Preparing for Arctic Traffic

By: Jessica Robertson

With the changing climate melting ice in the Arctic Ocean, traffic, both tourism and industry related, steadily increases in the northern realm of our planet. The increased travel brings to light the unpreparedness of the region for managing the risk of an oil spill.

            Other highly trafficked water routes have systems in place for managing the occasional oil spill. In the Arctic, fewer systems are in place and the extreme conditions make it a difficult operation to even respond to a spill. Due to the extreme weather, enormous geographic area, beautifully diverse ecosystem, and limited resources for operation and communication in some areas, many changes would need to be instated to prepare for a spill response that compares to a response in easier waters.

            Decision makers are working toward an international plan that would better prepare and protect the Arctic as the traffic pattern expands. A proper response plan must include a number of techniques to span the vast number of possible environmental situations. No single method can begin to apply in all possible spill scenarios.  More equipment, better communication, a larger workforce, and increased safety measures are just a few of the items on the wishlist for a project of this scale.

            Studies are underway to assess the possible effects of dispersants and oil on some Arctic marine species. The findings of these studies will inform decisions on how to manage spills in the future. Alaska has yet to grant approval for the use of chemical dispersants to address a spill, preferring in situ burning as a cleaner and safer method for their environment. It is yet to be seen what methods will be placed in the Arctic toolbox, but hopes are high that the environment will remain safe in their care. 

Ray of Hope for the Mantas

Kate M. Serrano

Would you kill a giant manta ray? You’re answer might be a big no yet unknown to some, manta rays are facing extinction. Manta rays are found in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters, single or in groups. Manta gills are highly valued in Chinese traditional medicine as they are used for trapping food particles when filter-feeding. What used to be known as limited scale fishery has become an expanding commercialized fishery in some countries thus dramatically increasing the number of mantas caught each year. And due to their slow growth and slow reproductive rate (one pup every 2 to 5 years), manta rays have a limited capacity to recover from overfishing; a decline in their population has been observed. Manta rays though are protected in some countries like the Philippines, Mexico, Ecuador, Hawaii, Western Australia, and New Zealand but they may migrate into unprotected waters of other countries.

Governments from the countries listed have laws in place that make harming or killing a manta ray illegal. This is not only for conservation but also for the amount of revenue that tourists pay to be in the waters with them. So what can we do to help?  We expose these manta rays to danger through the chemicals and toxins that enter the water. They have very thin mucus membranes that protect them, so it is important that we keep the waters clean. There are also cause-oriented groups all over the world that offer numerous information online we can reach out to. Learn more and inform others about the urgent need to protect manta rays. Or if you are brave enough, dive with a manta ray! Dive ecotourism is a more sustainable economic alternative to fishing. Time is ticking. We must act before it’s too late.