Blog Archives

Scientists use Google Earth to observe the effects of predators on the feeding patterns of coral reef herbivores.

Coral reefs are fraught with danger for herbivores such as damselfish and tangs.

Venturing out from the safety of the reef

If you ever wondered why the Atlantic Ocean is much saltier than the Pacific Ocean, we now have answers.

Researchers at Oregon State University and the University of Hamburg published a study saying global mountain ranges and the Antarctic ice sheet appear to be the cause.

The report found the Andes and the Rocky Mountains prevent most of the Pacific’s evaporating water from moving inland, so it falls as rain or snow, eventually returning to the Pacific Ocean and keeping it fresher.

But in the case of the Atlantic, the mountains of east Africa keep rainfall away from the coastline.

So, being colder and saltier, the surface water of the North Atlantic Ocean sinks, and that sends warmer water circulating back along the European coastline.

“So the warm water flows from the tropics and subt...

Consumers of seafood may have an idea if their fish is wild-caught or farmed, but how many know aquaculture’s impact on the environment?

A new report entitled “Blue Frontiers” complied by the World Fish Center and Conservation International sets out to address that question and help steer the aquaculture industry towards greater sustainability.

Aquaculture can reduce the pressure on wild fisheries, although small fish used as fishmeal for carnivorous, farm-bred species like salmon are caught in the wild, as are young fish (fingerling) for tuna and reef fish before being grown in captivity.

Already more than 50% of the world’s seafood comes from aquaculture, including 73% of all salmon and over half of the global supply of crabs and lobsters.

Aquaculture production (estimated to be worth ov...

The latest frightening corollary of global warming is a surge in the world’s jellyfish population.

This development may set off an accelerating cycle of ocean acidification, according to new research from Rob Condon of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

When jellyfish die, they break down in a high-level carbon form that cannot be digested by bacteria. Instead it is exuded as carbon dioxide.

Meanwhile jellyfish devour huge quantities of plankton, thus depriving small fish of food and screwing up the entire food chain.

Dr Carol Turley, a scientist at Plymouth University’s Marine Laboratory, said the research highlighted the growing problem of ocean acidification, the so-called “evil twin” of global warming.

“Oceans have been taking up 25% of the carbon dioxide that man has produced...

Japan sent a whaling fleet to the northwest Pacific for what it called a research hunt today, four months after cutting short a similar mission in the Antarctic due to obstruction by activists.

The three-vessel fleet, led by the Nisshin Maru, plans to catch 260 whales including 100 minkes until late August to study their stomach contents, DNA and other information, according to the Institute of Cetacean Research.

The government-affiliated institute has organised such operations since 1987, citing a loophole in a 1986 international moratorium on commercial whaling which allows hunts for scientific research.

Anti-whaling nations and environmentalist groups condemn the activity as a cover for commercial whaling but Japan said it is necessary to substantiate its claim that there is a robust wh...

A leatherback turtle has been spotted in the sea off Scotland.

Crew members of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust research vessel Silurian estimated it was about 1.5m (5ft) long.

They saw the turtle in The Minch, a stretch of water between the Western Isles and mainland Scotland on Sunday.

Leatherbacks nest in the tropics but have been spotted previously off the UK, with one sighting made near a beach at Cleveleys in Lancashire last June.

Dave Hanna, skipper of the Silurian, said seeing the turtle was the most exciting moment of his life.

The cold

The leatherback is the world’s biggest turtle and listed as Critically Endangered, largely because of poaching for eggs and snaring in fishing gear.

Typically between 1m and 2m long, the animals weigh up to three-quarters of a tonne and can s...

Scientists at the University of Hawai

Marks & Spencer’s ‘Forever Fish’ campaign, launched today, will contribute over

Recently equipped with satellite tracking GPS devices to record their movements and ultimately protect their habitat, 22 out of 24 tagged Hawksbill turtles swimming in GCC waters are competing in the Great Gulf Turtle Race.

Beginning on June 6, their movements can be tracked and visitors will be able to cheer for their favorite turtles at www.gulfturtles.com.

The Emirates Wildlife Society and WWF Marine Turtle Conservation Project organised the Great Gulf Turtle Race to raise awareness about the conservation status and ecology of these critically endangered long-distance swimmers.

Last year, scientists recorded a turtle leaving a beach south of Muscat, Oman and travelling 20km per day for 50 days to reach Oman’s Masirah Island 1000km away.

For the first time ever, a turtle was recorded ...

A ghostly pallor is overtaking the world