Welcome to the first Marine News Roundup of 2012! Have you made nay marine-related New Year's resolutions? Perhaps you are going to spend more time at the beach, get involved with a beach clean, or do more to protect marine species? Whatever you're doing, leave us a comment and let us know!
Electrified cages jolt coral reef survival
A low-level electric current running through domed-shaped metallic structures in the waters off Bali is giving a jolt to coral reef survival there, according to news reports. The Biorock technology is seen by some conservationists as a means to repair coral reefs damaged by years of destructive cyanide and dynamite fishing practices, as well as steadily warming oceans.
Rare mussels found during marine surveys
The largest living collection of rare fan mussels in British waters has been discovered around Scotland’s Small Isles. More than 100 of the mussels, a species that fishermen used to believe fed on the bodies of drowned sailors, were located during a series of surveys of Scottish waters over the last year. Mussel fans were one of several rare species to be uncovered in waters where they were either unknown or hardly ever seen. They are the largest shellfish in British waters – growing up to 48cm long – and are among the rarest and most threatened.
Creatures found at deep-sea volcanic vent
A team of British scientists has captured images of very rare species, in some of the most inaccessible parts of the Indian Ocean. While they were surveying volcanic underwater vents, they found an array of creatures, including yeti crabs, scaly-foot snails and sea cucumbers. They believe some of the species may be new to science.
Marine surveys record 'brainless fish' off Orkney
Scotland's biggest horse mussel bed and a "faceless and brainless" fish-like creature were recorded during government-backed surveys this year. The work covered almost 2,200 square miles - equivalent to an area one and a quarter times the size of the Cairngorms National Park. The Scottish government has hailed the finds made during the surveys. WWF Scotland said the results highlighted the need to better protect the marine environment.
Seafloor "Bridges" Found to Span Earth's Deepest Trench
The Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean off the eastern coasts of Japan and the Philippines - at a depth of around 6.8 miles (11 kilometres) below sea level - is famous for being the deepest point on the planet's surface. Now, to add to the Mariana Trench's fame, marine geophysicists recently mapped a set of surprising seafloor features nearby. At least four underwater "bridges" span the depths of the trench, where the Pacific Plate dives under the Philippine Plate.
Whale and dolphin group reports big increase in strandings on coastline
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has said that the past year has seen a big increase in strandings of whales and dolphins compared to previous years. A total of 160 stranding and 1,565 sighting reports were logged during 2011. This is compares to 92 strandings in 2010.
World-first hybrid shark found off Australia
Scientists said on Tuesday that they had discovered the world's first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, a potential sign the predators were adapting to cope with climate change. The mating of the local Australian black-tip shark with its global counterpart, the common black-tip, was an unprecedented discovery with implications for the entire shark world.
Dead herring mystery for Norway as thousands wash up on beach
Norwegians have been left puzzled at the sight of thousands of dead herring carpeting a beach in the northerly district of Nordreisa with some wondering if a predator had driven them to their death or a storm had washed them ashore. Scientists were hoping to test the fish to see if they could ascertain the cause of death. Locals had more pressing concerns: how to clean up the 20 tonnes of dead creatures before they decay.
Tiny fish mimics octopus that mimics fish
A new film captures a circular game of copycat: a fish that mimics an octopus that mimics fish. First described by scientists in 1998, the remarkable mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) can shift its shape, movements and colour to impersonate toxic lionfish, flatfish and even sea snakes. Such mimicry allows it to swim in the open with relatively little fear of predators. The black-marble jawfish (Stalix histrio), on the other hand, is a small, timid fish. It spends most of its adult life close to a sand burrow that serves as its hideout if a predator comes along.
Marine biologist accused of feeding whales
A marine biologist who runs popular whale-watching tours on California’s Monterey Bay has been indicted for violating federal laws that protect marine mammals. The San Jose Mercury News reports Nancy Black was charged Wednesday in San Jose for the violations, including two alleging she fed a killer whale. Black is also charged with lying to investigators about altering a 2005 video to hide what authorities say was illegal contact with a humpback whale in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Prosecutors say charges were filed after an investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and US Department of Justice. Lawrence Biegel, Black’s lawyer, says she had a research permit to study the whales and denies she fed them.
High mercury levels found in Antarctic waters
A new study has found Antarctica is not as pristine as people might think. A team of French and Australian oceanographers have discovered the seabirds in the Southern Ocean have four times the mercury levels of aquatic birds elsewhere. The toxic element has come from both man-made and naturally occurring sources and while the birds seem to be coping, the same cannot be said for the region's fish. Seabirds like albatross and petrels are the mega-fauna above the water, while whales, seals and penguins are the big predators below.
Begging Whale Sharks Raise Concern In Philippines
Whale sharks begging for food in the central Philippines have sparked a debate on whether feeding the giant fish may ultimately be hurting the creatures, officials have said. While the mayor of the coastal town of Oslob insists that the practice of feeding the whale sharks does no harm and is good for tourism, environmentalists have recommended that it be halted. Fishermen in Oslob in the central resort island of Cebu have been feeding whale sharks with baby shrimp since the 1980s and now use this feeding to make the
creatures rise to the surface of the water for the amusement of tourists. Expecting food, whale sharks might approach other boats and risk colliding with them. They also might be more vulnerable to poachers who will catch and kill them. Tourists are also barred from feeding or swimming with the whale sharks and the boatmen are required to use rowing boats and keep their distance to avoid
hurting fish with their propellers or in collisions. The Philippines has banned the catching and killing of whale sharks and they
have become popular tourist attractions in some towns.
Ocean waves power a prototype generator in Newport Beach
After testing their wave-powered turbine near the Wedge, the entrepreneurs behind Green Wave Energy Corp. want Newport Beach officials' permission to set up a more permanent trial. Waves at the Wedge are legendary for hurling bodysurfers into the air and
sweeping tourists off their feet. But the walls of water that rise up at the end of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach also could serve a far more utilitarian purpose: producing electricity. A pair of Newport Beach entrepreneurs have been testing a wave-powered turbine near the famed bodysurfing spot for years and have now approached city officials for permission to set up a more permanent prototype, possibly off one of the city's two piers. But because of strict regulations and high costs, it will be a long time before their generators can be used for commercial purposes.
Crowds thrilled as whales feast on birds
A pod of four killer whales kept a crowd of wildlife watchers entranced for hours on a still afternoon in Shetland. An adult female orca led one immature whale and two even younger whales from the south west tip of Shetland at West Voe round to the east of the islands, swimming up to Mousa Sound where they were last seen in the afternoon as it got dark. More than 200 people were watching the whales by the afternoon, causing gridlock on the roads in the area as more people heard about their arrival.
Near Icy Waters, Marine Life Gets By Swimmingly
Almost two miles deep into the dark water off the coast of Antarctica, researchers say they've discovered about two dozen new species of marine animals lurking on the seafloor. Geyserlike hydrothermal vents are key to these creatures' survival. The vents release scalding-hot fluids with chemicals that support them. The Antarctic research team was able to take photos and video of the new species, including yeti crabs, starfish, barnacles, sea anemones - and potentially octopuses.
That's all for now - check back in two week's time for the next Marine News Roundup.
Showing posts with label Survey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Survey. Show all posts
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Marine News Roundup
This weeks best marine news stories all in once place!
Keystone Pipeline Could Push Endangered Whooping Crane Into Extinction
The Canadian energy company TransCanada and the Obama administration is on the verge of approving a proposal that will place a route through which to move toxic, highly corrosive, sludgy crude oil on the same narrow corridor used by one of the world’s most endangered birds. If approved by the administration, the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline will move a half million+ barrels daily of Canadian crude 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Texas coast as soon as 2013. The Whooping crane is one of the most highly endangered birds in the world and the cranes follow the proposed path of the pipeline annually each spring, as they migrate from Texas to their breeding grounds in Canada. Scientists are deeply concerned by the proposals and say that, in addition to the grave risk of catastrophic spill, Whooping cranes would be put at still further risk by the installation of aerial power lines that would be constructed to power pumping stations on the proposed pipeline route. The State Department has completely ignored the impacts of the proposed pipeline on the highly endangered Whooping crane and in so doing, ignored the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. The Obama administration could announce its decision whether to block this remarkably flawed proposal at any time.
Tesco Drops Biodegradable Bags
Tesco is eliminating a controversial type of additive which helped it to create biodegradable bags, according to news reports. A study backed by the UK's Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs suggested that bags containing oxo-biodegradable additives (OBD) could actually harm the environment. Tesco is replacing the bags with an alternative that is not biodegradable, but which does use 15% recycled material. Tesco handed out over two billion of the bags to customers last year.
The Great Garbage Patch exposed
Tim Silverwood sailed the wild seas with a research team in search of the North Pacific's heart of plastic. His journey started around four years ago when he travelled to India and saw huge levels of trash entering waterways and the ocean. This article is a personal account of what Tim found when he visited the North Pacific Garbage Patch. "Tiny shards of 'micro debris', just like the plastic sand of Kamilo Beach, glistened among a treasure-trove of biota almost like they were meant to be there. It doesn't take long to realise that the larger items we spotted were merely the forebears of future plastic sand. Time, friction, tide and the relentless sun would secure their fate. Despite the conditions, we completed dozens of trawls and found plastic in every trawl, from recognisable items like pen caps and a toothbrush to tiny pieces including the infamous 'nurdle', the pre-production pellets used in the manufacture of plastic." You can read more about the North Pacific Garbage Patch and the problems of plastics and other debris in the marine environment in our Marine Debris blog.
Marine survey uncovers a deep sea treasure trove
Building on UN Environment Program biodiversity assessments, the Sydney Centre for Policy Development has counted up the worth of nature hidden beneath the sea's surface. The first serious stab at the value of the ecological benefits to Australia of its huge marine domain is $25 billion. The greatest single value lay in the ocean's use as a carbon sink. The report also calculated dollar values of the oceans to the economy in recreational fisheries, providing ''nursery'' services to fish, and in disease control.
Arctic sea ice is melting at its fastest pace in almost 40 years
The Northwest Passage was, again, free of ice this summer and the polar region could be unfrozen in just 30 years. Arctic sea ice has melted to a level not recorded since satellite observations started in 1972 – and almost certainly not experienced for at least 8,000 years, say polar scientists. The German researchers said the record melt was undoubtedly because of human-induced global warming. Floating Arctic sea ice naturally melts and re-freezes annually, but the speed of change in a generation has shocked scientists – it is now twice as great as it was in 1972, according to the NSIDC, with a decline of about 10% per decade. Arctic temperatures have risen more than twice as fast as the global average over the past half century. The last time the Arctic was uncontestably free of summertime ice was 125,000 years ago, at the height of the last major interglacial period, known as the Eemian. This year, both the North-west and North-east passages were mostly ice free, as they have been twice since 2008. Last year (2010) tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record.
Endangered blue whale spotted off Boothbay Harbor
Naturalists from two whale watching companies based in Boothbay Harbor confirmed the sighting on Sunday afternoon of an endangered blue whale, the largest mammal on Earth. The whale was believed to be “logging” or sleeping in waters about 15 miles offshore from Boothbay Harbor. Blue whales can grow to enormous sizes, weighing on average 400,000 pounds and possessing tongues that weigh as much as an elephant. Whale watch boats based in Maine typically spot fin, humpback and sei whales in the Gulf of Maine.
Call for more marine parks
The Centre for Policy Development, releasing its report on marine economy security, says that Australia needs extra marine parks and increased fish stocks to protect ocean ecosystems from the effects of climate change such as acidity and rising temperatures. Ocean ecosystems add an extra $25 billion to the national economy each year including $15.8 billion a year in carbon storage, the report says. Researchers looked at the south-western region of Western Australia as a case study and found the region provided an extra $435 million a year in value than official figures showed. The report said extending a proposed marine protection area to cover coastal shelf, sea grass and coral reefs could protect a further $1.1 billion in economic benefits.
Dugongs and Turtles Face Mass Starvation After Storm
Northeastern Australia may have dried out after devastating floods hit the area early this year, but for dugongs and turtles off the Queensland coast, the natural disaster's effects seem to be just beginning. Hundreds of the animals have been washing up dead onshore near the Great Barrier Reef.
The green turtles and dugongs, vulnerable herbivores related to the Florida manatee, are believed to be victims of the aftermath of the floods and cyclone that hit Australia over the past year.
Coral reefs 'will be gone by end of the century'
A leading United Nations scientist has claimed that coral reefs are on course to become the first ecosystem that human activity will eliminate entirely from the Earth. He says this event will occur before the end of the present century, which means that there are children already born who will live to see a world without coral. The predicted decline is mainly downacidification, though local activities such as overfishing, pollution and coastal development have also harmed the reefs. He predicts that, that "we risk having no reefs that resemble those of today in as little as 30 or 40 more years". Though not all scientists agree with these precise timescales set, the crisis is clear, although there are signs that local conservation efforts can make a difference.
10 deadly animals you wouldn't want to meet
Another great blog from the BBC Earth team! Check on number 8 on their 'deadly animals you wouldn't want to meet' list: Aurelia Jellyfish. "The common jellyfish moves by pulsating its saucer shaped colourless body. Beware the tentacles which surround its body - they contain stinging cells which are used to catch prey."
Plan for marine nature reserves
Plans for a series of marine nature reserves off the coast of Plymouth and South East Cornwall have been submitted to government. They are among a total of 58 proposed “conservation zones” in the South West covering habitats from estuaries and coastal areas to deep water canyons. The aim is to develop a wider network of areas providing improved protection for marine life and habitats. Of the suggested sites (MCZs), 13 are in offshore areas and 32 in the inshore waters of the region. It is aimed at protecting a broad range of wildlife and habitats, including a type of nationally scarce lagoon worm, blue mussel beds, a shoaling fish known as smelt, seagrass beds, the pink sea fan, a fish known as the giant goby, a stalked jellyfish and long snouted seahorses. Next year the Government will following a public consultation, announce the final list of marine conservation zones which are being designated under the Marine and Coastal Access Act. The Marine Conservation Society welcomed the announcement, saying protected sites were desperately needed to conserve the seas around the UK coast to allow habitats and wildlife to recover from decades of degradation.
Twice as much litter fouling area's beaches
On a more personal note, I have been volunteering for the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) for nine years and during this time I have, among other things, arranged regular beach cleans on the Plymouth Local Group's adopted beach at Batten Bay. This weekend is the MCS Beachwatch weekend and we will be holding a cleanup at Batten Bay at 10.30am this Saturday, 17th September. Our local paper, The Herald, has published an article which, although it doesn't mention my name, directly quotes from my email to our volunteers. It's good to see the message getting out there and hopefully we will have a good turnout of volunteers on Saturday!
That's it for this week... Check back next Thursday for the next Marine News Roundup!
Keystone Pipeline Could Push Endangered Whooping Crane Into Extinction
The Canadian energy company TransCanada and the Obama administration is on the verge of approving a proposal that will place a route through which to move toxic, highly corrosive, sludgy crude oil on the same narrow corridor used by one of the world’s most endangered birds. If approved by the administration, the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline will move a half million+ barrels daily of Canadian crude 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Texas coast as soon as 2013. The Whooping crane is one of the most highly endangered birds in the world and the cranes follow the proposed path of the pipeline annually each spring, as they migrate from Texas to their breeding grounds in Canada. Scientists are deeply concerned by the proposals and say that, in addition to the grave risk of catastrophic spill, Whooping cranes would be put at still further risk by the installation of aerial power lines that would be constructed to power pumping stations on the proposed pipeline route. The State Department has completely ignored the impacts of the proposed pipeline on the highly endangered Whooping crane and in so doing, ignored the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. The Obama administration could announce its decision whether to block this remarkably flawed proposal at any time.
Tesco Drops Biodegradable Bags
Tesco is eliminating a controversial type of additive which helped it to create biodegradable bags, according to news reports. A study backed by the UK's Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs suggested that bags containing oxo-biodegradable additives (OBD) could actually harm the environment. Tesco is replacing the bags with an alternative that is not biodegradable, but which does use 15% recycled material. Tesco handed out over two billion of the bags to customers last year.
The Great Garbage Patch exposed
Tim Silverwood sailed the wild seas with a research team in search of the North Pacific's heart of plastic. His journey started around four years ago when he travelled to India and saw huge levels of trash entering waterways and the ocean. This article is a personal account of what Tim found when he visited the North Pacific Garbage Patch. "Tiny shards of 'micro debris', just like the plastic sand of Kamilo Beach, glistened among a treasure-trove of biota almost like they were meant to be there. It doesn't take long to realise that the larger items we spotted were merely the forebears of future plastic sand. Time, friction, tide and the relentless sun would secure their fate. Despite the conditions, we completed dozens of trawls and found plastic in every trawl, from recognisable items like pen caps and a toothbrush to tiny pieces including the infamous 'nurdle', the pre-production pellets used in the manufacture of plastic." You can read more about the North Pacific Garbage Patch and the problems of plastics and other debris in the marine environment in our Marine Debris blog.
Marine survey uncovers a deep sea treasure trove
Building on UN Environment Program biodiversity assessments, the Sydney Centre for Policy Development has counted up the worth of nature hidden beneath the sea's surface. The first serious stab at the value of the ecological benefits to Australia of its huge marine domain is $25 billion. The greatest single value lay in the ocean's use as a carbon sink. The report also calculated dollar values of the oceans to the economy in recreational fisheries, providing ''nursery'' services to fish, and in disease control.
Arctic sea ice is melting at its fastest pace in almost 40 years
The Northwest Passage was, again, free of ice this summer and the polar region could be unfrozen in just 30 years. Arctic sea ice has melted to a level not recorded since satellite observations started in 1972 – and almost certainly not experienced for at least 8,000 years, say polar scientists. The German researchers said the record melt was undoubtedly because of human-induced global warming. Floating Arctic sea ice naturally melts and re-freezes annually, but the speed of change in a generation has shocked scientists – it is now twice as great as it was in 1972, according to the NSIDC, with a decline of about 10% per decade. Arctic temperatures have risen more than twice as fast as the global average over the past half century. The last time the Arctic was uncontestably free of summertime ice was 125,000 years ago, at the height of the last major interglacial period, known as the Eemian. This year, both the North-west and North-east passages were mostly ice free, as they have been twice since 2008. Last year (2010) tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record.
Endangered blue whale spotted off Boothbay Harbor
Naturalists from two whale watching companies based in Boothbay Harbor confirmed the sighting on Sunday afternoon of an endangered blue whale, the largest mammal on Earth. The whale was believed to be “logging” or sleeping in waters about 15 miles offshore from Boothbay Harbor. Blue whales can grow to enormous sizes, weighing on average 400,000 pounds and possessing tongues that weigh as much as an elephant. Whale watch boats based in Maine typically spot fin, humpback and sei whales in the Gulf of Maine.
Call for more marine parks
The Centre for Policy Development, releasing its report on marine economy security, says that Australia needs extra marine parks and increased fish stocks to protect ocean ecosystems from the effects of climate change such as acidity and rising temperatures. Ocean ecosystems add an extra $25 billion to the national economy each year including $15.8 billion a year in carbon storage, the report says. Researchers looked at the south-western region of Western Australia as a case study and found the region provided an extra $435 million a year in value than official figures showed. The report said extending a proposed marine protection area to cover coastal shelf, sea grass and coral reefs could protect a further $1.1 billion in economic benefits.
Dugongs and Turtles Face Mass Starvation After Storm
Northeastern Australia may have dried out after devastating floods hit the area early this year, but for dugongs and turtles off the Queensland coast, the natural disaster's effects seem to be just beginning. Hundreds of the animals have been washing up dead onshore near the Great Barrier Reef.
The green turtles and dugongs, vulnerable herbivores related to the Florida manatee, are believed to be victims of the aftermath of the floods and cyclone that hit Australia over the past year.
Coral reefs 'will be gone by end of the century'
A leading United Nations scientist has claimed that coral reefs are on course to become the first ecosystem that human activity will eliminate entirely from the Earth. He says this event will occur before the end of the present century, which means that there are children already born who will live to see a world without coral. The predicted decline is mainly downacidification, though local activities such as overfishing, pollution and coastal development have also harmed the reefs. He predicts that, that "we risk having no reefs that resemble those of today in as little as 30 or 40 more years". Though not all scientists agree with these precise timescales set, the crisis is clear, although there are signs that local conservation efforts can make a difference.
10 deadly animals you wouldn't want to meet
Another great blog from the BBC Earth team! Check on number 8 on their 'deadly animals you wouldn't want to meet' list: Aurelia Jellyfish. "The common jellyfish moves by pulsating its saucer shaped colourless body. Beware the tentacles which surround its body - they contain stinging cells which are used to catch prey."
Plan for marine nature reserves
Plans for a series of marine nature reserves off the coast of Plymouth and South East Cornwall have been submitted to government. They are among a total of 58 proposed “conservation zones” in the South West covering habitats from estuaries and coastal areas to deep water canyons. The aim is to develop a wider network of areas providing improved protection for marine life and habitats. Of the suggested sites (MCZs), 13 are in offshore areas and 32 in the inshore waters of the region. It is aimed at protecting a broad range of wildlife and habitats, including a type of nationally scarce lagoon worm, blue mussel beds, a shoaling fish known as smelt, seagrass beds, the pink sea fan, a fish known as the giant goby, a stalked jellyfish and long snouted seahorses. Next year the Government will following a public consultation, announce the final list of marine conservation zones which are being designated under the Marine and Coastal Access Act. The Marine Conservation Society welcomed the announcement, saying protected sites were desperately needed to conserve the seas around the UK coast to allow habitats and wildlife to recover from decades of degradation.
Twice as much litter fouling area's beaches
On a more personal note, I have been volunteering for the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) for nine years and during this time I have, among other things, arranged regular beach cleans on the Plymouth Local Group's adopted beach at Batten Bay. This weekend is the MCS Beachwatch weekend and we will be holding a cleanup at Batten Bay at 10.30am this Saturday, 17th September. Our local paper, The Herald, has published an article which, although it doesn't mention my name, directly quotes from my email to our volunteers. It's good to see the message getting out there and hopefully we will have a good turnout of volunteers on Saturday!
That's it for this week... Check back next Thursday for the next Marine News Roundup!
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