Full story Media Release Sea cucumbers showing how to optimise design of marine protected areas Recent research at AIMS in Townsville on a kind of sea cucumber has shed light on how marine protected areas can help maintain populations of fished species. In this 10-month race, participants circumnavigate the world against the prevailing winds and currents. The eight representatives from various Smithsonian museums and research are on a tour of reef and rainforest research institutions in Queensland. It is now possible to achieve sustainable levels of high quality larvae from domestic stocks through selective breeding practices. Funded largely by the US National Science Foundation, the research cruise will focus upon the biology of plankton in Australia's tropical seas, particularly Trichodesmium that forms visible surface slicks in reef and coastal waters during the summer months.
Panel identifies global responsibility for sharing the benefits of biological diversity.