UNSPOILT TERRITORY: iSimangaliso’s Coastal Forest

Wildlife Conservation Society Study Finds Southern Indian Ocean Humpbacks Singing Different Tunes

A recently published study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and others reveals that humpback whales on both sides of the southern Indian Ocean are singing different tunes, unusual since humpbacks in the same ocean basin usually all sing very similar songs.

SCUBA News 140 Now Online

The latest issue of SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) is now up at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews140.html. Featuring SCUBA Challenge; disabled diving in the North Sea; diving in The Philippines, Mozambique, Croatia, Thailand, Sharm El-Sheikh; and diving and marine news from around the world.

Marine Mammals on the Menu

A newly released study finds that people are increasingly consuming marine mammals - including some very rare species, like the Fraser's dolphin - in more than 100 countries around the world.

SCUBA Travel announce Diving Best Sellers of 2011

SCUBA Travel are pleased to release the list of the best selling diving books in 2011. The The Dive Atlas of the World has finally been knocked off its top spot perch, no surprise as it is now out of print and only available second-hand. The bargain of the list has to be Red Sea Sharks which is available from some booksellers new for just 1p.

Fishing: Reform must protect all the world's oceans

New rules are urgently needed to ensure all UK and other EU-flagged fishing boats operating in waters outside of Europe, are operating in a sustainable way and to the same standards as they would back home, said WWF-UK.

Peru's vanishing fish stocks 'devastated' by growing fishmeal demand

The fish stocks of the southern Pacific and in particular Peru are being plundered by widespread cheating and overfishing, according to a new investigation.

Top Spots for Diving Mozambique

More details of the dive sites and dive operators of Mozambique now at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/mozambique.html

Magnetic soap could clean up oil spills

A soap that responds to magnetic fields could be used to clean up oil spills without leaving behind detergents that can harm surrounding wildlife.

Corals in trouble: Hawaiian reefs first to go

Nearly one-third of CO2 emissions due to human activities enters the world's oceans, making them less alkaline and affecting calcification of corals. By the middle of the century, corals at the Northern edges of the tropics will be in trouble with the Hawaiian island reefs will be among the first to feel the impact.

Broadest study of ocean acidification to date helps scientists evaluate effects on marine life

Might a penguin's next meal be affected by the exhaust from your exhaust? The answer may be yes, when you add your fumes to the total amount of carbon dioxide lofted into the atmosphere by humans since the industrial revolution. One-third of that carbon dioxide is absorbed by the world's oceans, making them more acidic and affecting marine life. A UC Santa Barbara marine scientist and a team of 18 other researchers have reported results of the broadest worldwide study of ocean acidification to date.

Update: Diving Croatia

Best dive sites and dive operators reviewed along the Croatia Adriatic coast.

Scripps Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Toasts 10 Years

Scripps' Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (CMBC) celebrates its 10-year anniversary and looks forward to the decades ahead with two special events.

Update: Diving Sharm El Sheikh

More dive operators in the Red Sea diving resort of Sharm El Sheikh are now listed at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmop.html. See which our readers recommend and which to avoid.

Voracious Demand Threatens Manta and Mobula Rays

A few years ago, something surprising began turning up in Asia's fish markets: the gill rakers of manta and mobula rays. The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is the hub of the trade in the dried parts, which retail for as much as $500 a kilogram (roughly $225 a pound) and are used in Chinese medicine.

New ISO standards for fish products

Two new ISO standards for traceability of fish products have been approved, which will provide people around the globe with information about the seafood they eat: where the seafood comes from, its characteristics, resource use and environmental profile.

Creature of the Month: Pinna nobilis

The rare giant mussel, Pinna nobilis, is found only in the Mediterranean Sea. Pinna nobilis has been assessed by the European Union as being in need of special protection (EC Habitats Directive). This means that it is illegal to kill or disturb the species.

World-first discovery of hybrid sharks

Scientists have discovered that sharks on Australia's east coast display a mysterious tendency to interbreed, challenging several accepted scientific theories regarding shark behaviour.

Creature of the Month: Whale Shark

The biggest fish in the sea feeds on microscopic plankton. As its teeth are redundant they are minute. It is one of only three sharks who filter feed, the other two being the Basking Shark and the aptly-named Megamouth. More on the whale shark...http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/creature-of-the-month-whale-shark.html

Underwater Photography Guide announces Photo Competition Winners

The Second Annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has announced its winners for 2011.

Underwater Photo Gallery Now Includes Ireland

Rathlin island and the Wreck of The Laurentic are now featured in the British and Irish Underwater Photo Gallery.

SCUBA news from around the world

Category: News

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