China’s Largest Shopping Sites, Alibaba And Taobao, To Ban Shark Fin Sales, Fight Illegal Wildlife Crime
Beijing, China - Dec 23, 2008 12:43 EST
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW - www.ifaw.org.cn) has announced that Taobao (www.taobao.com.cn), China's largest shopping website, will soon halt the sale of shark fin products on the site. Taobao.com has told its 400 million online members that...

Biofuel Development Shifting From Soil To Sea, Specifically To Marine Algae; 'It's Early But I'm Excited'
San Diego, California - Dec 20, 2008 16:45 EST
Bell-bottoms… Designer jeans… Disco… Big hair… Gas shortages. Some icons of the 1970s are emblazoned in the memories of those old enough to remember. A few styles, to the dismay of many, have come back in vogue—oil-related crises among them. Broad...

Massive Coral Bleaching Could Decimate SE Asia’s Coral Triangle This Winter
Washington, D.C. - Dec 19, 2008 18:17 EST
Potentially widespread and severe coral bleaching is predicted this winter, which could cause immense damage to some of the world's most important marine environments including the Coral Triangle of SE Asia and the Western Pacific, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)...

China's Largest Shopping Site Bans Sale Of Shark Fin Products; 'Consuming Wildlife Equals Killing'
Beijing, China - Dec 19, 2008 15:38 EST
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW-www.ifaw.org.cn) congratulates Taobao (www.taobo.com.cn), China's largest shopping website for its ban on the sale of shark fin products on the site. Taobao.com announced to its 400 million online members that all shark fin products...

Shrinkage: Sport Diver Purchases Scuba Diving Magazine As F+W Media Exits Scuba Marketplace
Winter Park, Florida - Dec 18, 2008 11:01 EST
Bonnier Corporation, publisher of Sport Diver, today announced the purchase of Scuba Diving magazine from F+W Media Inc. The acquisition positions Bonnier as the dominant media company in the dive industry and expands its presence as the pre-eminent enthusiast sports...

Seattle Photographer Snags 'Nature’s Best Photography' Winner With 'Cheshire Cat Grin' Lemon Shark
Bellevue, Washington - Dec 18, 2008 08:52 EST
Bruce Yates is an investment manager by day, but spends his spare time as an avid nature photographer. Originally from Boise, Idaho, he settled in Bellevue, WA, where he founded the investment firm Appropriate Balance Financial Services, Inc. 24 years...

Shrouded By The Sea - The Terrible Truth About Dolphins And Whales Caught In Fishing Gear
Plymouth, Massachusetts - Dec 17, 2008 21:18 EST
An animal welfare problem of major proportions has been uncovered in a new report by WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. The report, Shrouded by the sea, reveals the shocking truth behind the entanglement of whales, dolphins and porpoises in...

Biologist Finds Link Between 'Bloodless' Icefish Of Antarctica And Anemia And Osteoporosis
Boston, Massachusetts - Dec 17, 2008 20:47 EST
Biologists face the major challenge of understanding genetic and environmental risk factors underlying human diseases. Surprisingly, animal species in the wild have sometimes acquired the characteristics of a human disease through evolution. Yet, the ‘disease’ trait is precisely what allows...

Florida Bank Secures Rights To Vandenberg; Keys Artificial Reef Project Should Move Forward
Norfolk, Virginia - Dec 17, 2008 15:12 EST
First State Bank of the Florida Keys purchased the General Hoyt S. Vandenberg at auction Wednesday, making it possible for the 524-foot decommissioned Air Force missile tracking vessel to be scuttled as an artificial reef off the Florida Keys. Key West...

Human Connection To Our Nation's Fisheries Comes Alive Through Oral History Project; 'Stories To Tell'
Washington, D.C. - Dec 16, 2008 19:09 EST
Voices from the Fisheries, an archive of oral histories of recreational and commercial fishermen and the communities and families that rely on them, documents the human experience with the nation's coastal, marine and Great Lakes environments and living marine resources. Social...

Oceanography Mission Data Now Available From NASA Satellite; 'A New Era Has Dawned'
Washington, D.C. - Dec 16, 2008 19:05 EST
Oceanography data that will help scientists around the world better understand climate change are now available. The data come from the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, also known as OSTM/Jason-2, a spacecraft developed jointly by NASA and the French space agency. Launched...

Florida Governor Christ's Wedding Features Florida Farmed-raised Caviar; 'It’s Truly An Honor'
St. Petersberg, Florida - Dec 16, 2008 18:54 EST
Caviar raised at Mote Aquaculture Park in eastern Sarasota County was served during the wedding reception of Gov. Charlie Crist and Carole Rome at the historic Vinoy in St. Petersburg on Saturday. According to Mote’s wholesale distributor, Tom Neeley of...

Study: Ocean Fish Farming Harms Wild Fish; Higher Density Promotes Infection, Infection Lowers Fitness
Honolulu, Hawaii - Dec 15, 2008 22:04 EST
Farming of fish in ocean cages is fundamentally harmful to wild fish, according to an essay in this week’s Conservation Biology. Using basic physics, Professor Neil Frazer of the UHM Department of Geology and Geophysics explains how farm fish cause nearby...

Federal Government Considers Ban On Imported Swordfish To Protect Marine Mammals
San Francisco, California - Dec 15, 2008 21:45 EST
The U.S. Commerce Department announced today that it is considering banning the imports of foreign swordfish until exporting countries can provide proof that their fishing practices are equally protective of marine mammals — including whales, dolphins, and sea lions —...

Expedition Uncovers Three Never-before Identified Coral Reefs Off Florida's Coast; 'This Is A Big Win'
Miami, Florida - Dec 13, 2008 18:31 EST
The team efforts of scientists and crew from the Waitt Institute for Discovery, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have paid off with the recent discovery of three never-before identified Lophelia coral reefs...

Study: Beaked Whales' Tusks Evolved Through Sexual Selection Process; 'Most Bizarre Whales In The Ocean'
Corvallis, Oregon - Dec 12, 2008 18:40 EST
For years, scientists have wondered why only males of the rarely seen family of beaked whales have “tusks,” since they are squid-eaters and in many of the species, these elaborately modified teeth seem to actually interfere with feeding. A newly published...

U.S. Coast Guard Responds To Healy Tragedy, Opens Regional Dive Facilities; 'We Will Not Accept Preventable Loss Or Injury'
San Diego, California - Dec 11, 2008 16:22 EST
On Aug. 17, 2006, two active duty military members' lives were cut short during a cold water familiarization diving accident in the Arctic aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy. The Coast Guard initiated an immediate administrative and safety investigation into...

Tiny Knights In Shining Armor – Bacteria Detoxify Deadly Seawater; 'Very Positive As Well As A Worrying'
Bremen, Germany - Dec 11, 2008 15:59 EST
Hydrogen sulphide is well known for its characteristic smell of rotten eggs. But hydrogen sulphide is not only smelly, it is also highly toxic. Humans can die within minutes when exposed to high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide. This foul-smelling gas...

First-ever Socioeconomic Study On Coral Reefs Points To Challenges Of Coastal Resource Management
Washington, D.C> - Dec 10, 2008 23:13 EST
A first of its kind study, "Socioeconomic Conditions Along the World's Tropical Coasts: 2008," reports on the social and economic ramifications of healthy coral reefs in 27 tropical nations and points to the inability of coastal managers to effectively implement...

Acoustic Phenomena Explain Why Boats And Animals Collide; 'Slow Speeds Actually Exacerbate The Risks'
Miami, Florida - Dec 9, 2008 21:45 EST
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have laid the groundwork for a sensory explanation for why manatees and other animals are hit repeatedly by boats. Last year, 73 manatees were killed by boats in Florida’s bays and inland waterways. Marine authorities...

Dune And Dirty: Hurricane Teaches Lessons Through Ecosystem Research; 'sediment Accumulation Didn't Happen'
Galveston, Texas - Dec 9, 2008 19:15 EST
Dr. Rusty Feagin was managing several ecosystem research projects on Galveston Island when the 2008 hurricane season began. Then he got an unexpected visit from a research assistant named Ike. "Ike reconfirmed the basic idea I've had for several years," said Feagin,...

NOAA: Ships Must Slow Down To Protect North Atlantic Right Whales
Washington, D.C. - Dec 8, 2008 21:11 EST
Ships in southeastern Atlantic and mid-Atlantic U.S. waters must slow down to protect endangered right whales starting this week. A landmark regulation going into effect on Dec. 9 will require ships 65 feet or longer to travel at 10 knots...

Study: Baby Fish In Polluted San Francisco Estuary Waters Are Stunted And Deformed
Davis, California - Dec 8, 2008 20:47 EST
Striped bass in the San Francisco Estuary are contaminated before birth with a toxic mix of pesticides, industrial chemicals and flame retardants that their mothers acquire from estuary waters and food sources and pass on to their eggs, say UC...

Isopora Or Isn't It? Mistaken Identity Leads Researchers To Two New Extinct Species Of Coral
Miami, Florida - Dec 8, 2008 20:31 EST
What began as an homage to achievement in the field of coral reef geology has evolved into the discovery of an unexpected link between corals of the Pacific and Atlantic. Dr. Ann F. Budd from the University of Iowa and...

Scripps Oceanography To Build Marine Lab; 'We Are Grateful For This Vote Of Confidence'
San Diego, California - Dec 8, 2008 20:26 EST
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has been awarded $12 million by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC)/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to construct a new laboratory building on the Scripps campus for research on marine...

NOAA Charges Florida Dive Charter Businesses With Spearfishing Without Federal Permits
Washington, D.C. - Dec 4, 2008 17:55 EST
NOAA has charged two dive business owners in Pensacola, Fla., with illegally operating spearfishing charters without the appropriate permits in federal waters off the Florida panhandle. NOAA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched an investigation in summer 2007...

Florida Bonefish Census Reveals Population Holding Steady; 'a Great Indicator Of Ecological Change'
Virginia Key, Florida - Dec 4, 2008 17:45 EST
If you're looking for bonefish from Miami down to the Marquesas Islands, you have about 321,000 to choose from, and that is down slightly from the average of previous censuses—mostly due to increased participation among those who are counting, researchers...

No Place Like Home: New Theory For How Salmon, Sea Turtles Find Their Birthplace; 'Magnetic Address'
Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Dec 3, 2008 19:32 EST
How marine animals find their way back to their birthplace to reproduce after migrating across thousands of miles of open ocean has mystified scientists for more than a century. But marine biologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...

Expeditions Reveal Gulf Of California's Deep Sea Secrets, As Well As Human Imprints; 'We Are Excited'
San Diego, California - Dec 3, 2008 18:50 EST
Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego returning from research expeditions in Mexico have captured unprecedented details of vibrant sea life and ecosystems in the Gulf of California, including documentations of new species and marine animals previously...

Model Developed To Predict Hot Spots For Mercury Levels In Fish
Raleigh, North Carolina - Dec 1, 2008 21:45 EST
Mercury levels in fish are prompting widespread consumption advisories and uncertainty among consumers over which species are safe to eat. Now researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a model that will help scientists and regulators around the country...

Study Reveals Humpback Whales’ Dining Habits – And Costs; 'Enormous Energy Costs'
British Columbia, Canada - Nov 27, 2008 18:43 EST
As most American families sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, a University of British Columbia researcher is revealing how one of the largest animals on earth feasts on the smallest of prey – and at what cost. Some large marine mammals are...

Scientists: Keep Big Fish In Their Small Ponds -- Or In The Ocean
Toronto, Canada - Nov 27, 2008 18:25 EST
Scientists at the University of Toronto analysed Canadian fisheries data to determine the effect of the "keep the large ones" policy that is typical of fisheries. What they found is that the effect of this policy is an unsustainable fishery. In...

Scientists: Speed Matters For Ice-shelf Breaking; 'there Is So Much Variability'
State College, Pennsylvania - Nov 27, 2008 16:16 EST
It won't help the Titanic, but a newly derived, simple law may help scientists improve their climate models and glaciologists predict where icebergs will calve off from their parent ice sheets, according to a team of Penn State researchers. "To predict...

Study: Shrimp Trawling May Boost Mercury In Red Snapper; 'An Issue Worth Watching'
Fort Worth, Texas - Nov 26, 2008 16:53 EST
Fishery experts have known for years that shrimp trawling operations in the Gulf of Mexico are contributing to sharp declines in the ranks of Red Snapper, one of the most delicious and popular marine fish on the seafood menu. While...

NOAA: U.S. Pushes For Strong Measures To Protect Bluefin Tuna; 'Excessive Fishing Levels' Putting Species At Risk
Washington, D.C. - Nov 25, 2008 20:00 EST
Despite a strong U.S. proposal to conserve bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas failed today to heed scientific advice and adopt measures that would end overfishing and put this...

New Sand Tiger Sharks Debut At Georgia Aquarium; 'Scary-looking, Yet Docile Species'
Atlanta, Georgia - Nov 25, 2008 17:57 EST
Georgia Aquarium announced today that new sand tiger sharks have been added into the Ocean Voyager gallery, built by The Home Depot. The sharks were introduced into the 6.3 million gallon habitat alongside the whale sharks, manta ray and many other...

Study: Light Pollution Offers New Global Measure Of Coral Reef Health; 'Correlates With Human Impact'
Los Angeles, California - Nov 25, 2008 17:31 EST
We've all seen the satellite images of Earth at night--the bright blobs and shining webs that tell the story of humanity's endless sprawl. These pictures are no longer just symbols of human impact, however, but can be used to objectively measure...

NOAA Mission Discovers Historic Shipwreck Off Turks And Caicos Islands; 'The Story Was Lost To History'
Washinton, D.C. - Nov 25, 2008 17:20 EST
Maritime archaeologists today announced they have recently identified the wreck of the historic slave ship Trouvadore off the coast of East Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands. NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research significantly funded several years of...

Study: Dolphin Population Stunted By Fishing; Beyond 'Bycatch', Reproduction Seen To Decline
San Diego, California - Nov 24, 2008 18:45 EST
Despite broad “dolphin safe” practices, fishing activities have continued to restrict the growth of at least one Pacific Ocean dolphin population, a new report led by a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has concluded. Populations of...

'Gray's Paradox' Cracked: Researchers Discover Secret Of Speedy Dolphins
Troy, New York - Nov 24, 2008 18:34 EST
There was something peculiar about dolphins that stumped prolific British zoologist Sir James Gray in 1936. He had observed the sea mammals swimming at a swift rate of more than 20 miles per hour, but his studies had concluded that...