03/25/2008

Sharks Predicting Bad Weather

Observations that juvenile blacktip sharks moved into deeper water as Hurricane Gabrielle approached Florida in 2001 has prompted researchers to explore the weather predictive powers of sharks. Marine Biology student Lauren Smith from the University of Aberdeen is studying spotted dogfish to see how they react to changes in barometric pressure mimicking the changes normally associated with weather fronts. Sharks sense pressure using hair cells in its vestibular system. Smith is making her observations using data logging tags that record pressure and temperature on juvenile lemon sharks in Bimini while tracking their movement using GPS. She is also testing the effect of pressure variation on dogfish using Aberdeen's National Hyperbaric Centre. The results of the research are scheduled for publication later this year.

03/15/2008

Japanese Whalers Prevented From Reaching Annual Quota

A Japanese Fisheries official does not expect this years Antarctic Ocean whale catch to reach targets because of "sabotage" by anti-whaling groups. Japan announced its catch quota of 850 southern minke whales and 50 fin whales was likely to fall short because of action by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and their ship the Steve Irwin. Members of the Steve Irwin crew caused suspension of Japanese whaling operations for four weeks as a result of several confrontations with whaling vessels in Antarctic waters. During confrontations, the activists hurled foul smelling butter onto Japanese vessels and at one point, two members of the Steve Irwin crew boarded a Japanese ship where they were confined for several days.

03/15/2008

Court Imposes Restrictions on Use of Navy Sonar

The Hawaiian court has placed restrictions on the navy's use of sonar. According to the ruling, the navy cannot conduct exercises using sonar within 12 nautical miles of Hawaii's coast. The navy is also obliged to use three lookouts for an hour before exercises as well as during sonar use and to reduce mid-frequency active sonar by two or three decibels. The ruling came after the Ocean Mammal Institute and the Animal Welfare Institute requested the Navy post non crewmember lookouts during exercises. According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, arange of experts, from the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee to the U.S. Navy's own commissioned scientists have agreed the evidence linking mass whale strandings to mid-frequency sonar is convincing and overwhelming.

03/15/2008

New Plastic Based on Sea Cucumber Skin

Scientists at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, have developed a new plastic that alternates from rigid to supple with the addition of water. The scientists were inspired by sea cucumbers who can make their normally soft skin 10 times stiffer when threatened. Whereas sea cucumbers use enzyme bonds to affect skin suppleness, the new plastic uses rigid cellulose nanofibers in a rubbery matrix. The plastic material is supple when wet and returns to a rigid form when dry. A variant of the material that switches rigidity in response to an electrical impulse is also being developed. The developers have proposed several medical uses for the material as well as the possibility of clothing that transforms into armor at the click of a switch.

03/14/2008

Sand Dollar Uses Clones for Protection

Researchers from the University of Washington have observed sand dollar larvae creating clones of themselves within 24 hours of being threatened by predators. On cloning, the original larva shrank to about half its original size. Biologists studying the Lava suggest the cloning is an attempt to reduce their visibility to predators. The larva float as part of plankton in the pelagic zone before settling to the ocean floor. Larva that are not exposed to predators do not clone themselves.

03/12/2008

ENDURANCE in Frozen Waters

University of Illinois at Chicago and NASA scientists begin a week long series of tests today on a submersible to be used to explore the frozen oceans on Jupiter's moon, Europa. The Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic Antarctic Explorer (ENDURANCE) is a $2.3 million project funded by NASA's Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets Program. The probe is an autonomous underwater vehicle designed to swim untethered under ice, creating three-dimensional maps of underwater environments. The probe also will collect data on conditions in those environments and take samples of microbial life. Researchers then plan to ship the probe to a permanently frozen lake in Antarctica for operations later this year. Source: NASA