Florida Reef Resilience Program
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, initiated the Florida Reef Resilience Program (FRRP) in 2004 to study the health of the Florida Reef Tract from the Dry Tortugas to Port St. Lucie. The FRRP seeks to determine what makes some corals more resistant than others to climate change impacts, what factors contribute to areas of high or low resistance, and why certain areas are more resilient than others. The FRRP seeks to increase the understanding of reef health in order to guide management actions that will improve the resilience of the Florida Reef tract to climate change impacts and enhance the reef-user industry.
The FRRP was designed to study the resilience of the Florida Reef Tract from the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico to Port St. Lucie on the Atlantic coast. Parts of the Florida Reef Tract experienced severe bleaching events in 1983, 1987, 1990, 1997, 1998, and 2005, and a massive sea urchin die-off in 1984. The combination of habitat degradation and climate change-induced stress led to the need for the creation of a resilience program. The FRRP includes four program areas: disturbance response monitoring; human dimensions of reef resilience; communications and outreach; and supporting coral reef management and sustainable uses.
The FRRP leads disturbance response monitoring efforts and coordinates research with reef scientists, users, and managers to develop strategies to increase reef resilience. It brings these stakeholders together to answer five fundamental questions:
- Are any of Florida’s reefs resilient?
- If so, where are reefs resilient and where are they not?
- What factors influence resilience?
- Who depends on reefs and what do reef users want and need from coral reefs?
- What actions can people take to maintain the resilience of healthy reefs and improve the resilience of unhealthy reefs?
The FRRP was initiated in 2004 with the creation of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, NOAA, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Since its inception, other partners have joined the FRRP efforts in a Steering Committee, including the University of South Florida, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Nova Southeastern University, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), TNC, Mote Marine Laboratory, Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne National Park, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and EcoAdapt.
Florida Reef Tract Climate Action Plan
Through various projects, collaborations, work with the reef user community, and the Steering Committee, the FRRP has developed management recommendations to increase the resilience of the Florida Reef Tract. During the 2008 Reef Resilience Conference, Coping with Climate Change, a variety of ranked strategies were developed to help guide the creation of a climate change action plan. Recommendations included:
- Developing a comprehensive plan for marine zoning based on best available science, reef resilience principles, and the needs of the community;
- Increasing enforcement, especially in resilient reef areas;
- Requiring user fees to help manage reef resources;
- Demanding strong mitigation efforts at local, regional, national, and international scales;
- Increasing environmental education;
- Decreasing pollution, particularly wastewater outfalls in south Florida; and
- Preventing dredging and other destructive practices in the area.
These recommendations helped inform the development of the Florida Reef Tract Climate Change Action Plan 2010-2015 (the Plan), a compilation of suggested actions needed to increase the resilience of Florida’s reefs and minimize negative impacts on reef-dependent industries. The Plan outlined 10 priority climate change actions for the Florida Reef Tract accompanied by a series of detailed outcomes and action steps. The three priority outcomes of the Plan included:
- Increase coral reef resilience to climate change and ocean acidification through effective management and actions.
- Identify the risks climate change poses to Florida’s coral reef-dependent people and industries, communicate those risks to affected parties, and work with them to develop adaptation strategies that minimize those risks.
- Strengthen the scientific foundation supporting strategic management of the Florida reef system through targeted research, long-term monitoring, and forecasting climate change and ocean acidification impacts.
The FRRP is currently in the process of finalizing a second iteration of the Plan, now rebranded as a ‘Resilience Action Plan.’ The Resilience Action Plan is set to be released in late 2020.
Florida Reef Resilience Program Initiatives
The FRRP aims to increase the stability of coral species in the Florida Reef Tract through understanding coral ecological-resilience as well as conducting restoration projects. In 2009, TNC received a $3.3 million, 3-year grant from NOAA to expand staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) coral restoration through FRRP initiatives. This work was later funded by the TNC-NOAA Community-based Habitat Restoration grant program into 2015. The WWF contributed to FRRP with an analysis of temporal environmental parameters through the Climate Change LEADS (Linking Environmental Analysis through Decision Support) project; this two-year project (2006-2008) was funded by NOAA Climate Office’s Sectoral Applications Research Program.
TNC served as coordinator of FRRP from 2004-2019 and led the program’s disturbance response monitoring efforts. FRRP’s disturbance response monitoring targets shallow coral species and consists of a probabilistic sampling design. As coordinator, TNC commissioned an analysis looking at disturbance response monitoring data to see if it was possible to identify resilient reefs. The dataset is used in ongoing re-zoning efforts in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to ensure the protection of coral reefs. Reef condition surveys and disturbance response monitoring data were used to develop the FRRP 2013 “Florida Reef Tract – Coral Bleaching Response Plan.” Since 2014, FRRP has closely monitored Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), which has spread throughout most of south Florida and Caribbean waters. FRRP scientists seek to understand why some corals are not being affected by SCTLD and what is making them more resilient.
TNC, alongside FRRP partner organizations, established a communications committee to identify target audiences and develop outreach programs. In 2018, the committee launched the “Respect our Reef” campaign that encourages reef user groups (e.g., fishermen, divers) to recognize their impacts on Florida’s reefs and the opportunities that exist for them to help protect and preserve those systems. In 2019, TNC transferred the FRRP coordinator responsibilities to FWC. Since TNC provided much of the funding for monitoring projects through their partnership with NOAA, FWC is in the process of securing funds to maintain these initiatives once TNC stops contributing the majority of funding in 2020. TNC will remain part of FRRP as a partner in scientific research and as part of the program’s Steering Committee.
Outcomes and Conclusions
The FRRP recognizes that having consistent funding from multiple sources has been essential in implementing resilience actions. Additionally, the success of the FRRP can be attributed to the collaboration and contribution of many different agencies and institutions, participation of the reef user community, and the Steering Committee. The long-term engagement with frontline reef managers has also been a key factor in the successful implementation of FRRP’s recommendations.
A challenge often faced by FRRP is the limited opportunities to make regulatory changes or implement resilience actions. Discussions for re-zoning marine protected areas only take place every few years and competing values, priorities, and politics can make this a difficult process.
Through their restoration programs and updated Resilience Action Plan the FRRP will continue to be a steward of the Florida Reef Tract and guide the protection and management of coral reefs in South Florida.
Can Florida's Coral Reefs Adapt to Global Climate Change?
Stories in Florida: Florida Reef Resilience Program
Reef Resilience Conference 2008: Resilience Strategies
Florida Reef Tract Coral Bleaching Response Plan
Score, A., Gregg, R.M., and Braddock, K.N. (2021). Florida Reef Resilience Program [Case study on a project of The Nature Conservancy - Florida Reef Resilience Program]. Version 2.0. Product of EcoAdapt's State of Adaptation Program. (Last updated May 2021)


Introduction: Nusa Lembongan, a tropical paradise in Indonesia, isn't just a destination for surfers; it's also a hidden gem for scuba diving enthusiasts. With its vibrant marine life, crystal-clear waters, and awe-inspiring underwater landscapes, Nusa Lembongan offers an unforgettable scuba diving experience. In this guide, we'll delve into the world of scuba diving on Nusa Lembongan, highlighting the best dive sites, the diverse marine ecosystem, and the top dive operators to ensure your underwater adventure is nothing short of extraordinary.
Why Dive in Nusa Lembongan?
Breathtaking Marine Biodiversity
Unique Underwater Landscapes
Ideal Diving Conditions
Top Dive Sites on Nusa Lembongan
Encountering Marine Life
Mola Mola (Sunfish)
Colorful Coral Reefs
Choosing the Right Dive Operator
Experience and Certification
Equipment and Facilities
1. Why Dive in Nusa Lembongan? Nusa Lembongan's underwater world is a haven for divers seeking diverse marine life and captivating seascapes. The island's unique features set the stage for an exceptional diving experience:
Breathtaking Marine Biodiversity: The waters surrounding Nusa Lembongan are home to a rich variety of marine species, from vibrant coral reefs to awe-inspiring pelagic creatures. This diversity makes every dive an exploration of new underwater wonders.
Unique Underwater Landscapes: Nusa Lembongan boasts underwater formations like dramatic walls, stunning drop-offs, and intricate caves that create a truly immersive diving environment.
Ideal Diving Conditions: The warm, clear waters and gentle currents of Nusa Lembongan provide excellent visibility, making it an ideal location for both novice and experienced divers.
2. Top Dive Sites on Nusa Lembongan: Prepare to be amazed by the incredible dive sites that Nusa Lembongan has to offer:
Crystal Bay: Famous for its awe-inspiring Mola Mola sightings, Crystal Bay also features beautiful coral gardens and the chance to encounter other pelagic species.
Manta Point: As the name suggests, this site is where you'll find majestic manta rays gliding gracefully through the water. Get up close and personal with these gentle giants in their natural habitat.
Blue Corner: This dive site is known for its exhilarating drift dives along the vibrant reef walls. You'll encounter schools of fish and potentially spot larger marine life passing by.
Toyapakeh: With its diverse marine life and stunning coral formations, Toyapakeh is a must-visit for both macro enthusiasts and those who love big fish action.
3. Encountering Marine Life: Nusa Lembongan's underwater world is teeming with fascinating marine creatures:
Manta Rays: Glide alongside these elegant creatures as they perform their balletic movements. Manta Point offers an exceptional opportunity to witness these giants up close.
Mola Mola (Sunfish): Encounter the elusive Mola Mola during the colder months. These massive fish are a rare and incredible sight.
Colorful Coral Reefs: Explore the vibrant coral reefs that house a dazzling array of marine life, from tiny critters to larger fish species.
4. Choosing the Right Dive Operator: Selecting a reputable dive operator is crucial to ensure a safe and enjoyable diving experience:
Safety First: Opt for dive centers with experienced instructors, well-maintained equipment, and strict adherence to safety protocols.
Experience and Certification: Check the dive operator's experience and certifications. PADI and SSI certifications are usually a good sign of professionalism.
Equipment and Facilities: Choose operators with modern and well-maintained dive gear. Clean and comfortable facilities are also indicative of a quality dive center.
Conclusion: Nusa Lembongan isn't just a paradise above water; it's a playground of wonders waiting to be explored beneath the waves. From encountering manta rays and Mola Mola to diving along stunning coral walls, this Indonesian island offers a scuba diving experience that's nothing short of magical. With the right dive operator, you'll have the opportunity to unlock the hidden treasures of Nusa Lembongan's underwater realm and create memories that will last a lifetime. Our friendly team is always happy to help you with organising your diving adventures on Nusa Lembongan.


Over 2,000 scientists from around the world are raising cautionary flags
Outdoor Canada is pleased to present Blue Fish Radio—podcasts about the future of fish and fishing in Canada. The program is dedicated to sharing first-hand angling knowledge, scientific discoveries and supporting local champions who protect and enhance their waters.
As climate change continues to shrink the polar ice pack, opportunities for commercial fishing are expanding. For governments and commercial interests, the temptation to capitalize on this relatively untapped wild bounty is great, but given the Arctic’s delicate ecosystem, over 2,000 scientists from around the world are urging caution.
In this episode, Lawrence Gunther interviews Carleton University professor Stephan Schott about the viability and sustainability of commercial fishing in Canada’s high arctic.


Compiled temperature, salinity, density, and in-situ velocity sections along the north-east Chukchi Shelfbreak
MetadataShow full item record
LocationChukchi Shelfbreak, Arctic Ocean
westlimit: -168; southlimit: 71.5; eastlimit: -154; northlimit: 74.5
This data was compiled from June-Aug. 2014, and covers all historical hydrography in the north-east Chukchi shelfbreak region with in-situ velocity measurements available at the time of compilation. All data is provided as collected, and the velocity data has been detided by the Oregon State University tidal inversion software (see Padman and Erofeeva, 2004). Nine of the total 46 sections required detiding (see ‘chukchi_data_sources.pdf’), and seven of these nine required additional quality control to remove ship velocities from the record. Overall, the record extends from May 2002 through July 2014. Seasonally, the data is limited to May through October, with data from May through June only available from 2002-4. In addition, there is an absence of data between 2004 and 2009, restricting interannual analyses to be comparisons between the early (2002-4) and late (2009-14) regimes.
Suggested CitationDataset: Corlett, W. Bryce, Pickart, Robert S., "Compiled temperature, salinity, density, and in-situ velocity sections along the north-east Chukchi Shelfbreak", 2016-07-26, DOI:10.1575/1912/8170, https://hdl.handle.net/1912/8170
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Farquharson, Gordon; Frasier, Stephen J.; Raubenheimer, Britt; Elgar, Steve (American Geophysical Union, 2005-12-23)The relationship between microwave imaging radar measurements of fluid velocities in the surf zone and shoaling, breaking, and broken waves is studied with field observations. Normalized radar cross section (NRCS) and ...
Hall, Melinda M.; Torres, Daniel J.; Yashayaev, Igor (Elsevier B.V., 2012-11-19)Nearly every spring since 1990, hydrographic data have been collected along a section in the Labrador Sea known as AR7W. Since 1995, lowered acoustic doppler current profiler (LADCP) data have also been collected. In this ...
Ralston, David K.; Geyer, W. Rockwell; Lerczak, James A. (American Meteorological Society, 2008-04)A tidally and cross-sectionally averaged model based on the temporal evolution of the quasi-steady Hansen and Rattray equations is applied to simulate the salinity distribution and vertical exchange flow along the Hudson ...


Endangered southern right whales are beginning to arrive to Australia’s southerly shores where they calve each year.
Last year, SouWEST’s (South-western Whale Ecology Study) team was excited to meet one of their key goals. SouWEST’s researchers and local citizen scientists, for the first time, presented evidence that southern right whales occupy and use Geographe Bay, south-western Australia, in a manner consistent with the Commonwealth’s criteria for a nationally recognised Southern Right Whale Emerging Aggregation Area!
This year, the team’s goal is to communicate this breaking news widely, to ensure that whales are not adversely impacted.
We look forward to building on the evidence by documenting southern right whales as they arrive this season, and identifying those that have returned for mating and giving birth to young.
If you would like to support the project this year you can donate on our fundraising page Go Fund Me – Whale of a time. Your contribution will help to fund scientists doing the important work on the ground. It will also help us communicate about the project to garner support and educate and engage community in the conservation of these incredible animals and the challenges they face.
For more information follow us on Facebook.
Photo credit: Blair Ranford


Mostly clear with temperatures steady near 67F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Hourly Details
Mostly sunny skies. High 81F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
A mostly clear sky. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Tropical Depression Two has formed in the Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of northwestern Honduras.


Chitons have a shell on their back made upof eight separate shell plates or valves. On different species the plates have different colours, patterns and testures. These plates (made from calcium carbonate) overlap a little at the front and back edges but the plates can still move separately. This means that the plates provide protection from above but still allow them to curl up into a ball if they are lifted.
There are between 900 to 1,000 species of Chiton worldwide, Australia has about 150 species and 90% of these are native to Australia. Most species are quite small (between 2 and 5 cm long). The largest rarely exceed 30 cm.
All chitons are marine, living, in cold water and in the tropics, mostly in intertidal or subtidal zones.
They live on hard surfaces, such as on or under rocks, or hidden in rock crevices. Some species live quite high in the intertidal zone and are exposed to air and sunlight for many hours each day. A few species live in deep water, as deep as 6,000 m.


Scuba diving for kids and teens HD
u-app UG (haftungsbeschraenkt) 제작
iTunes를 열어 앱을 구입하고 다운로드합니다.
If you are fascinated by the underwater realm, by dolphins, whales, fish and coral reefs, perhaps the inhabitants of your local waters, or simply nothing less than the uncharted depths and secrets of the ocean … well, then scuba diving will suit you perfectly! Diving allows you to enjoy almost complete detachment and gain new perspectives from the world below – something otherwise only experienced by pilots and astronauts. And the step to make this dream a reality is not as difficult as you may think.
With this app you have everything what you need for a modern dive training for the latest regulations, regardless of a diving organization.
The two beginners Tim and Jenny are two reliable diving friends who accompany you throughout the dive course. Step by step you can get on the following pages with them an impression of the basic training in many first-class illustrations and simple texts. You can do this already in preparation or in use as an accompaniment for your education.
The first chapter is like a free trial dive. The other chapters can be obtained via inApp purchase.
An ideal training companion for kids, teens and it makes fun for adults too!
The following topics are covered, among many others:
• Snorkeling, equipment
• Diving equipment simply explained
• diving practice: The first dive
• diving & diving physics theory
• Diving from a boat
• Dangerous marine animals
• First Aid
• All major diving agencies with web links
A detailed search function will assist playful and instructive.
Recommended by: DIVEMASTER the journal in diving and Taucher.Net
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BEST Ocean Animal Songs
Grades: PreK - 5
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Do you like to visit the beach in the summertime? Learning about animals that live in the ocean is fascinating. Kids will learn about sharks, whales, sea horses, dolphins, manatees, the endangered sea turtle, and more with this collection of fact-based sing-along songs. This album has been approved and recommended by Sea World’s Zoology Department!
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Willem Renema, head of the Marine Biodiversity research group at Naturalis, has been appointed as a Special Chair in Marine Palaeobiodiversity within the Department of Ecosystem & Landscape Dynamics at the University of Amsterdam. I am delighted that Willem has joined the team coupling his expertise in marine tropical systems with our existing focus on terrestrial tropical settings will, I am sure, provide many new avenues of scientific endeavour. Catalysing collaboration between Naturalis and UvA will be five PhD researchers, employed on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network, who will be jointly supervised by Naturalis and UvA staff.
Professor of Marine Palaeobiodiversity
October 8, 2020


Studying Recent Tsunami Deposits in Icy Bay, Alaska
USGS scientists study recent tsunami deposits to better understand how tsunamis work, recognize ancient tsunami deposits, and improve natural-hazard assessments.
What a Drag: The Global Impact of Bottom Trawling
Recent research outlines the severe consequences that bottom trawling has on loose sediment on the ocean floor.
Examining the Chemistry of Seawater and Coral to Promote the Health of West Maui’s Coral Reefs
USGS scientists focused on understanding the link between land-based pollutants and coral reef health along the coast of west Maui in the Hawaiian Islands.
USGS Briefed Congressman Adam Schiff’s Staff Members on Geologic Hazards in Southern California
Offshore earthquakes, undersea landslides, and tsunamis were among the hazards discussed during a USGS Congressional briefing in Southern California on June 9.
USGS CoSMoS team wins Point Blue Outstanding Partner Award
CoSMoS makes detailed predictions about coastal flooding due to both sea-level rise and storms driven by climate change with interactive maps at the web site, Our Coast Our Future.
Briefing on seafloor mapping and coastal change hazards for Representative Sam Farr in Monterey, California
After reading the USGS news release about newly published maps of the Monterey Bay seafloor, the Congressman requested a briefing from Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.
USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program website wins award!
The website developed by Jolene Gittens, Greg Miller, Andrea Toran, Laura Torresan, and Ann Tihansky won the USGS Shoemaker Award for Communication Excellence in the internet product category.
Collaborative Study in the Ningaloo Reef
This was the largest, most intensive study of coral reef hydrodynamics, ever!


For the scuba enthusiasts the Osa Peninsula offers countless excursions and endless encounters. With Costa Rica's finest Pacific coastal diving and snorkeling, the clear waters surrounding Caño Island Biological Reserve can be best described as a garden of spectacular coral and rock formations. Teeming with exotic sea life, diving Caño Island is an underwater photographers dream. Scuba among large schools of colorful reef fish or observe the large pelagic that frequent these waters.
With visibility being 100 ft. or more year round. Let our Padi dive Instructors and dive masters aboard our 30 ft Isand Hopper will take you on a voyage of breathtaking dives though schools of barracudas, horse-eye jack, that actually block the rays of the sun. The variety of sea life is extraordinary with mobula, eagle and gaint manta rays also southern sting rays, guiterfish, octopus, ridley and leather back turtles, four types of eels, and the list goes on and on it's a jungle down here!
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Washington, DC – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will travel with First Lady Laura Bush and Council on Environmental Quality Chairman James Connaughton to Midway Atoll and Honolulu, Hawaii, where they will visit the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument later this week in an effort to increase public awareness of one of this Nation’s most exceptional marine ecosystems. President Bush created the National Monument in June.
“President Bush showed significant leadership and vision in creating the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument in an area relatively untouched by human activities,” Kempthorne said. “I am honored to be visiting the National Monument with Mrs. Bush, who, like the President, is committed to natural resource protection and a lover of the outdoors.”
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, encompassing 140,000 square miles of U.S. waters, is the largest single conservation area in our Nation’s history and the largest protected marine area in the world, eclipsing Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This area contains 2.7 million acres of coral reef, 14 million nesting seabirds, and 250 fish species; in total it includes about 7000 species, a quarter of which exist no where else on Earth. The area includes the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, both managed by Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The National Monument is jointly managed by three co-trustees -- the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the State of Hawaii.


‘Triple dip’ La Nina and its impact on India’s monsoon
23rd Sep, 2022
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicted that a third consecutive event of La Niña could be underway.
What is La Niña?
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
- ENSO is the interaction between the atmosphere and ocean in the tropical Pacific.
- It is a series of linked weather and ocean-related phenomena.
- La Niña involves the large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean coupled with changes in the tropical atmospheric circulation (winds), pressure, and rainfall.
- It usually has the opposite impact on weather and climate as El Niño.
- La Niña is characterized by lower-than-normal air pressureover the western Pacific.
- These low-pressure zones contribute to increased rainfall.
- La Niña years are associated with above-average trade winds, pushing the warmer waters towards Asia and drawing in cooler than normal water temps to the equatorial pacific.
- Causes: La Niña is caused by a build-up of cooler-than-normal watersin the tropical Pacific, the area of the Pacific Ocean between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
- Unusually strong, eastward-moving trade winds and ocean currents bring this cold water to the surface, a process known as
- Effects:La Niña affects; patterns of rainfall, atmospheric pressure and global atmospheric circulations.
What does a triple La Niña mean?
- A triple La Niña or a ‘triple dip’ La Niña is a rare occurrence, lasting for three years in a row. It has happened only twice since 1950.
- On the contrary, the occurrence of two consecutive La Niña winters in the Northern Hemisphere is common.
Impact of El Nino and La Nina
- El Nino is associated with drought or weak monsoons.
- La Nina is associated with strong monsoons and above average rains and colder winters.
Impact on India
- Monsoon: India may experience an extended monsoon lasting up to October due to La Niña.
- Agriculture:La Nina could have negative impacts on Indian agriculture.Farmers will be at risk of losing their standing Kharif crops if it rains during this period.


Arabs hold marine conference in Sana’a Fishing for more revenue [Archives:2002/45/Business & Economy]
BY MAHYOUB AL-KAMALI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
The Third Arab Conference on Sea Fishery was held in Sana’a Oct. 28 to 30 to find ways to protect fish wealth, exchange expertise and experiment in new ways of marketing Arab fish.
The conference comes at a time when the coasts of the governorate of Hadramout are seeing ecological catastrophe caused by oil slicks leaked from the French oil tanker Limburg, attacked on October 6. The conference has represented an opportunity for the participating delegations to be acquainted with what Yemeni waters preserve of fish reservoirs and investment opportunities available for the private sector. What has been eye-catching is the interest shown by the UN organization FAW in the conference through its regional bureau in Morocco and the centre of marketing information and consultative services for fish products in the Arab region (infosamak).
The Yemen Times has got a copy of the Commercial Bulletin issued by infosamak centre. The bulletin contains a valuable report on fish sector in Yemen that possesses more than 150 islands, some of which are populated.
Yemeni coasts length is about 2112 aerial km. Slopes and mountainous and sand terrain as well as slopes of valleys heading for the sea reach to 20% of the coast length. Thus the length of the coastal strip is more than 2500 km.
The number of villages and fishermen groupings along the shores and islands amounts to more than 90 villages and centers. The number of fishermen reaches to 41 thousand and the member of their families is estimated at 243 thousand people. The fishermen own more than 15 thousand fishing boats of various sizes and types.
Statistics point out that the total amounts of fish and marine life caught in 2000 amounted to 147 thousand tons, 92 thousand tons caught by traditional fishermen (79%), and about 23 thousand tons by using industrial fishing boats.
Infosamak report has indicated that the fish sector in Yemen is one of income making sector for its contribution to domestic product and an essential source for creating revenues, as it has occupied the second place on the list containing 30 more important exported Yemeni commodities. The fish sector is also a source of income for more than 350 thousand persons benefiting from job opportunities in this field and also for realizing the value added through activities related to services, production and marketing.
Fish wealth exploitation in Yemen is managed by two main sectors, namely, that of traditional fishermen grouped within fish societies, whose production constitutes about 79% of total annual fishing. The second sector is managed by local and foreign fishing companies for industrial and commercial fishing using big fishing boats, and this constitutes 21% of total annual fishing. A research centre for sea sciences and resources has been found in 1983 to conduct studies on fish reservoir, sea sciences and sea ecology in Yemeni regional waters. The centre researches and studies serve to help increase local production and exports. The centre conducts the following activities:
– drawing up short and long-term policies for setting up executive programs for studies and surveys,
– preparation of researches on breeding and culture of fish from selected species,
-preparation of studies on different ecological circumstances surrounding fish and marine life reproduction,
-conducting studies on sea pollution both concerning kinds and sources.
Studies have confirmed that there are more than 350 species of fish and marine life in Yemeni waters, around 60 types are being utilized. Also, there is a possibility of catching about 320 tons of bottom and surface fish and marine life.
The Yemeni government has adopted a fourth project for developing fish and most important of its phases is the building of ice factories, stores for preservation, fish auction sale halls, warehouses, offices, power generators in the cities of Hadramout and Mahrah. In addition, there is a project for improving quality of fish products and modernizing the central laboratory for watching quality of fish. The program on watching quality pays much heed for good quality of fish products and preserves their reputation abroad according to world specifications and standards. The program conducts this through the central laboratory and its affiliate centers in other governorates.
The conference came out with significant recommendations calling for Arab cooperation in sea fishery and working for the increase in exchange of information and expertise, besides enhancement of private sector role for investments in this vital sector. The conference also stressed the importance of developing means of fish culture and exchange of information in this respect. It urged supporting Yemen in its effort for cleaning Hadramout coasts from pollution resulted from the Limburg incident on 6 October.


Aswathy, N and Shanmugham, T R and Ashok, K R (2010) Dynamic Optimization Model for Marine Fisheries Management in Kerala. In: Coastal Fishery Resources of India - Conservation and sustainable utilisation. Society of Fisheries Technologists, pp. 145-155.
Though the marine fish production in the state had registered an impressive growth between 1950 and 1980, it showed a dwindling tendency during 1981-87. The depletion in the stock of several marine fish species, diminishing catch of traditional fishermen and the adverse effect of bottom trawling on the ecosystem called for resource conservation and management measures through legislation.
|Item Type:||Book Section|
|Uncontrolled Keywords:||Dynamic Optimization Model; Marine Fisheries Management; Kerala|
|Subjects:||Socio Economics and Extension > Fisheries Extension
Marine Fisheries > Fisheries Management
Aquaculture > Fisheries Management
|Divisions:||CMFRI-Kochi > Fishery Extension
Subject Area > CMFRI > CMFRI-Kochi > Fishery Extension
CMFRI-Kochi > Fishery Extension
Subject Area > CMFRI-Kochi > Fishery Extension
|Depositing User:||Arun Surendran|
|Date Deposited:||29 Oct 2011 10:29|
|Last Modified:||09 Sep 2015 15:51|
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This chapter deals with ocean waves. By ocean waves we mean all oscillations of the water surface generated in the ocean (see Sect. 3.2). The most important in shaping the coastal zone are the short waves generated by wind and the longer tidal motion generated by the attractive forces of the sun and the moon on the water masses of the earth. In Sect. 3.3 we look at how waves can be measured. Statistical and spectral representations of wind waves are treated in Sect. 3.4. Both wind wave generation and the propagation away from the area of wave generation are treated in Sect. 3.5. We see how ocean waves become longer and smaller when propagating away further from their source due to the phenomenon of wave frequency dispersion and due to frequency dependent dissipation. Long term statistics are briefly discussed in Sect. 3.6. The generation of the tide is explained and the origin of the different harmonic constituents is treated in Sect. 3.7. We look into the propagation of the tide in the world’s oceans and in doing so talk about propagation velocity, Coriolis forces and amphidromic systems (Sect. 3.8). Tidal analysis and prediction are the topics of Sect. 3.9.
After having taken the DUT courses Ocean Waves (CIE4325), Hydraulic Engineering (CTB2410, in Dutch) and Open Channel flow (CTB3350/CIE3310-09) the larger part of this chapter on Ocean Waves should be familiar to you. This particularly holds for the Sects. 3.2 to 3.6 on wind or short waves. You will find that Sects. 3.7 to 3.9 treat the tidal generation and propagation more extensively than CTB2410 does. In CTB3350/CIE3310-09 you will have encountered some aspects of tidal propagation as well. For those of you without any prior knowledge of wind waves or tides in oceanic waters, this chapter deals with the main aspects that are required in order to successfully follow Coastal Dynamics I (CIE4305).


Connie and Peter Hovey, the owners of the Trailhead Resort in Port Renfrew, are criticizing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ approach to saving the southern resident killer whales.
In an open letter, the pair say the DFO’s plan is inefficient and not based on science.
In their letter, the couple said the DFO’s intention to limit salmon fishing in the region will impact tourism and the $1.1-billion recreational fishing industry and will threaten up to 9,000 jobs that rely on the industry.
These actions ignore that salmon fishing is not the main threat to the southern resident killer whale populations, the Hoveys write.
“We (recreational fishers) are taking one per cent of the chinook salmon stock. That’s not the problem. The real problem is these whales are swimming in waters full of human waste,” said Peter Hovey.
“It’s all the drugs going down the drain, the human waste, toxic runoff from agricultural operations, and everything else we’re putting into the water. Between that and the inbreeding that we caused, it’s no wonder their numbers are in decline.”
Hovey noted that even though the southern resident killer whales only spend their summer months in our waters and the rest of the time along the coast of Washington to California, they are now spending less time in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and his belief is that this is due to contaminants in local waters.
Based upon the peer reviewed research of Misty MacDuffee and Paul C. Paquet, scientists working with the Raincoat Foundation, it actually is unlikely that increasing the salmon stocks alone will save the southern resident killer whales.
In their paper Evaluating anthropogenic threats to endangered killer whales to inform effective recovery plans, the researchers write the following:
“Prey limitation is the most important factor affecting population growth. However, to meet recovery targets through prey management alone, chinook abundance would have to be sustained near the highest levels since the 1970s.”
And while their paper outlines the importance of increasing the stocks of prey species (chinook salmon), it seems to agree, at least in part, with Hovey’s contention that a more wide ranging approach to saving the southern resident killer whale population is required.
“The current small size of the SRKW population was not caused by lack of salmon. The whales’ depleted status is due in large part to the legacy of an unsustainable live-capture fishery for display in aquariums,” said the paper.
During the 1960s and 1970s, before the practice was outlawed, 47 southern resident killer whales were hunted, captured and sold to aquariums. It’s estimated that nearly 20 others died during unsuccessful attempts to capture the whales.
That situation left a depleted population where inbreeding has occurred, possibly leading to a lower rate of reproduction and survival of the young.
“These animals were slaughtered by our father and by our grandfathers. We have to work to bring them back, but stopping the salmon fishery isn’t the answer. Not on its own,” Hovey said.
Another factor identified by McDuffy and Paquet in the threat to the southern resident killer whales is noise pollution.
The whales emit high-frequency (18-32 kHz) echolocation clicks to detect prey and the background noise from commercial shipping and even smaller outboard vessels can interfere with foraging and harm the population.
The same is true of the introduction of contaminants into the water, listed by McDuffy and Paquet as the third main stressor to the whales.
“If additional threats from proposed and approved shipping developments (such as catastrophic and chronic oil spills, ship strikes, and increased vessel noise) combine with the predicted decline of chinook due to climate change, then the population could decline by as much as 1.7 per cent annually, have a 70 per cent probability of declining to fewer than 30 animals, and have a 25 per cent chance of complete extirpation within 100 years,” said the paper.
And if a catastrophic event such as an oil spill were to occur, McDuffy and Paquet’s outlook is even more bleak.
“Based on the percent overlap of oil coverage and critical habitat, we estimate that if a large oil spill were to occur, about 50 per cent of the SRKWs would be killed due to direct exposure to the oil. We estimate that 12.5 per cent of the SRKWs would be killed by exposure to oil from a smaller spill,” they said.
The outlook and the DFO’s approach to the situation is enough to move Peter Hovey to tears.
“I’ve watched these animals my whole life, and I care deeply about them. Right now the government is going after recreational fishing as the low hanging fruit, but it’s not an approach that is going to save the whales,” Hovey said.
“It’s time that they take the situation seriously and develop a plan that actually deals with the threat to the whales.”


Eden DeWald | July 11th, 2018
Hawaii is making a move to protect its coral reefs. A bill banning the distribution or sale of synthetic sunscreens in Hawaii was signed by Governor David Ige earlier this month. The ban will go into affect in January of 2021, and will prevent the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate.
There are two main types of sunscreen found in any drugstore—chemical and physical. Physical sunscreen, or mineral sunscreen, often has active ingredients such as titanium and zinc oxide, which reflect or scatter UV rays by forming a protective layer on the skin. Synthetic sunscreens, which often contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, soak into the skin. They protect the wearer by changing the electromagnetic affect of UV rays. Physical sunscreens are not at all affected by the ban and will still be available for retail sale and distribution.
According to a 2015 study, oxybenzone has been found to cause the bleaching of coral reefs, as well as endocrine damage. There have been fewer studies done concerning octinoxate, but similar damaging effects have been associated with this chemical. Approximately 14,000 gallons are estimated to end up in the waters off the coast of Hawaii each year, consequently banning sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate has the potential to remove thousands gallons of coral reef damaging chemicals from the environment each year.


This is a publication of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Award No. NA07FC0015.
CONTACT: RICHARD L. LEARD (813) 228-2815
MACKEREL ADVISORY PANEL (AP) SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEES (SSC) TO REVIEW INFORMATION RELATED TO FEDERAL RULES FOR MACKEREL
Tampa, Florida - April 6, 2000 - The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Mackerel Advisory Panel (AP) and the Standing and Special Mackerel Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC) to review assessment information on mackerel stocks and provide recommendations to the Council on possible changes to federal rules affecting mackerels. The Mackerel AP will be convened at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 2, 2000 and will conclude by 3:00 p.m. The Councils Standing and Special Mackerel SSC meeting will be convened at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 3, 2000 will conclude by 5:00 p.m. The meetings will be held at the Tampa Airport Hilton Hotel, 2225 Lois Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33607.
The Mackerel AP and SSC will review the 2000 stock assessment analyses for Gulf group king mackerel, the Mackerel Stock Assessment Panel (MSAP) report, and the report of the Socioeconomic Panel (SEP) that includes economic and social information related to the range of acceptable biological catch (ABC) and other management considerations for Gulf group king mackerel. Based on this review, the Mackerel AP and SSC may recommend to the Council levels for total allowable catch (TAC), bag limits, size limits, commercial quotas, and other measures for these species for the 2000-2001 fishing season. The Mackerel AP and SSC will also review a reporting form that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) will be using to collect information on finfish discarded from the commercial catch, and may provide comments to the Council on the form.
At the conclusion of the Mackerel SSC meeting, the Standing SSC members will review the NMFS bycatch reduction device (BRD) testing protocol and may provide comments to the Council. Also, the Standing SSC will discuss NMFS response to the SSCs previous question regarding historical red grouper landings.
Copies of the agendas of these meetings and other related materials can be obtained by calling 813-228-2815. Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come before the AP and SSC for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions of the AP and SSC will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agendas and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the emergency.
The meetings are open to the public and physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office by April 24, 2000.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is 1 of 8 regional fishery management councils that were established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council prepares fishery management plans that are designed to manage fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
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Large-Scale Carbonate Platform Development of Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas, and Implications for Associated Reef Geomorphology
Carbonate platform, Geomorphology, Bahamas, Karst, Sea level
The Bahama Archipelago consists of an arcuate chain of carbonate platforms. Average water depths on the platform-tops, such as the Great Bahama Bank (GBB), are typically 10 m or less, with coral reef-rimmed margins, thick sediment accumulations, and the frequent occurrence of islands. There are, however, exceptions. For example, Cay Sal Bank (CSB), a little studied detached Bahamian carbonate platform with depths ranging from 30 to 7 m, is only slightly deeper than the GBB, but devoid of islands, lacks platform-margin coral reefs and holds little sediment on the platform-top; the platform is incipiently drowned. CSB is interesting as it is conspicuously larger (6000 sq. km) than other incipiently drowned platforms in the region, such as Serranilla Bank (1100 sq. km) and the Cat Island platform (1500 sq. km). Field and remote sensing data are assembled to provide insight into the sedimentology and geomorphology of the CSB. The influence of ocean climate, regional hydrodynamics, and Holocene flooding history are investigated to understand why platform-margin coral reef growth on CSB has been unable to keep pace with Holocene sea-level rise. A decade of regional sea-surface temperature data for the Bahamas report CSB to be situated in the same ocean climate regime as GBB. Temperature cannot explain the platform's different morphologies. The Florida Current has been evoked as a possible reason for the immature development of platform-top processes on the CSB, but numeric modeling suggests its influence to be restricted to the deep flanks of the bank. Further, sediment distribution on CSB, including infill patterns of karst depressions, suggest trade winds (easterlies) to drive platform-top hydrodynamics. By assembling a satellite-derived bathymetry map, it can be shown that CSB flooded earlier and at relatively higher rates of Holocene sea-level rise than its neighboring platforms. Flooding history is identified as the most feasible explanation for the atypical morphology of the CSB. By contrasting the present-day morphology of the CSB and the GBB, the work emphasizes how subtle differences in relative sea-level history can influence the growth of platform-margin coral reefs, features that in turn can conspire to set even closely neighboring carbonate platforms on divergent paths with regard to the development of marine landforms. This insight is relevant to interpreting the morphological diversity of carbonate platforms in the modern ocean and in the rock record.
Samuel J. Purkis, Jeremy Kerr, Alexandra Dempsey, Andrew Calhoun, Liisa Metsamaa, Bernhard Riegl, Villy Kourafalou, Andrew Bruckner, and Philip Renaud. 2014. Large-Scale Carbonate Platform Development of Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas, and Implications for Associated Reef Geomorphology .Geomorphology : 25 -38. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/279.


The communities of Cagayancillo receive ten percent of the annual tourism revenue from Tubbataha. Through these funds, the TPAMB is able to support sustainable coastal resource management strategies and alternative livelihood projects.
Livelihood initiatives and funding are managed by the municipal government of Cagayancillo .
With the help of WWF-Philippines, the TPAMB set up a micro-credit facility to support livelihood activities. So far, funds have been used for the construction of a key road connecting communities to the market. Seaweed farming is being encouraged, as an alternative to fishing, and farmers are given loans as well as marketing support for their new businesses. Small, individual loans are also made for education, health, emergency needs and basic commodities such as rice and fuel.
Boosting the Sea’s Bounty
The livelihood fund was the first and most direct compensation for Cagayanons, since they could no longer fish the waters of Tubbataha. However, from the time that Tubbataha became a “no-take” zone, Cagayanon fishermen started to observe increased fish catch in surrounding waters. They soon began to view marine reserves as a way to increase the productivity of local reefs. Once they understood the benefits of a marine protected area, they declared marine reserves in their own municipality.
In this way, Cagayanons have been empowered to protect and manage their own reefs and contribute to wider efforts to save coral reefs in the Sulu Sea.


OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) — It turns out it wasn’t just humans enjoying a relaxing holiday weekend at the beach in Maryland!
A Pennsylvania man fishing off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland captured video of a sea turtle swimming alongside his boat.
- National Aquarium Releases Six Rescued Sea Turtles At Assateague State Park
- National Aquarium Releases 11 Sea Turtles Into Atlantic Ocean
In the video posted to Facebook Sunday morning, the men on the boat joke that the turtle must also be trying to fish in the area.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources said sea turtles visit the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic coast annually when the water warms up.
Turtles are protected by endangered species conservation laws.


Greenland's marine-terminating glaciers may be sensitive to oceanic heat, but the fjord processes controlling delivery of this heat to glacier termini remain poorly constrained. Here we use a three-dimensional numerical model of Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord, East Greenland, to examine controls on fjord/shelf exchange. We find that shelf-forced intermediary circulation can replace up to ~25% of the fjord volume with shelf waters within 10 d, while buoyancy-driven circulation (forced by subglacial runoff from marine-terminating glaciers) exchanges ~10% of the fjord volume over a 10 d period under typical summer conditions. However, while the intermediary circulation generates higher exchange rates between the fjord and shelf, the buoyancy-driven circulation is consistent over time hence more efficient at transporting water along the full length of the fjord. We thus find that buoyancy-driven circulation is the primary conveyor of oceanic heat to glaciers during the melt season. Intermediary circulation will however dominate during winter unless there is sufficient input of fresh water from subglacial melting. Our findings suggest that increasing shelf water temperatures and stronger buoyancy-driven circulation caused the heat available for melting at Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier to increase by ~50% between 1993–2001 and 2002–11, broadly coincident with the onset of rapid retreat at this glacier.


During the summer Fernald keeps a third of his traps on short ropes near shore, strategically placed in certain coves and kelp beds, and near underwater boulders where he knows lobsters like to hide and hunt. In early September, though, lobsters begin to move offshore, so Fernald had already shifted much of his gear into middle-depth water—around a hundred feet. This morning's job was to set the first deepwater traps of the season. Seven miles out to sea Fernald pulled a dirty waterproof notebook from a tangle of electronic equipment and flipped through several pages of scrawled notes. He grabbed a pencil and jotted a few numbers directly onto the bulkhead next to his compass; then he squinted up at the GPS plotter above his head and keyed in a way point. He was headed for an underwater valley between Western and Eastern Muddy Reef. He was reassured to see his position confirmed by transmissions from four different satellites, but none of that was necessary: he could, if he had to, go back to navigating with nothing but landmarks and a magnetic compass, as his father still does.
Shortly, Fernald throttled down and studied the colorful blotches on his Fathometer screen, which was connected to a transducer on the bottom of the boat that bounced signals off the sea floor. The screen was painting the bottom as a thick black line at twenty-two fathoms, or 132 feet, which meant that Fernald was directly over the rocky ledge of Western Muddy Reef. He circled the boat a quarter turn and motored slowly east, watching the bottom on the Fathometer drop off and go from black to purple to orange, indicating a patch of cobble and then gravel where the ledge ended. Suddenly the line fell precipitously and settled into a mushy yellow haze at forty-seven fathoms, or 282 feet—a deep bottom of thick, dark mud. He was over the valley.
Like most lobstermen, Fernald believes that lobsters follow warmth. Fishermen think that many lobsters migrate in the spring toward land, to spend the summer in the sun-warmed waters near the shore, and migrate in the fall out to the mud in deeper water, far from the shallows that will soon be chilled by cold winds from Canada. The lobsterman must learn the lobsters' preferred routes along the bottom and intercept the animals on their pilgrimages. To succeed at his profession, Fernald therefore has to be an oceanographer, a sea-floor geologist, and a detective. Lobsters that migrate along the edge of an underwater canyon at one time of year may travel on the floor of the canyon at another time, so for Fernald to set his traps precisely can make all the difference.
When the lobsters show up near shore every summer, the first thing most of them do is go into hiding for a few weeks, to shed their old shells and grow larger ones. This process is called molting, and it is fraught with danger: not only must the lobster expose its jelly-soft body to the hungry world, but it may get stuck. The lobster's body shrinks, the old shell splits open, and the animal's twenty pairs of gills stop beating. The lobster has about an hour to wriggle free before it suffocates. The hardest part is pulling the large claw muscles through the narrow tracts of shell between them and the body—if the lobster can't do so, it will sacrifice one or both claws to live. Free of the old shell, the lobster gets its gills working again. Then for the next five hours it fills its shriveled body full of water. Artificially enlarged by liquid, the lobster then secretes the beginnings of a new shell, which will harden over the coming weeks. The new outfit should last a year or so, depending on the size of the lobster. The old shell is an excellent source of minerals, so the lobster eats some of it to quicken the hardening of the new one. What the lobster doesn't eat it buries with mouthfuls of pebbles, probably to hide the evidence of its weakness and also prevent rival lobsters from raiding its nutrient stash. While the lobsters are molting, Fernald takes advantage of the lull to haul his boat out of the water briefly for repairs and a new paint job.
By August "the shedders are coming on," as the lobstermen say, and the great autumn harvest begins. Dressed in their new shells, the lobsters are ravenous, and now millions of them meet the minimum carapace length for capture. Lobsters of this size enter the traps in droves. By the time the shedders begin to reach deeper water, Fernald must already have traps in place, which is why he was now setting a gantlet of traps in the valley.
The task was complicated by the fact that the water had become a sloppy mess. A wave sloshed through an open panel in the boat's windshield and hit Fernald in the face and chest. He swore to himself, yanked the window shut, and shook himself off. Then he reached across the bulkhead and switched on the Clearview, a circular plate of glass in the boat's windshield that rotates eighty times a second—fast enough to fling off oncoming walls of water. "It would have been a lot easier to do this yesterday," he grumbled, "when it was flat-ass calm." He and his sternman pulled the first pair of traps from the pile in the stern and secured them on the rail so that they couldn't roll off before the buoy line was attached.
Fernald and his sternman arranged bulky coils of rope on the floor at their feet—carefully, because a tangle could cause mayhem. Fernald tied on a torpedo-shaped buoy, marked with his signature colors in Day-Glo paint; then he put the boat in gear and gave his sternman the signal to throw the first trap. It went over with a splash, and the workday was under way.
Fernald and his fellow fishermen on Islesford want to share their knowledge of lobsters, but few scientists have been interested in listening to them. With the arrival on the scene of Robert Steneck and other ecologists, however, that has begun to change. Steneck and others have spent long days at sea on the lobster boats of Bruce Fernald and his brothers, and have used the waters off Islesford as one of their research stations.
On a gorgeous morning last July Steneck was out in those waters, conducting a census of large lobsters a few miles from shore, the results of which might indicate that the lobster population is not in as much danger as some scientists think. Steneck's first task as an ecologist is to measure the abundance of lobsters and map their patterns of distribution. Baby lobsters and juvenile lobsters are relatively easy to study, because they live in shallow water; all Steneck needs to conduct his research on them is a scuba tank. But large lobsters are another matter—they've been known to live at depths exceeding 1,500 feet, though most of them probably don't venture much deeper than several hundred feet.
Steneck often explores the sea floor in a submarine, but on this trip he was using a submersible robot. The robot afforded him the luxury of staying above water, aboard the seventy-six-foot research vessel Connecticut, operated by the Marine Sciences and Technology Center of the University of Connecticut. The robot was a $160,000 piece of equipment known as a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV—an unmanned submarine that transmits video and other data from the ocean bottom to the mother ship through fiber-optic cables. The craft, operated with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was called Phantom III S2, or, to the team of technicians accompanying it, just P3S2.


A MONSTER 4.2 meters long squid washed ashore on the coast of New Zealand's capital.
Three brothers were on their way for a morning dive in Wellington when they encountered the impressive creature.
Daniel, Jack and Matthew Aplin were on a trail at Red Rocks on the south coast of the city when they encountered the stranded cephalopods.
The brothers said they had encountered sharks during their diving trips, but had never seen a squid of that size.
The trio contacted the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research, which ensured that the squid was collected.
A spokesperson for the Department of Conservation said it was almost certainly a giant squid, whose bodies had been washed up relatively regularly.
Male giant squids can grow to as large as 10 meters in length and have foothills and barbs along the length of their arms.
The giant squid is the largest type of octopus except the colossal squid.
They are mainly hunted by sperm whales, but juveniles are occasionally hunted by deep-sea sharks.
Rumors and observations of giant squids as long as 20.1 meters are widespread, but no specimens approaching this magnitude have been scientifically documented.
Studies show gigantic squid feed on deep-sea fish and other cuttlefish.
They catch the prey with the help of two tentacles, grab it with jagged sucker rings and then bring it to the powerful beak and shred it before swallowing it.
Giant squid inhabits all the oceans of the world and is thought to be lone hunters, because only individuals are ever caught in fishing nets.
An online commentator compared the brothers' discovery with the colossal squid that was held at the Te Teum, the New Zealand Museum in Wellington, which is more than 5.2 meters long.
Last year a squid of 15.2 meters was washed in Indonesia.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been re-published here with permission.


Male Scuba Divers
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The RFA was the first national, grassroots political action organization established to represent the rights recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry as a whole on marine fisheries issues, it is our mission to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation’s saltwater fisheries.
Stripers Forever, a non-profit, internet-based conservation organization, seeks game fish status for wild striped bass on the Atlantic Coast in order to significantly reduce striper mortality, to provide optimum and sustainable public fishing opportunities for anglers from Maine to North Carolina, and to secure the greatest socio-economic value possible from the fishery. By eliminating commercial exploitation of the #1 recreational saltwater fishery on the east coast, over 3 million recreational anglers will enjoy the social and financial benefits that will come from an improved striped bass population.
The menhaden fishery is the largest in the continental United States by volume. The massive harvest is divided into two parts, a reduction fishery that accounts for 80 percent of the nearly half a billion pounds of menhaden landed each year, and a bait fishery that harvests the remaining 20 percent. The population of Atlantic menhaden is at an all-time low: the stock has fallen over 90 percent in the last 25 years. The loss of menhaden spells disaster for striped bass, tuna, bluefish, weakfish, osprey, whales, and other fish, birds, and marine mammals that feed on menhaden. Each species occupies a crucial niche in the ecosystem, and the removal of prey or forage species like menhaden disrupts the system and threatens the fish higher in the food chain. Check them out on facebook.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission was formed by the 15 Atlantic coast states in 1942 in recognition that fish do not adhere to political boundaries. The Commission serves as a deliberative body, coordinating the conservation and management of the states shared near shore fishery resources – marine, shell, and anadromous – for sustainable use. Member states are Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Each is represented by three Commissioners: the director for the state’s marine fisheries management agency, a state legislator, and an individual appointed by the governor. Commissioners participate in the deliberations in the Commission’s five main policy arenas:Interstate fisheries management, research and statistics,fisheries science, habitat conservation, and law enforcement. The one-state one-vote concept allows Commissioners to address stakeholder-resource balance issues at the state level. Click here to learn more.
The Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA) is an association of more than 75 saltwater fishing clubs that represents the position of marine sport anglers, champions their causes and protects their rights in matters pertaining to fishing, fisheries, and environmental quality. In doing so, JCAA often works in concert with major environmental organizations and other influential associations of sports clubs. Learn more.
The RFA was the first national, grassroots political action organization established to represent the rights recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry as a whole on marine fisheries issues. It is our mission to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation’s saltwater fisheries. Learn more.
NOAA is dedicated to protecting and preserving the nation’s living marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, enforcement and habitat conservation. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) or NOAA Fisheries is the lead federal agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s offshore living marine resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries manages, conserves and protects fish, whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other living creatures in the ocean. Learn more about NOAA Atlantic Highly Migratory Species… here And NOAA Recreational Fishing.


Photo: Mike Busch
An Opportunity To Support Seabirds, Marine Life, And Fisherman At The Same Time
Video and images below taken off Davis Park and Hampton Bays, August 2017.
Best of Long Island Wildlife Photography 1-19-17
December Striped Bass Frenzy off Fire Island
Video and Images: Beach Erosion at Davis Park
Above Smith Point Beach at Sunrise
Video: Drone over Shinnecock Inlet 1-15-17
Photos and Video: Drone over Striped Bass Schools off Fire Island
What Happened at the Menhaden Meeting
Menhaden Conservation is Working- Big Vote Next Week!
Video: Huge Raft of Greater Scaup on Bellport Bay 12-9-17
Video and Images: Amazing Great South Bay Sunrise
Video and Images: Above Moriches Inlet at Sunrise


Polar Ocean Observations: A Critical Gap in the Observing System and Its Effect on Environmental Predictions From Hours to a Season
This paper outlines the status of existing near-real time ocean observational efforts in polar regions, discuss gaps, and explore perspectives for the future.
The full article is available here
Copyright 2015 Southern Ocean Observing System. All rights reserved.


Kite & Wind Surfing
Marina & Fishing Harbors
Blessed with all the elements that make a diver’s paradise, Cyprus attracts visitors from all over the world for its favourable weather conditions, top-ranking wrecks and diverse marine life. With warm waters that range from 16-27 degrees almost all-year-round, the island enjoys one of the longest diving seasons in the Mediterranean, further enhanced by fantastic visibility - thanks to an absence of plankton. A range of wrecks, spectacular underwater caves and tunnels, and interesting paths await exploration – always with the promise of discovering something unique, from the remains of ancient amphora and stone anchors, to the exotic residents of their underwater worlds. And whilst the coastal reefs of the island range from natural to artificial, both share the same characteristics, acting as areas of reproduction, growth, feeding and refuge for a multitude of marine organisms.


The week between Christmas and New Year’s is one of the best times of the year to watch grey whales migrating along the Oregon coast.
It’s the height of their annual southbound trek from Alaska to Baja California.
Just off Highway 101 at Boiler Bay State Park just south of Lincoln City is one of two-dozen spots along the Oregon coast where trained volunteers are posted during Whale Watch Week. They are there to help folks find a whale.
I was greeted by two of them, Larry Hinton and his wife Marie.
“We’ve been out here about 20 minutes,” said Hinton. “And just a moment ago my wife and I spotted two that are together.”
Hinton said the key to spotting a whale is to keep your eyes peeled for the tell-tale upward spout of water. That’s a whale coming up for a big gulp of air.
To read the entire story on KUOW.ORG, click here.
Story and photo by Chris Lehman / Northwest News Network


Underwater noise has been increasing for decades and poses a serious threat on marine life. It disrupts orientation, foraging, communication, increases stress levels and has potential cumulative effects. However there is still not enough information to understand the full extent of the problem.
ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area) has been working towards assessing and regulating underwater noise in the Mediterranean Sea. Morigenos has been a partner to ACCOBAMS for over a decade, and has actively contributed to the work of the ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee.
Recent report ”Overview of the Noise Hotspots in the ACCOBAMS Area, Part I - Mediterranean Sea” has shown a wide spatial and temporal pattern of human activities that produce noise underwater. The resulting “noise hotspots” substantially overlap with important cetacean habitats and protected areas. The same is true for the Adriatic Sea, where significant source of noise comes from commercial vessels and in recent years also from seismic exploration for oil and gas. OceanCare, Morigenos’ close collaborator and partner, co-authored the report.
Underwater noise levels continue to increase, therefore it is necessary to continue the scientific investigation of noise levels and take necessary measures to reduce the problem.


An island nation surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is famous for its fishing spots. Deep sea fishing is a favorite tourist activity in the area. The island nation is particularly renowned for its seabed topography ideal for deep sea fishing. The tropical weather on the island and the warm water makes Mauritius ideal for outdoor adventure and a home for many different species of marine life. Here, you may be able to catch big game fish like tuna, mackerel, marlin, sailfish, dorado, tiger shark, and others too.
If you plan to visit this beautiful island for a fishing trip or for something to write about on your travel blog, here are the best fishing spots you can try:
On the Southwest coast of Mauritius, Le Morne is the best spot for deep sea fishing. You don’t even have to go too far with your boat because the deep sea is only about five minutes from the coast. Make sure that you have prepared your body for the possibility of battle with the big game fish you may catch here. Well as long as you know what you are doing, then you’ll probably be okay.
Just off the coast of the Poste Lafayette public beach, there is another fishing spot you may want to visit. This is the best spot where you will find giant trevallies as well as barracudas and snappers. Other water activities are also fun to do here if you want to do more than just fish. Kitesurfing, surfing, or even having a picnic while on the picturesque coastline of the beach are also options to explore during your Mauritius holiday.
The west coast waters in Mauritius are much calmer than the east coast. So, even if you are a beginner, the water here would be easier for you to handle. The Black River is an excellent spot for deep sea fishing. It is where fishing competitions are held. The Black River is neighbors with Le Morne, which is why both are great for deep sea fishing.
Trou aux Biches
The water here is abundant with marine life. You’ll find different kinds of fish like Dorado, Sailfish, Wahoo, Bonito, Blue, Black Marlin, and Yellow Fin Tuna. Located in the Northwest part of the island nation, your eyes will be graced by the vast blue ocean — and all the sea life that call it home.
Trou d’eau Douce
Another spot for big game fishing is Trou d’eau Douce in the east coast of Mauritius. The name translates to Sweet Water Hole in French. It is a great fishing spot as well as the place to go when you want to go snorkeling. You will find a wide variety of marine life here, including a coral reef. So if you love both fishing and snorkeling, visit this part of the island.
Mauritius also boasts many fishing banks that are rarely visited by anglers. You’ll find great catches here while being able to enjoy the peace and serenity of a more secluded area. Some of the banks you can visit are:
Saya de Malha Bank
Saya de Malha is composed of two structures which are the North and South Bank. It is considered the world’s largest bank that is submerged.
Although it is also a large submerged bank, the Nazareth Bank is not as large as the Saya de Malha. It is part of the Mascarene Plateau and is south of Saya de Malha.
This is also part of the Mascarene Plateau which makes it a dependency of Mauritius. You will also find these waters filled with marine life including wahoo and bass.
Mauritius is truly blessed when it comes to fishing spots. They have plenty of places where people can fish, whether it’s in the deep sea or the shallower parts of the water. What are you waiting for? If these sport fishing spots are calling out to you, you can use Mauritius Discovery Tours to bring you to the beautiful spots around the island nation.
Just remember that these places have rules when it comes to who takes the fish. Make sure that you obtain the necessary permission from authorities first before you bring the fish home for dinner. If not, then respect the catch and release policy.
We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.


Dive into History
When these pages are complete (hopefully soon) then each of these boats will have its own "Dive" page with photos, maps, and contact information. Until then, the links simply link to the respective U-boat profiles.
Today I am not aware of any certain dive sites around Norway but several boats were sunk / scuttled in these waters including;
U-74 is a regular dive just off Cartagena, Spain. We do not know the depth at which she rests. There is a dive clud called "Puerto Almirante de Cabo de Palos" that dives the site on August 16, 1997.
(We need better information on this site, including position, depth, visibility and general conditions).


Research scientists in The Open University’s School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences helped shape the content and direction of the landmark BBC series Blue Planet II, which prompted unprecedented public and government action to protect our oceans.
Influencing the BBC’s decision to give greater prominence to environmental issues in a TV series which engaged more than 37 million UK viewers and more than 500 million worldwide, prompting changes in policy and in public behaviour.
A research survey of British consumers found that 88% of people who watched the series have changed their behaviour as a result.
Blue Planet II was highlighted by both UK and European Union politicians as the driving force behind new policy initiatives to control plastic pollution, culminating on 24 October 2018 when the European Parliament voted for a complete ban on single-use plastics across the EU.
The 2017 BBC–Open University co-production Blue Planet II catapulted issues of ocean health into the public consciousness, changing attitudes and behaviour at individual and government policy level. The series prompted massive public action on plastic pollution, raised awareness and changed attitudes to other environmental issues such as ocean acidification and global warming. The Marine Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund experienced 169% and 51% jumps respectively in traffic to their websites after the first Blue Planet II episode.
The unparalleled appeal and reach of Blue Planet II was strengthened by The Open University’s oceanographic research. Four researchers from The Open University’s School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences served as Scientific Advisors to the series from 2014 and 2017. Their guidance underpinned the series’ scientific content and was directly based on their long-standing research programmes in the areas of large-scale ocean circulation, the carbon cycle, ocean acidification, coral reef ecosystem and animal behaviour and evolutionary biology.
The OU experts were able to advise on ocean acidification, the biological pump, coral reef ecosystem, the ocean’s carbon cycle, ventilation of the deep ocean and large-scale ocean circulation patterns.Their advisory roles were complemented by outreach activities. These included distributing on request over half-a-million free ‘Ocean’ posters, an interactive ‘gaming’ app which is both a stand-alone learning resource and a bridge to the OU’s courses, and a series of public talks at locations across the UK.
Outreach activities by the OU scientific advisory team included distributing on request over half-a-million free ‘Ocean’ posters, an interactive ‘gaming’ app which is both a stand-alone learning resource and a bridge to the OU’s courses, and a series of public talks at locations across the UK.