Fish Pee Helps Keep Coastal Ecosystems Healthy, Thriving; 'Greatest Source Of Nutrients To These Ecosystems'
Raleigh, North Carolina - Feb 9, 2015 23:47 EST
Life in the Caribbean islands is an idyllic bliss. You can picture it, right? The sparkling clear water. The pristine coral reefs. The perfect amount of fish pee … It turns out that the proper amount of fish excretion – and the...

Dr. Guy Harvey Inducted Into The 2013 International Scuba Diving Hall Of Fame
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Nov 15, 2013 17:20 EST
Dr. Guy Harvey, a renown marine wildlife artist and conservationist, joined an elite group of scuba diving legends this week in Grand Cayman where he was inducted into the sport's hall of fame. The honor came as Dr. Harvey marks...

Study: Longline Fishery In Costa Rica Kills Thousands Of Sea Turtles And Sharks
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Oct 2, 2013 23:47 EST
The second-most-common catch on Costa Rica's longline fisheries in the last decade was not a commercial fish species. It was olive ridley sea turtles. These lines also caught more green turtles than most species of fish. These findings and more,...

Guy Harvey Launches Petition Drive To Protect Stingrays; 'Affects Every Single Person In The Cayman Islands'
The Cayman Islands - Oct 16, 2012 22:48 EST
Marine wildlife artist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey is leading a petition drive calling on the government of the Cayman Islands to immediately put the National Conservation Law into effect, ensuring the safety and protection of all stingrays in the...

Study: Declines In Caribbean Coral Reefs Pre-Date Damage Resulting From 'Climate Change'
San Diego, California - Apr 1, 2012 17:10 EST
The decline of Caribbean coral reefs has been linked to the recent effects of human-induced climate change. However, new research led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego suggests an even earlier cause. The bad news...

Dive Legend Neal Watson Re-Elected President Of The Bahamas Diving Association
The Bahamas - Jan 24, 2012 20:11 EST
Dive legend and businessman Neal Watson has been re-elected for another two-year term as president of the Bahamas Diving Association. Stuart Cove, owner of Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas in Nassau and Stuart Cove's Tiger Beach Safaris on Grand Bahama...

Downed Pilot's Nightmare In Shark-Infested Waters May Help Save Coral Reefs
Landover, Maryland - Dec 2, 2011 22:26 EST
Twenty five years ago, on December 4, 1986, Walter Wyatt's plane crashed in the waters of Cay Sal Bank, a remote area between Cuba and The Bahamas. It sank almost immediately. Walter, who now lives in Enterprise, Alabama, spent a...

St. Maarten: Warning As 'Edible' Lionfish Found With Poisonous Ciguatoxin; 'This Is Very Bad News'
Philipsburg, St. Maarten - Nov 22, 2011 19:55 EST
The Nature Foundation is recommending that the invasive lionfish not be eaten or consumed based on a recently concluded study where flesh samples which were taken of larger lionfish caught in St. Maarten waters showed levels of the poisonous ciguatoxin...

Turning A Problem Into Profit… Bahamas Resort Introduces Lionfish Nuggets; 'If You Can't Beat Them, Eat Them'
ALICE TOWN, Bimini - Oct 17, 2011 19:38 EST
With more than 400 servings of a new menu item last month, Bimini Big Game Club's General Manager Michael Weber and Chef Alvarez Bastian have found a recipe to help the environment and sate the most discriminating palate at the...

The Bahamas Government Bans Commercial Shark Fishing; 'Year Of The Shark'
Nassau, The Bahamas - Jul 5, 2011 19:38 EST
Sharks in The Bahamas can breathe more easily after the nation's government announced today that all commercial shark fishing in the approximately 630,000 square kilometers (243,244 square miles) of the country's waters is now prohibited. "2011 is fast becoming the...

Guy Harvey Calls For Bahamas Shark Fishing Ban 'Before It Is Too Late'
Nassau, The Bahamas ­ - Mar 1, 2011 22:05 EST
Dr. Guy Harvey, world-renowned scientist and marine wildlife artist, has joined the growing ranks of individuals and organizations calling for strict regulations to ban the commercial fishing of all sharks in The Bahamas. In support of the program, Dr.Harvey is...

Panama Is First Central American Country To Add Longlining Restrictions Within Its Waters
Panama City, Panama - Jan 14, 2011 17:39 EST
After banning commercial purse seining from its waters in July, the Republic of Panama has taken further steps adding restrictions on longlining for the conservation of its marine life and its socio-economic growth. In letters to Panamanian officials, Ellen Peel,...

Manned Diving Expedition Launched In The Bahamas To Document's Ocean's 'Twilight Zone'
Providence, The Bahamas - Nov 6, 2010 17:42 EST
Ocean Opportunity, a Rhode Island based not-for-profit organization, is proud to announce its forthcoming expedition to explore and document the 'Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO)' to depths in excess of 300 feet. The expedition departs on November 12. The project includes...

Group Granted Right To Recover Shipwrecks From The Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Oct 25, 2010 13:46 EST
Anchor Research & Salvage, S.R.L. (ARS) has entered into an agreement with the Dominican Republic Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático. The contract gives ARS the exclusive rights to explore and archaeologically recover historic shipwrecks along an undisclosed stretch of...

International Tourism Operators Against Elimination Of Las Baulas National Park In Costa Rica
San Jose, Costa Rica - Nov 6, 2009 17:38 EST
10 international tourism agencies that promote Costa Rica as an ecotourism destination have expressed their discontent with bill 17.383, supported by the country's president, to downgrade Las Baulas Marine National Park to a Mixed Wildlife Refuge and allow development therein....

Sea Turtle Wildlife Refuge In Costa Rica Bulldozed By Farming Company; 'Total Disrespect Of Our Courts'
San José, Costa Rica - Sep 8, 2009 22:01 EST
Agropecuaria Caletas S.A., has continued the destruction of wetlands within the Caletas Ario National Wildlife Refuge, created in 2006 to protect nesting olive ridley and leatherback sea turtles, disregarding the mandates of the Environmental Tribune of the Ministry of Environment. Last...

Sea Turtle Satellite Tagging Expedition At Cocos Island, Costa Rica Swims Into Action
Forest Knolls, California - Sep 3, 2009 15:58 EST
A 10-day sea turtle tagging research expedition to Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica successfully outfitted three green turtles and one hawksbill turtle with satellite transmitters in order to follow their movements, as part of a long-term research project to...

Study: Caribbean Coral Comprehensively 'flattened' Over The Last 40 Years
East Anglia, U.K. - Jun 9, 2009 21:54 EST
Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been comprehensively 'flattened' over the last 40 years, according to a disturbing new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA). The collapse of reef structure has serious implications for biodiversity and coastal defences –...

Shark Attacks Surfer In The Galapagos Islands; Foot, Hand Severely Injured
Guayaquil, Equador - Jan 13, 2009 13:01 EST
A surfer has been bitten by a shark while surfing off a beach in the Galapagos Islands. The surfer, identified as Gonzalo Vasquez Alcivar, 22, suffered serious injuries to the leg and hand. The attack occurred last Saturday,...

'Great White Shark' Washes Ashore In The Bahamas; Officials Concerned As Locals Eat It
Grand Bahama, The Bahamas - Jun 12, 2008 14:25 EST
Bahamas officals are concerned over reports of local residents hacking up and carting away a large shark washed up on Grand Bahama Island. The shark is believed to be a great white. Upon reaching the scene, UNEXSO staff were shocked...

From The Deep: Spectacular Squid Found Off Little Cayman; 'The Best Preserved Specimen To Date'
George Town, Cayman Islands - May 21, 2008 15:40 EST
A rare squid found floating on the surface of the ocean about 5 miles south of Little Cayman this weekend has been positively identifed as Asperoteuthis. Local fisherman Derren Burlington, who was taking part in the Brac Jackpot Fishing Tournament, discovered...

University Team Discovers Captain Kidd's 17th Century Shipwreck; 'Amazingly Untouched'
Bloomington, Indiana - Dec 13, 2007 19:44 EST
Resting in less than 10 feet of Caribbean seawater, the wreckage of Quedagh Merchant, the ship abandoned by the scandalous 17th century pirate Captain William Kidd as he raced to New York in an ill-fated attempt to clear his name,...

Jamaican 'Ganja Diver' Found Floating in Kingston Harbor; Propeller Hits Pot Toting Diver
Kingston, Jamaica - Apr 5, 2007 15:00 EST
When 35-year-old Joseph Campbell left his home in the rural district of Alligator Pond in St. Elizabeth on Sunday, he told family and friends that he was heading to Kingston to visit his sick father. But instead, Mr. Campbell went on...

Study: Caribbean Coral Extinctions Occurred 2 Million Years After Apparent Cause; 'Way Off Track'
Washington, D.C. - Mar 12, 2007 15:07 EST
Smithsonian scientists and colleagues report a new study that may shake up the way paleontologists think about how environmental change shapes life on Earth. The researchers summarized the environmental, ecological and evolutionary consequences for Caribbean shallow-water marine communities when the...

Report: Cayman's Animal Welfare Agency Kept in the Dark About Captive Sharks
George Town, Cayman Islands - Nov 21, 2006 08:17 EST
Despite being charged with the welfare of animals in the Cayman Islands, the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee was kept in the dark about captive sharks. That revelation comes days after news broke here that six sharks were found dead at the...

Cayman's Tourism Minister: Some Dolphin Deaths Expected at New Dolphin Tourist Park; 'It will Happen'
George Town, Cayman Islands - Nov 21, 2006 08:10 EST
At least some of the dolphins slated for the Grand Cayman's proposed dolphin facilities in West Bay are expected to die. Speaking to reporters at the weekly Cabinet press briefing, Tourism Minister Charles Clifford said attrition for all the life forms...

Six Sharks Die at New Cayman's Amusement Park as Life Support System Fails; 'There is a Strong Learning Curve'
George Town, Cayman Islands - Nov 17, 2006 08:00 EST
Visitors to Cayman’s newest tourist attraction Boatswain’s Beach won’t be coming face to face with any predators until at least February of next year. This is the word from Managing Director Ken Hydes who confirmed to the Caymanian Compass yesterday (Thursday)...

Cayman Islands Eel Attack Prods Government to Enact New Regulations; 'Wildlife Interaction Zones' Planned
George Town, Grand Cayman - Nov 1, 2006 18:06 EST
In the wake of the most recent eel attack in the Stingray City area on October 25th, Director of the Department of Environment (DoE), Gina Petrie, said that amendments currently being made to the Marine Conservation Law would include provisions...

Researchers: Half the World's Coral Reefs Could Die in 25 Years; 'The Global Bunsen Burner is Cranking Up'
Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands - Oct 25, 2006 18:16 EST
Researchers fear more than half the world's coral reefs could die in less than 25 years and say global warming may at least partly to blame. Sea temperatures are rising, weakening the reefs' resistance to increased pollutants, such as runoff from...

Report: Moray Eel Attacks as Cayman Islands Watersport Operators Ignore Feeding Warning; 'A Major Panic'
George Town, Cayman Islands - Oct 25, 2006 17:44 EST
A dive guide appears to be the latest victim of a decision by watersports operators to ignore clear warnings from the Department of Environment (DoE) about feeding moray eels at Stingray City. According to an eyewitness report by Dale Sherriff, a...

Underwater Nude Model Bitten by Shark on Photo Shoot; 'We Push the Envelope'
West Palm Beach, Florida - Oct 25, 2006 09:10 EST
There were two close calls for two of West Palm Beach underwater-nude photographer Todd Essick's models. Essick was working on a new coffee-table picture book of disrobed women interacting with sea life in the Bahamas last week when his muses bumped...

Cayman Islands Vows to Make 'Safe' Stingray City Even Safer With New Laws
George Town, Cayman Islands - Oct 23, 2006 20:11 EST
With news of a second overseas stingray attack in a month, tourism officials in the Cayman Islands are saying that there is no reason to panic, as the local attractions are safe. Plans are afoot to even make the local Stingray...

Report: Cayman Islands Dive Industry Facing Staffing Crisis; Safety Concern as Wages, Training Slip
George Town, Cayman Islands - Sep 18, 2006 19:39 EST
Responding to revelations in the new bill proposing amendments to the Immigration Law about the rules relating to temporary work permits, Stephen Broadbelt, Chairman of the Cayman Islands Watersports Association, said it could raise difficulties for his industry. Since Hurricane Ivan,...

Report: Actor Michael Douglas Fears Attack by Man-Eating Shark; 'I'm Not Crazy About Sharks'
Hamilton, Bermuda - Sep 2, 2006 16:34 EST
Bermuda resident Michael Douglas is unlikely to appear in any future installments in the Jaws movie franchise. The two-time Oscar winner, currently in Europe promoting his new Secret Service thriller The Sentinel, this week told the British media while he loves...

Tourism Minister: Cayman's Environment Won't Be Impacted by Captive Dolphin Facilities
George Town, Cayman Islands - Aug 31, 2006 19:09 EST
Minister for Tourism and the Environment Charles Clifford says he believes the environment will not be negatively impacted by proposed captive dolphin facilities. Nor does he believe the dive industry will be negatively affected by the setting up of such facilities...

Study: Caribbean Sea Turtle Assessments Are Too Optimistic; 99% Drop in Population
Washington, D.C. - Aug 1, 2006 22:45 EST
Current conservation assessments of endangered Caribbean sea turtles are too optimistic, according to Loren McClenachan and colleagues from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. McClenachan, Jeremy Jackson and Marah Newman agree that conservation efforts since the 1970's have dramatically helped increase...

High Price of Hydro Testing of Scuba Tanks Worrying Cayman Islands Dive Businesses
George Town, Cayman Islands - Jul 18, 2006 21:53 EST
Dive sector officials are sending mixed signals when it comes to hydro testing of tanks used by their guests at dive centres around Grand Cayman with reports of problems of over pricing and fears of a drop in safety standards. Several...

Whaling commission closes meeting, Japan mulls separate meeting 'of the willing'
Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis - Jun 21, 2006 21:27 EST
The International Whaling Commission ended its annual meeting Tuesday, with Japan, unhappy with the moratorium on commercial whaling, considering "a meeting of the willing" outside the IWC for "normalizing" the whaling business. On Monday, the commission elected William Hogarth, commissioner representing...

Study: Caribbean Leatherback Sea Turtles Stage Comeback
St. Croix, Virgin Islands - May 8, 2006 21:39 EST
The first week in May marked the emergence of the first hatchlings from leatherback turtles nesting on Sandy Point, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. If this year follows recent trends, it will continue one of the most positive turns for...

Scientists look to the Bahamas as a model for coral reef conservation
Palo Alto, California - Feb 20, 2006 18:27 EST
One of the greatest challenges facing marine ecologists today is finding innovative ways to reverse the rapid decline of coral reef ecosystems around the world. Ten percent of the planet's reefs already have been degraded beyond recovery, according to one...