By Kim Boodram

The dreaded lionfish, a tropical water predator, has been spotted in Tobago.

The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) has received a report of a sighting in Flying Reef, bringing to reality months of concern of a possible invasion, which could devastate Tobago’s coral reefs.

The sighting report was made by resident Keith Gibson, who holds a PhD in coastal zone management and has taught a fish ID course for commonly encountered fish in Tobago—which includes an awareness of what species to look out for, such as the lionfish.

Read the full article at http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Diver_spots_dreaded__lionfish_in_Tobago_reef-140451763.html

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, Salt Lake City

Loligo pealei is an important North Atlantic species and US East Coast fishery

Marine biologists are starting to get a good idea now of how squid hear and how they react to sounds in the ocean.

It is only recently that scientists have come to accept that cephalopods have any auditory capability at all.

But new experiments show noises of varying loudness and frequency will elicit a range of behaviours in the animals – such as jetting or inking, and even a change of colour.

The research has been featured at the biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting.

It was presented by Aran Mooney from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) of Massachusetts, US.

Read the full article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17117194

ScienceDaily (Feb. 26, 2012) — Not all that glitters is gold. Sometimes it is just bacteria trying to get ahead in life. Many sea creatures glow with a biologically produced light. This phenomenon, known as bioluminescence, is observed, among others, in some marine bacteria which emit a steady light once they have reached a certain level of concentration (a phenomenon called “quorum sensing”) on organic particles in ocean waters.

Though this was a known occurrence, the benefits of producing light remained unclear.

Now, in an article published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have unraveled the mystery of why the marine bacteria glow. It has to do with what might be called “the survival of the brightest.”

Read the full article at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120226153547.htm

Senate Bill 724, Domestic Wastewater Discharged Through Ocean Outfalls

We need your help, please forward this action alert

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

This years attempt by the Florida legislature to never let a good deed go unpunished is a renewed attack on the 2008 ocean outfall bill that outlaws the archaic practice of dumping 396,000,000 gallons a day of inadequately treated sewage into the coastal waters of southeast Florida.

Last year Tallahassee heard your voices and the attempt to delay the implementation of the outfall law was never brought to a vote in the Senate.

This year more of the same. This 2012 version is seeking to derail the outfall law by extending the compliance deadline by two years.

Delaying reporting and other parts of the bill simply rewards counties who have done nothing since the bills passage, said DeeVon Quirolo founder and retired executive director of Key West based Reef Relief. Adding nothing has changed to justify weakening the original bill whereas the over-riding need for improving water quality for coral reefs has increased with every year.

This bill has just passed the FL House and is headed to the FL Senate.

BUT, THERE IS STILL TIME TO STOP IT!

We are asking for your help:

First:

Email the Florida Senate Committee on Rules and tell Chairman Senator John Thrasher you are opposed to the Miguel Diaz de la Portilla Senate Bill 724 (Domestic Wastewater Discharged Through Ocean Outfalls) and request the Committee on Rules not schedule SB 724 for a vote before the Senate.

Second:

If you live in Florida email your FL Senator and tell them you oppose Senate Bill 724 and if the bill comes before the Senate ask them to vote against it. (Click here to find your Senator).

If you do not live in Florida you can still help, Tell VISIT FLORIDA®, the states official tourism marketing corporation you do not want to visit Florida to swim in the sewage polluted ocean: http://www.visitflorida.com/feedback/

Looking for a Spring Break destination tell VISIT FLORIDA® how you feel about swimming in sewage.

Below is a letter sent to the Florida Senate from environmental and industry organizations.

February 23, 2012

Salutations to the Sea

Thanks to Yoga Energy Studio for the  money they raised at their monthly Yoga in Park Salutations to the Sea on Feb 14th. Their donation will go toward Reef Relief programs such as Coral Camp, and the Key West Marine Park. Thanks for helping to preserve and protect our coral reef ecosystems!

Tune in the 4th Wednesday of every month at 2-3pm for Reef Relief’s radio show, On Deck with Reef Relief, hosted by Reef Relief’s Executive Program Director Mill McCleary and Director of Marine Projects Rudy Bonn. Go to www.konknet.com to watch or listen to the live stream.

• Target: The United Nations
• Sponsored by: The Marine Conservation Institute and Chantecaille Beaute

Corals create spectacular undersea ecosystems that are home to thousands of plant and animal species. The integrity of these “rainforests of the sea” is threatened by human activities including illegal and unsustainable fishing, global warming and pollution.

Less than 1.2% of the world’s oceans are protected – far below the 10% target set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The best ways we can save corals from disappearing are by creating Marine Protected Areas to extend these protections, and phasing out bottom trawling – the world’s most destructive fishing technique. By taking these two steps, the United Nations can safeguard coral ecosystems and their diverse marine life.

Sign Petition!