New Japanese Prime Minister Urged To Recall Whaling Fleet, 'Chart A New Course For 21st Century'
London, England - Nov 19, 2009 14:29 EST
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is urging Japan's new government to recall its whaling fleet which is heading to Antarctica to cruelly hunt almost 1,000 whales. In defiance of global pressure and a number of international laws, the...

Ocean Conservancy Welcomes Shark Conservation Act Introduction In The U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. - Nov 19, 2009 14:18 EST
Ocean Conservancy is applauding today’s introduction the "Shark Conservation Act of 2009" by Senator John Kerry (D-MA). The bill, a companion to legislation introduced by Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) and already approved in the U.S. House of Representatives, aims to...

Researchers: Oceans' Uptake Of Manmade Carbon Slowing; 'We Cannot Count On These Sinks Operating In The Future'
New York, New York - Nov 18, 2009 22:02 EST
The oceans play a key role in regulating climate, absorbing more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans put into the air. Now, the first year-by-year accounting of this mechanism during the industrial era suggests the oceans are...

Scientists Unravel Evolution Of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish; Research Could Help Lead To Antivenoms And Treatments
Washington, D.C. - Nov 18, 2009 21:55 EST
With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists and to the public. Yet little...

Sharks Under Threat As Environmental Change Bites Hard; 'Slow Growth And Low Reproductive Capacity'
Sydney, Australia - Nov 17, 2009 22:12 EST
Using information from two global datasets collected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and FishBase, the Australian team behind the study has compiled the most comprehensive database yet of information about sharks, rays and chimaeras (a deep-water...

Ocean Conservancy Welcomes Shark Conservation Act Introduction In The U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. - Nov 19, 2009 14:18 EST
Ocean Conservancy is applauding today’s introduction the "Shark Conservation Act of 2009" by Senator John Kerry (D-MA). The bill, a companion to legislation introduced by Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) and already approved in the U.S. House of Representatives, aims to...

Researchers: Oceans' Uptake Of Manmade Carbon Slowing; 'We Cannot Count On These Sinks Operating In The Future'
New York, New York - Nov 18, 2009 22:02 EST
The oceans play a key role in regulating climate, absorbing more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans put into the air. Now, the first year-by-year accounting of this mechanism during the industrial era suggests the oceans are...

Scientists Unravel Evolution Of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish; Research Could Help Lead To Antivenoms And Treatments
Washington, D.C. - Nov 18, 2009 21:55 EST
With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists and to the public. Yet little...

Sharks Under Threat As Environmental Change Bites Hard; 'Slow Growth And Low Reproductive Capacity'
Sydney, Australia - Nov 17, 2009 22:12 EST
Using information from two global datasets collected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and FishBase, the Australian team behind the study has compiled the most comprehensive database yet of information about sharks, rays and chimaeras (a deep-water...

Billfish Angler Leads 'Expedition Great White' On National Geographic Channel; 'A Life-changing Moment'
Guadalupe Island, Baja Mexico - Nov 16, 2009 20:59 EST
Avid billfish angler and TV outdoor fishing adventurer Chris Fischer never thought he’d actually be living a scene much like that from Jaws as he kneeled face-to-face handling a huge, live 4,600 pound great white shark. As a sportsman...

New Japanese Prime Minister Urged To Recall Whaling Fleet, 'Chart A New Course For 21st Century'
London, England - Nov 19, 2009 14:29 EST
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is urging Japan's new government to recall its whaling fleet which is heading to Antarctica to cruelly hunt almost 1,000 whales. In defiance of global pressure and a number of international laws, the...

Scientists Ponder: How Much Water Does The Ocean Have?
Potsdam, Germany - Nov 13, 2009 17:29 EST
The calculation of variations in the sea level is relatively simple. It is by far more complicated to then determine the change in the water mass. A team of geodesists and oceanographers from the University of Bonn, as well as...

Research: Guppy Females Take Risks To Avoid Harassment; 'Sex Matters'
Exeter, Devon - Nov 5, 2009 15:58 EST
As every pet owner knows, animals may show individual traits just like humans and be shy or social, aggressive or gentle. Boldness, or the propensity to take risks, is an important animal trait because it affects species' diversity. 'Bold individuals...

Scientists Map Nutrient Distributions Over The Atlantic Ocean; 'Of Major Interest To Oceanographers'
Southampton, UK - Nov 3, 2009 21:40 EST
Large-scale distributions of two important nutrient pools – dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorus (DON and DOP) have been systematically mapped for the first time over the Atlantic Ocean in a study led by Dr Sinhue Torres-Valdes of the...

HyBIS AUV Explores The Casablanca Seamount; 'We Discovered A Very Rugged Terrain'
Southampton, UK - Oct 30, 2009 17:38 EST
In October, the hydraulic benthic interactive sampler HyBIS maintained by the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS) made ten dives over the Casablanca Seamount, a four-kilometre high seamount located some 300 miles west of Morocco. The deepest dive was onto the...

First In India, University Offers Scuba Diving Course; 'It Is Really Important That Marine Biologists Know Scuba Diving'
Tamil Nadu, India - Nov 10, 2009 23:15 EST
Scuba diving is much more than an adventure water sport. Realizing this, a university is offering, for the first time in India, a certificate course in scuba diving for marine biologists and researchers to study the impact of global warming...

Maldives Hosts 350-minute Dive In Support Of The International Day Of Climate Action
Kuda Huraa, Maldives - Nov 6, 2009 18:02 EST
A historic 350-minute dive took place at the dive centre of <a href="http://www.fourseasons.com/maldives/>Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, in conjunction with the International Day of Climate Action on October 24, 2009. The dive team went underwater for this duration...

Alibaba, World's Largest B2B Site, Bans Sale Of Ivory, Sea Turtle And Shark Fin
Beijing, China - Sep 17, 2009 15:07 EST
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org) announced today that Alibaba (www.taobo.com.cn), the world's largest business-to-business and outsource portal site for traders worldwide, has agreed to ban all online trade in elephant ivory, sea turtle, and shark fin. In addition,...

Shark-ravaged Sea Turtle Tries Out Artificial Flippers After Losing Limbs; 'It Will Be A Global First'
Kobe, Japan - Jul 8, 2009 22:12 EST
Tests on artificial flippers for a loggerhead sea turtle with only two limbs started here over the weekend in an attempt to return the turtle to the wild. The Osaka‐based nonprofit organization Sea Turtle Association of Japan is leading the rehabilitation...

New Study To Examine Climatically Important Agulhas Current; 'Gulf Stream' Of The Southern Indian Ocean
Virginia Key, Florida - Jun 29, 2009 20:26 EST
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that it is funding a study with the goal of building a multi-decadal time series of Agulhas Current volume transport, which will contribute to the Global Ocean Observing System. Led by Principal Investigator,...

Satellite Trackers To Delve Into Diet Of Emperor Penguin Chicks; 'We Will Be Able To Record From Their Very First Dive'
Kingston, Tasmania - Nov 2, 2009 22:52 EST
With the help of satellite trackers, the foraging habits of emperor penguin chicks will be studied by Australian scientists this summer. Researchers from the Australian Antarctic Division will fit tracking equipment to several chicks at the Amanda Bay Colony, near Davis...

Research: Bullies Evict Little Fish As The Reef Warms; 'could Have Far-reaching Effects'
Townsville, Queensland - Nov 2, 2009 22:39 EST
Small fish are at risk of being bullied to death by big ones as coral reef resources are hit by climate change. The finding from new research by a scientist at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS)...

Group Urges Antarctic Fisheries Commission To Protect Whales, Penguins, Seals And Krill
Hobart, Tasmania - Oct 28, 2009 22:47 EST
The Pew Environment Group today called on the world's governing body for conserving Antarctic marine life to geographically spread out krill catches in the Southern Ocean. This would prevent the concentration of the fishery from significantly reducing the amount of...

Queensland's Most Dangerous Sharks To Be Tracked; 'Bather Safety Must Be Our Number One Priority'
Queensland, Australia - Oct 28, 2009 22:22 EST
A new shark research project that will track the movement of some of the State's most dangerous species has been announced by Premier Anna Bligh. Premier Bligh said the program, which will start in early 2010, followed recent publicity about a...

Scientists: Corals 'Could Starve In High CO2' Levels And Ocean Acidification; 'Double Jeopardy'
Queensland, Australia - Oct 4, 2009 18:55 EST
As human activity pumps more and more carbon into the atmosphere, a new threat has emerged to the world's coral reefs – starvation. Scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and The University of Queensland have...

Tuna Commission Set To Decide The Future Of Mediterranean Bluefin As Populations 'Poised For Collapse'
Marrakech, Morocco - Nov 18, 2008 21:25 EST
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) will meet from November 17- 24 in Marrakech, Morocco to make decisions on measures to save Mediterranean bluefin tuna from collapse. ICCAT meets this year with mounting evidence of the...

Researchers: New Coral Reef Discovered In The Seychelles; Not 'visible To The Occasional Snorkeller'
Essex, United Kingdom - Oct 23, 2008 17:08 EST
Researchers from the Department of Biological Sciences have discovered a previously unknown coral reef in the Seychelles. Dr Dave Smith and Dr Dave Suggett visited Curieuse Island as part of an ongoing study funded by Mitsubishi Corporation in conjunction with the...

Top Shark Scientist Awarded Gilchrist Medal For Contribution To Marine Science In South Africa
San Francisco, California - Jul 24, 2008 16:56 EST
The Shark Research Institute is proud to announce that Leonard Compagno, Ph.D. has been awarded the Gilchrist Medal for “outstanding contribution to the enhancement of marine and coastal science in South Africa, including the Southern Ocean". The Gilchrist Memorial Medal was...

Russian Deep-sea Divers Missing In Egypt; 'Safety Rules Were Ignored'
Cairo, Egypt - Nov 22, 2007 11:08 EST
The search for Russian divers who failed to resurface in the Red Sea has been suspended for the night. The three divers failed to return to their boat after attempting a particularly deep dive near Elphinstone reef. The rescue operation...

South Africa Surfer Attacked By Great White Shark Hours Before 'Jaws' Broadcast; 'Lucky To Be Alive'
East London, South Africa - Nov 5, 2007 15:55 EST
A South Africa surfer was recovering in hospital yesterday after being attacked by a monster shark – just hours before the movie Jaws was being rebroadcast on national TV. The shark, believed to be a Great White, shattered Lee Mellin’s surf...

International Tourism Operators Against Elimination Of Las Baulas National Park In Costa Rica
San Jose, Costa Rica - Nov 6, 2009 17:38 EST
10 international tourism agencies that promote Costa Rica as an ecotourism destination have expressed their discontent with bill 17.383, supported by the country's president, to downgrade Las Baulas Marine National Park to a Mixed Wildlife Refuge and allow development therein....

Sea Turtle Wildlife Refuge In Costa Rica Bulldozed By Farming Company; 'Total Disrespect Of Our Courts'
San José, Costa Rica - Sep 8, 2009 22:01 EST
Agropecuaria Caletas S.A., has continued the destruction of wetlands within the Caletas Ario National Wildlife Refuge, created in 2006 to protect nesting olive ridley and leatherback sea turtles, disregarding the mandates of the Environmental Tribune of the Ministry of Environment. Last...

Sea Turtle Satellite Tagging Expedition At Cocos Island, Costa Rica Swims Into Action
Forest Knolls, California - Sep 3, 2009 15:58 EST
A 10-day sea turtle tagging research expedition to Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica successfully outfitted three green turtles and one hawksbill turtle with satellite transmitters in order to follow their movements, as part of a long-term research project to...

Study: Caribbean Coral Comprehensively 'flattened' Over The Last 40 Years
East Anglia, U.K. - Jun 9, 2009 21:54 EST
Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been comprehensively 'flattened' over the last 40 years, according to a disturbing new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA). The collapse of reef structure has serious implications for biodiversity and coastal defences –...

Shark Attacks Surfer In The Galapagos Islands; Foot, Hand Severely Injured
Guayaquil, Equador - Jan 13, 2009 13:01 EST
A surfer has been bitten by a shark while surfing off a beach in the Galapagos Islands. The surfer, identified as Gonzalo Vasquez Alcivar, 22, suffered serious injuries to the leg and hand. The attack occurred last Saturday,...

Researcher: Tsunami Waves Reasonably Likely To Strike Israel; '5 Meters High And As Far As 2 Km Onshore'
Haifa, Israel - Nov 5, 2009 09:38 EST
"There is a likely chance of tsunami waves reaching the shores of Israel," says Dr. Beverly Goodman of the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences at the University of Haifa following encompassing geoarchaeological research at the port of Caesarea....

Study: Could Cannon Balls From The Early 19th Century Really Sink Warships?
Haifa, Israel - Jul 20, 2009 21:06 EST
A joint experiment carried out by researchers from the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa and staff of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. has solved the riddle that has been puzzling researchers ever since they...

Japanese Corals Change Sexes On The Sea Floor; 'Males Are Less Expensive To Maintain'
Tel Aviv, Israel - Feb 20, 2009 18:18 EST
Trees do it. Bees do it. Even environmentally stressed fish do it. But Prof. Yossi Loya from Tel Aviv University's Department of Zoology is the first in the world to discover that Japanese sea corals engage in "sex switching" too. His...

UAE Environmental Ministry Issues Decree To Regulate Hunting Of Sharks
United Arab Emerates - Sep 28, 2008 18:28 EST
Minister of Environment and Water, Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd, has issued a ministerial decree on bye-laws of Federal Law no. 23 of 1999 dealing with the use, protection and development of water resources in the UAE. According to the decree,...

New Species of Blue Coral Found Off the Coast of Oman; 'Discovering a New Species is Very Exciting'
Muscat, Oman - Apr 30, 2007 14:47 EST
Two new species of coral have been discovered off the Omani coast, as well as other existing coral species that had previously not been known to live in the area. There are now estimated to be approximately 130 species of...

Research: Antarctic Krill Provide Potent Carbon Sink in Southern Ocean; Counteracts 35 Million Cars
British Antarctic Survey, Antartica - Jul 19, 2006 21:35 EST
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Scarborough Centre of Coastal Studies at the University of Hull discovered that rather than doing so once per 24 hours, Antarctic krill 'parachute' from the ocean surface to deeper layers several times during...

Scientists: Unprecedented Number of Walrus Calves Stranded by Melting Sea Ice
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Apr 13, 2006 18:19 EST
Scientists have reported an unprecedented number of unaccompanied and possibly abandoned walrus calves in the Arctic Ocean, where melting sea ice may be forcing mothers to abandon their pups as the mothers follow the rapidly retreating ice edge north. Nine lone...

Two new lakes found beneath Antarctic ice sheet; could contain unique ecosystems
Lake Vostok, Antarctica - Jan 30, 2006 00:00 EST
Lying beneath more than two miles of Antarctic ice, Lake Vostok may be the best-known and largest subglacial lake in the world, but it is not alone down there. Scientists have identified more than 145 other lakes trapped under the...

Research: El Nino events affect whale breeding
South Atlantic - Jan 11, 2006 00:00 EST
New research shows that global climate processes are affecting southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in the South Atlantic. A thirty-year study by an international team of scientists found a strong relationship between breeding success of whales in the South Atlantic...

Global Warming Can Trigger Extreme Ocean, Climate Changes
San Diego, California - Jan 4, 2006 00:00 EST
New research produced by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, helps illustrate how global warming caused by greenhouse gases can quickly disrupt ocean processes and lead to drastic climatological, biological and other important...