June 4, 2014
Ocean News: Marine Reserves in Israel, Shark Scientists Unite, Dolphins and Cod Get a Breather
– Last week, Israel’s Protection of the Coastal Environment approved its first deep-sea maritime reserve off the coast of the northern village Rosh Hanikra — the first of its kind for Israel. Haaretz
– Shark enthusiasts from around the world — including scientists, students, and professionals —have converged at the second Sharks International Symposium in Durban, South Africa. If you’re bummed to be missing the conference, don’t worry! Follow the Twitter hashtag #sharks14 for live Tweets and updates throughout the conference.
– In more bad news for coral reefs, a new study found that ocean acidification is occurring at a rate 10 times faster than it did in a similar disturbance 56 million years ago. And, the acidification was extreme back then: Researchers estimate that ocean acidity increased then by about 100 percent in a few thousand years, and levels didn’t normalize for another 70,000 years. Nature World News
– In an effort to protect pink river dolphins, Brazil’s Fishing and Aquaculture Ministry called for a moratorium on catfish fishing for next five years. (This industry uses the pink river dolphins as bait.) The Associated Press
– Late last week, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) called for the biggest cuts to Baltic Sea cod in years — a move that comes after another poor year for cod in the Eastern Baltic in particular. Oceana
– The incredible fish diversity around the Malay Archipelago, between Southeast Asia and Australia, can be attributed to the stability of coral reefs over the past three million years, according to researchers. The scientists emphasize that their findings point to the need to manage and protect coral reefs today. The New York Times