Marine News Roundup

Welcome to the latest Marine News Roundup! We hope you enjoy this edition.

Corals inflate to escape being buried alive in sand
Coral might appear solid and inanimate, but surprising new footage of a mushroom coral inflating itself to escape a sandy burial has brought the organism to life. A scientist from the University of Queensland used timelapse photography to capture the footage. It was already known that the species could release itself from the sandy seabed, but it was not clear how. Since corals move so slowly, time-lapse imagery was used to find out. As sandy sediments shift on the seabed, corals need to breathe and prevent themselves from being smothered. To find out how mushroom corals - a particularly mobile family of corals - did this, the researcher brought specimens into the lab and put them in aquaria in order to film the process. Unlike many of the more familiar branching and "staghorn-type" corals, mushroom corals have a relatively thick layer of fleshy tissue on top of their tough calcium carbonate skeleton. To move around, the corals "inflate and deflate" parts of their body. And, as the footage showed, they use a similar technique to free themselves from a covering of sand.

Arctic Oil Drilling Threatens Polar Bear Birthing Grounds
Up in the frozen arctic, where polar bears rule over a biogem world, massive oil drilling plans threaten the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Shell, the oil behemoth that made $4.8 billion in profits last quarter, intends to boost those numbers by drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off Alaska. Last year Shell was granted approval to conduct exploratory deepwater drilling operations in one of the most fragile ecosystems - and most hazardous environments - on the planet. This month, federal regulators may approve Shell’s cleanup response plan in this remote area that is a thousand miles from modern ports and oil industry infrastructure. If approved, Shell could send its drilling fleet out into the arctic this summer to bore into the seabed, searching for the black gold oil industry execs have been salivating over for decades. The problem is, drilling in these remote, harsh arctic environments involve huge risks and threatens all forms of life, including the arctic's most iconic creature, the polar bear.

Whale Shark Found Dead In Arabian Sea, Reeled Into Harbour In Karachi, Pakistan
A 40-foot whale shark was brought into harbour in Karachi, Pakistan after reportedly being found unconscious in the Arabian Sea about 10 days ago. Fishermen used several cranes to lift the whale shark to dry land, where a crowd of onlookers gathered to see the massive creature. The whale shark carcass was later sold for 1.7 million rupees (nearly $19,000). For many years, whale sharks have been highly sought after by harpoon fisheries in Southeast Asia, where people primarily used the fish for meat and oil. However, it is now illegal to hunt whale sharks in several countries, including India and the Philippines.

Cape Cod Dolphin Stranding: Record Number Of Animals Stranded Along Coast
A record 129 common dolphins have stranded themselves over three weeks along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A marine mammal specialist said it was the Northeast's largest "single-species event" of its kind on record. While this isn't a new problem, most strandings end within two days - this time it has carried on for almost a month with no end in sight. The dolphins oddly seem to be healthy. While common dolphins are "known to strand in groups due to their tight social structure," the unusually large numbers have prompted investigation of factors such as tides and weather. The International Fund for Animal Welfare has rescued and released 37 of the dolphins stranded between the 25 miles of beach. The other 92 animals were either dead or euthanized when staff responded. The rescued dolphins are checked, tested and tagged with an identifier before release.

Shipping causes 'chronic stress' to whales
Shipping noise causes chronic stress to whales, scientists have shown for the first time, after using the halt in marine traffic after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to conduct a unique experiment. The effect on whales of propeller noise, military sonar and explosions set off in the search for oil and gas is highly controversial. Environmental campaigners claim the noise interferes with the singing of whales, or even kills the animals, and are currently suing the US government over the navy's use of sonar. This research provides the first evidence of physical harm. The whales studied occupy oceans with high levels of ship noise and have shown a chronic stress response. High levels of stress hormone's were found in the whales' fecal balls, whilst there was a "highly significant" decrease in stress hormones coinciding with the drop in shipping noise. Whales use sound as their primary sense, just as humans use sight, and their singing enables them to find food, mates and to navigate. They are believed to be able to communicate over hundreds of kilometres. But the frequencies they use largely overlap with the frequencies generated by human activities in the oceans, which have increased tenfold in volume since the 1960s, disrupting their ability to communicate. A separate study published in January showed the singing of humpback whales was disrupted by sonar noise caused over 200km away while measuring fish stocks.

World's first animals were Namibian sponges
Scientists digging in a Namibian national park have uncovered sponge-like fossils they say are the first animals. These fossils extend the first appearance of animals on Earth by 100 million years. By comparing DNA from one species to the "next" in the line scientists have determined the "molecular clock" of the older fossils. The tiny vase-shaped creatures' fossils were found in Namibia's Etosha National Park and other sites around the country in rocks between 760 and 550 million years old, a 10-member team of international researchers said in a paper published in the South African Journal of Science. That means animals, previously thought to have emerged 600 million to 650 million years ago, actually appeared 100 million to 150 million years before that. It also means the hollow globs - about the size of a dust speck and covered in holes that allowed fluid to pass in and out of their bodies - were our ancestors.

The sea is rising? Island nations will see you in court
If the globe keeps warming and the seas keep rising, the country of Palau could be wiped off the map. So the Pacific island is teaming up with other small island nations to fight the threat of climate change - in court. The countries want the International Court of Justice to offer an opinion on whether countries that pollute have a responsibility to other countries that get hurt by that pollution. Ecological damage that crosses borders could be seen as a violation of international law, a legal cudgel against climate change.

2011 Shark Attacks Remain Steady, Worldwide Deaths Highest Since 1993; 'Who's Killing Who?'
Shark attacks in the U.S. declined in 2011, but worldwide fatalities reached a two-decade high, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File report released today. While the U.S. and Florida saw a five-year downturn in the number of reported unprovoked attacks, the 12 fatalities - which all occurred outside the U.S. - may show tourists are venturing to more remote places. Seventy-five attacks occurred worldwide, close to the decade average, but the number of fatalities doubled compared with 2010. Fatalities occurred in Australia (3), Reunion (2), the Seychelles (2) and South Africa (2), with one each in Costa Rica, Kenya and New Caledonia. The average global fatality rate for the last decade was just under 7 percent, and it rose to 16 percent last year. Excluding the U.S., which had 29 shark attacks but no deaths, the international fatality rate averaged 25 percent in 2011. Florida led the U.S. with 11 of its 29 attacks. Other countries with multiple attacks include Australia (11), South Africa (5), Reunion (4), Indonesia (3) Mexico (3), Russia (3), Seychelles (2) and Brazil (2). While the higher number of fatalities worldwide came as a surprise, the drop in the number of U.S. attacks follows a 10-year decline. Surfers were the most affected group, accounting for about 60 percent of unprovoked attacks, largely due to the provocative nature of the activity. Swimmers experienced 35 percent of attacks, followed by divers, with about 5 percent. Despite the number of deaths being higher than other years, people should remember how much of a threat humans are to sharks. With worldwide over-fishing, especially to meet demands for flesh and fins used in shark fin soup, an expensive Asian delicacy, humans pose a greater threat to elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) than sharks do to humans.

PETA's SeaWorld Lawsuit Focuses On Constitutional Protection Against Slavery For Animals
A federal judge for the first time in U.S. history heard arguments Monday in a case that could determine whether animals enjoy the same constitutional protection against slavery as human beings. The U.S. District Judge called the hearing in San Diego after Sea World asked the court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that names five orcas as plaintiffs in the case. PETA claims the captured killer whales are treated like slaves for being forced to live in tanks and perform daily at its parks in San Diego and Orlando, Florida. The judge raised doubts a court can allow animals to be plaintiffs in a lawsuit, and he questioned how far the implications of a favourable ruling could reach, pointing out the military's use of dolphins and scientists' experiments on whales in the wild. The issue is not about whether the animals have been subjected to abuse, the defence said. If the court were to grant orcas constitutional rights, Shaw warned the ruling would have profound implications that could impact everything from the way the U.S. government uses dogs to sniff out bombs and drugs to how zoos and aquariums operate. PETA said a ruling in its favour would only help to protect the orcas in the entertainment industry and other cases involving animals would have to be decided on their own merits.

Penguins flag changes in Antarctic environment
Antarctica may be a long way from civilisation, but human activity has put its penguins on thin ice. Over-fishing, melting sea ice and pollution are threatening these iconic creatures which have so far managed to thrive in the world's harshest conditions. But one species is faring better than most - and researchers are using them to find out what's changing in this vast and fragile ecosystem.

Concordia Not the First Sunk by Treacherous Reef
Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino wasn't the only seaman who drove his ship into the rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio, ripping a huge gash in the hull that sent the 114,500-ton vessel tumbling onto its side. Before him, other ship commanders had a close encounter with the cursed reefs that jut out off the island's coast. In fact, more than a dozen ancient ships rest in Giglio's treacherous waters. The most common cause of the wrecks has been running aground on reefs, rocks, shoals and even other wrecks. Indeed, it is not at all unusual to find wrecks on top of each other.

Man frees orca entangled in cray pot
A Coromandel father and son team rescued an exhausted and bloody orca after it became entangled in a cray pot. The 20-year-old Hahei man located the orca after his family's diving business received a call from the Department of Conservation informing them the mammal was in distress and needed help. The orca was discovered tangled in rope and cray pots several hundred metres off the Coromandel Coast. The whale, surrounded by a small pod of orca nearby, was exhausted after dragging the cray pot up from the ocean's surface. It was tangled around the tail, which meant it could be cut free, and in a matter of minutes it was freed using knives to cut the rope. It's not the first time a whale has been rescued after becoming entangled in cray buoys and nets in New Zealand waters. A juvenile humpback whale became entangled in rope and cray buoys in the Queen Charlotte Sounds in July last year and a juvenile orca got tangled in cray pot ropes in February last year.

Playing With Beach Sand Might Make You Sick, Warns EPA
Just when you thought it was safe to get out of the water, it turns out that land onshore might be more likely to make you sick. According to a new report from the EPA, beach sand may be home to more dangerous levels of illness-inducing bacteria than the often suspiciously warm, wader-packed ocean itself. Indeed, researchers warn that even folks too cautious to dip a single toe into the sea are often being exposed to dangerous levels of fecal microbial pollution. Researchers from the EPA, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Johns Hopkins University questioned beachgoers and discovered that those who dug or were buried in the sand showed more symptoms of gastrointestinal illness than those who did not. Such symptoms include "diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, and/or stomach ache" - and they're all associated with exposure to fecal bacteria.

Plan hatched to save UK’s rarest fish
A new plan to save Britain’s rarest fish has been hatched by transplanting around 70,000 eggs into a remote Scottish loch. Vendace, a small freshwater fish that has been an inhabitant of deep lochs and lakes in the UK since the Ice Age, died out in Scotland in the 1960s, leaving them clinging to survival in just two remaining lakes in Cumbria, England. The herring-like fish is thought to have fallen victim to competition from introduced species and also to deterioration in water quality. However, thousands of vendace eggs have now been collected from Derwent Water in the Lake District and put into Loch Valley in Galloway Forest Park in the hope a new population of the critically endangered species will flourish. Experts undertook a hunt for a suitable spot, which had to meet rules on transferring species set by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. They focused on south-west Scotland, assessing all the lochs, but relatively few were deemed to be of high enough quality for vendace. Loch Valley is not considered perfect because it had become very acidic in the past due to pollution, but was thought to have recovered enough to be worth a try. Monitoring will take place in three years to find out whether the fish have become established. The new plan will add to a smaller trial release in the Scotland in the 1990s when eggs and newly spawned fish were introduced to Loch Skeen near Moffat. With initial surveys suggesting the population is doing well, the larger release has now been authorised. The fish released into Loch Skeen had been collected from Bassenthwaite in Cumbria, the only remaining home for the species in the UK apart from Derwent Water.

This seagrass could be a hundred thousand years old
Posidonia oceanica is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea. It forms massive clonal colonies, in which genetically identical specimens form one giant interconnected super-organism that can last for hundreds of thousands of years. Those colonies are older than human history. Posidonia oceancia, popularly known as Neptune grass, is one of a few contenders for the title of longest-lived organisms on Earth. While the individual clones are small and short-lived, the underlying root system binds them together as one organism that is essentially a vast continuation of the original ancestor. Technically speaking, the seagrass is only partially clonal, meaning it can use both asexual and sexual reproduction techniques to propagate itself. It might be that mix of reproductive techniques - the former crucial to preserving the integrity of the original genetic material, the latter essential in adapting to changing environmental conditions - that has allowed these seagrass colonies to endure for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of years.

That's all for this edition - the Marine News Roundup will be back in two week's time.

Marine News Roundup

Welcome to this week's Marine News Roundup. We hope you enjoy these marine-related stories - leave us a comment below and let us know what you think!

Arctic sea ice [Infographic]
Facts, numbers, data, letters on a page; they're not always so easy to understand. Over the past few years data visualisation has become increasingly popular; it's a way to help explain complex data. Here, BBC Earth demonstrate two alternative ways to show how the extent of Arctic sea ice has changed over the past 20 years.

Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease
People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

How Sharks Go Fast
Researchers have discovered what makes the shark almost impossible to outswim. By using an engineering imaging technique, researchers have discovered that as a shark’s tail swings from side to side, it creates twice as many jets of water as other fishes’ tails, smoothing out the thrust and likely making swimming more efficient. Sharks do this by stiffening the tail midswing, a strategy that might one day be applied to underwater vehicles to improve their performance.

Turtle embryos tune in to heartbeats
Turtle embryos tune into each others' heartbeats so they are able to hatch at roughly the same time, say Australian researchers.

Marine reserves get public support
More than 50,000 people are calling on the government today to create a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) for wildlife.

New facilities around the Island  of Man for marine wildlife enthusiasts
Wildlife enthusiasts are to be given access to binoculars and information panels to identify their favourite marine animals and birds at a number of vantage points around the Isle of Man. The project, which involves five different sites around the coastline, has been planned for some time but has now been given a kickstart with a donation from Barclays Wealth.

Sustainable Seafood Coalition
Major seafood businesses who are frustrated with the lack of progress to overturn the practice of discarding edible fish at sea have joined the Sustainable Seafood Coalition. Sustainable Seafood Coalition members have voluntarily decided to sell seafood that is currently underutilised or discarded and to encourage consumers to eat a wider variety of sustainable seafood.

'Monogamy' and 'pair bonding' practiced among certain fish species
Recent research on the mating behaviour of fish has proved that certain species practice the "one husband one wife" rule even when in a school, researchers have recently announced.

Stop badmouthing sharks that bite people
The phrase "shark attack" is sensationalist and damaging – bites by sharks are often investigatory or defensive.  To suggest that shark-on-human encounters should be called predations would be wrong. The way sharks encounter seals is fundamentally different from how they treat humans. The time is right for science to reconsider its use of the phrase "shark attack" on humans. Such language creates a one-dimensional perception of these events and makes protecting threatened shark species more difficult. After all, why care about an animal that wants to eat us?

Killer whale washes up on Point Reyes beach
Wildlife officials are trying to determine the cause of death of a killer whale that washed ashore on a Point Reyes beach. The orca was a male juvenile, about 18 feet long, that had washed up in an isolated area along Driftwood Beach, just north of McClure's Beach. Early necropsy results indicated blood in the blowhole and a blood clot in the head. No determination as to cause of death has been made yet.

Albino ginger seal rejected by family now star attraction at Russian zoo
An albino seal that was rejected by his family for 'being ginger' has become a huge hit with tourists at her new home in Russia.

We're Running Out Of Cod
Cod has played a central role in the cultural history and economic development of New England fishing communities for more than 400 years. In recent decades, however, the story of the humble cod has shifted to one of destruction. Modernised technologies and more efficient fishing methods along with increased competition and toothless regulations have guided the cod industry to the brink of collapse.

Early Humans Were Skilled Deep-Sea Fishermen
Prehistoric humans living more than 40,000 years ago had mastered the skills needed to catch fast-moving, deep ocean fish such as tuna, a remarkable new archaeological find has revealed.

Hong Kong's shark fin traders feel pressure to change
The owner of Shark's Fin City, a dried fin wholesaler in Hong Kong's quarter for all things shrivelled, says there are only a few people who know the truth about sharks, and he's one of them. Like many Hong Kong businessmen who trade in shark fins, Kwong Hung-kwan believes his industry is being targeted by an anti-Chinese conspiracy led by "Western" environmental groups like Greenpeace. Talk of a dramatic decline in shark populations around the world is rubbish, he says, dismissing research showing an eight-fold jump in threatened shark species since 2000.

Seal pup rescued after sheltering in oil boat
A two-week-old grey seal pup returned to the oil supply boat after he was put back in the sea. The pup is being treated at the Highland Seal Hospital near John O'Groats after surviving a marathon 100-mile journey. Named Viking, he was rescued after crew on the Subsea Viking found him sheltering on the boat, 120 miles north-west of Shetland, last week. The seal, which still had his fluffy yellow coat grey seals are born with, had clambered aboard and made himself at home on the platform used to launch remote-controlled vehicles.

Marine News Roundup

Welcome to the Marine News Roundup. We hope you enjoy the fortnight's highlights - please feel free to comment below and let us know what you think!

Survival against all odds: Animals of the Arctic
Adaptation is fundamental for a species to survive, especially in hostile environments like the Arctic. When faced with six months of perpetual darkness where snow and ice lays claim to every inch of the land. What kind of extraordinary animals survive in such harsh terrain, and more importantly, how do they do it? During winter in the Arctic, temperatures can drop to a bone-chilling −50°C (−58 °F). Rather than going into hibernation however, some animals will stick out the winter and use their cold-conquering adaptations to survive. This BBC Earth blog takes a look at the Arctic Fox, and the Walrus - a master at retaining body heat.

Walrus are covered with short coarse hair that becomes less dense as they get older. Their skin which is folded and wrinkled can be up to 4 cm thick serving as a great insulator. This tough skin is the thickest on the neck and shoulders of adult males where it also serves as a defensive purpose – when these bulls spar the thick skin is intended to resist tusk penetration. They have a deposit of fatty tissue that is up to an astounding 15 centimetres (6 inches) thick - in winter it may make up to a third of their body mass. As well as being an excellent insulator it also streamlines the body and is used as an energy reserve. Their outer defences serve as a pretty hardy armoury but even this thickest of ‘winter coats’ is not sufficient when diving to depths of over 180 meters for nearly half an hour at a time, so the walrus has another trick up its sleeve. When they enter the cold arctic water they become paler because they have a mechanism that restricts blood flow to the skin in order to reduce heat loss. Conversely, when walruses are warm their skin is flushed with blood and they appear to be very red. The adaptations that allow animals to live in such a hostile environment are incredible; join us again when we check out some even more incredible adaptations – those of the animals who inhabit the coldest place on earth, the Antarctic.

BBC... How we tell intimate stories

Our world may be very big, but sometimes it is the smallest stories that teach us the most. BBC Earth brings you three incredible videos where an innovative use of technology has captured the true magic of nature. Click the link above the view all three videos.

Developing technology to capture the minuscule and the marvelous is one thing, but what happens when what you’re trying to film is located underneath eight feet of solid ice? Producer Neil Lucas gives us an insight into the incredibly rewarding, but painstaking task of filming in these challenging conditions.

Armed with a passion for the natural world and the desire to communicate its incredible stories, BBC Earth filmmakers will continue to surprise and delight us for years to come.

Experts save dolphin from fishing line entanglement
Animal experts this week have successfully removed tangled fishing line from a dolphin calf off the coast of St. Petersburg, according to NOAA. The calf and its mother were first spotted in late July, but were not seen again until late October. The calf was entangled in fishing line that was cutting deeply into its mouth and dorsal fin. The calf was successfully located this week during the first rescue attempt, within a quarter mile of the Veteran's Park boat ramp just after sunrise. The calf was restrained and it was discovered that the line was running through the calf's mouth, cutting into its jaw, wrapping around its right flipper and cutting several inches into the dorsal fin. Once the line was removed, the calf was given an antibiotic and released.

Fury as minister delays marine protection
The government has been accused of failing the environment after announcing delays to the creation of marine reserves. Conservation groups responded angrily to the announcement by environment minister Richard Benyon that the internationally agreed deadline for creating marine protected areas will be missed. They accused the government of changing the rules at the last minute on how valuable marine habitats should be identified to protect them from destruction by vested interests. In his statement Mr Benyon said that the government wanted more evidence gathered before it made a decision on which locations, and the wildlife in them, should get priority for protection. But conservation groups quickly pointed out that the government had, from the outset of the process of identifying where a network of marine reserves should be created, accepted there was a shortage of detailed scientific evidence of what lies beneath the waves and that suggestions should be assessed on the basis of “the best available evidence”. The fear is that when there is a lack of evidence about a location, vested interests such as fishing, aggregates, oil & gas, and renewable energy schemes, will be allowed to exploit the area when in reality they harbour rare or valuable animal communities. The demand for more evidence means the first marine conservation zones, as part of the Marine and Coastal Access Act, will not be in place until at least 2013. It also means that just a fraction of those initially promised form the first tranche.

WWF: Ban bluefin farming
WWF has released a new study showing current fishing capacity doubling bluefin tuna quotas in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean and points to the need to strengthen the current capacity reduction plan. In addition, WWF urges the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) this year to ban bluefin tuna farming. WWF says it will focus on assessing implementation of the current bluefin tuna recovery plan. In addition the Mediterranean swordfish will be high on the agenda. WWF urges ICCAT to adopt a management plan for this species, the first one ever. Although efforts have been made in the last few years, new reports suggest that IUU fishing remains widespread in the Mediterranean, particularly in Libyan waters but also in Italy. The new WWF study on the fishing capacity of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery points out that huge overcapacity is still prevalent. In the period 2008-2010 estimates of potential annual catches amount to between 31,500-34,000 tonnes, considerably higher than the current TAC, leaving ample room for IUU fishing. According to WWF, sustainable management of the bluefin tuna fishery still needs to be achieved and IUU must be fully eradicated. In particular WWF urges ICCAT to ban fishing in Libyan waters and to turn this area into a BFT Sanctuary. Regarding tuna farming, WWF says a recent scientific study submitted to ICCAT Scientific Committee (SCRS) this year shows that biomass growth in farms is typically much lower than that reported by the farming industry (only 20-30%, compared to given values of over 100%), which raises concern over the potential for laundering bluefin tuna catches in Mediterranean farms. Full traceability in farms continues to be impossible as there is no way to know how much tuna is transferred to the farms. WWF urges ICCAT to ban bluefin tuna farming and to adopt an electronic catch documentation system (BCD) to allow for real time traceability. On swordfish, WWF calls on ICCAT to adopt a science-based recovery plan this year including a mandatory capacity reduction multi-annual plan.

Endangered Sea Turtles Threatened by Delay in Federal Help
San Francisco's federal government missed a court-ordered deadline today to protect habitat for endangered leatherback sea turtles off the U.S. West Coast. Instead of publishing its final rule to protect the turtles, the National Marine Fisheries Service sought a delay from federal court, leaving the increasingly rare leatherbacks vulnerable to threats from fishing, new coastal development, offshore energy and aquaculture. Oceana, TIRN and the Center for Biological Diversity have asked the court to deny this latest attempt by the Fisheries Service to delay protections for the ancient turtles. The request comes after years of repeatedly missed deadlines, lawsuits and a settlement agreement that already gave the Fisheries Service nearly an additional year (until November 15th 2011) to finalize overdue critical habitat protections for the imperiled animals. In order to survive, leatherbacks need safe passage from nesting beaches 6,000 miles away in remote Indonesia to feeding hotspots in Pacific Ocean waters off California, Oregon and Washington. Protection of the key migratory corridors and feeding areas in these waters were elements of the critical habitat designation. Once established, habitat protection could limit activities that harm the leatherbacks’ main prey, jellyfish, or impede their migratory path. The largest of all sea turtles, leatherbacks can grow to be up to nine feet long and weigh up to 1,200 pounds. Pacific leatherback sea turtles have declined more than 95% since the 1980s; as few as 2,300 adult female western Pacific leatherbacks remain. The species has survived for 100 million years virtually unchanged; now it risks disappearing.

Migrating whale numbers hit 50-year high
There has been a rise in the number of migrating whales. They travel on a 5,000km (3,100 miles) round trip to give birth off the coast of Australia before heading back to Antarctica to their main feeding grounds. It is the highest number seen in half a century. Duncan Kennedy reports from Sydney is this BBC video.

Less than 1% of sharks caught in the Atlantic are protected
Only a tiny fraction of sharks caught in the Atlantic – less than 1% – are under protection, even though most shark species are heading towards extinction. Officials from 48 Atlantic fishing countries are meeting in Istanbul this week to try to protect bluefin tuna, swordfish and other large fish. But existing conservation efforts are only saving a tiny proportion of sharks, the report from the Oceana conservation group said. Conservation groups at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (Iccat) meeting are pushing for a ban on the catch of porbeagle and silky sharks – which are at extreme risk – as well as catch limits on other species such as the shortfin mako shark. Three quarters of the wide ranging shark now being caught in the Atlantic are under threat, the report said. But Iccat countries to date have only limited protection for specific shark species such as the bigeye thresher, hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks. There are no limits on the fishing of 15 Atlantic shark species even though some – such as the silky shark – are close to extinction. Conservationist groups hope the Istanbul meeting will build on recent momentum on shark conservation. But it is a race against time. Sharks were not built for reproduction. They can take take years to reach sexual maturity, and produce only a few pups. And highly mobile animals are notoriously difficult to protect. Atlantic fishing countries reported catching more than 68,000 tonnes of shark in 2009, or more than 1.3 million animals. Most were caught inadvertently by vessels targeting tuna and other fish. Populations of some species, such as the porbeagle, which are caught for their meat as well as their fins, have fallen by 99% since the middle of the last century. Scientists estimate it could take up to 34 years for populations to recover – even with the new EU protections. Fishing of porbeagle sharks continue in Canadian waters. Three other shark species are also at high risk: silky sharks, shortfin mako, and blue sharks, the report said.

New underwater model to assess noise impact on marine life
HR Wallingford, the international hydraulic and environmental engineering consultancy, has formed a partnership with Loughborough University to develop a new underwater acoustic propagation and noise-impact model. Designed to work with proven HR Wallingford ecological models, the new model is an important first step in assessing the impact of underwater noise on fish and sea mammal behaviour. It can be applied in marine renewable energy, oil and gas extraction, dredging and other settings. The significant noise generated by marine construction and operation, and its possible effects on marine life, have come under increased scrutiny worldwide. Where activities take place in and near sensitive marine areas, there is particular concern. Within the European Union, sound is now a recognised pollutant at both project and regional seas levels. In the UK, construction has started of ‘Round 3’ windfarms, some of the largest to be built in British waters, and there is an urgent need to understand their impact on marine life. The model uses temporally and spatially varying parameters such as tidal water depth, flow velocity, salinity, temperature and bathymetry from HR Wallingford’s hydrodynamic model simulations. Modelled noise amplitude and frequency are used as inputs, or ‘behavioural cues’. These are then inputted into HR Wallingford’s established and successful dynamic ecological response models, enabling users to assess marine-species responses to human disturbances.

Untangling Grassholm's gannets
Close to forty thousand gannets spend the breeding season on Grassholm each year, making it a raucus, bustling seabird haven. Most of the birds leave in Autumn, but a few stragglers remain. Sadly, some of these remain because they are tethered to the ground by plastic line, strapping bands, nets, and other materials which the birds use for their nests. MCS Communications Manager, Richard Harrington, and Litter Policy Officer, Dr Sue Kinsey, spent the day with Grassholm's RSPB wardens. They saw the entrapment first hand, and helped free some of the ensnared birds. Most trapped birds we found were ensnared by one or both legs. The material would have wound itself many times around as the bird struggled to free itself, giving no chance of escape. It was satisfying to cut this from an otherwise healthy bird, and especially so when one or two of these immediately flew out to sea. Of the other survivors, wings would be snagged and sometimes broken, or bills and necks wrapped in a tight loop of line; these could be freed, but not always saved. Some carcasses on the ground showed signs of having swallowed quantities of line and fabric. In total, twenty seven birds were freed, each with a better chance of survival than before. This was an improvement on the previous year, when more than a hundred chicks had needed assistance. The sheer volume of plastic material on view is striking, but warden Greg Morgan explained that it just isn’t practical to remove it, and would ruin the fabric of the nest sites to do so. He has taken sample sections from a nest, finding decades-worth of accumulation put together by generations of gannets. Anything resembling a colourful bit of seaweed has been used. Balloon ribbons and attachments are commonplace, and lengths of pipe (a little like kelp stipes) stand proud of the floor. They will be there for many generations to come. The birds freed represent only a tiny fraction of the site’s breeding population and so, despite the obvious suffering, it can’t be considered a threat to the species’ continued existence here. It does, however, serve as a graphic reminder of just why MCS needs to keep up the anti-litter message, and to seek to find ways to reduce the sheer volume of waste entering the sea.

Crane lift for eel as 'love congers all' in Macduff
A 6ft conger eel has been released into the wild so he can find love after a lifting operation involving a crane. The conger eel, called Rip, left Macduff Marine Aquarium in Aberdeenshire to swim to the Atlantic. Staff said he had become restless, a typical sign that the time had come for a 2,000-mile migration. The eels are known to congregate in deep water, where they spawn before dying. Operation Rip Tide was carried out on Monday afternoon. Rip has been at the aquarium since 2004. A large bag was used to catch the conger eel and a crane was used to hoist him out, lowering him into sea, where divers opened the bag. Claire Matthews, the aquarium manager, said: "We hope Rip makes it to the Azores, but of course the sad part of the story is that he will die after it all - but at least he'll be happy." In 2001, Chippie the conger eel was released at the aquarium for the same journey in Operation Amour.

Volcano Near El Hierro, Canary Islands Releases Toxic Gases
An underwater volcano near El Hierro in the Canary Islands has begun erupting near the shore, reports Reuters. The eruptions may be spectacular, but officials have also noticed that the volcano is spewing toxic gases into the air around the island. After a worker studying the volcano became ill, several of the island's beaches were closed. In the video, a local explains that the volcano is also making the island's cats act strangely and eat dead fish. The volcano, which is just over 200 feet from the surface, began erupting a week ago and is shooting magma 65 feet into the air. The eruption is the first in the Canaries since 1971 and locals are already speculating that it may create a new island. Despite the beach closures and dead fish near the island, the island's human population is safe.

22 sperm whales die in Australia
Rescuers are racing against the clock to save two huge sperm whales stranded on a Tasmanian sandbank after 22 others died, the Parks and Wildlife Service says. Marine mammal specialists were on site in Macquarie Harbour at Strahan on Tasmania's northwest coast, but it was proving to be a slow process. Twenty-two of the whales weighing two tonnes and up to 12-metres- (40-feet-) long washed ashore on Saturday at Ocean Beach near Strahan and all of them died. Four others came into the harbour and stranded themselves on a sandbank. Two were successfully refloated and swam back out to sea but two remained stuck. Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife incident controller Chris Arthur said sperm whales were so big they could not simply be pulled into deeper water by volunteers. Conditions were worsening with high winds and seas hampering efforts, but Arthur expressed confidence after seven sperm whales were saved in a similar stranding in the harbour in 2007. Whale beachings are relatively common in Australia, and they usually occur in the summer months around December around Tasmania.

Sea Levels to Continue to Rise for 500 Years? Long-Term Climate Calculations Suggest So
Rising sea levels in the coming centuries is perhaps one of the most catastrophic consequences of rising temperatures. Massive economic costs, social consequences and forced migrations could result from global warming. But how frightening of times are we facing? Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute are part of a team that has calculated the long-term outlook for rising sea levels in relation to the emission of greenhouse gases and pollution of the atmosphere using climate models. The results have been published in the scientific journal Global and Planetary Change. "Based on the current situation we have projected changes in sea level 500 years into the future. We are not looking at what is happening with the climate, but are focusing exclusively on sea levels," explains Aslak Grinsted, a researcher at the Centre for Ice and Climate, the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen. He has developed a model in collaboration with researchers from England and China that is based on what happens with the emission of greenhouse gases and aerosols and the pollution of the atmosphere. Their model has been adjusted backwards to the actual measurements and was then used to predict the outlook for rising sea levels. The research group has made calculations for four scenarios: a pessimistic one, an optimistic one, and two more realistic ones. In the pessimistic scenario, emissions continue to increase. This will mean that sea levels will rise 1.1 meters by the year 2100 and will have risen 5.5 meters by the year 2500. Even in the most optimistic scenario, which requires extremely dramatic climate change goals, major technological advances and strong international cooperation to stop emitting greenhouse gases and polluting the atmosphere, the sea would continue to rise. By the year 2100 it will have risen by 60 cm and by the year 2500 the rise in sea level will be 1.8 meters. For the two more realistic scenarios, calculated based on the emissions and pollution stabilizing, the results show that there will be a sea level rise of about 75 cm by the year 2100 and that by the year 2500 the sea will have risen by 2 meters.

Whale is freed from fishing nets off Dunbar

A 40ft-long whale has been successfully freed from fishing gear off the coast of East Lothian. The humpback was reported trapped in a boat's nets on Tuesday. It escaped but was then trapped again in a line of creels off the Dunbar coast. The whale had suffered serious injuries to its back and dorsal fin but experts believe it will make a full recovery. A team from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue was helped by Dunbar Lifeboat.

That's all for this edition of the Marine News Roundup - there will be another in two week's time.

Marine News Roundup

This weeks best marine news stories all in once place!

Keystone Pipeline Could Push Endangered Whooping Crane Into Extinction
The Canadian energy company TransCanada and the Obama administration is on the verge of approving a proposal that will place a route through which to move toxic, highly corrosive, sludgy crude oil on the same narrow corridor used by one of the world’s most endangered birds. If approved by the administration, the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline will move a half million+ barrels daily of Canadian crude 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Texas coast as soon as 2013. The Whooping crane is one of the most highly endangered birds in the world and the cranes follow the proposed path of the pipeline annually each spring, as they migrate from Texas to their breeding grounds in Canada. Scientists are deeply concerned by the proposals and say that, in addition to the grave risk of catastrophic spill, Whooping cranes would be put at still further risk by the installation of aerial power lines that would be constructed to power pumping stations on the proposed pipeline route. The State Department has completely ignored the impacts of the proposed pipeline on the highly endangered Whooping crane and in so doing, ignored the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. The Obama administration could announce its decision whether to block this remarkably flawed proposal at any time.

Tesco Drops Biodegradable Bags
Tesco is eliminating a controversial type of additive which helped it to create biodegradable bags, according to news reports. A study backed by the UK's Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs suggested that bags containing oxo-biodegradable additives (OBD) could actually harm the environment. Tesco is replacing the bags with an alternative that is not biodegradable, but which does use 15% recycled material. Tesco handed out over two billion of the bags to customers last year.

The Great Garbage Patch exposed
Tim Silverwood sailed the wild seas with a research team in search of the North Pacific's heart of plastic. His journey started around four years ago when he travelled to India and saw huge levels of trash entering waterways and the ocean. This article is a personal account of what Tim found when he visited the North Pacific Garbage Patch. "Tiny shards of 'micro debris', just like the plastic sand of Kamilo Beach, glistened among a treasure-trove of biota almost like they were meant to be there. It doesn't take long to realise that the larger items we spotted were merely the forebears of future plastic sand. Time, friction, tide and the relentless sun would secure their fate. Despite the conditions, we completed dozens of trawls and found plastic in every trawl, from recognisable items like pen caps and a toothbrush to tiny pieces including the infamous 'nurdle', the pre-production pellets used in the manufacture of plastic." You can read more about the North Pacific Garbage Patch and the problems of plastics and other debris in the marine environment in our Marine Debris blog.

Marine survey uncovers a deep sea treasure trove
Building on UN Environment Program biodiversity assessments, the Sydney Centre for Policy Development has counted up the worth of nature hidden beneath the sea's surface. The first serious stab at the value of the ecological benefits to Australia of its huge marine domain is $25 billion. The greatest single value lay in the ocean's use as a carbon sink. The report also calculated dollar values of the oceans to the economy in recreational fisheries, providing ''nursery'' services to fish, and in disease control.

Arctic sea ice is melting at its fastest pace in almost 40 years
The Northwest Passage was, again, free of ice this summer and the polar region could be unfrozen in just 30 years. Arctic sea ice has melted to a level not recorded since satellite observations started in 1972 – and almost certainly not experienced for at least 8,000 years, say polar scientists. The German researchers said the record melt was undoubtedly because of human-induced global warming. Floating Arctic sea ice naturally melts and re-freezes annually, but the speed of change in a generation has shocked scientists – it is now twice as great as it was in 1972, according to the NSIDC, with a decline of about 10% per decade. Arctic temperatures have risen more than twice as fast as the global average over the past half century. The last time the Arctic was uncontestably free of summertime ice was 125,000 years ago, at the height of the last major interglacial period, known as the Eemian. This year, both the North-west and North-east passages were mostly ice free, as they have been twice since 2008. Last year (2010) tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record.

Endangered blue whale spotted off Boothbay Harbor
Naturalists from two whale watching companies based in Boothbay Harbor confirmed the sighting on Sunday afternoon of an endangered blue whale, the largest mammal on Earth. The whale was believed to be “logging” or sleeping in waters about 15 miles offshore from Boothbay Harbor. Blue whales can grow to enormous sizes, weighing on average 400,000 pounds and possessing tongues that weigh as much as an elephant. Whale watch boats based in Maine typically spot fin, humpback and sei whales in the Gulf of Maine.

Call for more marine parks
The Centre for Policy Development, releasing its report on marine economy security, says that Australia needs extra marine parks and increased fish stocks to protect ocean ecosystems from the effects of climate change such as acidity and rising temperatures. Ocean ecosystems add an extra $25 billion to the national economy each year including $15.8 billion a year in carbon storage, the report says. Researchers looked at the south-western region of Western Australia as a case study and found the region provided an extra $435 million a year in value than official figures showed. The report said extending a proposed marine protection area to cover coastal shelf, sea grass and coral reefs could protect a further $1.1 billion in economic benefits.

Dugongs and Turtles Face Mass Starvation After Storm
Northeastern Australia may have dried out after devastating floods hit the area early this year, but for dugongs and turtles off the Queensland coast, the natural disaster's effects seem to be just beginning. Hundreds of the animals have been washing up dead onshore near the Great Barrier Reef.
The green turtles and dugongs, vulnerable herbivores related to the Florida manatee, are believed to be victims of the aftermath of the floods and cyclone that hit Australia over the past year.

Coral reefs 'will be gone by end of the century'
A leading United Nations scientist has claimed that coral reefs are on course to become the first ecosystem that human activity will eliminate entirely from the Earth. He says this event will occur before the end of the present century, which means that there are children already born who will live to see a world without coral. The predicted decline is mainly downacidification, though local activities such as overfishing, pollution and coastal development have also harmed the reefs. He predicts that, that "we risk having no reefs that resemble those of today in as little as 30 or 40 more years". Though not all scientists agree with these precise timescales set, the crisis is clear, although there are signs that local conservation efforts can make a difference.

10 deadly animals you wouldn't want to meet
Another great blog from the BBC Earth team! Check on number 8 on their 'deadly animals you wouldn't want to meet' list: Aurelia Jellyfish. "The common jellyfish moves by pulsating its saucer shaped colourless body. Beware the tentacles which surround its body - they contain stinging cells which are used to catch prey."

Plan for marine nature reserves
Plans for a series of marine nature reserves off the coast of Plymouth and South East Cornwall have been submitted to government. They are among a total of 58 proposed “conservation zones” in the South West covering habitats from estuaries and coastal areas to deep water canyons. The aim is to develop a wider network of areas providing improved protection for marine life and habitats. Of the suggested sites (MCZs), 13 are in offshore areas and 32 in the inshore waters of the region. It is aimed at protecting a broad range of wildlife and habitats, including a type of nationally scarce lagoon worm, blue mussel beds, a shoaling fish known as smelt, seagrass beds, the pink sea fan, a fish known as the giant goby, a stalked jellyfish and long snouted seahorses. Next year the Government will following a public consultation, announce the final list of marine conservation zones which are being designated under the Marine and Coastal Access Act. The Marine Conservation Society welcomed the announcement, saying protected sites were desperately needed to conserve the seas around the UK coast to allow habitats and wildlife to recover from decades of degradation.

Twice as much litter fouling area's beaches
On a more personal note, I have been volunteering for the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) for nine years and during this time I have, among other things, arranged regular beach cleans on the Plymouth Local Group's adopted beach at Batten Bay. This weekend is the MCS Beachwatch weekend and we will be holding a cleanup at Batten Bay at 10.30am this Saturday, 17th September. Our local paper, The Herald, has published an article which, although it doesn't mention my name, directly quotes from my email to our volunteers. It's good to see the message getting out there and hopefully we will have a good turnout of volunteers on Saturday!

That's it for this week... Check back next Thursday for the next Marine News Roundup!