Florida: Cold Weather Brings Record 699 Manatee Deaths In 2010; Access To 'Warm-Water Sites' Needed
Tallahassee, Florida - Dec 10, 2010 17:57 EST
The cold weather earlier this year led to a record high number of manatee deaths in 2010. From the beginning of the year through Dec. 5, biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research...

Consumer Group Congratulates 'Consumer Reports' For Ignoring Its Own Advice, Serving Tuna At Party
Washington, D.C. - Dec 9, 2010 17:11 EST
After a decade of bashing tuna as a dangerous fish to eat, Consumer Reports magazine has apparently accepted the healthfulness of America's most affordable fish. MediaPost.com reports that Consumer Reports editors served "spicy tuna tartare" at their recent office holiday...

Brrr: Bering Sea Chills To Coldest Temperature On Record; Fatter Plankton, Pollock Diet Changes
Fairbanks, Alaska - Dec 9, 2010 16:56 EST
Despite a 30-year warming trend, the last three years in the Bering Sea have been the coldest on record. A University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist says that the cold temperatures have helped produce larger zooplankton in the Bering Sea, which...

Researchers: 'No Fish Left Behind' Approach Leaves Earth With Nowhere Left To Fish
Vancouver, BC - Dec 9, 2010 12:31 EST
The Earth has run out of room to expand fisheries, according to a new study led by University of British Columbia researchers that charts the systematic expansion of industrialized fisheries. In collaboration with the National Geographic Society and published today in...

First Underwater Robot To Cross Atlantic Highlighted At Smithsonian Ocean Hall
Silver Spring, Maryland - Dec 8, 2010 20:55 EST
The first underwater robotic vehicle — or "glider" — to cross an ocean will be the centerpiece of a new exhibit opening in the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on Dec. 9. The U.S....

Consumer Reports: New Tests Reinforce Concerns About Mercury In Tuna
Yonkers, New York - Dec 7, 2010 21:10 EST
Consumer Reports' latest tests of 42 samples from cans and pouches of tuna bought primarily in the New York metropolitan area and online confirm that white (albacore) tuna usually contains far more mercury than light tuna. Canned tuna, Americans' favorite...

Scientists: 'Chemoautotrophic' Life Thrives In Porous Rock Deep Beneath The Seafloor
Santa Cruz, California - Dec 7, 2010 17:54 EST
Researchers have found compelling evidence for an extensive biological community living in porous rock deep beneath the seafloor. The microbes in this hidden world appear to be an important source of dissolved organic matter in deep ocean water, a finding...

NOAA Proposes Listing Ringed And Bearded Seals As Threatened Under Endangered Species Act
Silver Spring, Maryland - Dec 7, 2010 17:04 EST
NOAA's Fisheries Service is proposing to list four subspecies of ringed seals, found in the Arctic Basin and the North Atlantic, and two distinct population segments of bearded seals in the Pacific Ocean, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act....

Scientists Flesh Out The Life Histories Of Dead Whales; Common 'Background Species' Found
Monterey, California - Dec 6, 2010 21:19 EST
Dead whales that sink down to the seafloor provide a feast for deep-sea animals that can last for years. Previous research suggested that such "whale falls" were homes for unique animals that lived nowhere else. However, after sinking five whale...

Researchers: 'Rusticle' Reveals New Microscopic Life Aboard The RMS Titanic
Halifax, Nova Scotia - Dec 6, 2010 20:51 EST
A brand-new bacterial species has been found aboard the RMS Titanic, which is contributing to its deterioration. The discovery reveals a potential new microbial threat to the exterior of ships and underwater metal structures such as oil rigs. The researchers, who...

To Be Or Not To Be Endangered? Listing Of Rare Hawaiian Coral Species Called Into Question
Manoa, Hawaii - Dec 3, 2010 17:40 EST
Coral reef ecosystems are one of the most diverse habitats on the planet, providing habitat for a wide variety of marine animals. Unfortunately, coral reefs and their associated fish, algae, and invertebrate species are in worldwide decline. I n 2009, 83...

Researchers: Teenage Great White Sharks Are Awkward Biters; 'We Can Digitally 'Crash-Test' Specimens'
Sydney, Australia - Dec 2, 2010 21:52 EST
Scientists are using sophisticated computer software to determine the "bite force" of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) netted near the coast of Sydney. The research will reveal unprecedented information about the creature's feeding habits by analyzing new anatomical and biomechanical...

NASA: Arsenic-based Organism Found In Lake; 'The Definition Of Life Has Just Expanded'
Washington, D.C. - Dec 2, 2010 15:43 EST
NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and...

Brazilian Environmentalists Sue Over Shark Finning Contraband; 'An Unacceptable Crime'
Porto Alegre, Brasil - Dec 2, 2010 15:08 EST
The Environmental Justice Institute, a Brazilian nonprofit NGO based in Porto Alegre, has launched its fourth lawsuit against the illegal shark finning industry, this time at the Federal Court in Belém, capital of the Amazonian State of Pará. This case involves...

Researchers Develop New Communication Tool For Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Newark, Deleware - Dec 1, 2010 21:23 EST
Torpedo-like autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) swim untethered through the ocean collecting data in places scientists could never go themselves. Thanks to University of Delaware researchers, these tools of the marine studies trade are getting an upgrade. Until now, scientists were limited...

Study: Coastal Wetlands Likely To Disappear This Century As Sea Levels Rise
Reston, Virginia - Dec 1, 2010 18:57 EST
Many coastal wetlands worldwide — including several on the U.S. Atlantic coast — may be more sensitive than previously thought to climate change and sea-level rise projections for the 21st century. U.S. Geological Survey scientists made this conclusion from an...

Boycott Launched To Save Imperiled Bluefin Tuna; Consumers, Chefs Urged To Avoid Fish
San Francisco, California - Nov 30, 2010 18:49 EST
The Center for Biological Diversity today called on consumers, chefs and restaurateurs to boycott bluefin tuna, a staple at some sushi restaurants and one of the most imperiled fish on the planet. The boycott comes on the heels of the...

Pump It: New Rule Prohibits Vessel Sewage Discharge Into Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Waters
Silver Spring, Maryland - Nov 30, 2010 18:34 EST
A new NOAA rule will prohibit boaters from discharging or depositing sewage into all waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The rule, which takes effect on December 27, also requires that vessel marine sanitation devices are secured to...

Pole Tax: NOAA Sets $15 Fee For The National Saltwater Angler Registry
Silver Spring, Maryland - Nov 30, 2010 18:16 EST
NOAA announced today that the fee for registering with the National Saltwater Angler Registry will be $15 as of January 1. The change affects anglers, spear fishers and for-hire fishing vessels in Hawaii, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and U.S.V.I., although...

NOAA: U.S. Escapes 'Extremely Active' Atlantic Hurricane Season; Record Low Activity In Eastern North Pacific
Silver Spring, Maryland - Nov 30, 2010 18:09 EST
According to NOAA the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends tomorrow, was one of the busiest on record. In contrast, the eastern North Pacific season had the fewest storms on record since the satellite era began. In the Atlantic Basin...

International Accord Fails To Protect Imperiled Bluefin Tuna From Overfishing; 'Yet Another Decade Of Depletion'
San Francisco, California - Nov 27, 2010 17:07 EST
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna today refused to significantly reduce fishing of Atlantic bluefin, which has been in steep decline for decades from fishing pressure and, most recently, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. With bluefin...

NOAA Closes 4,213 Square Miles Of Gulf Of Mexico Waters After Shrimper Lands Tar Balls; 'Precautionary Measure'
Silver Spring, Maryland - Nov 25, 2010 15:00 EST
Today, out of an abundance of caution, NOAA has closed 4,213 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters off Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to royal red shrimping. The precautionary measure was taken after a commercial shrimper, having hauled in...

Female Fish -- And Humans? -- Lose Interest When Their Male Loses A Slugfest
Palo Alto, California - Nov 24, 2010 15:37 EST
You may think of your love for your mate as the noble emotion of a pure heart, but some primitive parts of your brain are taking a decidedly more pragmatic approach to the subject, according to Stanford biologists. In experiments with...

NASA Study Finds Earth's Lakes Are Warming: 0.81 Degrees Per Decade
Pasadena, California - Nov 24, 2010 15:23 EST
In the first comprehensive global survey of temperature trends in major lakes, NASA researchers determined Earth's largest lakes have warmed during the past 25 years in response to climate change. Researchers Philipp Schneider and Simon Hook of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory...

The Secret Of The Sharks' Hunting Success Revealed: It's All In The Scales
St. Petersburg, Florida - Nov 24, 2010 15:09 EST
New research from the University of South Florida suggests that one of the evolutionary secrets of the shark's success hides in one of its tiniest traits -- flexible scales on the bodies of these peerless predators that make them better...

Survey Of Maui's Dolphins Off New Zealand Finds Genetic Surprise: Hector's Dolphins
Corvallis, Oregon - Nov 23, 2010 15:32 EST
The future survival of the critically endangered Maui's dolphin, which is found only off the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, may have gotten a boost from the discovery of two Hector's dolphins among its sparse population. The more plentiful...

NOAA: Eight Shrimpers Charged With Fishing In Areas Closed By BP Oil Spill
Silver Spring, Maryland - Nov 23, 2010 14:54 EST
Eight shrimp trawlers have been charged by NOAA with allegedly fishing this summer in the area of the Gulf of Mexico that was closed due to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill. The notices of violation and assessment (NOVAs) were issued...

Massachusetts Man Convicted For Trafficking In Illegally-Imported Sperm Whale Teeth And Narwhal Tusks
Washington, D.C. - Nov 22, 2010 22:03 EST
A Massachusetts man was convicted today by a jury in federal court in Boston of seven felonies related to the illegal importation and illegal trafficking of sperm whale teeth and narwhal tusks, the Department of Justice announced today. The federal jury...

Brazilian Divers Protest Against Shark Finning And Tuna Commission Inaction On Shark Massacres
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Nov 20, 2010 18:35 EST
A thousand shark fins cut from black cardboard, representing just five minutes of the world´s shark fisheries, dotted the sands of Copacabana Beach this Saturday to protest the indiscriminate killing of sharks to feed the Asian shark fin trade. Promoted...

Study: Busy Microbial World Discovered In Deepest Ocean Crust Ever Explored; 'surprising'
Corvallis, Oregon - Nov 19, 2010 18:10 EST
The first study to ever explore biological activity in the deepest layer of ocean crust has found bacteria with a remarkable range of capabilities, including eating hydrocarbons and natural gas, and "fixing" or storing carbon. The research, just published in the...

Florida Wildlife Officials Install Live Manatee Cam To Stem Harassment; 'Many Complaints'
Tallahassee, Florida - Nov 18, 2010 11:26 EST
In its continual efforts to protect the Florida manatee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has implemented a new strategy. In coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FWC has installed a camera at the entrance...

Study: Widely Adopted Indicator Of Fisheries Health Questioned; 'Humans Don't Appear To Be Fishing Down The Food Web'
Seattle, Washington - Nov 17, 2010 17:44 EST
The most widely adopted measure for assessing the state of the world's oceans and fisheries led to inaccurate conclusions in nearly half the ecosystems where it was applied. The new analysis was performed by an international team of fisheries scientists, and...

Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation Prepares For Launch Of 4-Year Global Reef Expedition
Landover, Maryland - Nov 17, 2010 16:42 EST
Having recently observed its 10th anniversary, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is preparing for its next scientific research and education project, the Global Reef Expedition, which will launch in 2011 and continue through 2014. The primary scientific goals...

Growing With The Flow: Faster Water Flow Means Greater Diversity Of Invertebrate Marine Life
Providence, Rhode Island - Nov 17, 2010 16:35 EST
One of biggest factors promoting the diversity of coastal ocean life is how fast the water flows, according to new research by ecologists at Brown University. Experiments and observation in Palau, Alaska, and Maine showed that the faster the flow,...

Sharks, Mantas, And Turtles To Be Protected In Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Raja Ampat, Indonesia - Nov 16, 2010 20:58 EST
Misool Eco Resort, www.misoolecoresort.com, and Shark Savers, www.sharksavers.org, announced today that a Shark Sanctuary has been declared for the entire 17,760 square miles of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Bupati Drs Marcus Wanma, the Regent of Raja Ampat, made this historic declaration,...

Researcher: Diver's Breathing Could Be Used To Thwart Underwater Attack
Hoboken, New York - Nov 16, 2010 19:25 EST
At Stevens Institute of Technology, Dr. Alexander Sutin is developing a non-lethal weapon for protecting ports from underwater divers with malicious intentions -- an acoustic device that overwhelms them with the amplified sound of their own breath. The technique may offer...

Researcher Explores Whether Fish Feel Pain; 'Fish Are More Intelligent Than Previously Thought'
University Park, Pennsylvania - Nov 16, 2010 18:52 EST
Do fish feel pain? Victoria Braithwaite, Penn State professor of fisheries and biology, has spent decades studying that question. In her recently published book, "Do Fish Feel Pain?" she examines whether fish are capable of experiencing pain, whether humans cause...

Study: Fishing Allowed In 99 Per Cent Of Marine Protected Areas On Canada's Pacific Coast
Vancouver, British Columbia - Nov 16, 2010 18:40 EST
Fishing is allowed in all but one percent of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) on Canada's Pacific coast, according to a study conducted by Living Oceans Society and published in Marine Policy this month. This is in spite of the fact...

NOAA Proposes To List The Hawaiian Insular False Killer Whale As Endangered; 'Unknown' Population In Decline
Silver Spring, Maryland - Nov 16, 2010 18:00 EST
In response to a petition, NOAA's Fisheries Service will recommend that the Hawaiian insular false killer whale be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, to prevent the current population of less than 170 whales from going extinct. Although...

Heat Stress To Caribbean Corals In 2005 Worst On Record; Ecosystems May Not Survive Repeated Stress
Silverspring, Maryland - Nov 15, 2010 19:16 EST
Coral reefs suffered record losses as a consequence of high ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean in 2005 according to the most comprehensive documentation of basin-scale bleaching to date. Collaborators from 22 countries report that more than 80...