Explore the future's rising seas. From 9/11, a Lesson on Whales, Noise and Stress. A right whale in the Bay of Fundy, where researchers collected whale feces in September 2001.
An analysis of hormones indicated that whales’ stress levels declined during a halt in shipping. Advocates for the protection of whales have long argued that they are stressed by underwater noise from ships. Now researchers say that an ocean experiment that was unfolding during the 9/11 attacks offers evidence that such claims may have merit, at least as far as North Atlantic right whales are concerned. What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch? Not all garbage ends up at the dump.
A river, sewer or beach can't catch everything the rain washes away, either. In fact, Earth's largest landfill isn't on land at all. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches for hundreds of miles across the North Pacific Ocean, forming a nebulous, floating junk yard on the high seas. It's the poster child for a worldwide problem: plastic that begins in human hands yet ends up in the ocean, often inside animals' stomachs or around their necks. This marine debris has sloshed into the public spotlight recently, thanks to growing mediacoverage as well as scientists and explorers who are increasingly visiting the North Pacific to see plastic pollution in action. 19 weird and wonderful turtle and tortoise species. It's not hard to love turtles and tortoises.
A Fall From Freedom. Top 5 Reasons Sharks Are in Trouble. U.S. East Coast Dolphin Die-Off Triggers Investigation. The-real-costs-of-coral-reef-loss_51f936212824e_w587. Section2_dandw_cihk_chinese_white_dolphins. World-first hybrid shark found off Australia. SeaWorld Claims "Blackfish" Is Misleading: Caging Orcas Okay. Heartbreaking images of Blue Whale struck dead by ship as it slept ~ dailyoffbeatnews.
These heartbreaking images show the body of a majestic blue whale fatally injured as it slept in a busy shipping lane. It was spotted floating near the surface of the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Songs of the Deep. Few species on Earth communicate as frequently and effectively as human beings, and none so majestically or ubiquitously as whales.
Immersed in an environment rich in sound but poor in light, whales and dolphins developed complex communication systems that they use to mate, feed, socialize, and navigate. The "vocabulary" of some types of whales such as the beluga and humpback is expansive, and rivals most non-humans creatures. Others can communicate over vast distances across the abyss. And, while not strictly communication, many dolphin and whale species use advanced echolocation to hunt and navigate.
The means and ends of these communications are most astounding to humans perhaps because we are accustomed to viewing communication as a sign of intelligence, and probably most people believe that humans are the only truly intelligent species on this planet. These long-distance communications are carried along a natural underwater network of acoustic waveguides. DOG & FISH KISS & SWIM TOGETHER (ORIGINAL)
Stephanie Wear on Roger Bradbury and Coral Reefs. Roger Bradbury’s recent op-ed in The New York Times arguing that coral reefs are doomed globally has had the coral reef science community abuzz for the last week.
Bradbury’s piece is somewhere between a surrender flag and a suicide note for conservation. For him, overfishing, pollution and climate change have already turned most reefs into “zombie ecosystems,” and marine conservationists who are working to save them are just merchants of false hope. Recovered Arctic expert predicts final collapse of sea ice withi. Prof Peter Wadhams calls for “urgent” consideration of new ideas to reduce global temperatures.
Photograph: John Mcconnico/AP One of the world's leading ice experts has predicted the final collapse of Arctic sea ice in summer months within four years. Caffeine flushed into Pacific Ocean stresses marine life - British Columbia. The ocean waters off Oregon contain measurable amounts of caffeine, which is impacting marine life.
(CBC) Caffeine has become a significant pollutant in the ocean off the U.S. Pacific Northwest, according to a university researcher. 12 Worst Invasive Fish on Earth. Sea Shepherd Exposes Slaughter of 90,000 Baby Seals. Sea Shepherd Sea Shepherd has dispatched the Oceanic Research and Conservation Action (O.R.C.A.)
Acid Oceans Helped Fuel Mass Extinction. Mounting Evidence Suggests Sharks Are In Serious Trouble. Can you imagine oceans without sharks?
We may soon have to, as new research suggests may already be 90% of the way there. Studying shark populations can be tricky. As David Shiffman explains well, while there are a number of methods that can be used to study shark populations, quantifying just how far their numbers have fallen can be difficult. However, recent research out of the University of Hawaii suggests that the presence of humans has a severe and strong negative impact on sharks, driving down numbers by over 90%. Sharks play a vital role in coral reef ecosystems. SHARKWATER. Shark Trust. Carcharias taurus, Grey Nurse Shark (East Coast population) listing advice. Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) on Amendments to the list of Threatened Species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) 1.
Scientific name, common name (where appropriate), major taxon group.