Sunday, June 26, 2016

Week in Review: Is There Finally A Way to Remove Plastic Pollution in the Ocean?

1. Floating Screen Will Sift Plastic Out of the Ocean


The Ocean Cleanup Foundation has created a prototype for a floating barrier that will gather the mass of plastic bits from bottles, bags, fishing nets, and other trash. The technology is currently in prototype phase but if it is successful, a 100km version will be launched between Hawaii and the US est coats in 2020. During the prototype phase, the team will monitor how the barrier will hold up in rough ocean currents and winds. The barrier is made of rectangular rubber buoys that keep the barrier afloat.   Read more...

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2. Every Sperm Whale May Have Descended From the Same Female

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A new study in the journal Molecular Ecology reveals that it is possible that modern sperm whales descended from a single female. Scientists reviewed the mitochondrial DNA of the species and they were able to connect them to a single, "Eve"-like whale. DNA was taken from 1,633 whales. The social structures of sperm whales restrict the ability of sperm whales to differentiate and prevent new DNA from getting into the stream. Read more...


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3. New Study Highlights Hidden Values of Open Ocean
New study highlights hidden values of open ocean

A team of scientists from NOAA Fisheries and the University of California San Diego have attached a dollar value to some of the natural benefits of the ocean. The ecosystem services provided by the Eastern Tropical Pacific are worth close to $17 billion USD. This is the sum of the worth of commercial fishing, sport fishing, and the capture and storage of carbon. Rebuilding population of dolphins and fish may provide an additional $3.2 million dollars of worth.   Read more...


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4. Watch a World-Famous Pianist Perform Floating in the Arctic Ocean


This is so beautiful! The Washington Post reported that Ludivico Einaudi, an Italian pianist, played on a floating platform in the Arctic Ocean in Norway. Einadui reported that "there is a cold that I cannot describe really, because you feel a mass of cold". The performance was used to help promote the conservation of the Arctic Ocean.  Read more...




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5. Real World Ocean Rogue Waves Explained

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This week, an article was published in Scientific Reports revealing a mathematical explaination for the rogue ocean waves that can develop and sink ships and overwhelm oil platforms with walls of water almost 25 meters high. The waves are created from a combination of constructive interference and and nonlinear effects. Rogue waves are different from tsunami waves because they typically last only 20 seconds before disappearing. The team of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, University College Dublin, and the Institut FEMTO-ST CNRS-Universite de Franche-Comte created and vetted an accurate model of how waves could combine under unusual circumstances to produce rogue waves. 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.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Week in Review: Are You Ready for the Best Week of the Year?

1. Shark Week 2016: What's on the Agenda this Year?

Underwater cameraman Duncan Brake films for Shark week 2016
5 MORE DAYS UNTIL SHARK WEEK! We can not control our excitement!!

Last year, 42 million viewers tuned in to watch Shark Week. The 2016 programming will kick off at on Sunday, June 26th at 8pm ET with Tiger Beach. Discovery is, once again, put together documentaries and programs with all real footage, research, and findings on sharks all over the world. The shows last year and this year are a true testament to Discovery Communications new branding as "The World's #1 Nonfiction Media Company".This year, Discovery will also have a live Shark Cam 24 hrs a day!  Read more...

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2. BUSTED: More Contraband Shark Fins!

Last week, we shared a story that was pretty similar to this one. Unfortunately, there are more incidents to report. National Geographic's Special Investigations Unit reported that there were cases of illegal possessions of shark fins, giant tortoises, crayfish, ivory, and timber last week. Read more...

These articles highlight the fact that although the international governments have laws against this activity, it continues. The shark fins were found in Taiwan and belonged to a protected shark species.  Read more...


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3. Deep Atlantic: Scientist Launch Ocean Mission

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This week, the ATLAS project launched! Not sure exactly what that is referring to? The project is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. Scientists and researchers around Europe and North America will spend 4 years studying unknown ecosystems and changing ocean currents. To learn more about the project, take a look at the video  here... To read more about the project and to follow the case studies,  read here... 




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4. Rhode Island Protects Sharks!



Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo recently signed a low that bans the sale possession, and trade of shark fins in the state. Rhode Island has become the 11th US state to ban the sale of shark fins. Rhode Island, also known as the 'Ocean State' has now made a commitment to help end global shark fin trade.   Read more...





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5. Sharks Experience Rush Hour Too



An article was recently published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology revealing that sharks at the Pacific atoll of Palmyra have a particularly active time of day. Using sonar originally designed for the US Navy, the scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, were able to determine that shark activity in and out of the lagoon peaks between 7 and 8 o'clock every evening. The research also provided the researchers with a quantitative understanding of size classes in the area. 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 Monday. 

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.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Week in Review: Wildlife Crime Busts for Whale Sharks,Tigers, and More!

1. Wildlife Crime Busts for Whale Sharks, Tigers, and More!

Bust of High-Level Ring Laundering Large Marine Animals Leads to Release of 2 Whale Sharks Back Into the Wild
Around 18 months ago, two whale sharks, which were held illegally in underwater cages off the coast of an island in eastern Indonesia, were rescued. The sharks were likely destined for the illegal wildlife trade either in China or another country in Southeast Asia. The facility where the sharks were found was manage by a company that is owned by an unidentified Indonesian military officer. There have still been no arrests for this illegal activity. Read more...

This week, National Geographic also reviewed some recent wildlife crime busts. Read more...

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2. Overfishing and Nutrient Pollution Continue to Destroy Coral Reefs

This week, an article was published in Nature Communications revealed details from the largest and longest study on coral reefs. The study suggests that the wide spread coral deaths are being caused by a combination of overfishing, nutrient pollution, and pathogenic disease. The findings were made by researchers from six institutions following a three-year experiment that simulated both overfishing and nutrient pollution on a coral reef in the Florida Keys. In addition to the known stressors, the researchers found some interesting finding with parrotfish. In one part of the experiment, corals were so weakened by nitrogen and phosphrous pollution that when parrot fish would bite them, 62 percent of the corals would die. According to one scientist on the team "parrotfish are not the problem...the problem is when corals are so weakened they cannot withstand normal impacts". Read more...


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3. Sharks on a Plane!


I wish i could book a flight on this plane! I've been keeping my eyes open for it at every airport. Southwest Airlines debuted this plane on June 2nd and will partner, once again, with the Discovery Channel for its annual Shark Week program. According to Linda Rutherford, Southwest chief communication officer, stated that "Now more than ever, brands have to be creative and unique in their approach to reach new customers".  Read more...


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4. 7 Bizarre Facts About the Ocean
Spooky sounds from the deep

We love these slides that LiveScience put together about sea science! These were created in honor of World Oceans Day on June 8th. Here's a teaser to the set of slides: " though 94% of life on Earth is aquatic, about two-thirds of all marine life remains unidentified".  Read more...





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5. SeaWorld's Oldest Pilot Whale Dies

SeaWorld San Diego announced the death of one of the park's attractions, Bubbles the pilot whale.

This week, Bubbles, the oldest pilot whale at SeaWorld died. She was estimated to be in her fifties. Bubbles was captured in 1996, according to WDC, and was originally owned by another marine park. She was moved to SeaWorld in 1987. A necropsy will be performed to determine cause of death. Most female short-finned pilot whales usually have a maximum lifespan of around 60 years. 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.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Week in Review: The Death of a Whale Shark Brought to Justice Thanks to Social Media

1. The Death of a Whale Shark Brought to Justice Thanks to Social Media

Fisherman in Fujian claimed to have thought this whale shark was a "sea monster."
This event happened last month but, deserves some attention. Police in southwest China arrested two men after killing a whale shark. This arrest occurred after pictures of the whale shark went viral. This shark was seen every year by oil rig workers in the area and they described the whale shark as an "old friend". This arrest is another good example of the public bringing attention to injustice and calling for government action. The picture on the right breaks our hearts. Whale sharks are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, just a step above endangered. China also protects this animal and requires that a whale shark be set free if caught.    Read more...
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2. A Plan to Give Whales and Other Ocean Life Some Peace and Quiet

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, noise pollution in the ocean has significantly increased in the last 50 years. This has been a result of increased commercial shipping, oil and gas drilling, and other industrial work. The noise has been shown to interfere with the overall behavior of many creatures in the ocean. This week, the agency which protects marine life in US waters released a draft of the  Ocean Noise Strategy Roadmap. The roadmap will include more research on the effects of noise to gain additional understanding on the impact of the noise pollution in the ocean. Read more...

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3. Which Companies are Using Ocean Plastics?

Photo credit: AdidasIn previous versions of Week in Review we've covered reports on various plastic innovations. This week, EcoWatch summarized the 5 companies leading the charge in using ocean plastic in their products. Ocean plastic has been recovered and reused to make shoes, clothes, homes, packing material and cleaning products. We love the innovation that these companies have shown!   Read more...



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4. Study Shows Sharks Have Personalities
Study shows sharks have personalities

An article published in the Journal of Fish Biology revealed that there are individual personality differences in Port Jackson sharks. The lead author Evan Byrnes reports that "personality is no longer considered a strictly human characteristic, rather it is a characteristic deeply engrained in our evolutionary past". The trials in the study were designed to test the shark's boldness. The first test was to place the sharks in a tanks and see who long it took for them to emerge from their refuge box into a new environment. The second test exposed how they were able to handle stress.  Read more...

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5. Free Online Shark Course! 


Shark ImageWell, everyone knows that I already signed up for this one! Cornell University in collaboration with The University of Queensland created a new open online course titled 'Sharks! Global Biodiversity, Biology, and Conservation.' The course starts during Shark Week on June 28th and is completely free. All you need is an internet connection! Throughout the course, students will learn about the habits, anatomy, evolution, and ecological roles of sharks. Enroll in the course on the edx page  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.