Author Archives: kightp

About kightp

Pat Kight is the web and digital media specialist for Oregon Sea Grant at Oregon State University.

New pale ale benefits sea star wasting research

Posted on by

Rogue Wasted Sea Star Ale labelNEWPORT – Sales of  a new starfish-purple ale from Rogue Brewery will benefit researchers’ efforts to study and address sea star wasting disease, a serious epidemic among starfish up and down the West Coast.

As part of a larger effort to learn more about the deadly disease that has devastated sea stars in some places on the Oregon coast, a craft brewery in Newport, Ore., has announced the sale of Wasted Sea Star Purple Pale Ale . Rogue Ales and Spirits planned a celebration today including a beer christening and discussion about the outbreak.

The Rogue Ale brewers plan to donate a portion of the income from sales of this product to support research done by scientists at Oregon State University and and PISCO scientists. More information on Rogue Ales and Spirits’ new ale is available online at www.rogue.com/roguenews

“We are extremely excited about this new partnership with Rogue to raise awareness about the importance of sea stars to healthy ocean ecosystems,” said Bruce Menge, the lead PISCO-OSU investigator. “Rogue’s new beer also recognizes the efforts of investigators across the country who are collaborating to understand this disease and its impacts.”

The brew is described as “light and crisp, with a red or purplish hue and a unique flavor that comes from the purple corn nectar used to brew it.”

Learn more:

Communications manager applicants sought

Posted on by

Oregon Sea Grant is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time position leading its communications team in developing products and strategies that interpret Sea Grant-funded research, support the program’s administration and contribute to outreach and engagement activities which help inform and engage the public in learning, discussing and acting on ocean and coastal issues.

At minimum, candidates should have

  • Specialized skill in science writing, graphic design, or multi-media development
  • A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent work experience, in a communications related field, with an emphasis on science communications. A master’s degree is preferred
  • At least five years relevant work experience
  • Evidence of experience supervising or leading other communications professionals
  • Evidence of actively engaging personnel in development, planning and implementation of project communications
  • Effective written and oral communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to represent complex scientific or environmental concepts in a way that will excite interest and can be understood by the various audiences as appropriate.

Based at the Oregon Sea Grant office on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, OR, the communications manager is expected to travel as needed to the Hatfield Marine Scence Center Visitor Center in Newport, OR, and to other project locations on the Oregon coast. 

Duties include planning and development of print, digital media and other communication projects, scholarly activities supporting the science of science communication, managing media relations, and overseeing a team that, among other duties supports special projects of the National Sea Grant Network and oversees exhibit design for our HMSC Visitor Center in Newport.

For full details and to apply, see the posting on the OSU Jobs site. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2015.

Corvallis Science Pub: An acidic ocean?

Posted on by

It’s been called the “evil twin” of climate change. As the oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and surface waters become more acidic, changes to marine ecosystems are likely to follow. Coral reefs, shell-forming organisms and the fish and marine mammals that depend on them are at risk.

At the May 11 Corvallis Science Pub, George Waldbusser will describe what scientists know about the biological effects of ocean acidification. The Science Pub presentation is free and open to the public. It begins at 6 p.m. at the Old World Deli, 341 S.W. 2nd St. in Corvallis.

On average, the oceans are about 30 percent more acidic today than they were a century ago, and impacts are already being seen along the West Coast. Waldbusser and his students have turned their attention to the region’s oyster industry, which had $73 million in sales in 2009.

Oyster larvae are sensitive to acidification and Waldbusser, an assistant professor in Oregon State’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, is working to understand why.

“With larval oysters, what we see are developmental issues,” he said. “From the time eggs are fertilized, Pacific oyster larvae will precipitate roughly 90 percent of their body weight as a calcium carbonate shell within 48 hours.”

His research has been supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oregon Sea Grant and other agencies.

Learn more:

 

Schools, communities celebrate STEM Week Oregon

Posted on by

Schools, communities and organizations across the state will take part May 2-10 in STEM Week Oregon, a statewide movement to raise awareness, celebrate and engage young people in learning science, technology, engineering and math.

There’s still time to get involved, by joining in an activity that’s already planned – or coming up with your own. Teachers and their students, parents and their children, community groups and businesses get ideas and register their events at http://stemoregon.org/stemweek/ .

Organizers also invite STEM professionals and companies to volunteer at local schools, talk about their careers and research, or host a field trip for students during the week. Colleges and universities, meanwhile, are invited to host STEM activities for students and the broader community, and encourage students and faculty to sign up with STEMOregon for more ways to get involved.

Winds drive jellyfish-like creatures onto Oregon beaches

Posted on by
Velella velella blown ashore by prevailing winds, Fort Stevens State Park, April 2015

Velella velella blown ashore by prevailing winds, Fort Stevens State Park, April 2015 (photo by Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium)

Striking blue sea creatures, Velella velella, have washed up by the thousands on Oregon beaches including at Seaside, Manzanita, Astoria and Rockaway Beach in recent days, tourism officials report.

The small jellyfish-like animals normally live out at sea, floating on its surface. But every spring, thousands get blown by strong westerly winds onto the sands of Oregon, California and Washington and die, said Bill Hanshumaker, a senior instructor at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and chief scientist for Oregon Sea Grant.

When strong westerly winds blow over the Pacific coastline, Velella velella are swept by the thousands onto beaches including those at Seaside and Manzanita. They are often called By-the-wind Sailors, because they have their own small sails and move with the wind.

Velella velella (vuh-lell-uh vuh-lell-uh) can be beautiful to look at but start to give off a fishy smell as they decay. They don’t sting people who touch them, but experts at Oregon State University advise against walking barefoot through a pile of them because they contain a mild neurotoxin.

Learn more

Call for abstracts: Ocean acidification, hypoxia and decision-making

Posted on by

The Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation (CERF) invites abstracts for presentations as part of an oral session at CERF 2015 this November, highlighting opportunities for linking scientists and natural resource managers to promote effective, science-based decision making on ocean acidification and hypoxia.

Convened by the Ocean Science Trust, the Institute for Natural Resources and Oregon Sea Grant, the session is planned to include talks about ocean acidification and hypoxia in two areas:

  • Social or natural science, focusing on connecting science to ocean and coastal policy, regulation, industry and/or management
  • Decision-making in natural resource management

CERF 2015, the organization’s 23rd biennial conference, takes place in Portland, OR Nov. 8-12. For more information about the conference and registration, visit http://www.erf.org/.

Japanese fish found off Oregon; 2011 tsunami link possible

Posted on by
Striped Knifefish

The striped knifejaw caught off Port Orford in veterinary quarantine tank at HMSC

NEWPORT – Oregon scientists, including specialists from Oregon Sea Grant, are examining an unusual fish hauled out of the ocean near Port Orford in a crab pot last week for possible connections to the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

The fish, an Oplegnathus fasciatus (sometimes called a barred knifejaw or striped beakfish) is in quarantine at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, under the care of OSG aquatic veterinarian Tim Miller-Morgan.

While it’s hard to say whether the fish was transported across the Pacific by debris from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, its appearance in US waters raises questions, according to OSU’s John Chapman, an aquatic invasive species specialist based at the Hatfield Center.

Sea Grant invasive species expert Sam Chan estimates the fish to be around 1-2 years old, which makes it unlikely the animal left Japan in 2011. But, he added, “a boat could have been milling around Asian waters for the past 2-3 years and then picked up the fish and ridden the currents over. The big question is – are there more of these.” He said Sea Grant would work with Oregon commercial fisherman, crabbers and others to keep a lookout for more of the species.

Learn more:

Pet care product survey deadline nears

Posted on by

Pet owners, veterinarians and other pet-care professionals have until March 16 to take part in a national survey of how people dispose of unused pet care products such as medications, flea collars, shampoos and other grooming products.

Oregon Sea Grant is conducting the study as part of a broader look at how all kinds of personal care products used by people find their way into landfills and wastewater systems, where they can affect the health of local watersheds. With an estimated 68 percent of American households owning at least one pet, it’s important to know how animal-care products figure into the larger picture.

While the survey has had a good response from Oregon and other West Coast states, the survey team, led by Oregon Sea Grant watershed health specialist Sam Chan, would like to see more responses from other states.

“You can count on one hand the number of studies that have been done on what people actively do with the disposal of these products,” Chan said. “PPCPs are used by almost everyone and most wastewater treatment plants are not able to completely deactivate many of the compounds they include.”

Position opening: Marine education volunteer coordinator

Posted on by

Oregon Sea Grant is seeking a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month Marine Education Volunteer Coordinator to work at our Visitor Center at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science center in Newport. The coordinator oversees adult volunteers and serves as the Visitor Center’s liaison to the public, current and potential donors and community partners. The application deadline is March 3, 2015.

This position serves a key role at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center, overseeing its most essential resources, its volunteers, assisting with the center’s operations and serving as its liaison to the public, potential and current donors adn community parthers.

For a full position description and to apply, visit the OSU Jobs site.

Natural Resource Policy Fellowship: Applications due March 17

Posted on by

Oregon Sea Grant is seeking qualified applicants with a strong interest in marine resource policy for our 2015-16 Natural Resource Policy Fellowship. Applications are due to the Oregon Sea Grant office no later than 5 pm on March 17.

This fellowship, which gives a student first-hand experience working on natural resource policy at the state level, is open to graduate students from any college or university with a physical campus located in Oregon, who have completed their graduate degree within since September 2013 or are within a year of completing it; preference will be given to those who have wrapped up their degrees by the time the fellowship starts.

The successful candidate will interview with multiple agency hosts to determine the best fit for both. The one-year, non-renewable fellowship, which includes a $31,200 stipend in monthly installments, plus travel, begins between May and July 2015, depending on the needs of the fellow and the agency with whom he or she is matched.