Marine News Roundup

Welcome to the latest edition of the Respect Our Seas Marine News Roundup. Please share with your friends and, as always, feel free to comment below.

10 Marine Species on the Brink of Mass Extinction Due to Ocean Acidification
The ocean is a delicate place, and tiny changes to its composition can cause serious devastation. Adding carbon to the atmosphere contributes to global warming and climate change. Another less-discussed impact is ocean acidification - whereby carbon molecules diffuse into the ocean from the atmosphere, causing a steady rise in acidity - even though the impacts are already being felt by many species. Check out these beautiful photos of ten marine species currently under threat from ocean acidification.

Anchovy Explosion
They’re back. After a nearly half-century of rarity, big schools of anchovies - an important prey for both wildlife and humans - are again showing up in Europe’s North Sea. A new study tries to explain why, and finds climate shifts are probably playing a role.

Cargo boat and US navy ship powered by algal oil in marine fuel trials
Substituting biofuel for bunker fuel may bring about revolution in world's shipping fleets. Giant cargo boats and US navy warships have been successfully powered on oil derived from genetically modified algae in a move which could herald a revolution in the fuel used by the world's fleets – and a reduction in the pollution they cause. The results of substituting algal oil for low-grade, "bunker" fuel and diesel in a 98,000-tonne container ship are still being evaluated by Maersk, the world's biggest shipping company, which last week tested 30 tonnes of oil supplied by the US navy in a vessel travelling from Europe to India. Last month, the navy tested 20,000 gallons of algal fuel on a decommissioned destroyer for a few hours. Both ran their trials on a mix of algal oil – between 7% and 100% – and conventional bunker fuel.

Carbon Dioxide Affecting Fish Brains
Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous systems of sea fish, with serious consequences for their survival, according to new research. Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, the research found. The Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies said it had been testing the performance of baby coral fish in sea water containing higher levels of dissolved CO2 for several years.

Seal death mystery could stay unsolved
Scientists examining dead seal pups found on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula say the creatures are so badly decomposed it may not be possible to determine how they died. The bodies of 51 New Zealand fur seal pups and two young adults were found washed up near Port Lincoln and at Wanna Beach in the Lincoln National Park. Post-mortems have been carried out on three of the pups by University of Adelaide veterinary pathologists. There are no signs of malicious treatment. The seals were found along a six-kilometre stretch of shoreline and more bodies were expected to be found as volunteers search nearby beaches. New Zealand fur seals are a protected species found along Australia's south coast and along the coast of New Zealand's South Island. They can grow to weigh up to 250 kilograms, but males usually average about 125kg and are considered docile, although they will attack if provoked.

Man cited for allegedly poaching lobsters inside marine sanctuary State wildlife officials cited a Riverside County man Sunday for allegedly poaching dozens of lobsters inside one of Southern California's new marine sanctuaries, in what authorities called the first major violation of fishing restrictions that took effect January 1st. The state Department of Fish and Game said Marbel A. Para, 30, of Romoland and a companion were diving off Laguna Beach shortly after midnight when wardens stopped them and found 47 spiny lobsters, most of them below the legal size limit. Para was cited for several alleged poaching violations, including unlawful take and illegal possession of lobster and holding more than the legal limit of seven lobsters per diver. His companion was not cited. The lobsters were photographed and returned to the ocean.

Secret sex life to help save world's endangered seagrasses
Sex plays a much more important role in the reproduction of vitally important seagrasses than previously thought, according to important new findings by researchers from The University of Western Australia. Their work, published today as the cover story in the journal Bioscience, forms a major re-think of the way seagrass populations spread and is regarded as critically important to help conserve and restore endangered seagrasses meadows. The research is expected to lead to better ways to help manage and restore depleted seagrass meadows.

Group to develop deep-sea vehicle
A group of small factories mainly in Tokyo has launched a project to build a deep-sea research vehicle that would submerge to depths of roughly 8,000 meters. The group concluded a contract the same day with the state-run Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology to develop the vehicle, called the Edokko 1, aiming to finish it in about two years. The privately run Shibaura Institute of Technology and the state-run Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology will help the group in developing the vehicle, it said. The group plans to hold down development costs to about ¥20 million and said it plans to launch test runs of the vehicle this summer and to complete it in fiscal 2013, which starts in April that year. The team plans to build a research vehicle that can contribute to discovering seabed resources in waters around Japan.

Modified 'bugs' turn seaweed into fuel
Scientists have genetically engineered microbes to process brown seaweed into biofuel. The work could see large underwater farms become a source of renewable energy. Scientists focused on brown seaweed because its high sugar content provides a good biomass, and the seaweed doesn't compete with food crops for land and fresh water. Researchers successfully isolated a 36,000 base pair DNA fragment from V. splendidus which encodes enzymes that metabolise alginate. The researchers say if this process can be successfully scaled-up, seaweed could help meet the growing demand for sustainable fuel, with it being grown on long submerged ropes. Reasearchers hope that, by using three per cent of the world's coastlines, they can replace five per cent of total oil consumption. That's 60 billion gallons of fuel.

Australian divers reach record depths in caves
A group of Australian divers has broken yet another cave diving record in the depths of the Pearse River resurgence and revealed the underwater cave system is linked to Mt Arthur's Nettlebed Cave system. The group returned from the remote Motueka Valley river head after spending a fortnight exploring the intricate underwater cave system. Diver and explorer Craig Challen pushed the human limit, reaching 221m, breaking the 194m record he set in the river cave last January and setting an Australasian record. The 17-hour dive saw him stop four times at underwater "habitats" which were filled with trapped air. They provided a base for divers to rest and decompress before continuing their return to the surface. Team leader Adelaide's Dr Richard Harris said marker dye dropped by Nelson cavers in the Nettlebed system was seen by divers below 200m and indicated the system was more than 1000m long. However, the connection could be proved only when it was travelled and charted. It was the third time the group had explored the system in the last three years.

The cost of captivity - ball removed from dolphin's stomach
Doctors at a Jiangsu Province aquarium in Nanjing, issued an emergency plea yesterday for someone with long arms to retrieve a ball swallowed by a performing dolphin. The ball has now been successfully removed, but at what cost? The SOS issued yesterday by Nanjing Andover Underwater World, came after one of its performing dolphins swallowed his toy volleyball on Wednesday. Five-year-old Jiang Bo was playing with the ball, when he was observed taking it underwater and then resurfacing without it. Attempts to remove the ball had been unsuccessful, forcing Chinese doctors to issue a plea for help from someone with long arms. Eventually, it was removed and the operation was hailed a success. Others however, saw it simply as another sad side-effect of marine mammal captivity. What this dolphin endured during the entire three-hour process was nothing short of horrific, considering he was awake.

Alarms 'saving whales' from shark nets
An underwater alarm has reduced the number of whales becoming entangled in shark nets off Queensland, the state government says. The alarms, known as pingers, transmit a sonic warning to whales, alerting them they are close to the nets that are designed to protect swimmers. From 2000 to 2009, 27 whales were caught in shark control equipment in Queensland. There was just one in 2010 and another in 2011 after the pingers were introduced, Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace said last week. Both of those whales were apparently successfully released. There are 130 pingers between the Gold Coast and Cairns - four on every shark net.

Mussels in protection racket

A £7m fine and more for every day that horse mussels in Northern Ireland are not protected. That is what could be on the cards in a few weeks time following a complaint to Europe over an alleged breach of the EU Habitats Directive. The complaint is over the protection and restoration of reefs of horse mussels on the bed of Strangford Lough. They are one of the main reasons why the Lough enjoys some of the most stringent legislation in Europe. Its unique habitat includes hundreds of species that depend on the mussels for their survival.

Ningaloo manta rays under threat
Ningaloo Marine Park's manta rays are threatened by the growing worldwide demand demand for their gill rakers, according to a new report. The report also highlights the need for protection in Australia waters. Each year large numbers of Manta birostris and M. alfredi, the world's biggest ray species with wingspans of up to eight metres, visit the marine reserve as part of seasonal migrations. These migrations cover hundreds of kilometres, and may follow a similar path to Ningaloo's whale sharks, into Indonesian waters and beyond. Manta rays are filter feeders, and during daylight hours they tend to accumulate in large numbers around 'cleaning stations' where small fish species clean them of any parasites and algal growth. This habit, combined with their large size, makes them highly vulnerable to being harpooned from above, or caught in fishing nets. While they are protected from fishing in the waters of Ningaloo, once they leave the Marine Park, they are at risk of being targeted by fishermen - even in Australian waters where they have no protection.

87 marine mammals still eaten by people
Threats to marine mammals usually include climate change, drowning as by-catch, pollution and depletion of prey - but what about eating marine mammals? A new study in Biological Conservation finds that a surprising 87 marine mammals (including polar bears, small whales and dolphins) have been eaten as food since 1990 in at least 114 countries.

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

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!

Marine News Roundup

Welcome to the fortnightly Marine News Roundup, gathering together the best of the marine news stories from the past two weeks!

Act Now to Save 'the Most Important Fish in the Sea'
Atlantic menhaden, often called “the most important fish in the sea,” have reached a turning point. These fish play a critical role in the marine food web as prey for striped bass, bluefish, tuna, whales, porpoises, seabirds, and other wildlife. But the essential role menhaden play in the marine ecosystem is now at risk. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has taken a historic first step to restore the menhaden population by laying out a plan that could significantly increase the number left in the ocean, finally taking into account the needs of their predators.

Kraken lair? Paleontologist identifies giant sea monster's bone heap.
Scientists have uncovered the lair of an ancient sea monster similar to the legendary Kraken, which has appeared countless times in myths and stories, notably in the 2010 film, 'Clash of the Titans.' Evidence for the kraken and its gruesome attacks comes from markings on the bones of the remains of nine 45-foot (14 meter) ichthyosaurs of the species Shonisaurus popularis, which lived during the Triassic, a period that lasted from 248 million to 206 million years ago. The beasts were the Triassic version of today's predatory giant squid-eating sperm whales.

Florida's wildlife officials encouraged by sea turtle nest count
The populations of two of the three species of sea turtles that nest in Florida are growing and the number of nests of the third – the iconic loggerhead – seems to have stabilized after a substantial and steady decline since 1998. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission this week released the results of its annual nest count. The survey is not the total number of nests in the state, but only on targeted beaches where turtles are known to nest year after year. The good news for green turtles, which are on the federal endangered species list, is that the survey showed a record high annual nest count in Florida this year. It is the most ever counted since the survey began 22 years ago. Leatherback turtles' nests numbered high as well, with the count falling just shy of the previous high mark two years ago. Leatherbacks also are on the federal endangered list.

Target commits to 100% sustainable, traceable fish by 2015
The second largest discount retailer in the U.S. has announced that it will sell only sustainable, traceable fish by 2015. Minneapolis-based Target Corp. operates 1,762 stores, many of which are converting to incorporate PFresh markets that sell fresh and frozen foods, including fish. In 2010, Target stopped selling farmed salmon, Chilean sea bass and orange roughy due to various sustainability issues. It currently sells 50 different brands of fish certified by either the Marine Stewardship Council or the Global Aquaculture Alliance.

Mysterious outbreak killing Arctic Alaska ringed seals
A mysterious and potentially widespread disease is thought to have contributed to the deaths of dozens of ringed seals along Alaska's Arctic coast. Scores more are sickened, some so ill that skin lesions bleed when touched. The animals are an important subsistence food for Alaska Native hunters and their families, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed listing them as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Man 'surfs' great white shark
Doug Niblack was trying to catch another wave before going to work when his longboard hit something hard as rock off the Oregon coast and he found himself standing on a thrashing great white shark. Looking down, he could see a dorsal fin in front of his feet as he stood on what he described as 10 feet (three metres) of back as wide as his surfboard and as black as his wetsuit. A tail thrashed back and forth and the water churned around him. Niblack estimated that he was standing on the shark for no more than three or four seconds. The dorsal fin caught his board and dragged him for about a metre by his ankle tether. In six years of surfing, Niblack said he had seen sharks in the water, but never so close. He said he had been dreaming about sharks, but was planning to go back out to surf. When he does he will take a waterproof video camera his roommate gave him. He has also put a sticker on the bottom of his board to ward off sharks – a shark with a red circle and a slash over it.

'Whale war' kicks off as Japan sends strengthened fleet to Antarctica
As the Steve Irwin approached the equator last week, word that Japan would be sending a strengthened whaling fleet to Antarctica next month reached the bridge of the old Aberdeen-built customs vessel. The crew of activists on board cheered, as their veteran leader, Captain Paul Watson, resigned himself to his eighth "whale war" among the icebergs and 100mph winds of the Southern ocean. Watson, on what is nearly his 350th voyage in nearly 40 years defending whales and other marine wildlife at the helm of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is sending three ships to intercept, chase and harass the Japanese. He promises "aggressive non-violence", while the Japanese, still smarting from last year's humiliation when their fleet took only a fifth of its planned whale catch, say they will heighten security and take an armed government fisheries patrol vessel.

Mississauga bans shark fin products
Mississauga councillors unanimously adopted a bylaw Wednesday that bans the possession and sale of shark fin products in the city. The decision makes Mississauga the largest city in Canada to ban the controversial products, the consumption of which has pushed many of the world’ shark species to the brink of extinction. The move came a day before a Toronto council committee was to address the issue, and following introduction of a ban in Oakville in July. At the municipal level, much of the debate revolves around whether cities have the jurisdiction and the ability to enforce such a ban. Mississauga Councillor Pat Mullin says cities certainly have the jurisdiction but adds there are issues to be worked out regarding enforcement.

Endangered Sea Turtles Drowning In Shrimp Nets, Groups Sue For More Protection
Several wildlife protection groups are suing the federal agency that regulates fishing in U.S. waters, claiming the government isn't doing enough to protect endangered sea turtles from drowning in shrimp nets. The lawsuit filed in Washington claims the National Marine Fisheries Service violates the Endangered Species Act by letting some shrimpers operate without required turtle excluder devices on their nets and exempting some shrimping from the requirement. The gear is required on many shrimp trawls in federal and state waters, but some kinds of trawls and other nets are exempt under certain conditions. A Louisiana law passed in 1987 makes it illegal for state wildlife agents to enforce turtle excluder device regulations in state waters.

Rare dwarf sperm whale sighted off Cornwall coast
A dwarf sperm whale was spotted in Mounts Bay off Penzance, where it was caught on camera swimming just off the shore. It's the first ever recorded sighting of the species off the coast of the UK . A video, posted on YouTube, shows the 3 metre mammal circling the bay in shallow water. There are no official figures for dwarf sperm whale population because they usually stay in deeper waters, feeding off fish and crustaceans on the sea floor.

Amazing animal-inspired inventions!
A BBC Earth blog looking at some of the amazing things animals can do and how we've learnt from nature...

Humpback Whale-inspired Hydroelectric Turbines:

In the search for more renewable sources of energy, scientists have turned to one of nature’s most wonderful creatures for ideas. The Humpback Whale’s amazing agility is down to its slightly odd flippers. The unusual bumps on the leading edge of the whale’s flippers give it incredible manoeuvrability for an animal so big. Scientists over at WhalePower realised the potential of this oddity in a number of different technologies and have applied bumps to hydroelectric turbines, ventilation fans, irrigation pumps and wind turbines. The gains in efficiency are massive. Compared to smooth fins, the bumpy humpback’s fins have 32 per cent less drag and an 8 per cent increased lift in their movement through air and water. The efficiency gains are huge enough, potentially 20 per cent, to make the likes of wind power a source of energy fully competitive with alternatives.

People have always campaigned to save the whales and now they could save us energy!

Friction reducing Sharkskin:

American hero Michael Phelps may just owe a debt of gratitude to sharks. Phelps swam to his record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics wearing a revolutionary new swimsuit based on a study of sharkskin. The suit increases a swimmer’s speed by reducing drag through water by up to 4 per cent more than the next swimsuit. Sharkskin is covered in tiny ‘teeth’, varying in shape and positioning, that regulate the flow of water around the body. Researchers are now developing ‘sharkskin’ coatings for ship's hulls, submarines, aircraft fuselage, and even swimwear for humans.

With only spines attached, shark fins come ashore
Despite recent measures to crack down on the practice of shark finning, Costa Rican fishermen and environmentalists believe that foreign fleets are once again using methods to evade Costa Rican fishing laws and regulations.  In recent months, three Taiwanese ships landed shark fins attached only to the shark’s spine at the public dock in Puntarenas. The sharks’ flesh was shaved away from the sharks’ spines, leaving only skeletons attached to full fins. Last year, the Costa Rican Agriculture Ministry (MAG) and the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (Incopesca) barred foreign fleets from unloading at private docks. Instead they must land at public docks, where inspectors can enforce the law. A public backlash begun nearly a decade ago helped ban the practice of shark finning in Costa Rica. However, shark fishing remains legal in the country. Today Costa Rican regulations stipulate that only three authorized cuts can be made when shark fishing: the head, the entrails and a partial cut to allow the bending of the fin. Yet recent cases in Puntarenas have shown that the law has left grey areas that fishermen exploit. The Taiwanese boat Wang Jia Men was the first ship discovered using the new practice of landing only skeletons. According to Incopesca Executive Director Luis Gerardo Dobles, it was the first time that the fisheries institute had seen the new tactic. An Incopesca inspector let the ship unload and reported that 36 sharks had landed without full carcasses. When members of the Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Union found out, the ship had already been allowed to sell the fins. The union, made up of Costa Rican fishermen, strongly opposes the practice.

Global warming: A tipping point for phytoplankton?

An elaborate lab experiment done by a San Francisco State University research team shows that warmer increasingly acidic oceans may fundamentally change the role some phytoplankton have in capturing carbon from the atmosphere. The study published this week in the journal Global Change Biology suggests that at least one species of ubiquitous phytoplankton - Emiliania huxleyi- forms incomplete or hollow coccoliths in high carbon and high ammonium conditions, resulting in less carbon sinking to the ocean floor. The results suggest in the future there will be overall lower amounts of calcification and overall lower amount of transport of carbon to the deep ocean. To measure the impacts of warmer temperatures and increasing acidification, the scientists raised more than 200 generations of Emiliania huxleyi in the lab, adjusting carbon dioxide levels and the type of nitrogen in the phytoplankton’s seawater bath. Changes to this massive carbon sink could have a critical effect on the planet’s future climate, especially as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise sharply as a result of fossil fuel burning and other human activities. The shell-building capacity of the phytoplankton could also be inhibited by thickening layers of warm water that prevent upwelling of nitrate-rich water. Emiliania huxleyi typically use nitrates to make proteins, but this form of nitrogen may be in shorter supply as ocean temperatures change. At the same time, the warmer temperatures favor bacteria that turn recycled nitrogen from surface waters and the atmosphere into ammonium, and acidification inhibits the bacteria that turn ammonium into nitrate. The study is the first to look at the intertwined effects of ocean acidification and changes in nitrogen on phytoplankton like Emiliania huxleyi. It’s also one of the first studies to observe these effects continuously over a long time scale, “so the responses of the phytoplankton are likely what we’ll see in the ocean itself”.

Scientists Seek A Break In Aquaculture's Fish-Eat-Fish Chain

Aquaculture, one of the fastest growing sectors of agriculture in the US, combats the global dilemma of depleting wild fish populations. But a new report from the group Food & Water Watch says factory fish farms risk the health of other, stable species swimming in the sea. One of the biggest problems? The fish food. It takes about three pounds of feeder fish to produce one pound of farmed salmon. And we need more fish to keep up with a hungry, growing, human population. But feeding more salmon depletes the ocean's smaller fish. Wild-caught, carnivorous fish like salmon chow down on smaller fish and crustaceans because those delectable treats are high in protein and fat - essential nutrients to a fish. Farmed fish need the same nutrients but get it as a blend of various nutritional ingredients - all targeted to increase the efficiency of a fish's growth and its health. Researchers are looking into new fish feed using renewable sources, such as biofuel co-products, poultry by-products, soybeans and so on. Finding alternative sources of fat and protein to supply aquaculture could help provide fish with the necessary nutrients without depleting the ocean.

On ocean's floor, death is not the end
On the dark, cold floor of the ocean, death is not the end. Dead organic material settles to the bottom, where, like compost in a garden, it is converted into nutrients, including nitrate and phosphate. Coastal winds help complete the circle of life, lifting clear, cold, nutrient-rich water into the sunlit shallows. The upwelling promotes a population explosion of phytoplankton, the microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web.

Dolphins 'decompress like humans'

Scientists have found tiny bubbles beneath the blubber of dolphins that have beached themselves. The bubbles were discovered by taking ultrasound scans of the animals within minutes of stranding off Cape Cod, US. The team's findings help confirm what many researchers have long suspected: dolphins avoid the bends by taking long, shallow decompression dives after feeding at depth. If human divers ascend too quickly, dissolved nitrogen forms bubbles in the body, causing decompression sickness. But marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and seals are highly adept at dealing with the pressures of the deep. They slow their hearts, collapse the tiny air-filled chambers in their lungs, and channel blood to essential organs - like the brain - to conserve oxygen, and limit the build-up of nitrogen bubbles in the blood that happens at depth. However, even marine mammals ascending from the deep must rid themselves of the gas that has built up in their tissues, or risk developing the bends. If dolphins come up too quickly, there is evidence that they "grab another gulp of air and go back down again," in much the same way a human diver would "re-tank and re-ascend" to try to prevent the bends. But there's one place they can't do that - "sitting on the beach".

'Criminal' penguin caught on film

A "criminal" stone-stealing Adelie penguin has been captured on camera by a BBC film crew. The team, filming for the documentary Frozen Planet, spent four months with the penguin colony on Ross Island, Antarctica. The footage they captured shows a male penguin stealing stones from its neighbour's nest. The birds build their stone nests to elevate and protect their eggs from run-off when the Antarctic ice melts. Males with the best nests are more likely to attract a mate, so, in a colony of half a million penguins, the best stones are highly prized. Each male adelie penguin builds its nest just out of "pecking distance" of its neighbours. The film crew managed to capture a remarkable sequence, with one penguin repeatedly returning to its nest to add stones, apparently unaware of the fact that his neighbour would steal a stone every time his nest was unattended.

Toxic Seaweed Poisons Coral Reefs on Contact

“Attack of the killer seaweed” may sound like a cheesy horror flick, but for many coral species, murderous multicellular algae have become real-life villains. A new study of reefs in the South Pacific suggests that some algae can poison coral on contact. This chemical warfare may be increasing the pressure on struggling reef communities worldwide, researchers say. Along the reefs dotting Fiji, overfishing has pitted corals against algae in a battle royale. On swaths of coastline where fishing is restricted, corals such as the tall and branching Acropora millepora rule. But where Fijians spear lots of herbivores such as bird-beaked parrotfish, few fish remain to prune back the region’s seaweeds, a blanket term for many types of big algae. These algae then creep in, extending their tendrils over close to 60 percent of the ocean bottom and turning waters a sludgy green. Such “seaweed-covered parking lots” aren’t unique to Fiji either. Recent studies have hinted that this ocean greenery may be carrying out a subtle chemical war on sensitive reefs. To investigate this covert struggle, researchers strung eight different species of Fijian seaweed across growing corals, including A. millepora colonies. True to the researchers’ suspicions, many of these algal species seemed to wield a poison touch. In less than 2 weeks, the test coral often began to discolor and even die where it rubbed against the seaweeds. Faux seaweeds made of plastic had no such effect.

Hearing the Repertoire of a Very Fearsome Fish

Everyone knows that piranhas have razor-sharp teeth, but they have another distinguishing characteristic: They make noise. Until now, however, scientists have never understood why. Now, using a hydrophone to record underwater sounds, researchers from the University of Liège in Belgium say they have found an answer. These are sounds made during fighting, charging and frontal display,” said Eric Parmentier, a morphologist at the university and an author of a new study on the noises, published in The Journal of Experimental Biology. It was previously thought that piranhas produced a single barking call. But the researchers also recorded a drumlike sound, made when the fish fought for food, and a croak the fish’s jaws produced when it snapped at another piranha. Dr. Parmentier and his colleagues also discovered that piranhas make the barking and drumming sounds by rapidly contracting a muscle attached to the swim bladder. The contractions occur 100 to 200 times a second and cause the bladder to vibrate. The moment the contractions stop, the vibration stops, as the swim bladder itself is unable to vibrate on its own. Researchers are discovering that many types of fish produce sound because it is a good way to communicate underwater. At least 100 fish families are known to produce sound - "sound travels faster in the water than in the air".

And finally...

Farting Fish

Flatulence might be rude to us humans, but for herring, it's a survival strategy. Herring have a secret, and funny, way of communicating with each other - by farting. They just have to hope neighboring predators aren't listening in...

That's it for now - the Marine News Roundup will be back in two weeks.