Sewage-Derived Nitrogen Increasingly Polluting Caribbean Ecosystems

ScienceDaily (May 30, 2011) — Nitrogen pollution in our coastal ecosystems, the result of widespread use of synthetic agricultural fertilizers and of human sewage, leads to decreased water transparency, the loss of desirable fish species, and the emergence of toxic phytoplankton species — such as the algae behind the infamous “red tides” that kill fish. […]

Reef Sharks Generate Millions of Tourist Dollars for Palau

Forget about the spurious benefits of eating shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy that is said to be responsible for the needless destruction of some 73 million sharks a year. In Palau, the first country in the world to proclaim a shark sanctuary, the sharks that frequent the Pacific island country’s reefs generate enormous […]

Ocean Warming Detrimental to Inshore Fish Species, Australian Scientists Report

ScienceDaily (May 20, 2011) — Australian scientists have reported the first known detrimental impact of southern hemisphere ocean warming on a fish species. The findings of a study published in Nature Climate Change indicate negative effects on the growth of a long-lived south-east Australian and New Zealand inshore species — the banded morwong. Scientific monitoring […]

Ocean Vision – Devastation of Elkhorn Coral

Odd new species found in Kermadecs, New Zealand

More new species – including a “straightened-out seahorse” – have been found in New Zealand’s largest scientific expedition exploring the Kermadec Islands. Scientists say the pipe fish, a white creature with “striking” orange spots, is probably new to science and while only small, represents a significant find. Read the full article See picture

Study: Sewage-Derived Nitrogen Increasingly Polluting Caribbean Ecosystems

by Underwatertimes.com News Service – May 16, 2011 20:03 EST WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nitrogen pollution in our coastal ecosystems, the result of widespread use of synthetic agricultural fertilizers and of human sewage, leads to decreased water transparency, the loss of desirable fish species, and the emergence of toxic phytoplankton species—such as the algae behind the […]

UM shark scientists enlist corporate donors as shark taggers in the Keys

By SUSAN COCKING [email protected] Here in Florida, you can adopt a highway, a park, a manatee, a tree – donating money and time to make sure the object or creature of your interest receives care and upkeep. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/15/2218218/um-shark-scientists-enlist-corporate.html#ixzz1McdSOv4f

Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up Study for Oil Spill Clean-Up Workers and Volunteers

The Gulf Long Term Follow-Up Study (GuLF STUDY) was developed to learn about possible health effects of the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring this study. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is leading this research. Find out more

Biologists Interpret The Language Of Sperm Whales; Accents And Regional Dialects Highlight Findings

Underwatertimes.com News Service – May 12, 2011 20:39 EST HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — When they dive together, sperm whales make patterns of clicks to each other known as “codas”. Recent findings suggest that, not only do different codas mean different things, but that whales can also tell which member of their community is speaking based […]

Do humpback whales use the stars to navigate? Scientists baffled by stunning accuracy of 10,000-mile migrations

21 April 2011 – Daily Mail Reporter Humpback whales can travel thousands of miles deep underwater in an astonishingly straight line – and the sun, moon and stars may be why they never get lost. Scientists used satellite technology to track 16 tagged whales as they migrated thousands of kilometres northwards from the South Atlantic […]