November 19, 2014
Ocean Roundup: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Catch Quotas Raised, Kemp’s Ridley Turtles Stranding in High Numbers, and More
– This past weekend, more than 45 endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles became stranded on Cape Cod beaches after suffering from hypothermia. Animal strandings are typically a bad thing, but in this case, say scientists, strandings mean that the sea turtles can be rescued before dying from hypothermia. The Boston Globe
– A large amount of small seabirds, Cassin’s auklets, are washing up emaciated and dead on California beaches. Scientists are attributing this to higher ocean temperatures that are associated with a lack of zooplankton in the area. San Jose Mercury News
– The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) has raised catch quotas for Atlantic bluefin tuna for the first time since 1990. While many fishermen are applauding the catch increase, some conservationists say it’s a “short-sighted” decision made just as Atlantic bluefin are starting to recover. CBC Radio-Canada
– A new study reports that ocean shipping traffic has grown considerably since 1992 as the demand for global trade has grown. Cargo shipping was responsible for much of the growth, with shipping jumping in some ocean areas by 300 percent. LiveScience
– A new study shows that climate change may actually help kelp forests by giving them an advantage over one of their main predators, the purple sea urchin. In simulated lab conditions, scientists found that kelp grew rapidly under warmer, more acidic conditions, while the sea urchins grew slower. KCET