Ocean Defenders Ghost Net Campaign Continues

Oceanic Defence wishes our friends much success with their upcoming efforts to remove more ghost nets from around Catalina Island off the coast of California

Kurt and his group do great work and we here commend them for contributing to our ocean's health and welfare.

For more information on Ocean Defenders or to donate or volunteer visit there website.

Electricity From Ocean Waves

By SCOTT HADLY
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

A Washington state company has asked federal regulators for a permit to study the potential of producing electricity from ocean waves off the California, Hawaii and Atlantic coasts.

Grays Harbor Ocean Energy applied for the permit in October from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a first step in what would be a multiyear process.

The company asked for permits in seven locations on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, he said. Those sites include areas off San Francisco and Ventura County in California, as well as sites off Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.

According to company officials, if all seven sites are developed, they could produce up to 7,700 megawatts of power, enough for 2 million homes.

Building the facilities would cost $20 billion to $30 billion, the company estimates.

The company, which was formed last year, is not producing any power but is building a demonstration project near Tacoma.

Although the permit would simply give the company the right to study the area, if it is approved the company would also get priority for use of the wave and wind "field" in that location, according to officials with the federal agency.

Modeled after a wave energy facility being built off the coast of the United Kingdom, the Ventura Ocean Energy Project, which would be five to 10 miles off the Ventura County coast, would include a wind power component, said the company's president, Burton Hamner.

Hamner said the Ventura County site, for example, could produce up to 1,000 megawatts of power, though the permit indicates it would produce about 100 megawatts during peak winter storm periods and average about 40.

The company is considering an offshore platform fixed to the ocean floor that holds an "oscillating water column." The up-and-down action of the waves pushes air back and forth and drives a turbine that generates electricity.

Wind turbines would augment power production. The electricity produced would be conveyed along the seafloor via cables that would come ashore near Ventura, Hamner said.

The cost of building such facilities isn't cheap, but it is competitive with construction costs of nuclear power plants or so-called clean-coal power plants, Hamner said.

"Using the numbers from construction in the U.K. as a rule of thumb, their costs are about $5 million per megawatt installed," he said. "That's everything, soup to nuts."

George Bush Steps up for Marine Eco-systems

From CBS News:
(CBS)Rare birds and fish as well as unique geological formations are now under federal protection. President Bush designated three areas in the Pacific Ocean as national Marine Monuments - the largest marine conservation project in history, CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reports.

"For seabirds and marine life, they will be sanctuaries to grow and thrive," Mr. Bush said.

Nearly 200,000 square miles are covered: The Mariana Trench near Guam and waters surrounding a string of islands far south and west of Hawaii. And Rose Atoll, an Island east of Samoa.

The area is home to colorful deep-water fish, sharks, whales and dolphins.

The Mariana Trench is deeper than Mount Everest is tall, with gasses from the earth's core bubbling through. And the only bird known to incubate its eggs with heat from a volcano.

Mr. Bush had already set aside 140 square miles of Hawaiian Ocean in 2006.

"Long after this president is gone and after many of the edicts of his presidency are long forgotten, these places and the life they contain will still be there," said Josh Reichart of the Pew Environmental Group.

And so as George Bush leaves office, the president many environmentalists loathe will have protected more ocean than any other person in history.

Watch video

Toronto Group Set to Protest Shark Fining

We congratulate a dedicated group of shark advocates that have scheduled a rally to protest the sale of shark fin products in downtown Toronto Canada.

If you would like to participate in this rally visit the following Facebook Event:
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1012543038061&mbox_pos=0#/event.php?eid=43384838385&ref=nf

International Year of the Shark - What will you do?

Welcome to the international year of the shark. So far in this very young 2009 two large Asian companies resolved to take shark products off their trade websites. We congratulate Alibaba.com and taobao.com.cn for taking the initiative to remove this endangered species off their websites.

So? What will you do?

Start by being aware. If you see a business that serves or sells any shark products ask them why? Remind them that 100 million sharks are being destroyed every year simply to supply an industry that has no sustainability and is changing the face of our planet for profit.

Learn as much as you can. Become educated. Because with knowledge comes power and we need to be able to change peoples impression of the plight of sharks. If they really feel there is no problem why would anyone want to change anything? It's the whole "If it ain't broke don't fix it" syndrome.

Do what you can. Act in a way that is right for you. Protest in your own way...but do! Don't sit on the side lines and watch this happen. Because it's happening to you if you realize it or not.

You're in charge of your life. You need to make sure our planet is here for generations to come. So your children and your children's children can see sharks in their natural habitat and not in history books.

Activation Through Education.

Oceanic Defence on Facebook

Just a quick note to let you know that we are inviting all readers of this blog to become Friends of Oceanic Defence.

Hope to see you over there too!

A New Dawn for Sharks

We reported that Chinese companies are now removing shark fin products from their websites. This is a huge step forward in the conservation efforts of shark stewards around the world.

It has been a long timing coming and we are very happy that not only Chinese businesses but the consumer are both changing their way of thinking regarding this issue.

As much of a success that this is, it does not mean that the shark has won. It simply means that this is the first step on a long road to recovery.

Now that the largest online marketer in Asia has removed these products we have to worry about an underground movement. There is billions of dollars flowing in this industry and we must remain cognizant to this fact.

With supply becoming an issue hopefully more restaurants and other traffickers will experience challenges finding new supplies.

This is a small victory.

For the time being, this battle may be over but the war continues.