SCUBA News - #156 - May 2013

SCUBA News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 156 - May 2013 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Welcome to Issue 156 of SCUBA News: I hope you enjoy it. Any requests or suggestions for future issues, just get in touch - news@scubatravel.co.uk. Should you wish to cancel your subscription to SCUBA News you can do so at http://wwww.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html. You can also download a pdf version of this newsletter. SCUBA News is published by SCUBA Travel Ltd. Contents: - What's new at SCUBA Travel? - Letters - 60% of Species in Decline - Diving News from Around the World What's New at SCUBA Travel? Diving Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt From Sharm El-Sheikh you can visit some world class diving areas like Ras Mohammed, Ras Umm Sid and the Straits of Tiran. We now have more dive centres listed on our Sharm page at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharm-diving.html Diving Qualifications 17 Diving agencies compared, from BSAC to CMAS to PADI to NAUI to SDI...we've updated the equivalent qualifications page at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/training/qualifications.html Lions Mane Jellyfish New page with a slideshow of Lion's Mane Jellyfish photos. The Lion's Mane is a massive jellyfish - growing to 2 m across. Its tentacles are are up to 3 metres long. They have a very severe sting that can produce blisters, irritation and muscular cramp and may even affect respiratory and heart function. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/lions-mane-jellyfish.html For regular announcements of what's new at the SCUBA Travel site see our Twitter feed, Google+ or Facebook pages. Letters Diving New Zealand's Poor Knights Last week Cindy asked about the diving the Poor Knights in New Zealand Hi Cindy, I've been, rough waters and long boat ride, but some of the clearest water and largest fish/lobster life I had seen. Colder 7 mill farmer john+ jacket is recommended. Hope you go- unique as most NZ diving is. Dianna Damask · Thanks Dianna - you can see more comments at our New Zealand section. 60% of Species in Decline The UK’s first State of Nature report, which has been launched by Sir David Attenborough, reveals that 60% of UK wildlife species are in decline. And that is just the species which have been well studied. Our ability to monitor the state of nature, and respond with appropriate conservation action, is hampered by a lack of knowledge on trends for most of the 8,500 marine species. The UK’s marine area covers over 850000 km2: that’s three times more than her land area. Her seas regularly host 13 species of marine mammal and even leatherback turtles. When divers first visit UK seas they are often amazed at the diversity and abundance of life (although, in winter, they are sometimes also dismayed by the cold water). Despite its importance for wildlife, our knowledge of the state of our seas is poor. This lack of knowledge hampers our ability to assess the impact of man’s activities. Species commercially fished are the best known. The state of UK fish stocks has improved recently but overall 75% of EU fish populations continue to be overfished. Skates and rays are no longer viable commercial species in many areas. There is evidence that sub-tidal marine sediment habitats have been damaged over large areas by fishing activity, in particular by bottom-trawl and scallop dredge gear. Such activities can have huge impacts on bottom-dwellers such as the ocean quahog, a remarkable bivalve mollusc that can live for 500 years! At a more local scale, these activities also damage sensitive features, such as maerl beds and seagrass, that shelter a range of wildlife. Sharks, skates and rays face continuing declines and are severely depleted all around the Scottish coast, in part due to overfishing. Elsewhere, most commercial fish stocks around the UK remain depleted, though there have been improvements in stocks of certain species in the last 5–10 years. Historically, however, national and international fish landings are a fraction of the highs in the 1960s and 1970s, and generally smaller than in the early 20th century. The problems of overfishing and discards are being discussed as part of the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The continuous plankton recorder has been monitoring plankton in UK waters since 1931. These small plants and animals form the base of our marine food webs and play a pivotal role in the ecosystem by regulating larval fish stocks. Since 1950, there have been substantial changes to the main animal group within the plankton – copepods. The total abundance of copepods has declined markedly, and the species present are changing as the sea warms. Already, these changes are negatively affecting fish species, such as cod, as well as seabirds. At a smaller scale, there are almost no areas of pristine marine biodiversity left around the UK, as a result of increasingly intensive human pressures. Not only are fewer fish caught today compared with 20th century baselines, but they are also significantly smaller and they mature at a younger age. This is because the relative abundance of small and early maturing species increases as a result of overfishing. Plastic pollution is a persistent problem in all areas. There have been significant recent improvements in water quality, however, due to the treatment of land-based discharges and international laws on marine pollution from ships. Heads of leading UK conservation organisations are putting their names to a letter calling on the British Prime Minister to act now for nature. Further Reading: The State of Nature in the UK and its Overseas Territories RSPB 2013 Diving News From Around the World For breaking news see our Twitter feed or Google+ page. Plastics can concentrate toxic pollutants, endangering Marine Ecosystems Plastic debris is a serious environmental concern, as a physical pollutant as well as a chemical pollutant when it breaks down in the marine environment. A new study has now shown that plastics can also concentrate other pollutants, with significantly higher concentrations of toxic pollutants adhering to soft, rubbery plastics, rather than hard, glassy plastics. Divers value biodiversity over fish abundance Divers are willing to pay to help an artificial reef community. Great Barrier Reef is at risk even if it doesn't make Unesco's danger list It might be regarded as some sort of sick joke that the Great Barrier Reef happens to nestle beside the heart of Australia's fossil fuel export boom. When the coal ships leave the Queensland ports, the two become one as the captains make passage through the 2300 kilometre/1430 mile-long reef - the world's largest. Now environment groups and the United Nations World Heritage Committee have decided this joke just isn't funny any more. Red Sea Governor Closes Shabb el Erg and Shabb Fanus Shabb el Erg and Shabb Fanus, in the Red Sea, will be closed off to the public for until June 15, 2013. All tourism activities to these sites will be banned during this period. This strict measure is being implemented because of irresponsible activities that are taking place there daily. The harassment and injury to dolphins, as well as the unsustainable use of these dolphin-resting habitats is leading to a clear deterioration of these important natural resources. The skippers and boat operators that are using these sites are creating a very dangerous situation for both dolphins and divers. World's fish are migrating to escape global warming A new survey shows that around the world, the fish caught in local nets are increasingly adapted to warmer waters Do Whales Suffer from Decompression Sickness? Marine mammals like whales are well adapted to cope with diving to (and ascending from) great depths, what could cause them to suffer from decompression sickness? There is some evidence to suggest that noise pollution due to the use of sonar; seismic mapping and ships may be disruptive, causing mammals to make too quick an ascent to the surface. Why are so many right whales dying in Argentine Patagonia? The southern right whales that use Peninsula Valdes, Argentina as a nursery ground have suffered the largest mortality event ever recorded for the species in the world. One hundred and thirteen calves died in 2012 alone. The Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program is working with scientists worldwide to determine why the whales are dying, but as yet, a common cause remains to be found. Researchers Track Singing Humpback Whales on a Northwest Atlantic Feeding Ground Male humpback whales sing complex songs in tropical waters during the winter breeding season, but they also sing at higher latitudes at other times of the year. NOAA researchers have provided the first detailed description linking humpback whale movements to acoustic behavior on a feeding ground in the Northwest Atlantic. Scientists use 1800's data to save whales When whalers hunting more than 100 years ago tallied up their efforts they almost certainly didn't realise the data could be used to save the exact species they were killing. Coral's Algae store food and Give it to the Coral later Scientists have learned that coral's symbiotic algae can scoop up available nitrogen, store the excess in crystal form and slowly feed it to the coral as needed. Scientists map global routes of ship-borne invasive species Scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species. Australia pushes for ban on ocean "fertilisation" Australia said it was pushing for a ban of any commercial use of a pioneering technique to reduce the impacts of climate change by fertilising the world's oceans with iron, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. Seahorse's Armour Gives Insight Into Robotic Designs The tail of a seahorse can be compressed to about half its size before permanent damage occurs, engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have found. The tail's exceptional flexibility is due to its structure, made up of bony, armored plates, which slide past each other. Researchers are hoping to use a similar structure to create a flexible robotic arm equipped with muscles made out of polymer, which could be used in medical devices, underwater exploration and unmanned bomb detection and detonation. Don't cry over spilled oil - use nanosheets We're all too familiar with footage of ruptured tankers or busted rigs dumping millions of litres of oil into the sea, coating shorelines and animals in crude sludge. Many traditional methods of cleaning oil spills, such as breaking up the oil with dispersants or skimming it off the surface, are expensive, slow, and unsafe - and often don't really work all that well anyway. But imagine being able to quickly and easily slurp up the floating oil - and do it over and over again using the same material? This scenario may not be far off. West coast whales, dolphins and sharks to be surveyed Whales, dolphins and porpoises are to be photographed and their calls recorded during a new survey of marine life off Scotland's west coast. Governments take a stand against fisheries crime Governments meeting at the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice this week in Vienna agreed to a proposal from Norway, to address crimes at sea that impact upon the environment, including fisheries crimes. Oyster Reefs Decrease Ocean Acidification Scientists have identified many benefits for restoring oyster reefs to Chesapeake Bay and other coastal ecosystems. Oysters filter and clean the water, provide habitat for their own young and for other species, and sustain both watermen and seafood lovers. A new study adds another item to this list of benefits: the ability of oyster reefs to buffer the increasing acidity of ocean waters. * Copyright SCUBA Travel - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ * Reprinting permitted with this footer included. We are happy for you to copy and distribute this newsletter, and use parts of it on your own web site, providing the above copyright notice is included and a link back to our web site is in place. Photos copyright Tim Nicholson and David Collins. Previous editions of SCUBA News are archived at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING Visit this link and add or remove your e-mail address. To change whether your receive the newsletter in text or HTML (with pictures) format visit this link ADVERTISING Should you wish to advertise in SCUBA News, please see the special offers at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsad.html Other advertising opportunities are at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/advertising.html CONTACTING THE EDITOR Please send your letters or press releases to: Jill Studholme SCUBA News The Cliff Upper Mayfield DE6 2HR UK news@scubatravel.co.uk PUBLISHER SCUBA Travel Ltd, The Cliff, Upper Mayfield, DE6 2HR, UK

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