Robot Workshop Organizers Thank Supporters and Participants

Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) –The Friends of the Mariana Trench would like to express sincerest thanks to everyone whose invaluable contribution lead to the success of the Marine Ecology via Remote Observation Workshop last month. 

“The Mariana Trench inspires the next generation of local explorers, engineers, and scientists.” said Laurie Peterka, Secretary for Friends of the Mariana Trench. “But the success of this workshop is owed to our sponsors and partners who provided resources which allowed our eager participants to show up every day to learn.”

Through the support and commitment from many in the community, the Marianas is now home of the largest fleet of underwater OpenROV research robots and some of the most qualified OpenROV operators in the world. The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument was directly responsible for this opportunity being made available to our community. Marine protected areas such as the monument create incentives for scientists to conduct research because they provide a baseline against areas that are unprotected.

OpenROV is short for open-source remotely operated vehicle and is a low-cost robotic underwater drone built with the goal of making underwater exploration, discovery, and education affordable and available to the masses. OpenROV is an open-source hardware project. By providing the list of the submarine parts and instructions on how to assemble them, the project aims to democratize underwater exploration.

The Friends of the Mariana Trench in partnership with Northern Marianas Trades Institute (NMTI) hosted the Marine Ecology via Remote Observation Workshop from April 14-22, led by Dr. Andrew Thaler and Dr. Stacy Baez. During the first week of the workshop eight facilitators learned how to build an underwater robot. These robots can be submerged in the ocean and contain a camera that can be used to observe the marine environment. Representatives from NMTI, Northern Marianas College, PSS (through Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance), CNMI Bureau of Environment and Coastal Quality (BECQ), Okeanos Marianas, Underwater World Guam, and University of Guam Marine Lab were selected as facilitators. After the facilitators were trained, they taught 18 local students how to build and operate the machines. Students were recruited from Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam. Participants built six underwater robots. These robots were donated to the community and will now be in use across the CNMI and Guam.

The Friends would like to thank OpenROV for providing robot building kits. Special thanks to NMTI for workshop space, staff, and transportation assistance. Thanks to Seatouch-Saipan for providing access to its facility in front of the Fiesta Resort and Space, and the Fiesta Resort and Spa for their tremendous support. Okeanos Marianas provided transportation for field operations in the Saipan lagoon, and thanks to the crew who made the experience unforgettable for participants. Finally, thanks to the organizations, businesses, institutions of higher learning, and government agencies who provided facilitators to conduct the student workshop.

The workshop was made possible by a grant awarded to Dr. Thaler and Blackbeard Biologic through the NOAA Marine Educators Training Program. The Friends were selected to be the workshop’s logistical coordinator and facilitated Dr. Thaler with community outreach and participant selection as well as engaging local and community partners.

Want to buy some deuterium?

I remember Senator Louis Crisostimo telling me some time during 2008 that he opposed the creation of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument because the trench contained a special kind of water that could be used in fuel cells. I thought he was out of his mind.

I came across a blog today that linked to the story that put the idea into his head (I have reposted the entire article because the Marianas Variety does not have it archived):

HUGE ENERGY RESOURCE FOUND IN MARIANAS TRENCH
by Agnes E. Donato
October 31, 2003

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, ) – The world’s largest deposit of deuterium, which can replace most forms of fuel in powering engines, can be found in the Marianas and Philippine trenches, according to a research by a local group.

Former Rep. Manasses S. Borja and Melqui Pacis, of Western International Corp., said the Marianas and the Philippines have a deuterium deposit 868 miles long — 52 miles at its widest point, and 7 miles at its deepest point in the Marianas.

This deposit, they added, is "replenished by nature 24 hours a day" through the north equatorial current tidal flow which carries deuterium all the way from Central America.

Deuterium, a form of concentrated hydrogen, is used in the production of natural gas now utilized in Canada, America, Germany and Sweden, to provide fuel for cars, trucks and jet planes, said Pacis and Borja, who is running for a Precinct 2 seat in the House of Representatives.

"Deuterium can replace gasoline, (liquefied petroleum gas), (liquefied natural gas), Avgas, etc. in powering all types of internal combustion engines. It does not emit pollutants or any harmful carbon monoxide and does not cause any environmental problems because it is in the water family," they said.

They added, "Deuterium as hydrogen fuel can also be used for cooking, lighting, and heating, and as heavy water fuel for reactors in electric power generation. (Aside from the CNMI), only the Philippines can supply all the requirements in deuterium as hydrogen fuel and as hydrogen for food, chemical and metal industries worldwide for the next two centuries."

Borja and Pacis are urging the governments of the CNMI and the Philippines to promote the deuterium deposit to investors.

Borja and Pacis reported that prospective investors from the U.S., Japan and Saudi Arabia had expressed interest in the project.

"The rule of thumb investment estimates is about $200 million for every 1 million barrels daily production capacity — a very much lower investment-capacity ratio than petroleum production," they said. "At 12 million barrels per day capacity, the estimated total investment is $2.4 billion."

Marianas Variety: www.mvariety.com

Copyright © 2003 Marianas Variety. All Rights Reserved

I'm thinking that their thinking went something like this:

"This deuterium stuff can be used to create something called heavy water."

"Yeah, I bet because it's heavy it sinks."

"Hey, isn't the Mariana Trench really deep?"

Who knows? Maybe in 100 years I'll have to eat my words. Maybe the Mariana Trench has the largest deposit of deuterium. And maybe Manasses S. Borja and Melqui Pacis are the the Michael Faraday and Benjamin Franklins of our our time. Maybe. But not likely.

I call shenanigans on this one.

How Deep is the Mariana Trench?

This graphic illustrates to scale the depth of the Mariana Trench at Challenger Deep.

The Mariana Trench Song

Found this on Youtube.

HMRG Deep needs a new name

University of Hawaii professor and geologist Patricia Fryer and George Washington High School marine biology teacher and Marine Mania advisor Linda Tatreau are holding a contest to rename HMRG Deep, the second deepest place in the ocean.

According to the article in Pacific Daily News:

The contest is open to all Guam and Northern Mariana Island students ages 18 and under. The proposed name must reflect Guam's history, culture or language and the applicant must include a paragraph explaining the significance of the name.

All entries should include the applicants name, school and contact information. The deadline to submit entries is July 14 to lindian@ite.net.

The winner of the contest will have their chosen name on all bathymetric/geologic maps and will also get to ride on the UnderWater World float in the Liberation Day Parade, with a banner stating the winning name.

A Monumental News Note

I've put up a recap of links that relate to the CNMI's marine monument and the campaign Friends of the Monument waged for its designation at my personal blog. You can see it here.

If you have links I've missed that you think I should add, please let me know.

Illegal Fishing in the Marianas

Chinese long liners were recently captured in the area of the proposed Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. They were likely shark finning. An area within the proposed monument has been identified as having the highest density of sharks in the Pacific.

Another Round of Press

This Associated Press story appeared in newspapers across the country and on over 1000 Internet news sites this weekend:

Bush wants to expand marine protections in Pacific

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush wants to extend environmental protections to more of the Pacific Ocean.
Bush said Friday he has asked the secretaries of the Interior, Commerce and Defense to identify additional areas that could be eligible for conservation.

Acknowledging that his administration is coming to an end, Bush said he is "sprinting to the finish."
"I mean, four months, you can actually get a lot done," he said.

He also announced that the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, off the California coast, will be expanded by 585 square nautical miles to include the Davidson Seamount, an underwater mountain.

Bush's comments came in a speech at the newly completed Sant Ocean Hall, scheduled to open to the public Saturday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Last month Bush proposed protecting three remote island chains, launching a marine conservation effort that could be one of the largest in history.

He is considering conserving parts of the Northern Mariana islands in the western Pacific, as well as eight islands and coral reef atolls and their surrounding waters in the central Pacific that are part of the Line Islands and American Samoa.
In his comments Friday, Bush noted a life-size model of a right whale in the museum and said his administration has sought to help protect these endangered whales.

Indeed, the government has recommended a speed limit for commercial ships along the Atlantic coast, where collisions with the right whale threaten its existence. Only about 300 or 400 of the whales are left in the wild, and they migrate annually between their southeastern Atlantic breeding grounds to feeding areas off the Massachusetts coast, intersecting busy shipping lanes.

Contributor Scubatripp - My Pledge

As a contributor to this blog I feel it important to introduce myself to the readers and outline why I support the monument concept as well as what I plan to do to help ensure that its ultimately good for the CNMI.

Who I am (scubatripp).
My name is Mike Tripp; I’m a 42-year-old, multi-professional, small business owner and health care employee living on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. I’m university educated with a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver Canada. I’m also a professional PADI SCUBA Instructor with over 18 years experience working in 8 different countries around the world while traveling and diving the waters of over a dozen more. I have been a nature lover and an outdoors person all of my life beginning with family vacations as a young boy that have left fond memories of travel through Canada and the USA including many national, provincial and state parks. I love the Discovery Channel and National Geographic type programming and believe that our environment, including the planet as a whole, is ultimately under threat from destructive human practices and overall population growth.

Why I support the Monument.
In a nutshell I support the monument because it will be good for the local economy especially the tourism sector and all other areas touched by the success of the only remaining core industry in the CNMI. It will also preserve a large area of our world’s ocean from destruction by mankind and therefore allow scientists from around the world (including the CNMI) to study its unique characteristics and species in as controlled a manner as possible for generations to come. The monument will help the CNMI become a 21st century world leader in terms of conservation while pushing the negative criticisms and stereotypes the CNMI carries from its past into the history books. In the end this will effectively clear the way for younger generations and upcoming leaders of a population instrumental in the world’s history to thrive under the US flag and an international spotlight dialed into the positive press. With the help of federal funding and the designation of a monument the people of the CNMI have an opportunity to protect and carry on a strong heritage of traditional conservation values that will maintain renewable resources for the benefit of future generations.

What I intend to do to support the monument.
First and foremost I will continue to do what I have been doing since this idea was first brought forward by the Pew Environmental Group many months ago. I will continue to ask questions and be involved in the discussions with those from all sides. I will continue to do my own research and look for the facts needed to back up or refute the statements made. I will continue to talk to local residents, business people and politicians in the hopes that my ideas and thoughts can help bring about the best possible situation for all those affected by the monument designation itself as well as the mutually agreed upon rules and regulations that will ultimately govern how the waters are used and accessed. In the end, whether the monument becomes reality or not, I will continue to be an advocate for our oceans by continuing to educate those willing to listen as to the wonders of what lies beneath the surface and why protecting and respecting what we have, right here in our back yard, is so important to human survival. I owe this to my kids and to yours.


As the process of discussion with the federal government has just gotten started after many months of advocacy by both the pro and con forces I will also refer the reader to a number of articles I have already written on the subject. These links lead you to my own blog at www.saipanscuba.blogspot.com and to the local news papers the Tribune and the Variety.


April 25th 2008
Act Two - Northern Island Marine Monument

Friday, May 9, 2008
Marine Monument - Why Kill It Now?*

Monday, May 12, 2008
Marine Monument – Personalities & Politics*

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Marine Monument - Lets Talk eh!*

Friday, May 16, 2008
Marine Monument - The Benefits / It's Not All About the Fishing*

Thursday, May 22, 2008
Marine Monument - Get Informed

Friday, May 23, 2008
Marine Monument - Ruth's Round Up

Saturday, May 24, 2008
Bush Eyes Unprecedented Conservation Program - NPR Report

Monday, July 14, 2008
Coral Triangle Meet the Trench Monument

Friday, July 18, 2008
Pew's Role Defined

Reasons I Support the Marianas Trench Monument Proposal

I agree with every single reason listed in support of the Marianas Trench Monument. Most significant from my perspective is the need for conservation and protection of our fragile marine environments.

Please voice your support for the proposal to create a Marianas Trench Monument.

Please raise your concerns in the comment section below, so that we can discuss them. Most of the concerns I've heard expressed by people I've spoken to are based on misinformation about the proposal, the role of Pew Charitable Trust's Ocean Legacy, the law, or all of these. Let's discuss it all.

My support for the Marianas Trench Monument is both passionate and rational. Where do you stand?

Map of the Monument

The concept supported by the Friends of the Monument is to create a no-take Monument in the northern waters of the Marianas around the Constitutionally protected islands of Asuncion, Maug, and Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas). This area encompasses over 115,000 square miles of water and would be the second largest protected area in the world.