The massive and solitary Sphyrna Mokarran
by Franco and Sabrina - 4th April 2017
A few weeks ago I was leading a micro-group of passionate divers and UW photographers to Bimini Island, a lovely sandy…
Japan kills 333 whales in annual hunt
by Herbert - 1st April 2017
Whales supposedly killed for "research" purposes After four months at sea, the Japanese whaling fleet has returned from its controversial…
Litter in the sea: New portal offers comprehensive coverage
by Herbert - 29th March 2017
New online portal LITTERBASE compiles all data in one location Where is litter at sea and which species and habitats…
New coral species at World Heritage Site described
by Mares - 28th March 2017
Researchers believe this species is “first of many new hard coral species to be found” Lord Howe Island is already…
Researchers gather at Great Barrier Reef to study latest coral bleaching
by Mares - 21st March 2017
Aerial and underwater surveys to be conducted As coral bleaching strikes the Great Barrier Reef for the second year in…
Programming drones to map oil spills
by Herbert - 7th March 2017
Team drew inspiration from mathematical principlesA team from the University of Buffalo is looking into how drones can be programmed…
Wave-Glider: Keeping track of marine research in real time
by Mares - 3rd March 2017
Online portal for Wave Glider missions launchedWave Glider missions can now be viewed online – and they are live. Operated…
Biorock project Curacao
by Herbert - 27th February 2017
Artifical reefs help to preserve valuable ecosystemsCuracao's intact coral reefs belong to the most popular attraction for divers and snorkelers.…
Growing problem of litter in the Arctic depths
by Herbert - 16th February 2017
Sea ice may be responsible for transporting plastic wasteThe Arctic has a garbage problem. In just a decade, the amount…
Coral reefs enchant when one dives in fluorescence
by Mares - 10th February 2017
Adventures in fluo-diving in Abu Dabab No, it wasn't the Pink Panther, but a pink flathead that was the highlight…
Catching fish too expensive to eat
by Mares - 9th February 2017
WWF report: Improving fishing management imperative for global food security By 2050, millions of people in the global South (in…
Elevated carbon dioxide levels impairs cone snails’ hunting skills
by Mares - 7th February 2017
Cone Snails become hyperactive and “meandered around” Cone snails are expected to find it hard to catch their prey if…
New ocean measuring station at Boknis Eck
by Mares - 1st February 2017
GEOMAR and Helmholtz Center Geesthacht install new sensor node in Baltic Sea Boknis Eck (Boknis Corner) – a name familiar…
Studying the effects of coastal erosion in the Arctic
by Mares - 18th January 2017
The thawing and erosion of the arctic permafrost coasts has increased so drastically in the past that more than 20…
Coral restoration in Bonaire
by Herbert - 13th January 2017
Engaging the diver to protect and restore reefs For several years, scientists have observed more and more instances of coral…
Mysterious mass oyster die-off solved
by Mares - 2nd January 2017
In 2011, there was a mass die-off of wild Olympia oysters in north San Francisco Bay, the cause of which…
Octopus Casper: Deep-sea octopuses require manganese nodules to lay their eggs
by Herbert - 22nd December 2016
Casper the octopus (and counterparts) threatened by deep-sea miningFor deep-sea octopuses, manganese nodules on the seabed are an important breeding…
Kelp along Southern California coastline resisted warmer temperatures
by Mares - 16th December 2016
In early 2014, when a large-scale heat wave in the Pacific Ocean produced temperature anomalies greater than anything seen since…
It’s not just a harmless plastic bottle
by Mares - 8th December 2016
What happens with the trash? What happens to a piece of trash that's discarded into the ocean? Well, if it…
Moments of a lifetime caught on camera : Snorkelling side by side with the sperm whales of the eastern Caribbean Sea
by Franco and Sabrina - 29th November 2016
This post starts our contribution to the Mares blog, to which we are absolutely grateful, and our first post is about the…
Whales: The killing continues…
by Herbert - 28th November 2016
Japanese whaling ships set off on lethal missionDespite having adopted a new method to control their scientific whaling activities at…
Plastik-Peter warns about threats of plastic trash in oceans
by Mares - 22nd November 2016
New short film is part of efforts of Science Year 2016*2017With the “Plastik-Peter” cinema short film as part of Science…
Researchers search for Earth’s oldest ice
by Mares - 21st November 2016
Ice cores show glimpse of composition of atmosphere in the pastIn Antarctic, ice and climate scientists from 14 institutions in…
Best Guadalupe Season Since 2012!
by Morne Hardenberg - 18th November 2016
We have just completed two EPIC expeditions to Isla Guadalupe off the west coast of Baja Peninsula! The volcanic island…
Different coral communities differ in their ability to adapt to new environments
by Mares - 17th November 2016
For the first time, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have observed separate populations of corals diverging in…
Greenpeace gathers 24,000 signatures against oil drilling in national park
by Mares - 12th November 2016
High price for just a little oil Last week, Greenpeace activists handed over 24,000 signed postcards to Dr Robert Habeck,…
From walking the runway to diving for ghost nets
by Mares - 10th November 2016
Model Barbara Meier is the new project ambassador for the WWF campaign against ghost nets Model and actress Barbara Meier…
Trial of shark-detection technology begins at shark nursery
by Herbert - 7th November 2016
Is Clever Buoy smart enough to spot the sharks?In light of the recent shark attacks off the North Coast of…
Great Barrier Reef continues to be under threat from coral bleaching
by Mares - 4th November 2016
Scientists publish interactive map Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University are…
Irrawaddy dolphins “functionally extinct” in Laos
by Mares - 1st November 2016
No hope left for the remaining dolphinsThe Irrawaddy dolphin has lost the battle for survival in Laos. The WWF declared…
World’s largest marine protected area established in Antarctica
by Herbert - 28th October 2016
Just off the southern coast of Antarctica is the Ross Sea, where the largest marine protected area (MPA) will be…
Seismic gun testing threatens world’s second largest barrier reef
by Mares - 25th October 2016
Belize begins seismic surveys at the World Natural Heritage Site of the Belize Barrier Reef In late October 2016, Belize…
Germany proposes protection for Weddell Sea
by Mares - 20th October 2016
The European Union has submitted a request for a marine protected area (MPA) to be established in the Weddell Sea.…
The greatest ocean safari on the planet!
by Morne Hardenberg - 19th October 2016
Every year, over the months of June/July, we spend 40 days on South Africa's "Wild Coast" waiting for the mass…
Shark nets along South African coast threaten rare dolphins
by Mares - 7th October 2016
Negative effect on biodiversity Along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, many dolphins die in gillnets set up to…
Greenpeace reports on research on microplastics in seafood
by Mares - 6th October 2016
Microplastics can accumulate in the food chain “In the environment, microplastics act like a foreign body with toxins. It contains…
Good News from CITES
by Franco and Sabrina - 5th October 2016
CITES voted yesterday (4th October) on proposals to list silky sharks, all three species of thresher sharks and all nine…
Environmental factors, not just climate change, can also affect isotopic composition of corals
by Mares - 28th September 2016
Important details found in calcium carbonate skeletons of corals The calcium carbonate skeletons of corals retain important details about their…
Photo exhibition on ocean acidification opens at GEOMAR
by Mares - 27th September 2016
A new photo exhibition by two nature photographers centres on the organisms on which climate change research is currently focused…
Two-thirds of zooplankton at tropical coral reefs lost to ocean acidification
by Herbert - 24th September 2016
Ocean acidification can fundamentally change the structure of the reef Tropical coral reefs can lose up to two-thirds of their…
Larger-sized animals at higher risk of extinction
by Mares - 22nd September 2016
Serious consequences for the marine ecosystems Uncontrolled fishing practices have given rise to a new trend that places larger animals…
WDC partners with Walflüsterer (Whale whisperer) project to promote sustainable whale watching
by Mares - 21st September 2016
The “Walflüsterer” (Whale whisperer) project, which promotes sustainable whale-watching trips, has chosen the Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s (WDC) as partner…
New Hope Spots spell new hope for the world’s oceans
by Herbert - 15th September 2016
Fourteen new oceanic Hope Spots were jointly announced last week by Mission Blue and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of…
International Coastal Cleanup Day 2016
by Mares - 14th September 2016
Volunteers to clear trash from beaches throughout Germany On 17 September 2016, volunteers worldwide will come together to do their…
New butterflyfish species discovered in Hawaii
by Mares - 13th September 2016
Butterflyfish found in deep coral reefs Scientists have announced the discovery of a new species of butterflyfish in the deep…
IUCN Report: “We are making the world sick”
by Mares - 9th September 2016
Drastic changes within the marine environment Since the 1970s, the oceans have absorbed more than 93 percent of the enhanced…
White orca returns after absence of several years
by Mares - 7th September 2016
"Iceberg" the white orca has resurfaced in the Russian Far East. First sighted in early 2012, he captured worldwide media…
Fishermen from Niendorf and Travemünde supportive of Fishing for Litter
by Mares - 5th September 2016
Schleswig-Holstein secures funding of project for another three years Since the middle of August 2016, fishermen have been able to…