1. Three Whales Have Died at SeaWorld San Antonio in the Last Six Months
In the past six months, three whales have died at SeaWorld San Antonio. Unna, an 18 year old killer whale, died from a resistant strain of fungus called Candida this week. In November, a beluga whale named Stella dies from gastrointestinal problems. The last whale death was a newborn beluga who died after being born premature in July. SeaWorld claims that " non of the issues were related to each other, or to the care that the animals received". Read more...
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2. Why This Newly Discovered Shark Is A Real Ninja
This week, Victoria Vasquez and her colleagues published an article in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation reporting on the first lanternshark that has been found in Central America. The shark has light emitting organs, two doral fins with a spine on each one, and dignathic heterodonty. The scientists have labeled the sharks as a ninja lantern shark. Why use the name ninja? This creature use their bio luminescence to camouflage themselves within the deep ocean's limited light to then sneak up on their prey. Read more...
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3. Large Permanent Reserves Required for Effective Conservation of Old Fish
A newly published study in the journal Proceedings of the Society B has found that the ages and growth rates of long-lived fish species are important factors in measuring the recovery of the Indian Ocean ecosystem. This study evaluated the life histories of fish communities. The findings underscore the importance of permanent marine protected areas and wilderness in the effective protection of marine fishes. The study combined fish censuses from more than 300 coral reefs to examine how they changed in response to fishing methods and the number of years they had been closed to fishing. Read more...
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4. Judge Upholds Rule Allowing More Hawaii Bigeye Tuna Fishing
U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi issued a ruling rejecting environmental groups' claims that the extra fishing is illegal. 3,500 metric tons is the fishing limit from the international commission that regulates commercial fishing between Indonesia and Hawaii. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service created a rule allowing additional catch limits for 3 U.S Pacific territories. Although tuna fishing is being managed internationally, the rules aren't adequate to protect the fish population. Read more...
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Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science reported that sea turtles were greatly impacted by the 87 day long oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The team created an ocean circulation model to track particles from the Gulf of Mexico spill site to possible major nesting beaches. The study determined the green, loggerhead, and Kemp's ridley turtles which were likely present within the spill site. Predictions indicate that ~ 75% of the turtles came from Mexico, ~14% from Costa Rica, ~6% from South America, ~4% from the US, and the remaining percentage from West Africa. Read more...
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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.
