Ocean Sentry
A new study based on the first global survey of marine life by scuba divers has provided fresh insights into how climate change is affecting the distribution of marine life.
October, 2017
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19 October
Federal study says Kauai power lines kill 1,800 endangered seabirds a year
The new analysis predicts all seabird colonies on Kauai will disappear by as early as 2050. While the seabirds face many threats, including invasive species, habitat loss and attraction to artificial lights, until now the magnitude of the danger from power-line collisions was unknown.
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18 October
Dumping untreated sewage has caused 40% drop in marine population
Karachi, a megacity with a population of at least 20 million produces roughly 12,000 tons of trash daily, according to AFP. While municipal authorities are able to remove about half, the rest is strewn in the streets and alleys piling higher every day.
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18 October
Prozac in ocean water a possible threat to sea life, study finds
Oregon shore crabs exhibit risky behavior when they’re exposed to the antidepressant Prozac, making it easier for predators to catch them, according to a new study from Portland State University (PSU).
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18 October
Melting ice making sea around Greenland less saline: Study
Melting ice is causing coastal waters in Greenland to become less saline, which may in turn affect marine life as well as the global ocean currents that keep Europe warm, a study warns.
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18 October
Healthy coral populations produce a surprising number of offspring
Healthy coral populations can produce up to 200 times more juvenile corals than degraded coral populations nearby, according to a new study in Conservation Letters.
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18 October
Humans—the disturbing neighbours of reef sharks
Shark diversity and abundance is highest in remote reefs, as far as 25 hours away from main cities, reveals an international study conducted in the New Caledonia archipelago.
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14 October
Giant sea bass have more value as living, breathing undersea wonders than as commercial catch
Almost as large as a Smart car, giant sea bass can weigh more than 500 pounds and grow longer than 6 feet. At this size, they are the largest bony fish found along the California coast.
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14 October
At least 3 whales dead in mass stranding on Kauai’s south shore
Five of the whales were pushed back out into the ocean, but two others died. Then late Friday afternoon, the body of a third whale washed ashore in the same area, and officials say there could be more.
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13 October
Even modest oil exposure can harm coastal and marine birds
Many birds and other wildlife die following an oil spill, but there are also other potential long-terms effects of oil exposure on animals.
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13 October
Penguin disaster as just two chicks survive from colony of 40,000
A colony of about 40,000 Adélie penguins in Antarctica has suffered a “catastrophic breeding event” – all but two chicks have died of starvation this year.
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12 October
‘Killer’ toothaches likely cause misery for captive orca: Whales chew concrete and steel tank surfaces
An international research team has undertaken the first in-depth investigation of the teeth of captive orca (killer whales) and have found them a sorry state, which raises serious concerns for these majestic mammals’ overall health and welfare.