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A giant sea snail may turn out to be another line of defense against the destructive crown-of-thorn starfish that is currently plaguing Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Called the Pacific triton sea snail (Charonia tritonis), it can grow up to about 50 to 60cm and is indigenous to Australian waters. More importantly, the crown-of-thorn starfish happens to be part of its natural diet. However, the sea snail is currently endangered due to the consumer demand for their shells.

This is the findings of a new study in Global Change Biology by the University of British Columbia. The reason for this future decline in size stems from the fact that fish are cold-blooded animals, and are thus unable to regulate their body temperatures.

“When their waters get warmer, their metabolism accelerates and they need more oxygen to sustain their body functions,” said co-author William Cheung, associate professor at the Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries and director of science for the Nippon Foundation-UBC Nereus Program.

This first standard is called "RTC Rebreather Diver Level 1," and it delineates a stage in a diver’s development where he or she is trained to dive with a rebreather to a maximum depth of 30m (100ft) with no planned stage decompression stops, and without supervision by an instructor or divemaster.

This standard will make it easier to compare certifications from different agencies, and is intended to be followed by others later.¹

Design criteria

Not all equipment are created equal but for different purposes and users. Consider the two iconic German cars below.

Which one is the best, which one is the better design?

The Mercedes with its advanced technology, high performance and superior handling? Or the rugged and uncomplicated VW Beetle of which more that 21 million were sold and is the longest-running and most-manufactured car ever made?

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) discovered that some fish have learnt to stay within marine reserves where they are safe from fishing, demonstrating the importance of such facilities. They made the discovery after modelling the movements of skipjack and bluefin tuna and great white sharks in the ocean.