Marine Science Today

U.S. to Support Restrictions on Bluefin Tuna and Other Imperiled Species at CITES Conference

Emily — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:49:06 +0000

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland said the United States will support trade restrictions on bluefin tuna, polar bears, and imperiled corals and sharks among other proposals at the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of [...]

Long, Cold Winter Leads to Frozen Turtles

Emily — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:06:08 +0000

Recently, about 5,000 sea turtles in Florida were rendered immobile due to a phenomenon know as “cold-stunning.” Since sea turtles are cold blooded animals they assume the temperature of their surroundings. If sea turtles are exposed to cold water, around 50 degrees F, for several days, their circulatory systems can slow down to the point [...]

DNA Helps Scientists Trace Shark Fins

Celia — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:53:51 +0000

Groundbreaking new DNA research has, for the first time, traced scalloped hammerhead shark fins from the burgeoning Hong Kong market all the way back to the sharks’ geographic origin. In some cases the fins were found to come from endangered populations thousands of miles away, which points the way to a better protection of these sharks from the international trade.

Oregon No Longer Permits Driftnets

Celia — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:25:48 +0000

A vote on December 11 decided that the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will no longer issue commercial fishing permits for drift gillnet gear used to target swordfish and thresher sharks in waters off the Oregon coast. These expansive driftnets are known to ensnare and drown dolphins, sea lions, endangered sea turtles and other animals. This decision means that the State of Oregon will no longer provide necessary State permits to Oregon-based fishermen wishing to use this gear, effectively ending this indiscriminate fishery in Pacific waters off Oregon.

Steller Sea Lion Numbers Still Declining In Some Areas

Celia — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:57:09 +0000

Researchers from NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center have published the results of their 2009 count of Steller sea lion pups in Alaska, which shows improvement in some areas and further decline in numbers in others.

Timor Sea Oil Spill Aftermath

Celia — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:53:24 +0000

Hundreds of fishermen and seaweed farmers are seeking compensation for their losses from West Atlas oil rig leak.

First High Seas Marine Protected Area in Antarctica

Celia — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:14:09 +0000

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) approved the new high seas marine protected area south of the South Orkney Islands in the Antarctic Peninsula Region. The Commission further agreed to a work plan to create networks of high seas MPAs across 11 other high priority areas in the Southern Ocean by 2012.

Legal Effort to Protect Endangered Blue Whale Underway

Celia — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:50:38 +0000

The National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency charged with the stewardship of the U.S.'s living marine resources, may be sued for failure to implement the 1998 Blue Whale Recovery Plan. Friends of the Earth, Pacific Environment and the Center of Biological Diversity have joined the notice of intent to sue submitted by the Environmental Defense Center last week.

Rutgers Glider Successfully Crosses Atlantic

Tom — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:56:34 +0000

The "Scarlet Knight," a Rutgers-Slocum autonomous underwater glider, has successfully completed its crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

New Robots Will Help Fill in Gaps and Enhance Ocean Knowledge

Celia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:49:10 +0000

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have been awarded a total of nearly $2.5 million to develop a new breed of ocean-probing instruments and design and develop the systems necessary to control the movement of those autonomous underwater explorers (AUEs). These "Miniature Robotic Ocean Explorers" are intended to plug gaps of knowledge about key ocean processes and trace fine details of fundamental oceanographic mechanisms that are vital to tiny marine inhabitants.