» Marine Wildlife



Short film illustrates the value and urgent need to protect coral reefs

Underwater2web.com has produced a short film, around 3 minutes, illustrating the magnificence, age, fragility and importance of the world’s coral reefs. This is, Marinet observes, a film well worth viewing – see the film on YouTube Source: Underwater2web.com,  April 2013

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Is the harvesting of krill in the Southern Ocean worthy of “sustainable fishery” certification, or an imminent disaster?

Sea Shepherd report (edited version, see full version), 17th April 2013: “The industrial smoke stacks have arrived to the Antarctic Peninsula. The area famous for its scenic, rugged landscapes and abundant South Polar wildlife has become the target for the trawlers and factory ships of the growing krill fisheries. “Many people think of Krill as […]

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Hunting for a “mermaid’s purse” will assist shark preservation

Members of the Co-operative in the UK are being recruited to take part in an egg hunt with a difference – looking for shark eggs on beaches. The Shark Trust’s “great egg case hunt” will see volunteers heading to the coast to search for the egg cases, known as “mermaid’s purses”, in which the young […]

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Sperm whale dies after swallowing large amount of dumped plastics

A dead sperm whale that washed up on Spain’s south coast had swallowed 17kg of plastic waste dumped into the sea by farmers tending greenhouses that produce tomatoes and other vegetables for British supermarkets. Scientists were amazed to find the 4.5 tonne whale had swallowed 59 different bits of plastic – most of it thick […]

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Prof. Callum Roberts outlines the urgent task the new Global Ocean Commission must tackle

Prof. Callum Roberts writes in The Observer, 10th February 2013: “The oceans are changing faster today and in more ways than at any time in human history. We are the cause. Which is why I welcome the launch of the Global Ocean Commission, dedicated to ending the neglect, in international affairs, of the high seas. […]

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Explorers find “evidence” of mankind in the oceans’ abyssal depths

Jon Copley, marine explorer, writes in The Guardian, 25th February 2013:” On 15th August 1934, two adventurers squeezed into a tiny metal capsule and became the first people to see another world. Their names were William Beebe and Otis Barton, and the world that they saw was the deep ocean, when they dived more than […]

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Newsletter January 2013

  Our newsletter number 42 for January 2013 is now available here.  

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Clyde marine station threatened with closure

“The Marine Biological Station at Millport, based on the isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde, is a world class research and educational centre which must be saved from closure” says Andrew Binnie, The Community of Arran Seabed Trust’s (COAST) Marine Project Officer. Andrew is one of many former Millport students appalled by the withdrawal […]

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David Miliband, co-founder of Global Ocean Commission, explains its purpose

An environmental catastrophe with greater economic impact than the global financial crash is occurring on the high seas, according to David Miliband. The former foreign secretary is to lead a new, high-level international effort to end the lawlessness of the oceans, which will be unveiled this week. The high seas, which lie beyond any national […]

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Global Ocean Commission formed to fight degradation of the ocean

The Global Ocean Commission, an independent body of international leaders aiming to reverse degradation of the ocean,  has been launched to seek to restore it to full health and productivity. The group chaired by former Costa Rican President (and Carbon War Room President) José María Figueres, South African cabinet minister Trevor Manuel and former UK […]

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Report says Japan should “switch from hunting whales to watching whales”

Japan’s whaling industry is “dead in the water” and cannot survive without huge taxpayer subsidies, according to a study. The report, published by the charity International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw), draws on Japanese government data for the first time to build a case against the use of millions of dollars in public subsidies to […]

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Seabirds washed up in serious distress on south-west coast

Hundreds of seabirds – some dead – have been washed up on England’s south west coast, covered in a waxy substance. The RSPCA said it had rescued more than 100 birds, which had been taken to the West Hatch Animal Centre in Taunton. Earlier reports suggested the white substance was palm oil, but scientists were […]

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New Deep Ocean Exploration

A sixteen minute video illuminated talk on new and upcoming ocean exploration which includes some amazing film of previously undiscovered existing life without photosynthesis is available by going to www.wimp.com/exploringoceans

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Warning to MPs from wildlife NGOs about the dangers of a Severn Barrage

A Consortium of wildlife NGOs (see list of members at foot of this report) has told the House of Commons Energy & Climate Committee they all supported tidal energy development in the Severn, but that the current proposal, from Hafren Power, lacked detail and claims that it would not unacceptably damage wildlife and large areas of […]

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United States FDA moves closer to approval of GM salmon

Vancouver, Canada: Genetically engineered salmon created in Canada are getting closer to becoming the first transgenic animal to make it onto a menu, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the fish will have no significant environmental impact. The FDA published its draft environmental assessment on Boxing Day — one of the final steps […]

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EU recognises importance of total ban on shark fin trade

MEPs have voted to close loopholes that allowed some EU fishing vessels to continue “shark finning”. Although the EU banned removing shark fins at sea and discarding the body, special permits allowed finning to continue legally. Conservation groups, which say finning was threatening shark numbers, welcomed the European Parliament’s decision. The decision to back the […]

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1000s of shark fins drying on a Hong Kong rooftop are part of 75 million shark deaths annually

Shark fin traders in Hong Kong have laid out thousands of fins on rooftops in what appears to be a move to escape public scrutiny of their industry. Thousands of the freshly cut fins were seen blanketing the roof of an industrial building in Hong Kong. Environmental campaigner Gary Stokes, who took the first photos […]

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Scottish marine biodiversity surveys produce interesting results

Scotland’s biggest horse mussel bed and a “faceless and brainless” fish-like creature were recorded during government-backed surveys this year. The work covered almost 2,200 square miles – equivalent to an area one and a quarter times the size of the Cairngorms National Park. The Scottish government has hailed the finds made during the surveys. WWF […]

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Flame shell reef in Scottish seas could be the world’s largest

The discovery of a large shellfish reef on the west coast of the UK could be the biggest find of its kind in the world, experts believe. The reef made up of more than 100 million brightly coloured and rare flame shells, or Limaria hians, was found in Loch Alsh, a sea inlet between Skye […]

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Scottish company has visionary proposals for the sustainable farming of salmon on land

Scottish salmon is facing a challenge to its reputation as one of Britain’s best loved everyday luxuries, with scares over diseases and sea lice, heavy use of pesticides and seal killing raising fears about its environmental impact. A new fish-farming company called Fishfrom believes it can help solve the industry’s problem, and even partly solve […]

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