Ocean Sentry
A scientific study released today estimates that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico killed 20 percent of the juvenile western Atlantic bluefin tuna in the area. Already, overfishing has caused a decline in western Atlantic bluefin tuna of more than 80 percent since 1970. The study, conducted by …
October, 2010
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18 October
US oil spill hit a key tuna spawning site: agency
Numbers of juvenile Atlantic tuna at a major spawning site in the Gulf of Mexico probably fell by at least a fifth this year as a result of the BP oil spill, the European Space Agency (ESA) said Monday. The assessment comes from satellite images and data of the Gulf …
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15 October
Caribbean Coral Die-Off Could Be Worst Ever
Scientists studying Caribbean reefs say that 2010 may be the worst year ever for coral death there. Abnormally warm water since June appears to have dealt a blow to shallow and deep-sea corals that is likely to top the devastation of 2005, when 80% of corals were bleached and as …
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9 October
Toxic algae rapidly kills coral
Harmful algal blooms have the potential to lay waste to coral reefs. Scientists studying coral reefs in the Gulf of Oman have issued the warning after being shocked by the impact of one large-scale bloom, which destroyed a coral reef in just three weeks. Around 95% of the hard coral …
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5 October
Census of Marine Life: Large animals in danger of dying out
Mankind has had a much more damaging impact on the world”s oceans than previously thought, according to a landmark new study. The Census of Marine Life looked for the first time at the history of exploitation of the oceans. It found that on average large fish and marine mammals have …
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4 October
Bottom-trawling fisheries devastating for NZ’s marine environment, say scientists
“Like bulldozing for apples,” is an analogy used by marine biologist Liz Slooten to describe the devastating effect bottom-trawling fishing is having on New Zealand’s marine environment. “You can walk through the orchard and pick the apples by hand or you can take a bulldozer through and, sure enough, you …
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1 October
Sushi Restaurant Pulls Bluefin Tuna from the Menu
Chef Oscar Toro wants his diners to try new things, not just for their own enjoyment, but for the good of the planet. His employer, the wildly popular Sushi Samba restaurant at Palazzo, has just taken one of its most popular, and most expensive, dishes off the menu. The “No …
September, 2010
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24 September
Colossal coral bleaching kills up to 95 percent of corals in the Philippines
It is one of the most worrisome observations: fast massive death of coral reefs. A severe wide-scale bleaching occurred in the Philippines leaving 95 percent of the corals dead. The bleaching happened as the result of the 2009-2010 El Niño, with the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia waters experiencing significant …
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23 September
Experts: Caribbean corals could face record bleach
Caribbean corals are being exposed to water temperatures higher than those reported during a record bleaching period five years ago and could start dying in the coming weeks, scientists said Tuesday. The warning comes after islands entered the warmest month of the year for water temperatures, which means the problem …
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20 September
Kuwait loses 90 % of corals reefs in the Arab Gulf
The Kuwait Diving Team announced on Sunday, based on a comprehensive survery of the territorial waters, death of 90 percent of the coral reefs surrounding the Kuwaiti shores. Head of the Kuwait Diving Team Walid Al-Fadhel said in a statement to KUNA, “this requires quick action by the competent authorities …
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17 September
Tuna Imperiled by Overfishing, Oil Spill Clears First Hurdle to Endangered Species Act Protection
The National Marine Fisheries Service today announced it will consider protecting Atlantic bluefin tuna under the Endangered Species Act. The decision is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Sept. 21 and comes in response to a Center for Biological Diversity petition last May to protect the tuna, …
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15 September
Massive fish kill reported in Louisiana
What you see above isn”t a rural gravel road. It”s a Louisiana waterway, its surface completely covered with dead sea life — a mishmash of species of fish, crabs, stingray and eel. New Orleans CBS affiliate WWL-TV reports that even a whale was found dead in the area, a stretch …