Study: U.S. Equipped To Grow Serious Pond Scum For Fuel; 'Part Of The Solution To Our Energy Needs'
Richland, Washington - May 23, 2013 19:44 EST
A new analysis shows that the nation's land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a year in the United States, one-twelfth of the country's yearly...

Study Reveals How Fishing Gear Can Cause Slow Death Of Whales; 'Added Buoyancy, Added Drag, And Reduced Swimming Speed'
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - May 21, 2013 19:24 EST
Using a "patient monitoring" device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale's diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders whales' ability to eat...

Study: Amazon River Exhales Virtually All Carbon Taken Up By Rain Forest; 'Rivers Were Once Thought Of As Passive Pipes'
Seattle, Washington - May 20, 2013 19:06 EST
The Amazon rain forest, popularly known as the lungs of the planet, inhales carbon dioxide as it exudes oxygen. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to grow parts that eventually fall to the ground to decompose or get washed...

Scientists Discover New Bass Species In Florida; 'It Found Us'
Tallahassee, Florida - May 7, 2013 19:53 EST
Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name ofMicropterus haiaka....

Scientists Uncover Relationship Between Lavas Erupting On Sea Floor And Deep-Carbon Cycle
Washington, D.C. - May 2, 2013 17:10 EST
Scientists from the Smithsonian and the University of Rhode Island have found unsuspected linkages between the oxidation state of iron in volcanic rocks and variations in the chemistry of the deep Earth. Not only do the trends run counter to...

Study: U.S. Equipped To Grow Serious Pond Scum For Fuel; 'Part Of The Solution To Our Energy Needs'
Richland, Washington - May 23, 2013 19:44 EST
A new analysis shows that the nation's land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a year in the United States, one-twelfth of the country's yearly...

Study Reveals How Fishing Gear Can Cause Slow Death Of Whales; 'Added Buoyancy, Added Drag, And Reduced Swimming Speed'
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - May 21, 2013 19:24 EST
Using a "patient monitoring" device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale's diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders whales' ability to eat...

Study: Amazon River Exhales Virtually All Carbon Taken Up By Rain Forest; 'Rivers Were Once Thought Of As Passive Pipes'
Seattle, Washington - May 20, 2013 19:06 EST
The Amazon rain forest, popularly known as the lungs of the planet, inhales carbon dioxide as it exudes oxygen. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to grow parts that eventually fall to the ground to decompose or get washed...

Scientists Discover New Bass Species In Florida; 'It Found Us'
Tallahassee, Florida - May 7, 2013 19:53 EST
Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name ofMicropterus haiaka....

Scientists Uncover Relationship Between Lavas Erupting On Sea Floor And Deep-Carbon Cycle
Washington, D.C. - May 2, 2013 17:10 EST
Scientists from the Smithsonian and the University of Rhode Island have found unsuspected linkages between the oxidation state of iron in volcanic rocks and variations in the chemistry of the deep Earth. Not only do the trends run counter to...

Campaigners Condemn 900 'Last Resort' Seal Shootings In Scotland
East Sussex, England - Mar 18, 2013 20:06 EST
The Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG) today condemned the Scottish Government for publishing details about the shooting of hundreds of seals in Scotland on an obscure website, so avoiding public scrutiny and further public outrage at the killings. The Marine Scotland...

Study: Fragments Of Continents Hidden Under Lava In The Indian Ocean
Potsdam, Germany - Feb 24, 2013 17:37 EST
The islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent, which has now been discovered. The continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, and had been hidden...

Study: Modelling Shows Some Oceans Left Behind By Sea-Level Rise; Pacific Up, Poles Regions Down
Bristol, UK - Feb 19, 2013 20:06 EST
Sophisticated computer modeling has shown how sea-level rise over the coming century could affect some regions far more than others. The model shows that parts of the Pacific will see the highest rates of rise while some polar regions will...

How The Purple And Pink Sunscreens Of Reef Corals Work; Chromoproteins 'Don't Re-Emit Light'
Southampton, United Kingdom - Jan 23, 2013 18:36 EST
New research by the University of Southampton has found a mechanism as to how corals use their pink and purple hues as sunscreen to protect them against harmful sunlight. Many reef corals need light to survive, as they benefit from sugars...

Olivine Eyed As Researchers Analyze 'rock Dissolving' Method Of Geoengineering
Bremerhaven, Germany - Jan 22, 2013 19:10 EST
The benefits and side effects of dissolving particles in our ocean's surfaces to increase the marine uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2), and therefore reduce the excess amount of it in the atmosphere, have been analysed in a new study published...

Researchers: Whales May Turn Down Their Hearing Sensitivity When Warned Of An Impending Loud Noise
Tokyo,Japan - May 8, 2012 18:10 EST
Toothed whales navigate through sometimes dark and murky waters by emitting clicks and then interpreting the pattern of sound that bounces back. The animals' hearing can pick up faint echoes, but that sensitivity can be a liability around loud noises....

Scientists: 'Dolphin Speaker' To Enhance Study Of Dolphin Vocalizations And Acoustics
Tokyo, Japan - May 8, 2012 18:00 EST
Dolphins rely on the combination of a variety of vocalizations and vastly better acoustic abilities than humans to communicate with each other or to detect their surroundings and prey in the dark sea. To gain new insights into how dolphins...

Professor Uses New Supercomputer Model To Accurately Predict 2012 Seasonal Climate Patterns
Tokyo, Japan - Feb 1, 2012 19:52 EST
Professor Toshio Yamagata, Dean of University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science and Head of the Application Laboratory of Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), has announced seasonal climate predictions for 2012 which are strongly influenced by only...

Whale Wars: Japan Whaling Fleet Obstructed By Sea Shepherd Activists
Tokyo, Japan - Jan 5, 2012 19:19 EST
Japan's fisheries agency reported today that Sea Shepherd activists have interrupted the hunt for whales for the first time this season. The text of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research press release follows: On 4 January the Yushin Maru No. 3...

Greenpeace And Palau Bust Pirates In Palau Shark Sanctuary; 'Occurring On A Daily Basis'
Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Dec 8, 2011 22:34 EST
Palauan fisheries officials have boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing activities during a joint patrol with Greenpeace of the Pacific Island nation's exclusive economic zone. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza and the Palauan patrol boat, PSS President...

Changing Wave Heights Projected As The Atmosphere Warms; 'Considerable Uncertainty Remains'
Melbourne, Australia - Apr 18, 2013 19:09 EST
Climate scientists studying the impact of changing wave behavior on the world's coastlines are reporting a likely decrease in average wave heights across 25 per cent of the global ocean. In some of the first simulations of modeled wind and wave...

Geo-Engineering Against Climate Change: Seeding The Oceans With Iron May Not Address Carbon Emissions
Sydney, Australia - Dec 19, 2012 20:49 EST
Numerous geo-engineering schemes have been suggested as possible ways to reduce levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and so reduce the risk of global warming and climate change. One such technology involves dispersing large quantities of...

Blubbery Buddies And Toothy Terrors: Researcher Says Media Influences Public's Perception Of Sea Life
Christchurch, New Zealand's - Nov 19, 2012 20:49 EST
Many people will not have had any real-life contact with marine creatures like dolphins, whales, and sharks, other than via the media, despite the increase in marine-fauna tourism, a University of Canterbury researcher said. Because there was less chance for real-life...

Researchers: Marine Reserve 'Naïve Fish' Are Easy Targets For Spear Fishers; 'Literally More Catchable'
Townsville, Queensland - Nov 13, 2012 20:14 EST
Big fish that have grown up in marine reserves don't seem to know enough to avoid fishers armed with spear guns waiting outside the reserve. The latest research by an Australian team working in the Philippines into the effects of...

World's Rarest Whale Seen For First Time, Washed Up Dead On Kiwi Beach; 'We Know Almost Nothing About Such A Large Mammal'
Auckland, New Zealand - Nov 5, 2012 20:34 EST
A whale that is almost unknown to science has been seen for the first time after two individuals—a mother and her male calf—were stranded and died on a New Zealand beach. A report in the November 6th issue of Current...

Survey: South African 'Pride' In Great White Sharks Unchanged After Attacks; Public 'Not Panicked'
Cape Town, South Africa - Jul 24, 2012 18:47 EST
The first survey conducted before and after a shark attack has found that public support for great white sharks was virtually unchanged. The academic journal Marine Policy published the results online this week in a paper by two University of...

Tour Of South Africa's 'Shark Route' Launched; Top Scientists, Photographers, Divers To Guide Trips
Mossel Bay, South Africa - Nov 28, 2011 18:15 EST
Oceans Discovery has launched the first ever shark route along the coasts of Southern Africa, home to diverse and abundant shark populations and some of the most incredible ocean ecosystems our world has to offer. The shark route...

Into The Deep Unknown: Scientists On A Mission To Explore Underwater Mountains In The Indian Ocean
Cape Town, South Africa - Nov 7, 2011 19:59 EST
Top marine scientists from around the world are setting off on a six-week cruise on board the RRS James Cook today to explore underwater mountains – or seamounts – of the southwest Indian Ocean Ridge. Their main focus will be...

Canoer Survives Encounter With Shark Off Reunion Island; Fifth Attack Of The Year
SAINT-GILLES, Reunion - Oct 5, 2011 19:06 EST
A canoer was attacked by a shark off the western shore of Reunion, a French island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. Jean-Pierre Castellani, 51, was unharmed though shaken by the encounter. This is the fifth...

French Bodyboarding Champion Missing, Presumed Dead After Shark Attack Off Reunion Island; Fourth Attack In 2011
Saint-Paul, Reunion Island - Sep 20, 2011 12:19 EST
Mathieu Schiller, age 38, former champion bodyboarder, was reported missing and presumed dead after being attacked by a shark off the island of Reunion. The latest attack is the second deadly shark encounter at Boucan-Canot, a top tourist beach...

Guy Harvey Launches Petition Drive To Protect Stingrays; 'Affects Every Single Person In The Cayman Islands'
The Cayman Islands - Oct 16, 2012 22:48 EST
Marine wildlife artist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey is leading a petition drive calling on the government of the Cayman Islands to immediately put the National Conservation Law into effect, ensuring the safety and protection of all stingrays in the...

Study: Declines In Caribbean Coral Reefs Pre-Date Damage Resulting From 'Climate Change'
San Diego, California - Apr 1, 2012 17:10 EST
The decline of Caribbean coral reefs has been linked to the recent effects of human-induced climate change. However, new research led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego suggests an even earlier cause. The bad news...

Dive Legend Neal Watson Re-Elected President Of The Bahamas Diving Association
The Bahamas - Jan 24, 2012 20:11 EST
Dive legend and businessman Neal Watson has been re-elected for another two-year term as president of the Bahamas Diving Association. Stuart Cove, owner of Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas in Nassau and Stuart Cove's Tiger Beach Safaris on Grand Bahama...

Downed Pilot's Nightmare In Shark-Infested Waters May Help Save Coral Reefs
Landover, Maryland - Dec 2, 2011 22:26 EST
Twenty five years ago, on December 4, 1986, Walter Wyatt's plane crashed in the waters of Cay Sal Bank, a remote area between Cuba and The Bahamas. It sank almost immediately. Walter, who now lives in Enterprise, Alabama, spent a...

St. Maarten: Warning As 'Edible' Lionfish Found With Poisonous Ciguatoxin; 'This Is Very Bad News'
Philipsburg, St. Maarten - Nov 22, 2011 19:55 EST
The Nature Foundation is recommending that the invasive lionfish not be eaten or consumed based on a recently concluded study where flesh samples which were taken of larger lionfish caught in St. Maarten waters showed levels of the poisonous ciguatoxin...

Israeli Scientists Discover Why Soft Corals Have Unique Pulsating Motion; 'Siestas' Remain Unexplained
Jerusalem, Israel - Apr 23, 2013 23:26 EST
Scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have discovered why Heteroxenia corals pulsate. Their work, which resolves an old scientific mystery, appears in the current issue of PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of...

Oceana Applauds ICCAT Decision To Protect Vulnerable Silky Sharks; Frowns On 'Half-Hearted' Swordfish Protections
Istanbul, Turkey - Nov 19, 2011 19:03 EST
Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world's oceans, applauded the 22nd Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) today for establishing new protections for silky sharks, the shark species...

Researchers Discover Freshwater Springs And New Life-Forms In The Dead Sea
Beersheba, Israel - Sep 21, 2011 19:17 EST
Ben-Gurion University researchers announced today that they have discovered deep springs on the floor of the Dead Sea, which provide fresh water to the rapidly dwindling lake. Meanwhile, a parallel study by German researchers has found new forms of life...

Researchers: Soft Coral Builds Strong Reefs, Key To Health Of Oceans
Tel Aviv, Israel - Aug 16, 2011 23:03 EST
Scientists have long believed soft corals, one of the many endangered elements of marine life, are only minor contributors to the structure of coral reefs. But that's not true, says new research from Tel Aviv University — and the preservation...

Researchers Discover How Mercury Gets Into Fish We Eat: Oxidation
Jerusalem, Israel - Feb 28, 2011 21:10 EST
Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the US have discovered the mechanism whereby dangerous mercury eventually finds its way into the fish we eat from the open seas and oceans. The researchers, Prof. Menachem Luria from the Fredy...

Research: Antarctic Krill Provide Potent Carbon Sink in Southern Ocean; Counteracts 35 Million Cars
British Antarctic Survey, Antartica - Jul 19, 2006 21:35 EST
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Scarborough Centre of Coastal Studies at the University of Hull discovered that rather than doing so once per 24 hours, Antarctic krill 'parachute' from the ocean surface to deeper layers several times during...

Scientists: Unprecedented Number of Walrus Calves Stranded by Melting Sea Ice
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Apr 13, 2006 18:19 EST
Scientists have reported an unprecedented number of unaccompanied and possibly abandoned walrus calves in the Arctic Ocean, where melting sea ice may be forcing mothers to abandon their pups as the mothers follow the rapidly retreating ice edge north. Nine lone...

Two new lakes found beneath Antarctic ice sheet; could contain unique ecosystems
Lake Vostok, Antarctica - Jan 30, 2006 00:00 EST
Lying beneath more than two miles of Antarctic ice, Lake Vostok may be the best-known and largest subglacial lake in the world, but it is not alone down there. Scientists have identified more than 145 other lakes trapped under the...

Research: El Nino events affect whale breeding
South Atlantic - Jan 11, 2006 00:00 EST
New research shows that global climate processes are affecting southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in the South Atlantic. A thirty-year study by an international team of scientists found a strong relationship between breeding success of whales in the South Atlantic...

Global Warming Can Trigger Extreme Ocean, Climate Changes
San Diego, California - Jan 4, 2006 00:00 EST
New research produced by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, helps illustrate how global warming caused by greenhouse gases can quickly disrupt ocean processes and lead to drastic climatological, biological and other important...