Researchers: Low Oxygen And Molybdenum In Ancient Oceans Delayed Evolution Of Life By 2 Billion Years
Riverside, California - Mar 26, 2008 13:51 EST
A deficiency of oxygen and the heavy metal molybdenum in the ancient deep ocean may have delayed the evolution of animal life on Earth by nearly two billion years, a study led by UC Riverside biogeochemists has found. The researchers...

Study: 'Climate Change' Will Alter Lake Tahoe's Water Mixing; 'Just Like Any Other Lake Or Pond'
Davis, California - Mar 25, 2008 13:44 EST
A new UC Davis study predicts that climate change will irreversibly alter water circulation in Lake Tahoe, radically changing the conditions for plants and fish in the lake -- and it could happen in 10 years. One likely result would be...

Researchers: 'Ballast-free Ship' Could Cut Costs While Blocking Aquatic Invaders; 'Like A Submarine'
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Mar 25, 2008 13:36 EST
University of Michigan researchers are investigating a radical new design for cargo ships that would eliminate ballast tanks, the water-filled compartments that enable non-native creatures to sneak into the Great Lakes from overseas. At least 185 non-native aquatic species have been...

Scientist: Coral's Addiction To 'Junk Food' Keyed By One Of Nature's Most Delicate And Complex Partnerships
Townsville, Australia - Mar 24, 2008 14:37 EST
Over two hundred million humans depend for their subsistence on the fact that coral has an addiction to ‘junk food’ - and orders its partners, the symbiotic algae, to make it. This curious arrangement is one of Nature’s most delicate...

Dr. Eugene Clark, Mote Marine Laboratory Founder, Receives Explorer's Club Medal; 'The Shark Lady'
New York, New York - Mar 23, 2008 13:11 EST
Mote founding director, Dr. Eugenie Clark, received the Explorers Club Medal during the organization’s annual dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Saturday, March 15. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the club, an international society...

Released Aquarium Great White Shark Reaches Mexico In Record Time; Near Real-Time Reports Track His Travels
Monterey, California - Mar 20, 2008 12:04 EST
A young white shark returned to the wild by the Monterey Bay Aquarium six weeks ago has traveled past the southern tip of Baja California and is heading toward waters off the Mexican mainland, according to data from an electronic...

Researchers Sharpen Search For New Marine Medicines With Novel Techniques
San Diego, California - Mar 19, 2008 13:00 EST
With the number of terrestrial sources that yield novel treatments for human disease decreasing year by year, the oceans have been tapped as a promising resource for discovering new natural biomedicines. Two studies by scientists at UC San Diego, each...

How Iron Gets Into The North Pacific: Is The Dust-storm Theory Overblown?
Berkeley, California - Mar 19, 2008 12:48 EST
Most oceanographers have assumed that, in the areas of the world's oceans known as High Nutrient, Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions, the iron needed to fertilize infrequent plankton blooms comes almost entirely from wind-blown dust. Phoebe Lam and James Bishop of...

Study: Zebrafish Use 'Molecular Circuit Breaker' To Regenerate Missing Fins; MicroRNA Eyed
Durham, North Carolina - Mar 17, 2008 14:51 EST
Biologists have discovered a molecular circuit breaker that controls a zebrafish's remarkable ability to regrow missing fins, according to a new study from Duke University Medical Center. Tiny wonders of the aquarium world, zebrafish can regenerate organs and tissues, including hearts,...

Book: Oceanic Sharks Worldwide At Serious Risk From High-seas Fishing, Rising Demand For Shark Products
New York, New York - Mar 17, 2008 14:27 EST
Oceanic shark populations worldwide are declining from destructive high-seas commercial fishing practices and a rising global demand for shark products (mainly fins and meat), with some shark populations severely depleted and only a few stable or recovering, according to a...

Biologists: Sand Dollar Larvae Use Cloning To 'Make Change,' Confound Predators
Seattle, Washington - Mar 13, 2008 13:29 EST
Nature is full of examples of creatures that try to look as big as possible in an effort to scare away potential predators. But to avoid being eaten alive the larvae of sand dollars appear to have a different strategy,...

Research: Alligators' Muscles Move Lungs Around For Sneaky Maneuvers In Water
Salt Lake City, Utah - Mar 13, 2008 12:59 EST
Without a ripple in the water, alligators dive, surface or roll sideways, even though they lack flippers or fins. University of Utah biologists discovered gators maneuver silently by using their diaphragm, pelvic, abdominal and rib muscles to shift their lungs...

Scientists: Streams Are Critical Nitrogen Filters, Aid In Preservation Of Oceanic Coastal Zones
Tempe, Arizona - Mar 12, 2008 13:38 EST
The plight of the world’s oceans is dire, according to recent studies, through insults from human-derived activities depopulating and damaging reefs, altering coastlines, and creating pollutants, such as nitrogen runoff from terrestrial watersheds. A study by 31 aquatic biologists involving...

Researcher: U.S. Rush To Produce Corn-based Ethanol Will Worsen 'Dead Zone' In Gulf Of Mexico
Vancouver, Canada - Mar 11, 2008 16:38 EST
The U.S. government’s rush to produce corn-based ethanol as a fuel alternative will worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, increasing a “Dead Zone” that kills fish and aquatic life, according to University of British Columbia researcher Simon Donner. In the...

IFAW: Slaughter Of 275,000 Harp Seal Pups 'Completely Indefensible' In Face Of International Outcry And Dwindling Markets
Ottawa, Canada - Mar 10, 2008 14:45 EST
Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has once again decided to ignore scientific advice, and the wishes of the majority of Canadians, by increasing the total allowable catch (TAC) for harp seals. "Quite frankly, I'm stunned." Said Sheryl Fink, a...

Shark Conspiracies: Fatal Shark Attack On Markus Groh Examined
San Diego, California - Mar 8, 2008 09:15 EST
The April, 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...

Argh! NOAA Scientists Spot Rare White Killer Whale; Like 'Finding A Needle In A Haystack'
Seattle, Washington - Mar 6, 2008 16:53 EST
Scientists aboard the NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson in the North Pacific have sighted a creature of great rarity and even myth: a white whale. Scientists aboard the NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson in the North Pacific have sighted...

Group: Bahamas Shark Feeding Tours Endangering Others; Calls On Government To Prohibit Feeding
Miami, Florida - Mar 6, 2008 14:50 EST
Shark feeding tours to The Bahamas – like the one that ended last week in the tragic death of an Austrian diver – also pose a threat to island visitors not involved in these expeditions, said a spokesman for a...

Breath Of The Ocean Links Fish Feeding, Reefs, Climate; 'They're Not Smelling Food, But Other Cues'
Davis, California - Mar 6, 2008 14:09 EST
An ocean odor that affects global climate also gathers reef fish to feed as they "eavesdrop" on events that might lead them to food. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is given off by algae and phytoplankton, microscopic one-celled plants that float in the ocean....

Scientists: Changes In Ocean Conditions In Sargasso Sea Potential Cause For Decline In Eel Fishery
Silver Spring, Maryland - Mar 6, 2008 14:05 EST
American eels are fast disappearing from restaurant menus as stocks have declined sharply across the North Atlantic. While the reasons for the eel decline remain as mysterious as its long migrations, a recent study by a NOAA scientist and colleagues...

Massive 1,000-pound, 14-foot Hammerhead Shark Landed Off Florida Coast; 'I Can't Believe It'
Singer Island, Florida - Mar 6, 2008 10:05 EST
A massive 1,000-pound, 14-foot hammerhead shark was caught by a Florida fisherman Wednesday afternoon in shallow water. Fritz Van Der Grift was fishing off of Singer Island in Palm Beach County when he snagged the shark, which he says he never...

NOAA: Ocean 'Deserts' Are Expanding; 'Consistent' With Global Warming Or Sample 'Variation'
Silver Spring, Maryland - Mar 5, 2008 14:02 EST
The least biologically productive areas of the oceans are expanding much faster than predicted, according to a new study by researchers at NOAA and the University of Hawaii. This change in ocean biology, linked to the warming of sea surface...

Record 1100-pound Shark Caught Off Tunisia; Biggest Fish Ever Landed Off Northern Africa
Tunis, Tunisia - Mar 4, 2008 18:07 EST
A fisherman made the catch of a lifetime Monday off the coast of Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea. Weighing in at more than 1,100 pounds, locals said it was the biggest fish ever caught out of the north African country. After it...

Research: Dissolved Organic Matter In The Water Column May Influence Coral Health
Port Aransas, Texas - Mar 4, 2008 17:22 EST
Bacterial communities endemic to healthy corals could change depending on the amount and type of natural and man-made dissolved organic matter in seawater, report researchers from The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory in...

Tiny Polyps Need 2 Kinds Of Carbon To Survive Coral Bleaching; Photosynthesis Vs. Zooplankton
Columbus, Ohio - Mar 4, 2008 17:13 EST
How well ocean reefs recover from the growing damage caused by warming sea temperatures depends both on how much the tiny coral polyps can eat, and how healthy they can keep the microscopic algae that live inside their bodies. New research...

Record As Florida Marine Lab Recovers Tagged Shark 11 Years After Release
Sarasota, Florida - Mar 4, 2008 10:07 EST
A shark tagged by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists off Pensacola , Fla., spent nearly 11 years at liberty before being caught last May by a fisherman who returned the tag to Mote. The tag return marks the longest period of...

NOAA Researchers: Northern Right Whales Head South To Give Birth, Leave Genetic 'fingerprints'
Silver Spring, Maryland - Mar 3, 2008 17:31 EST
Like many northerners who head south to warmer climates for the winter, many Northern right whales also head south in November and stay into April. Their destination is the only known calving ground for this rare and endangered population—the waters...

NOAA Aids Lab In Growing Coral For Transplantation To Damaged Reefs
New Haven, Connecticut - Feb 29, 2008 15:29 EST
Scientists at the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) are currently growing more than 400 corals from the larval stage as part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -funded research, and will transplant them to restore damaged coral reefs. Producing...

Dive Industry Trade Group Expresses Sympathy For Diver's Family; Encourages Dive Operators To Adhere To Established Shark Diving Guidelines
San Diego, California - Feb 29, 2008 08:11 EST
DEMA (The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association) is deeply saddened by the recent events that lead to a diver's death after participating in a shark dive in the Bahamas last weekend. This tragic incident is an unusual occurrence, yet...

Seafloor Cores Show Tight Bond Between Dust And Past Climates; Shed Light On Proposed Manmade Climate 'Repairs'
New York, New York - Feb 28, 2008 14:31 EST
Each year, long-distance winds drop up to 900 million tons of dust from deserts and other parts of the land into the oceans. Scientists suspect this phenomenon connects to global climate—but exactly how, remains a question. Now a big piece...

Research: 2 Oxygenation Events In Ancient Oceans Sparked Spread Of Complex Life
Blacksburg, Virginia - Feb 25, 2008 17:22 EST
The rise of oxygen and the oxidation of deep oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago may have had an impact on the increase and spread of the earliest complex life, including animals, according to a study reported in...

Researchers Awarded $3.9M For Lab Under The Sea; 'No One Has Ever Done A Project Like This Before'
Los Angeles, California - Feb 25, 2008 17:09 EST
Think of bacteria eating rock. Now think of bacteria eating rock below the ocean floor. How about experimenting on bacteria in that rock 15,000 feet underwater" With a $3.9 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, USC researcher Katrina...

'Cowboy' Shark Dive Operator Warned Over Safety Before Fatal Attack; 'Accident Waiting To Happen'
Miami, Florida - Feb 25, 2008 13:37 EST
The dive operator that ran a shark expedition where a diver was killed by a shark bite had been warned to stop the practice of "dangerous" shark interactions in the islands of the Bahamas. Neal Watson, president of the...

Wallet Missing For 36 Years Found Inside Shark; 'I Was Wondering What Else Was In There'
Monterey, California - Feb 22, 2008 15:30 EST
Royal Seafoods has been bringing in the day's catch for generations. Employees at the company said they thought they'd seen it all, until the good ship Irene's Way pulled up the other day. A huge shark was onboard, and...

Researchers Challenge Analyses On Sustainability Of Gulf Of Mexico Fisheries; 'Little' Fluctuation Over 50 Years
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Feb 20, 2008 17:12 EST
Louisiana’s coastal fisheries produce approximately 25 percent of the total catch by weight in the lower 48 states. With such a substantial portion of the nation’s economy dependant on the state of these waters – particularly the Gulf of Mexico...

Shark Conspiracies: 'Absurdity' Of ISAF's 2007 Shark Attack Numbers Examined
San Diego, California - Feb 19, 2008 16:59 EST
The March 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...

To Save Or Savor? It's Decision Time For Atlantic Bluefin Tuna; 'You've Got To Keep A Lot Of Bluefin In The Bank'
Palo Alto, California - Feb 18, 2008 13:51 EST
Giant bluefin tuna are in trouble, primarily because the powerful muscles that propel their extensive ocean migrations come with an Achilles' heel: They're tasty. Prized by sushi lovers for their savory succulence and by fishermen for the incomparable price they command-one...

Research Unveiling The Underwater Ways Of The White Shark; 'Appear Again And Again At Very Specific Areas'
Palo Alto, California - Feb 18, 2008 13:47 EST
It's hard to study a creature when you only catch fleeting glimpses of it. Up until recently, that was one of the big stumbling blocks for marine biologists and ecologists, but advances in electronic tracking technology have allowed them to...

Researcher: Small Sea Creatures May Be The 'canaries In The Coal Mine' Of Climate Change
Boston, Massachusetts - Feb 17, 2008 18:44 EST
As oceans warm and become more acidic, ocean creatures are undergoing severe stress and entire food webs are at risk, according to scientists at a press briefing this morning at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement...

Study: Fish Devastated By Sex-changing Chemicals In Municipal Wastewater; Estrogen Eyed
New Brunswick, Canada - Feb 16, 2008 15:14 EST
While most people understand the dangers of flushing toxic chemicals into the ecosystem through municipal sewer systems, one potentially devastating threat to wild fish populations comes from an unlikely source: estrogen. After an exhaustive seven-year research effort, Canadian biologists found that...