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...

Research: Bottom Trawling Impacts Clearly Visible From Space; Human's 'most Destructive Actions' In The Ocean
Boston, Massachusetts - Feb 15, 2008 14:45 EST
Bottom trawling, an industrial fishing method that drags large, heavy nets across the seafloor stirs up huge, billowing plumes of sediment on shallow seafloors that can be seen from space. As a result of scientific studies showing that bottom trawling kills...

Pacific Northwest 'Dead Zone' Events Unprecedented; 'We May Have Crossed A Tipping Point'
Corvallis, Oregon - Feb 14, 2008 17:22 EST
A review of all available ocean data records concludes that the low-oxygen events which have plagued the Pacific Northwest coast since 2002 are unprecedented in the five decades prior to that, and may well be linked to the stronger, persistent...

Study: 40 Percent Of The World’s Oceans Are Heavily Impacted By Human Activities; 'More Than Expected'
Washington, D.D. - Feb 14, 2008 17:20 EST
More than 40 percent of the world’s oceans are heavily impacted by human activities, including overfishing and pollution, according to a new study that will appear in tomorrow’s peer-reviewed journal Science. Dr. Kenneth Casey, with NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center in...

ISAF: Human Deaths From Shark Attacks Hit 20-year In 2007; Not 'Too Many Made-for-movie Moments'
Gainsville, Florida - Feb 12, 2008 19:16 EST
Fatal shark attacks worldwide dipped to their lowest levels in two decades in 2007 with the sole casualty involving a swimmer vacationing in the South Pacific, according to the latest statistics from the University of Florida. Except for 1987, when there...

Study: Dramatic Declines In Wild Salmon Populations Are Associated With Exposure To Farmed Salmon
Halifax, Nova Scotia - Feb 11, 2008 18:23 EST
Since the late 1970s, salmon aquaculture has grown into a global industry, producing over 1 million tons of salmon per year. However, this solution to globally declining fish stocks has come under increasing fire. In a new study published this...

Sixth Defendant Pleads Guilty In Connection With Illegal Sea Turtle Smuggling; 'We Mean Business'
Washington, D.C. - Feb 8, 2008 16:54 EST
Esteban Lopez Estrada, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Denver to one felony count of smuggling and one felony count of money laundering in connection with the smuggling of sea turtle and other exotic skins...

Study: Coral Reefs May Be Protected By Natural Ocean Thermostat; 'Rare Hopeful News'
Boulder, Colorado - Feb 7, 2008 19:14 EST
Natural processes may prevent oceans from warming beyond a certain point, helping protect some coral reefs from the impacts of climate change, new research finds. The study, by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Australian Institute...

Probing Question: What Is A Red Tide? 'You Have To Be Careful And Know Where Things Come From'
University Park, Pennsylvania - Feb 7, 2008 18:40 EST
Although its name sounds like a low-budget horror movie, you won't find "Red Tide" at a theater near you. To take in this natural phenomenon, you'll have to venture to the ocean, because red tide — or more scientifically, HAB...

Study Links Population Density, Farming To Intersex Fish
Reston, Virginia - Feb 7, 2008 18:07 EST
For several years, scientists have been working to determine why so many male smallmouth bass in the Potomac River basin have immature female egg cells in their testes - a form of intersex. They are closer to finding an answer. Research...

Researchers Give New Hybrid Vehicle Its First Test-Drive In The Ocean; 'A Virtually Unlimited Energy Source'
Falmouth, Massachusetts - Feb 7, 2008 16:07 EST
Taking a page out of a science fiction story, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Webb Research Corporation (Falmouth, Mass.) have successfully flown the first environmentally powered robotic vehicle through the ocean. The new robotic “glider” harvests...

Canadian Government: Annual Seal Hunt Misinformation Campaign Starts Again
Ottawa, Canada - Feb 6, 2008 18:40 EST
It's that time of year again when certain groups begin distributing misinformation about Canada's harp seal hunt, which tarnishes the reputation of Aboriginal and Atlantic sealers. As Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, I want to make sure the facts...

See-through Fish Is Created To Give A Clearer Idea Of How Cancer Spreads
Boston, Massachusetts - Feb 6, 2008 17:59 EST
Zebrafish are genetically similar to humans and are good models for human biology and disease. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have created a zebrafish that is transparent throughout its life. The new fish allows scientists to directly view its...

FDA: Seafood Processors Warned Of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning For Catches Near Gulf Of Mexico Marine Sanctuary
Washington, D.C. - Feb 5, 2008 17:51 EST
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a letter to seafood processors, advising them of recent illnesses linked to consuming fish carrying the ciguatera toxin, which has led to cases of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in consumers. The...

Scientists: Wind Is The Force Behind Fish Booms And Busts; 'Fluctuations Can Be Explained By Natural Phenomena'
San Diego, California - Feb 5, 2008 17:25 EST
The mid-20th century crash of the sardine fishery off California for decades has vexed marine ecologists searching for the root causes of large fluctuations in the sardine population. Before its collapse, the fishery was one of the world’s most productive...

Monterey Bay Aquarium Returns Great White Shark To The Wild; 'He Was Getting A Little Too Frisky'
Monterey, California - Feb 5, 2008 09:40 EST
A young white shark on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the past five months was tagged and returned to the wild shortly after sunrise today (Tuesday, February 5). It marks the third time in four years that the...

Georgia Lake House's 'Shark Shower' Turns Heads But Doesn't Bite; It's A 'Hit'
Miami, Florida - Feb 5, 2008 06:50 EST
For those that visit John Parker’s lake house for the first time, the experience can be jarring. After all, no one expects to see a giant shark strung up on the deck. But looking closer, the shark is...

Report: Illegal Tuna Boat Busted In Cocos Island National Park; Certified 'Dolphin Safe' From A MPA?
San Jose, Costa Rica - Feb 1, 2008 08:48 EST
On January 29th, local Costa Rican fishermen blew the whistle against a purse seine vessel that was illegally fishing inside the marine area of Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, by reporting the incident to officers of the Ministry of...

Researchers: Lost City Pumps Life-essential Chemicals At Rates Unseen At Typical Black Smokers
Seattle, Washington - Jan 31, 2008 13:23 EST
Hydrocarbons – molecules critical to life – are being generated by the simple interaction of seawater with the rocks under the Lost City hydrothermal vent field in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Being able to produce building blocks of life makes Lost...

Study: Increased Hurricane Activity Linked To Sea Surface Warming; 'It Has A Large Effect'
London, England - Jan 30, 2008 14:24 EST
The link between changes in the temperature of the sea’s surface and increases in North Atlantic hurricane activity has been quantified for the first time. The research - carried out by scientists at UCL (University College London) and due to...

Study: Agriculture Changing Chemistry Of Mississippi River; 'New Large River' From The Corn Belt
Arlington, Virginia - Jan 30, 2008 14:19 EST
Midwestern farming, and increased water flowing into the Mississippi River as a result, have injected the equivalent of five Connecticut Rivers' worth of carbon dioxide into the Mississippi each year over the last 50 years, according to a study published...

Biologist: Oxygen-poor Ocean Layer Linked To Jumbo Squid Invasion; 'A New Predator On The Block'
Palo Alto, California - Jan 29, 2008 16:40 EST
In the last six years, California has seen a huge increase in the number of jumbo squid off the coast. Though there are several competing theories as to why this invasion has occurred, a Stanford biologist believes the jumbo squid...

Researcher: Earth's Deepest Secrets May Come From The Sea; MERMAIDs To Listen To Underwater Seismic Waves
Princeton, New Jersey - Jan 29, 2008 14:43 EST
Princeton Earth scientist Frederik Simons believes the answers to questions about such unpredictable and destructive acts of nature as earthquakes and volcanoes might best be found floating in the ocean. Despite hundreds of seismometers and geological studies, scientists still have an...

Researchers: Corals Thought To Be Pristine Facing Threats, To Be Examined By UAV's
Washington, D.C. - Jan 24, 2008 16:36 EST
A NOAA-sponsored expedition is investigating shallow and deep coral ecosystems off the Caribbean island of Bonaire, part of the Netherland Antilles. Multiple underwater robots and divers are surveying arguably the most pristine coral reefs in the Caribbean to learn why...

New Radar Satellite Technique Sheds Light On Ocean Current Dynamics
Frascati, Italy - Jan 24, 2008 12:57 EST
Ocean surface currents have long been the focus of research due to the role they play in weather, climate and transportation of pollutants, yet essential aspects of these currents remain unknown. By employing a new technique – based on the same...

Big Tuna: New York Times Should Retract Error-Filled Mercury Story; 'Major Blunders' In Sushi Article
New York, New York - Jan 23, 2008 17:43 EST
Today in a New York Times story claiming sushi-grade tuna is "tainted" with "high mercury levels," health reporter Marian Burros omitted critical information about government standards for mercury levels in fish and seriously misinterpreted their meaning. These errors are significant...

Ecologists, Material Scientists Pursue Genetics Of Diatom's Elegant, Etched Casing
Seattle, Washington - Jan 23, 2008 16:52 EST
Diatoms – some of which are so tiny that 30 can fit across the width of a human hair – are so numerous that they are among the key organisms taking the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide out of the Earth’s...

Shark Conspiracies: Cover-ups, Misinformation Revealed With Ric Wilson Of The Australian Shark Patrol
San Diego, California - Jan 22, 2008 17:53 EST
The February, 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: Warm Seas May Mean Fewer Hurricanes; Trend Shows 'An Increase In Vertical Wind Shear'
Washington, D.C. - Jan 22, 2008 15:50 EST
A warming global ocean — influencing the winds that shear off the tops of developing storms — could mean fewer Atlantic hurricanes striking the United States according to new findings by NOAA climate scientists. Furthermore, the relative warming role of...

New Tool Developed To Study Drifting Larvae And Juvenile Marine Species
Miami, Florida - Jan 19, 2008 14:37 EST
One of the most significant questions facing marine ecologists today, is just how much of an impact global variations in the environment are having on the dispersal of larval and juvenile marine species from open oceans to coral reefs. Previously,...

Fishermen From 30 Countries To Use New Ways To Avoid Snaring Endangered Seabirds
Washington, D.C. - Jan 16, 2008 17:15 EST
Fishing fleets from more than 30 countries on the high seas of the Atlantic and Pacific will now use new ways to avoid accidentally snaring seabirds going after bait on long lines. The new protections are the focus of strong...

Groundbreaking Environmental Agreement Reached To Protect The No. 1 Cruise Destination In The World
Washington, D.C. - Jan 15, 2008 18:05 EST
Conservation International (CI), Cozumel’s Department of Tourism and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association today witnessed the culmination of their 12-month partnership with the signing of a groundbreaking conservation agreement by cruise industry leaders representing government, private sector, civil society, and cruise...