THE Surf Report- Early Edition

Trick or Treat this weekend. Depends what you're in to.

SURF:

More fun surf this past week. New NW filled in on Sunday and rolled through Tuesday before backing off mid-week.

Then a couple bumps of small SW hit our shores and today we were left with waist high combo swell. Tomorrow is the same and we get semi-clean conditions. Our first 'storm' of the season then comes in late Halloween night and we get showers and wind on Saturday (more on that below in the 'WEATHER' section). Look for the surf to be small and junky Saturday morning then the windswell picks up from the NW and we've got bumpy overhead surf to deal with. Sunday things start to clean up and we've got quickly dropping overhead surf and sunny skies. Water temps are STILL holding at 70 degrees which has to be some sort of record for the upcoming November 1st weekend. BUT... with all the NW wind on Saturday, water temps may drop quick.

Tides the next few days are 3' at sunset, dropping slightly to 2' mid-day then up to 4.5' mid-afternoon and down to 3' at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves/weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:
After the NW cleans up on Sunday, it drops pretty quick on Monday and the middle of the week looks small.

Charts have some more NW arriving late Wednesday into Thursday for more shoulder high sets.

Models also show our 22nd named hurricane of the season 'Vance' taking shape tonight. Unfortunately, just as Vance hits category 1 status and heads into our surf window, it will take an abrupt right turn into Mainland Mexico. Not predicting any real surf out of this one.

Further out, charts show a couple little southern hemi swells taking shape under Oz/New Zealand and we may get small inconsistent SW next weekend. Oh boy!

WEATHER:

All signs point to our 1st rain this season Rain being a relative term as it looks like we'll only get 0.10-0.25" at best late Friday into Saturday. The real story is the wind which will blow around 25mph here. Sunday cleans up and we get cool sunny skies. The rest of next week looks like typical San Diego November weather- sunny skies and temps in the mid-70's.

BEST BET:
Sunday as the NW starts to drop but conditions improve. Or a smaller but cleaner NW next Thursday.

NEWS OF THE WEEK:
I did a beach clean up in Leucadia this summer with the crew from Ocean Minded (R.I.P.) and we picked up a ton of trash. Figuratively, not literally. But a team of scientists recently DID pick up a ton of trash, literally, not figuratively, to the tune of 57 tons. That's 114,000 pounds. Of junk. Offshore of the Hawaiian Islands. Yes- the mecca of surfing. Here's the scoop from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:



A team of 17 NOAA divers sailing aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette has returned from a 33-day mission to remove marine debris from Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii, a World Heritage Site and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. In total, they removed approximately 57 tons of derelict fishing nets and plastic litter from the monument’s tiny islands and atolls, sensitive coral reefs and shallow waters. “The amount of marine debris we find in this remote, untouched place is shocking,” said Mark Manuel, operations manager for NOAA Fisheries Coral Reef Ecosystem Division and chief scientist for the mission. “Every day, we pulled up nets weighing hundreds of pounds from the corals. We filled the dumpster on the Sette to the top with nets, and then we filled the decks. There’s a point when you can handle no more, but there’s still a lot out there.”At Pearl and Hermes Atoll, the divers encountered and rescued three sea turtles tangled in different nets.

They also spent several days removing a 28-foot by 7-foot “super net” that extended 16 feet deep and weighed 11½ tons. The net, which had to be cut it into three pieces and towed separately back to the Sette, had destroyed coral in the atoll and posed a huge wildlife entanglement risk. On the shorelines of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, also part of the monument, the team surveyed and removed nearly 6¼ tons of plastic trash, paying special attention to the bottle caps and cigarette lighters that are commonly eaten by birds. They removed and counted thousands of pieces of plastic, including 7,436 hard plastic fragments, 3,758 bottle caps, 1,469 plastic beverage bottles and 477 lighters. The divers worked out of small boats launched from the Sette, systematically surveying coral reefs at Maro Reef, Pearl and Hermes Atoll and Midway Atoll by swimming and tow-boarding. They used maps marked with GIS locations that were based on 15 years of data on net accumulation hot spots and weather trends. Once the divers located a net -- some of which were massive, tangled balls of several nets -- they relied on their own physical strength and on ropes to remove it from the coral and into the boat. NOAA has led this mission every year since 1996, removing a total of 904 tons of marine debris, including this year’s haul. The nets are an entanglement hazard for monk seals, turtles and seabirds that depend on the shallow coral reef ecosystem for survival. They also break and damage corals as they drift through the currents, snagging on anything in their path. Once they have settled, they can smother the corals and prevent growth. “This mission is critical to keeping marine debris from building up in the monument,” said Kyle Koyanagi, Pacific Islands regional coordinator for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program. “Hopefully we can find ways to prevent nets from entering this special place, but until then, removing them is the only way to keep them from harming this fragile ecosystem.” After the nets are unloaded from the Sette, they will be used as fuel to generate electricity as part of Hawaii’s Nets to Energy partnership with Covanta Energy and Schnitzer Steel. NOAA has sent the derelict nets from this mission to Nets to Energy since 2002, which has powered homes in Hawaii as a result. The team also recovered two 30-foot boats at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, which are suspected to have come from Japan as a result of the 2011 tsunami. Two additional boats were also spotted but unable to be recovered. Following the mission, NOAA scientists will inspect the boats and work with the Japan consulate to determine their origin. Similar boats have turned up in Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast, and Canada over the past three years. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, in addition to being an important cultural site for Native Hawaiians, give shelter to more than 7,000 marine species, including endangered Hawaiian monk seals, 14 million seabirds, rare and threatened land birds, and green sea turtles. They include 5,178 square miles of the healthiest and least disturbed coral reef habitat in U.S. waters. They are also virtually pristine, except for an estimated 52 metric tons of derelict fishing gear that accumulates in the monument from sources around the Pacific Ocean every year. There is no estimate of how much plastic washes up on the islands, but they are heavily littered with buoys, bottles, toys, flip-flops, crates, and other trash, despite the islands being uninhabited. Marine debris is a threat to our environment, navigation safety, the economy and human health. Huge amounts of consumer plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, vessels and other lost or discarded items enter the marine environment every day, making marine debris one of the most widespread, but preventable, problems facing the ocean and waterways. NOAA Fisheries, NOAA’s Ocean Service and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, work together on this mission to protect the marine environment and keep our ocean resilient.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

One of the first stories I did a few years ago on the North County Surf Blog was about a couple of friends of mine who headquartered their creative agency in Encinitas so they could be closer to the surf. What sets them apart from other companies? They pay their employees to go explore the world. Like Teahupoo if you dare. Or J-Bay like you always wanted to see. Or that weird wave garden in the middle of the Spanish forest (that would be my deal). Want to see why the Union Tribune, Fast Company, and a 100 other media outlets are telling their story lately? Get the scoop on the North County Surf Blog as well as a more in-depth THE Surf Report in the blog below! 
 
PIC OF THE WEEK:

This is the kind of chocolate I hope I get for Halloween. Look at that buttery sweet goodness!

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Casanova
Waiting For The Great Pumpkin In The Swami's Pumpkin Patch
Surfing Waimea At the Stroke of Midnight With Brock on Halloween

North County Business News: Employer of the Year

 

 

One of the first stories I ever did on the North County Surf blog was about a good friend of mine by the name of Jonathan Hanwit and his wife Guujse Bendeler (shown below). Jonathan grew up in VB (that's Virgina Beach for all of you that don't know Wes Laine personally) and moved out to the west coast for, you guessed it, better surf. Back in 2003, they started a branding and interactive agency called Parallax that created precise messaging and smart visuals. Around 2010, they moved to downtown Encinitas; Guujse said they needed more office space, Jonathan says it was to be closer to the surf of Encinitas. Either way, it was a win-win: the business has soared and Jonathan is on the verge of making the ASP world tour. One of those statements is true, I'll let you guess which one.

 

Regardless, like any successful business, they continued to evolve and innovate. They changed their name to thinkParallax and along the way became corporate social responsibility experts with some of America's biggest companies asking them to spread their message.

But what has really set them apart recently is the initiative to get their employees AWAY from the office. A novel idea considering employers are looking for ways to keep you AT work longer and for less pay. Their concept is to give each employee a $1,500 travel budget to go anywhere in the world and let their creative spirits soar. There are a few guidelines though; employees have to go somewhere they've never been before, the destination has to challenge them somehow, and they have to go between the months of September and December. The idea has been such a huge success- and I don't mean just for the employees- that media outlets around the country have been eating it up. From the front page of the San Diego Business Journal and Union Tribune, to Adweek, to the hottest magazine going- Fast Company, and close to 100 other media outlets (trust me- do a Google search).

thinkParallax offers time and vacation stipend to all 10 of its employees in hopes they’ll have experiences that cut down on burnout, open their minds and make them better problem solvers. It’s practically a requirement. "Sometimes the results may be intangible, but in the end you have a more engaged and inspired work force" says Jonathan. If I worked at thinkParallax, I think I'd visit Teahupoo and come back to work a happy camper for a variety of reasons. One- I just vacationed in Tahiti. Two- I'm going back to work for an owner that GETS IT. Nice work thinkParallax. Or lack of work I should say. Now, I'm not taking credit for their success even though my story seemed to happen around the same time, but coincidence? Hardly.

THE Surf Report- Early Edition

Don't pinch me if I'm dreaming.

SURF:
This may be the best October EVER. We've had non-stop swells from the NW, fantastic weather, AND the water is hovering in the low 70's. No wetsuits yet and it's almost Election Day. What politician is going to take credit for this?!

We had plenty of NW earlier this week and it's winding down tonight but there still are shoulder high waves and clean conditions. Tomorrow through Saturday we have leftover chest high sets with maybe an odd shoulder high wave in SD from the NW with background smaller SW, but the good news is... there's more NW coming.

A weak cold front unfortunately is forecasted to pass through Sunday so as our waves increase later in the day, we may have some cloudy/breezy conditions. So look for head high+ waves late Sunday with overhead sets in SD and slightly bumpy conditions.

Tides the next few days are 4' at sunrise, up top 6' at 10am, and down to 0.5' before sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves/weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:
If you don't get any of the new NW on Sunday, we'll still have NW rolling through town on Monday. Look for more head high waves here with overheads sets in SD. After that things calm down and Tuesday has some chest high waves and Wednesday looks small.

Of interesting note is former Hurricane Ana from Hawaii. She's forecasted to turn extra-tropical (i.e. into a low pressure system in the Aleutians) and we may get some chest high waves from it towards Thursday- with SD getting shoulder high waves.

Charts also showed little bumps off Antarctica a few days ago and we should get background SW the middle of next week too. Nothing much for SD but the OC may get waist high+ waves the 2nd half of next week.

Models also show the southern hemisphere coming to life late next week and we may get more SW swell around the 3rd of November.

WEATHER:

No rain yet. Mother Nature is making me look like a fool. I've always seen some sort of showers by the middle of October and this year- ZILCH. Tomorrow is another nice day with mostly sunny skies and temps in the high 70's at the beaches. Saturday is a transition day as temps drop to the mid-70's and the low clouds/fog start to roll in. Then models show a weak cold front coming through on Sunday for mostly cloudy conditions and a shot at... drizzle. An interesting weather fact is that our ocean is warmer than normal due to the so-called El Nino, so even though we have a weak cold front coming through on Sunday- air temps will still be in the low 70's. Brrrrr! Time to put away the tank top and throw on a t-shirt! High pressure then sets up early next week and we're back to sunny skies and temps in the mid-70's. Models then show another weak cold front coming through late next weekend so we'll keep our fingers crossed the showers may finally arrive November 1st.

BEST BET:
Sunday afternoon may be junky but we'll have plenty of NW swell. Or smaller but cleaner NW/SW next Thursday.

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

This is awesome. Seems as though there’s been this massive sink hole a few hundred yards inland on Kauai for thousands of years or something like that. Scientists recently decided to go sifting around through all the junk in the bottom of it. Expecting to find terrestrial items like dirt, volcanic rock, plants, and bugs, they also find coral, shells, and beach sand (remind you this is hundreds of yards inland). Seems as though a big ol’ tsunami 350-575 years ago washed inland and the sink hole acted like into one big drain! Classic! Here’s what NBC News reported earlier this week:

“A massive earthquake strikes Alaska’s Aleutian Chain, spawning a 30-foot-high tsunami that blasts onto Hawaii’s shore and fills a huge sinkhole with debris. Researchers sift through it 500 years later, find evidence of the catastrophe and urge authorities to redraw evacuation maps to prepare for such a disaster. That’s the thrust of a new study, reported in Geophysical Research Letters, that examined deposits in Kauai’s Makauwahi sinkhole.

The researchers, led by Rhett Butler, a geophysicist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, found evidence that a 9.25 magnitude earthquake in the Aleutians between 350 and 575 years ago caused a tsunami that carried large amounts of marine debris — coral, shells, beach sand — 100 meters inland and into the sinkhole. The researchers said that Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami show the danger in relying on modern observations in disaster planning, and they said their model for what would occur in a similar Aleutian quake today far exceeded all tsunamis recorded in Hawaii in the past 200 years. They called for upgrading NOAA tsunami warning buoys to allow more time for evacuation orders. Gerald Fryer, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii who wasn't involved with the study, told the American Geophysical Union that he’s convinced it's correct and has worked with Honolulu authorities to update evacuation maps by the end of the year.”
 
PIC OF THE WEEK:

Never been to Central America but this is more than enough reason to cash in the ol' nest egg and head south of the border.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Outstanding
Found Kim Jung-un
Spelled ‘Kanaiaupuni’ To Win ’78 Sunset Beach Elementary School Spelling Bee

Surf Check

We got surf! Again!

New WNW started to fill in rapidly in Nor-Cal yesterday and hit our offshore buoys late yesterday. When we woke up this morning- BAM! Lots of good head high surf.

The WNW is peaking this afternoon and we'll find overhead sets here and 10' sets in SD.

On it's heels is another shot of NW swell from a little storm behind the current one and we'll get more head high+ waves tomorrow.

Things go quiet the 2nd half of the week and then a weak cold front moves through this weekend (more on that below) and we get a quick shot of NW windswell/groundswell for more head high waves late Sunday into Monday. After that, charts have an interesting scenario- former Hurricane Ana that blew through Hawaii last week will get swept up into the north Pacific, merge with some cold air and turn into an Aleutian low pressure system. If everything goes according to plan, we'll get head high sets from her towards next Tuesday/Wednesday. So do I consider this a hurricane swell from the NW?!

As far as our weather goes, we have a weak cold front moving through today for morning low clouds/fog and temps about 70 at the beach. That blows through then we have high pressure setting up the 2nd half of this week for sunny skies and temps in the mid to high 70's. Then yet another weak cold front (i.e. no rain yet) moves through this weekend for more clouds and cooler temps.

Beware the tides this week as we've got high tides around 4' at daybreak, then 5.5' mid-morning, down to 0' late afternoon and about 3' at sunset. Maybe some of those mysto low tide reef spots throughout SD County will be working good today and tomorrow.

And yes, the water's still warm. About 70 in most locations in SD and OC. Don't know if I'll ever wear a 3/2 again!

THE Surf Report- Early Edition

Like taking candy from a baby.

SURF:
I almost feel guilty with all the surf we've had the past few months. From record setting hurricane swells to Aleutian juice gracing our shores, there's been plenty to ride most everywhere you look. This past week was no different.

Lots of healthy NW swell for overhead sets Sunday and Monday and a new NW filled in rapidly tonight. Unfortunately the NW will be peaking while we sleep but there will still be shoulder high sets in town tomorrow morning with head high+ waves in SD. There's also a touch of small SW but it will be overridden by the stronger NW.

Saturday has some leftover chest high NW then we get a small reinforcing bump from the NW on Sunday for more chest high waves and shoulder high sets in SD. All in all a fun weekend of surf.

Water temps are an unbelievable 72 degrees (about 8 degrees above normal) and tides the next few days are 4.5' at sunrise, down to 2.5' at lunch, and back up to 4.5' at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves/weather at Twitter/North County Surf. 

FORECAST:

After some fun surf this weekend, Monday is between swells then we get walloped Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday by a storm organizing in the Aleutians this weekend. Look for overhead surf here in north county and 10' sets in SD.

Charts then show another storm trying to form late in the week for more head high waves here and overhead sets next weekend.

We also have a group of clouds off mainland Mexico tonight which may form into a hurricane next week but it's looking pretty meager so I'm not running to Vegas to place any bets. And for all you S swell aficionados- the southern hemisphere is looking dormant- which it should be this time of year. So all eyes are focused on the north Pacific for the time being

WEATHER:

Winter sure is trying to get it's act together. Lots of low clouds and drizzle the past few days but darnit- it just won't rain! We've got more morning low clouds this weekend and patchy sun in the afternoons with temps in the high 60's. That lasts through Tuesday. Weak high pressure sets up towards the middle of next week with temps back to 75 and more sun. But still no rain on the forecast charts.

BEST BET:
Tomorrow morning will be fun but grab the step up up for late Tuesday into Wednesday with a solid NW swell set to arrive.

NEWS OF THE WEEK:
So this is the feeling I'm starting to get with the 'alleged' El Nino; we're going to see more rain than normal, but it probably won't be the barn burners like '82-'83 or '97-'98. Which isn't a bad thing considering any above average rainfall is better than what we've had. And any monster El Nino storms will wash away the Huntington Beach Pier, Laguna Canyon, the Chart House in Cardiff, and Jenny Craig's $30 mil oceanfront home in Del Mar. But just don't take it from me, the experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came out with their winter outlook this week and they see above average rain for us as well as warmer than average temperatures. Here's the scoop:

NOAA: Another warm winter likely for western U.S., South may see colder weather. And a repeat of last year’s extremely cold, snowy winter east of Rockies unlikely

Temperature:
Below average temperatures are favored in parts of the south-central and southeastern United States, while above-average temperatures are most likely in the western U.S., Alaska, Hawaii and New England, according to the U.S. Winter Outlook, issued today by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
While drought may improve in some portions of the U.S. this winter, California's record-setting drought will likely persist or intensify in large parts of the state. Nearly 60 percent of California is suffering from exceptional drought – the worst category – with 2013 being the driest year on record. Also, 2012 and 2013 rank in the top 10 of California’s warmest years on record, and 2014 is shaping up to be California’s warmest year on record. Winter is the wet season in California, so mountainous snowfall will prove crucial for drought recovery. Drought is expected to improve in California’s southern and northwestern regions, but improvement is not expected until December or January.
“Complete drought recovery in California this winter is highly unlikely. While we’re predicting at least a 2 in 3 chance that winter precipitation will be near or above normal throughout the state, with such widespread, extreme deficits, recovery will be slow,” said Mike Halpert, acting director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “This outlook gives the public valuable information, allowing them to make informed decisions and plans for the season. It's an important tool as we build a Weather-Ready Nation.”

El Niño, an ocean-atmospheric phenomenon in the Tropical Pacific that affects global weather patterns, may still develop this winter. Climate Prediction Center forecasters announced on Oct. 9 that the ocean and atmospheric coupling necessary to declare an El Niño has not yet happened, so they continued the El Niño Watch with a 67 percent chance of development by the end of the year. While strong El Niño episodes often pull more moisture into California over the winter months, this El Niño is expected to be weak, offering little help.

Precipitation:
The Precipitation Outlook favors above-average precipitation across the southern tier, from the southern half of California, across the Southwest, South-central, and Gulf Coast states, Florida, and along the eastern seaboard to Maine. Above-average precipitation also is favored in southern Alaska and the Alaskan panhandle. Below-average precipitation is favored in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest.

Last year’s winter was exceptionally cold and snowy across most of the United States, east of the Rockies. A repeat of this extreme pattern is unlikely this year, although the Outlook does favor below-average temperatures in the south-central and southeastern states.

In addition, the Temperature Outlook favors warmer-than-average temperatures in the Western U.S., extending from the west coast through most of the inter-mountain west and across the U.S.-Canadian border through New York and New England, as well as Alaska and Hawaii.

The rest of the country falls into the “equal chance” category, meaning that there is not a strong enough climate signal for these areas to make a prediction, so they have an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and/or precipitation.

The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, updated today and valid through January, predicts drought removal or improvement in portions of California, the Central and Southern Plains, the desert Southwest, and portions of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Drought is likely to persist or intensify in portions of California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington state. New drought development is likely in northeast Oregon, eastern Washington state, and small portions of Idaho and western Montana.
 
PIC OF THE WEEK:

In the immortal words of Chris Bystrom: "A wave so good they had to name it twice." My two cents: "A wave so good they probably should have named it three times." If you've got some time to kill at work tomorrow- which you should since it's Friday- take a gander at Peter 'Joli' Wilson's website.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Legit
Have A Season Pass At Bandini Mountain
Bought a Sweet 6'4" Stussy Off Boothy

THE Surf Report

Fall's back!

SURF:
And just like that, fall's back!

Not much surf this past week- unless you were surfing Hurricane Simon in the OC. Had some shoulder high sets here earlier in the week (the Wedge had solid 15' sets which amazingly was 1/2 the size of Hurricane Marie) but that dwindled down here by Tuesday. Past few days have had cool air temps, low clouds in the nights/mornings, and super high tides killing the knee to waist high combo swell. Tomorrow is more of the same but fortunately we have a little waves coming this weekend.

Saturday the SW picks up from a little storm last week and we get waist high waves with chest high sets in far north county and the OC. We also have NW windswell picking up too so the beachbreaks should be fun even though both swells aren't that big.

The SW holds on Sunday and we get a reinforcing NW for shoulder high waves in town and head high waves in south SD county. Nothing big this weekend but it should be fun.

Water is holding at 70 degrees (5-7 degrees warmer than normal for mid-October) and tides the next few days are 2' at sunrise, up to 6.5' just before lunch, and down to -1' at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves/weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:
After a fun weekend of surf, the NW hangs around on Monday but then it gets pretty small again by mid-week. Lots of activity in the northern hemisphere but we'll be between storms.

Charts show another NW headed our way for next weekend with more chest to shoulder high waves so I'll keep an eye on that for ya'.

The tropics also have a small cluster of clouds off Mainland Mex today but nothing has formed yet and nothing will for a few days- so I'll keep an eye on that for ya'.

WEATHER:

Not really summer, not really winter, they call it 'fall'. The cool weather today will be replaced by slightly warmer weather this weekend and less low clouds and fog for temps in the mid-70's. Then fall kicks into gear the middle of next week with cooler temps again and more extensive night and morning low clouds and temps in the high 60's. Unfortunately, no rain in sight, but we are getting closer to November so we're due anytime now.

BEST BET:
Maybe Saturday with the little combo swell or Sunday as the NW picks up a little more. Or just take your sweet time and get some more NW next weekend. Gotta love fall.

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

I love the tides. Maddening actually. But I love them. It makes crap waves turn on and good waves go to crap. Wired Magazine recently reported that the wind and tides are major drivers of the ocean’s global circulation, moving its waters all over the planet and mixing up its temperature, salinity, and nutrients. But according to new research, there might be another crucial force in ocean circulation that scientists haven’t accounted for: the billions upon billions of small marine animals that live in its depths.

Throngs of tiny organisms called zooplankton inhabit the ocean—everything from microscopic protozoans to krill to jellyfish. Many of these animals live deep underwater during the day to avoid predators, and migrate en masse, sometimes hundreds of meters, to the surface to feed at night. Caltech fluid dynamicist John Dabiri thinks zooplankton’s daily collective movements may have a profound influence on ocean dynamics by mixing up its waters, and his new study, published in Physics of Fluids, backs up this theory.

To mimic zooplankton migration in the ocean, Dabiri and his research partner, Monica Wilhelmus, devised an automated laser robot that shoots moving blue light through a water tank filled with thousands of brine shrimp. The shrimp (the same creatures sold to curious kids as Sea Monkeys) followed the laser light as it swept from the bottom of the tank to the top, and as they swam, they kicked back water behind them.

Individually, a sea monkey’s kick doesn’t move much water, but as Dabiri discovered, their collective migration creates large eddies. In the ocean, this could potentially mix up the nutrients and salinity of warmer surface saltwater with cold brine from deeper depths. Dabiri thinks that when untold numbers of zooplankton migrate up and down the ocean’s water column every day, they may have an effect on circulation as substantial as the wind and tides by adding about a trillion watts of energy to the ocean system.

Many physical oceanographers are skeptical of this theory (called ‘biomixing’), particularly since zooplankton migration is much harder to measure in the real world than the wind and tides. “It’s hard to go from a lab experiment in a tank and extrapolate to the ocean,” said physical oceanographer André Visser of the Technical University of Denmark. “I’m not convinced that this is a credible mechanism in ocean mixing.”

But Dabiri thinks his lab experiments prove the physics of the phenomenon. “The ocean is much bigger than the tank in our lab, but the tank had only a few thousand of these organisms versus billions and billions of them in the ocean,” he said.

If zooplankton do, in fact, move ocean waters as Dabiri predicts, this might help scientists model climate change more precisely. The ocean is Earth’s largest carbon sink, soaking up more than a quarter of CO2 that human activity emits, and zooplankton may play a key role in that process. “We may need to rethink our models of the ocean,” he said. “Perhaps there are significant factors we’re missing right now.”

BEST OF THE BLOG:

Can't wait for the surf this weekend? Bored out of your wits with all this small surf and cool weather? Then head on over to the North County Surf Blog for a little 'extreme' sports action. Clips of Julian going big at Lowers, bombing hills with Arbor Skateboards outside of Mammoth, and visions of 20' snow drifts with Jeremy and Mikkel. Warning on the Arbor clip- close your eyes right around the 2 minute 28 second mark. All of that and more, plus an in depth THE Surf Report, in the blog below!
 
PIC OF THE WEEK:

I'm guessing I'll get a lot of flack today's Pic of the Week. Either you'll love it or hate it. Either you get it or you won't. If you don't get it, here's a primer: It's basically how Jeff Clark got started- surfing Maverick's for YEARS by himself. Just big cold bombs with no one around but him and the men in gray suits. Even named the spot after his dog. As far as this wave goes, I don't know the name of this 12' slab in the middle of nowhere but I'm guessing the guy who lives in the cabin up on the hill does.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Strapping
Heisman Front Runner
Surfer Magazine Cover, January 1983