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Dolphins in the western Indian Ocean stick with their own kind

Marine experts say the UK’s first officially recorded basking shark sightings of the year have come in from Cornwall.

Scientists believe this could be due to a recently reported 50-mile (80km) long algal bloom off the Cornish coastline.

Although this is not their direct food source, zooplankton at the site could be attracting the sharks.

Divers spotted the gentle giants off Newlyn and holidaymakers on the Roseland also reported a sighting.

Marine biologist Professor Monty Priede, from the University of Aberdeen, said: “We know from tracking studies on the sharks that they are very effective at finding patches of zooplankton and, if around this algal bloom the zooplankton are there, then that is where the sharks will be.

“The plankton bloom may have been triggered by the fact that it was a...

The world’s coral reefs are in danger of dying out in the next 20 years unless carbon emissions are cut drastically, warns a coalition of scientists led by Sir David Attenborough.

The delicate ecosystems, known as the

A spectacular event is about to occur off the WA coastline, but you’ll have to be in the right place at the right time to see it happen.

The annual mass spawning of corals is about to occur along the Dampier Archipelago, Ningaloo Marine Park and Abrolhos Islands for just four days from March 27.

Department of Environment and Conservation marine science program leader Chris Simpson said the event occurs over the period of the lowest tidal range, seven to 10 nights after the full moon.

“This fascinating event in the coral reproductive cycle looks something like a pink underwater snow storm, and it attracts many divers and photographers each year,” Dr Simpson said.

“The coral spawning usually occurs at night, usually on an ebbing today, beginning about an hour after sunset and continuing for ...

Fifteen-year-old Ravyna Jassani from Selangor recently came to Sabah as part of the Special Pangaea Borneo Project led by famed world explorer, Mike Horn.

The project is a learning expedition by Pangaea, an organisation created by Mike.

She said the trip was to learn about the marine biodiversity of Borneo as well as the environmental issues it is currently facing.

But she wasn’t prepared for the realities and horror of fish bombing – she and her friends were almost hurt by the underwater explosive.

“We set sail to Semporna after doing some diving and snorkelling around one of the beautiful islands on eastern Sabah.

“And as we were passing by scenic views and a wonderful sunset, we saw a small fishing boat about 50m or 100m away.

“Most of the fishermen we passed by acted quite friendly.

Th...

Volunteers play a vital role in ensuring that a range of valuable long-term datasets continue to survive, a team of scientists will say.

They argue that without citizen scientists, it would be too costly to carry out regular monitoring surveys.

However, they add that appropriate training is needed to allay concerns about inaccurate recordings.

The researchers from Oxford University will present their case at the Earthwatch annual lecture on Thursday.

“Government and research councils’ funding wants you to test hypotheses and produce very specific, short-term high-impact results, ” said Chris Newman, one of the researchers from the university’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) who will be making the presentation.

“That does not lend itself to long-term monitoring, which is what...

Thresher sharks visit cleaning stations to rid themselves of nasty parasites, say researchers.

Scientists filmed sharks off the coast of the Philippines visiting a tropical seamount – or undersea mountain.

This is a habitat for cleaner fish, which nibble off parasites and dead skin.

The sharks repeatedly visited the station and swam slowly around, giving the fish time to delouse them.

The findings were recently published in the journal PLoS One.

This is the first time the behaviour has been seen in this species and the researchers say it shows how vital these shallow reef habitats are for the large, threatened predators.

The lead researcher, Simon Oliver from Bangor University in the UK, has been studying thresher sharks for more than five years and founded the Thresher Shark Research and...

Coral colonies in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve are facing serious threat from an invasive seaweed, which is spreading rapidly, say marine researchers, who are worried about the phenomenon.

The bio-invasion by the sea weed, Kappaphycus alvarezii, was spread over only 10 square metres in 2008 in three islands

Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science scientist Chris Langdon and colleagues developed a new tool to monitor coral reef vital signs.

By accurately measuring their biological pulse, scientists can better assess how climate change and other ecological threats impact coral reef health worldwide.

During a March 2009 experiment at Cayo Enrique Reef in Puerto Rico, the team tested two new methods to monitor biological productivity.

They compared a technique that measures changes in dissolved oxygen within a chamber that encloses an area of water above the reef with one that measures the flux of dissolved oxygen across the turbulent boundary layer above an unconfined portion of the seafloor.

By measuring dissolved oxygen production and consumption rates, scientists were able to moni...

Beaked whales are disturbed by naval sonar, according to scientists.

A new study suggests that the whales are particularly sensitive to unusual sounds.

Measuring their reactions to both simulated sonar calls and during actual naval exercises, researchers found the whales fell silent and moved away from the loud noises.

The use of sonar for naval communication has been linked to beaked whales stranding in the past.

Scientists from the University of St Andrews, Scotland have been working with marine experts from around the world to investigate how sonar affects beaked whales in the Bahamas.

Beaked whales are an elusive group of small whales named for their elongated snouts.

However, they are probably best known for their connection to the possible risks that naval sonar poses to marine mamm...