Week in Review: The Last Sea World Killer Whale Show in California!

1. Last Day for Sea World Killer Whale Show in California!

SeaWorld San Diego will host its last entertainment-based killer whale performance on Sunday January 8, 2017.  Thanks to the documentary “Blackfish” the public became aware of the plight of killer whales in captivity and public pressure succeeded.  There will still be shows though, focusing on “conservation and orca’s natural behavior.” Read more...

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2. An Iceberg the Size of Delaware is About to Break from Antarctica

One of the largest icebergs ever recorded, the Larson C iceberg, is about to break off of Antarctica and drift to sea. The Larsen C iceberg is approximately the size of Delaware and has been separating from Antarctica for decades.  There is only a 20 km stretch of intact ice holding the iceberg to Antarctica. This iceberg won’t increase sea level as it has been already floating on the ocean. Read more...

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3. NOAA Plans to Open Federal Waters in the Pacific to Fish Farming

The government sees an opportunity to help the fishing industry, and environmentalists warn that that aquaculture could harm the environment and overall fish stocks.  The plan would create aquaculture operations offshore of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, joining smaller operations in the Gulf of Mexico.  Read more...

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4. Tilikum's Life Comes to an End

Tilikum, a killer whale at SeaWorld San Diego, has died at the age of 36.  He was captured from Iceland at the age of 2 and has been in captivity ever since.  He was the subject of the documentary “Blackfish” which brought to light the ethics of keeping such intelligent animals in captivity.  He is responsible for the deaths of 3 people, including his trainer. Read more...

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5. Barack Obama "The Ocean President"

Obama has protected more ocean waters than any previous president.  He recently expanded the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to 583,000 square miles, twice the size of Texas.  He has also expanded many marine sanctuaries and created new ones.  “His administration has also worked to improve American fisheries, clamp down on illegal fishing, and create national policies for the ocean.” Read more...

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6. Global Warming Could Disrupt the Atlantic Ocean Current

The Atlantic ocean current moves warm water to the North Atlantic.  Winter temperatures in Northern Europe could fall by 7 degrees Celsius and global rainfall could be affected.  Previous simulations didn’t predict much change. Once the simulation took into account the freshwater flows between the Atlantic and Southern the predictions changed. Read more...

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7. Amazing New 3D Ocean Map

A new 3D map used by researchers sorts global water masses into 37 categories based on things such as temperature, salinity, oxygen and nutrient levels.  It is hoped that this mapping tool will help conservationists, government officials and other interested parties decide which places to preserve.  Using a 3D map can help better understand marine animal distribution.

Read more...

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8. Dogfish Shark for Tacos?! Is this the Newest Rage?

Since the collapse of the cod industry on the East Coast, fishermen are now catching the dogfish shark.  But Americans haven’t embrace it, and 99% is exported to places like Britain, where it is used in fish and chips.  The US imports 90% of its seafood, but perfectly good seafood like dogfish is caught in the US. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst has been trying out dogfish tacos, dogfish sushi and an Asian flash fry made with dogfish fillets. Read more...

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