Friday, April 29, 2016

Week in Review: Are the Beautiful Colors of the Great Barrier Reef Gone?

1. Are the Beautiful Colors of the Great Barrier Reef Gone?


According to The Guardian, "North Queensland tourism operators are routinely refusing to take media and politicians to see coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef for fear the attention will trigger a collapse in visitor numbers". Recent research by scientists from the National Coral Bleaching Taskforce showed that almost 93% of the Great Barrier Reef was suffering from bleaching. There is a conflict in the region between maintaining eco-tourism and showcasing the bleaching to promote conservation efforts.   Read more...

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2. Glow in the Dark Sharks Under Investigation! 


This week, researchers published some new information about the catshark in Scientific Reports. The catshark is species most well known for giving off a glow in blue light. Researchers created a camera to simulate the way that the sharks see eachother under water. The team studied the chain catshark and the swell shark which both love around 2,000 feet below sea level. Catsharks have molecules in their skin that allow them to absorb some of the blue light and re-emit it as other colors, this is referred to as bioflouresence.   . Read more...


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3. Record Number of Gray Whales Spotted off So Cal Coast


Danagray3Although this is challenging information to collect and verify, it has been estimated that the southern California migration season has the most gray whales than has ever been recorded. The annual migration also appears to peak earlier than in past years. Wayne Perryman, a marine mammal specialist with NOAA, said "clearly there is some variability in the timing of the southbound migration...we have some years in which the first pulse is early and in some years it is a little later". In January, there were 898 southbound whales and 3,412 northbound whales recorded. This is a record for the northbound migration!     Read more...


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4. Scientists Have Discovered a 600 Mile Coral Reef

American and Brazilian researchers collected this sponge sample as well.                    A team of researchers have discovered a new sponge and coral reef more than 600 miles long at the mouth of the Amazon River. The reef appears to cover more than 3,600 square miles of the ocean floor at the edge of the South American continental shelf. A international team of scientists from the University of Georgia and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro was on an expedition to learn more about the Amazon River plums when this was discovered. The paper, published in Science, details the reef and the various fish, sponges, and marine life found along the shelf. Read more...


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5. Could Tagging be Dangerous to Marine Life?



This week, federal biologists ended tagging endangered killer whales in the Puget Sounds after a dead orca was found with pieces of a dart tag lodged in its dorsal fin. In this case, researchers use a dart projector to fire small satellite-linked transmitters which are around the size of a 9-volt battery. The transmitter is attached with two titanium darts and is designed to detach over time leaving nothing on the whale. Although the original review did not reveal any infection, NOAA researchers will assess what went wrong with the transmitter. The federal permit requires this immediate stop and investigation once an issue occurs with this practice. that particular tag was uesd 533 times on whales and other marine mammals and parts of the dart remained in the animals on 1 percent of the cases. In the past, these investigation have lead to redesigns to improve tagging safety. 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.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Week in Review: Boom! Let's Blow Up Some Poachers, Indonesia Illegal Fishing Stance

1. Let's Blow Up Some Poachers, Indonesia Maintains Stance on Illegal Fishing

Since the start of the year, Indonesia has sunk 53 foreign fishing boats violating its territorial waters. The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti has announced that Indonesia will continue to maintain the tough measures against fishing vessels that violate the territory. Indonesia's punishment for captains and chief mechanics on these ships are six months to four years in prison. Local authorities will work to help fishermen get a better understanding of Indonesian laws. Read more...

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2. End of Bering Sea Crabs? Research Points to Alarming Possibility
Tanner crab (Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
That's right, we may be saying goodbye to the Bering Sea crab in just 20 years! Results from a two year researcher project has revealed that baby Tanner crabs show that higher ocean acidity affects their shell production and immune system. According to the project leader Bob Foy, the full reproductive development of the female crabs occurred in acidified conditions. Issues rose in the young crabs during the second year of acid exposure. During the second year, the tiny crabs' ability to molt was impacted. With the continued increased in ocean acidification, it is possible that once the pH level hits 7.5 to 7.8 the crab stocks will begin a countdown. According to the study, the countdown could be just a 20 year period of time. Read more...


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2. Rare Megamouth Shark Caught in Japan

This week, an extremely rare megamouth shark was caught in fishing nets near Owase Port in Mie Prefecture, located in the southern-central region of Japan's main island. The megamouth shark was approximately five meters in length. The first sighting of this species was in 1976 and there have only been 60 confirmed sightings since discovery. Read more...




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3. Australia Places Bans on Microbeads


Plastic that came from a bird's stomach
Plastic pieces that were found in a bird's stomach

First the United States and now, the Australian Senate committee has called for a immediate ban on microbeads and single-use plastic bags! The Senate has asked that if the states do not place these regulations the Federal Government must step in. The Federal Government has stated that if voluntary measures to phase out microbeads did not work, it would take action to ban them next year. Read more...



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5. Why We Should Celebrate the World's Oceans This Earth Month




Our oceans cover 72% of the planet and serve as a key regulator of climate. In honor of Earth Day, Time published a nice synopsis of all of the government projects that have made impressive steps forward in protecting the world's oceans. A number of international projects are summarized in the article. According to Time, "even with these latest positive steps, only about 2% of our ocean is protected in marine parks, far short of the 30% scientists say is needed to help the ocean remain healthy enough to meet the demands we place on it".  Read more...



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5. Invasion of the Zombie Ghost Crab Hoards - Really!



In the murky depths of Panama's Pacific Coast, marine biologists were able to record this clip.  The fact that it comes from the Hannibal Bank Seamount, just makes it more eerie.  This is really fun stuff and it is actually real.  Who knows what other unbelievable scenarios await human discover beneath our oceans' surfaces. Watch the movie - you will love it!  Then Read More




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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.