tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:29:48 +0000News on events and research in the diving, marine life and other underwater fields. Published by <a href="http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/">SCUBA Travel</a>, the independent guide to diving around the world.http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/noreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)Blogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-3234988067713675779Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:19:00 +00002010-03-04T16:19:18.098ZGalapagosmarine biologyresearchSCUBA NewsThe barnacle, a key thread in the marine food web, was thought to be missing along rocky coasts dominated by upwellings. Now a research team headed by Brown University marine ecologist Jon Witman has found the opposite to be true: Barnacle populations thrive in vertical upwelling zones in moderately deep waters in the Galapagos Islands. Working at an expansive range of underwater sites in the http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/barnacle-dinner-in-galapagos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-144562281174948572Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:58:00 +00002010-02-22T16:58:49.155ZresearchSCUBA TravelSCUBA NewsSCUBA divingenvironmentdive destinationLife in the Sea of Cortez is endangered by destructive new fishing methods. Ten years ago graduate students Octavio Aburto-Oropeza and Gustavo Paredes surveyed the marine life of the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California). In 2009 they went back and were shocked at how things had declined. Sixty percent of the surveyed sites showed signs of degradation, according to Aburto-Oropeza,http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/02/sea-of-cortez-threatened.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4696274164759471639Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:08:00 +00002010-01-20T12:08:07.623Zcoralmarine biologyresearchfishSCUBA NewsAmericaResearchers from Florida State University have found that Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio) dig out and maintain complex structures at the bottom of the sea. They remove sand, exposing hard rocks that are crucial to corals and sponges and the animals that rely on them. The work demonstrates that Red Groupers modify their environment, much as beavers do, creating habitat for many other animals http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/red-grouper-create-home-for-many.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-7563791687691626156Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:43:00 +00002010-01-20T10:43:20.638ZSCUBA divingThis common species - Cerianthus lloydii - is not a true anemone but a tube anemone. Instead of attaching itself to a rock it lives in a soft felt-like tube protruding above sand or mud. The anemone's tentacles are usually all that is visible. The inner set circle the mouth and are short and stiff. The long, flexible and attractive outer ones, over 100 of them, sweep prey inwards. When disturbed http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/creature-of-month-burrowing-anemone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-2807379431650055734Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:46:00 +00002010-01-19T17:46:04.521Zmarine biologyresearchSCUBA Newswhale and dolphinsA new genetic analysis of Antarctic minke whales concludes that population of these smaller baleen whales have not increased as a result of the intensive hunting of other larger whales – countering arguments by advocates of commercial whaling who want to “cull” minke whales. Antarctic minke whales are among the few species of baleen whales not decimated by commercial whaling during the 20th http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/minke-whales-should-not-be-culled.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-2056349362069463649Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:26:00 +00002010-01-04T15:26:31.070Ztechnologyenvironmentwhale and dolphinsNew acoustic sensors are being used in research and conservation projects around the world, with some very important practical results. Among them is improved monitoring of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an effort to reduce ship strikes, a leading cause of their deaths. Sofie Van Parijs is one of many researcher whose work is decribed this month in the journal Marine Ecology Progress http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/acoustic-tools-help-whales.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4259571690405694096Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:02:00 +00002009-12-10T11:07:28.492ZresearchSCUBA NewsenvironmentIncreased release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making seawater more acidic and is threatening ecosystems and species. It is also reducing the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide and regulate climate. According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), deep and immediate cuts in emissions are needed to stall the acidification of oceans and prevent mass extinction ofhttp://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/iucn-warns-of-acid-oceans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4547483170994756067Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:57:00 +00002009-12-07T14:59:43.742Zmarine biologyresearchSCUBA NewsPhD student Sally Hall has formally described four new species of king crab, all from the deep sea. javascript:void(0) The new species are Paralomis nivosa from the Philippines, P. makarovi from the Bering Sea, P. alcockiana from South Carolina, and Lithodes galapagensis from the Galapagos archipelago – the first and only king crab species yet recorded from the seas around the Galapagos Islands. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/king-crab-family-grows.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-6578892400349221048Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:50:00 +00002009-12-02T11:51:45.167ZresearchfishSCUBA NewsPopulations of numerous migratory fish species - those that move between freshwater and saltwater during the course of their lives - have declined by more than 95 percent in the North Atlantic . This threatens food supplies and economic systems, and is worse than was thought as people have tended to compare numbers over too short time scales, according to a paper published this month in the http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/shocking-95-decline-of-fish-populations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-722375813071979541Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:28:00 +00002009-11-23T16:28:39.738ZCensus of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that live down to 5,000 meters (around 3 miles) below the ocean waves. Revealed via deep-towed cameras, sonar and other technologies, animals known to thrive in an eternal watery darkness now number 17,650, a diverse collection of species ranging from crabs to shrimp to http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/scientists-discover-new-deep-sea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-3667993048769819540Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +00002009-11-16T16:40:08.234ZThe International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) hopes that its new project will reveal the mysteries of southern Indian Ocean seamounts and help improve conservation and management of resources. Two research expeditions will survey seamounts. These underwater mountains are magnets for marine life. The aim is to determine priority areas for the establishment of future marine Protected http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/iucn-to-unveil-mysteries-of-deep.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-7629174855147325279Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:09:00 +00002009-11-11T12:13:19.962ZtechnologyresearchSCUBA NewsenvironmentSwarms of miniature robotic ocean explorers that could one day help predict where ocean currents will carry oil spills, and which marine areas should be protected. These autonomous underwater drifters will trace the fine details that can determine underwater ocean currents of a few kilometers. These are important for understanding marine protected areas, algal blooms, oil spills and the path http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/swarms-of-ocean-robots-to-monitor-oil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-1108019412952103453Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:52:00 +00002009-11-06T12:52:38.531ZtechnologySCUBA NewsenvironmentThe National Science Foundation has announced agreement for vast undersea observing network. Called the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) it will provide a network of undersea sensors for observing complex ocean processes such as climate variability, ocean circulation and ocean acidification at several coastal, open-ocean and seafloor locations. Continuous data flow from hundreds of OOI http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/nsf-launches-ocean-observatories.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-9056878994476602617Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:46:00 +00002009-11-05T13:46:51.076Zmarine biologyresearchSCUBA NewssharksA tracking study of white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean shows they follow a rigid migration route across the sea, returning to precisely the same spot on California coast each time they come back. Over tens of thousands of years, this behavior has made the population in the northeastern Pacific genetically distinct from other white shark populations. "White sharks are a large, highlyhttp://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/tags-reveal-great-white-sharks-beat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4801068777635840443Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:19:00 +00002009-11-04T14:19:34.185ZSCUBA TravelSCUBA NewsbooksThe SCUBA Travel best selling diving books in the third quarter of 2009. Yet again the Dive Atlas of the World keeps its top spot. Previous quarter's position is shown in brackets. Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites by Jack Jackson 300 pages detailing some of the world's best dive sites. (1) Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die by Chris Santella The fifth in http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/scuba-travel-release-last-quarters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-1338386383997857259Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:21:00 +00002009-10-12T17:21:04.745+01:00SCUBA Newswhale and dolphinsAustraliaThe state government of Western Australia is creating a marine park to protect and manage a key nursery of the world's largest humpback whale population. The marine park is to be at Camden Sound, about 400km north of Broome, protecting its pristine marine environment for generations to come. Allowing for consultation, including a public comment period of three months, a marine park could be http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/western-australia-to-protect-whales.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4149602307078323335Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:34:00 +00002009-10-09T16:35:01.816+01:00researchSCUBA Newswhale and dolphinsScientists have recorded the first observations of how albatrosses feed alongside marine mammals at sea. A miniature digital camera was attached to the backs of four black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophrys). Results are published online this week in the open-access journal PLoS ONE. Albatrosses fly many hundreds of kilometers across the open ocean to find and feed upon their prey. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/albatrosses-feed-with-killer-whales.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4430060880566498579Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:33:00 +00002009-10-09T16:33:31.046+01:00UKmarine biologySCUBA TravelSCUBA NewsSCUBA divingEuropeenvironmentPlumose anemones (Metridium senile) occur in large numbers in good diving areas in temperate waters. They comprise a tall, smooth column topped with a crown of feathery tentacles. When they contact they look like swirly blobs, as can be seen in our photograph. Individuals may be white, orange, green or blue in colour. They grow up to 30 cm tall and 15 cm across at the base. They like areas with http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/creature-of-month-plumose-anemone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-6250044018338128900Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:11:00 +00002009-10-13T16:51:45.330+01:00marine biologyfishSCUBA Newswhale and dolphinsWhen you mention killer whales, the image of one ambushing a terrified seal often springs to mind. But there are populations of killer whales who live exclusively on fish. And not on just any fish: they are very specialised in which fish they will eat. According to research published in Biology Letters, two populations studied in the northeastern Pacific Ocean prefer to eat Chinook salmon (http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/killer-whales-die-without-chinook.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-5455235623205430817Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:33:00 +00002009-09-21T13:39:36.904+01:00researchSCUBA NewsenvironmentThe Arctic sea ice cover appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the third-lowest recorded since satellites began measuring sea ice extent in 1979, according to the University of Colorado at Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center. While this year's September minimum extent was greater than each of the past two record-setting and near-record-setting low years, it is still http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/arctic-sea-ice-reaches-2009-low.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-696859544818194143Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:27:00 +00002009-09-16T11:07:49.062+01:00MediterraneanwrecksEuropeMalta and GozoThere is a new dive waiting off the coast of Comino: former Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) Patrol Boat P31. The wreck is 52 m long and lies at 18 m.The Malta Tourism Authority co-ordinated the scuttling of the former Patrol Boat to add to the number of underwater attractions for scuba divers visiting Ċirkewwa and Comino.The Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Hon. Dr Mario de Marco said that http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/new-wreck-dive-off-comino-malta.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-297834369152471759Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:57:00 +00002009-09-11T14:12:54.722+01:00coralCaribbeanmarine biologyresearchSCUBA NewsenvironmentA rare opportunity has allowed a team of scientists to evaluate corals--and the essential, photosynthetic algae that live inside their cells--before, during, and after a period in 2005 when global warming caused sea-surface temperatures in the Caribbean to rise.The team, led by Penn State biologist Todd LaJeunesse, found that a rare species of algae that is tolerant of stressful environmental http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/rare-algae-saves-caribbean-coral.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4865402644682488809Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:01:00 +00002009-08-15T13:11:25.698+01:00researchSCUBA NewsenvironmentThe warming of an Arctic current over the last 30 years has triggered the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from methane hydrate stored in the sediment beneath the seabed. Although this had been predicted as a possible consequence of climate change, it is very worrying that the process has already started.Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton working in http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/08/warming-ocean-contributes-to-global.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-4710857533782645122Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:23:00 +00002009-08-15T12:35:11.925+01:00SCUBA Newscoral reefenvironmentAmericaFlower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is among the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the US Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to a new NOAA report.Sanctuary managers will use the report to track and monitor changes in the marine ecosystem located 70 to 115 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. “We found that 50 percent of the area surveyed for this report is covered by livehttp://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/08/healthiest-us-coral-reef-is-in-gulf-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542802.post-2903552537813206417Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:03:00 +00002009-08-10T22:22:09.714+01:00IndiaSCUBA NewsAn earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale has struck the Andaman Islands off the coast of India. It has triggered a tsunami watch for India, Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh.According to the The U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake happened 160 miles (260 km) north of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, India and 510 (825 km) miles west of Bangkok, Thailand. It was 20 http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/08/earthquake-off-andaman-islands.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SCUBA News)0