In This Issue: News, updates, and gratitude
|
|
Marine mammal
health and ecology
For decades, the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute has been committed to the conservation of whale and dolphin populations. In this issue you’ll read about our Florida team who work tirelessly to evaluate these mammals’ health and ecology, while developing and making recommendations to help mitigate human impact.
|
|
|
|
|
Ocean Health
An introduction into one of Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute’s top research priorities: To determine how both marine life and the ocean are impacted by natural and human-induced change.
|
|
|
Kevin Sagara
, Trustee and donor. Kevin has always had a profound love for the ocean and tries to spend as much time as possible enjoying this passion...
|
|
|
|
|
Meet our Scientists
Research Scientist and Dive Master Mike Shane came to Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in 1988 as a field research technician on the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program.
|
|
|
From the desk of CEO,
Don
Kent
"We must plant the sea and herd its animals using the sea as farmers instead of hunters." ... pioneer of ocean exploration, Jacques Cousteau
|
|
|
|
|
#GivingTuesday November 27, 2018
|
GivingTuesday is a viral internet phenomenon that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and has grown into a movement to create an international day of giving.
|
|
|
 |
In our rapidly changing world, interactions between humans and marine life are increasing. We share a dependence on the ocean’s resources. As a result of growing human populations and more intensive use of our oceans and coasts, our impact on marine ecosystems is becoming increasingly significant.
|
Our Ocean Health Program studies how animals react to natural and human-induced change. We make predictions about whether animals can survive and/or thrive under a particular set of conditions, including increases in ocean temperature and acidification, emergence or resurgence of diseases with epidemic potential, declining prey resources and toxic blooms.
|
Understanding and preventing diminished marine animal health and widespread mortality events of populations of marine mammals, seabirds, finfish and sharks are some of our top priorities. With your help, we can help preserve and renew marine life to ensure a healthier planet.
Core Projects
|
By clicking below you can make an immediate impact on our ability to sustain these programs that are vital to marine ecology, conservation and
research.
|
|
|
|
|
Meet Hubbs Scientist and
Dive Master - Mike Shane
|
Mike came to Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in 1988 as a field research technician on the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP). Then, while working on his graduate degree at San Diego State University, he became the field research manager for OREHP. Mike has been responsible for monitoring the environmental impacts around marine fish cages at HSWRI’s aquaculture programs in the US and Mexico. Today, Mike serves as Director of Fisheries Replenishment Operations and serving as our Diving Safety Officer.
|
Mike oversees The Hubbs Research Sea Bass in the Classroom program; which encourages students to be problem solvers and increase their interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) topics. He enjoys working with educators and students who have an interest in learning about ocean conservation, fish husbandry, and sustainability practices.
|
In his free time Mike enjoys nature and wildlife photography and he has won various national and international awards for his macro images. Mike was featured on an episode of After the Catch with the commercial fishermen from the Deadliest Catch. Mike was also a competitive springboard diver and retired from the sport after he was filmed diving for a national television commercial for the US Navy. Currently, Mike mentors his daughter in competitive springboard diving as she prepares to begin her student-athlete career at Penn State in 2019.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did You Know?
When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) wanted to determine the negative impact man made debris had on the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal... They called Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute for the answer.
|
|
|
|
Why fin-fish farming makes sense in California –
from a national expert in marine aquaculture
|
Fin-fish farming can help reduce fishing pressure on wild stocks by providing a year-round supply of fresh fish to consumers.
Fin-fish farming will create tens of thousands of US jobs to coastal communities and will contribute hundreds of millions to regional economies.
Fin-fish farming produces healthy, affordable food that is high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, an important factor in reducing heart disease.
Our region’s commercial fishing industry has been hit hard by shrinking catch areas, and diminishing harvests. Open ocean farming is the single greatest opportunity for employment that supports families in these vital communities.
Properly located, sustainably managed, open ocean farms can not only provide jobs and economic benefits, but also do so with no measurable negative
impact on the environment.
US based seafood hatcheries will allow scientists and seafood professionals to collaborate and better understand the aqua-farming cycle. This joint understanding can be applied to wild stock enhancement projects as well.
Fin fish, sustainably farmed, is easy to prepare, versatile, and tastes great!
... Don
|
|
One kind act, no matter the
amount or effect, is ever wasted
|
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year.
|
|
|
|
Meet Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
Trustee, and donor, Kevin Sagara...
|
|
|
|
Kevin has always had a profound love for the ocean and tries to spend as much time as possible enjoying this passion through surfing or fishing with his family and friends. When he was approached by a friend and asked to consider joining the Board of Trustees at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute he was immediately compelled to sign up. In his role as a Trustee, Kevin sits on the Development Committee and helps govern the organization through strategic planning and decision making.
In May of 2018 Kevin hosted an employee engagement event at Sempra Energy, where approximately 200 employees learned about HSWRI’s mission, ways to support our conservation efforts, and met two Magellanic penguins from SeaWorld San Diego. Kevin personally advocated the event to the matching gift program at Sempra Energy which lead to a match of all employees’ contributions from the event.
In August of this year, Kevin was named Chairman and CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric. We all are proud of Kevin’s success and grateful for his commitment to ocean health and to the mission of Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.
|
|
|
|
Evaluating marine mammal health and ecology along the east coast of Florida
|
|
Our Marine Mammal Stranding Team provides response to stranded or injured cetaceans (whales and dolphins) for nearly 124 miles of coast and 1,200 square miles of estuarine waters. Our response area is one of the most active areas for cetacean strandings in the Southeastern United States. For example: from 2001-2017, Hubbs scientists and volunteers responded to 1,186 cetacean strandings. Marine mammal strandings in our coverage area provide enormous opportunities for scientific research. Samples taken from stranded animals are stored at our Florida labs enabling us to retrospectively evaluate decades of changes in animal health within local estuaries and along the Atlantic coast. Our team has responded to 44 stranded dolphins and whales in 2018.
|
|
|
|
|
Volunteers are critical to both our stranding response and research efforts. Our volunteers help us monitor health trends and emerging diseases, monitor movements and abundance of local populations, evaluate human impacts on populations, expand our capacity for live animal response and rescue, and improve our capacity for response to mass strandings, unusual mortality events, We are incredibly grateful for the dozens of volunteers that make our efforts possible. So far. In addition to stranding response, public awareness is critical to dolphin conservation and we conduct education and outreach efforts year-round. Our team provides first responder volunteer training and educational presentations.
|
|
|
|
In our next issue:
January 2019
|
Education and Outreach
- West Coast - So. California
- East Coast - Coconut Point, Melbourne Beach Florida
Meet the Staff
|
|
|
|
|
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute values the opinions of our family, friends, donors and supporters. If you have an opinion, wish to comment on a story, or suggest content, please contact our Director of Development:
Chris Larkin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
