Chalk One Up For Coccolithophores; Algae Builds Thicker Walls To Fend Off Ocean Acidification
Seattle, Washington - May 8, 2008 15:08 EST
Scientists have feared that gradual acidification of the world's oceans would wreak havoc with organisms that build protective outer shells. But a new finding shows at least three species of coccolithophores -- single-celled algae that are major players in the...

Shake Up At Scuba Diving Magazine As Jason White Out, Keith Phillips In As Editor, Publisher
Miami, Florida - May 8, 2008 10:38 EST
F+W Publications, parent company of Scuba Diving magazine, has announced that Keith Phillips has been promoted to Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine and scubadiving.com. Current publisher Jason White is leaving the magazine "to pursue other interests". Phillips has been...

Research: Rainfall And River Networks Prove Accurate Predictors Of Fish Biodiversity
Princeton, New Jersey - May 7, 2008 17:38 EST
Princeton researchers have invented a method for turning simple data about rainfall and river networks into accurate assessments of fish biodiversity, allowing better prediction of the effects of climate change and the ecological impact of man-made structures like dams. The mathematics...

Study: Stressed Seaweed Contributes To Cloudy Coastal Skies; 'large Quantities Of Iodide' Released
Manchester, U.K. - May 6, 2008 19:44 EST
Scientists at The University of Manchester have helped to identify that the presence of large amounts of seaweed in coastal areas can influence the climate. A new international study has found that large brown seaweeds, when under stress, release large quantities...

Researchers: Male Seahorses Are Nature's Mr. Mom; 'Origin Of Complex Traits' Eyed
College Station, Texas - May 5, 2008 17:52 EST
Although it is common for male fish to play the dominant parenting role, male pregnancy is a complex process unique to the fish family Syngnathidae, which includes pipefish, seahorses and sea dragons. Texas A&M University evolutionary biology researcher Adam Jones...

Chalk One Up For Coccolithophores; Algae Builds Thicker Walls To Fend Off Ocean Acidification
Seattle, Washington - May 8, 2008 15:08 EST
Scientists have feared that gradual acidification of the world's oceans would wreak havoc with organisms that build protective outer shells. But a new finding shows at least three species of coccolithophores -- single-celled algae that are major players in the...

Shake Up At Scuba Diving Magazine As Jason White Out, Keith Phillips In As Editor, Publisher
Miami, Florida - May 8, 2008 10:38 EST
F+W Publications, parent company of Scuba Diving magazine, has announced that Keith Phillips has been promoted to Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine and scubadiving.com. Current publisher Jason White is leaving the magazine "to pursue other interests". Phillips has been...

Research: Rainfall And River Networks Prove Accurate Predictors Of Fish Biodiversity
Princeton, New Jersey - May 7, 2008 17:38 EST
Princeton researchers have invented a method for turning simple data about rainfall and river networks into accurate assessments of fish biodiversity, allowing better prediction of the effects of climate change and the ecological impact of man-made structures like dams. The mathematics...

Researchers: Male Seahorses Are Nature's Mr. Mom; 'Origin Of Complex Traits' Eyed
College Station, Texas - May 5, 2008 17:52 EST
Although it is common for male fish to play the dominant parenting role, male pregnancy is a complex process unique to the fish family Syngnathidae, which includes pipefish, seahorses and sea dragons. Texas A&M University evolutionary biology researcher Adam Jones...

Researchers Develop Glow-in-the-dark Fish Powered By Artificial Sugar
Berkeley, California - May 4, 2008 18:43 EST
Using artificial sugar and some clever chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, researchers have made glow-in-the-dark fish whose internal light comes from the sugar coating on their cells. This novel method of fluorescently tagging the sugar chains, or carbohydrates, that coat cells...

Study: Stressed Seaweed Contributes To Cloudy Coastal Skies; 'large Quantities Of Iodide' Released
Manchester, U.K. - May 6, 2008 19:44 EST
Scientists at The University of Manchester have helped to identify that the presence of large amounts of seaweed in coastal areas can influence the climate. A new international study has found that large brown seaweeds, when under stress, release large quantities...

Research: Pressure Sensing Shark Forecast Weather Changes
Aberdeen, U. K. - Mar 24, 2008 17:38 EST
Ground-breaking research which could lead to sharks being used to predict the weather has been carried out at Aberdeen’s National Hyperbaric Centre. Marine Biology student Lauren Smith is close to completing her PhD studies into the pressure sensing abilities of the...

Crab-like Robot Could Benefit Undersea Exploration; 'Nature Knows What Works Best'
Bath, U.K. - Mar 18, 2008 14:42 EST
Underwater exploration may become easier in the future thanks to a new prototype crab-like robot invented by a University of Bath postgraduate student. The robot can also move about on land and further development is planned for fully amphibious operation...

Researcher: Sharks Getting Smarter, 'Learning Our Techniques' For Tagging
Cardiff, U.K. - Mar 18, 2008 09:35 EST
Could sharks be catching on to human techniques for tagging them – and learning how to avoid them? That's the theory of Steve Kessel, an Earth and Ocean Sciences PhD student who has spent the past three years working at the...

Monster 3.5-meter Basking Shark Caught Off Cyprus Coast; 'Feeds Off Plankton'
Latsi, Cyprus - Mar 13, 2008 13:43 EST
IT’S 3.5 metres long, 1.4 metres wide and weighs 350 kilograms. These are the measurements of the shark caught in Latsi in the Paphos district yesterday morning. The Mayor of Polis Chrysochous Angelos Georgiou said that, “the shark is a species which...

Global Warming Affects World's Largest Freshwater Lake; Siberia's Lake Baikal Previously Thought Immune
Arlington, Virginia - Apr 30, 2008 20:41 EST
Russian and American scientists have discovered that the rising temperature of the world's largest lake, located in frigid Siberia, shows that this region is responding strongly to global warming. Drawing on 60 years of long-term studies of Russia's Lake Baikal, Stephanie...

Gharials, Monarchs Of Indian Rivers, Under Grave Threat; 'A National Crisis'
Delhi, India - Feb 13, 2008 18:11 EST
More than 90 gharials (Gangeticus gavialis) have been reported dead in the last 2 months in the National Chambal Sanctuary in India for yet-to-be diagnosed reasons. The monarch of Indian rivers is under severe threat. A team of international veterinarians...

Scientists Obtain Core Samples From Subsea Fault System Off Japan; New Data Source For Earthquake Research
Washington, D.C. - Feb 5, 2008 17:09 EST
The third expedition of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program’s Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) completed its mission off the Kii Peninsula today. The expedition science party, 26 scientists representing 10 countries, set forth on Dec. 19, 2007, aboard the...

Starfish Outbreak Threatens 'corals Triangle' Off Indonesia; 'We Witnessed A Number Of Active Outbreaks'
New York, New York - Jan 14, 2008 18:06 EST
Outbreaks of the notorious crown of thorns starfish now threaten the “coral triangle,” the richest center of coral reef biodiversity on Earth, according to recent surveys by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral...

Malaysian Angler Catches 'Lucky' Horned Snakehead Fish; 'It's Not For Sale'
Sarawak, Borneo - Jan 9, 2008 19:11 EST
A Malaysian fisherman, Saibi Ramli, is looking forward to good times this year because he has caught what he calls his lucky fish -- a snakehead fish with a 2cm horn on its head. Saibi says he has never seen...

Sydney Harbor's Contaminated Seaweeds A Deadly Diet For Sea Creatures
Sydney, Australia - Apr 7, 2008 14:24 EST
Contaminated seaweeds in Sydney Harbour could be threatening the small animals that feed on them, according to a new study revealing that the harbour's seaweeds have the world's highest levels of copper and lead contamination. Up to 75 percent of the...

Scientists: Sea Rabbits May Save The Great Barrier Reef; 'Came Out Of Nowhere'
Townsville, Australia - Mar 18, 2008 15:15 EST
While rabbits continue to ravage Australia's native landscapes, rabbit fish may help save large areas of the Great Barrier Reef from destruction. The reason, say scientists, is the same in both cases - both rabbits and rabbit fish are efficient...

Study: Continental Drift, Sinking Ocean Basins Major Factor In Sea Level Changes
Sydney, Australia - Mar 11, 2008 07:52 EST
Sea levels were 550 feet (170 m) higher in the late Cretaceous period, about 80 million years ago, than today, shows a new reconstruction of historic ocean basins published in the journal Science. The authors say the work may help...

World's Largest Marine Protected Area Created In Pacific Ocean; 'A Commitment Of Historic Proportions'
Arlington, Virginia - Feb 14, 2008 17:24 EST
The small Pacific Island nation of Kiribati has become a global conservation leader by establishing the world’s largest marine protected area – a California-sized ocean wilderness of pristine coral reefs and rich fish populations threatened by over-fishing and climate change. The...

Economists: Reduce Fish Catch Now For Bigger Net Profits Later; 'bigger Stocks Mean Bigger Bucks'
Sydney, Australia - Dec 6, 2007 18:12 EST
A new and compelling argument for reducing fish harvests – the profit motive – could persuade world fishers to endure the short-term pain of lower catches for the long-term gain of higher returns for their labor, according to authors of...

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...

Ugandan Conservationists Saddened As 62-year-old Crocodile Passes; 'The Man Eater' Ate Over 80 Fishermen
Mpigi, Uganda - Oct 14, 2007 16:19 EST
Wildlife conservatives were saddened when one of the oldest crocodiles in the country was found dead on Friday at Buwama Crocodile Farm on Masaka Road in Mpigi district. The 62-year-old crocodile, also called “the man eater,’’ was believed to have...

South Africa Issues Great White Shark Alert As 'interaction' Season Approaches
Cape Town, South Africa - Aug 21, 2007 14:25 EST
The City of Cape Town has issued an urgent warning to all beach and ocean users of the seasonal increase in white sharks along the city's in-shore areas. "Although white sharks are present in our waters all year round, we are...

Study: Adaptation To Parasites Drive African Fishes Along Different Evolutionary Paths
Laval, Canada - Aug 16, 2007 18:51 EST
An international team of scientists from Canada (Universitй Laval), the U.K. (University of Hull, Cardiff University) and Spain (Doтana Biological Station), have discovered that a pair of closely related species of East African cichlid fishes – a group of fish...

University Team Discovers Captain Kidd's 17th Century Shipwreck; 'Amazingly Untouched'
Bloomington, Indiana - Dec 13, 2007 19:44 EST
Resting in less than 10 feet of Caribbean seawater, the wreckage of Quedagh Merchant, the ship abandoned by the scandalous 17th century pirate Captain William Kidd as he raced to New York in an ill-fated attempt to clear his name,...

Jamaican 'Ganja Diver' Found Floating in Kingston Harbor; Propeller Hits Pot Toting Diver
Kingston, Jamaica - Apr 5, 2007 15:00 EST
When 35-year-old Joseph Campbell left his home in the rural district of Alligator Pond in St. Elizabeth on Sunday, he told family and friends that he was heading to Kingston to visit his sick father. But instead, Mr. Campbell went on...

Study: Caribbean Coral Extinctions Occurred 2 Million Years After Apparent Cause; 'Way Off Track'
Washington, D.C. - Mar 12, 2007 15:07 EST
Smithsonian scientists and colleagues report a new study that may shake up the way paleontologists think about how environmental change shapes life on Earth. The researchers summarized the environmental, ecological and evolutionary consequences for Caribbean shallow-water marine communities when the...

Report: Cayman's Animal Welfare Agency Kept in the Dark About Captive Sharks
George Town, Cayman Islands - Nov 21, 2006 08:17 EST
Despite being charged with the welfare of animals in the Cayman Islands, the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee was kept in the dark about captive sharks. That revelation comes days after news broke here that six sharks were found dead at the...

Cayman's Tourism Minister: Some Dolphin Deaths Expected at New Dolphin Tourist Park; 'It will Happen'
George Town, Cayman Islands - Nov 21, 2006 08:10 EST
At least some of the dolphins slated for the Grand Cayman's proposed dolphin facilities in West Bay are expected to die. Speaking to reporters at the weekly Cabinet press briefing, Tourism Minister Charles Clifford said attrition for all the life forms...

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...

Researcher: Arabian Gulf, Coasts Facing Serious Environmental Pressures as Construction, Dredging, Reclamation Take Toll
Doha, Qatar - Sep 24, 2006 17:48 EST
The Arabian Gulf and the coasts surrounding various Gulf countries are undergoing tremendous pressure due to massive construction activities, says a researcher. With massive dredging and reclamation activities becoming common, the sea and its shores are facing serious environmental challenges, researcher...

Greenpeace: Lebanon Oil Spill Could Take a Year to Cleanup
Beirut, Lebanon - Aug 27, 2006 20:56 EST
Cleanup of a massive oil spill caused by Israeli air strikes on a fuel oil depot could take up to one year, the environmental group Greenpeace Mediterranean said Tuesday. The watchdog released pictures it said showed oil that had sunk to...

Group: Impact of Lebanese Oil Spill Not as Bad as Feared; 'We Don't Have Corals Here'
Beirut, Lebanon - Aug 25, 2006 17:47 EST
The impact on marine life of an oil slick off the Lebanese coast, caused by Israel's bombing of a power plant, might not be as devastating as had been feared, a Lebanese environmentalist group said on Friday. Shellfish, fish larvae and...

Dubai's Man-Made Palm Island Being Readied for Residents; Largest Land-Reclamation Project in the World
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Aug 9, 2006 09:46 EST
With 14,000 laborers toiling day and night, the first of Dubai's three palm-shaped islands is finally about to get its first residents. The Palm Jumeirah, a 31-square-kilometer island group, is part of what's billed as the largest land-reclamation project in the...

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...