Phytoplankton is the basis of the ocean's life

Back on September 13, 1996 my husband and I took a whale watching trip out of San Francisco beyond the Farallon Islands. It was a beautiful day and we were very fortunate in that we saw 7 great blue whales, 2 or 3 humback whales and thousands of seabirds. Here are a couple of pictures

The Farallon Islands are actually mountains that jut out of the sea and lay about 25 miles southwest of the Golden Gate. They have an interesting history.

Beyond the Islands the Pacific shelf drops off dramatically, and hundreds of whales feed here on the upwell of krill and other phytoplankton and zooplankton. These are the basis for life in the oceans because they are at the bottom of the food chain.

Here are a couple of more pictures.

Great Blue Whale We saw 7 of them. They were AMAZING. (smelly breathe though!)












One of the three humpbacks we saw showing off it's tale.

More pictures here.










Well something disturbing is happening.

"Oceanic plankton have largely disappeared from the waters off Northern California, Oregon and Washington, mystifying scientists, stressing fisheries and causing widespread seabird mortality.

The phenomenon could have long-term implications if it continues: a general decline in near-shore oceanic life, with far fewer fish, birds and marine mammals. No one is certain how long the condition will last. But even a short duration could severely affect seabird populations because of drastically reduced nesting success, scientists say.

The plankton disappearance is caused by a slackening of what is known as "upwelling:" the seasonal movement of cold, nutrient-rich offshore water into areas near shore.

This cold water sustains vast quantities of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which are the basis of the marine food web. During periods of vigorous upwelling and consequent plankton "blooms," everything from salmon to blue whales fattens and thrives on the continental shelf of the West Coast. "

The rest of the article is very disturbing. With this current administration's denial of basic scientific evidence that global warming is actually happening, we may end up losing the world's ocean life as one of first casualties of a blighted and short-sighted energy policy.

Thanks, George.