Week in Review: Japan's Underwater City, New Species of Marine Reptile Identified, and More!

1. Japan Has Unveiled These Amazing Designs to Build a Fully Functioning Underwater City

The Shimizu Corporation has just released the conceptual drawings to their underwater city project. The design includes residences, offices, laboratories, and some self sustainable features. Shimizu Corporation has also drafted plans on how to actually build this submerged city. Overall, the project would cost at least $26 Billion and could be completed in 2035. Read more...

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2.  New Species of Marine Reptile Identified from Skye Fossils

How the earth looked like 170 million years ago is far from clear but, fossils can help piece the story together bit by bit. A group of paleontologists received a number of fossilized bone pieces from a collector which had been discovered in Skye. After analysis, they were able to identify an 14 foot long extinct aquatic animal which has been named the Dearcmhara. Read more...

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3.  The Great Lakes are Teeming with Tiny Plastic Fibers

Do you know what is going down your drain? Water? Dirt? After reading this article you may have some different responses. Scientists reported that we have been releasing microfibers into water sources, one of which are the Great Lakes. Microfibers are miniscule filaments that come from fabrics or personal care products. These microfibers account of approximately 4% of the plastic litter in lakes and oceans. The foreign material has impacted the aquatic organism and made it difficult to maintain a stable ecosystem.. Read more...

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4. Shark Stored Sperm for 4 Years Before Having a Pup, a New Record 

Sharks are known to have extremely complex reproductive systems. The California Academy of Sciences’ Steinhart Aquarium was especially surprised to see a pup born in 2010 from a mother who had not had contact with a mate since 2007. There were a number of hypothesis as to how this may have occured but, the ultimate conclusion was that this female brownbanded bamboo shark stored sperm for 4 years. This case will be added to the knowledge on the reproduction of sharks which will be critical for shark conservation efforts.  Read more...

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5. New Research May Solve Puzzle in Sea Level’s Rise

A team from Harvard and Rutgers Universities found that, over the 20^th Century, the sea level has only risen 5 inches as opposed to the believed 6 inches. You may be thinking, what’s the big deal? Well, that is around a 2 quadrillion gallon difference. This research team was able to use the years of data taken from tide gauges and statistically refine that to account for confounding variables. Although this discrepancy was discovered, the ocean still appears to be rising at a rate of about a foot per century. Flooding, erosion, and ice melting still continue to be tremendous concerns.,  Read more...

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6. Steelhead trout in NY’s Salmon River suffer vitamin disorder

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has discovered that the steelheads, a type of rainbow trout, are vitamin B deficient. Without this critical vitamin, the steelheads will see an increased mortality rate, a decrease in reproduction, and the population will dwindle. Read more...

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7.  Rare Shark Birth Captured on Camera

In 2013, a picture was taken that would change the human knowledge of a species. This picture recorded the first recorded birth of any oceanic species. The thresher shark birth occurred at a seamount in the Philippines. According to the lead researcher, Dr. Simon Oliver from the University of Chester, the seamount was not only a shark cleaning station but apparently, a pupping ground. See the pictures here!

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8. New Mediterranean Sponge Species Found

Recently a ROV collected  unique species of sponge fauna during exploration in the deep-sea canyons of the Mediterranean and banks of the Alboran Sea. These samples identified a new hexactinellid sponge which will now be describes as the Sympagella, A. delauzei sp. Nov. Read more...

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9. The 10 Longest Animals in the Ocean

Find out which animal takes the win for the longest in the world! This line up includes sharks, whales, manta rays, and many more. Review the complete list here...

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10. Arctic Waters Could Hold Secret to Creating Life-Saving Drugs

As reported by the World Health Organization, humans have become resistance to many antibiotics. Both bacteria and fungi have been sources for antibiotics and 70% come from sediment and soil. The PharamSea team has set sail on a new endeavor, looking to the sea for organisms with antibacterial properties.  Read more...

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11. How Do Sea Turtles Find the Exact Beach Where They Were Born? 

The loggerhead sea turtles are a unique creature. Every year, the turtles return to exactly the same spot where they were born to lay their own eggs. A recent study shows that the loggerhead sea turtles use the Earth's magnetic field to return to their birth place. Read more...

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12. A Drone Caught These Whales Singing as They Fish for Their Lunch

An adult humpback whale weights over 70,000 lbs and can range from 39 to 52 feet in length. This massive species requires almost 2 tons of food every day to build up their fat reserves which are used in the winter. So, how do these whales manage to collect all of that food?  Watch here...

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Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.