Ocean News

Fate of bigeye tuna in the balance in quota meet By AFP Paris - The fate of big-eye tuna, over-fished and in decline, could be decided this week when fishing nations meet to set quotas after failing last year to agree on safeguard measures for the valuable food resource.

IPCC Special Report on climate approved after Saudi standoff By Karen Graham New York City - A major report detailing the dire impact of global warming on oceans and Earth's frozen zones was approved by the UN's 195-nation climate science body Tuesday after an all-night standoff with Saudi Arabia over wording.

S. Arabia blocking approval of UN oceans report: participants By AFP Monaco - Oil giant Saudi Arabia is blocking the adoption of a major UN report on oceans and climate change by challenging an earlier UN assessment highlighting the need to slash carbon emissions caused by burning fossil fuels, multiple sources told AFP.

Our oceans have never been hotter than they were in 2018 By Karen Graham A number of recent studies have been published highlighting just how significant global ocean warming has become. The vast majority of global warming heat ends up deposited in the world’s oceans, and ocean heat content change can be measured.

'Miracle' as New Zealand baby rescued from sea By AFP Wellington - A New Zealand baby was plucked from the ocean as he floated past a fisherman in a rescue hailed as "miraculous" by water safety experts, who warned the accident could easily have ended in tragedy.

This EDM star partners with foundation to stop ocean pollution By Markos Papadatos Electronic music star Oliver Heldens has partnered with the Plastic Soup Foundation, in an effort to help eliminate ocean pollution.

Night swim leaves Australian teen bloody and bewildered By AFP Sydney - An Australian teenager emerged from a night-time dip in the ocean with blood streaming from his feet and ankles in a gruesome mystery that doctors have struggled to explain.

Sound of the ocean: Lionfish roar recorded for the first time By Tim Sandle The sounds of the ocean remain hard to capture using audio equipment, however researchers have Lionfish have been recorded making sounds for the first time

Tires are a major pollutant for the world's oceans By Tim Sandle Conservationists and scientists have warned that particles of debris from car tires are reaching the ocean as "plastic soup" and causing harm to wildlife.

Transatlantic mission to study effect of marine plastic pollution By Tim Sandle A British led expedition has begun to sail to the Falkland Islands to study the effects of plastic pollution on tiny creatures in the depths of the seas.

Mass horseshoe crab die-off in Japan By Tim Sandle Hundreds of Japanese horseshoe crabs have mysteriously washed up dead on several beaches. The strange phenomenon is being investigated.

Remarkable way swordfish swim revealed By Tim Sandle Swordfish are very fast and powerful fish. Just how they can navigate speedily through the friction of water has been a mystery — until, that is, the discovery of an oil gland.

Moon jellyfish can age backwards and regenerate body parts By Tim Sandle A new study has revealed how the moon jellyfish can age backward, form several clones, and regenerate its lost body parts. This makes it a cross between Benjamin Button and Deadpool, to draw upon pop culture analogies.

Seychelles swaps part of its debt with pledge to protect oceans By Kesavan Unnikrishnan Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Western Indian Ocean with a population of 90,000, is swapping nearly $30 million of its debt in exchange for the protection of 30 percent of its ocean territory with an area larger than the size of Germany.

Ascension Island will become a marine reserve By Tim Sandle The Atlantic waters of Ascension Island are to become a marine reserve. Here fishing will be restricted in order to preserve the diversity of marine creatures.

Sharks drones to patrol Australian waters By Tim Sandle To safeguard water lovers in Australia, drones and "smart" drum lines will be put in place to scan for sharks. This is a new initiative by the New South Wales (NSW) government.

Beware the curled electric eel By Tim Sandle It's been observed for centuries that electric eels can deliver a bolt of electricity. Yet, biologists have now found out that when electric eels curl up they can deliver a double strength shock.

Catch a glimpse of the world's first-ever glowing sea turtle By Megan Hamilton In the dark depths of the nighttime ocean, marine biologists filmed something they had never seen before: A sea turtle glowing a brilliant green and red. The turtle is the first reptile that scientists have observed with this trait.

Marine animals swim in similar ways By Tim Sandle A diverse group of long-finned marine vertebrates and invertebrates use the same fin motion to swim with maximal speed. This example of a similar mechanical action is regarded as unusual.

How much are the world's oceans worth? By Tim Sandle If the oceans of the world were a national economy or large corporation, how much would they be valued at? About $24 trillion, at least that's according to one organization.

Jupiter's moon Ganymede has salt water ocean By Stephen Morgan It seems that the chances of finding life in our solar system are improving almost daily with this week's discovery of a gigantic salt water ocean inside Jupiter's moon, Ganymede.

Amazing feats of the magnetic turtles By Tim Sandle Loggerhead sea turtles use the Earth’s magnetic fields to find their way home, according to a new study. This navigational feat is achieved over great distances and across choppy waters.

Go south for the winter to St. Augustine, Florida Special By Kay Mathews Saint Augustine - Wintertime may be the perfect season for those living in colder climates to head south. A scenic and historic destination worth the trip is St. Augustine. One landmark in America's first city is America's first parish and there are many others to see.

Orion splashes down after successful flight test: NASA By AFP Cape Canaveral - NASA's unmanned Orion space capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Baja California on Friday following its first flight test, the US space agency said.

100-year-old woman sees the ocean for the first time in her life By Owen Weldon Just a few weeks before turning 101, Ruby Holt took a trip to the beach and saw the ocean for the first time in her life.

Gallons of Deepwater Horizon oil remains on the sea floor By Tim Sandle Several years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, excessive quantities of oil remains on the sea floor. The oil continues to cause environmental harm to marine life.

Italian lovemakers get stuck together in the surf By Anne Sewell Porto San Giorgio - Most people know that dogs tend to get stuck together when doing what comes naturally, but it seems even humans can experience this rather uncomfortable phenomenon. An Italian couple actually had to be hospitalized to get them apart.

Dandruff fungus found in deep-sea vents By Tim Sandle A ubiquitous skin fungus linked to dandruff, eczema and other itchy, flaky maladies in humans has now been tracked to Hawaiian coral reefs and the extreme environments of arctic soils and deep sea vents.

Tiny shark with big dreams takes on snorkeler (Video) By Greta McClain A shark smaller than many ocean fish apparently had dreams of becoming the next Jaws when he went after a snorkeler two months ago.

Oldest dolphin gets a new name By Tim Sandle A dolphin, first described from a fossil skull discovered in the 1970s, has been given a new name. However, the mammal retains the title of oldest true dolphin species identified to date.

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