Discarding fish is akin to throwing money into the ocean, yet the U.S. fishing industry wastes millions of pounds of seafood each year. Bycatch is not only wasteful, but kills countless numbers of marine creatures like dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks in the process. A new Oceana report reveals that the economic losses from bycatch … Read more
– This week, scientists officially named the largest flying creature ever discovered. Pelagornis sandersi, a type of early bird, relied on the oceans to keep it airborne when it lived 25 million years ago. To be able to fly with its massive 20- to 24-foot wingspan, scientists say this bird relied on air currents from … Read more
In June, researchers found that whale poo is highly beneficial to marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean since it is rich in iron. Now, new findings show that whales’ contribution to the sea goes far beyond just their excrements. In a paper released earlier this month, University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman and a … Read more
Today, the federal government designated thousands of miles of beaches and open ocean around the southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States as critical habitat for loggerhead sea turtles. The area, which covers 685 miles of nesting beach from North Carolina to Mississippi and more than 300,000 square miles of ocean habitat from the Atlantic Ocean to … Read more
Last week, a new study revealed Chilean devil rays to be some of the oceans’ deepest-divers, often taking dives deeper than a mile under the water’s surface. The rays’ physiology hinted at this discovery, since they do have a retia mirabilia—an organ found in other deep-divers like great white sharks. Following the study’s findings, Oceana … Read more
– Despite a ruling by the UN’s International Court of Justice to halt whaling practices, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirmed this week that its annual whale hunt will continue in 2015. Japan continues to claim that the Southern Ocean annual whale hunt is for research purposes. The Dodo – Researchers found that female snapping … Read more
Climate change is going to leave some fish feeling very lonely in the coming years, as new research shows that increasing carbon dioxide levels prevent them from recognizing their friends. Like humans, fish prefer to surround themselves with the familiar. Previous research has shown that fish prefer to group with individuals they recognize, rather … Read more
– Yesterday, Nicaragua approved a proposed route for a $40 billion shipping channel across the country that will compete with the Panama Canal. The channel, which will traverse Central America’s largest lake, will undergo environmental and social impact studies this year. Reuters – It’s running season again for grunion—“walking fish” with obscure nesting patterns: The … Read more
The vast ocean can appear foreboding and intimidating, but one little bivalve is lighting things up on the seafloor. The appropriately-named “disco clam” is a small mollusk that’s able to flash an array of neon lights from its lips. Disco clams, and their spectacular lightshow, can be found in tropical waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region. … Read more
More people are standing up for their land, water, and other natural resources as they become increasingly exploited, but not without consequences. A recent report found that murders of environmental activists have surged over the past decade—totaling 908 documented deaths in 35 countries. “Deadly Environment,” a report by the London-based group Global Witness, found … Read more
We have already protected over 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
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