Now researchers at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have found evidence that tuna are spawning in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, covering an area of the central Pacific as large as Argentina.
The deep sea — usually defined as the realm below 200 metres — is a world of extremes. Temperatures near the sea bed in many places hover near 0 °C, there is next to no light, and pressures can exceed 1,000 bars, equivalent to having a couple of elephants standing on your big toe. But still life thrives. The deep sea contains a vast array of ecosystems that researchers have barely begun to study. The ocean floor holds vast deposits of ores containing sought-after metals.
Among the many threats to ocean health is the sharp decline of large pelagic fish: species such as sharks, swordfishes, marlins, and tuna that roam the open sea and play vital roles as predators and as catch in the recreational and commercial fishing industries, which are multibillion-dollar indu
New research finds that thousands of sharks and rays could be entangled in the plastic polluting Earth’s oceans. Scientists at the UK’s University of Exeter examined existing scientific literature and took to Twitter to find documented instances of shark and ray entanglements.
New research from northern Tonga is showing that tourism is disturbing the natural behaviour of Humpback whales. Humpbacks winter-over in Vava'u to give birth and mate before heading back to summer feeding grounds off Antarctica. Click on the link below to read the full article.
The UK’s joint project with American military firm Lockheed Martin is the largest in the world but poses risks to deep sea ecosystems. Click on the link below to read the full article.
The team aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus team used a camera to enjoy a close-up with a see-through piglet squid (Helicocranchia sp.), named for its large siphon that looks like a snout. Click on the link below to read the full article.
SPREP Is Seeking Applications From Interested And Suitably Qualified Persons For The Following Vacancy to Lead the financial and administration functions of the BIEM project. Click on the link below for further details.
Japan began commercial whaling Monday following a 30-year ban, after the country announced it would pull out of the International Whaling Commission late last year.
Human Nature spoke with Johann Bell, senior director of Pacific tuna fisheries at Conservation International, about his latest research into the powerful ways climate change is expected to affect tuna populations — and your lunch. Click on the link below to read the full article.