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Note that all life forms do some metabolism, and some also do some photosynthesis, e.g., the phytoplankton.
Remember that all these life forms live within the (ocean and atmospheric) environment of sunlight, temperature, water, salinity, acidity, oxygen, CO2, methane, industrial/pharmaceutical chemicals and other pollutants, currents/turbulence, etc., and these factors MAY be changing, perhaps causing some changes in these life forms.
What does the scientific literature say about these changes, if anything? Are there any changes?
How can we observe and measure some of these factors and life forms during our September trip?? Can we collect water samples and send them to a lab for analysis? Can we do real-time measurements of water temp, salinity and acidity, for example? And how might seabirds be impacted by and reflect possible changes in any of these factors?
For each of these factors, create a website post, describing what it is, how it may be changing (cite the scientific literature), possible interdependencies with other factors (and life forms), mechanisms of these interdependencies, possible long term outlook/consequences.... and do this for both above and below the water line (for the atmosphere and the ocean, as appropriate). Some factor changes may impact food chains, from microorganisms right up to seabirds.... note possible chain reaction impacts here.
THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR TRIPS....
The ocean is changing.
Things observable from ABOVE the ocean, e.g., on a ship, are changing.
How can we, on a ship, learn what is changing UNDER the sea?
How do seabirds reflect these underwater changes??
Are there correlations between the above and below the water measures?
We watch seabirds mostly above the waterline.
Under the waterline there is a whole world we have trouble seeing. It includes life forms and many environmental factors, such as acidity of the water. Any and all of these things may be changing under the waterline. These changes may impact the seabirds and everything else above the water line (and vice versa). With this trip we are asking the question about the relationships between the stuff below and the stuff above the water line. We are trying to think of the seabirds in relationship to their environment both below and above the water line. We are trying to learn more about this entire ocean ecosystem, which includes seabirds as one part of it. We are looking for ways to use this September trip to give us more of an ecosystems view of seabirds and their world, from their island breeding grounds to the oceanic food chain that feeds them, starting with nutrients and microorganisms, and ending with the fish and other macroscopic life forms they eat.
