The five types of shark were among 21 species of shark and ray, including sawfish, granted new protection status at a convention summit in November.
Although Australia did not object to the listings in November, it is now seeking to opt out of the commitment to cooperate with other countries to ensure the five migratory shark species do not become extinct. The expanded list is due to come into effect on 8 February.
Counting "band pairs," which are series of rings that alternate between translucent and opaque within the sharks' vertebrae scientists looked at band-pair data from 77 sharks that were captured between 1963 and 2010.
Using this method, the researchers found that great white sharks were considerably older than previously thought, with the oldest individual animal in the study reaching 73 years of age.
They also found that the great white sharks — at least in the Atlantic Ocean — matured more slowly than previously thought, thus making them even more vulnerable to threats.
Using a metal detector, the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority's divers found gold coins in different denominations: a dinar, half dinar and quarter dinar, of various dimensions and weight.
Kobi Sharvit, director of the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority said that “the winter storms expose treasures from the sea.”
Born in Germany in 1968, he became interested in photography at a very young age but his real passion for the subject came to the fore after he discovered scuba diving in 1998. On becoming an instructor in 2000, he was able to combine his love for diving and photography by focusing on his 'Aquatic Photography' which has earned him his just reputation as being one of the best in this field. His work has been published in magazines worldwide and has won him many awards and accolades.
A study of bottlenose dolphin deaths in the Gulf of Mexico conducted between 2010 and early 2013 has concluded the highest number of strandings and deaths occurred in areas most impacted by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In comparison, Gulf Coast areas of Texas and Florida, which experienced little to no oiling, saw few statewide increases in stranded dolphins during the same period.
As of February 1st, Cancun tourists will enjoy an extra hour in the sun as the state of Quintana Roo changes from Central Standard Time (CST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST).After more than two years of efforts by the state government and several hotel owners in Cancun, the Mexican government granted approval for the change.
According to Department of Conservation officials, at least 198 pilot whales had become stranded on the beaches of New Zealand's South Island. At least 24 of the whales have already died with Conservation officials and local volunteers scrambling to save the remaining individuals.
It was the first thorough exploration of the cold, oxygen-rich waters north of Bodega Head, a small promontory that lies along the California's Sonoma coast just 70 miles north of San Francisco. Submarine canyons, such as Bodega Canyon, extend from the continental shelf to the deep sea – making their exploration a difficult but worthwhile endeavour. The canyons are important because they act as a refuge for important species of fish and provide a habitat for sensitive species of deep-water corals and sponges.
Since the 2014 coup that ousted the democratically elected government and implemented martial law, many tourists and expatriates in Bangkok have fallen prey to a criminal practice. The victims have little recourse when reporting incidents to police, as the perpetrators are the police.
The Twitter feed of former Lonely Planet author Joe Cummings, is riddled with stories detailing police harassment and extortion. “Random police searches of foreigners in BKK is getting bad,” reads a typical entry dated Dec. 6. “Many reports of innocent tourists forced to pay bribes.”
Isabelle Côté, a Simon Fraser University professor of marine ecology and conservation, has co-authored a new study that finds little would be lost by eliminating high seas fishing.
In this study Côté and her colleagues evaluated the impact of closing deep-sea fishing on fisheries' catches and values, and their economic consequences for individual countries, identifying which nations would stand to financially gain or lose.
Pacific bluefin tuna are unique amongst bony fish as they are endothermic (warm bodied) and can raise their core body temperature to 20°C above that of the surrounding water.
These animals are also capable of diving to depths of more than 1000 meter where the water is frigid. This chills the heart because it receives blood directly from the gills which mirrors water temperature. During deep dives their body temperature stays warm but their heart temperature can fall by 15°C within minutes. In other animals, humans included, this would stop the heart.
