Week in Review: Record Sea Lion Strandings, Proposal to Drill in the Atlantic, and More!

1. Record Sea Lion Pup Strandings Reported

This year, more young sea lions have been found stranded on the Southern California beaches this year than any other year. It is believed that the sea lion pups were abandoned by their mothers who, due to the scarcity of prey, have to venture further out into the ocean to find food. The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro and SeaWorld in San Diego are working to rehabilitate as many sea lions as possible. In addition to the juvenile sea lions, services are also finding malnourished adult sea lions. Is this species a representative of all the marine organisms struggling?  Read more...

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2. Administration Proposes Opening Atlantic Ocean to Drilling

This week, the United States government proposed to open up the Atlantic Ocean to oil and gas drilling. The drilling lease sale would include the area off the coast from Virginia to Georgia, the central and western Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the Arctic Ocean near Alaska. This lease was originally proposed in 2010 but canceled after the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Does this go against the climate change agenda discussed last week by the US government? Read more...

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3. Ontario Praised for Promise to Ban Killer Whales

On Tuesday, the government banned killer whales from Ontario. This action occurred after the very low standards of care for marine animals were found at the Marineland amusement park. But, why were only killer whales included in this ban? Read more...

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4. See-Through Fish Discovered Under Antarctica's Ice

Do you know what is under the 740m ice shelf in Antarctica? After drilling down through the ice, scientists found a species of see-through fish living in the 28 degree water. These fish belong to the suborder Notothenioidei and have developed many adaptations to survive the temperature and pressure.  Read more...

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5. Will Environmentalists Fall For Faux Fish Made From Plants?

Past Week in Review articles have described that the human increase in fish consumption has created overfishing. This has specifically been an issue for blue fin tuna populations. If you love sushi but you also want to be environmentally conscious you may want to give Tomato Sushi a try! Read more...

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6. ‘Fifty miles out we could smell the pollution’: Sailing Amid the Ocean Litter

Those words describe the sailing experience of Ian Walker on the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team. Ian discusses the water pollution that he has seen in his 100,000 miles of ocean racing. The information that he shares highlights the serious ocean deterioration that humans have created. As he states, “authorities need to stop treating the oceans as a rubbish dump and start treasuring them for what they are – one of mankind’s finest natural assets.”  Read more...

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7. The Real Penguin of Madagascar

Love the animated film Madagascar? Learn the real facts on the Rockhopper Penguins depicted in the film. Although Madagascar is an extremely bio diverse location, this penguin is one of the many species under threat.  Read more...

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8. Smothered Oceans: Extreme Oxygen Loss in Oceans Accompanied Past Global Climate Change

A recent study, published in PLOS ONE, reported that there is evidence of extreme oxygen loss in areas of the upper ocean. Over the last 100-150 years the oceans have drastically changed and the climate warming has lead the oceans to abruptly lose oxygen. This reduction in oxygen will impact the marine organisms and require them to reorganize their habitats. Read more...

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9. Climate Forecast: More Southwest Droughts and Australian Floods

Scientists are predicting that climate change will increase the severity of the El Nino and La Nina. It has been forecasted that these Pacific weather patterns may begin to occur once every decade if there are no changes made in greenhouse gas emissions. What impacts will the Earth have if we don’t make any changes?   Read more...

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10. Meant to Keep Malaria Out, Mosquito Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

Fisherman in Zambia found an alternate use for the anti-malaria nets provided to his family. These nets are now being used to collect fish from the bottom of swamp ponds. The mosquito nets are insecticide-treated and introduce toxins into the water. That water is used for drinking and is a habitat for many marine organisms.  Read more...

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11. Miliband Calls for Global Treaty to Halt Despoilation of Seas

Overall, there is international consensus that the marine ecosystem requires legislative protection to properly conserve and repair our oceans. This week, the former foreign Secretary David Milibrand proposed creating a global treaty to protect the oceans to the United Nations.  Read more...

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12. An End to 'Curtains of Death'? State May Ban Drift Gillnets, Risking Fishermen's Livelihoods

Drift gillnet fishing has been used to catch mass quantities of profitable fish. This is commonly used to fish for swordfish. Although these “curtains of death” are effective in catching swordfish, they have also caught and killed dolphins and whales. California is currently the only state that allows this fishing practice. This article includes an intricate diagram of the drift gillnet fishing process.  Read more...

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13. Wild Dolphins Exchange Names When They Meet

Have you ever wondered what some of those dolphin squeaks and whistles actually mean? These whistles can sometimes represent a “name” of a dolphin. When dolphins first meet at sea they will introduce themselves with a unique whistle. Other dolphins can then use that specific whistle to single their new acquaintance!  Read more...

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14. Spain Announces Law to Fight Pirate Fishing

This week Spain created a new fisheries law which is in line with the EU's Illegal, Unreported, and Unregualted (IUU) fishing regulation. Spain is Europe's largest fishing country and the precedent that the government established may lead other EU countries to similar action.  Read the official Spanish law  here... and the Oceana synopsis 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.

Week in Review: Climate Change Acknowledged by US Gov., Great Barrier Reef Needs a $643M Investment, and More!

1. Climate Change Acknowledged by the US Government

This week was an environmental breakthrough in the United States political arena. Both President Obama and the US Senate acknowledged that climate change is an severe global issue.  As President Obama stated in the State of the Union address this week, “No challenge — no challenge — poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. 2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does — 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.”, Read more at these links: President's State of the Union and Senate Comments 

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2. Protecting Great Barrier Reef Needs a $643M Investment

The combination of climate change and pollution has had a severe impact on the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian government put together The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan to protect and improve the state of the reef between 2015 to 2050. This will require an investment of $643 million USD over the next 5 years to being the protective efforts. Read more...

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3. Big Oil Destroys the Great Australian Bight

The Great Australian Bight is known for its vast coastline of beaches and rock platforms.  This coast is home to millions of sea creatures including blue whales, great white sharks, and sea lions. Recently, the Australian government has granted an oil company the rights to look for sources of oil and gas. The company will now begin to release sonic booms to identify the gas locations. This process will have serious effects on the marine life.   Read more...

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4. The Science Behind the Shell

Do you know why a turtle’s shell has its particular geometry? After reading this article you will know all about it! Read more...

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5. How Burmese Fishermen Upset Irrawaddy Dolphins

Traditionally, the Burmese fishermen have had a partnership with the Irrawaddy dolphins. The dolphins would actually chase the fish toward the fisherman’s nets. Today that is no longer the case. Dolphins have now become scared of the fishermen because of the implementation of car-battery fishing. Although this poor practice is not new, it is being used on a much larger scale and is killing a large portion of the Irrawaddy dolphins. The Burmese ministry is working to educate the local fisherman on the damages of the electric fishing practice.  Read more...

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6. Breeding Season: Incredible Photos of Northern Elephant Seals

Between November and January of every year, thousands of elephant seals will head to Pacific Coast beaches to mate and give birth. Piedras Blancas beach is one of the 17 elephant seal rookeries. This article shows some incredible pictures of the elephant seal activity while on the beaches.  Read more...

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7. Australian Government Seeks to Opt Out of Protection of Five Shark Species

This year, Australia has submitted a reservation against the international protective efforts for the three species of thresher sharks and two species of hammerhead sharks that are on the UN conservation list. According to the Australian government, there are already effective protections in place for those species. It is unsure what the actual reason is for the pass but, there are a few hypothesis., Read more...

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8. Paddle Boarder Films Encounter with Killer Whales in Laguna Beach

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to paddle board with killer whales? Well, this video will satisfy your curiosity. In Laguna Beach, a paddle boarder came across a pod of five killer whales and was able to film his interaction.Watch Here..

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9. 'Horrific' Frilled Shark Pulled from the Depths of the Ocean

Known as a somewhat creepy and scary looking shark, the frilled shark spans two meters in length and has 47 rows of teeth. Although it is a rare occurrence, this species of shark was spotted off the coast of Victoria, Australia. The frilled shark resembles a cross between a large eel and a cow shark.  Read more...

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10. Climate Change Puts Picky Penguin Eaters At Risk

A testament to evolution, the cohabitating Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins have different feeding strategies in the Antarctic Peninsula. The climate change has impacted the population of krill which impacts the feeding patters and reproduction of the Chinstrap penguins. While the Chinstrap population is diminishing, the Gentoos are flexible and adjusting to the changes in their environment.  Read more...

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11. Retired Subway Cars Dumped Into the Ocean

Shocked by the picture you see here? These old New York City subway cars are being placed into the ocean to create artificial reefs. The railcars are cleaned of any hazardous waste before they are placed in the water to become homes for marine organisms. More pictures here...

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Be sure to "LIKE" http://facebook.com/SeaSave to ensure our "Week in Review" is delivered to your newsfeed every Thursday. 

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.