Saving Seafood

New study links red tides and dead zones off west coast of Florida

April 26, 2022 — A new study found that when red tides began in early summer and continued into the fall, low oxygen areas—or dead zones— were more likely to also occur. This study by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and NOAA collaborators is the first study to link low oxygen—or hypoxia—to red tides across the west coast of Florida and offers new information to better understand the conditions favorable for combined events as they are expected to increase as Earth continues to warm.

Red tides are becoming a near annual occurrence off the west coast of Florida, which are caused by massive blooms of the algae Karenia brevis fueled in part by excess nutrients in the ocean. These  turn the  red and produce toxins that are harmful to marine mammals, sharks, seabirds and humans causing a range of issues from respiratory irritation, localized fish kills to large-scale massive mortalities to . Hypoxic areas are typically referred to as ‘dead zones’.

Read the full story at Phys.org

 

New research shows that 85% of coral reef fish studied are overfished

February 10, 2022 — A new study led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science has found concrete evidence that more than 85 percent of the grouper and snapper studied are overfished as a direct result of increasing human demand for seafood.

The research team analyzed 30 years of population data for 15 coral reef fish species central to South Florida’s commercial and  using their length-based risk analysis (LBRA) framework.

They found that three out of the five grouper species, all eight snapper species, and two grunts analyzed were below the 40 percent minimum spawning potential ratio, a regulation necessary to sustain fish populations.

Read the full story at Phys.org

 

Here’s why Miami shark researchers are concerned about a potential COVID-19 vaccine

October 28, 2020 — Science’s steady march to find a vaccine capable of ending the coronavirus pandemic may come at the expense of another species: sharks.

Miami shark researchers say they’re concerned about a key ingredient used to make vaccines more effective, squalene — an oily substance found in plants and even human skin — but is particularly concentrated in shark livers.

The practice of using shark-derived squalene as a booster to stimulate a stronger immune response to a vaccine is not unique to the coronavirus vaccine. The compound has been shown to be safe and effective in millions of doses of vaccines, primarily in Europe, said Liza Merly, a shark immunologist at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Read the full story at the Miami Herald

U.S., Cuban marine biologists put an end to ‘academic embargo’

October 22, 2018 — There are no borders that separate the water, reefs and marine life off the coasts of Cuba and Florida, and that’s why scientists in both countries say they need to get along and collaborate.

During the recent MarCuba conference in Havana, U.S. scientific institutions were well represented and researchers also used the conference to highlight research collaborations and a milestone edition of the Bulletin of Marine Science, a respected marine science journal published by the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

The Bulletin devoted its entire spring issue to marine science research in Cuba, carried out by both U.S. and Cuban scientists.

“Science plays an excellent role in diplomacy,” said Joe Roman, a conservation biologist at the University of Vermont and the guest editor of the special Cuba edition. What better area for collaboration than one with shared ocean systems, fisheries and conservation efforts, he said.

In a Bulletin editorial, Roman wrote that the Cuba edition “celebrates Cuban marine science and conservation efforts, while recognizing that improved relations and increased tourism and trade could put some natural areas at risk. Joint research shows promise that Cuba, the U.S., and other countries can work together on regional conservation efforts.”

“It’s time for Cuban researchers to reach a wider audience,” Roman said.

Read the full story at the Miami Herald

 

Miami seeks to retain National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

April 25, 2018 — Miami city commissioners are urging the federal government to retain the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Headquarters at its current location on Virginia Key.

NOAA is reportedly considering relocating its Southeast Fisheries Science Center to St. Petersburg because the fisheries center on Virginia Key is outdated and needs improvement.

NOAA’s facilities on the barrier island have a long reach and impact the local community in many ways, officials say.

NOAA’s operations at Virginia Key are performed in concert with research and teaching functions at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, which is directly adjacent to the NOAA campuses.

City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Commission Vice Chairman Ken Russell are co-sponsoring a resolution urging the US Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to retain the fisheries headquarters on Virginia Key.

Read the full story at Miami Today