Archive for the 'Educate Me' Category
Thursday, September 18th, 2008
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… scientists have catalogued and described 100 new species of sharks and rays in Australian waters.
More than 90 of the newly named species were actually identified by scientists in a 1994 book “Sharks and Rays of Australia” but had remained scientifically undescribed.
One rare species of carpet shark catalogued was found in the belly of another shark.
The new names and descriptions will now be featured in a revised 2009 edition of the book.
[source]
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008
Seven sharks bred in captivity have been released into the waters off Sydney’s famous Manly beach in what marine biologists are calling an Australian first.
The two-year-old wobbegong sharks were slowly eased into the ocean by scientists who will track their movements over the next five years.
It’s the first time in Australia that captive-bred sharks have ever been released back into their natural habitat.
Wobbegong sharks can grow up to 10 ft long. But don’t worry, they “rarely” attack humans.
[source + video]
Monday, September 1st, 2008
The Underwater Channel launches today. Now you can go deep without getting wet (or chomped on.)
The UWC will feature professionally produced video covering a broad range of subjects from natural history, wreck diving and cave diving, marine conservation, expeditions and creature encounters.
You have to download Babelgum to make it work, but it’s totally worth it.
Check it out… The Underwater Channel
Friday, August 8th, 2008
Some of the biggest fish of the season will be weighed in at this weekend’s Outcast Mega Shark Tournament which draws the biggest crowd of any fishing event in Pensacola.
Thousands of people will brave the heat and humidity to get an up-close look at some of the most-feared and least-understood creatures in the Gulf of Mexico.
Scientists from the Gulf Coast Research Lab in Mississippi will be on hand collecting data and tissue samples from the sharks that are brought in for use in ongoing studies.
“Collecting samples from some of these animals is very vital,” said Dr. Eric Hoffmayer who will lead the four-person team that will study and sample all of the sharks that are brought to the scales. “The other thing I like about this tournament is the tag-and-release category. More animals are getting tagged and hopefully will be recaught and we can learn more about their movement and growth.”
Anglers in the shark tournament are provided a tagging kit and tagging stick free of charge. During the two years of the tournament, there has been approximately 5-to-1 ratio on sharks tagged over sharks weighed in.
“We’re not a blood bath, we try to encourage the tag and release as much as possible,” Holmes said. “The scientists are there doing research, it’s something good for people to come see these sharks one on one.”
In keeping with the tradition of “giving back”, all the meat from the sharks brought in during the weekend will go to help feed the animals at the The Zoo Northwest Florida.
[source]
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Last weekend “noted photographer” Nigel Barker spent some time at the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament in Martha’s Vineyard. But he wasn’t there to go fishing. He was there as a spokesperson for The Humane Society, helping to spread the message that the tournaments are just plain cruel. Nigel even went down on the docks to record the gruesome weigh-ins and the fate of the unlucky sharks.
Visit Nigel’s blog to see all the pics.
Monday, June 16th, 2008
The July, 2008 episode of Shark Conspiracies is ready for your skeptical little ears.
This episode takes us from Florida to Fiji, to North Carolina and Mexico, and from the beaches of Brazil to a coroner’s table in San Diego, focusing on the reporting practices and tactics of the International Shark Attack File. It also features an interview with surfer Mark Healey, who talks about his encounter with a Hawaiian tiger shark.
Have a listen at sharkconspiracies.net.
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
Folks are now allowed to swim or dive with whale sharks and thousands of other fish as part of a new program at the world’s largest fish tank at the Georgia Aquarium. Swimming with the “gentle giants” will set you back $190 per person or $290 per person to dive.
There will only be a maximum of six swimmers and six divers a day. Each will be allowed in the water for 30 minutes. The program is open to anyone 12 years old and older, but those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. And divers must be certified. Videos of swim/dives are available for participants for $50.
Already, 1,500 people have signed on through 2008 and for the next three months it’s almost completely booked.
[source]
Friday, April 11th, 2008
The Georgia Aquarium is offering a guided eco-tour to Mexico that will allow visitors to swim with whale sharks in the wild.
The “whale shark experience” trip will have participants diving with the whale sharks at the aquarium one day and swimming with them in sunny Mexico the next.
The five-day trip, which includes five-star accommodations at hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, costs $3,170.
This year’s trip will start out small — just 10 people — but more will be invited next year if it proves successful.
The trip, planned for Aug. 7-12, begins with a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium. The spaces will be filled on a first-come basis.
You won’t find me waiting in that line…
[source]
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
Scientists conducting a survey of New Zealand’s Antarctic waters found some pretty big stuff down there, including jellyfish with 12-foot tentacles and 2-foot-wide starfish!
[read more]
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Steve Kessel, who’s spent the past three years working at the world-renowned Shark Lab, in the Bahamas, thinks sharks be catching on to human techniques for tagging them.
Traditional methods of tagging sharks have involved putting bait on a long line, then implanting a transmitter once it bites. But according to Steve, the sharks seem to be getting smarter aren’t fooled by the bait anymore.
[source]
