Marine News Roundup

Here is the latest Marine News Roundup, bringing you the best marine news stories of the past two weeks!

A world of sonic wonder
An insightful piece by BBC Earth about the sonic wonders, or rather ‘phenomenon,’ of our planet. From a mighty clap of thunder to the subtle rustling of leaves, everywhere we go it feels as though we are immersed in sound. BBC Earth decided to hunt down some of the planet’s lesser known sonic wonders, including speaking sands, stirring ice and mysterious seas.

Stirring Ice:
The ferocious noise made by popping or cracking ice maybe a worrying sound to the lay ear - particularly if you are stood on top of it at the time. However to researchers working in the field of climate science the groaning of the polar landscapes is music to their ears. Scientists have started to record the sound that the ice makes as it recedes, using hydrophones to measure the amount of glacial melting. Mapping the sea floor using sonar is not a new phenomenon but in this new application instead of sending pulses of sound to the sea floor and timing their return, glaciologists just simply listen. Looking at the interface between ice, ocean, and bedrock it may be possible to use acoustics to measure the glacial melt.

Mysterious Seas:

The familiar sounds of the sea are captured in the incredible soundtracks of natural history documentaries as well as inside seashells when they are held up to our ears. The sound transports us to the blue planet that covers over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. In the summer of 1997, a number of hydrophones in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean picked up a bizarre new sound phenomenon. The underwater microphones picked up a signal that rose rapidly in frequency for about a minute before disappearing. The sound was picked up repeatedly by US government microphones for the duration of that summer but has not been heard since. It became known as ‘The Bloop’ and was detected by sensors over a range of 5,000 kilometres. Initial tracking suggested that the sound profile of ‘The Bloop’ was comparable to that of a living animal. However it was far louder than any whale song ever recorded. The mystery remains just a drop in the ocean of the hundreds of mysterious sounds that make our planet a sonic wonder.

Life Is Scary
BBC Earth produced a wonderful video for Halloween this year, including some stunning underwater shots of some scary marine life. Enjoy!

Tracking long-distance migration to assess marine pollution impact
Animal tracking provides new means to assess far-reaching environmental impacts. In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, a long-distance migrant, the northern gannet (Morus bassanus) suffered the highest oiling among beach-wrecked birds recovered. Analysis of bird-borne tracking data indicated that 25% of their North American population from multiple colonies in eastern Canada migrated to the pollution zone. Findings contrasted sharply with available mark-recapture (band recovery) data. The timing of movement into and out of the Gulf indicates that immature birds would have absorbed most oil-induced mortality. Consequently, one of two outcomes is likely: either a lagged (likely difficult to assess) population decrease, or an undetectable population response buffered by age-related life-history adaptations. Tracking research is especially useful when little information on animal distributions in pollution zones is available, as is the case in the Gulf of Mexico. Ongoing research highlights current risks and conservation concerns.

Ohio zoo to release Florida manatee after rehab
The Cincinnati Zoo plans to return a manatee to the wild as part of a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service rescue and release program. A 978-pound Florida manatee named Illusion arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden about a year ago and will be returned on November 9th. She'll remain on exhibit until November 8th. The manatee suffered fractured ribs and vertebrae in March 2010 when a boat propeller cut through it in Palm Beach County. It was taken to the Cincinnati Zoo by the Miami Seaquarium. The zoo says the manatee is the eighth it has rehabilitated and released. There are no scheduled release dates for Illusion's roommates, Wooten and Betsy. Manatees can live up to 60 years, but human activities account for about one-third of known deaths annually.

Whirlwind Whales
They’re rarely seen. Even less often photographed. Bryde’s whales rocket through Pacific shallows to gorge on fish. Here, National Geographic showcase some stunning photographs of these beautiful whales.

Giant Amoebas Discovered in Deepest Ocean Trench
During a July 2011 voyage to the Pacific Ocean chasm, researchers with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and National Geographic engineers deployed untethered landers, called dropcams, equipped with digital video and lights to explore the largely mysterious region of the deep sea. The team documented the deepest known existence of xenophyophores, single-celled animals exclusively found in deep-sea environments. Xenophyophores are noteworthy for their size, with individual cells often exceeding 4 inches (10 centimeters), their extreme abundance on the seafloor and their role as hosts for a variety of organisms.

Monster shark found off Bar Beach

The body of a four meter-long great white shark was discovered in shark netting on Newcastle's Bar Beach yesterday morning. The creature was initially towed to the Newcastle Fisherman's Co-Op due to an inability to lift the remains from the water with a commercial vessel. Now, the shark's carcass is now being held at the Port Stephens Fisheries Research Centre, where it will be "analysed as part scientific research purposes". Representatives for the centre said that the shark netting acts as important preventative device. "The nets are not set as a barrier, but rather as a technique that deters dangerous sharks from establishing a territory and reduces the risk to swimmers," said a spokesperson. "This program is very successful."

US Residents Say Hawaii's Coral Reef Ecosystems Worth $33.57 Billion Per Year

A peer-reviewed study commissioned by NOAA shows the American people assign an estimated total economic value of $33.57 billion for the coral reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands. The study shows that people from across the United States treasure Hawaii's coral reefs, even though many never get to visit them. It illustrates the economic value of coral reefs to all Americans, and how important it is to conserve these ecosystems for future generations.

Marine life may end as ocean warming killing seaweed

The threat to the marine life is growing past the danger mark as a latest research says that the seaweed communities are being killed due to constantly warming oceanic climate. The seaweed is crucial for the existence of many marine species. Given future warming, up to one quarter of species might become extinct, said Thomas Wernberg, assistant professor at the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute, who conducted the study. The researchers studied a database of more than 20,000 herbarium records of macro-algae collected in Australia since the 1940s. They found changes in seaweed communities in both the Indian and the Pacific oceans, consistent with rapid warming over the past decades.

Cullercoats crew save boy's life

Cullercoats lifeboat launched on Wednesday 26 October to save the life of a 12 year old boy who had been swept into the sea in Brown's Bay, Cullercoats. The conditions were so rough that the child was exhausted in a very few minutes - the prompt call by his friends to the Coastguard for assistance helped save his life. Sea conditions produced a 4m swell, which meant that the boy was unable to help himself. Cullercoats lifeboat crew (Robert Oliver, Grahame Wood and Stephen Potts) launched at 3.58pm. They raced in their inshore lifeboat Hylton Burdon to the scene and plucked the exhausted, hypothermic youngster from the sea while he was in the last stages of consciousness in the extremely cold water. Returning to the lifeboat station in Cullercoats Bay, the boywas given oxygen and warmed up while waiting for the Air Sea Rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer. He was flown to Wansbeck Hospital in Ashington for further treatment. Later reports indicated that he is recovering from his ordeal.

Give unwanted fish to the poor, says EU fisheries chief

Fish from European waters will be distributed to the poor as an alternative to throwing them away at sea, the EU fisheries chief told MPs on Thursday, as part of a sweeping reform of marine policy. Maria Damanaki, the European commissioner for fisheries, said that as part of a proposed new deal with fishermen aimed at ending the wasteful practice of discarding edible fish at sea, lower value fish could be distributed to charities and other public organisations. Appearing before the House of Commons select committee on environment, food and rural affairs, she said: "We can use these for charitable purposes, [though] we will have to give fishermen compensation if they give fish to the poor." Damanaki is seeking the most wide-ranging reform of the EU's common fisheries policy since it was formulated more than four decades ago. Key to the reforms will be an end to the practice of discards, by which as much as two-thirds of the catch of some species are abandoned at sea, almost all of them to die. About 1m tonnes are estimated to be thrown back each year into the North Sea alone. Discards are a byproduct of the rules on fishing quotas – when fishermen exceed their allowance, or net species for which they lack a quota, they must throw the excess back. But the commissioner faces stiff opposition from fishing groups and some member states, because forcing fishermen to land all their catch will mean lower incomes. Current practices allow fleets to discard damaged fish, or lower value species, for which they receive less money, in order to maximise their profits.

NOAA finds bacterial infection as cause of death for five northern Gulf dolphins; investigation continues
Pathology experts contracted by NOAA have identified the bacteria Brucella in five bottlenose dolphins that died in the northern Gulf of Mexico. These five are among the 580 dolphins in higher than expected strandings that began in February 2010 and are continuing. NOAA has declared it an “unusual mortality event,” triggering a focused, expert investigation into the cause. Brucella bacteria are commonly found in populations of marine and terrestrial animals throughout the world, but infection in humans is rare in the US, and there are no documented U.S. cases of Brucella in humans originating from marine sources.

Underwater carving competition yields no ordinary pumpkins
On Saturday 29th October, more than 40 divers participated in the third annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest at the Grand Lagoon Yacht Club in Pensacola. MBT Divers and the Grand Lagoon Yacht Club hosted the event, which included more than 25 students from the University of West Florida SCUBA Club. Participants braved the chilly morning wind and slipped into their wet suits and scuba gear as dolphins frolicked about 20 yards away. Divers in teams of two waded into the nippy water with pumpkins and various carving tools in hand and took to the difficult task of underwater carving. The event was as much a spectator sport as it was a dive event: more than 30 people watched from the nearby dock, which provided the perfect viewing spot as divers disappeared underwater with their bright orange pumpkins. Within minutes, the water's surface was dotted with hundreds of pumpkin seeds and entrails - which the gulls and small fish were only too happy to eat.

Killed Trainer's Family Gets Help in OSHA Suit
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment can intervene in a lawsuit that would shield pictures and videos of a whale trainer being drowned by an orca last year, a federal judge ruled. The video and photographs show animal trainer Dawn Brancheau being dragged by her hair and drowned by Tilikum, a 20-foot-long male orca at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium in Orlando. Brancheau was killed during a February 24th 2010, "Dine With Shamu" show. Witnesses eating dinner near a subterranean viewing tank said they saw Tilikum playing with the corpse. The US Secretary of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration released at least one video of the drowning to the media. OSHA also has photos taken immediately after the incident showing Dawn's personal effects and clothing, and two surveillance videos showing her death and rescue efforts. The sheriff's office and medical examiner who investigated the death agreed to keep the materials confidential. Apart from using the materials against SeaWorld, which it fined $75,000 for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the government is not seeking to release the video. But Brancheau's family has fought to make sure that those with access to the videos never have the chance to release them.

Bangladesh dolphins get Sundarbans sanctuaries

Bangladesh is declaring three areas in the southern Sundarbans mangrove forest as dolphin sanctuaries to protect freshwater dolphins, officials say. Conservationists say the mangrove forest is the only place in the world where the Ganges river dolphins and Irrawaddy dolphins are found. These dolphins are among the world's most endangered mammals. Fishermen normally do not target them, but the animals get entangled in fishing nets and drown. They are also threatened by rising salinity levels and pollution. Environmentalists say the diverse aquatic ecosystem of the Sundarbans support an impressive variety of cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises. While Ganges river dolphins find safe haven in the upper regions of Sundarbans, Irrawaddy dolphins thrive in the southern parts, which are closer to the Bay of Bengal. The decision by the forest department coincided with a new survey by the BCDP which, apart from freshwater dolphins, also reported sightings of the finless porpoises and an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin in western Sundarbans. These two cetacean species, which are normally found along the coast, migrate upriver in Sundarbans mostly during winter, when the salinity level is high. They go back after fresh water starts flowing into the rivers. The nine-day survey was conducted in the western part of Sundarbans mangrove forests earlier this month. Two years ago, researchers found that there were nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins - which are related to orcas or killer whales - in the waterways of Sundarbans mangrove forests and the nearby coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal.

Race to the South Pole
And finally, as part of the BBC's Frozen Planet series, BBC Earth have blogged about the race across the Antartic wilderness by two teams 100 years ago. Led by Roald Amundsen from Norway and Captain Robert Scott from Great Britain, the men set out to conquer this vast icy continent and to become the first to reach the South Pole. For one group the adventure would end in triumph, for the other it would end in tragedy. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Scott and Amundsen’s separate attempt to be the first to the South Pole.

The adventure began more than 10 years earlier, in 1897, when a great, global effort to uncover the mysteries of Antarctica began. People knew that a huge, frozen continent lay beyond the wild seas at the southern end of the Earth, but it wasn’t until 1820 that explorers first laid eyes on Antarctica. Before then ships had failed to penetrate far enough through the frozen ocean to carry their passengers within sight of land. During the winter of 1897, a Belgian ship carrying a crew of explorers, called the Belgica, was trapped in the ice off the coast of the continent. The crew became the first people to endure an Antarctic winter and sparked a period of exploration that would last for 25 years. During that time scientists, geographers and adventurers would compete to become the first to explore uncharted territories and claim the credit for their respective nations. But it was the parallel journeys of Scott and Amundsen that would capture the imaginations of people across the world. Scott had been planning his Terra Nova Expedition for years. His aim was to be the first to the South Pole after Ernst Shackleton had narrowly failed during an earlier expedition. Scientific research was also an important part of Scott’s expedition to Antarctica. But when the American adventurers Frederick Cook and Robert Peary laid claim that achievement, Amundsen turned his attention towards the other end of the Earth. Only his brother Leon and second-in-command Thorvald Nilsen knew of Amundsen’s plan until after his ship, the Fram, had set sail. Scott only learnt of this change of direction months later when his ship, the Terra Nova, docked in Melbourne, Australia. There he was handed a telegram from the Norwegian, it read: ‘Beg to inform you Fram proceeding Antarctic – Amundsen.’ Even though Scott publically insisted that this news would change nothing, the reality was that he was now locked in a race to the South Pole.

That's it for now - there will be another Marine News Roundup in two week's time. Please free to comment and let us know what you think!