Kinder, Gentler Scallop Dredge Invented To Minimized Sea Floor Impact; 'Scallops... Start Spinning'
Cambridge, Massachusetts - Jul 31, 2007 14:39 EST
Cliff Goudey's version of the better mousetrap is the better scallop dredge. The director of MIT Sea Grant's Center for Fisheries Engineering Research wants to build a better dredge-even though he's the first to admit that current dredges do a fine...

Shark Conspiracies Podcast Takes Aim At CNN's 'When Sharks Attack' Panel On Larry King Show
San Diego, California - Jul 31, 2007 04:59 EST
The August, 2007 episode of Shark Conspiracies sees host Kevin Harris examining controversial statements made by a panel of “shark experts” on Larry King’s program, co-titled, “When Sharks Attack.” In reality, the panel was really a poorly disguised group of...

New Type Of Submarine Fin Being Created, Inspired From The Bluegill Sunfish
Cambridge, Massachusetts - Jul 30, 2007 17:52 EST
Inspired by the efficient swimming motion of the bluegill sunfish, MIT researchers are building a mechanical fin that could one day propel robotic submarines. The propeller-driven submarines, or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), currently perform a variety of functions, from mapping the...

Shark Wrangler, Stuart Cove, Featured On Shark Week's 'Ocean Of Fear', 'Shark Feeding Frenzy'
Nassau, Bahamas - Jul 30, 2007 15:02 EST
Shark Wrangler, Stuart Cove, featured again on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week in two separate shows including teaching Les Stroud, Survivorman how to feed sharks. The first show, a two-hour special, “Ocean of Fear: The Worst Shark Attack Ever,” aired Sunday,...

Miami Charterboat Owner Indicted On Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Obstruction Of Justice And Fisheries Violations
Maimi, Florida - Jul 27, 2007 06:05 EST
The owner and four employees of the Miami-based Therapy IV charterboat operation have been indicted on charges of keeping undersized billfish and pressuring customers to pay to have them mounted. According to the allegations of the indictment, during the period from...

Study: Florida Septic Tank Sewage Contaminating Groundwater, Reefs Up To 'Six Miles Offshore'
Athens, Georgia - Jul 25, 2007 16:21 EST
A new University of Georgia study finds that sewage-contaminated groundwater is reaching the offshore reefs of the Upper Florida Keys, possibly threatening corals and human health. “The widespread use of in-ground waste disposal through septic tanks and injection wells appears to...

Georgia Teen Reels In World Record 5-foot, 263-pound Nurse Shark Off Florida Coast
Tallahassee, Florida - Jul 25, 2007 15:44 EST
When a 15-year-old Georgia high school freshman Nic Jeter went out fishing with his dad, Greg, on their 22-foot Pathfinder boat at Port St. Joe, Florida, Saturday, he had no idea he was about to have his name in the...

Maui Fisherman Lands Massive 15-foot, 1,026-pound Blue Marlin; 'We Couldn't Move It'
Lahaina, Hawaii - Jul 25, 2007 15:25 EST
Ed Nevrivy and captain Ryan Fiedorowicz pose with a 1,026.4-pound blue marlin they caught July 18 off the Lanai coast. Fishing with 130-test line in 230 fathoms, the fish put up a fight that lasted four hours. “For about three hours, she...

'American Galapagos': Midway Atoll Needs Tourists To Help Clear Trash, Protect Coral Reefs; Unknown 'Treasure'
Washington, D.C. - Jul 25, 2007 14:47 EST
Midway Atoll, July 24: The long stretch of atolls and coral reefs northwest of the main Hawaiian islands is so precious humans generally aren`t allowed to venture there. Boats need special permits to enter. All fishing must stop in 2011,...

Research: Nutrient Loading May Be Smaller Problem Than First Thought; Absence To Grazers Examined
Dauphin Island, Alabama - Jul 24, 2007 16:43 EST
Coastal science gospel states that eutrophication caused by elevated nutrient loadings has triggered major alterations of coastal ecosystem structure and function. A recent journal article in Estuaries and Coasts, authored by Dauphin Island Sea Lab scientists Dr. Ken Heck and...

Shark Diver CEO To Appear On Shark Week's 'Perfect Predators'; Like 'Old Friends'
San Diego, California - Jul 24, 2007 16:32 EST
Shark adventurer and CEO of Shark Diver, Patric Douglas, will be featured on an upcoming episode of Shark Week during Discovery Channel’s “Perfect Predators” airing Wednesday, August 1, 2007 from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT. For the segment, Patric Douglas was interviewed at...

Scientists, Conservationists Call On Congress To Renew A Strengthened Coral Conservation Act
Washington, D.C. - Jul 23, 2007 17:59 EST
Responding to coral reef decline around the world, thirty-three non-governmental organizations and 180 coral reef scientists issued communications today calling on Congress to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. The communications ask the House and Senate to adopt...

Study: Glaciers And Ice Caps To Dominate Sea Level Rise This Century; 'May Be Larger Than Anticipated'
Boulder, Colorado - Jul 19, 2007 16:07 EST
Ice loss from glaciers and ice caps is expected to cause more global sea rise during this century than the massive Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study. The researchers concluded that...

International Shark Discussion Forum Takes Stance Against Discovery's Shark Week 'Monster' Marketing
New York, New York - Jul 19, 2007 06:59 EST
Members of the International SHARK - L Discussion List have recently got together to write the following letter to Discovery Network regarding Shark Week programming. Here's the text of the letter: From: The International Shark Discussion List, SHARK -L July 18th, 2007 To: The...

Sea Shepherd Vows To Stop Iron Dumping 'Dangerous Experiment' Near Galapagos; 'Operation Aquatic Iron Dust Storm'
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - Jul 18, 2007 11:11 EST
An unwelcome ship is presently heading towards the Galapagos Marine Reserve to conduct a dangerous experiment by illegally dumping 100 tons of iron dust into the sea in an area 350 miles west of the Galapagos. Sea Shepherd Conservation...

Florida Teens Recount Terrifying Encounter With Flying Sturgeon; 'They Have This Goo Or Slime'
Orlando, Florida - Jul 17, 2007 16:23 EST
Three Florida teens have quite a tale to tell after some flying fish injured them while on a trip to North Florida. "We all started crying and screaming and stuff," Allie Katrick said. Pictures after the attack showed Katrick visibly shaken,...

Florida Keys Divers Get Two Chances For 'Sex On The Reef' As Full Moons May Trigger Two Coral Spawnings
Florida Keys, Florida - Jul 17, 2007 14:36 EST
Every year, patrons of Florida Keys dive and snorkel shops play a guessing game. Locals and visitors alike try to guess the date and time of the annual coral spawn -- sometimes nicknamed "sex on the reef" -- on North...

Philip Morris Unveils Water Treatment Plan For Tobacco Processing Plant; 'This Is Very New Technology'
Chester, Virginia - Jul 17, 2007 14:29 EST
Philip Morris USA on Tuesday unveiled a new wastewater treatment system the cigarette maker said will cut down on pollution discharged from its processing plant into the James River. The $6 million project will use 48 acres of man-made wetlands to...

Sharks On Drugs? Study's Intriguing Early Results Point To Anti-depressants In Pups
Sarasota, Florida - Jul 17, 2007 05:32 EST
Mote shark scientist, Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, who is catching, tagging and releasing juvenile bull sharks in the Caloosahatchee River near downtown Fort Myers to determine whether they have been exposed to drugs excreted by humans, released some early findings of...

Researcher: Fragmented Seafloor May Dampen Effects Of Earthquakes; 'Complete Opposite Of The Predictions'
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Jul 13, 2007 15:09 EST
Many earthquakes in the deep ocean are much smaller in magnitude than expected. Geophysicists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have found new evidence that the fragmented structure of seafloor faults, along with previously unrecognized volcanic activity, may be...

Sea Shepherd Formalizes Protection Role In Galapagos Marine Reserve, Watson Awarded 'Amazon Peace Prize'
Quito, Equador - Jul 13, 2007 06:26 EST
Sea Shepherd President and Founder Captain Paul Watson signed two important agreements, solidifying Sea Shepherd’s role in protecting marine species in Latin America. In a historic ceremony, on July 4th, Captain Watson signed an agreement with the National Police of...

Endangered Status Sought For Imperiled Sea Turtles; Longlining, Global Warming Cited As Threats
San Francisco, California - Jul 12, 2007 10:52 EST
Conservation groups filed a formal petition today to increase protections for critically imperiled loggerhead sea turtles that occur off the U.S. West Coast and are caught and killed in industrial fisheries based in California and Hawaii. The petition, filed by...

Study: High-power Sonar Did Not Harm Fish; 'Some Small Behavioral Responses'
College Park, Maryland - Jul 5, 2007 15:51 EST
A new University of Maryland study in the July issue of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America reports that high powered sonar, like that used by U.S. Navy ships, did not harm test fish, including their hearing, in...

Group Sues Over 'Destructive' U.S. Oil Lease Plan That 'Threatens Marine Mammals
Washington, D.C. - Jul 4, 2007 10:36 EST
Today the Center for Biological Diversity filed a court challenge to the Bush administration's approval of a nationwide plan governing the sale of all offshore oil and gas leases in federal waters over the next five years. The Minerals Management...

Sea Shepherd Crew Stops Illegal Fishing In The Galapagos In Longline Seizure And Sea Cucumber Raid
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - Jul 3, 2007 16:42 EST
Aboard the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Farley Mowat at 08:15 am July 1, 2007: While returning from a cultural trip to Isabella Island, crew members spotted a suspicious motorboat from the ship's crow's nest, at a distance of 6-7...

New World-Record Speed Set At International Human-powered Submarine Races; 'Batwing And Manta Ray-like' Power
Carderock, Maryland - Jun 28, 2007 20:15 EST
A Canadian team has set a new world speed record of 7.926 knots in early trial runs at the 9th International Submarine Races underway this week at the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock Division David Taylor Model Basin in Bethesda,...

WWF: Ocean Iron Dumping Scheme 'Unacceptable'; Carbon Dioxide Absorption Could Trigger 'Domino Effect'
Washington, D.C. - Jun 27, 2007 11:57 EST
World Wildlife Fund today announced its opposition to a plan by Planktos, Inc. to dump iron dust in the open ocean west of the Galapagos Islands. The experiment seeks to induce phytoplankton blooms in the hopes that the microscopic marine...

Scientists: Fish Use The Threat Of Punishment To Deter Mating 'Queue Jumpers'
Queenland, Australia - Jun 26, 2007 16:21 EST
Fish use the threat of punishment to keep would-be jumpers in the mating queue firmly in line and the social order stable, a new study led by Australian marine scientists has found. Their discovery, which has implications for the whole animal...

Shark Conspiracies: Famed Shark Photographer Andy Murch Speaks His Mind
Los Angeles, California - Jun 24, 2007 16:52 EST
The July 2007 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...

Virgin Birth: Shark Expert Comments On Parthenogenesis; 'A Rare Phenomenon In Sharks'
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Jun 23, 2007 17:50 EST
Birds do it, bees do it, and now there is evidence that female sharks are able to do it on their own -- without the contribution of male DNA. A recent report from a team of American and Irish researchers...

FBI Issues Scuba Industry Alert Over Requests For Specialized Training, 'Nefarious Activity'
Washington, D.C. - Jun 22, 2007 16:51 EST
The purpose of this advisory is to provide situational awareness to the scuba industry regarding behavior that may indicate an individual(s) is involved in nefarious activity. The following threat indicators, taken in isolation, generally reflect legitimate recreational and commercial activities....

New Robotic Vehicles Will Hunt For Life And Hydrothermal Vents On Arctic Seafloor
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Jun 21, 2007 20:13 EST
Scientists and engineers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have just completed a successful test of new robotic vehicles designed for use beneath the ice of the Arctic Ocean. The multidisciplinary research team will now use those vehicles to...

Study: Deep-sea Mining May Pose Serious Threat To Fragile Marine Ecosystems; Regulation Prospects 'Not Good'
Toronto, Canada - Jun 21, 2007 12:31 EST
Undersea habitats supporting rare and potentially valuable organisms are at risk from seafloor mining scheduled to begin within this decade, says a new study led by a University of Toronto Mississauga geologist. ALSO SEE: Invasive plant potential threat to Canadian...

Sea Shepard Sting Leads To Seizure Of Over 18,000 Shark Fins
Quito, Ecuador - Jun 20, 2007 11:43 EST
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and operatives of the Ecuadorian Environmental Police seized a total of 18,673 shark fins and arrested four suspects who are now being detained. "This successful sting is the result of several months working covertly with...

Scientists: Whale Sharks Cooperatively Tracked Through Honduras, Belize And Mexico
Utila, Honduras - Jun 18, 2007 15:24 EST
In the aftermath of another Whale Shark death at Georgia Aquarium, here is a group of researchers that are using ground breaking technology to achieve real research results with out the aid of financial backing from large companies, and are...

Georgia Aquarium: Tests Offer No Clues On Whale Shark 'Norton's' Death; 'Inappetance' Eyed
Atlanta, Georgia - Jun 15, 2007 14:22 EST
The Georgia Aquarium completed a nine-hour gross necropsy of Norton, the whale shark that died early Wednesday morning, June 13, 2007. Norton weighed 3,029 pounds (1,376.8 kilograms) and measured 21 feet 5 inches long (652 centimeters). Aquarium scientists report that...

Study Helps Preserve Arctic Whale, Eskimo Subsistence Hunt; 'Science Was On Our Side'
- Jun 13, 2007 18:41 EST
The bowhead whale, devastated in the 19th and early 20th centuries by commercial whaling fleets, has been a food staple for Eskimos and other indigenous arctic peoples dating to prehistoric times. Due in part to research done by Purdue University...

Research: Wild-Harvested Shrimp's Natural Diet Responsible For Its Unique Flavors; 'No Substitute'
Charleston, South Carolina - Jun 13, 2007 18:27 EST
A Texas A&M research report released today, which examined research from a variety of studies on seafood across the globe, verifies that the taste of wild-caught shrimp is not only discernable from and better tasting than farmed shrimp, but also...

Scientists Launch First Buoy To Monitor Ocean Acidification, Exchange Of Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen And Nitrogen Gas
Arlington, Virginia - Jun 12, 2007 17:23 EST
he first buoy to monitor ocean acidification has been launched in the Gulf of Alaska. Attached to the 10-foot-diameter buoy are sensors to measure climate indicators. Acidification is a result of carbon dioxide absorbed by the seas. "The instruments will measure the...

Groups Team Up To Launch GuadalupeFund.Org To Protect Great White Sharks Off Isla Guadalupe, Mexico
San Diego, California - Jun 10, 2007 19:08 EST
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico has become the internationally recognized destination for divers seeking unprecedented encounters with Great White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias.) The 90 square mile island located in the Pacific is also home to many rare endemic species of animals and...