Marine News Roundup

Welcome to this week's Marine News Roundup... As ever, please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Rare turtle turns up in Auckland waters

A Department of Conservation ranger has rescued an endangered olive ridley turtle from a south Auckland beach. The stranded turtle was found floating in the water at Kariotahi Beach, on the Awhitu Peninsula near Waiuku, by a local resident while she was horse riding. The turtle is an adult male and there are no signs of external injury. Marine scientist Dan Godoy says the turtle had goose barnacles on its shell which indicated it had been floating for sometime and was unable to dive for food. "That's usually due to an illness that could be caused by the ingestion of marine debris such as plastic." Godoy says the turtle will be x-rayed and that will show whether it is the victim of marine pollution.

Humpback whale numbers are increasing but so are strandings

The annual Humpback whale migration begins in May as the mammals make their way up the West Australian coast from the food-rich Southern Ocean to breeding grounds in warm northern waters. But, experts say an increasing number are not surviving the journey. Of the 14 Humpback whales to die along WA's coast already this season, most have been young. The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) says calfs are showing signs of malnutrition. There has been a marked increase in sick and dying Humpback whales in recent years. The reason for the increase in deaths could also simply be because of a growing population. The DEC and a team of researchers from Murdoch University have begun taking blubber samples from a number of the dead whales to try to find out why they are dying. Whales are sensitive to their environment and when there is an imbalance, they can act as an early warning sign.

Divers pal up with friendly dolphin Billy
A friendly dolphin has been playing with divers after turning up alone in Plymouth Sound.
Billy, as it has been nicknamed, was first spotted during a commercial diving course off Fort Bovisand on Friday. Over the weekend, Billy was spotted again in Whitsand Bay.

BBC Doc Shows Whales and Dolphins are Self-aware and Emotional
The Ocean Giants documentary showed dolphins and whales using complex thought and planning to communicate, rear their young, overcome apprehension and feed. Stephen Fry began the narration of Deep Thinkers by telling us that bottlenose dolphins have one of the biggest brains in the animal kingdom, and that they are thought to be one of the most intelligent animals. Scientists believe that we should be able to 'talk' with bottlenose dolphins within five years. The documentary showed a captive dolphins experiment. A two-way mirror had been placed in the dolphins' pool. The dolphins were shown taking a keen interest in themselves, moving their heads to look at themselves at different angles. Only humans, great apes and elephants were previously known to be so self-aware. Human babies usually take about two years to reach that level; about the same time as they learn empathy.

Cornish fisherman finds rare slipper lobster
A rare slipper lobster has been discovered by a Cornish fisherman six miles (10km) east of Falmouth. The lobster, normally found in warmer waters, is one of only a few recorded in the UK since records began back in 1758. It was caught by St Mawes fisherman John Hayse on his boat who discovered it sitting on one of his crab pots. Staff at Blue Reef Aquarium are looking after 12cm (4.7ins) long Popeye, who has orange eyes and a dark brown body. The crustacean uses specially adapted plates on its head to burrow in search of food and to escape would-be predators. Historically, records of slipper lobsters in UK waters have been extremely rare. However, in the past decade sightings have risen.

Clothing Sheds Microplastics Into Sea
Washing a fleece jacket may add to the fog of microscopic plastic floating in the oceans, according to a new study. Researchers report that the majority of these plastic particles probably washed off synthetic fabrics. Although stories of large chunks of plastic trash trapped in the guts of seabirds are devastating, most plastic pollution in the oceans takes the form of tiny, even microscopic, fragments. In the 1990s, researchers started tracking the amounts of these particles and searching for possible sources, such as the plastic beads used as scrubbing agents in face cleaners and soaps. The particles' shapes and sizes indicated they were fibers of synthetic fabrics. They found that polyester made up about three-quarters of the plastics; the rest consisted of polyamide, polypropylene, and acrylic, a composition that matches that of textiles. So the researchers analyzed the water drained from frontloading washing machines after throwing fleece jackets, blankets, and synthetic business shirts into them. In one wash cycle, they found, a single piece of clothing shed more than 1,900 tiny fibers. The scientists also determined that the chemical composition of their coastal plastic samples matched that of microscopic plastic found in treated discharge they collected from two wastewater treatment plants in Australia. They concluded that plastic fragments from synthetic fabrics most likely flow from wastewater treatment plants down to the seashore, and perhaps out to sea.

West African Fisheries Decline Steeply as Government Fails to Act
The Senegalese Maritime Economy Ministry has failed to save its country’s diminishing fish stocks. This week, it slashed the biological recovery period of commercial fisheries because of pressure from national industrial lobbyists. The recovery period is vital because it gives fish populations time to regenerate between fishing intervals. Cutting the amount of time between fishing periods means fisheries don’t have a chance to recover before being fished again. Millions of Senegalese depend on the fish caught off shore for their basic protein needs, but because the West Africans waters are becoming increasingly overfished by European trawlers. Many species, including Thiof - the traditional Senegalese delicacy - are now threatened with extinction. Greenpeace has called on the Senegalese government to reconsider its decision, and reinstate the two month moratorium on commercial fishing.

Warning over 'extremely worrying plans' to close coastguard stations
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has reiterated his condemnation of "extremely worrying plans" to close or downgrade Scottish coastguard stations. Mr Lochhead said the plans suggest any key incident involving North Sea oil platforms would be managed by senior officers in the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) which will be based in the Southampton and Portsmouth area. He said this is a departure from existing, well-established procedures which allow multi-agency teams, including MCA managers, police and oil company representatives, to be based at the Aberdeen MRCC at short notice and coordinate the response from there.

Birds Caught in Fishing Lines Dying by the Thousands
While it's no secret that keeping up with the world's demand for seafood puts terrible strain on ocean ecosystems, it turns out that fish aren't the only species feeling the pinch from overfishing. On the heels of a recent study which found that fishing nets and hooks in the U.S. kill around 4,600 sea turtles every year off the U.S. coast alone, a  new report suggests that seabirds are fairing even worse. According to researchers, the fishing industry may be responsible for inadvertently killing up to 320 thousand birds annually. And the problem is so bad, it could soon drive some bird species to extinction. Although there may be no way to ensure that birds, protected or otherwise, won't continue to be killed in fishing lines and nets, wildlife experts say that there are measures the industry can take to reduce the numbers. By making some small changes, like weighing down the nets or even just trawling at night, experts say that bird deaths could be minimized.

Scientists discover reef overfishing point
Fishermen and scientists questioning how many fish can be sustainably taken from a reef believe they've quantified the tipping point. In a report released today, researchers have demonstrated how overfishing can generate a predictable sequence of events that lead to the collapse of reef ecosystems.
It also offers targets in order to keep fisheries sustainable. As "fish biomass" - the number and weight of fish living on a reef - declines due to fishing, a number of tipping points are crossed, from which it is increasingly harder to return. The study shows that in well-protected areas, there are typically 1000 to 1500 kilograms of reef fish per hectare of coral reef. As this is reduced below 1000 kilograms, early warning signs such as increased seaweed growth and urchin activity begin to show up.
The researchers found that between 300 and 600 kilograms of fish per hectare was the "maximum sustainable yield". When fish stocks dropped below 300 kilograms/hectare the reef was in real trouble. The loss of hard corals, which had been thought of as a warning sign, was actually the last stage in the collapse of a reef, the study found.

That's it for this week - as always, please feel free to post a comment and let us know what you think!

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!