Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary example essay topic

Since April 1999, scientists working with Sustainable Seas Expeditions have plumbed the depths of the ocean in a way never before possible. They are using a one-person submersible vessel, dubbed DeepWorker, which can reach 2,000 feet below the ocean surface. Through Sustainable Seas, a project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Geographic Society with technical support from NASA and the U.S. Navy, marine biologists and researchers are able to observe firsthand what previously they could only imagine. The scientists have studied coral reefs, humpback whales, sea turtles and sharks, and how various marine organisms interact to keep their vast undersea ecosystems working. "Very little is known about the ocean below 50 feet", says Francesca Cava, education program manager of Sustainable Seas.

In Cava's estimation, the program "provides a new kind of technical tool to look at places we could only speculate about before, and will give an understanding of what's there, what the species' health and diversity is". Sustainable Seas Expeditions is the creation of Sylvia Earle, a renowned marine biologist and conservationist. Sustainable Seas has set out to explore the National Marine Sanctuaries network in the United States and record the conditions of these undersea ecosystems. The information will be used to establish monitoring and conservation programs. At the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, scientists are studying how water flowing through the Florida Everglades affects the health of coral reefs around the Keys. At the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary in Texas, biologists are conducting the first studies of the area's sea turtles and learning how fish keep coral clean.

On Jan. 25, the program concluded its 10th expedition, an initial exploration of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whales Marine Sanctuary. There, DeepWorker allowed scientists to conduct sophisticated underwater studies of whale songs. The information will help researchers better understand what constitutes a healthy environment for the humpbacks and how the whales respond to various disturbances. Educational activities are a major part of the expeditions.

Extensive photography and video archives of the sanctuaries are being compiled. Many are posted on Sustainable Seas' web site. As part of the organization's outreach effort, poets, writers, geologists, natural and cultural historians, archaeologists, volunteers, teachers, members of Congress and commercial fishermen, including Native Americans around the country, were invited to submit essays about the sanctuaries. To date, more than 100 articles have been received. A goal of Sustainable Seas is to call attention to marine sanctuaries in the United States, which aren't well-known or understood by the public. Local students are part of every expedition.

In Hawaii, 140 high-school students participated in whale counts, recorded whale behavior, took photographs and helped analyze whale songs. The work was serious science, underscoring the program's aim to introduce young people to the world of marine biology. "Sustainable Seas gives us the field time we need to make assessments of different kinds of habitat", says Steve Git tings, science coordinator for National Marine Sanctuaries. Sustainable Seas Expeditions is the creation of Sylvia Earle, a renowned marine biologist and conservationist who serves as Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society. Earle fostered the partnership between NOAA and National Geographic, which, with substantial financial support from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman fund, has allowed the program to flourish. A goal of the project is to call attention to the nation's marine sanctuaries, which aren't well-known or understood by the public.

"National Geographic is trying to do for oceans what they did 100 years ago for national parks", says Cava, who emphasizes the importance of increasing public awareness of the sanctuaries and their conservation potential. Sustainable Seas will resume this summer with research visits to California's Channel Islands and Monterey Bay sanctuaries as well as a long stay in the Florida Keys beginning in August. The first year of the program provided scientists with an overview of conditions in the sanctuaries. The second year's expeditions will be longer, with more focus on research and monitoring. "Observation is a very important thing", says Norse", (but) the crying need we have now is to protect what we " ve got so we can benefit for the future.".