Welcome to the latest edition of the Marine News Roundup - all the best marine news stories from the last two weeks!
Amazon 'backs down' on sale of whale meat
The online retailing giant Amazon appears to have responded to pressure against whale meat sales on its Japanese language website. The Seattle-based business, which wholly owns its Japanese subsidiary, has a stated policy of prohibiting the sale of unlicensed or illegal wildlife products including endangered species, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency. But EIA found 147 different whale products for sale on amazon.co.jp, including some from listed endangered species, in a December survey. Others came from Japan's legally disputed research whaling program. A check of the site early today using the Japanese symbol for whale meat found dozens of items still listed, but hours afters news of the investigation was published, the same search found no listings.
Rare Bangladesh Olive Ridley turtles 'need protection'
Conservationists in Bangladesh have urged the government to take immediate steps to protect endangered Olive Ridley turtles. Their call comes after at least 25 Olive Ridleys were washed up dead over the last week near the beaches of Cox's Bazaar and on Saint Martin Island. Many of the turtles had been entangled in fishing lines. From October to March, thousands of Olive Ridleys come ashore from the deep sea to lay their eggs. While many turtles die after getting entangled in fishing nets, some are killed by fishermen who say the turtles damage their equipment. Conservationists say that there are five main species of turtle - Green Turtles, Olive Ridleys, Logger Heads, Hawksbills and Leatherbacks - and all are currently found within Bangladesh's maritime boundaries. According to campaign groups, the Olive Ridleys are endangered because of their relatively high mortality rates - they are particularly susceptible to industrial pollution in coastal areas and sometimes stray dogs attack them or eat their eggs. Senior wildlife department officials say that plans are now afoot to declare beaches frequented by turtles as marine protected areas. They say that more guards will be deployed on these beaches.
NOAA to open new world class marine science facility
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are set to open a state-of-the-art Marine Science and Storage Facility. The facility will enable NOAA and its scientific partners to conduct critical marine research, study and monitor data gathered throughout the Pacific Region, and provide a site to rehabilitate endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals and various green sea turtles. In addition to the blessing, NOAA administrator will announce the establishment of a new partnership with the Oahu Visitors Bureau and the Waikiki Aquarium to integrate the Pacific Regional Centre into an Ocean Education Experience program.
Dead Sperm Whale Too Much for Tunisian Municipality to Handle
Disposal of a 12 meter long, 15 ton Sperm Whale carcass has proven to be too large a task for the municipality of El Houaria to handle. The leviathan’s massive body has been lying on the beach of Sidi Daoud for the past five days. The head of the El Houaria Fishing Association complained that the carcass, through the process of decomposition, has been releasing blood onto the beach. Given that sperm whales typically inhabit deeper waters, it is likely that the whale lost it’s way on a migration route. An official at the municipality of El Houaria said that the disposal of the whale will require a coordinated effort between multiple government agencies. While the cause of death of the whale has not been confirmed, marine pollution often impacts the ability for whales to hear, leading them dangerously off course from their regular migration routes. There is also a possibility that the whale suffered from a disease that weakened it, according to the Tunisian National Institute for Marine Science and Technology.
CCW tackles invasive sea squirt in Holyhead harbour
The Countryside Council for Wales has started work to eradicate an invasive sea squirt in Holyhead harbour, which is threatening to smother native marine life in Wales. The carpet sea squirt (Didemnum vexillum), which originates from Japan, has established itself on the marina’s floating pontoons and mooring chains and mooring buoys in the harbour. If left unchecked, it could spread rapidly, colonising natural habitats and threatening the important mussel industry in the Menai Strait. The carpet sea squirt has had devastating impact on marine life in other parts of the world where it has been accidentally introduced, such as New Zealand. There, it has literally carpeted acres of sea bed, making these areas unsuitable for native marine plants and animals. The sea squirt was most likely brought into Holyhead harbour on the hulls of leisure craft. The Countryside Council for Wales made a pilot attempt to clear the seasquirt in the winter 2009. Now, building on this experience, CCW’s marine staff will be working intensively to completely eradicate the creature. The work involves fixing massive bags around the underwater structures of the marina. By stopping clean flows of water from reaching the sea squirts, they will suffocate and die. If eradication techniques are successful here, CCW could advise other affected areas in the UK on how to get rid of the species. The owners of Holyhead Marina are supporting CCW’s efforts. The target is to completely rid the harbour of sea squirt by spring 2012 before it can spread more rapidly in the spring and summer.
Squid Can Fly to Save Energy
Squid can save energy by flying rather than swimming, according to calculations based on high-speed photography. Squid of many species have been seen to 'fly' using the same jet-propulsion mechanisms that they use to swim: squirting water out of their mantles so that they rocket out of the sea and glide through the air. Until now, most researchers have thought that such flight was a way to avoid predators, but a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, has calculated that propelling themselves through the air may actually be an efficient way for squid to travel long distances. The creatures are rarely seen flying, so some researchers argue that the mode of travel is not widespread in migration, but over years of study hints have been gathered that suggest the behaviour is more common than was thought.
Sea turtle deaths up in 2011; foreign volunteer numbers down
Four-hundred-and-seventy turtles washed up on Greek shores in 2011, up from 450 the previous year, according to Greek sea turtle protection society Archelon, which cites illegal fishing practices and injuries from speed boat propellers as the main cause of death among the turtle population. Meanwhile, according to the group's annual report, more Greeks offered their time to Archelon's efforts last year, with the number of volunteers working for the environmental protection group reaching 468, though organisers have seen a marked drop in non-Greek volunteers. Archelon's rescue centre in the southern Athenian suburb of Glyfada treated more than 50 injured and sick turtles in 2011, the report added, conducting 20 operations and 34 releases, while the biggest number of deaths was noted in the Ionian island of Zakynthos. The rise in turtle deaths may be linked to an increase in their population. The non-governmental organization also warned against the unchecked development of facilities for beach-goers on sea turtles' traditional nesting sites along the coasts of the Peloponnese and Crete, such as bars that stay open at night, casting light on the beach and playing loud music, and the prevalence of umbrellas and sun loungers.
Some corals like it hot
Corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have fallen on hard times recently. But on the opposite side of the continent, their West Coast brethren have been living the good life for at least a century, a new study finds. Global warming may be helping these creatures out - at least for now. To compare how reefs in different places have been doing, researchers collected samples of Porites coral at six spots off Australia in the southeastern Indian Ocean. Porites build skeletons with layers that, like tree rings, can be used to measure growth from year to year. None of creatures had slowed their growth in the last 110 years. Those at the southernmost sites have even been building reefs faster as surface waters there have warmed markedly. On the Great Barrier Reef, the same type of coral is stressed. Porites grew 13 percent slower in 2005 than in 1990, a 2009 study found. This slowdown has been blamed on both warming waters and increases in ocean acidity caused by carbon dioxide. About a third of all atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions are soaked up by the world’s oceans, where the gas reacts to make carbonic acid. That lowers the water’s pH and the amount of dissolved carbonate, the raw material used by corals to build their skeletons.
Whales and dolphins 'should have legal rights'
Campaigners who believe that dolphins and whales should be granted rights on account of their intelligence are to push for the animals to be protected under international law. A group of scientists and ethicists argues there is sufficient evidence of the marine mammals' intelligence, self-awareness and complex behaviour to enshrine their rights in legislation. Under the declaration of rights for cetaceans, a term that includes dolphins, whales and porpoises, the animals would be protected as "non-human persons" and have a legally enforceable right to life. If incorporated into law, the declaration would bring legal force to bear on whale hunters, and marine parks, aquariums and other entertainment venues would be barred from keeping dolphins, whales or porpoises in captivity.
Shark left in Yoyogi has cops fishing for motive
A dead shark found in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park has sparked an investigation into who brought it there, an officer at Yoyogi Police Station said Monday. A park security guard called the police at 7 a.m. Sunday after finding the shark, which was covered by a blue tarp and measured about 1.5 meters long, the police said. The shark had been gutted and was found near a parking lot for bicycles near one of the entrances leading to JR Shibuya Station. Okano wouldn't disclose any other details because the matter is still under investigation as an illegal dumping case. On Twitter, dozens of posts from February 14th to early on February 15th said a shark was being exhibited in front of a sushi restaurant in Shibuya. The tweets later said someone had taken it away. The sushi restaurant, Daidokoroya, said Monday that it could not rule out the possibility that the shark dumped at the park is a salmon shark it bought at Tsukiji fish market on February 14th. Daidokoroya, which initially bought it for consumption at the outlet, said the 102kg creature was too large to carry into the kitchen. Eventually, at 5am the next day, it was given to a self-styled artist who wanted to use it for art. The restaurant owner said in a statement that the eatery failed to identify the person.
Coasts in peril plan ahead for rising seas
Scientists warn that by the end of this century, the sea level along North America's west coast will rise by about a meter due to global warming and melting arctic glaciers. That presents a scenario that few people in the world's coastal and island communities want to think about - the end of their water's edge way of life, their homes flooded, their farming fields drenched and rendered useless. But one coastal port in British Columbia has begun to plan for this grim future with the help of scientists who created computer images that show exactly what their town will look like when it is inundated with water. Those include building larger sea walls and dykes to hold the water back, crafting barrier islands to absorb some of the tides and reinforce the shores, moving entire towns inland, or building everything higher by raising homes on stilts and elevating roads. The costs of re-crafting modern life along the water's edge are certain to be enormous, with hundreds of millions of people affected by sea-level rise in communities worldwide.
Assessment Could Streamline Great Barrier Reef Coastal Development
The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, the core of the world's largest reef, will be assessed to ensure future development along Queensland's coast is sustainable and the reef's unique natural values are protected, the Australian and Queensland governments said Saturday. The two governments have signed a new agreement with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority that all three parties say will be the most comprehensive and complex strategic assessment ever carried out in Australia. The assessment is being conducted at the request of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which designated the 34.8 million hectare (134,633 square mile) World Heritage Site in 1981. On the northeast coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage
Area contains a huge diversity of species, including 1,500 species of fish, about 360 species of hard coral, 5,000 species of mollusc and more than 175 bird species. It is an important breeding area for humpback and other whale species. The site includes feeding grounds for the endangered dugong and nesting grounds of world significance for two endangered species of marine turtle, the green and the loggerhead, as well as habitat for four other imperilled species of marine turtle. At least four port developments, either being planned or now underway, could put the reef at risk. The World Heritage Committee fears these expansions will mean more shipping through the reef, increasing the likelihood of groundings and oil spills. During the strategic assessment, state and federal environmental planning issues will be covered in a single process that provides a big-picture study
under a national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The outcome of the assessment will be a streamlining of development approvals say Commonwealth and state officials. Once a development program has been endorsed under the EPBC Act, individual projects will not need any further approval under national environmental law if done in accordance with the approved program.
High Definition Polarisation Vision Discovered in Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish have the most acute polarisation vision yet found in any animal, researchers at the University of Bristol have discovered by showing them movies on a modified LCD computer screen to test their eyesight. Cuttlefish and their colourblind cousins, squid and octopus, see aspects of light - including polarised light -- that are invisible to humans, giving them a covert communication channel. The Bristol study, published in Current Biology, found that cuttlefish were much more sensitive to polarisation than previously thought. With collaborators at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, the team gave cuttlefish an eye exam; but instead of measuring their acuity they measured the smallest difference in the angle of polarisation the cuttlefish could detect. Since the team could not ask the cuttlefish what they could see, they took advantage of the chameleon-like colour changes that cuttlefish use for camouflage as a way of measuring whether the animals could detect the polarised stimuli. In addition to measuring the limits of polarisation vision in the cuttlefish, the team also modelled how underwater scenes might look to an animal that has such high-resolution polarisation vision. Using colours instead of changes in polarisation angle they created images of the polarised world that humans can see and showed that there is much more information available in the polarisation dimension than was previously known.
Necropsy Finds Parasites in Dolphin That Died in Ocean City
Preliminary results of a necropsy performed on the dolphin found dead in a bayside Ocean City lagoon on February 12th show a, "heavy load of parasites channelling into the brain". Similar parasites were found in a dolphin found dead on a Delaware Bay beach in Lower Township on February 12th and in a dolphin that died shortly after stranding in Stafford Township off Barnegat Bay on February 13th. All three animals were common dolphins, a species that typically travels in groups at least 20 miles off the coast of New Jersey. The necropsies were conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Centre in Kennett Square, PA. The parasites occur naturally and can be spread in many ways - from exposure to a pod's own fecal waste to consumption of raw fish. None of the animals had any food in the stomach - a sign of their distress, given they likely had ample food available to them. The Penn veterinarians will continue to compare lab results and collaborate with scientists investigating the stranding of 177 common dolphins on Cape Cod (with 124 dying) in Massachusetts as they work to determine an exact cause of death.
Ocean acidification turns climate change winners into losers
Adding ocean acidification and de-oxygenation into the mix of climate change predictions may turn “winner” regions of fisheries and biodiversity into “losers,” according to research released today by University of British Columbia researchers. Previous projections have suggested the effects of warmer water temperature would result in fish moving pole-ward and deeper towards cooler waters - and an increase of fish catch potential of as much as 30 per cent in the North Atlantic by 2050. Accounting for effects of de-oxygenation and ocean acidification, however, some regions may see a 20-35 per cent reduction in maximum catch potential by 2050 (relative to 2005) – depending on the individual species’ sensitivity to ocean acidification. For example, in the Norwegian Sea, ocean warming by itself may result in a 15 per cent increase in fisheries catch potential. However, accounting for acidification and de-oxygenation, the increase turns to a decrease of 15 per cent, and the region from a “winner” to a “loser.” “Loser” regions in the tropics could become poorer and will require better strategies to mitigate potential food security issues. Climate change and the associated physical and chemical changes in the ocean decrease oxygen in the water in some region. Meanwhile, approximately one-third of the carbon dioxide that humans produce by burning fossil fuels is being absorbed by the ocean, gradually causing the oceans to become more acidic and affecting biological processes of various marine organisms. Rebuilding global fisheries may increase the capacity of marine species to handle the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification.
That's all for this edition - check back in two weeks for the next Marine News Roundup.
Showing posts with label Sharks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sharks. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Marine News Roundup
I hope you have all had a good Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy New Year. Here is the latest Respect Our Seas Marine News Roundup.
Scientists Discover Astounding Deep-Sea Sponges With Carnivorous Ways, 'Jaws Of A Great White Shark'
Scientists have recently discovered and described three "previously unknown species" of carnivorous sponges from the family Cladorhizidae. The scientists say that one resembles a "tiny shrub", another has tiny bones that resemble the "jaws of a great white shark", and the third like "crochet-hooks". They were discovered in the deep waters off New Zealand and Macquarie Island, an Australian sub-Antarctic territory.
Worldwide marine mammal consumption rises - but Alaska practices lauded
Killing marine mammals for food has increased over the past few decades worldwide - often by tropical zone fishermen netting animals in situations without controls to avoid overharvests - according to a new study that examined 900 sources of information across the globe.
Cairns shark researcher to test new tool
Conserving shark species in the deep waters of the Great Barrier Reef is a challenge for shark researcher Cassandra Rigby. The James Cook University PhD student said information on the age, growth and reproduction of deep water sharks was limited – despite half of the world’s 1200 species of sharks and rays living in deep water. This information was crucial in conserving populations, but a new tool being developed may be a breakthrough.
Russian aircraft carrier caught dumping rubbish into sea off Scottish coast
Russian sailors tipped rubbish into the Moray Firth as they sheltered from stormy weather. The crew of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov were spotted chucking bin bags into the sea – a sanctuary for seals and bottlenose dolphins. The 65,000-ton ship was one of several Russian navy vessels sheltering from the the weather in international waters.
Crab pot limits will change the rules for California fishers
Legislation that sets crab pot limits may soon help fishers in California. The legislation will lighten competition from large boats and ease the chaos of the season's opening weeks by limiting fishing. Fishers catch most of the Dungeness crab for the entire season during the early days and the season ends in June and the crab pot limit would reduce fishing at the beginning and instead stretch it out throughout the season. Fishers and experts believe this could help protect the local fishery.
Giant cannibal shrimp worry Gulf Coast watchers
Those festive balloon releases that take place around the holidays aren't that festive if you're a sea turtle. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warns people planning parties around New Year's or football games that balloons usually end up in the ocean or other water body. Sea turtles mistake balloons for food, and the strings can entangle birds and other animals. State law prohibits the release of more than nine lighter-than-air balloons within a 24-hour period.
Dutch unveil plan in war against the sea: a sandbar
In its age-old war to keep back the sea, low-lying Netherlands has dumped sand onto a surface larger than 200 football fields just off the coast - and will wait for nature to do the rest. The Dutch authorities hope that the sand will be driven landward to form a natural barrier against the North Sea's relentless onslaught.
New Zealand sea lion slides towards extinction
In a submission to the Ministry of Fisheries, the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has called on the government to reconsider proposals for the Auckland Islands squid fishery. The New Zealand sea lion is an endemic species, found principally in the Auckland Islands. The population has been declining for a number of years, and in 2010 the Department of Conservation reclassified the species as 'nationally critical', the most endangered category available in the classification system. Research shows that squid fishing is probably a key cause of the population decline.
Earthquake Sensors Track Rare Whales
Underwater earthquake recordings could help track the endangered and poorly understood fin whale, according to research presented here last week at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Most quake researchers cull the whale’s booming calls from their seafloor recordings. But one group of seismologists has flipped things around to harvest an extensive repertoire of fin whale songs.
Seal stranded on Mablethorpe beach saved by RNLI crewman
The RNLI came to the rescue when a seal became stranded on Mablethorpe beach. The female adult grey seal was found on the beach by a member of the public who reported it to the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary. When the Seal Sanctuary were unable to move it the RNLI stepped in to help. Lifeboatman Paul Hills was able to lift the injured seal to the sanctuary.
Sea snails help scientists explore a possible way to enhance memory
Efforts to help people with learning impairments are being aided by a species of sea snail known as Aplysia californica. The mollusk, which is used by researchers to study the brain, has much in common with other species including humans. Research involving the snail has contributed to the understanding of learning and memory.
UN launches Decade of Biodiversity
The United Nations has launched the Decade on Biodiversity with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encouraging humanity to live harmoniously with nature and to respectfully manage its assets for generations ahead. The General Assembly previously declared the period 2011-2020 as United Nations Decade on Biodiversity to promote the implementation of a strategic plan on biodiversity and its overall vision of living in harmony with nature.
Scientists test sick Alaska seals for radiation
Scientists in Alaska are investigating whether local seals are being sickened by radiation from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Scores of ring seals have washed up on Alaska's Arctic coastline since July, suffering or killed by a mysterious disease marked by bleeding lesions on the hind flippers, irritated skin around the nose and eyes and patchy hair loss on the animals' fur coats. Biologists at first thought the seals were suffering from a virus, but they have so far been unable to identify one, and tests are now underway to find out if radiation is a factor.
Woman rolls stranded 5ft shark down beach and into sea
Jeanette Longley took the plunge when she saw a stranded shark on the beach at West Bay. She became soaked as she wrestled with the creature to drag it back into the sea after it was swept ashore near the seafront chalets. The 56-year-old rolled the 5ft fish down the shingle and was buffeted by waves as she made several attempts to pull it back out to safety. Coastguards said they understood why Jeannette tried to save the shark but warned people against taking risks. A spokesman urged people to call them in such situations as officers are specially trained and have such equipment as dry suits, life jackets and lines. A spokesman for the SeaLife Centre in Weymouth said it was unsure what type of fish it was.
That's it for 2011 - we will be back in 2012 with the next Marine News Roundup!
Scientists Discover Astounding Deep-Sea Sponges With Carnivorous Ways, 'Jaws Of A Great White Shark'
Scientists have recently discovered and described three "previously unknown species" of carnivorous sponges from the family Cladorhizidae. The scientists say that one resembles a "tiny shrub", another has tiny bones that resemble the "jaws of a great white shark", and the third like "crochet-hooks". They were discovered in the deep waters off New Zealand and Macquarie Island, an Australian sub-Antarctic territory.
Worldwide marine mammal consumption rises - but Alaska practices lauded
Killing marine mammals for food has increased over the past few decades worldwide - often by tropical zone fishermen netting animals in situations without controls to avoid overharvests - according to a new study that examined 900 sources of information across the globe.
Cairns shark researcher to test new tool
Conserving shark species in the deep waters of the Great Barrier Reef is a challenge for shark researcher Cassandra Rigby. The James Cook University PhD student said information on the age, growth and reproduction of deep water sharks was limited – despite half of the world’s 1200 species of sharks and rays living in deep water. This information was crucial in conserving populations, but a new tool being developed may be a breakthrough.
Russian aircraft carrier caught dumping rubbish into sea off Scottish coast
Russian sailors tipped rubbish into the Moray Firth as they sheltered from stormy weather. The crew of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov were spotted chucking bin bags into the sea – a sanctuary for seals and bottlenose dolphins. The 65,000-ton ship was one of several Russian navy vessels sheltering from the the weather in international waters.
Crab pot limits will change the rules for California fishers
Legislation that sets crab pot limits may soon help fishers in California. The legislation will lighten competition from large boats and ease the chaos of the season's opening weeks by limiting fishing. Fishers catch most of the Dungeness crab for the entire season during the early days and the season ends in June and the crab pot limit would reduce fishing at the beginning and instead stretch it out throughout the season. Fishers and experts believe this could help protect the local fishery.
Giant cannibal shrimp worry Gulf Coast watchers
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Gulf of Mexico, a new menace, this one striped like a big cat, is preying on aquatic life: The black tiger shrimp. The biggest saltwater shrimp in the world, black tigers, are cannibalistic as are other shrimp but it’s larger so it can consume the others. Because of the threat of disease, the predatory intruder poses a problem for the native shrimp and oyster population of the Gulf.
Dutch unveil plan in war against the sea: a sandbar
In its age-old war to keep back the sea, low-lying Netherlands has dumped sand onto a surface larger than 200 football fields just off the coast - and will wait for nature to do the rest. The Dutch authorities hope that the sand will be driven landward to form a natural barrier against the North Sea's relentless onslaught.
New Zealand sea lion slides towards extinction
In a submission to the Ministry of Fisheries, the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has called on the government to reconsider proposals for the Auckland Islands squid fishery. The New Zealand sea lion is an endemic species, found principally in the Auckland Islands. The population has been declining for a number of years, and in 2010 the Department of Conservation reclassified the species as 'nationally critical', the most endangered category available in the classification system. Research shows that squid fishing is probably a key cause of the population decline.
Earthquake Sensors Track Rare Whales
Underwater earthquake recordings could help track the endangered and poorly understood fin whale, according to research presented here last week at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Most quake researchers cull the whale’s booming calls from their seafloor recordings. But one group of seismologists has flipped things around to harvest an extensive repertoire of fin whale songs.
Seal stranded on Mablethorpe beach saved by RNLI crewman
The RNLI came to the rescue when a seal became stranded on Mablethorpe beach. The female adult grey seal was found on the beach by a member of the public who reported it to the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary. When the Seal Sanctuary were unable to move it the RNLI stepped in to help. Lifeboatman Paul Hills was able to lift the injured seal to the sanctuary.
Sea snails help scientists explore a possible way to enhance memory
Efforts to help people with learning impairments are being aided by a species of sea snail known as Aplysia californica. The mollusk, which is used by researchers to study the brain, has much in common with other species including humans. Research involving the snail has contributed to the understanding of learning and memory.
UN launches Decade of Biodiversity
The United Nations has launched the Decade on Biodiversity with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encouraging humanity to live harmoniously with nature and to respectfully manage its assets for generations ahead. The General Assembly previously declared the period 2011-2020 as United Nations Decade on Biodiversity to promote the implementation of a strategic plan on biodiversity and its overall vision of living in harmony with nature.
Scientists test sick Alaska seals for radiation
Scientists in Alaska are investigating whether local seals are being sickened by radiation from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Scores of ring seals have washed up on Alaska's Arctic coastline since July, suffering or killed by a mysterious disease marked by bleeding lesions on the hind flippers, irritated skin around the nose and eyes and patchy hair loss on the animals' fur coats. Biologists at first thought the seals were suffering from a virus, but they have so far been unable to identify one, and tests are now underway to find out if radiation is a factor.
Woman rolls stranded 5ft shark down beach and into sea
Jeanette Longley took the plunge when she saw a stranded shark on the beach at West Bay. She became soaked as she wrestled with the creature to drag it back into the sea after it was swept ashore near the seafront chalets. The 56-year-old rolled the 5ft fish down the shingle and was buffeted by waves as she made several attempts to pull it back out to safety. Coastguards said they understood why Jeannette tried to save the shark but warned people against taking risks. A spokesman urged people to call them in such situations as officers are specially trained and have such equipment as dry suits, life jackets and lines. A spokesman for the SeaLife Centre in Weymouth said it was unsure what type of fish it was.
That's it for 2011 - we will be back in 2012 with the next Marine News Roundup!
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Great News for Sharks
From Project AWARE:
Your Shark Protection Efforts are Making a Difference!
Two important steps for sharks have been taken in the past week as a result of all your hard work, spreading the word, shouting for sharks and petition signing!
On November 22nd, the European Commission announced the long awaited proposal for closing the loopholes in the European Union’s ban on shark finning. And the European Union has become a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Sharks.
These are important steps forward in Project AWARE’s work to protect threatened and vulnerable shark species. To learn more you can check out the full stories at:
Big Day in European Shark Conservation
Sharks Given a Fighting Chance as EU Inches Toward Closing Loopholes
European fishing fleets play a major role in shark fishing worldwide with a number of loopholes in legislation which have long threatened sharks not just in European waters but globally too. Project AWARE have been battling this issue for the past few years and you’ve made your voice heard to help them get there. Thank you!
In 2012, they’ll be pushing EU Member States to agree to the proposal for a strong, loophole-free EU finning ban. And they’ll be pushing harder for their goal to protect vulnerable shark species from trade under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at the next CITES meeting in Thailand in 2013. There’s much to be done between now and then.
For now, thank you for supporting shark protection alongside Project AWARE.
Your Shark Protection Efforts are Making a Difference!
Two important steps for sharks have been taken in the past week as a result of all your hard work, spreading the word, shouting for sharks and petition signing!
On November 22nd, the European Commission announced the long awaited proposal for closing the loopholes in the European Union’s ban on shark finning. And the European Union has become a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Sharks.
These are important steps forward in Project AWARE’s work to protect threatened and vulnerable shark species. To learn more you can check out the full stories at:
Big Day in European Shark Conservation
Sharks Given a Fighting Chance as EU Inches Toward Closing Loopholes
European fishing fleets play a major role in shark fishing worldwide with a number of loopholes in legislation which have long threatened sharks not just in European waters but globally too. Project AWARE have been battling this issue for the past few years and you’ve made your voice heard to help them get there. Thank you!
In 2012, they’ll be pushing EU Member States to agree to the proposal for a strong, loophole-free EU finning ban. And they’ll be pushing harder for their goal to protect vulnerable shark species from trade under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at the next CITES meeting in Thailand in 2013. There’s much to be done between now and then.
For now, thank you for supporting shark protection alongside Project AWARE.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, 17 November 2011
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
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.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
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.
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
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
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."
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.
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 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.
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!
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!
Sunday, 16 October 2011
European Shark Week
European Shark Week takes place each year and provides a week of activities for shark enthusiasts to find out more about shark conservation and get involved with campaigns that will help to secure the future of shark populations in Europe. This year it takes place from 15th-23rd October. So what can you do to get involved?
Have you signed the Shark Alliance's petition to protect Europe's sharks? At the time of writing this blog, 24,142 people have already signed the petition, which targets national fisheries ministers in EU member states to ensure that loopholes in the current EU finning ban are closed. You can also check their events calendar to see if there are any Shark Week events happening near you.
You can find out more about European Shark Week on the Shark Trust website - and why not 'like' their facebook page? The Shark Alliance, Support Our Sharks, Support Our Sharks Europe and The Global Shark Conservation Initiative are also great sources of information about sharks on facebook (and don't forget Respect Our Seas is on facebook too!).
Project AWARE are also running a Big Shark Shout Out week and have their own petition you can sign. So far, 79,567 people have signed this petition. You can also email messages of support for the Shark Shout Out Wall, make your own Shark Shout Out wall, display a Big Shout Out or Not Too Loud poster or sticker, organise or join a Big Shark Shout Out event, download the Shark Petition app, display the Shark Petition Widget on your website, or even display your own "I Shouted for Sharks" PicBadge on your facebook and Twitter profile pictures!
Whatever you do for European Shark Week, do leave us a comment and let us know!
Have you signed the Shark Alliance's petition to protect Europe's sharks? At the time of writing this blog, 24,142 people have already signed the petition, which targets national fisheries ministers in EU member states to ensure that loopholes in the current EU finning ban are closed. You can also check their events calendar to see if there are any Shark Week events happening near you.You can find out more about European Shark Week on the Shark Trust website - and why not 'like' their facebook page? The Shark Alliance, Support Our Sharks, Support Our Sharks Europe and The Global Shark Conservation Initiative are also great sources of information about sharks on facebook (and don't forget Respect Our Seas is on facebook too!).
Project AWARE are also running a Big Shark Shout Out week and have their own petition you can sign. So far, 79,567 people have signed this petition. You can also email messages of support for the Shark Shout Out Wall, make your own Shark Shout Out wall, display a Big Shout Out or Not Too Loud poster or sticker, organise or join a Big Shark Shout Out event, download the Shark Petition app, display the Shark Petition Widget on your website, or even display your own "I Shouted for Sharks" PicBadge on your facebook and Twitter profile pictures!Whatever you do for European Shark Week, do leave us a comment and let us know!
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Marine News Roundup
Welcome to this week's Marine News Roundup. From now on we will be posting the Roundup every fortnight, but don't worry, we'll make sure we include even more fantastic stories in each edition!
What's more dangerous than diving with 100 sharks?
When the BBC Earth Deadly 60 crew travelled to South Africa to film blacktip sharks they were prepared for a frightening dive. Little did they know that just getting themselves to the right place, at the right time with all their kit working would pose the biggest challenge of all. Read the full blog for more on this fascinating story!
Can piranhas eat a human being alive?
Legend has it that piranhas gather in predatory shoals and can strip human beings to the bone and eat them alive. In the last of the Deadly 60 blogs for BBC Earth, the team have taken to the water to find out exactly why the piranha has developed such a fearsome reputation. They can also detect a drop of blood in 200 litres of water and shoals can clean off meat from a carcass with alarming effectiveness. Getting in the water to lure them in with a piece of steak had frightening results for one member of the Deadly 60 Team.... Read on to find out more!
New Dolphin Slaughter of Striped Dolphins
Save Japan Dolphins is a campaign conducted by the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute. SaveJapanDolphins.org was formed to put an end to the Japanese drive fishery slaughter of dolphins and stop the capture and live trade of dolphins to zoos and aquariums around the world. The slaughter of dolphins in the small fishing village of Taiji at The Cove is carried out by about 26 fishermen. They kill the dolphins with a permit from their government. Tia Butt, volunteer Cove Monitor in Taiji, filmed the slaughter of a large pod of striped dolphins and the capture of a live dolphin on Tuesday 4th October.
A Growing Movement to Save Sharks
More than 70 million sharks die each year, killed for their fins, which end up in soup. At that rate, nearly a third of all shark species may soon be threatened with extinction. The loss of those predators would have an enormous effect all the way down the marine food chain. One country at a time, there are growing restrictions on finning - cutting the fin off a shark and leaving it to die - and, increasingly, shark fishing. Last month, Mexico announced that it would ban shark and stingray fishing beginning next year. Several island nations - Micronesia, the Maldives, Palau, and the Marshall Islands - have already created shark sanctuaries. There is hope that Honduras and Colombia will follow suit, perhaps creating a protective corridor reaching to the Galapagos Islands. The United States has not banned shark fishing, but it has banned finning since 2000 and, in January, President Obama signed a law requiring that sharks be brought to port intact, with their fins in place. Several states, including California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii, have also banned the sale of shark fins. These are welcome steps toward keeping the ocean in balance by leaving its top predator in place. The Marshall Islands government has created the world's largest shark sanctuary, covering nearly two million sq km (750,000 sq miles) of ocean. Other countries cannot control the growing passion for shark-fin soup in newly affluent China and East Asia - but they can deny them the raw material.
Fish That "Walks"
Scientists have discovered that the Pacific Leaping Blenny can walk on land, using a tail-twisting movement. It could give scientists a clue as to how life evolved to live on land. Watch the video for more details of this little-known fish!
New technology may revolutionize shrimp farming
A Texas AgriLife Research scientist has created new shrimp production technology that produces record-setting amounts of shrimp. The patent-pending technology, known as super-intensive stacked raceways, yields jumbo-size shrimp weighing 1.1 oz each. These are known as U15 shrimp and give world-record production of up to 25kg of shrimp per m3 of water using zero water exchange and/or recirculating water. The indoor system will lower US dependence on foreign shrimp - the US imports about 90% of the shrimp it consumes - and could help address world hunger. The shrimp are grown in four columns of piled raceways; raceways are long tubs with circulating water of a depth measuring just 5-7in. As shrimp develop, they are moved to a raceway below; baby shrimp are added to the top while the mature shrimp below are harvested. Economic data shows an estimated rate of return of 25-60%.
Nine bags of beach litter
We previously mentioned our involvement with the Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-a-Beach initiative and that we were running a cleanup on a local beach for their Beachwatch campaign. The cleanup was reported on by The Herald and they mentioned that we removed nine bags of rubbish from the beach, the majority of which was plastic. We also found half an anchor and the remains of of Conger eel. For more information on how you can get involved in this sort of activity, please see our previous blog post on the Marine Conservation Society.
Government ends all turtle hunting
The Trinidad and Tobago Government is moving steadily in its effort to cease the slaughtering of turtles after Cabinet approved an amendment of the Fisheries Act earlier this week. The amendment seeks to protect Turtles and Turtle eggs under Section 4 Chapter 67:51 of the Act. The amendment is a landmark piece of legislation which prohibits the killing, harpooning and sale of turtles. The Act states, “No person shall, at any time, kill, harpoon, catch or otherwise take possession of any turtle, or purchase, sell, offer or expose for sale or cause to be sold or offered for sale any turtle or turtle meat”. All turtles are regarded as critically endangered worldwide according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) and turtles can no longer now be considered a by-catch.
Humboldt squid make surprise return off Orange County
Humboldt squid are deep-water denizens that can measure 7 feet and weigh up to 100 pounds. Their historic range is off South America but they've been expanding their territory for many years. They show off Southern California every 4-5 years. Their appearance off Orange County, California, has prompted sport-fishing landings to schedule more night trips in search of the mysterious cephalopods.
Big catches mask dwindling numbers of sea bass
A study has found that the populations of kelp bass and barred sand bass have plummeted 90% since 1980. Overfishing and warmer ocean temperatures are blamed for the decline. However, sport-fishing boats have been able to keep their catch rates high in part because they have targeted bustling spawning grounds. As reliably as masses of sea bass gather off the Southern California coast each summer, boatloads of anglers arrive to reel them in. But their bountiful catches are an illusion, scientists say. Each summer, when sand bass migrate to half a dozen hot spots from Ventura to San Diego, half-day trips on sport-fishing vessels, commonly known as party boats, typically fill up with paying customers who bring back loads of the fish. Some 80% of the year's sand bass are hooked at those six sites in a matter of weeks. Even so, Southern California sport-fishing groups said they have seen a noticeable decline in sand bass in recent years, with lackluster catches even during the summer boom time. Fishermen who work kelp forests that rise up from rocky reefs in places like Point Dume in Malibu say they haven't noticed a decline in the kelp bass. Many fishing groups suggest that even such dramatic drops are cyclical, and they resist the notion of a collapse. The explanation may not be as simple as overfishing, they say; the sea bass could also be responding to changing water temperatures, dwindling food supplies or increased predation. To determine the health of Southern California's sea bass stocks, researchers went beyond traditional catch rates, using fish reports published in The Times, logs of the number of fish sucked up by ocean-cooled power plants and an underwater visual census conducted by Occidental College since 1974. The downward trend it revealed for sand bass was particularly startling. The plunge of both species mirrors some of the most famous examples of fisheries in peril, such as the North Atlantic cod in the 1990s. However, the collapse does not mean extinction; if measures are taken to protect the fish, they could rebound. The solution could be as simple as asking wildlife officials to reduce catch limits and tighten size limitations so the very smallest and the largest fish would have to be released, changes some fishing groups have been backing for years.
That's all for this week - and don't forget, the next Marine News Roundup will be published in two week's time. In the meantime you can keep up-to-date with us on Twitter and Facebook.
What's more dangerous than diving with 100 sharks?
When the BBC Earth Deadly 60 crew travelled to South Africa to film blacktip sharks they were prepared for a frightening dive. Little did they know that just getting themselves to the right place, at the right time with all their kit working would pose the biggest challenge of all. Read the full blog for more on this fascinating story!
Can piranhas eat a human being alive?
Legend has it that piranhas gather in predatory shoals and can strip human beings to the bone and eat them alive. In the last of the Deadly 60 blogs for BBC Earth, the team have taken to the water to find out exactly why the piranha has developed such a fearsome reputation. They can also detect a drop of blood in 200 litres of water and shoals can clean off meat from a carcass with alarming effectiveness. Getting in the water to lure them in with a piece of steak had frightening results for one member of the Deadly 60 Team.... Read on to find out more!
New Dolphin Slaughter of Striped Dolphins
Save Japan Dolphins is a campaign conducted by the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute. SaveJapanDolphins.org was formed to put an end to the Japanese drive fishery slaughter of dolphins and stop the capture and live trade of dolphins to zoos and aquariums around the world. The slaughter of dolphins in the small fishing village of Taiji at The Cove is carried out by about 26 fishermen. They kill the dolphins with a permit from their government. Tia Butt, volunteer Cove Monitor in Taiji, filmed the slaughter of a large pod of striped dolphins and the capture of a live dolphin on Tuesday 4th October.
A Growing Movement to Save Sharks
More than 70 million sharks die each year, killed for their fins, which end up in soup. At that rate, nearly a third of all shark species may soon be threatened with extinction. The loss of those predators would have an enormous effect all the way down the marine food chain. One country at a time, there are growing restrictions on finning - cutting the fin off a shark and leaving it to die - and, increasingly, shark fishing. Last month, Mexico announced that it would ban shark and stingray fishing beginning next year. Several island nations - Micronesia, the Maldives, Palau, and the Marshall Islands - have already created shark sanctuaries. There is hope that Honduras and Colombia will follow suit, perhaps creating a protective corridor reaching to the Galapagos Islands. The United States has not banned shark fishing, but it has banned finning since 2000 and, in January, President Obama signed a law requiring that sharks be brought to port intact, with their fins in place. Several states, including California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii, have also banned the sale of shark fins. These are welcome steps toward keeping the ocean in balance by leaving its top predator in place. The Marshall Islands government has created the world's largest shark sanctuary, covering nearly two million sq km (750,000 sq miles) of ocean. Other countries cannot control the growing passion for shark-fin soup in newly affluent China and East Asia - but they can deny them the raw material.
Fish That "Walks"
Scientists have discovered that the Pacific Leaping Blenny can walk on land, using a tail-twisting movement. It could give scientists a clue as to how life evolved to live on land. Watch the video for more details of this little-known fish!
New technology may revolutionize shrimp farming
A Texas AgriLife Research scientist has created new shrimp production technology that produces record-setting amounts of shrimp. The patent-pending technology, known as super-intensive stacked raceways, yields jumbo-size shrimp weighing 1.1 oz each. These are known as U15 shrimp and give world-record production of up to 25kg of shrimp per m3 of water using zero water exchange and/or recirculating water. The indoor system will lower US dependence on foreign shrimp - the US imports about 90% of the shrimp it consumes - and could help address world hunger. The shrimp are grown in four columns of piled raceways; raceways are long tubs with circulating water of a depth measuring just 5-7in. As shrimp develop, they are moved to a raceway below; baby shrimp are added to the top while the mature shrimp below are harvested. Economic data shows an estimated rate of return of 25-60%.
Nine bags of beach litter
We previously mentioned our involvement with the Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-a-Beach initiative and that we were running a cleanup on a local beach for their Beachwatch campaign. The cleanup was reported on by The Herald and they mentioned that we removed nine bags of rubbish from the beach, the majority of which was plastic. We also found half an anchor and the remains of of Conger eel. For more information on how you can get involved in this sort of activity, please see our previous blog post on the Marine Conservation Society.
Government ends all turtle hunting
The Trinidad and Tobago Government is moving steadily in its effort to cease the slaughtering of turtles after Cabinet approved an amendment of the Fisheries Act earlier this week. The amendment seeks to protect Turtles and Turtle eggs under Section 4 Chapter 67:51 of the Act. The amendment is a landmark piece of legislation which prohibits the killing, harpooning and sale of turtles. The Act states, “No person shall, at any time, kill, harpoon, catch or otherwise take possession of any turtle, or purchase, sell, offer or expose for sale or cause to be sold or offered for sale any turtle or turtle meat”. All turtles are regarded as critically endangered worldwide according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) and turtles can no longer now be considered a by-catch.
Humboldt squid make surprise return off Orange County
Humboldt squid are deep-water denizens that can measure 7 feet and weigh up to 100 pounds. Their historic range is off South America but they've been expanding their territory for many years. They show off Southern California every 4-5 years. Their appearance off Orange County, California, has prompted sport-fishing landings to schedule more night trips in search of the mysterious cephalopods.
Big catches mask dwindling numbers of sea bass
A study has found that the populations of kelp bass and barred sand bass have plummeted 90% since 1980. Overfishing and warmer ocean temperatures are blamed for the decline. However, sport-fishing boats have been able to keep their catch rates high in part because they have targeted bustling spawning grounds. As reliably as masses of sea bass gather off the Southern California coast each summer, boatloads of anglers arrive to reel them in. But their bountiful catches are an illusion, scientists say. Each summer, when sand bass migrate to half a dozen hot spots from Ventura to San Diego, half-day trips on sport-fishing vessels, commonly known as party boats, typically fill up with paying customers who bring back loads of the fish. Some 80% of the year's sand bass are hooked at those six sites in a matter of weeks. Even so, Southern California sport-fishing groups said they have seen a noticeable decline in sand bass in recent years, with lackluster catches even during the summer boom time. Fishermen who work kelp forests that rise up from rocky reefs in places like Point Dume in Malibu say they haven't noticed a decline in the kelp bass. Many fishing groups suggest that even such dramatic drops are cyclical, and they resist the notion of a collapse. The explanation may not be as simple as overfishing, they say; the sea bass could also be responding to changing water temperatures, dwindling food supplies or increased predation. To determine the health of Southern California's sea bass stocks, researchers went beyond traditional catch rates, using fish reports published in The Times, logs of the number of fish sucked up by ocean-cooled power plants and an underwater visual census conducted by Occidental College since 1974. The downward trend it revealed for sand bass was particularly startling. The plunge of both species mirrors some of the most famous examples of fisheries in peril, such as the North Atlantic cod in the 1990s. However, the collapse does not mean extinction; if measures are taken to protect the fish, they could rebound. The solution could be as simple as asking wildlife officials to reduce catch limits and tighten size limitations so the very smallest and the largest fish would have to be released, changes some fishing groups have been backing for years.
That's all for this week - and don't forget, the next Marine News Roundup will be published in two week's time. In the meantime you can keep up-to-date with us on Twitter and Facebook.
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