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

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.

Balloons can be dangerous for sea turtles

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!

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.