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Researchers challenge idea that marine reserves promote coral recovery

Fleshy whorls of thick brown algae blanket the once-vibrant corals in Glover’s Reef, Belize. According to a controversial study published August 14 in the journal Coral Reefs, a decade of marine reserve protection has failed to help these damaged Caribbean corals recover.

Fish shoal 'like car drivers'

Shoals of fish are able to move and turn in seamless formation by following simple rules that are like those used by car drivers, say researchers.

Peer-review of the Draft Voluntary Guidelines for the Consideration of Biodiversity in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) in Marine and Coastal Areas

Reference: SCBD/STTM/JM/JLe/rg/78095 (2011-212)
To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points; other Governments; relevant organizations

The Secretariat has prepared, with the assistance of a team of consultants, draft voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in EIAs and SEAs in marine and coastal areas using the guidance in Annexes II, III and IV to the Manila Workshop Report (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/14/INF/5). In prep ...

Statement on Behalf of CBD Executive on the occasion of The 2nd International Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas, 7 to 11 November 2011, Martinique

Statement on Behalf of CBD Executive on the occasion of the 2nd International Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas, 7 to 11 November 2011, Martinique

Scientists to explore Indian Ocean's depths

JOHANNESBURG — The first time scientists explored deep in the Indian Ocean, they found a new species of glowing squid. Now researchers who are departing from South Africa on Monday with even better equipment are hoping for similar success.

Coral reef biodiversity may be vastly underestimated

Researchers with the Smithsonian have catalogued almost as many crab species on tropical coral reef bits measuring just 20.6 square feet (6.3 square meters) as in all of Europe's seas, finds a new paper in PLoS ONE.

New study reveals coral reefs may support much more biodiversity than previously thought

Smithsonian scientists and colleagues conducted the first DNA barcoding survey of crustaceans living on samples of dead coral taken from the Indian, Pacific and Caribbean oceans. The results suggest that the diversity of organisms living on the world's coral reefs is seriously underestimated. Th ...

REMINDER: Caribbean and Mid-Atlantic Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), 28 February to 2 March 2012, Brazil

Reference: SCBD/STTM/JM/JLe/JG/77432 (2011-207)
To: National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points in Greater Caribbean and Western Mid-Atlantic Region; other Governments; competent organizations and regional initiatives

Reference is made to the earlier notification (2011-166), dated 7 September 2011, regarding the nomination of experts to the Caribbean and Mid-Atlantic Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), 28 February to 2 March 2012, i ...

Scotland's 'seabird cities' continue to struggle

Scotland's internationally important seabird colonies are continuing to have poor breeding seasons, RSPB Scotland has warned.

Shark conservation is gaining momentum - but are we doing enough?

Scientists and law-makers across the world are prioritising the protection of sharks, but critics say the measures don't work

Run-Off, Emissions Deliver Double Whammy to Coastal Marine Creatures, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2011) — Increasing acidification in coastal waters could compromise the ability of oysters and other marine creatures to form and keep their shells, according to a new study led by University of Georgia researchers.

Small marine fish need protection too

It has long been known that overfishing has decimated some populations of tuna, shark, cod, as well as other big predatory fish; however two recent studies have pointed out that overfishing is also threatening small fish such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, herring, menhaden, and krill.

Project to study marine molluscs

The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala and Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu are joining hands in a collaborative project to prepare a biodiversity database and DNA barcode data of marine moll ...

Creatures of the very deep: Giant amoebas discovered 6.6 miles down in Pacific sea trench

Giant amoebas have been discovered in the deepest part of the world's oceans - smashing previous depth records by almost two miles.

Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises Suffer Dramatic Declines From Bycatch in Fishing Nets

Bonn — For 86 per cent of all toothed whale species, entanglement in gillnets, traps, weirs, purse seines, longlines and trawls is resulting in an unsustainably high death toll.

European Commission drops automatic fish quota

The European Commission has dropped proposals which would have seen an automatic cut in fish quotas where there is not enough information about stock levels.

Shark massacre reported in Colombian waters

Environmental authorities say up to 2,000 hammerhead, Galápagos and whale sharks were slaughtered for their fins

Communiqué: Towards the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea: The Living Ocean and Coast

Towards the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea: The Living Ocean and Coast

Montreal, 19 October 2011 – The contribution of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea: The Living Ocean and Coast was discussed in Seoul on 14 October 2011 at a meeting between Mr. Samuel Koo, United Nations Co-Commissioner-General for the Expo, and M ...

Expert Meeting to Develop a Series of Joint Expert Review Processes to Monitor and Assess the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity

19 - 20 October 2011, Montreal, Canada

Deadly salmon virus raises concerns in US, Canada

Scientists in Washington state are working to improve testing of a deadly, contagious marine virus as a precaution, after the virus was detected in wild salmon for the first time on the West Coast

Far more bluefin sold than reported caught: report

PARIS — More than twice as many tonnes of Atlantic bluefin tuna were sold last year compared with official catch records for this threatened species, according to a report released on Tuesday.

33rd Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties (London Convention 1972), 6th Meeting of Cotnractign Parties (London Protocol 1996) (IMO)

17 - 21 October 2011, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Colombia condemns killing of sharks in Colombian Pacific for fins

Colombia's presidential advisor for biodiversity has condemned the killing of around 2,000 sharks in Colombian waters by Costa Rican fishermen.

Period of development poses threat to marine areas

Wenzhou, Zhejiang - China's aquatic fauna and its vast marine areas are under threat from intensive coastal exploration and land-based pollution, a senior official said.

UNEP/CBD/EM-IOAMCB/1/2

Background Document to an Expert Meeting to Develop a Series of Joint Expert Review Processes to Monitor and Assess the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity

Request to submit scientific information in support of the objectives of the Western South Pacific Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), 22-25 November 2011, Fiji

Reference: SCBD/STTM/JM/JLe/JG/77026 (2011-198)
To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, and other Governments; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); regional seas conventions and action plans and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) in the western South Pacific region; other competent organizations and regional initiatives

Reference is made to the earlier notifications (2011-136; 2011-160) sent on 22 July 2011 and 29 August 2011 regarding the nomination of experts to the Western South Pacific Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), which wil ...

Peer-review of the prototype CBD EBSA repository

Reference: SCBD/STTM/JM/JLe/JG/77653 (2011-194)
To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points; other Governments; FAO; UNDOALOS; UNESCO–IOC; OBIS; ISA; UNEP-WCMC; GOBI; other relevant organizations

The Secretariat has developed a prototype repository, with financial support from the Government of Germany, in consultation with relevant organizations. This prototype repository is accessible at http://ebsa-review.cbd.int/ for your review and testing of the system.

Slew of whale deaths mystifies scientists

New theories are emerging: is global warming, shipping traffic, or the Earth's magnetic field to blame?

Japan vows to resume whale hunt; activists promise fight

Japan says it will hunt whales in the Southern Ocean this winter and will send a Fisheries Agency ship to guard its whalers against promised intervention by a conservation group.

Vast shark sanctuary created in Pacific

The Marshall Islands government has created the world's largest shark sanctuary, covering nearly two million sq km (750,000 sq miles) of ocean.The Pacific republic will ban trade in shark products and commercial shark fishing throughout its waters.

Scientists Points to Dwindling Shark Numbers in Great Barrier Reef

A new study recently published by science journal PLoS ONE has indicated that shark population in Australia's Great Barrier Reef may be witnessing a sharp decline due to unregulated fishing activities in the area.

Why turtles' tale may not have a happy ending

An infant leatherback turtle pulls itself towards the sea at Playa Grande, Guanacaste, in Costa Rica. Despite decades of conservation efforts, leatherbacks in the east Pacific have declined by 90 per cent in the past 20 years due to egg consumption and fishing, and coastal development looms as t ...

UK cod collapse due to overfishing and political failure, says fisheries expert

Cod stocks in the Irish Sea and the west coast of Scotland have collapsed because of overfishing and politicians' refusal to fix low enough catch quotas, according to a leading fisheries scientist who advises the European commission on fish quotas.

Selected experts for the Expert Meeting to Develop a Series of Joint Expert Review Processes to Monitor and Assess the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, 19 – 20 October 2011, Montreal, Canada.

Reference: SCBD/STTM/JL/JG/77686 (2011-186)
To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points; Other Governments; IOC/UNESCO, FAO, UNFCCC Secretariat, UNEP-WCMC, ICRI, Ramsar Convention, Antarctic Treaty, the Arctic Council, and Other Relevant Organizations and Scientific Groups

In notification number 2011-134, dated 20 July 2011, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity invited Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations and scientific groups to nominate experts to participate in the Expert Meeting to Develop a Series of Joint Expert Review ...

Scientists discover reef overfishing point

Fishermen and scientists questioning how many fish can be sustainably taken from a reef believe they've quantified the tipping point.

Nitrate Levels Rising in Northwestern Pacific Ocean

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2011) — Changes in the ratio of nitrate to phosphorus in the oceans off the coasts of Korea and Japan caused by atmospheric and riverine pollutants may influence the makeup of marine plants and influence marine ecology, according to researchers from Korea and the U. S

World Conference on Marine Biodiversity

26 - 30 September 2011, Aberdeen, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Fishing boats 'killing up to 320,000 seabirds a year'

Report says some albatross, petrel and shearwater species nearing extinction as fleets failing to implement simple measures

CBD Joint Expert Meeting on Addressing Biodiversity Concerns in Sustainable Fishery, 7 to 9 December 2011, Bergen, Norway

Reference: SCBD/STTM/JM/JLe/rg/77592 (2011-180)
To: CBD National Focal Points; SBSTTA Focal Points; other Governments; FAO, UNEP, RFMOs; IUCN-CEM-FEG; relevant organizations

At its tenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity noted an urgent need to further review, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the impacts of unsustainable fishing, such as destructi ...

Loggerhead sea turtle protection modified

Federal agencies have changed the designation of loggerhead sea turtles from a single threatened species to nine distinct population segments; five are listed as endangered and four are listed as threatened.

New Dolphin Species Discovered in Big City Harbor

An entirely new species of dolphin has been discovered in Australia, and not in some isolated lagoon but in the shadows of skyscrapers, scientists say.

Obama Warns Iceland on Whaling Activity

In a move hailed by conservation activists, President Barack Obama initiated potential diplomatic sanctions against Iceland this week for its commercial whaling activity. The sanctions include six measures ranging from possibly limiting cabinet-level visits to Iceland to limiting cooperation wit ...

Study in underwater laboratory may help manage seaweed-eating fish that protect coral

A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology is using the Aquarius underwater laboratory off the coast of Florida to study how the diversity of seaweed-eating fish affects endangered coral reefs.

Accidental Sea Turtle Deaths Drop 90 Percent in U.S.

Accidental sea turtle deaths in the United States dropped 90 percent since 1990 as a result of improvements in fishing equipment, a new study shows.

Secret Lives of Plankton Revealed in Microscopic Glory

Microscopic algae and the nearly invisible animals that eat them do more than just drift along the ocean surface.

Coral reefs 'will be gone by end of the century'

Coral reefs are on course to become the first ecosystem that human activity will eliminate entirely from the Earth, a leading United Nations scientist claims.

Warming seas could smother seafood

Seafood could be going off a lot of menus as the world warms. More than half of a group of fish crucial for the marine food web might die if, as predicted, global warming reduces the amount of oxygen dissolved in some critical areas of the ocean – including some of our richest fisheries.

Second World Biodiversity Congress (organized by The Century Foundation Bangalore, India)

8 - 12 September 2011, Kuching, Malaysia