Diver Finds Million Dollar Golden Chalice Off Florida Coast; 'Spectacular' Artifact Only 18 Feet Underwater
Key west, Florida - Jun 26, 2008 06:45 EST
Divers for the historic shipwreck search and salvage company Blue Water Ventures Key West have discovered an intact, centuries old, golden chalice in the waters of the Florida Straits. The ornately etched vessel, which the Spanish called a bernegal, was discovered...

Scientists: Census Of Marine Life Lists 122,500 Known Species, 56,400 Aliases
Washington, D.C. - Jun 25, 2008 15:18 EST
Census of Marine Life-affiliated scientists consolidating world databases of ocean organisms have demoted to alias status almost one-third of all names culled from 34 regional and highly specialized inventories. The new World Register of Marine Species (www.marinespecies.org) contains about 122,500 validated...

Researchers: Devastating 'White Syndrome' Coral Disease May Have Bacterial Cause
Queensland, Australia - Jun 24, 2008 20:06 EST
Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University have identified the possible cause of a virulent coral disease that until now has been mysterious. Coral disease...

Discovery Announces Dates For 2008 Shark Week; Mythbusters, Survivorman, Dirty Jobs, Mysterious Shark Coast
Miami, Florida - Jun 23, 2008 17:27 EST
Shark Week, summer television's must-see event, is back for its 21st year on Discovery Channel, from July 27 to August 1, 2008 at 9PM ET/PT. Cable television's longest-running programming event will kick off Sunday, July 27 at 9PM ET/PT with the...

Researchers: Dry Tortugas Show Positive Trends; Protected Area Slowly Rebounding
Miami, Florida - Jun 23, 2008 15:26 EST
A team of 38 research divers from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, NOAA Fisheries Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Park Service, REEF, and the University of North Carolina...

Research: Shallow Water Corals Evolved From Deep Sea Ancestors; 'Arms Race' Leads To 'Skeletal Defense'
Sao Paulo, Brazil - Jun 19, 2008 11:40 EST
New research shows that the second most diverse group of hard corals first evolved in the deep sea, and not in shallow waters. Stylasterids, or lace corals, diversified in deep waters before launching at least three successful invasions of shallow...

Research: Ocean Temperatures, Sea Level Increases 50% Higher Higher Than Previously Estimated
Livermore, California - Jun 18, 2008 17:41 EST
New research suggests that ocean temperature and associated sea level increases between 1961 and 2003 were 50 percent larger than estimated in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. The results are reported in the June 19 edition of the...

Researchers Test Sediment-scrubbing Technology In New Hampshire River; 'A Great Tool To Add To The Tool Box'
Durham, New Hampshire - Jun 17, 2008 18:49 EST
In a mud flat at the edge of the Cocheco River, just outside downtown Dover, scientists from the University of New Hampshire's Contaminated Sediments Center are testing an innovative way to treat polluted sediment in coastal waterways. Rather than dredging up...

Researchers Turn To Minisubs To Probe Odd Structures In Canadian Lake; 'Biological Or Geological Processes?'
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - Jun 16, 2008 16:46 EST
Single person submersibles have been called in to help scientists retrieve samples from a lake in northern British Columbia that may hold vital clues to the history of life on Earth and on other planets. Greg Slater, an environmental geochemist in...

Shark Conspiracies: Cover-ups, Misinformation Exposed In Recent Shark Attacks Around The World
San Diego, California - Jun 15, 2008 18:45 EST
The July, 2008, episode of Shark Conspiracies is now available for free download. Shark Conspiracies explores shark sightings and attacks in a new way, by exposing the cover-ups and misinformation sometimes generated from tourism and conservation interests. Shark Conspiracies claims...

Study: Ebb And Flow Of The Sea Have 'clear Relationship' To World's Big Extinction Events
Madison, Wisconsin - Jun 15, 2008 18:34 EST
If you are curious about Earth's periodic mass extinction events such as the sudden demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, you might consider crashing asteroids and sky-darkening super volcanoes as culprits. But a new study, published online today (June...

8-day Undersea Mission Begins Experiment To Improve Coral Reef Restoration; 'like Living On The Space Station'
State College, Pennsylvania - Jun 13, 2008 18:50 EST
Scientists have begun an eight-day mission, in which they are living and working at 60 feet below the sea surface, to determine why some species of coral colonies survive transplanting after a disturbance, such as a storm, while other colonies...

First Birthday of Captive Baby Walrus 'Akituusaq' Celebrated At Aquarium
New York, New York - Jun 13, 2008 10:24 EST
Brooklyn's biggest baby -- a walrus named Akituusaq -- celebrated his first birthday Thursday. Akituusaq is a rarity. Of just 10 walrus calves to be born at an aquarium, he is one of only six to survive past the first year....

NOAA Proposes Rule To Require Saltwater Angler Registration; 'Key To Closing A Major Gap In Information'
Washington, D.C. - Jun 11, 2008 19:49 EST
NOAA’s Fisheries Service is seeking comment on a proposed rule that requires anglers and spearfishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters to be registered before fishing in 2009. The rule would also require registration by those who may catch...

Researchers Install Unique Acoustic System To Protect Manatees From Injuries And Death
Fort Pierce, Florida - Jun 11, 2008 11:33 EST
Researchers at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University have developed and improved upon a unique acoustic system designed to keep manatees from being injured or killed by flood gates and boat locks. Locks are used on sections of...

Study: Persistent Man-made Chemical Pollutants Found In Deep-sea Octopods And Squids
Washington, D.C. - Jun 10, 2008 17:23 EST
New evidence that chemical contaminants are finding their way into the deep-sea food web has been found in deep-sea squids and octopods, including the strange-looking "vampire squid". These species are food for deep-diving toothed whales and other predators. In a study...

NOAA: Study Shows Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean Dolphin Populations Improving
Washington, D.C. - Jun 9, 2008 17:44 EST
The numbers of Northeastern offshore spotted and eastern spinner dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are increasing after being severely depleted because of accidental death in the tuna purse-seine fishery between 1960 and 1990, according to biologists from NOAA's...

Study: Domoic Acid From Toxic Algal Blooms May Cause Seizures In California Sea Lions
Washington, D.C. - Jun 9, 2008 16:35 EST
Scientists, reporting in the current issue of the online journal Marine Drugs, state that an increase of epileptic seizures and behavioral abnormalities in California sea lions can result from low-dose exposure to domoic acid as a fetus. The findings follow...

New Catfish Species Named For Museum Mail Supervisor; 'I Was Impressed By Frank's Dedication'
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Jun 9, 2008 15:47 EST
He's not well known like President Bush and musician Neil Young, but Philadelphian Frank Gallagher now has something in common with them: He has a new species named after him. Gallagher was The Academy of Natural Sciences' affable mailroom supervisor for...

Correction: Deep Ocean Expedition's Sub Tourism Business Healthy And Afloat; Affiliated Shipbuilder Bankrupt
Miami, Florida - Jun 9, 2008 13:28 EST
The Wall Street Journal has offered a correction to a June 4, 2008, story titled "Tourism Firm Files Bankruptcy". The June 6th story incorrectly reported that the bankrupt Deep Ocean Expeditions LLC offered trips aboard minisubmarines to well-healed tourists. The...

NOAA: Caribbean Monk Seal Confirmed Extinct; Only Seal Species To Vanish Due To Human Impact
Washington, D.C. - Jun 6, 2008 18:46 EST
After a five year review, NOAA’s Fisheries Service has determined that the Caribbean monk seal, which has not been seen for more than 50 years, has gone extinct—the first type of seal to go extinct from human causes. Monk seals became...

Researchers: School Of Robofish Provides Basis For Underwater Robot Teams; 'Don't Need Oxygen'
Seattle, Washington - Jun 6, 2008 18:16 EST
In the world of underwater robots, this is a team of pioneers. While most ocean robots require periodic communication with scientist or satellite intermediaries to share information, these can work cooperatively communicating only with each other. Over the past five...

Florida Shark Expert Summoned To Mexico After Third Attack In Four Weeks
Gainsville, Florida - Jun 2, 2008 16:21 EST
Florida Museum of Natural History shark expert George Burgess was summoned to Mexico Monday by the State of Guerrero after a third shark attack off the Mexican coast in a month. The attacks April 28 and May 23 and 24...

Odyssey Marine Files Claim To 2 New Shipwrecks Near The English Channel
Tampa, Florida - May 30, 2008 19:13 EST
Odyssey Marine Exploration today filed Admiralty Arrest Complaints in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on two separate shipwreck sites recently discovered by the Company. Both sites lie within the general area of the English Channel...

Study: Healthy Parents Provide Clues To Survival Of Young Haddock On Georges Bank; 'Significant Implications'
Washington, D.C. - May 29, 2008 08:45 EST
In 2003, haddock on Georges Bank experienced the largest baby boom ever documented for the stock, with an estimated 800 million new young fish entering the population. With typical annual averages of 50 to 100 million new fish in the...

Scientists: 'Barren' Seafloor Teeming With Microbial Life; 'There Are Significant Implications'
Los Angeles, California - May 28, 2008 16:35 EST
Seafloor bacteria on ocean-bottom rocks are more abundant and diverse than previously thought, appearing to "feed" on the planet's oceanic crust, according to results of a study reported in this week's issue of the journal Nature. The findings pose intriguing...

Another Surfer Killed By Shark Off Mexico's Pacific Coast; 'Osvaldo Went Under'
Acapulco, Mexico - May 24, 2008 07:45 EST
A surfer was killed by a shark off Mexico's Pacific coast, a mere 6 miles (10 kilometers) from a beach where an American man died in a similar attack last month, authorities said. Osvaldo Mata Valdovinos, 21, was attacked Friday while...

Saltwater Sleuths: Seeking Clues To Help Determine The Ages Of Fish And Shellfish Populations
Washington, D.C. - May 21, 2008 17:35 EST
Fishery biologist Sandy oSutherland looks through the lens of the microscope at tiny sections of fish earbones, known as toliths, each showing annual bands of growth. She carefully counts the bands to determine the age of the fish, then moves...

How Do You Put A Tuna On A Treadmill? And Why? Researchers Examine Lives Of Tuna In The Open Ocean
San Francisco, California - May 21, 2008 16:09 EST
It's easy to find them in a can, but the lives of tuna in the open ocean have been a mystery to scientists. Thanks to a tagging program, Monterey Bay Area scientists are learning that these underwater sprinters travel thousands...

Rare Gold Toothpick And Earwax Scoop Recovered From Florida Shipwreck; 'What A Way To Start The New Season!'
Key West, Florida - May 20, 2008 16:48 EST
The crew of the historic shipwreck search and recovery vessel Blue Water Rose pulled into port Sunday with an extraordinary discovery – a solid gold early 17th Century grooming tool consisting of both toothpick and earwax scoop. The ornate artifact,...

NOAA: Ancient Deep-sea Coral Reefs Off Southeastern US Serve As Underwater 'Islands' In The Gulf Stream
Washington, D.C. - May 19, 2008 16:17 EST
Largely unexplored deep-sea coral reefs, some perhaps hundreds of thousands of years old, off the coast of the southeastern U.S. are not only larger than expected but also home to commercially valuable fish populations and many newly discovered and unusual...

What To Say When Your Child Says 'If I Enter The Water, The Sharks Will Eat Me!'
Miami, Florida - May 19, 2008 15:25 EST
As a parent, we want our children to spend time outdoors and learn about nature. But what happens when your child tells you they don't want to walk in the park because "the bears will eat me". Should your child be...

Researchers Document Rapid, Dramatic 'Reverse Evolution' In The Threespine Stickleback Fish
Seattle, Washington - May 15, 2008 15:50 EST
Evolution is supposed to inch forward over eons, but sometimes, at least in the case of a little fish called the threespine stickleback, the process can go in relative warp-speed reverse, according to a study led by researchers at Fred...

Professor: Atmosphere Threatened By Pollutants Entering Ocean; 'Implications Are Complex And Interactive'
College Station, Texas - May 15, 2008 15:20 EST
A large quantity of nitrogen compounds emitted into the atmosphere by humans through the burning of fossil fuels and the use of nitrogen fertilizers enters the oceans and may lead to the removal of some carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,...

Scientists Capture Deep Sea Methane Scavenger; Important Component In Global Carbon Cycle ID'd
Pasadena, California - May 14, 2008 17:17 EST
Scientists of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena succeeded in capturing syntrophic (means "feeding together") microorganisms that are known to dramatically reduce the oceanic emission of methane into...

NOAA: Monitor Sanctuary In Good Health Overall, But Historic Shipwreck Still Faces Threats
Washington, D.C. - May 14, 2008 16:56 EST
he natural resources of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary off the North Carolina coast are in good condition overall, but the wreck of the Civil War ironclad encompassed by the site is at risk from human activity and natural deterioration,...

Shark Conspiracies: Latest Shark Attack News and Conspiracies Examined
San Diego, California - May 14, 2008 15:12 EST
The May, 2008, episode of Shark Conspiracies is now available for free download. Shark Conspiracies explores shark sightings and attacks in a new way, by exposing the cover-ups and misinformation sometimes generated from tourism and conservation interests. Shark Conspiracies claims...

NOAA: Coastal Waters Decline In Contaminants Over 20-Year Period; DDT, PCBs 'Show Significant Decreasing Trends'
Washington, D.C. - May 14, 2008 09:28 EST
NOAA scientists today released a 20-year study showing that environmental laws enacted in the 1970s are having a positive effect on reducing overall contaminant levels in coastal waters of the U.S. However, the report points to continuing concerns with...

Researcher: Drying Anchor Lines Can Help Contain Spread Of Spiny Water Fleas
Kingston, Canada - May 13, 2008 18:29 EST
Reducing the spread of some invasive species into our lakes could be as simple as asking boaters and fishers to dry out their equipment, says Queen’s Biology professor Shelley Arnott. When anchor rope, fishing line and the boats themselves are thoroughly...

Research: Fish Study Leads Way To Understanding When To 'Follow The Leader'
Leicester, U.K. - May 13, 2008 18:09 EST
For animals that live in social groups, and that includes humans, blindly following a leader could place them in danger. To avoid this, animals have developed simple but effective behaviour to follow where at least a few of them dare...