Ocean Roundup: New Deep-Sea Mushroom Discovered, Japan Announces Plans for Minke Whale Hunting, and More - Oceana USA
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September 5, 2014

Ocean Roundup: New Deep-Sea Mushroom Discovered, Japan Announces Plans for Minke Whale Hunting, and More

Scientists say that the Gulf of Maine is warming 99 percent faster than the world’s oceans. This presents serious issues for fisheries, as many commercial important species like cod, herring, and northern shrimp are moving to colder waters. CBC News

Blasting fishing, an illegal practice of blasting seafloor habitat to maximize catch sizes, is a common practice in Tanzania that’s destroying marine habitat and catches for artisanal fishermen. Though the Tanzanian government is working to stop the issue, it’s the only African nation where blast fishing occurs on a large scale. BBC News

– Earlier this week, Japan announced that it will resume hunting minke whales in Antarctica next year after reconstructing its program to be more research-based. An international court ruled earlier this year that Japan’s whaling practices were not actually for research as claimed, which halted their 2014 whaling season. International Business Times

New research shows that some hydrocarbons and other compounds have persisted in wetlands following the BP oil spill. By looking at compound levels before and after the spill, scientists found that levels of one potent pollutant, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, either stayed the same or increased in the years following the spill. Gulf Research Initiative

Scientists have discovered two new deep-sea species of mushroom-resembling organisms. They’re still classifying the animal, but believe it’s in the Cnidarian or Ctenophore phylum or a new branch of marine life. Los Angeles Times