The Squirrel Monkey

Scientific Name: Saimiri sciureus

Year first observed: 1960’s

Order: Primates

Family: Cebidae

Genus: Simiri

Species: Sciureus

Squirrel Monkeys are commonly found in Central America Rain forests; such as Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. A small population has been introduced to Southern Florida. These nonnative species prefer the rain forests, and can adapt to different kinds of rain forests. In South America this is the most common monkey. They have been extensively used for biomedical research in the past. Trade is now regulated, but they are used locally for food,bait, and pets. Most the squirrel monkeys live in the middle canopy, an average squirrel monkey lives about 30 meters off the ground, usually along rivers and streams. This allows them to access to their favorite foods. These monkeys like vegetation's which provides good cover from birds of prey like the rain forest, savannah, mangroves, or marshlands. Their diet consists of insects, spiders, bird eggs, young birds, fruits and nuts/ About 90% of the monkeys diet is made of soft tropical fruits. 

The average squirrel monkey is about 1 foot in length, their tail adds on another full foot. These monkeys weigh 1.5-2.5 lb. and are active during the daytime. Adult squirrel monkeys are not very big, they are about as big as a squirrel, 10-14 inches. Males are larger than females, their fur is short, thick, soft and brightly colored. The squirrel monkey has extremely smart/clever fingers which helps them climb through the trees as well as to investigate food and find hidden insects. The monkeys tail is longer than its body but this only helps its balance and its not greedy.

These nonnative species live in groups; this way when a predator attacks the pack of monkeys will kill the intruder. The squirrel monkeys main enemy is the eagle, because the eagles will soar down and pick the monkeys up. Porcupines and baboons are also enemies of monkeys.

       As these monkeys spread urine on the bottoms of their hands and feet, other monkeys can smell this as it marks their territory. In addition, they also present a musky glandular movement throughout their fur especially their tails, this scent will help other followers follow the troop as they go through the trees. This odor turns away hunters who might otherwise kill them for food. Squirrel monkeys move through the trees by leaping, they have thighs that are shorter to their lower legs; this allows more jumping force. Their communication skills are like other primates. Squirrel monkeys have a wide range of calls and body postures. Among their 26 calls are chirps and peeps to stay in touch as they explore. They squawk and purr during mating, and barking during anger. Squirrel monkeys are unchanging, they are usually quiet but will utter loud cries when alarmed. When they have a large group or clan of monkeys they are usually called bands, or troops. Occasionally troops as large as 500 have been seen in undisturbed forests. But usually they form troops of 2-30 monkeys that tend to frequently break up and rejoin. They only have a few males in a group.

Although not yet endangered the Common Squirrel Monkey is among many rain forest animals threatened by deforestation. The species has also been captured properly for the pet trade and for medical research. The status on squirrel monkeys is living upto 20 years.

http://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/mammals/squirrel-monkey

http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/sqmonkey.htm

Change In Fishing Rules

        Since the fishing rules began nine months ago, there is scarce data on what is happening. One large boat owner in New Bedford said he is buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of quota from other fishermen. Several small-boat fishermen said they are leasing privileges to fish and, in some cases, getting out of the business altogether. Saving Seafood, a fishing industry group, estimates that more than 330 fishermen and crew and probably many more are not fishing in Massachusetts this year, out of a total of about 3,000 full- and part-time workers. 

In Plymouth, fishermen ave stopped going to sea in the past year as controversial new rules take hold that could fundamentally alter the storied fishing economy, culture, and communities of New England. The regions scenic harbors already shelter hundreds fewer fishing boats than a decade ago, but some worry that smaller boats may vanish altogether: There are some signs the new rules, which assign groups of fishermen a quota on their catch f cod and other bottom-hugging fish, could accelerate a trend of consolidation those boats into far fewer, more efficient vessels. Some small boat fishermen are selling or leasing their allotment to others under the new rules because they cannot turn a profit.

Steve Welch leased the fishing privileges on both his boats and laid off three workers this year. “We are talking jobs, tradition, culture,’’ he said. “All that will be left are large boats owned by corporations with deep pockets.’’ 

New management rules-coming at the same time fishermen’s catches were reduced to hasten the rebuilding of fish stocks have unleashed a political and legal battle. The cities of New Bedford and Gloucester have sued the federal government, saying the new rules violate the law. Some fishermen say they were given a smaller allotment than they deserve. Governor Deval Patrick and members of Congress have pressured the Obama administration to allow more fish to be caught. Mark Grant a policy analyst with the federal fisheries service says; Sectors were a way to give fishermen and fishing communities some flexibility. For example, if a fisherman cannot make a profit because of his catch allotment, he could lease it to another fishermen to make some money until stocks recover enough for him to fish again. Grant said, that some fishermen will be pushed out of business for good because there are still not enough fish for all the fishermen. And that is a hard thing to take. “Fishing is not what [these fishermen] do; it is who they are,’’ Grant said. “It helps define the community. You can’t say that about selling tires. They are a cultural icon.’’

The industry has already consolidated. Between 2001 and 2009, the number of vessels landing ground fish in the Northeast shrank from 1,024 to 477, according to federal statistics.

Cautions About Red Tide

        Plankton; the tiny plants and animals that be crawling in shallow waters. which form the basis for nearly everything that lives in the ocean. But a few kinds of microscopic algae make toxic chemicals as a byproduct. When coastal conditions let these creatures “bloom” in great numbers, the toxins concentrate in the tissues of fish or shellfish. Without proper warning, people can get seriously ill from a seafood meal. Depending on the type of algae, symptoms can range from a miserable night of nausea to paralysis, amnesia, and even death. Occasionally, the algae grow very fast or "bloom" and accumulate into dense, visible areas near the surface of the water. "Red Tide" is a common name for such a phenomenon where certain phytoplankton species contain reddish pigments and "bloom" such that the water appears to be colored red, brown, or even green. A harmful algal specie; Alexandriumspp, normally in the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Coast of North America. This harmful algal affects mussels, sea scallops, oysters, lobsters, salmon ect. Each year HABs make thousands sick and even cause death. Fishing and aquaculture industries, as well as tourism, can lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of killed fish, toxic shellfish, and closed or unsightly beaches. How can the fishing industry count on being safe if we have to worry about toxins getting into our food.

         Most of these blooms are harmless, but a few species of phytoplankton cause red tides that are poisonous to marine animals and to humans. Because of this, scientists prefer the term "harmful algal bloom" (or HAB). Of the more than 60 different species of phytoplankton that cause red tides, only four or five have been identified as toxic. There are millions of microscopic plants (phytoplankton) that exist in almost every drop of coastal sea water. With the right conditions, (sunlight and proper nutrients), these plants photosynthesize and multiply, creating a "bloom." The organism that causes toxic red tide.

      With warning, we need to be aware in what we are eating.  Shellfish poisoning is common, because most shellfish filter sea water for food. When the eat, they sometimes consume toxic phytoplankton and accumulates in their flesh. Shellfish poisoning syndromes can cause neurological problems from nausea, vomiting, dizziness. Some syndromes are lethal. 

Ciguatera fish poisoning, caused by a species of the genus Gambierdiscus they live in tropical waters. These species are known to produce a fat-soluble toxin that causes vomiting, and abdominal pain followed by muscular aches, dizziness, sweating, and tingling sensations. Ciguatoxin producing algae attach t seaweed's, and first consumed b plant-eating reef fish. Ciguatera is responsible for more human illnesses- 10,000 to 50,000 cases annually- than any other kind of toxicity origination in fresh seafood.

There are millions of microscopic plants (phytoplankton) that exist in almost every drop of coastal sea water. With the right conditions, (sunlight and proper nutrients), these plants photosynthesize and multiply, creating a "bloom." The organism that causes toxic red tide. 

-http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/redtide.html

-http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2modulechunk&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Provider&L2=Guidance+for+Businesses&L3=Food+Safety&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=dph_environmental_foodsafety_p_red_tide&csid=Eeohhs2

A New Sea Floor Map in Maine

        A new sea floor map is being discussed. The past ten years we have carried on many exploratory surveys of the sea floor of the western Gulf of Maine. Recently we arranged information, along with other previously published data, using a geographic info system (GIS). This produced a series of maps of the sea floor of the inner continental shelf of the western Gulf of Maine. The info we collected for this map series were originally collected for a variety of research projects, contracts, and a graduate student theses.

(This geographic area of the Maine inner continental shelf map series. The boxed areas are available as individual.)

        A new sea floor map may change fishing industry regulations in Maine. A new study of the sea floor on George's Bank may drive fishery managers to dramatically re-evaluate the measures employed to manage the fishing industry there. A submerged plateau warmed by the Gulf Stream, George's Bank lies about 60 miles off Cape Cod. Its shallow waters, swept by nutrient currents, provide rich feeding grounds for a wide variety of marine life, making it one of the world's most beneficial marine ecosystems.

"This is superb work that's going to change the face of fishery management," said Dave Preble, chairman of New England Fishery Management Council's habitat committee. "I can't emphasize enough how important it is. This work will be the foundation of our ecosystem management plan, and it's finally going to get us out of this ridiculous single-species management that always seems to fail," he said. 

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/fishing/2010/10/new-sea-floor-map-may-change-fishing-industry-regulations-maine

How Oil Spills Affect Fishing in the Gulf Of Mexico

The Gulf Of Mexico is countable for about 20 percent of the nations total commercial seafood production. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6412DN20100503) On May 2nd US officials banned fishing in large waters due to the oil spill on the Gulf. The affected waters, which span the coastlines of four states, are largely between the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Florida's Pensacola Bay, the NOAA said. The ban took immediate effect and was in place for at least 10 days. According the recent report done by the US scientists, they estimated that the BP oil spill incident in the Gulf of Mexico is the biggest oil disaster in the world, over 174 million gallons have been split. The gulf is a rich breeding ground for oysters, shrimp, fish and crabs. The oil spill has badly affected the ecosystem of the Gulf and many people have been suffering from financial difficulties. This unfortunate incident has actually brought a lot of negative impacts to the global economy. Fishermen who live on the Coast rely on fishing to supply them with money and gives them a living. When disasters like this happen and certain waters are closed, that dramatically hurts the fisherman. Gulf fishing and tourism industries produced an average annual income of $3.5-$4.5 billion for the past few years. Right after the oil spill incident, the annual income for the year of 2010 has been reduced dramatically. (http://www.backinjurycompensation.org/how-will-the-bp-oil-spill-affect-the-economy-in-the-near-future-what-does-it-mean-to-the-average-joe.html)
Once the oil spills contaminate the water and the fish. Fish require oxygenated air in order to breathe. As oil penetrates the water, fish lose the ability to filter oxygen from the water and suffocate. Additionally, as fish consume the oil, it poisons them. How are fishers supposed to make a living when all the fish they catch are poisoned. The fishing industry is considered “dead” at the moment because nobody dares to eat seafood in the Gulf region.

The Effects of Wrong Fishing Methods

The last 50 years have seen rapid and major changes in the development of the fishing industry. The improvement and variation of boats and fishing equipment have increased fishing capacity and efficiency and had affected the working conditions. The lives of fishermen were involved as well. Fishing has been a big deal, for a long time now. Not only does it provide us food but it's fishermans lives. They depend on the fish to keep a living. If they don't catch fish in their traps, or have a bad week they blame it on others, but what if the problem was the way they were fishing. Maybe their methods weren't good enough.
        Fishermen use a wide range of gear to land their catch. Every type has its own effects on the ocean. By selecting the right gear for the right job, the fishing industry can help minimize its impact on the environment.
If their was only one way to fish, that wouldn't be fun or reliable. Everyone has different techniques they think are more adequate than others.

1. Pole/troll fishermen use a fishing pole and bait to target a variety of fish, ranging from open ocean swimmers, like tuna and mahi mahi, to bottom dwellers, like cod. 

2. Purse seining establishes a large wall of netting to encircle schools of fish. Fishermen pull the bottom of the netting closed—like a drawstring purse—to herd fish into the center.

3. Harpooning is a traditional method for catching large fish—and it's still used today by skilled fishermen. When a harpooner spots a fish, he thrusts or shoots a long aluminum or wooden harpoon into the animal and hauls it aboard. 

4. Traps and pots are submerged wire or wood cages that attract fish with bait and hold them alive until fishermen return to haul in the catch. Traps and pots are usually placed on the ocean bottom, often to catch lobsters, crabs, shrimp, sablefish and Pacific cod.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_gear.aspx