Chief

Author: June Tsai Source: Taiwan Today September 11, 2012 "The composition of coral reefs off southern Taiwan’s Kenting has changed, resulting in declining biodiversity and causing concern over ecological sustainability of the area, according to Academia Sinica Sept. 11. read more More...

Source: Port Douglas News September 11, 2012 "ACF’s submission on the federal government’s proposal to establish the world’s largest national network of marine reserves says the protected areas would safeguard ocean life and the coastal lifestyles so many Australians hold dear. read more More...

Author: Megan Gannon Source: CBS September 11, 2012 "(LiveScience) Sharks might be able to learn new skills just by watching their friends' behavior, a new study finds. read more More...

Marine Fish Threatened by High Demand Author: S M Mohd Idris Source: FMT News September 5, 2012 read more More...

Author: Simon Parry Source: South China Morning Post "Cathay Pacific has bowed to pressure from environmental groups and banned shark fin from its cargo flights. The move by the airline - believed by environmentalists to fly up to 50 per cent of all shark fin imported by air to Hong Kong - was hailed as a major victory for opponents of the trade. read more More...

Author: Steve Jacobs Source: Brisbane Times September 4, 2012 Sharks are very misunderstood animals and receive a largely undeserved reputation as vicious animals, although they have a unique "sixth sense" that allows them to locate their true, much smaller, prey. These are some of the findings from research conducted by the Sydney Aquarium into shark behaviour. read more More...

Source: RedOrbit September 4, 2012 "Ocean scientists have known for a long time that juvenile coral reef fishes use coastal seagrass and mangrove habitats as nurseries, before they move into the coral reefs as adults. According to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the fishes’ movements, and the connections between different tropical habitats, are much more complex than previously realized. read more More...

Author: Mar-Vic Cagurangan Source: Marianas Variety August 28, 2012 "HAGÅTÑA — A local biologist confirmed 35 of the 82 coral reef species petitioned for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, or ESA, are facing extinction in Guam’s waters, but the local government is opposing possible federal control, saying recovery initiatives must be taken through regional initiatives or international treaties. read more More...

Source: The Washington Post August 27, 2012 "MEXICO CITY — Developers have resurrected plans for a massive beach resort near a sensitive coral reef in Mexico’s Gulf of California, just two months after authorities rejected a similar plan amid protests by environmental groups. The proposed Los Pericues resort would include a marina, a golf course and the equivalent of 23,400 hotel rooms on the Baja California shoreline near the protected Cabo Pulmo reef, the only one in the Gulf of California. read more More...

Source: The Herald Sun August 27, 2012 "DIVERS have killed about 1300 of the coral-devouring crown of thorns starfish on reefs off Cairns in the first 10 days of an intensive mission to prevent another outbreak. Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators executive director Col McKenzie said the 14- member dive crew targeted the pest starfish at Briggs, Moore and Tedford reefs for the first 10-day mission. read more More...

Atchaa Khamlo Source: Phucket Gazette August 27, 2012 "PHUKET: With coral reef systems in Thai coastal waters at a “crisis” level, the director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) has vowed to step up his department’s efforts to mitigate the damage caused by the fishing industry and other human factors. “Currently, our natural coral reefs are not half of what they used to be – we are in a crisis,” said PMBC director Pinsak Suraswadi on Tuesday. read more More...

Author: William Rollo Source: ABC News August 24, 2012 "Environmentalists and farmers have criticised the Federal Government's approval of the Alpha coal and rail project in central Queensland. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has approved the multi-billion dollar project in the Galilee Basin, after four years of negotiations. The Federal Government took over the responsibility for approving the project in May, saying the Queensland coordinator-general's conditions were inadequate." read more More...

Author: Kelly Anderson Source: Realscreen August 23, 2012 "On September 9, Animal Planet will air Great Barrier Reef, a two-hour special that journeys under the Coral Sea to explore one of the seven wonders of the world. The special, coproduced with the BBC, will use remote cameras, underwater macro- and digital time-lapse photograpy to capture sequences never filmed before. read more More...

Author: Melissa Gaskill Source: Culture Map Austin August 21, 2012 "Good news: Some ecological damage is reversible. Removing large fish from coral reef ecosystems can eventually kill it, but protect a reef from fishing, and it can bounce back. Stop cutting down trees, and a forest may recover. read more More...

Source: GMA News August 22, 2012 "A team of Filipino scientists and engineers has built what might be the most affordable equipment in the world to assess damaged coral reefs. University of the Philippines physics professor Maricor Soriano said that the equipment, "Teardrop," is a better alternative to other reef assessment technologies on the market that can cost thousands of dollars, like high-tech remote video equipment. read more More...

Author: Carl Safina Source: The New York Times August 22, 2012 "About 20 years ago, one of the world’s most beautiful and otherworldly fish, the red lionfish, started showing up in south Florida and the Caribbean. Now, they’re a plague. Millions of them live from northeastern South America to New York, from water you can stand in down to depths of a thousand feet. read more More...

Source: Scotsman.com August 22, 2012 "Scottish scientists are developing a swarm of intelligent robots to save coral reefs. A team of “coralbots”, each individually working to simple rules, will piece together damaged bits of coral, allowing them to regrow. The approach is inspired by the behaviour of natural swarms of insects such as bees, wasps and termites which collectively build substantial and complex structures. read more More...

Source: My Central Jersey August 20, 2012 "KINGSTON, R.I. — Sarah Merolla took a scuba diving class at the University of Rhode Island last spring, figuring that it might come in handy once she becomes a marine biologist. She put her newfound skills to use sooner than she expected as she spent three weeks this summer diving twice a day on a restored coral reef in the British Virgin Islands to monitor whether fish populations have returned to the reef. read more More...

Author: Sonja Puzic Source: CTVNews.ca August 18, 2012 "When Kerry Jang got married 18 years ago, his wedding guests dined on shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy his family served for generations to mark special occasions. Now, the Vancouver city councillor is spearheading efforts to remove the pricey item from restaurant menus and banquets. read more More...

Source: SBS World News August 20, 2012 "Australia needs to investigate novel ways of protecting the Great Barrier Reef, such as giant shadecloths, a leading climate change scientist says. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland's Global Change Institute, says the time for saving the reef through global action on climate change may be running out. read more More...

Source: Phys.org August 19, 2012 "Corals are made up of many polyps that jointly form a layer of living tissue covering the calcareous skeletons. They depend on single-celled algae called zooxanthellae, which live within the coral polyps. read more More...

Author: Victor Fiorillo Source: The Philly Post August 17, 2012 read more More...

Source: Sky News Australia August 16, 2012 "The body entrusted with the protection of the Great Barrier Reef has set a target of ensuring no water entering the area has a detrimental impact on the natural wonder by 2020. With the World Heritage-listed reef facing a litany of natural and man-made threats, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on Thursday launched its biodiversity conservation strategy for public comment. read more More...

Authors: Andrew Baird and Joshua Madin Source: The Conversation August 16, 2012 "The east coast of Australia is a global hotspot for the effects of climate change, especially in the marine realm, where average water temperatures have increased by almost half a degree over the last 50 years. read more More...

Author: Cheryl Chan Source: The Province August 14, 2012 "B.C.’s anti-shark fin movement is gaining momentum as Nanaimo becomes the newest municipality to become fin-free. Nanaimo city council voted unanimously to ban the trade, sale or distribution of shark fin Monday night. “Nanaimo is in a very strategic position to lead Vancouver Island in this charge,” anti-shark fin activist Anthony Marr told council. read more More...