Search Results

Humpback Whales Plagiarize the Tunes of Other Whales (Even Oceans Away)

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) aren't just talented singers, they learn and steal each other's' songs. And, according to a new study, they can pull off those musical thefts even when there are whole continents separating them from their targets.

As Disease Ravages Coral Reefs, Scientists Scramble for Solutions

In September 2014, William Precht received an alarming phone call. “I’m seeing something funky out on the reef,” a colleague reported. “It looks like disease.”

Keeping a Watch on Seaweeds: The Forests of the World’s Coasts

Macroalgal assemblages are highly productive and biodiverse ecosystems providing important functions and services, including provision of nursery areas, human food resources, and protection from coastal erosion.

It's Not Just Us: Corals Also Thrive Best in Diverse Company

From a young age, marine ecologist Cody Clements knew he wanted to dedicate his life to studying coral reefs. But he never imagined his graduate career would require so many soda bottles.

Why more female penguins are washing up dead in South America

Every year, thousands of penguins become stranded on South America's coast - with females three times more likely to wash up dead or injured than males.

There's One Vast, Ancient Swathe of Ocean That's Actually Getting Colder

In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, where the water runs cold dark and cold, temperatures are continuing to fall - and it's all because of a period of significant cooling that began in the 16th century.

Jellyfish sting more than 5,000 holidaymakers on Queensland's coast

More than 5,000 people were stung by bluebottles on Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine coasts over the weekend as weather drove a wall of jellyfish onto the shore.

Fate of corals hangs in the balance

In November 2018, a new coral reef communication effort involving inter-governmental organizations, international conservation organizations, and private foundations was announced at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Egypt to send a message about the need for bold leadership to save cora ...

Waiting for Whale: How Airoli's Biodiversity Centre is Creating An Abode for Marine Creatures

The remains of one blue whale rest in the open ground of the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre in Airoli. The forest range officials of the biodiversity centre are trying hard to not only preserve the diverse history of marine life in this region but also building a museum that will give a ...

Fate of corals hangs in the balance

In November 2018, a new coral reef communication effort involving inter-governmental organizations, international conservation organizations, and private foundations was announced at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Egypt to send a message about the need for bold leadership to save cora ...

The freshwater biodiversity crisis

The 2018 Living Planet Index (LPI) (1) shows that populations of freshwater species have declined by an average of 83% since 1970, a far steeper drop than for terrestrial or marine species. Extinction rates for freshwater species are also exceptionally high (2).

Measuring individual argon atoms helps in understanding ocean ventilation

The age of the water in the world's oceans is critical for understanding ocean circulation, especially for the transport of gases from the atmosphere into the deep ocean. Researchers from Heidelberg University recently used an atomic physics technique they developed to determine the age of deep ...

To Help Corals Fight Back, Scientists Are Breeding Populations Separated by Hundreds of Miles

A new study demonstrates that assisted reproduction using cryopreserved sperm leads to offspring that might be more resilient in the face of climate change.

Shark fins belong on sharks, not in trophy rooms or soup

Sharks are the apex predator of the ocean — they are at the top of the food chain, prey to no other animal in the water. Their size, strength and, of course, their teeth make them the quintessential movie monsters. In real life, they regularly get screen time on TV news when they maim or kill a ...

Tasmanian researchers discover new corals in dense 'underwater garden' on ocean mountains

An "underwater garden" with more than 100 unnamed species of corals, lobsters and molluscs has been discovered on undersea mountains south of Tasmania.

A Blueprint For Blue Waters Read more from Asian Scientist

Singapore may be known as a concrete jungle, but a group of marine scientists wants to draw attention to the blue waters surrounding the ‘little red dot’. In the third Singapore Blue Plan, launched on October 13, 2018, the group highlights the state of Singapore’s coastal environment and outline ...

The Great Barrier Reef's Secret Climate Change Weapon Is This Switzerland-Sized Meadow Of Seagrass

Tourists frequently flock to Lizard Island, off the northeastern coast of Australia, to marvel the Great Barrier Reef. Among the dugongs, sea turtles, and jewel-toned corals, though, there’s another organism that doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it deserves: seagrass.

Dutch build artificial islands to bring wildlife back

Dutch ranger Andre Donker sighs as he looks out at the rippling grey waters of the Markermeer, one of Europe's largest freshwater lakes. "Once upon a time it was teeming with fish here," he says.

Studying marine biodiversity from pole to pole

Many scientists around the world are studying marine biodiversity—the variety of life forms in the ocean.

Ocean acidification ‘changing’ marine biodiversity

As global powers meet in Poland at the 24th Conference of Parties (COP 24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a study led by Stanford University sheds light on the impact of human-induced environmental change on the functioning of ecosystems, especially marine life.

How do coral reefs benefit Kenya's economy?

Coral reefs contain the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They're crucial for fish reproduction and protecting shorelines from tropical storms.

WWF: EU falling behind with sustainable fisheries policy implementation

Despite having had five years to implement measures in the latest version of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), European Union member states are still lagging behind and likely to miss important 2020 deadlines on biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries management, a new report from W ...

Exclusive photos show deep-sea canyon in U.S. waters teeming with life

A stunning array of biodiversity lies at the depths of a marine region that some fear the Trump administration will open to fishing and mining.

Seabird numbers 'at risk due to fishing' according to Aberdeen study

World fisheries should be more strictly managed to relieve pressure on seabird numbers, Aberdeen experts have said.

Sustainable Ocean Day

23 November 2018, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Launch of the Global Coral Portal

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/BSPG/AS/JL/JA/87674 (2018-093)
To: CBD National Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities, International Coral Reef Initiative, Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security, and other relevant global and regional organizations/initiatives

Parrotfish, critical to reef health, now protected under Mexican law

Mexico protected 10 species of parrotfish in October, a move that conservationists say will help the country’s coral reefs recover, in addition to safeguarding the species’ numbers.

Billions to be gained in coral reef investment, new analysis shows

New findings released offer a compelling business case for investing in the protection of the world’s coral reefs, with economic benefits stretching into the tens of billions in just over a decade.

The tiny sponge that could help preserve our deep oceans

Scientists have collected data on a tiny sponge thought to be at risk from seabed mining. This newly discovered species could be a 'canary in a coal mine' to allow scientists to monitor the impacts of this new industry.

The lobster rush

The iconic crustaceans have disappeared in waters to the south. If they keep heading north to Canada, high-flying young lobstermen may pay the biggest price.

The world’s largest-ever octopus gathering was just discovered in California

Octopuses don’t hang out in posses, or at least that’s what marine biologists thought. Now, however, after spotting a convention of thousands of such cephalopods deep in the seas of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California on Oct. 23, scientists might have to rethink this contention.

As jellyfish population becomes a worldwide menace, how we treat our oceans needs urgent change

The Goa government has issued a warning to beach-goers that the state's beaches and coastal waters have swarms of live and dead jellyfish.

Budapest's underwater wonderland draws divers from far and wide

Not every diver's dream is to watch shimmering shoals of fish swim through coral reefs in dazzlingly blue seas.For Laura Tuominen, the ultimate diving experience is not to be found in the Red Sea or the Caribbean, but in a labyrinth of spectacular underwater caves beneath the pavements of Budapest.

Will China cast its vote for Antarctica, and the planet?

Beijing could be the key to unlocking a positive outcome at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), writes American marine biologist Sylvia Earle.

New hope for a Canadian coral reef damaged by bottom trawl fishing gear

Canadian fisheries scientists have discovered a large number of intact colonies of living coral off Cape Breton in a reef complex that had been turned to rubble by decades of bottom trawl fishing gear.

If You Drink Glenmorangie Whisky, You Can Help Rebuild Scotland's Oyster Reefs

In Scotland's highlands, the Glenmorangie whisky distillery has gone beyond merely making whisky and into marine conservation. Working with Heriot Watt University and the Marine Conservation Society, 20,000 oysters will be introduced into the sea near the distillery in the Dornoch Firth - firth ...

Mysterious ‘Headless Chicken Monster’ Spotted in Ocean Near Antarctica

This is the first time this strange creature was spotted outside the Gulf of Mexico. A group of researchers have filmed a type of sea creature known as a “headless chicken monster” swimming in waters near Antarctica for the first time. The discovery was made as part of an effort to discover new ...

California’s Underwater Forests Are Being Eaten by the ‘Cockroaches of the Ocean’

Early on a gray summer Saturday, an unusual assemblage — commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, neoprene-clad divers — gathered for a mission at Albion Cove, a three-hour drive north of San Francisco.

Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Capacity-building Workshop for Northern Africa and the Mediterranean

15 - 19 October 2018, Tangier, Morocco

World Maritime Day 2018

28 September 2018, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Call for submission of information on the implementation of (i) the Priority Actions to Achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 10 for Coral Reefs and Closely Associated Ecosystems, (ii) the Voluntary Specific Workplan on Biodiversity in Cold-water Areas within the Jurisdictional Scope of the Convention, and (iii) the Voluntary Practical Guidance on Preventing and Mitigating the Impacts of Marine Debris on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and Habitats

Reference: SCBD/SPS/AS/JL/JA/JMQ/87674 (2018-080)
To: CBD National Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant global and regional organizations/initiatives

Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Subregional Capacity-building Workshop for the Coral Triangle

31 July - 3 August 2018, Jakarta, Indonesia

Sustainable Ocean Initiative Capacity-Building Workshop for Northern-Africa and the Mediterranean, 15 – 19 October 2018 – Tangier, Morocco

Reference: SCBD/SPS/AS/SG/JL/JA/JMQ/87396 (2018-062)
To: CBD National Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points in the northern Africa and the Mediterranean region: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, the European Union, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey; indigenous peoples and local communities; Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP; General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean; ACCOBAMS; MedPAN, and other relevant global or regional organizations/initiatives

First meeting of the Informal Advisory Group on Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs)

30 June - 1 July 2018, Montreal, Canada

The ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSA) booklet series provide snapshot summaries of the pages upon pages of data compiled by participating experts, to provide an inspiring overview of some of the most ecologically or biologically significant ocean areas in the world. In this edition looking at the North Pacific, discover a region of contrasts, spanning the tips of the tropical waters of the Pacific islands and the warm shores of Mexico, to the windswept cliffs of the Aleutian Islands and the depths of the almost otherworldly deep seabed. It is a dynamic and turbulent region, with churning deep-sea hydrothermal vents, migratory species crossing the vast Pacific, and powerful ocean gyres and currents.

Composition of the informal advisory group for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas

Reference: SCBD/SPS/AS/SBG/JL/JG/86569 (2018-056)
To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, and Marine and Coastal Biodiversity National Focal Points; relevant organizations; and indigenous peoples and local communities

World Oceans Day 2018 (http://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/)

8 June 2018, New York, United States of America

No matter where we live, every other breath we take comes from the Ocean’s breath – from the oxygen produced by its phytoplankton and its rich marine plant life.

Message of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Cristiana Paşca Palmer, on the occasion of World Oceans Day 8 June 2018

Sustainable Ocean Initiative Sub-Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for the Coral Triangle, 31 July – 3 August 2018 – Jakarta, Indonesia

Reference: SCBD/SPS/AS/JL/JA/JMQ/87344 (2018-038)
To: CBD National Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points in the Coral Triangle region (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste), indigenous peoples and local communities, and other relevant global and regional organizations/initiatives