientists are now racing to learn more about these incredible animals in the hope of saving them. Learn more at Tag-A-Giant.
Another species that TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators) is tracking is the Leatherback Turtle. Reaching 7 feet long and weighing 2000 pounds, leatherbacks have survived in the world's oceans for 100 million years. Now they may only have decades left. While sea turtles are not being commercially fished, they still face daunting challenges in the open ocean. They are often accidentally caught and drowned in fisherman's long-lines and nets. And pollution is also taking a nasty toll. In the water, common plastic bags look very similar to the turtles' favorite food: jellyfish. The problem is, plastic bags aren’t easy to digest. But the biggest problem the turtles face may be on land. Over harvesting of turtle eggs has long been a problem for sea turtles but now the biggest concern is over development of their nesting beaches. Turtles need a sandy beach to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, people also enjoy vacationing in the same type of places. Humans looking for that seaside getaway are quickly gobbling up the sea turtles nesting grounds. Researchers are now working hard to save these vital nesting grounds to make sure the turtles can survive.
Watch the "Tagging Pacific Predators " TV Story online, as well as find additional links and resources. Also don't miss our Web Extra: Tagging Pacific Predators Extended Interview with scientist Barbara Block of the Tuna Research and Conservation Center.
Chris Bauer is a Segment Producer for television on QUEST.
5 Comments
Hi Chris,
I wanted to alert you to another application of TOPP's work: the Great Turtle Race II. Starting June 2nd, leatherback sea turtles will be swimming in a trans-Pacific race from California to the International dateline.
Throughout the race, viewers can follow each turtle’s journey across the Pacific and learn about the obstacles it will face along the way. The event is a a global bid to raise awareness and funds for the critically endangered leatherback turtle.
The Great Turtle Race II will be one of the first large-scale outreach efforts to the people of China by a US-based conservation NGO. A simultaneous, mandarin-language version of Great Turtle Race II website is expected to bring the race’s messages to approximately 100 million Chinese citizens.
And they're off!! The Great Turtle Race II has begun! Satellite tagged Leatherback turtles from both sides of the Pacific Ocean are "competing" in a trans-Pacific marathon to the international dateline! Our local turtle Saphira II out of Half Moon Bay, California has taken the lead! Go Saphira II! Swim like the wind!
To follow your favorite Leatherback turtle, log on to http://www.greatturtlerace.com/
Please, no wagering.
For people in the Bay Area who are interested in learning more about the Leatherback Turtle, there will be a Pacific Leatherback Turtle Research & Ecology lecture with Scott Benson, Thursday, December 18, 7 pm. at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. Marine Turtle researcher Scott Benson of NOAA will discuss the past, present and future of leatherback turtle research in the northeast Pacific. Leatherbacks have survived in our oceans for millions of years, but in the last 25 years their population has decreased by ~ 90%.
Registration is required. Please contact Justin Holl at justin.holl@farallones.gov. Directions to Randall Museum: http://randallmuseum.org. Suggested $5 donation.
With the sushi economy, bluefin tuna fetch a handsome price on the open market. This has helped lead to over-fishing, making the big fish more scarce and thus, yes, more valuable on the open market… which lead to them being further exploited and over-fished. Today it was reported that a giant bluefin tuna was auctioned off for the insane price of 16.3 million yen ($177,000) at the world's largest wholesale fish market in Japan. To read more about the story see this AP report: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14125445?source=rss
Biologists from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are now proposing to designate 70,000 square miles of ocean along the West Coast as critical habitat for critically endangered leatherback turtles.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle news report, if approved, “the regulations would restrict projects that harm the turtles or their food. The government would be required to review and, if necessary, regulate agricultural waste, pollution, oil spills, power plants, oil drilling, storm water runoff and liquid natural gas projects along the California coast between Long Beach and Mendocino County and off the Oregon and Washington coasts.”
Read more here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/06/MNTL1BDUTN.DTL#ixzz0bqqAfIVp
And to read the whole report, log onto:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/E9-31310.htm