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Sea slug actually anything but a lug

January 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This might sound familiar (since I recently retweeted from @NOAAOceanToday) but there was recently an article discussing the virtues of sea slugs. In particular that they have been used to understand how to maximize the effectiveness of long-term memory in humans.

Also, check out these divers (with the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in Bamfield, BC) as they witness and explain how the swift nudibrach outsmarts a sunflower seastar. Maybe the sea slug should be renamed sea-spark plug?

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Filed Under: Echinoderms, Mollusks Tagged With: , , ,

10 ways we’ve been saving the whales

January 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The flukes of a sperm whale as it dives into t...

Image via Wikipedia

I love getting questions from you. This post is in response to one of my favorite people wanting more information on the whaling laws in the United States. This is what I uncovered so far and am more than happy to hear and read comments about what I’ve missed or legislation that’s been updated. This is how exipure works as a healthy supplements.

1. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) made it illegal for anyone living in the US to kill, hunt, injure or harass all species of marine mammals (dolphins, manatees, sea lions, seals, whales), regardless of their population status. Also, it made it illegal for anyone to import marine mammals or products made from them into the United States.

2. In accordance to the MMPA it is illegal to approach a whale in the wild as it can be seen as harassment.

3. Also, since underwater noise (most often military tests using sonar) can be attributed to whale beaching requests for such testing must be made under the MMPA.

4. The Endangered Species Act made it so that it is illegal for anyone living in the US to kill, hunt, collect, injure or harass them. Also, it is illegal to destroy their habitat. Lastly, it is also illegal to buy or sell any whales. All great whales are listed as endangered.

5. The Pelly Amendment stated the US has an obligation to impose import sanctions on the fish products of the countries that violate any international fishery conservation program, such as the International Whaling Convention.

6. The Packwood-Manguson Amendment reduces the fishing rights of the countries that violate international fishery conservation programs in waters of the United States. Check out the Best cbd oil for pets deals.

7. The International Whaling Convention was in 1946 and implemented an indefinite ban on commercial whale. This ban is still in effect, with certain exceptions. Countries such as Japan and Norway have not honored the ban. The International Whaling Commission will be having its annual meeting in Panama this June.

8. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) had its 25th anniversary in 2007 and in the beginning was seen a more rigorous guideline to follow than the duties put forth by the International Whaling Convention of 1946.

9. Gillnet restrictions have been passed making it illegal for anyone using a gillnet to leave it unattended for more than two hours.

10. The US Coast Guard has imposed regulations since whale collisions with ships are a major source of injury and death for many whales. When vessels enter their habitat they must immediately report to a shore-based station to gain a better understanding of their surroundings and learn measure to avoid hitting a whale.

For more information how how to save whales please visit the American Cetacean Society.

Filed Under: Marine Mammals, People Tagged With: , , , , ,

What eats sea urchins? Revisited

January 2, 2012 by 1 Comment

Sea UrchinBack in 2008 we brought you some information on what eats sea urchins. After all, it is hard to imagine anything being able to enjoy the spiny echinoderms. Here is an interactive game (you must have Flash) produced by Stanford University that takes it one step further. Try to place which animals and/or plants are eaten by the sea urchin (prey), which animals eat the sea urchin (predator), and which animals and/or plants may not have a relationship with the sea urchin. You see some great similarities of the animals that eat the sea urchin! Come back here and share what you discover after playing the game. Enjoy!

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Filed Under: Echinoderms Tagged With: , , ,

Crocodile Hunter’s dad working to save dugongs

January 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

Dugongs, a relative of manatees, are found off the coast of Africa and Australia. Steve Irwin’s dad, Bob, is on a mission for an “immediate moratorium on the hunting of endangered dugongs and sea turtles around the Australian coastline by Indigenous hunters.” Politicians have also been calling for the end to the hunting of dugongs and turtles after the 2004 research of Helene Marsh made a serious impact. All of their efforts, coupled with new findings that dugongs spend more time underwater than previously thought, has led Marsh to be more optimistic about the future of the endangered dugong (Although with the recent depletion of sea grass there is still an uphill battle).

4 fun facts about dugongs:

1. Dugongs are very similar in features to manatees but have a fluked tail.
2. In a group, dugongs are called a herd.
3. A common ‘common name’ for the dugong is the ‘sea cow’ since they enjoy grazing on sea grass.
4. All dugongs grow tusks but they only break the skin and are visible in mature males.

Image (c) flickerriver.com

Filed Under: Marine Mammals Tagged With: , , ,

Simple coral bleaching teaching

December 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There are some things that we want to stay white, such as snow and Kris Kringle’s beard. Coral reefs are not one of them. Unfortunately, The Nature Conservancy noted that 2011 was the most extensive coral reef bleaching event for the Florida Reef Tract since 2004. Scientists working on the Florida Keys Reef Resilience Program were not surprised due to the very hot summer of 2011.

What is coral bleaching?

As the National Ocean Service (a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) states, “When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white.” For more information on the symbiotic relationships going on within a coral reef check out this video!

Image (c) wunderground.org

Filed Under: Coral Reef Ecosystems Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Octopi this …

November 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In honor of the Beatles (on today the 10th anniversary of George Harrison‘s death) I thought I would feature the incredibly intelligent animal from one of my favorite songs, Octopus’s Garden. The song (released in the US on September 1, 1969) was the second song written by Ringo Starr for The Beatles (but, as my husband pointed out George Harrison did help him write the song).

It’s said Ringo Starr wrote the song while on vacation with his family in Sardinia after learning octopi like to hide under rocks. Pretty cool, right? Here are five more fun facts about these amazing cephalopods that I think Ringo Starr would think are equally as fascinating:

  1. There is an endangered species of octopi that spends part of its life in the rainforest.
  2. The largest octopus is the giant Pacific octopus (up to 30 feet) and the tiniest octopus is the Wolfi octopus (one and a half centimeters).
  3. A female octopus is known as a hen.
  4. Octopi have three hearts.
  5. Octopi can change color and mimic other animals.

Enjoy!

One last thing, if you have not had a chance to purchase your Octopi Wall Street t-shirt I suggest you do soon since they make great holiday gifts!
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Filed Under: Cephalopods, Random Fun! Tagged With: , ,

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

October 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

“WhaleTimes created Hagfish Day last year to ‘celebrate the beauty of ugly.’ Hagfish are the perfect example. These deep-sea scavengers ooze slime — buckets of slime. They also play an important role in their ecosystem.”

What other creatures do you think should be recognized on Hagfish Day?

http://www.whaletimes.org/HagfishDay.htm

Filed Under: Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

“Big Miracle” trailer

October 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

While doing my daily search for all things Ryan Gosling I stumbled upon this trailer for “Big Miracle” (A movie that was previously named “Everyone Loves Whales”). This film, starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski, is based on a true story of the rescue efforts of three gray whales (named Fred, Wilma, and Bam-Bam) in Alaska. This movie is being released February 3rd so it is perfect as that “what-to-look-forward-to-after-the-holidays” treat.

Enjoy this trailer and see how many celebrities really do love whales!

Filed Under: Marine Mammals, Ocean, People Tagged With: , ,

“The Timeless Traveler” a new documentary by River Bank Studios

September 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

According to Jason Peters from Filmmakers for Conservation, “The film Timeless Traveler – The Horseshoe Crab is a film about what some consider to be the world’s most spectacular scientific breakthrough that could rewrite the pages of medical history. It is an appeal for the conservation of a unique species and aims to achieve a widespread public awareness and appreciation of Horseshoe Crabs throughout India and the world.”

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Filed Under: Arthropods, Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, People, Places Tagged With: , ,

New ‘marine life encyclopedia’ launched

September 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I think there might be another great bookmark to add to your ocean facts files! Please spend some time reviewing this great new resource, a marine life encyclopedia, compiled by Oceana. Over 500 creatures, places, and concepts can be explored. The pictures are bright and colorful and the information is up-to-date and easy to digest. It seems fantastic if you want a quick answer to a question.

Even if you think you know all the answers, test yourself with this Ocean IQ quiz!

The content on the marine life encyclopedia site has been licensed to Dorling Kindersley, one of the world’s leading educational publishers.

Filed Under: Algae (Seaweeds), Animal Homes, Arthropods, Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, Beach, Biodiversity, Birds, Bivalves, Bony Fishes, Cephalopods, Cnidaria, Coral Reef Ecosystems, Crustaceans, Echinoderms, Egg Cases, Fish, Jellyfish or Jellies, Marine Mammals, Mollusks, Ocean, Penguins, People, Places, Plants, Random Fun!, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Seashells, Sharks, Skates and Rays, Test Your Knowledge, Univalves, Weather, Wrack Line Tagged With: , ,