African Dust

[Jim Hendee]

I have subsequently heard that Gene Shinn and Ginger Garrison have graduate
students working on this aspect, so I expect they will publish and/or
describe
something before too long. Sorry for the extra bandwidth...

    Cheers,
    Jim

Jim Hendee wrote:

> I have tried to search the literature to see if any controlled
> experiments have been conducted to ascertain whether pathogens on
> African Dust have been implicated in the onset of sea urchin or coral
> disease.  I searched Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts, Oceanic
> Abstracts, Biosis, FirstSearch and the last couple of years of the Coral
> Reefs journal, but could not find that any work that has been done with
> controlled experiments and African Dust (AD).  I would be interested to
> know if any work has been done, because we would be interested in using
> any results in the development of a sensor for the Dust on our CREWS
> environmental monitoring stations.
>
> So, if no experimental work has been done, might I suggest the following
> be considered by those of you who might have the resources.  My
> apologies if this seems obvious, but it does appear the theory needs to
> be further investigated.
>
> Experimental Grid Utilizing Closed Aquaria
> ------------------------------------------
>
> 1)  Control tank with one or more species of corals and or urchins (with
> appropriate permits, of course!).  Use the species of urchin that we
> know gets infected (see Haris Lessios' last post).
>
> 2)  Tank with same critters, gets AD collected from USGS dust
> collectors, at same theorized rate of introduction as through AD storms.
>
> 3)  Second control tank with "sanitized" AD.  Any change in animal
> health in this tank might thus be due to the chemical properties of the
> dust itself; or in some way stress the animal(s) to be more susceptible
> to secondary infection by a pathogen.
>
> 4)  Third control tank innoculated with theorized pathogens (including
> human ones) alone (i.e., no AD).  Obviously, this would have to be
> closely controlled to prevent infecting the researcher!
>
> Follow up with microbiological assay.  Continuously monitor the room(s)
> where aquaria are kept to see if the AD "leaks" into the rooms.  All
> temperatures, salinity, light, feeding, etc. controlled  to be same
> across all tanks and to be the as close to nature as possible.  Future
> or parallel experiment might be to raise sea temperature to near
> bleaching threshold, thus seeing any possible correlations there.
>
> That should help settle the question, I would think.  Sounds like a good
> graduate student project to me.
>
>     Cheers,
>     Jim
>
> szmanta wrote:
>
> > Dear All:
> >
> > I have read several times the hypothesis that the Diadema die-off in
> > the  Caribbean was somehow caused by African dust.  Can someone explain
> > to me the logic behind this when the same species of sea urchin is doing
> > well, and matter of fact, has been a pest because of too high of
> > population densities on reefs just off the West coast of Africa (much
> > closer to the dust and potential  pathogen source)?
> >
> > Happy New Year to all.
> >
> > Alina Szmant
> >
> > >===== Original Message From "Precht, Bill" <Bprecht at pbsj.com> =====
> > >Dear Coral List:
> > >
> > >For those following the "dust" for the past few years I thought you
might
> > >find these tidbits of interest.
> > >
> > >Have a great holiday!
> > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > >
> > >The Dust Hypothesis
> > >
> > >Question:
> > >
> > >Why have coral reefs that are bathed in clear oceanic waters throughout
> > >much of the Caribbean suffered algal infestation, coral diseases, and
near
> > >extinction of herbivorous sea urchins almost simultaneously during the
> > >1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s? The best known factors detrimental to
coral
> > >reefs include sewage, run-off from land, dredging, UV light, etc. These
> > >factors do not apply for many affected reefs where human population is
low.
> > >Is there an alternative way to spread nutrients and diseases?
> > >
> > >(Contineud)
> > >
> > >http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/african_dust/
> > >
> > >
> > >   Online mini-movie
> > >
> > >      Watch USGS scientists Ginger Garrison, Gene Shinn, Chuck Holmes,
and
> > >      Dale Griffin in "The Effects of Globally Transported African and
> > >      Asian Dust on Coral Reef and Human Health"
> > >
> > >   http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/african_dust/documentary/
> > >
> > >
> > >   National Public Radio interview
> > >
> > >      Project scientists Gene Shinn and Ginger Garrison were
interviewed
> > >      along with geologist/novelist Sarah Andrews on National Public
Radio
> > >      station KQED in San Francisco on the popular morning talk show
> > >      "Forum" on January 15, 2002. Listen to the interview.
> > >
> > >
www.kqed.org/audioarchive/frameset/forum/2002/01/2002-01-15b-forum.html
> > >
> > >
> > >////////////////
> > >
> > >
> > >Mercury From China Rains Down on California
> > >
> > >   Environmental News Service (ENS)
> > >   http://ens-news.com/
> > >
> > >   December 20, 2002
> > >
> > >SANTA CRUZ, California, - Industrial emissions in Asia are a major
source
> > >of mercury in rainwater that falls along the California coast, a new
study
> > >suggests.
> > >
> > >The mercury in rainwater is not in itself a health threat, but mercury
> > >pollution is a problem in San Francisco Bay and other California waters
> > >because the toxic element builds up in the food chain. State regulatory
> > >agencies are looking for ways to reduce the amount of mercury entering
the
> > >state's waters from various sources.
> > >
> > >It is not just the mercury itself but a whole cocktail of atmospheric
> > >pollutants that contribute to the deposition of mercury in rainfall.
> > >Elemental mercury behaves as a gas in the atmosphere and is not washed
out
> > >in rain until it has been oxidized into a charged ionic form that can
be
> > >captured by water droplets.
> > >
> > >Ozone, a major component of urban and industrial smog, plays a key role
in
> > >this oxidation process, said Douglas Steding, lead author of a paper
> > >published Thursday in the online edition of the "Journal of Geophysical
> > >Research - Atmospheres." The report by Steding and other researchers
from
> > >the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) will appear in a later
> > >print edition of the journal.
> > >
> > >"There is a relatively large reservoir of mercury in the atmosphere,
and
> > >it's the rate of oxidation that determines how much of it gets
deposited in
> > >rainfall," Steding said.
> > >
> > >Mercury is a trace contaminant of most coal, and emissions from coal
> > >burning power plants are a major source of mercury pollution in many
parts
> > >of the world. In the Pacific Basin, the main source of atmospheric
mercury
> > >is coal combustion in China.
> > >
> > >China relies on coal as a fuel and accounts for about 10 percent of the
> > >total global industrial emissions of mercury.
> > >
> > >Air pollution in China also generates ozone, which peaks during the
winter
> > >due to increased fuel consumption for heating. Air loaded with mercury
and
> > >ozone moves off the continent into the Western Pacific, where it is
> > >incorporated into developing storms.
> > >
> > >"The mercury we measured in rainwater results from a combination of
mercury
> > >emissions and ozone production, as well as meteorological factors - the
> > >storm tracks that transport the pollutants across the Pacific," Steding
> > >said.
> > >
> > >Steding collected rainwater samples at two sites in central California:
on
> > >the coast at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory and at Moffett Field near
San
> > >Jose, on the inland side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. For each rainfall
> > >event, the researchers used air mass trajectories calculated by a
national
> > >climate lab to trace the movement of the storms across the Pacific from
> > >Asia.
> > >
> > >Rainwater collected at the coastal site showed the background
> > >concentrations of mercury in storms as they arrived off the Pacific
Ocean.
> > >Those measurements were about three times higher than estimates of the
> > >natural, preindustrial level, Steding said.
> > >
> > >Rainwater from the inland site showed mercury concentrations 44 percent
> > >higher than at the coastal site. Steding attributed the difference
between
> > >the two sites to ozone in Bay Area smog, rather than local emissions of
> > >mercury.
> > >
> > >"There is a local influence of urban smog on the mercury oxidation
rate. We
> > >see a background signal of mercury blowing off the Pacific, then a
local
> > >enrichment that's probably due to urban smog," Steding said. "If we
want to
> > >reduce mercury deposition, it's not enough to shut down local emissions
of
> > >mercury, because other pollutants influence how much of the mercury in
the
> > >atmosphere ends up in rainwater."
> > >
> > >Steding said people should not worry about health effects from the
mercury
> > >in rainwater, because the concentrations are very low. But the
deposition
> > >in rain does add mercury to surface waters, where the toxin enters the
food
> > >chain and builds up to high levels in certain kinds of fish.
> > >
> > >State health officials have issued advisories warning people not to eat
> > >fish from more than a dozen bodies of water in California, including
San
> > >Francisco Bay.
> > >
> > >  #  #  #
> > >
> > >http://ens-news.com/ens/dec2002/2002-12-20-09.asp#anchor1
> > >
> > >
> > >///////////////////
> > >
> > >
> > >Steding, Douglas J.; Flegal, A. Russell
> > >
> > >Mercury concentrations in coastal California precipitation:
> > >Evidence of local and trans-Pacific fluxes of mercury to North America
> > >
> > >10.1029/2002JD002081
> > >
> > >19 December 2002
> > >
> > >http://www.agu.org/pubs/toc2002/jd.shtml#dec
> > >
> > >
> > >////////////////
> > >
> > >
> > >Mercury In California Rainwater Traced ...
> > >
> > >ScienceDaily News Release
> > >
> > >.. Steding emphasized that people should not worry about health effects
> > >from the mercury in rainwater, because the concentrations are very low.
> > >
> > >http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/12/021220075156.htm
> > >
> > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > >
> > >*****************************************
> > >Season's Greetings from NOAA's CHAMP!
> > >*****************************************
> > >~~~~~~~
> > >For directions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list or the
> > >digests, please see http://www.coral.noaa.gov/lists/coral-list.html .
> >
> > Alina M. Szmant
> > UNCW Center for Marine Science
> > On travel from UNCW
> >
> > ~~~~~~~
> > For directions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list or the
> > digests, please see http://www.coral.noaa.gov/lists/coral-list.html .
>
> ~~~~~~~
> For directions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list or the
> digests, please see http://www.coral.noaa.gov/lists/coral-list.html .

~~~~~~~
For directions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list or the
digests, please see http://www.coral.noaa.gov/lists/coral-list.html .