More People In Florida Sickened By Ciguatera Toxin In Tropical Reef Fish Than Previously Reported
DEERFIELD, Illinois -- Jun 29, 2015 21:11 EST
Public health records may significantly underestimate the number of people in Florida who are sickened by a rare, dangerous food-borne toxin carried by popular sport fish, including barracuda, grouper, and amberjack, according to a new study published online ...
Longest Ever Tiger Shark Tracking Reveals Remarkable, Bird-Like Migrations
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fl -- Jun 9, 2015 23:31 EST
Tiger sharks are among the largest and most recognizable sharks on the planet, yet many of their habits remain mysterious because they are long-distance travelers that are hard to track. But a new study, reported in the June 9 ...
Housing Developer To Make Historic Attempt To Preserve Recently-Discovered Nineteenth Century Schooner In Downtown Toronto
TORONTO, Canada -- Jun 5, 2015 18:13 EST
Concord Adex, Canada's largest residential developer, has announced it will attempt to recover the remains of a nineteenth century schooner found on one of its development properties near Toronto's waterfront.
Discovered in May as part of an archaeological assessment on ...
Florida Angler Hooks Big Blue Catfish, State Record At 69 Pounds; 'Fishing Capital Of The World'
EBRO, Florida -- Jun 4, 2015 19:27 EST
Bill Stewart, 66, of Weeki Wachee, caught a 69-pound, 8-ounce blue catfish on the Choctawhatchee River, near Ebro, during the Choctawhatchee Catfish Roundup tournament on May 30. He beat the previous state record by 5 pounds.
Stewart had landed four flatheads ...
Requiem For A Shark: Satellite-Tagged Mako Journey Ends After 9,200 Miles; Researchers Urge Fishermen To 'Release Or Return'
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- May 17, 2015 21:42 EST
While children say a quiet prayer for their school's namesake mako shark in Eastern Ohio, researchers and scientists are again asking fishermen to employ a "release or return" policy for sharks captured wearing satellite tracking tags.
"St. Marys", a young ...
New Bill Proclaims Striped Bass U.S. National Fish; 'Enshrine Its Place In Our Nation's Cultural Heritage'
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Apr 30, 2015 01:04 EST
Congressman Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) has introduced the Striped Bass American Heritage Act, which would designate this iconic species as the United States' "National Fish."
Just as the majestic bald eagle is the avian symbol of our nation for ...
Dive Discovers Missing Aircraft Hangar Of Sunken WW II-Era Japanese Submarine
MANOA, Hawaii -- Apr 28, 2015 22:59 EST
The dramatic discovery of a lost World War II-era Imperial Japanese Navy mega-submarine by a University of Hawai'i and U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) team in December 2013 inspired a new search by NHK, ...
Seeing The Unseen: PET/CT Scans Reveal Seabed Worms' Hidden Life
ODENSE M, Denmark -- Apr 21, 2015 00:30 EST
The seabed is inhabited by vast numbers of small animals with hidden lives in the sandy sediments. Here they play an important role in keeping the oceans healthy. But how these animals behave and interact with each other is unclear, ...
Big Fish: Aussie Industry Group Demands Green Groups To Stop The Lies; 'Anti-Progress And Anti-Business'
CANBERRA, ACT -- Apr 20, 2015 22:40 EST
The Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA) encourages the public to see past the superficial messages circulated by radical green groups and look to the substance of the science around Australia's fisheries which are sustainably fished. CFA are supportive of developing new ...
Group To Investigate Substantial Increase In Dolphin Numbers Off Western Scotland
ISLE OF MULL, Scotland -- Apr 14, 2015 23:14 EST
A substantial increase in common dolphin numbers off western Scotland is to be studied by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in a new season of marine research expeditions beginning next month.
The trust's encounter rate with common dolphins has more ...
Ocean Myth Busted: 'toddler' Sea Turtles Are Very Active Swimmers; New Clue To 'Lost Years'
ORLANDO, Florida -- Apr 9, 2015 20:30 EST
It turns out sea turtles, even at a tender 6-18 months of age, are very active swimmers. They don't just passively drift in ocean currents as researchers once thought. NOAA and University of Central Florida researchers say it's an important ...
Research: 'Warm Blob' In Pacific Ocean Linked To Weird Weather Across The United States
SEATTLE, Washington -- Apr 9, 2015 20:19 EST
The one common element in recent weather has been oddness. The West Coast has been warm and parched; the East Coast has been cold and snowed under. Fish are swimming into new waters, and hungry seals are washing up on ...
American Airlines Announces Shark Fin Shipment Ban On Twitter; 'Now It Is Time For An Official Announcement'
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Apr 7, 2015 23:17 EST
Conservation groups PRETOMA and Turtle Island Restoration Network found evidence that hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) were being exported from Costa Rican ports and flown to plates in Hong Kong by way of stop-overs on U.S. soil. With ...
Pilot School: Learn To Drive A Submarine And Explore The Depths Of The Mediterranean Sea
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands -- Apr 6, 2015 23:18 EST
Waterproof Expeditions in collaboration with U-Boat Worx now offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a submarine pilot.
Adventurous types, submarine enthusiasts, explorers and submersible operators can sign up for a selection of ...
American Connection: Conservation Group Exposes U.S. Airline Transporting Endangered Shark Fins From Costa Rica To Hong Kong
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Apr 6, 2015 22:28 EST
Conservation groups PRETOMA and Turtle Island Restoration Network and have found evidence that hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are being exported from Costa Rican ports and flown to plates in Hong Kong by way of stop-overs on U.S. ...
Oil's Well: Study Says Algae-Based Biofuels Can Be Grown From Municipal Wastewater
HOUSTON, Texas -- Apr 2, 2015 20:26 EST
In one of the first studies to examine the potential for using municipal wastewater as a feedstock for algae-based biofuels, Rice University scientists found they could easily grow high-value strains of oil-rich algae while ...
Helldiver Plane Found: Researchers Locate Another WWII Aircraft Missing In Palau For Over 70 Years
NEWARK, Delaware -- Mar 31, 2015 00:45 EST
A United States Navy Curtiss SB2C Helldiver aircraft lost in World War II and missing for over 70 years was recently found resting in the tropical waters of the Republic of Palau.
The carrier-based dive bomber plane was ...
Trouble In Paradise? New Research Points To A Loss Of Sharks And Rays At Cocos Island
VICTORIA, BC, Canada -- Mar 26, 2015 19:12 EST
New research led by researchers at the University of Victoria raises serious concerns about the ability of marine protected areas (MPAs) to effectively protect wide-ranging iconic species, such as sharks and rays.
The study, published today in Conservation ...
Florida: Biologists Tally Record Manatee Count; 'Near-Optimal Conditions For Our Survey This Year'
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Mar 17, 2015 00:13 EST
Warm temperatures and clear, sunny days between some of the coldest weather of the year assisted FWC biologists and partners in counting an all-time high number of manatees during this year's statewide aerial survey.
The Florida Fish and ...
Double Paradox: Global Warming Brings More Snowfall To Antarctica, More Ice Loss; 'Major Contributor To Future Sea-Level Rise'
POTSDAM, Germany -- Mar 16, 2015 22:47 EST
"Warmer air transports more moisture and hence produces more precipitation - in cold Antarctica this takes the form of snowfall," lead author Katja Frieler from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) explains. "We have now pulled a number ...
Scientists Question Rush To Build Nicaragua Canal, Site Environmental Concerns, Call For 'Greater Role For Science'
HOUSTON, Texas -- Mar 9, 2015 23:52 EST
A consortium of environmental scientists has expressed strong concern about the impact of a controversial Central American canal across Nicaragua.
The path of the Nicaragua Interoceanic Grand Canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will cut through Lake Cocibolca (...
Research: Hurricanes Spread Helped 'Accelerate The Invasion' Of Lionfish
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida -- Mar 4, 2015 23:04 EST
Just when you thought hurricanes couldn't get any scarier, think again.
Their names roll of the tongue like a rogues' gallery: Floyd, Frances, Irene, Wilma and Andrew. But these aren't the names of notorious criminals; rather, they are just a ...
In Hot And Cold Water: The Private Lives Of 'Hoff' Crabs Revealed; 'We Are Getting A Clearer Picture'
SOUTHAMPTON, U.K. -- Mar 2, 2015 22:09 EST
Researchers at the University of Southampton have shed light on the private life of a new species of deep-sea crab, previously nicknamed the "Hoff" crab because of its hairy chest.
Male and female Hoff crabs lead largely separate ...
Study: White Sharks Grow More Slowly And Mature Much Later Than Previously Thought
WOODS HOLE, Massachusetts -- Feb 19, 2015 00:10 EST
A new study on white sharks in the western North Atlantic indicates they grow more slowly and mature much later than previously thought.
The findings, published online in Marine and Freshwater Research, present the first reliable growth curve for this ...
Researchers: Remoras Don't Suck; Mystery Of 'A Specialized Suction Cup That Can Bend And Won't Slip' Intrigues
NEWARK, New Jersey -- Feb 16, 2015 22:37 EST
How does the hitchhiking, flat-headed remora fish attach to surfaces so securely yet release so easily? Suction was thought to be the easy answer, but Brooke Flammang, a biologist at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), has ...
Research Institute To Conduct One-Of-A-Kind Shark Race For Conservation Science; 'We Want To Have Some Fun'
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida -- Feb 16, 2015 21:42 EST
â€" On your Mark! Get Set! GO! That's usually the refrain heard at the start of most races. However, Nova Southeastern University (NSU), the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) are putting on a totally ...
Study Recommends Closing The High Seas To Fishing; 'A Few Countries Would Lose Out, But Most Would Gain'
BURNABY, BC -- Feb 12, 2015 21:02 EST
The world's high seas should be closed to fishing argues a new study in the journal Scientific Reports, co-authored by Isabelle Côté, a Simon Fraser University professor of marine ecology and conservation.
"Intense fishing in the high ...
Study: Shark Attack Deaths Down In 2014; Florida Leads The World Again In 'Dog Bites'
GAINSVILLE, Florida -- Feb 12, 2015 00:39 EST
Three people died worldwide from shark attacks last year, far below the average of 6.3 deaths per year over the past decade, according to the International Shark Attack File report released by the University of Florida today.
The U.S. had ...
Fish Pee Helps Keep Coastal Ecosystems Healthy, Thriving; 'Greatest Source Of Nutrients To These Ecosystems'
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Feb 9, 2015 23:47 EST
Life in the Caribbean islands is an idyllic bliss.
You can picture it, right? The sparkling clear water. The pristine coral reefs. The perfect amount of fish pee …
It turns out that the proper amount of fish excretion â€" and the ...
Scientists Discover How Tuna Stay Warm With Cold Hearts: Adrenalin
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom -- Feb 5, 2015 19:13 EST
Scientists at The University of Manchester, working with colleagues at Stanford University in America, have discovered how prized bluefin tuna keep their hearts pumping during temperature changes that would stop a human heart. The research helps to answer important questions ...
Seafloor Volcano Pulses May Alter Climate; 'Strikingly Regular Patterns, From Weeks To Eons'
NEW YORK, New Yrok -- Feb 5, 2015 19:05 EST
Vast ranges of volcanoes hidden under the oceans are presumed by scientists to be the gentle giants of the planet, oozing lava at slow, steady rates along mid-ocean ridges. But a new study shows that they flare up ...
Genetic Basis Of Color Diversity In Coral Reefs Discovered; 'One Of The Longstanding Mysteries Of Coral Reef Biology'
SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdon -- Feb 4, 2015 19:32 EST
Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered the genetic basis which allows corals to produce their stunning range of colors.
They have found that instead of using a single gene to control pigment production, corals use multiple copies of ...
Erratic As Normal: Arctic Sea Ice Loss Expected To Be Bumpy In The Short Term; 34% Chance Of 'No Change' Or 'Increase'
BOULDER, Colorado -- Feb 4, 2015 19:19 EST
Arctic sea ice extent plunged precipitously from 2001 to 2007, then barely budged between 2007 and 2013. Even in a warming world, researchers should expect such unusual periods of no change--and rapid change--at the world's northern reaches, according ...
Unchanged: Global Warming Won't Mean More Stormy Weather; 'We'll Get More Evaporation Of The Oceans'
TORONTO, Canada -- Feb 4, 2015 19:14 EST
A study led by atmospheric physicists at the University of Toronto finds that global warming will not lead to an overall increasingly stormy atmosphere, a topic debated by scientists for decades. Instead, strong storms will become stronger while weak storms ...
New Seestar Camera System Allows Researchers To Monitor The Depths Without Sinking The Budget
MONTEREY, California -- Feb 3, 2015 19:23 EST
To build equipment that can operate reliably in the deep sea, MBARI engineers must often use expensive, high-tech materials and complex electronic-control systems. This makes it difficult for researchers at other institutions to build similar equipment, ...
Pacific Coast Shark Attacks Up During 2014, 'Three Times' Historic Average
LA JOLLA, California -- Jan 22, 2015 19:36 EST
There were 6 authenticated unprovoked shark attacks on humans reported from the Pacific Coast of North America during 2014. All of the attacks were recorded from California. The attacks were distributed in the following months; July (1), October (4) and December (1). Activities of the ...
Research: Next 100 Years Will Present 'Major Challenges' To Ocean Wildlife Populations; 'Our Tackle Box Has Industrialized'
SANTA BARBARA, California -- Jan 16, 2015 12:55 EST
Over the past 500 years, approximately 500 land-based animal species have gone the way of the dodo, becoming extinct as a result of human activity. In the ocean, where scientists count only 15 or so such losses, the numbers currently aren't ...
Research: 20th Century Sea-Level Change Was Overestimated Before It Was Underestimated
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts -- Jan 15, 2015 20:35 EST
The acceleration in global sea level from the 20th century to the last two decades has been significantly larger than scientists previously thought, according to a new Harvard study.
The study, co-authored by Carling Hay, a post-...
Climate And Friends Influence Young Corals' Choice Of Real Estate; 'Once In Place, Corals Can't Move'
BRISBANE ST LUCIA, Queensland -- Jan 14, 2015 22:14 EST
Coral larvae use ocean temperature and the presence of symbiotic algae to determine where they should settle, researchers have found.
Using a range of sensory cues to find a good location improved the coral's chance of survival, said Dr Eugenia ...
Sizing Up Giants Under The Sea: Research Team Corrects Inaccuracies And Elucidates Measurements For 25 Marine Species
DURHAM, North Carolina -- Jan 13, 2015 23:48 EST
A team of scientists and undergraduate students have analyzed the body size for 25 marine species, including whales, sharks, squids, and other ocean giants. The project elucidates both the challenges of arriving at exact measurements and the human bias toward larger ...