Endangered Devil Ray Landings In Turkey Denounced; Conservation Groups Call On Mediterranean Officials To Better Enforce Protections
London, England - Mar 15, 2017 23:43 EST
Conservation groups are calling for answers and action in relation to the landing in Turkey of 30 Giant Devil Rays in contravention of Mediterranean agreements to protect the Endangered species. The groups are asking Turkish and regional fisheries authorities about...

Decapod Justice: Group Launches Campaign To Get Legal Protection For Crustaceans
London, England - Feb 21, 2017 22:35 EST
Despite a marked increase in scientific evidence about the ability of decapod crustaceans to feel pain and suffer, there has been no government assessment of their welfare and no increase in protections for animals like crabs and lobsters, which in...

Research: Harbour Porpoises Are Skilled Hunters And Eat Almost Constantly; 'Living In The Fast Lane'
Aarhus, Denmark - May 26, 2016 20:37 EST
Harbour porpoises have sometimes been described as "living in the fast lane." Being smaller than other cetaceans and living in cold northern waters means that the porpoises require a lot of energy to survive, making them prone to starvation. Now...

UN Agency Deploys 'Fish Magnets' Along Somali Coast To Boost Sustainable Fishing
Rome, Italy - Dec 7, 2015 22:05 EST
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), working with the European Union has completed the deployment of 25 Fish-Aggregating Devices (FADs) – or 'fish magnets' – along Somalia's 3,300 km coastline, aiming to boost the nation's small-scale artisanal fisheries and tackle...

Minke Whale Baby Boom Off Scotland's West Coast? Highest Number Of Young Recorded Since Surveys Began
Tobermory, Isle of Mull - Nov 3, 2015 20:23 EST
Sightings of juvenile minke whales off Scotland's west coast increased in 2015 to the highest ever recorded within a survey season, during marine research expeditions carried out by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust – indicating either a significant increase in...

Research Shows Value Of Cadaver Dogs Locating Underwater Corpses
Queensgate, Huddersfield - Sep 11, 2015 20:13 EST
EVEN when a body is submerged in deep and murky water, a specially-trained dog can sniff its whereabouts from the surface. This incredible level of canine capability is being investigated by University of Huddersfield researcher Lorna Irish. Her...

Surprise As Scientists Discover Rainbow Of Glowing Corals In The Depths Of The Red Sea
Southampton, United Kingdom - Jul 6, 2015 23:38 EST
Glowing corals that display a surprising array of colors have been discovered in the deep water reefs of the Red Sea by scientists from the University of Southampton, UK, Tel Aviv University and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences (IUI),...

Hard To Port: Conservation Group Kicks Off Anti-Whaling Campaign In Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland - Jul 2, 2015 23:12 EST
Activists from the marine conservation group Hard To Port have launched an educational anti-whaling campaign to monitor and expose the country's whaling activities. As the first fin whale of the season was pulled towards the whaling station for further processing, an...

Seeing The Unseen: PET/CT Scans Reveal Seabed Worms' Hidden Life
Odense M, Denmark - Apr 21, 2015 00:30 EST
The seabed is inhabited by vast numbers of small animals with hidden lives in the sandy sediments. Here they play an important role in keeping the oceans healthy. But how these animals behave and interact with each other is unclear,...

Group To Investigate Substantial Increase In Dolphin Numbers Off Western Scotland
Isle of Mull, Scotland - Apr 14, 2015 23:14 EST
A substantial increase in common dolphin numbers off western Scotland is to be studied by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in a new season of marine research expeditions beginning next month. The trust's encounter rate with common dolphins has more than...

Double Paradox: Global Warming Brings More Snowfall To Antarctica, More Ice Loss; 'Major Contributor To Future Sea-Level Rise'
Potsdam, Germany - Mar 16, 2015 22:47 EST
"Warmer air transports more moisture and hence produces more precipitation - in cold Antarctica this takes the form of snowfall," lead author Katja Frieler from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) explains. "We have now pulled a number...

In Hot And Cold Water: The Private Lives Of 'Hoff' Crabs Revealed; 'We Are Getting A Clearer Picture'
Southampton, U.K. - Mar 2, 2015 22:09 EST
Researchers at the University of Southampton have shed light on the private life of a new species of deep-sea crab, previously nicknamed the "Hoff" crab because of its hairy chest. Male and female Hoff crabs lead largely separate lives at...

Study: Shark Attack Deaths Down In 2014; Florida Leads The World Again In 'Dog Bites'
Gainsville, Florida - Feb 12, 2015 00:39 EST
Three people died worldwide from shark attacks last year, far below the average of 6.3 deaths per year over the past decade, according to the International Shark Attack File report released by the University of Florida today. The U.S. had no...

Scientists Discover How Tuna Stay Warm With Cold Hearts: Adrenalin
Manchester, United Kingdom - Feb 5, 2015 19:13 EST
Scientists at The University of Manchester, working with colleagues at Stanford University in America, have discovered how prized bluefin tuna keep their hearts pumping during temperature changes that would stop a human heart. The research helps to answer important questions...

Genetic Basis Of Color Diversity In Coral Reefs Discovered; 'One Of The Longstanding Mysteries Of Coral Reef Biology'
Southampton, United Kingdon - Feb 4, 2015 19:32 EST
Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered the genetic basis which allows corals to produce their stunning range of colors. They have found that instead of using a single gene to control pigment production, corals use multiple copies of...

Model Fail: Research Blames Ocean Heat Uptake As Cause Of Slowdown In Global Surface Warming
Southampton, United Kingdom - Dec 4, 2014 19:14 EST
New research shows that ocean heat uptake across three oceans is the likely cause of the 'warming hiatus' - the current decade-long slowdown in global surface warming. Using data from a range of state-of-the-art ocean and atmosphere models, the research...

Fish 'Personality' Linked To Vulnerability To Angling; Cautious Live Another Day
Joensuu, Finland - Oct 29, 2014 23:11 EST
Individual differences in moving activity in a novel environment are linked to individual differences in vulnerability to angling, according to an experimental study completed at the University of Eastern Finland and the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute. The study...

Research: Dolphins Can Sense Magnetic Fields
Rennes, France - Sep 30, 2014 00:48 EST
Add dolphins to the list of magnetosensitive animals, French researchers say. Dolphins are indeed sensitive to magnetic stimuli, as they behave differently when swimming near magnetized objects. So says Dorothee Kremers and her colleagues at Ethos unit of the Université...

European Street Artists Stand Up Against Deep-Sea Bottom Trawling; 'Fuel-Greedy, Subsidy-Dependent Fishing Vessels'
London, England - Jul 14, 2014 20:55 EST
Today, while the Council of European Fisheries Ministers is meeting in Brussels, six renowned street artists will perform live and simultaneously across Europe to call on Member States to take the will of European citizens into consideration and to adopt...

Cod Bones Reveal 13th Century Origin Of Global Fish Trade; 'Local Fishing Could No Longer Keep Up'
London, England - May 27, 2014 20:10 EST
London's international fish trade can be traced back 800 years to the medieval period, according to new research published today in the journal Antiquity. The research, led by archaeologists from UCL, Cambridge and UCLan, provides new insight into the medieval fish...

Study: Turtle Migration Directly Influenced By Ocean Drift Experiences As Hatchlings
Southampton, England. - May 16, 2014 17:26 EST
New research has found that adult sea-turtle migrations and their selection of feeding sites are directly influenced by their past experiences as little hatchlings adrift in ocean currents. When they breed, adult sea turtles return to the beach where they were...

Research: Mesopelagic Fish Biomass In The Ocean Is 10 Times Higher Than Estimated
Madrid, Spain - Feb 7, 2014 19:34 EST
With a stock estimated at 1,000 million tons so far, mesopelagic fish dominate the total biomass of fish in the ocean. However, a team of researchers with the participation of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has found that their...

Scientists Ponder The Fate Of Eels; 'Some Details Of The Life Cycle Are Still Unknown'
Kiel, Germany - Dec 26, 2013 18:47 EST
Smoked, fried or boiled - the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) has always been a popular fish in Europe. Even though people have consumed it for millennia, the origin of the eel has long been shrouded in mystery. While the fish...

Research: Killer Whales May Have Menopause So Grandma Can Look After The Kids
Devon, England - Oct 16, 2013 23:56 EST
Killer whales are just one of three species – we're one of the others - that continue to live long after they've stopped reproducing. But scientists still don't know why these three alone evolved this unusual menopausal trait. In a bid...

Researchers: Future Sea Level Rises Should Not Restrict New Island Formation In The Maldives
Exeter, Devon - Sep 28, 2013 18:55 EST
The continued accumulation of sand within the iconic ring-shaped reefs inside Maldivian atolls could provide a foundation for future island development new research suggests. Islands like the Maldives are considered likely to be the first to feel the effects of...

Tick Tock: Researchers Find Marine Animals With At Least 2 Internal Clocks; 'A Major Breakthrough For Biology'
Vienna, Austria - Sep 28, 2013 18:51 EST
Animals living in marine environments keep to their schedules with the aid of multiple independent—and, in at least some cases, interacting—internal clocks. The findings, presented by two research groups in papers appearing in the Cell Press journals Current Biology and...

IPCC Report: Oceans Are Shielding Humanity From Impacts Of Climate Change
Oxford, England - Sep 26, 2013 20:44 EST
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the ocean is shielding humanity from climate change impacts at significant cost to its own health, says the Global Ocean Commission. The UN's climate change assessment panel found...

Scientists: Achilles' Heel Of Antarctic Ice Shelves Is Beneath The Water, Accounting For 90% Loss In Some Areas
Bristol, UK - Sep 15, 2013 17:46 EST
New research has revealed that more ice leaves Antarctica by melting from the underside of submerged ice shelves than was previously thought, accounting for as much as 90 per cent of ice loss in some areas. Iceberg production and melting causes...

Study: 'Ray' Wings Sold To Consumers Include Vulnerable Species And Can Be Mislabeled
Manchester, England - Aug 13, 2013 20:07 EST
Genetic testing by DNA Barcoding, has revealed which species are sold under the commercial term 'ray wings' in Ireland and the UK. The blonde ray, given the lowest rating for sustainability in the marine conservation society's good fish guide, was...

Researchers Look For Answer To The Question: Do Fish Really Feel Pain
Berlin, Germany - Aug 9, 2013 19:06 EST
Fish do not feel pain the way humans do. That is the conclusion drawn by an international team of researchers consisting of neurobiologists, behavioral ecologists and fishery scientists. One contributor to the landmark study was Prof. Dr. Robert Arlinghaus of...

Spanish Researchers Sequence The Genome Of Global Deep Ocean; 'No Country Has This Kind Of Samples On A Global Scale'
Madrid, Spain - Jun 12, 2013 20:08 EST
A team of Spanish researchers, coordinated by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has started to sequence the genome of the global deep ocean. They are using more than 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific...

Campaigners Warn Tourists: Scotland Home To Mass Seal Shootings; 'Seal Management In Progress'
East Sussex, England - Jun 12, 2013 19:50 EST
Campaigners warned tourists to stay away from Scotland if they care about wildlife, especially seals, as they may be horrified to witness mass seal shootings. The warning comes as television presenter Neil Oliver launched a £350,000 campaign promoting Scotland as a...

42 C: Thermal Limit For Animal Life Redefined By First Lab Study Of Deep-Sea Vent Worms
Paris, France - May 31, 2013 19:51 EST
Forty-two may or may not be the answer to everything, but it likely defines the temperature limit where animal life thrives, according to the first laboratory study of heat-loving Pompeii worms from deep-sea vents, published May 29 in the open...

Campaigners Condemn 900 'Last Resort' Seal Shootings In Scotland
East Sussex, England - Mar 18, 2013 20:06 EST
The Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG) today condemned the Scottish Government for publishing details about the shooting of hundreds of seals in Scotland on an obscure website, so avoiding public scrutiny and further public outrage at the killings. The Marine Scotland...

Study: Fragments Of Continents Hidden Under Lava In The Indian Ocean
Potsdam, Germany - Feb 24, 2013 17:37 EST
The islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent, which has now been discovered. The continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, and had been hidden...

Study: Modelling Shows Some Oceans Left Behind By Sea-Level Rise; Pacific Up, Poles Regions Down
Bristol, UK - Feb 19, 2013 20:06 EST
Sophisticated computer modeling has shown how sea-level rise over the coming century could affect some regions far more than others. The model shows that parts of the Pacific will see the highest rates of rise while some polar regions will...

How The Purple And Pink Sunscreens Of Reef Corals Work; Chromoproteins 'Don't Re-Emit Light'
Southampton, United Kingdom - Jan 23, 2013 18:36 EST
New research by the University of Southampton has found a mechanism as to how corals use their pink and purple hues as sunscreen to protect them against harmful sunlight. Many reef corals need light to survive, as they benefit from sugars...

Olivine Eyed As Researchers Analyze 'rock Dissolving' Method Of Geoengineering
Bremerhaven, Germany - Jan 22, 2013 19:10 EST
The benefits and side effects of dissolving particles in our ocean's surfaces to increase the marine uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2), and therefore reduce the excess amount of it in the atmosphere, have been analysed in a new study published...

Study: No Evidence Of Increasing Jellyfish Population Over Last Two Centuries
Southampton, England - Dec 31, 2012 17:57 EST
Scientists have cast doubt on the widely held perception that there has been a global increase in jellyfish. Blooms, or proliferations, of jellyfish can show a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations – clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists,...

Study: Warm Sea Water, 'Change In Ocean Circulation' Is Melting Antarctic Glaciers
Gothenberg, Sweden - Dec 6, 2012 14:18 EST
The ice sheet in West Antarctica is melting faster than expected. New observations published by oceanographers from the University of Gothenburg and the US may improve our ability to predict future changes in ice sheet mass. The study was recently...