November 20, 2014
Ocean Roundup: North Atlantic Right Whales Calving in Southeast, New Shark Repellent Tested in South Africa, and More
– In a high-tech experiment off of South Africa, researchers have started testing an electronic cable attached to the seafloor as a shark repellent. Because of sharks’ acute sense of electroreception, the researchers expect sharks to be able to detect the low-frequency field emitted from the cable. Reuters
– Scientists say that Queensland, Australia’s pink snapper fishery has seen a 90 percent decline in catch rates since the 19th century. Researchers combined historical data taken from newspaper articles with statistical analyses to determine this catch rate. ScienceDaily
– With North Atlantic right whales returning to Georgia and the Carolinas for calving season, officials are urging mariners to use caution. These whales are critically endangered, so ships longer than 65 feet are required to reduce vessel speed to 10 knots. The State
– As the World Parks Congress concluded in Sydney, conservations and scientists set a target to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans where fishing is banned. Currently, two percent of the world’s oceans are protected. ABC Australia
– The owner of a Maine seafood company, D.C. Air and Seafood, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring with fishing vessels to conceal nearly 80,000 pounds in overharvested Atlantic sea scallops. D.C. Air and Seafood bought scallops from fishing vessels who overharvested scallops in closed fishing areas. NOAA Fisheries