Well-meaning beach-goers are being warned not to return beached dolphins to the sea. Dead dolphins were found on two Pembrokeshire beaches after people tried to refloat them. RSPCA Cymru said cetaceans often move on to land because they are seriously ill and in some cases, to die. Returning them to the sea can be “hugely …
As the global coral crisis continues to unfold, once shocking news has become commonplace: Case in point, Australian scientists now report that coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef has fallen sharply in all three sections of the reef for the first time in 35 years of continuous monitoring. Their recently completed annual survey follows the back-to-back bleaching events of …
The coral reef in New Caledonia is home to thousands of marine species including dugongs and nesting green sea turtles. Photograph: Marc Le Chelard/AFP/Getty Images New Caledonia has agreed to tougher protections around a huge swathe of some of the world’s last near-pristine coral reefs, in a move conservationists hailed as a major breakthrough. The Pacific …
Researchers with the State of Hawai’i Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa found a management approach that combining manual removal and outplanting native urchin was effective at reducing invasive, reef smothering macroalgae by 85% on a coral reef off O’ahu, Hawai’i. …
South African Hanli Prinsloo draws crowds with ocean photography but sees irony as she goes downstairs past masses of shark fin restaurants Free diver Hanli Prinsloo holds her breath for several minutes at a time as she plunges into the deep blue sea. It may sound terrifying, but what distresses her more is the way …
Part of the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea off NE Australia. Credit: Rick Stuart-Smith Research published today in Nature describes upheaval among fish and invertebrate communities after a marine heatwave hit Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea in early 2016. The IMAS-led study analysed data collected across these areas by the Reef Life Survey …
Sunscreen is vital for skin protection. But researchers are finding that even ‘reef-friendly’ versions may pose serious environmental threats The link between sunscreen and skin protection is watertight. Unfortunately, many common sunscreens may be devastating for the health of coral reefs. (RuslanDashinsky / iStock) Earlier this month, Hawaii banned sunscreen. Not all sunscreen—just the kind …
OWU Connection Supports Zoology Major’s Effort to Aid Leatherbacks Name: Ryan Bishop ’17 Major: Zoology Minor: East Asian Studies Hometown: Sofia, Bulgaria Experience: Theory-to-Practice Grant, “Leatherback Conservation in Costa Rica with the Earthwatch Institute” Before graduating in December, Bishop used an OWU-funded Theory-to-Practice Grant to travel to Costa Rica to support sea turtle conservation efforts. …
The Red Sea is one of the world’s least studied regions when it comes to whales and dolphins – until now. A report was released recently that brings together historic records and the latest information on a range of the sea’s mammal species. This will supply some of the information needed for science based conservation …
Marine turtles, a resilient group of creatures that have been around for over 200 million years and survived mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaur, are today facing their gravest challenge yet. Nearly all species are classified as endangered – under threat from overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction and rising temperatures. Members of a regional task force from …
