» Marine Wildlife



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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Sea Shepherd adds ex-Japanese government vessel to its anti-whaling fleet

Sea Shepherd reports, 10th December 2012: “After months of speculation, anticipation and the announcement that Los Angeles-based philanthropist and co-creator of TV’s “The Simpsons,” Sam Simon, had donated funds for the purchase of a ship, Sea Shepherd’s new Antarctic patrol ship, the SSS Sam Simon, was unveiled today in the port of Hobart, Tasmania, docked […]

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New Pembrokeshire power station to be investigated for impact on SAC

The European Commission has launched an investigation into the UK government’s approval of a £1bn gas-fired power station in Pembrokeshire. Pembroke Power Station, the largest of its type in Europe, opened last month and will power 3.5m homes. Following a complaint by Friends of the Earth, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has been […]

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Will the culling of seals revive Canada’s lost cod stocks?

Canada’s multimillion dollar proposal to cull grey seals will not bring back the ravaged stocks of Atlantic cod it is intended to help, scientists have said. In October, the Canadian Senate approved a controversial plan to kill 70,000 grey seals in the Gulf of St Lawrence under a bounty system next year, ostensibly to revive […]

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Plenty more fish (and other eukaryotes) in the sea, say boffins

Expert on enormous bottom cucumbers lays it out While scientists have painstakingly documented the existence of 226,000 marine species to date, there remain two to three times as many sea-dwelling creatures yet to be discovered, a new study has suggested. Researchers at the University of Florida, who worked with more than 100 taxonomists and biologists […]

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One cubic foot of sea – in pictures

Photographer David Liittschwager captures the amazing range of our world’s biodiversitybiodiversity Biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals. by placing a cube in different habitats and recording whatever moves through it. In the pictures below, Liittschwager placed his frame on the Temae Reef off the Pacific island […]

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Marine biotechnology promises huge benefits, but at what risk to our seas?

Scientists have pinpointed a new treasure trove in our oceans: micro-organisms that contain millions of previously unknown genesgene A string of the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule that is the fundamental unit of inheritance, so it is variations in the make up of this molecule in the gene that controls variations in an organism’s appearance and […]

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Torbay council considers artificial reef scheme to promote marine wildlife

A £1.2 million artificial reef financed by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s production company could be built off the South Devon. The scheme, which has been given conditional approval by Torbay Council’s harbour committee, would see up to 1,000 concrete balls placed on the seabed off Torquay. Four areas have been earmarked as potential sites. Rick Parker, […]

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Scientific testing to determine whether marine energy impacts on wildlife

UK scientists will measure the effect on the marine environment and wildlife of devices that harness tide and wave energy using sonar technology that has, for the first time, been successfully deployed on the seabed. Renewable energy from tidal currents can be generated using turbines in the tidal flow, and wave energy can be captured […]

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New evidence that seismic testing harms marine life

Scallop fishermen believe a new study will prove that seismic testing by oil and gas exploration companies in Bass Strait, Tasmania, is responsible for the deaths of marine life. The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies will carry out the research, which will concentrate on the effects of seismic activity on scallops and rock lobsters. […]

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Japanese whalers confirm Sea Shepherd’s effectiveness

The New York Times reported on 2nd October that the Institute for Cetacean Research, the government-owned operation that manages the Japanese Whaling fleet, has confirmed that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society cost the whalers $20.5 million in losses for the 2010-2011 whaling season in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Last season saw the whalers taking […]

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New detection technology assists protection of marine mammals at offshore energy sites

A new instrument to detect whales, dolphins and other marine mammals, and provide immediate alerts during the development of offshore wind, wave and tidal installations, has been showcased to an international audience at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. PAMBuoy™ was originally developed by SMRU Ltd, a marine mammal consultancy which is a commercial spin […]

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Man versus Sharks in Australia : the truce collapses

Australian officials, under pressure to protect beach-goers after a string of deadly shark attacks, have approved a plan to kill sharks that venture too close to people in the water. The plan, which was announced by Western Australia state premier, Colin Barnett, has infuriated conservationists and marks a sharp reversal of the current policy that […]

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Diablo Canyon update

Since our last Latest News item entitled  ‘The Marine Wildlife Impact from Seismic Testing’ over 37,000 signatures were placed on the petition that first day to oppose the sonic seismic testing at Diablo Canyon. Furthermore the USA National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) the influential national environmental organisation, has withdrawn its support for the test it had only […]

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Sea Shepherd launch ‘Operation Miinimbi’

In their quest to save the whales Sea Shepherd have launched ‘Operation Miinimbi’ together with a campaign film.  The article may be read and the film seen by going to: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/09/12/operation-kimberley-miinimbi-summary-and-launch-of-campaign-film-1437

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Capt Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd’s leader, plans to evade arrest by staying at sea

Paul Watson, the fugitive head of international marine activism group Sea Shepherd who is wanted by the police on three continents, plans to avoid arrest by staying at sea as long as possible. In an exclusive comment piece for the Guardian, the Canadian-born environmentalist who skipped bail in Germany in July, has given no clue […]

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Evidence that beached whales in Scotland are “in distress” due to seismic testing in North Sea

The website strandednomore.wordpress.com reports 3rd September 2012: “In less than 48 hours 3 mass strandings involved pilot whales and dolphins happened in the US East Coast and in the UK. As usual, whales died, were euthanised, some were rescued and some calves were stashed away for subsequent transfer to the Sea World. The media posted […]

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The marine wildlife impact from seismic testing

Sea Shepherd on 7th September posted on their website the following item of the devastating and drastic impact that can be brought about to sea mammals right down to planktonplankton Plankton is a generic term for a wide variety of the smallest yet most important organisms form that drift in our oceans. They can exist […]

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