July 15, 2014
Ocean News: Humpbacks Delight Onlookers with Rare Double Breach, Scotland’s Puffins See a Successful Season, and More
– Two leading scientists on microplastics have called for urgent action to reduce and eliminate them from the marine environment. The scientists stressed that little is known about these particulates, such as what effect they have on the seafloor and where they’re most commonly found. EurekAlert
– Scotland’s puffins have had a successful breeding season this spring and summer after several unsuccessful ones. Climate change, winter storms, and food shortage hurt populations in recent years. The Guardian
– A new study that analyzed nine fish species in the Mediterranean found that fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea have deteriorated over the past 20 years. The authors are calling on the European Union and regional governments to employ better fisheries regulation, more enforcement, and advanced management plans in Mediterranean waters. Science Daily
– Lucky onlookers witnessed a rare double whale breach off Newfoundland last week when two humpback whales leaped out of the water simultaneously—a rare sight for whale watchers and scientists. The Huffington Post Canada
– A team of scientists found that protecting lagoons could be the key to saving manta rays. After the researchers placed cameras at entrances to lagoons in a Marine Protected Area in Hawaii, they found that manta rays used lagoons for food, as nurseries for their young, and protection from prey. Stanford