Dr. Samantha Joye on Gulf Coast's hopes for quick recovery

Brown-spotted wrasse, a Dreamyfish Art pencil portrait drawn by Jude Cowell.

Even with ten blogs to my credit, it isn't often I get to cite an article from my hometown newspaper, the Athens Banner-Herald, concerning a topic of national interest. Yet today I can because recent remarks by UGA marine biologist, Dr. Samantha Joye, known for her study of the BP-Gulf Coast oil blowout and its effects on marine life, are published for our consideration.

Apparently, BP is glowingly touting that the Gulf of Mexico and its damaged waters and coastline will be good-to-go next year! But Dr. Joye, in a flurry of realism based on scientific knowledge and experience, begs to differ with BP's rosy scenario.

And I suspect that any Brown-spotted wrasse possessing a measure of common sense would agree with Dr. Joye, don't you?

~:~

Note: you'll find my botanical fish drawings on merchandise such as art prints/wall posters, greeting cards, and mousepads at Jude Cowell Art Shop @ Zazzle.

Sea Radiation in Japan (video)

Here's a report on the conditions in Japan after the March 11, 2011 earthquake-tsunami resulting in nuclear meltdown with massive amounts of radiation entering the surrounding sea..."sea radiation."

Yes, radiation has shown up here in America though you won't hear much about it in the mainstream media so if I were you, I'd turn to Democracy Now! for updates on the entire sad situation.

And here's my favorite little Breaksea cod from Western Australia who's feeling very threatened about now - and who can blame him?



~:~

View my Botanical Fish images and more on handy merchandise 24/7 in my Jude Cowell Art Shop at Zazzle whenever you wish!

Do Zebrafish hold a cure for human heart failure?

One of my favorite online publications, X-RAY MAG, is reporting that Zebrafish could hold a cure for heart failure!

Those stripedy little dears are able to grow back their heart tissue and may have secrets made for medical research to discover on behalf of humankind. Personally I think the little fellow below seems very glad that the human race is finally catching up with his advanced capabilities!



Zebrafish, a botanical pencil portrait by Jude Cowell.

Bottom of Gulf dead and still oily, says Joye

As you may have heard, Marine Science Professor Samantha Joye saw the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico with her own eyes and says it's still oily and has dead patches. Those elusive 'magic microbes' haven't finished the job.

Joye and her colleagues also say that certain predictions being circulated that 2012 will see the Gulf's miracle recuperation from the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blow-out are wrong - I say BP must be blowing something hazy along with their pie-in-the-sky notions and slights of hand.

Meanwhile, here in Athens, Georgia, home of the
University of Georgia (a land-grant and sea-grant insitution), we're proud of Professor Joye's excellent and careful work concerning the Gulf Oil 'spill', a plight caused by men against their fellow man, and we support her efforts to get to the bottom of the situation with honesty...and with science.

But I don't think Pink shrimp goby cares for the bad news at all:

A mystery of dead sparrows in New Zealand (poll)

More Mysterious Bird Deaths February 5, 2011

Rotorua, New Zealand has now seen its own dead birds mystery and this time sparrows have fallen on Rotorua's city streets.

"Storms" are the official guess as to the cause of the deaths yet one must wonder why other storms have not led to the same disturbing outcome. Poison? Eating other creatures contaminated with insecticides or other chemicals?

Governmental experiments? Criminal activities of some kind?

Or is the Magnetic North Pole Shift now in progress messing with their internal directional systems and making them unconscious
suicides?

Could the pole shift be behind recent mass fish deaths as well? Beached whales and dolphins come to mind.

A basic surmise must include the fact that birds move through air while fish move through water. Air and water. Contamination and pollution. Or is there a more direct and nefarious human cause such as scientists who aren't fessin' up?

What do you think?

Please take a moment to answer the poll, upper right. Sonic booms are not on the list but if you think they may be involved, please leave a comment and say so.



No fish portrait today. Just a little Painted bunting flown in from Secret Moon Art to express solidarity with his feathered brethren everywhere. He looks sad, doesn't he?

Coral the Mermaid hearts Aquatic Acoustics!

You know how the sound of ocean waves is lulling to human ears? Well, sounds are what keep sea creatures in business and their lives on course. But human beings are making it more and more difficult for denizens of the deep to survive as our sounds drown out theirs.

Accordingly, Coral the Mermaid (a brand new drawing by yours truly) has floated by to make certain you haven't missed Living On Earth's feature on the important topic of Aquatic Acoustics.

Click to read the LOE interview text or listen to the audio, whichever you prefer! And say Hello to Coral, your siren messenger from the deep blue sea...



Coral the Mermaid (c) by Jude Cowell.

More Dreamyfish Art images of fish and mermaids are available for browsing in my Jude Cowell Art Shop @ Zazzle so do float on by when you can!

Mysterious dead birds and fish now a global phenomenon

Now it's fish, crabs and other animals turning up mysteriously dead in various places across the planet.

So far, the comments of scientists that I've heard or read on the topic are sounding disingenuously stupid as they make ridiculous excuses for what has quickly become a global phenomenon. And it may be closer to the truth to read the dead bird catastrophe in tandem with another sad case uncovered in the dim light of the December 21, 2010 Lunar Eclipse at a crisis degree (29Gem): the murder of biological weapons expert John P. Wheeler, a former (or current?) Pentagon analyst who was not in favor of the US using biological weapons.

The Bush-Cheney-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be implicated as well, so don't follow either of the links in this post if you're not serious about facing the possibilities you may discover concerning the US government.

(If you click, be aware that some Astrology is involved but not to fret, my posts are always written in English. Besides, you'll find interesting links to click upon, too.)

Do you think it odd that this week's season premiere of V came on TV with a mysterious 'red sky' frightening the earthlings and now dead birds are mysteriously falling from the sky and millions of dead fish are washing ashore?

Well, unfortunately the word of the week, month, or year may turn out to be: phosgene.

Massive Fish and Blackbird Deaths in Arkansas

As midnight approached on New Years Eve 2010, Beebe, Arkansas experienced thousands of redwing blackbirds falling dead from the sky within a few minutes - for mysterious reasons. Tests are underway. Chem trails or sonic booms may be implicated but the US government probably won't admit it if they're the cause. We'll see.

Plus, a week earlier, an annual fish kill along a stretch of the Arkansas River turned out to be much larger than ever before - perhaps 100,000. What the hey is going on in Arkansas?



Magpie morwong and all the Dreamyfish here want answers and environmental improvements for 2011! Don't you?

Save Our Oceans! Save Our Rivers, Birds, and Fish!

Here is a video concerning mysterious deaths of birds and fish:

Coral dying under Climate Change effects - LOE

For you: a portrait of Giant Red Kelp with fish as drawn by Jude Cowell.

One of radio's most excellent programs Living On Earth has a six-part series Early Signs: Reports from a Warming Planet which details current effects of global warming on various regions and habitats. (Audio or text.)

Part V concerns the distressing fate of South Pacific coral and every Dreamyfish in this gallery cheers for any help you can give their habitat and brethren in this matter.

Return of the Mystery Fish

Today I'm re-publishing a mugshot: Return of the Mystery Fish for as of yet, no one has left a comment identifying this little blue and yellow fellow. Please ID him if you can!

Yes, naturally I learned my lesson after I had neglected to add Mystery Fish's name to the back of the paper so I've made certain ever since that each fish I draw has both its common and Latin names penciled on back before any portrait is complete - though technically, this drawing has a missing bit toward the fish's tail - have a go @ spotting it if you can!

Blog Action Day Oct 15: is Clean Water on your menu?

Well, all the Dreamyfish in this art collection have properly fussed me out for not being aware that today, October 15, is annual Blog Action Day. I did not know that, I told them, and to make amends, I'm posting an excellent observance by my astrologer friend, Donna Cunningham, whose brilliant Skywriter blog is focused today on what we all need in abundance: clean water and how we can preserve it.

Thanks, Donna, from me and from every little Dreamyfish Art denizen who heartily approves your message! I grew up drinking artesian well water and wish I had a glass this very minute. Good times!



The Two Fish of Pisces, a drawing by Jude Cowell 2010

10.10.10 International Day of Action takes on Climate Change

Heads up! A movement is underway for taking action on climate change issues. Check out the 10.10.10 website for more information and find out what you can do to participate.

Yes, October 10, 2010 will be here very soon and our little Bengal sergeant is calling us to arms!



And for all manner of science and environmental news Bengal sergeant also recommends to you the Earth and Sky website.

Who doesn't love otters?

A personal fave of mine in the animal kingdom has always been otters for who doesn't love to watch the charming little critters play and play and play?

Well, I simply had to post this HuffPo link so you will be certain not to miss this collection of otter photos. Especially check out the first image of Ol Stink Eye - it's hilarious!

And from a Dreamyfish Art post of August 2008, here's a National Geographic video of a playful otter tangling with a pufferfish which defended itself quite well, thank you.

Guess it's live and learn, even for an otter!

BP Oil Gusher hearings naming names, says Knightfish

Names are being named for their poor safety decisions that issued from BP's Houston Texas offices just prior to the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil and Methane Gas Blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, and frankly I and my little Dreamyfish Art denizens are glad the truth is finally coming out.

More truth, please! And how about some personal accountability while you're at it?

Well, the official committee report is said to be due out in January 2011 and perhaps we'll hear more info as the months go on.

Meanwhile, here's one of my pencil portraits of a denizen of Western Australia for you now...lone reader, I present to you the Honorable Knightfish!