'Peter Benchley Shark Conservation' Awards Given Out To Spotlight Efforts To Protect Sharks
New York, New York - May 5, 2007 14:48 EST
The Shark Research Institute created the Peter Benchley Shark Conservation Awards to ensure continuation of his conservation efforts on behalf of sharks. On May 8, 2007, the Awards will be presented in three categories: media, scientific research and advocacy. The...

Why Do Oysters Choose To Live Where They Could Be Eaten?
- May 3, 2007 18:19 EST
There are many reasons why living in dense groups with others of your own kind is a good idea. Oftentimes, aggregations of a species serve as protection from predators and harsh environments or may be beneficial to future reproductive success....

Groundbreaking Study: Coral Reef Hatchlings Return To Home Reefs Again To Spawn
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - May 3, 2007 11:48 EST
Coral reef fish hatchlings dispersed by ocean currents are able to make their way back to their home reefs again to spawn, says a groundbreaking study published today in the journal Science. The study, whose findings are considered a major...

Scientists Baffled As Florida Diver Captures Sea Serpent On Video; 'Undescribed'
West Palm Beach, Florida - May 2, 2007 15:55 EST
It's not the Loch Ness Monster or the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but a creature recently caught on tape by a Florida diver does have scientists scratching their heads. Underwater videographer Jay Garbose has worked for National Geographic and The...

Climate Scientists: World's Oceans Could Rise 7 Meters If Greenland's Ice Cap Entirely Melts
Vancouver, Canada - May 2, 2007 15:42 EST
The world's oceans could rise by up to seven meters if Greenland's ice cap entirely melts because of global warming, climate scientists said Tuesday. Glaciers on Greenland, the world's most icy land mass, are now melting most quickly where they are...

Arctic Ice Retreating More Quickly Than Computer Models Project; 'Thirty Years Ahead Of Schedule'
Boulder, Colorado - May 1, 2007 15:12 EST
Arctic sea ice is melting at a significantly faster rate than projected by even the most advanced computer models, a new study concludes. The research, by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado's...

First Genome Comparison of Plankton Species Yields Surprises Underlying Key Ocean Processes
San Diego, California - May 1, 2007 14:58 EST
An international team of scientists led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Joint Genome Institute has peered into the genetic makeup of two species of phytoplankton, the tiny plants key in...

'Reggie' the Alligator Resurfaces in Los Angeles After 18 Month Hiatus; 'We'll Have to Find the Right Gator Wrangler'
Los Angeles, California - May 1, 2007 14:35 EST
"Reggie" the alligator resurfaced in Los Angeles on Monday, more than a year after the elusive reptile who became a local celebrity was last seen, officials said. The six-foot long alligator was spotted swimming in a lake in the Harbor City...

Asian Demand for Shark Fins Threatening Colombian Species; 'An Extremely Urgent Matter'
Bogota, Colombia - Apr 29, 2007 09:05 EST
When Colombian naval officials seized two tonnes of shark fins in a boat off the Pacific coast last week, they threw a spotlight on a huge black market serving hungry Asian markets which is blamed for pushing some species toward...

Shark Conspiracies: Cover-ups, Misinformation Exposed in Hawaiian Shark Sightings and Attacks
San Diego, California - Apr 29, 2007 08:48 EST
The May, 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...

Study: Ocean's 'Twilight Zone' May Be Key To Understanding Climate Change
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Apr 27, 2007 14:56 EST
A major study sheds new light on the role of carbon dioxide once it's transported to the oceans' depths. The research indicates that instead of sinking, carbon dioxide is often consumed by animals and bacteria and recycled in the "twilight...

Toxic Algae Sickening Birds, Sea Lions, Dolphins Off California Coast; 'I've Never Seen Anything Like This'
Los Angeles, California - Apr 27, 2007 14:38 EST
A morass of toxic ocean algae swamping sections of California's coastline has sickened hundreds of birds, sea lions and dolphins, environmentalists said Friday. Animal protection agencies have reported a sharp increase in fatalities and illnesses amongst wildlife because of the thick...

Study: Cataclysmic Volcanic Eruptions 55 Million Years Ago Caused Global Warming, Formed North Atlantic
Washington, D.C. - Apr 26, 2007 18:38 EST
Cataclysmic volcanic eruptions in Greenland and the British Isles brought on a destructive bout of global warming 55 million years ago, an international study revealed Thursday. The eruptions also separated Greenland from Europe by giving birth to the North Atlantic Ocean,...

Research: Nutritious, Less Toxic Food Helps Reduce Mercury in the Food Chain; 'Dilution by Rapid Growth'
Hanover, New Hampshire - Apr 24, 2007 15:23 EST
Research led by Dartmouth scientists found that animals fed nutritious, high-quality food end up with much lower concentrations of toxic methylmercury in their tissues. The result suggests ways in which methylmercury—a neurotoxin that can accumulate to hazardous levels—can be slowed...

Buried, Residual Oil is Still Affecting Wildlife Decades After a Spill; 'Chemical Warfare' Hits Fiddler Crabs
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Apr 23, 2007 17:38 EST
Nearly four decades after a fuel oil spill polluted the beaches of Cape Cod, researchers have found the first compelling evidence for lingering, chronic biological effects on a marsh that otherwise appears to have recovered. Through a series of field observations...

DNA Testing Reveals Continued, Illegal Trade In Fins Of Endangered Basking Sharks
Miami, Florida - Apr 23, 2007 15:00 EST
Despite regulations by some countries to protect the behemoth basking shark from further population declines, a new study published in the current on-line edition of Animal Conservation reports that the world’s second largest fish is still being killed for its...

Vietnam Oil Spill Mystery Plot Thickens; Beaches, Mangroves, Aquaculture Hit Repeatedly
Hanoi, Vietnam - Apr 22, 2007 08:58 EST
For three months crude oil spills have sullied beaches, mangroves and aquaculture farms along Vietnam's long coastline, but the government says the source of the pollution remains a mystery. While soldiers and volunteers have scraped over 1,600 tons of congealed oil...

Shark Wrangler, Stuart Cove, Featured on CNBC’s TV Show 'The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch'
New York, New York - Apr 20, 2007 16:28 EST
hark Wrangler, Stuart Cove, was featured on CNBC’s TV show “The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch,” which aired on 4/19/07. Stuart Cove was interviewed on the show in part for his unique work on major Hollywood feature films involving sharks....

US Mining Giant Confident on Indonesian Ocean Pollution Verdict; 'Their Testimony was Torn Apart by Our Lawyers'
Jakarta, Indonesia - Apr 20, 2007 16:01 EST
US mining giant Newmont voiced confidence Friday it would win a controversial pollution trial next week, saying claims the company and one of its executives poisoned an Indonesian bay were baseless. Newmont executive Richard Ness said the prosecution's case against him...

1063-pound, 12-foot 6-inch Mako Shark Hooked off Florida Coast May Be World Record
Destin, Florida - Apr 20, 2007 15:47 EST
A 1,063-pound mako shark hooked close to shore in the Gulf of Mexico is being investigated as a possible world fishing record. The Sea Ya Later II was cobia fishing when its crew spotted the 12-foot 6-inch shark Wednesday afternoon between...

Researchers:1 in 3 Chance of Record Low Arctic Sea Ice in 2007
Boulder, Colorado - Apr 19, 2007 16:59 EST
University of Colorado at Boulder researchers are forecasting a one in three chance that the 2007 minimum extent of sea ice across the Arctic region will set an all-time record low. The researchers at CU-Boulder's Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research also...

Researchers: New Undersea Vent Discovered off Costa Rican Coast; 'We All Knew It Would Be Special'
Durham, North Carolina - Apr 17, 2007 18:35 EST
A new "black smoker" -- an undersea mineral chimney emitting hot, iron-darkened water that attracts unusual marine life -- has been discovered at about 8,500 feet underwater by an expedition currently exploring a section of volcanic ridge along the Pacific...

Researchers To Set Up Observatory to Examine Changes Under the Arctic Ice
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Apr 17, 2007 18:26 EST
Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) are venturing this month to the North Pole to deploy instruments that will make year-round observations of the water beneath the Arctic ice cap. Scientists will investigate how the waters in the...

Monterey Aquarium Great White Shark Phones Home as Satellite Tags Pops Up in Cabo San Lucas
Monterey, California - Apr 16, 2007 18:28 EST
An electronic tag carried by a young white shark released in January by the Monterey Bay Aquarium popped free off the southern tip of Baja California on Sunday (April 15), documenting a journey of more than 1,100 miles in the...

Researcher: Early Amphibians Were Biters Not Suckers; 'Chomping Prey' Key Development
Boston, Massachusetts - Apr 16, 2007 14:52 EST
Prehistoric aquatic amphibians developed the ability to feed on land well before they became terrestrial reports a new study in the early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research, conducted by Harvard University biologists...

Scientists: After 10 Year Search, First Seafloor Vents Discovered on Ultraslow-spreading Ridge
Woods Hole, Massachusetts - Apr 14, 2007 17:48 EST
Scientists have found one of the largest fields of seafloor vents gushing super-hot, mineral-rich fluids on a mid-ocean ridge that, until now, remained elusive to the ten-year hunt to find them. "The discovery of the first active vents ever found...

Black Abalone Nearing Endangered Species Designation; 'Global Warming, Overfishing' Cited
San Francisco, California - Apr 13, 2007 17:06 EST
The federal government today announced it is advancing the black abalone toward protection under the Endangered Species Act. The action comes in response to a formal administrative petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in December 2006, which sought...

Major U.S. Sushi Supplier Linked to Japan's Whale Hunts; 'U.S. Shoppers Will Be Shocked'
Washington, D.C. - Apr 12, 2007 13:59 EST
True World Foods, one of the largest suppliers of sushi meat in the United States, has entered into a partnership with leading Japanese whale meat trader, Kyokuyo, to distribute Kyokuyo's new frozen sushi product in the United States. In its...

Researchers: Damages from Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina Surprisingly Similar
Princeton, New Jersey - Apr 11, 2007 16:42 EST
Two of the world's worst natural disasters in recent years stemmed from different causes on opposite sides of the globe, but actually had much in common, according to researchers who are part of a large National Science Foundation-funded research initiative...

Passed 'World Record' Thresher Shark, Not Quite Official; 'The World Record, I Don't Care About That Stuff'
Dave Strege - Apr 10, 2007 13:23 EST
worldrecordthreher_sharkThe bigeye thresher shark weighed 952 pounds and was 150 pounds bigger than the world record. That this massive creature was taken by an angler using stand-up gear rather than a fighting chair made the catch off Kona, Hawaii 11 days...

Florida Man in Hospital After Freak Fish Attack; King Mackerel 'Knocked Me Over and Bit My Leg'
Melbourne, Florida - Apr 8, 2007 15:42 EST
A freak fish attack sent a man to the hospital in Brevard County. Josh Landin says a 57-pound fish -- measuring nearly five feet long -- jumped into his boat and bit him. Josh and his friends say it happened...

Study: Dangerously High Arsenic Levels Found in 'Vital Living and Well-being' Herbal Sea Kelp Supplements
UC Davis, California - Apr 7, 2007 15:40 EST
A study of herbal kelp supplements led by UC Davis public health expert Marc Schenker concludes that its medicinal use may cause inadvertent arsenic poisoning and health dangers for consumers, especially when overused. Schenker and two researchers evaluated nine over-the-counter...

Researchers: Arctic Sea Ice Narrowly Missed Record Low in Winter 2007; 'Strong Downward Trend'
Boulder, Colorado - Apr 5, 2007 14:49 EST
The maximum extent of Arctic sea ice in winter 2007 was the second lowest on satellite record, narrowly missing the 2006 record, according to a team of University of Colorado at Boulder researchers. The Arctic sea-ice extent, which is the...

Researchers: Cable Laid for New Deep-sea Observatory off California Coast; Bringing 'Internet to the Ocean'
Monterey, California - Apr 5, 2007 14:41 EST
Researchers completed an important step in constructing the first deep-sea cabled observatory in the continental United States. In a multi-institution effort managed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and funded by the National Science Foundation, 52 kilometers (32...

Researchers: Seas Could Rise Dramatically in Rapid Ice Melt; 'What We are Doing is Irreversible'
Princeton, New Jersey - Apr 5, 2007 14:35 EST
Something is missing from the estimates of future sea level rise in the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: the potentially catastrophic impact of a rapid melt of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The IPCC asserts that...

After Ten Years, Project to Sink the Vandenberg off Florida Keys Begins; 'We are Just Thrilled'
Norfolk, Virginia - Apr 4, 2007 05:15 EST
The ex-USAFS Vandenberg was moved from a collection of retired government ships anchored in the James River near Newport News, Virginia Friday. The Vandenberg was decommissioned in 1986 and has rested at anchor with over 25 retired ships of the...

Researcher: New Biodegradable Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater Seen as Boon for Open Seas Trash Disposal
Washington, D.C. - Apr 3, 2007 13:54 EST
Large volumes of plastic waste generated aboard military, merchant and cruise ships must be stored onboard, often for prolonged periods, until they make port. In the future, a new type of environmentally friendly plastic that degrades in seawater may make...

Study: Overfishing Large Sharks Impacts Entire Marine Ecosystem, Shrinks Shellfish Population
Miami, Florida - Mar 29, 2007 13:31 EST
Fewer big sharks in the oceans mean that bay scallops and other shellfish may be harder to find at the market, according to an article in the March 30 issue of the journal Science, tying two unlikely links in the...

NASA: African Dust Busted 2006 Hurricane Season; Atlantic Ocean Cooled by Blocked Sunlight
Greenbelt, Maryland - Mar 29, 2007 13:19 EST
A recent NASA study suggests that tiny dust particles may have foiled forecasts that the 2006 hurricane season would be another active one. In June and July 2006, there were several significant dust storms over the Sahara Desert in Africa. As...

Study: Fish 'Catch Shares' Scheme Reduces By-catch, Increases Per-Boat Revenue, Boosts Safety
Washington, D.C. - Mar 28, 2007 14:18 EST
Environmental Defense today released the results of a landmark study that provides a clear roadmap for rebuilding fishing stocks and restoring fishing communities. Entitled “Sustaining America’s Fisheries and Fishing Communities,” this research details how Limited Access Privilege Programs (LAPPs), or...