Fish Factor: Pacific Ocean "Blob" Concerns Scientists By LAINE WELCH - Fish deaths, drought in California, tropical creatures appearing in cold waters – those freakish happenings and more are being blamed on a giant splotch of warm water that for two years has been pushing against coastlines on the West Coast, Canada and into Alaska.

Unusually warm temperatures dominate three areas of the North Pacific: the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and an area off Southern California. The darker the red, the further above average the sea surface temperature. NOAA researchers are tracking the temperatures and their implications for marine life.
NOAA Image

“They call it the Blob because of its original circular shape on the sea surface,” explained Dr. Carol Janzen, an oceanographer and Operations Director at the Alaska Ocean Observing System in Anchorage.

“However, this feature is not static, it’s constantly reshaping itself in circulation from mixing, so over the course of two years it has spread itself along the west coast.”

The Blob, which spreads 1,000 miles in each direction and runs 300 feet deep, stems from an unusual weather pattern brewed up two years ago that caused a ridge of high pressure to stall over the Pacific Northwest.

“Some people call it the ridiculously resilient ridge,” Janzen said, adding that the ridge reduced the intensity of storms reaching landfall, and led to reduced precipitation on the West Coast.

The Blob’s most immediate impact is on the ocean’s circulation, a prime pump for the entire ecosystem. The warmer water forms a dense “oil and vinegar type” layer that reduces the amount of vertical ocean mixing, and prevents nutrient rich, colder water from reaching the surface.

“And it is in this surface layer that phytoplankton grow and they need light and nutrients to do it,” Janzen said. “Since the phytoplankton are a food source near or at the base of the food chain, if you remove or reduce their quantity, or change their composition, it can impact the entire food chain.”

The Blob has changed the composition in the organisms that make up the normal microscopic mix of phytoplankton – something that has raised a red flag for Alaska. Scientists have seen the arrival of an organism that produces a neurotoxin called domoic acid, similar to Paralytic Shellfish Poison.

“It was significant enough in Washington to close some shellfish fisheries,” Janzen said. “In Alaska we haven’t reached that point, although we are seeing higher concentrations of the organism in water samples. It’s being closely monitored.”

The Blob phenomenon is expected to remain glued to the coasts throughout 2015. Due to high public interest the AOOS launched a Blob Tracker on its website. - More...
Monday PM - August 31, 2015

Alaska: Mount McKinley renamed Denali, to reflect the heritage of Alaska Natives - The U.S. Department of Interior and the White House announced Sunday the name of Mount McKinley is officially renamed Denali. This announcement comes after Interior Secretary Sally Jewell issued a Secretarial Order officially changing the name of North America’s tallest mountain.

Alaska Governor Bill Walker and Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott were both pleased with the announcement.

“For decades, Alaskans have been urging the federal government to recognize Denali by its proper name. I am pleased that the White House and the Department of Interior have taken the necessary steps to finally make this important change,” said Governor Walker. “Alaska’s place names should reflect and respect the rich cultural history of our state, and officially recognizing the name Denali does just that.”

Known for generations by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabaskan people as Denali, or “The Great One”, the 20,237-foot mountain was formally named Mount McKinley in 1917 after U.S. President William McKinley. For decades, Alaskans have fought passionately to recognize their mountain by its true name, Denali. Governor Walker and Lieutenant Governor Mallott said the Department of Interior’s decision to recognize the name Denali honored Alaska’s First People and their culture.

“Alaska’s Athabaskan people have lived in the Interior for thousands of years, and recognizing the name Denali brings great respect to their culture and history in our great state,” said Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott. “I thank President Obama and Secretary Jewell for taking up this issue, which Alaskans care so deeply about.”

While on Denali’s Ruth Glacier, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) responded to the administration’s decision to restore the mountain’s traditional name, saying: “For centuries, Alaskans have known this majestic mountain as the ‘Great One.’ Today we are honored to be able to officially recognize the mountain as Denali. I’d like to thank the President for working with us to achieve this significant change to show honor, respect, and gratitude to the Athabascan people of Alaska.” - More...
Monday PM - August 31, 2015