Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Preserving 4 Percent of the Ocean Could Protect Most Marine Mammal Species

Preserving just 4 percent of the ocean could protect crucial habitat for the vast majority of marine species, from sea otters to blue whales, according to research at Stanford University and the National autonomous University of Mexico.


Their findings were published in the Aug. 16 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


For more information please click here

Monday, August 29, 2011

Scientists call for protected areas to conserve deep sea environment

On Monday at the Census of Marine Life (COML) project, the 10 year assessment of the world's oceans completed in 2010, published their analysis of the impact humans are having on the deep sea. Their conclusions were stark: the largest habitat on Earth is being damaged by pollution, resource exploitation and climate change.

Lack of detailed scientific knowledge about the deep sea makes it a difficult environment to protect. One way to stop the damage is to create a network of marine protected areas.

The establishment of a network of marine reserves would safeguard the extraordinary and vulnerable deep sea environments that we are only just beginning to understand.

For the full story please follow this link

Falmouth could become test site for wave devices

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC) has submitted a licence application for an energy test site in Falmouth Bay, Cornwall. The application has been made to the Marine Management Organisation to undertake Marine Energy Works.

The Falmouth Bay test site, known as FabTest, would enable developers to cost-effectively trial wave energy devices in calm waters with easy access to the shore, prior to linking up to Wave Hub. It would not be connected to the grid.

For more information please click here

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Growth of Cities Endangers Global Environment


The explosive growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades poses significant risks to people and the global environment, according to a meta-analysis published August 19 in PLoS ONE.

According to researchers at Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies it is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse. These ares include forests, biological hotspots, savannas, coastlines, sensitive and vulnerable places.

Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. Research suggests that of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most vulnerable. People and infrastructure are at risk to flooding, tsunamis, hurricanes and other environmental disasters.

For the full story please click here

Monday, August 1, 2011

Reform of EU fishing policy

The EU Commission has proposed major changes to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), designed to cut waste and stop overfishing in European waters.

Under the plan, the existing system of fishing quotas, which often leads to tonnes of perfectly good fish being dumped at sea, will be reformed.

The European Commission says the current policy is wasteful, 75% of stocks are still overfished and catches are only a fraction of what they were 15-20 years ago. Catches of cod for example have declined by 70% in the last 10 years.

For more details on changes to the fishing policy, please follow this link