December 15, 2014
Ocean Roundup: Filefish Use Chemical Scent to Camouflage, Bangladesh Oil Spill Threatening Endangered Dolphins, and More
– Nicaragua’s Pearl Cays region has seen a large increase in hawksbill sea turtle nests since 2000, from about 154 nests in 2000 to 468 in 2014. Poaching has also significantly decreased in the area by about 80 percent. ScienceDaily
– A new study found that Orange-spotted filefish have more than one trick up their sleeve to camouflage themselves from predators: Not only do they look like their coral reef habitat, but they also smell like the Acropora corals they feed on in Australia. Scientists say this is the first time a vertebrate animal was found to chemically disguise itself by its diet. National Geographic
– An oil tanker carrying an estimated 357,000 litres of oil crashed and sank in Bangladesh last week, and now threatens endangered dolphins and other marine life. The tanker was immediately removed, but oil has already spread to two rivers and several canals. Aljazeera
Long Read:
– All of the world’s sea turtle species are threatened from habitat degradation, fishing activity, pollution, and more. While there are causes for despair about these threatened species, new studies show that many sea turtle nesting numbers are on the rise and that there is hope for these animals. Yale 360