November 5, 2014
Ocean Roundup: Fatter Elephant Seals Are Better Swimmers, Queen Conch Not to Receive Protection under ESA, and More
– The National Marine Fisheries Service ruled not to list queen conch under the Endangered Species Act, which will allow groups to still import queen conch into the country (it’s been illegal to harvest in Florida waters for years). While conservation groups petitioned for its listing, saying it was overexploited, scientists reviewed its populations in Florida and the Caribbean over a 20-year period and found them to be sustainable. Miami Herald
– A new Greenpeace investigation has revealed that about two-fifths of England’s fishing quota is caught by foreign vessels. Greenpeace recommends that the government give higher quotas to local and small-scale fishermen whose operations don’t have such a big environmental impact. The Guardian
– Thirty-six pilot whales have died after stranding themselves in New Zealand this week. Officials say that whales have great loyalty to their pods, so when one distressed pod mate beached itself on Monday, the other whales followed it into shallower water. BBC News
– A new study that found fatter northern elephant seals fare better than their skinnier counterparts. Researchers already knew that fatter elephant seals had easier times diving, but found in this study that extra weight adds to their buoyancy and swimming abilities. Science
– A new study found that wild shrimp and farmed tilapia, trout, and salmon labeled to be antibiotic-free contained detectable levels of antibiotics in Arizona. Though the levels detected were within federal regulations for safe consumption, the researchers say that even a small build-up could lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. AZ Central