Archive for the ‘Reef Conservation’ Category
Sushi Restaurant Serving Whale?
The filmmakers who made the Oscar award winning “The Cove”, a film about Japanese dolphin hunting, went undercover at a popular sushi restaurant in California to investigate rumors of whale being used in sushi. The Hump, in Santa Monica, was rumored to be serving whale meat, which is illegal in the United States. “The Cove” [...]
Low Oxygen Zones in the Ocean Growing
Areas of hypoxia, or low oxygen, have long existed in the deep waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, but appear to be growing according to scientists. These “dead zones” appear to be spreading even into continental shelf areas and even approaching the surface. The lack of oxygen is so bad in some areas [...]
Update to Clipperton Island Incident
A couple of weeks ago, we discussed the incident of the Maltese chemical tanker “Sichem Osprey” running aground on the Clipperton reefs and spilling out thousands of gallons of xylene, an industrial solvent. It turns out though, we may have a retraction on our hands.
I received an email from an employee at the MTI Network, [...]
Earthquake in Chile, Hawaii Braces for Tsunami
Fresh on the heals of the Tahiti earthquake, Chile has been rocked by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake. On the surface, you might think what this has to do with the aquarium world. But to tie it in with our hobby, the earthquake has sent a tsunami in the direction of Hawaii, California and islands in [...]
World’s Coral Reefs Could Disintegrate by 2100
Researchers at Carnegie Institution have recently indicated that rising CO2 in the atmosphere could begin overwhelming coral reefs. Trends in CO2 data lead scientists to believe that thousands of coral reefs will disintegrateby the year 2100.
As more CO2 is released into the atmosphere, the more acidic the oceans become. This is alarming, given that coral [...]
Chemical Tanker Runs Aground on Clipperton Island
Some terrible news for the atoll reefs at Clipperton Island broke today when Reef Builders reported that a chemical tanker, which ran aground over a week ago, has leaked Xylene and other toxic chemicals into nearby waters.
The ship, a Maltese chemical tanker called the”Sichem Osprey”, was on its way from Panama Canal to South Korea [...]
83 Corals to be Listed on the Endangered Species Act
Back in October 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity created a petition to list 83 coral species as threatened or endangered. In response to that petition, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Department of Commerce have opened a 90-day finding period seeking information on whether the [...]
Yao Ming Siding Against Shark Fin Soup
Conservation group, WildAid, frequently releases public service announcements in order to raise awareness about the illegal wildlife trade that threatens endangered species.
One of their latest public service announcements stars local NBA athlete Yao Ming, who is seen in the following video addressing shark fin soup.
Name, Register Corals with the National Coral Registry`
An interesting new concept was revealed to me over the weekend, and it’s a coral naming and registering system. The National Coral Registry Association, or NCRA, is a site that promotes aquaculture through the registering (and subsequent selling) of corals that you grow in your own aquarium. Farmers name and send in a high resolution [...]
Walmart and Their Fish Tanks
I have never been a fan of large retail chain stores that specialize in pet supplies and livestock. My frustration, anger, and disgust is mostly pointed at Petco, but a recent trip to Walmart has really redirected those feelings. I apologize in advance for the poor quality cell phone images.
In short, I was in Walmart [...]
