The NOS Marine Forensics Program is the only laboratory in the country dedicated to the forensic analysis of marine species.

The group'€™s mission began in the 1970s when congress passed a series of acts that protect fisheries, marine mammals, and endangered species. The problem then arose of how to enforce these new laws. Without the fins, scales, and heads attached, it was impossible for NOAA agents to tell if the samples they came across were from regulated species.

Today, the Marine Forensics Program is called upon to analyze evidence in 85 percent of NOAA fisheries cases when scientific analysis is needed. Here are some examples:

— Sea turtles and whales are still slaughtered today for food, cosmetic, medicinal, and decorative use despite many laws that aim to prohibit this activity. The NOS team analyzes DNA samples to identify the species and even trace evidence such as blood stains on a boat deck.

— Shark fins are valuable for shark fin soup. While shark finning is illegal in the U.S., this practice still continues abroad. Using DNA, scientists can determine what species of shark was finned, helping to enforce laws designed to protect fisheries resources.

— False labeling of imported species harms consumers and the domestic fishermen who strive to collect high-quality seafood. Marine forensic analysts use DNA analysis to identify fish fillet samples to determine if they are incorrectly labeled or if they are from a protected species.

Most of the lab's work involves using DNA sequencing to identify the exact species of a suspect sample of fish or meat provided by NOAA law enforcement agents. Sample quality can range from freshly frozen fish fillets to peices of bone. The lab maintains samples from hundreds of marine species, totaling more than 10,000 samples, as "standards" to compare with evidence.

NOAA's marine forensic scientists also participate in many national meetings to share their expertise with other agencies and federal prosecutors. Successful prosecutions of those who violate federal wildlife laws help to prevent further decline of valuable wildlife resources.

For more information
NOS Marine Forensics Program
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

...

Continue reading...

The light emitted by a bioluminescent organism is produced by energy released from chemical reactions occurring inside (or ejected by) the organism.

If you’ve ever seen a firefly, you have encountered a bioluminescent organism. In the ocean, bioluminescence is not as rare as you might think. In fact, most types of animals, from bacteria to sharks, include some bioluminescent members. Also, bioluminescent are found throughout marine habitats, from the ocean surface to the deep sea floor.

While the functions of bioluminescence are not known for all animals, typically bioluminescence is used to warn or evade predators), to lure or detect prey, for communication between members of the same species.

For more information:
Bioluminescence, NOAA Ocean Explorer
Visual Ecology and Bioluminescence, NOAA Ocean Explorer
Deep Light, NOAA Ocean Explorer

...

Continue reading...

As plants and animals near the surface of the ocean die and decay, they fall toward the sea floor, just like leaves and decaying material fall onto a forest floor. In addition to dead animals and plants, marine snow also includes fecal matter, sand, soot, and other inorganic dust.

The decaying material is referred to as “marine snow” because it looks a little bit like white fluffy bits.  The “snowflakes” grow as they fall, some reaching several centimeters in diameter. Some flakes fall for weeks before finally reaching the ocean floor.

This continuous rain of marine snow provides food for many deep-sea creatures. Many animals in the dark parts of the ocean filter marine snow from the water or scavenge it from the seabed.  Over the past 20 years or so, NOAA scientists and others have measured the amount of useable material in marine snow and found that there is plenty of carbon and nitrogen to feed many of the scavengers in the deep sea.

The small percentage of material not consumed in shallower waters becomes incorporated into the muddy “ooze” blanketing the ocean floor, where it is further decomposed through biological activity.  About three-quarters of the deep ocean floor is covered in this thick, smooth ooze.  The ooze collects as much as six meters (20 feet) every million years.  It is usually 289 meters (948 feet) thick, but can be up to nearly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) thick.

For more information:
Marine Snow Video, NOAA Ocean Explorer

...

Continue reading...

"Extremophiles" are microorganisms with the ability to thrive in extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents.
Since they live in “extreme environments” (under high pressure and temperature), they can tell us under which range of conditions life is possible.

The unique enzymes used by these organisms, called "extremozymes," enable these organisms to function in such forbidding environments. These creatures hold great promise for genetically based medications and industrial chemicals and processes.

It's important to note that these organisms are 'extreme' only from a human perspective. While oxygen, for example, is a necessity for life as we know it, some organisms flourish in environments with no oxygen at all.

 



For more information:
Novel Microorganisms from the cold dark sea, NOAA Ocean Explorer
Loihi Submarine Volcano: A unique, natural extremophile laboratory, NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Hydrothermal Vents Program, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

...

Continue reading...

Life on Earth is found in conditions ranging from the coldest arctic ice to extremely hot hydrothermal systems on the ocean floor. Microbes are also found in very acidic conditions, very salty conditions, and very alkaline conditions.

These microbes are called “extremophiles” (which means 'lovers of extremes').

While conditions on the surface of the Earth where humans are happy are likely to be extremely rare outside of our home planet, the range of conditions in which microbes are found on Earth are more likely to be found on other planets and moons.

Some areas of our oceans, for example, may be similar to conditions found elsewhere in the solar system.

Jupiter’s moon Europa is completely covered by ice, but the tidal energy generated by giant Jupiter is so strong that a global ocean likely exists under the ice that could be 10 times as deep as what we find on Earth. Many scientists think that hydrothermal vents may exist at the bottom of this vast ocean.

This is exciting news, because microbes are found in abundance in hydrothermal vent systems in our oceans.

Understanding extreme life on Earth might help us identify environments on other moons and planets where life could exist.

For more information:
Novel Microorganisms from the Cold Dark Sea, NOAA Ocean Explorer
Loihi Submarine Volcano: A Unique, Natural Extremophile Laboratory, NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Hydrothermal Vents Program, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

...

Continue reading...

Covering over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, the ocean represents our planet’s largest habitat, containing 99 percent of the living space on the planet. This vast area supports the life of nearly 50 percent of all species on Earth.

Scientists are currently conducting the first ever “Census of Marine Life,” to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the ocean. Expected to be completed in 2010, this project will be the first to develop a comprehensive global list of all forms of life in the ocean. Additionally, scientists estimate that perhaps a million or more species remain unknown, yet to be discovered.

Biological productivity of the ocean plays a vital role in the global climate and carbon cycle and provides nearly 50 percent of Earth's oxygen and 20 percent of the world's protein supply. Species from the ocean are also potential sources of new medicines.

For more information:
NOAA: Ocean
Census of Marine Life

...

Continue reading...