Environment Archives

Phuket builds underwater statue park

We thought we'd seen everything, but oh no: Phuket Diving Park, as the site is now known, features sculptures including Thai demons ( yak ), traditional decorative arches, a sala, two elephants and a giant pearl oyster. Over time...

Read the full text of "Phuket builds underwater statue park" »

Posted by Staff on 26 August 2006

Permalink

New 230 hectare reef discovered off Khao Lak

It is hard to believe that there are many places left in the world where we haven't already been, particularly with regard to shallow reefs in Thailand, but apparently there is a new undiscovered reef. In an article by Sydney...

Read the full text of "New 230 hectare reef discovered off Khao Lak" »

Posted by Staff on 23 February 2006

Permalink

Underwater photographers = crap divers?

Getting a good photo is no excuse for damaging the environment. This is where we underwater photographers are most vulnerable to criticism. Adding a camera and strobe will affect buoyancy, and once the eye is glued to the viewfinder,...

Read the full text of "Underwater photographers = crap divers?" »

Posted by Staff on 5 February 2006

Permalink

Diving Icebergs in the Weddell Sea

In order to learn how various drifting iceberg-lets affect cold-water marine animals and algae, a team of scientists from MBARI's Midwater Ecology group spent December chilling out - literally! - in the Weddell Sea. Studying marine life in and underneath...

Read the full text of "Diving Icebergs in the Weddell Sea" »

Posted by Staff on 20 January 2006

Permalink

Protecting Fiji's great reef

Ancient fishing chants, many of which hadn't been performed in more than 50 years, and a lavish feast of local delicacies — clams, seaweeds, taro leaves, mangoes, guavas, coconuts and pineapples — were prepared over days for villagers and visitors...

Read the full text of "Protecting Fiji's great reef" »

Posted by Staff on 13 January 2006

Permalink

Coral planting project to save Singapore's reefs

Budding undersea colonies are being planted around Singapore in an effort to reforest some of the world's most silt-filled waters. Large-scale efforts here include transplanting small pieces of coral to degraded areas, where they will hopefully take root, and providing...

Read the full text of "Coral planting project to save Singapore's reefs" »

Posted by Staff on 11 January 2006

Permalink

How Many Divers Is Too Many?

We've mentioned before that humans are the single biggest threat to coral reefs. Although divers aren’t usually singled out for their destructiveness, general human activity – such as cyanide fishing, pollution, and overfishing – is the leading cause of...

Read the full text of "How Many Divers Is Too Many?" »

Posted by Staff on 9 January 2006

Permalink

Ocean census reveals weird and wonderful

About 1700 researchers in 73 countries are now halfway through the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year project which aims to catalogue the life in our oceans - from the tiniest microbes to the biggest whales. In the past...

Read the full text of "Ocean census reveals weird and wonderful" »

Posted by Staff on 18 December 2005

Permalink

Welsh dive site under threat

Divers in Wales believe the demolition of a wooden jetty near Caernarfon is set to destroy an important marine habitat and popular dive site.Trefor Pier was originally built in the early 1900s to load locally quarried stone, and is...

Read the full text of "Welsh dive site under threat" »

Posted by Staff on 15 December 2005

Permalink

Deep sea gardens discovered everywhere

Ocean explorers are uncovering a whole gaggle of new undersea gardens from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean powered by nothing but hot water, and rich in both exotic life and valuable ores. Geothermal vents on the ocean floor...

Read the full text of "Deep sea gardens discovered everywhere" »

Posted by Staff on 15 December 2005

Permalink

Coco and Christmas Island Reefs in better shape than expected

An eight-year research project has found coral reef around the Christmas and Cocos Islands is in much better shape than first thought. The scientific report by Parks Australia has found the Cocos Keeling reef, off the state's north-west coast,...

Read the full text of "Coco and Christmas Island Reefs in better shape than expected" »

Posted by Staff on 15 December 2005

Permalink

Where are all the critters going?

Marine Census Shows Diversity, Declines A massive census of all the fish and other marine life in the world’s oceans has reached the halfway point with new evidence of the rich diversity under the sea along with warnings about...

Read the full text of "Where are all the critters going?" »

Posted by Staff on 15 December 2005

Permalink

Reef closures helping fish stocks, says scientist

Good news for scuba divers as a scientist says reductions in fishing along the Barrier Reef have increased fish stocks. From ABC News The scientist at the head of an 11-year study into the effects of line fishing on...

Read the full text of "Reef closures helping fish stocks, says scientist" »

Posted by Staff on 13 December 2005

Permalink

Migration of green turtles 1955 - 2003

During 1955-2003, flipper tags were attached to 46,983 green turtles and ten turtles were fitted with satellite transmitters at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Eight satellite-tracked turtles stayed within 135 km of the beach and probably returned to nest after release....

Read the full text of "Migration of green turtles 1955 - 2003" »

Posted by Staff on 13 December 2005

Permalink

Basking shark granted international protection

The basking shark has been granted international protection, following an agreement of world leaders at a conference in Kenya in November. The world’s second-largest fish is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List – the World Conservation Union’s...

Read the full text of "Basking shark granted international protection" »

Posted by Staff on 11 December 2005

Permalink

Two-headed marine turtle found in Costa Rica

A deformed two-headed olive ridley sea turtle hatchling was found on a beach on Costa Rica's northwest Pacific coast, leading experts to believe that contaminants, increased temperatures possibly resulting from climate change and other factors may be at play....

Read the full text of "Two-headed marine turtle found in Costa Rica" »

Posted by Staff on 3 December 2005

Permalink

Great Barrier Reef passes health check

The Great Barrier Reef has been given a pass mark after its biennial health check by the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Researcher Hugh Sweatman says it has surveyed more than 100 reefs to assess the damage caused by disturbances...

Read the full text of "Great Barrier Reef passes health check" »

Posted by Staff on 2 December 2005

Permalink

Malaysia: 200 reef balls 'planted' to restore corals

About 200 reef balls weighing a total of 540 tonnes were planted at the Mid Reef area off Manukan Island, near here, to restore coral reefs wrecked by the Greg Storm about eight years ago, Thursday. Officiating at the...

Read the full text of "Malaysia: 200 reef balls 'planted' to restore corals" »