For news, articles and updates on scuba diving, travel and the marine environment. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubaicon.gif http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ 61 45 The World Heritage Committee decided to remove the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) from the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, despite IUCN's recommendation to the contrary. "Threats from tourism, invasive species and overfishing are still factors and the situation in the Galapagos remains critical". http://www.iucn.org/media/materials/releases/?5763/Galapagos-off-danger-list-but-still-at-risk http://www.iucn.org/media/materials/releases/?5763/Galapagos-off-danger-list-but-still-at-risk Deep-sea trawling is damaging the UK's sponge beds and threatening a potential source of medical cures, scientists have warned. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11053801 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11053801 A new technique to harmlessly extract DNA from dolphin breath could assist conservation efforts aimed at marine mammals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11085006 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11085006 New findings by international research group suggest that sea level will likely be 30-70 centimetres higher by 2100 than at the start of the century even if all but the most aggressive geo-engineering schemes are undertaken to mitigate the effects of global warming. http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41698 http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41698 Scientists aboard a U.S. research ship have started an around-the-clock search for elusive signs of oil lurking beneath the Gulf of Mexico's surface in what they jokingly "Operation Dipstick". http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41692 http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41692 JUST 600 metres away from the Great Barrier Reef, the jewel in Australia's crown, a less spectacular but more ancient reef has been discovered. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727744.000-great-barrier-reefs-greatgrandmother-is-unearthed.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727744.000-great-barrier-reefs-greatgrandmother-is-unearthed.html What has happened to the 4.9 million barrels of oil from the busted Macondo well? Some say it's all dispersed - others say it'll be around for months. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19345-gulf-spill-is-the-oil-lurking-underwater.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19345-gulf-spill-is-the-oil-lurking-underwater.html None of the proposed technologies will stop sea levels rising this century and swamping low-lying lands, a modelling study finds. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19353-geoengineering-wont-undo-sea-level-rises.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19353-geoengineering-wont-undo-sea-level-rises.html The Census for Marine Life has found that the most bio-diverse waters so far studied are around Australia and Japan. These each feature almost 33000 species. However, this could change as some highly diverse areas such as Indonesia and Madagascar have yet to report. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/08/australia-and-japan-have-most-diverse-marine-life.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/08/australia-and-japan-have-most-diverse-marine-life.html The giant horned turtles of the Pacific became extinct later than we thought - and we were to blame. The half-tonne meiolaniid turtles were thought to have died out 30 to 40,000 years ago. With no signs of human interference, climate change was blamed. Now butchered turtle remains have been found in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19320-horned-turtles-butchered-to-extinction.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19320-horned-turtles-butchered-to-extinction.html SCUBA Travel have updated their guide to diving Spain, including Tenerife and the excellent diving around the Medes Islands - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/spain.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/spain.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/spain.html It has been widely reported that the build up of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air, which is caused by human behavior, will likely lead to climate change and have major implications for life on earth. But less focus has been given to global warming's evil twin, ocean acidification, which occurs when CO2 lowers the pH of water bodies, thus making them more acidic. This lesser known phenomenon may have catastrophic effects on all sea life. http://www.newswise.com/articles/high-levels-of-carbon-dioxide-threaten-oyster-survival http://www.newswise.com/articles/high-levels-of-carbon-dioxide-threaten-oyster-survival The latest issue of SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) is now freely available on-line. In this issue: diving India, Philippines underwater photo gallery, diving Thailand, win a dive computer, creature of the month and the marine environmental news from around the world. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews123.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews123.html Just weeks after BP capped its broken Deepwater Horizon well, the plumes of oil and dispersant in the Gulf's deep waters have gone. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19264-deep-oil-in-gulf-appears-to-have-vanished.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19264-deep-oil-in-gulf-appears-to-have-vanished.html Wildlife experts have announced an ambitious plan to rescue hundreds of turtle nests and eggs from the potential impacts of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The strategy has never been used before on such a massive scale. http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/41607 http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/41607 Coral populations in the Gulf of Mexico could fall because of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster - from contact not with oil but with the dispersant that's supposed to get rid of it. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19260-oil-spill-dispersant-could-damage-coral-populations.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19260-oil-spill-dispersant-could-damage-coral-populations.html Like giant canaries in a coal mine, whales reflect the health of their environment. Now scientists are placing marine recording units in the Gulf to listen to whales and document the state of that oil-threatened ecosystem. http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/566876/ http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/566876/ It's been one month since Project AWARE launched the "Give Sharks a Fighting Chance" petition to demand international protection for critical shark species on the brink. In just a few short weeks more than 30,000 divers have voiced their concern. If you've not yet taken signed the petition to protect threatened sharks species like hammerheads, oceanic whitetip and spiny dogfish, you can do so at http://www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance http://www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance http://www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance Bowhead whale brains have a fully developed olfactory system, questioning assumptions that the largest animals on Earth have a lousy sense of smell http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19211-how-does-a-bowhead-whale-smell-quite-well-actually.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19211-how-does-a-bowhead-whale-smell-quite-well-actually.html Several landmark studies have, over the past 20 years, highlighted the problem of mislabelled fish. One-third of fish on sale in the US is not the species it is sold as, and one-quarter of cod and haddock sold in Ireland is neither of these. Now an exercise in eco-forensics has found that the certification scheme run by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global not-for-profit organisation, offers a way of ensuring you get what you think you're buying. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727693.600-fish-certification-scheme-shows-its-true-colours.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727693.600-fish-certification-scheme-shows-its-true-colours.html Not just humans http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19213-teenage-drivers-why-whales-smash-into-boats.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19213-teenage-drivers-why-whales-smash-into-boats.html More on the dive sites and operators of Thailand is now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/ Population crashes in many species of reef fish may be linked to an excess of males brought about by fishing - and imposing quotas won't remedy the situation. In many species, particularly those where individuals can change their sex, each fish produces fewer young as the population density drops. The research suggests that marine protected areas are a better strategy for conserving populations than fishing quotas. Protected areas maintain the density of populations whereas quotas may still allow populations to decline, increasing the rate of sex change. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727702.000-fishing-skews-sex-ratios-in-fish.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727702.000-fishing-skews-sex-ratios-in-fish.html Two new fish species - with pancake-flat bodies, wiggling lures on their faces, and elbowed fins for "walking" on the seafloor - have been discovered in the path of spewing Gulf of Mexico oil. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/61109/title/New_walking_fishes_discovered_in_Gulf_oil-spill_zone http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/61109/title/New_walking_fishes_discovered_in_Gulf_oil-spill_zone Includes competition to win a dive light, disabled diving in the Red Sea, Harlequin Ghost Pipefish, diving South Africa, underwater Australia photo gallery plus diving and marine research news from around the world. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews122.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews122.html Studying the deep ocean floor is cumbersome, expensive and dangerous. The majority of exploration efforts have to employ an autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUV), which works without control cables. But many AUVs are specialised, they cannot travel far alone and they can only provide a narrow range of data. Moreover, there are few AUVs and the unexplored kilometres of ocean are many. The work of one European project, however, has the potential to dramatically increase the range and functionality of the world's AUV fleet using networking technologies and software. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/07/submarine-robots-learn-teamwork.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/07/submarine-robots-learn-teamwork.html A resilient fish is thriving in an inhospitable, jellyfish-infested region off Africa's south-west coast. And crucially it is helping to keep the local ecosystem going, and to preserve an important fishery. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19182-super-goby-helps-salvage-ocean-dead-zone.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19182-super-goby-helps-salvage-ocean-dead-zone.html Rising seas from global warming, coming after years of coral reef destruction, are forcing thousands of indigenous Panamanians to leave their ancestral homes on low-lying Caribbean islands. http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41528 http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41528 Second-hand Prozac in waste water could be sending shrimps' swimming patterns haywire, making them easy targets for predators. 'Crustaceans are crucial to the food chain and if shrimps' natural behaviour is being changed because of antidepressant levels in the sea this could seriously upset the natural balance of the ecosystem. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7874781/Antidepressants-in-sea-may-damage-food-chain.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7874781/Antidepressants-in-sea-may-damage-food-chain.html To cope with the blitzing level of noise in today's oceans, North Atlantic right whales are calling louder to each other. It is the first time a baleen whale has been observed compensating for the din in this way. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19133-right-whales-yell-over-the-ocean-din.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19133-right-whales-yell-over-the-ocean-din.html Aqua Lung America are recalling Apeks WTX Power Inflators as the oral inflator button is not properly bonded to the oral stem and can fall off during use. This poses a leak of the buoyancy compensator contents and could result in drowning. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/07/aqua-lung-america-recalls-apeks-power-inflators.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/07/aqua-lung-america-recalls-apeks-power-inflators.html Subscribe to Cathx Ocean's eZine and win your choice of dive light. Cathx Ocean dive lights are designed for working divers and they are offering you the chance to WIN a world class dive light by simply subscribing to their newsletter. http://bit.ly/cathxrss http://bit.ly/cathxrss?scubatravel From pygmy seashorses to sharks, see some great underwater photos in the new Philippines photo gallery on the SCUBA Travel site. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photophil.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photophil.html Oceanographers are calling for more Antarctic Ocean observations as Antarctica's climate is changing faster than anywhere else on the planet. This has a crucial affect on marine life. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/06/scientists-call-for-more-antarctic-ocean-observing.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/06/scientists-call-for-more-antarctic-ocean-observing.html A hidden gem of underwater caves and arches, offering a bit more mystery than, say, the Red Sea which is now so well dived. Here you sometimes feel it's a new adventure. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/greece.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/greece.html An investigation by a British newspaper has exposed Japan for bribing small nations with cash and prostitutes to gain their support for the mass slaughter of whales. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7149091.ece http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7149091.ece Sea snail venom could become the gold standard for the relief of nerve-related pain following the development of a pill that is 100 times as potent as leading treatments. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19044-sea-snail-venom-provides-potent-pain-relief.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19044-sea-snail-venom-provides-potent-pain-relief.html Two of the top ten dives in the world are in the Sharm El-Sheikh area, and we've updated our coverage of this Red Sea spot, including notes from a disabled diver on his experience learning to dive there. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmop.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmop.html It has long been thought that there are at least three types of killer whales: residents who eat fish; transients who eat mammals; and offshores about who little is known. The new research gives the strongest evidence yet supporting the theory there are several species of killer whales throughout the world's oceans. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/06/several-species-of-killer-whale-scientist-say.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/06/several-species-of-killer-whale-scientist-say.html The new Top Ten Dives of the World list is up at the SCUBA Travel site. The Yongala (Australia) narrowly holds its position as the premium dive site, but there is just one vote separating it from Palau's Blue Corner Wall. Cast your vote at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdives.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdives.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdives.html More Australia underwater photos are now in the SCUBA Travel photo gallery: potato cod, bull ray, sea snake...http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photoaus.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photoaus.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photoaus.html The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior has headed off to sea on a campaign to defend the Mediterranean and halt destructive bluefin tuna fishing operations. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/05/greenpeace-confronts-mediterranean-tuna-fishermen.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/05/greenpeace-confronts-mediterranean-tuna-fishermen.html Several common species of seaweeds in both the Pacific (Fiji) and Caribbean (Panama) can kill corals upon contact. Seaweeds are normally kept in check by herbivorous fish. But in many areas overfishing has reduced the populations of these plant-consumers, allowing seaweeds to overrun coral reefs. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/05/killer-seaweed-damages-coral.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/05/killer-seaweed-damages-coral.html The second largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is surrounded by marine caves and cliffs shearing into the sea. More on her dive sites and dive operators is at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sardop.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sarddive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sardop.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sarddive.html SCUBA divers recording distribution of reef fish have helped make an evolution discovery. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/04/hamlet-fish-sheds-light-on-evolution.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/04/hamlet-fish-sheds-light-on-evolution.html More recommendations for the diving around Tunisa are at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Tunisia http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Tunisia http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Tunisia New underwater photo gallery featuring Elphinstone, Daedelus and Marsa Alam in the Red Sea is at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photomarsa.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photomarsa.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photomarsa.html "Brilliant...Saw Jenkins rays, Eagle rays, huge trevally...Overall plenty of fish, big and small." Just one of the new comments on the diving around Mauritius in the Indian Ocean at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Mauritius http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Mauritius http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa.html#Mauritius A proposal to regulate trade in precious red and pink corals, widely used in jewellery, was defeated again at a CITES meeting this week. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/red-and-pink-corals-remain-unprotected.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/red-and-pink-corals-remain-unprotected.html Palau offers world-class diving with sea walls, sheer drop-offs, caves and an exuberance of marine life. Its Blue Corner Wall dive is currently second in the Top Ten Dives of the World list. SCUBA Travel has therefore added a new page to its dive guide, dedicated to the diving around Palau. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/palau.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/palau.html More comments where to dive in Saudi Arabia have been added to http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/divesaudi.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/divesaudi.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/divesaudi.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/eu-subsidises-fishing-crooks.html Fishsubsidy.org has published a list of 41 law-breaking fishing vessels - from Spain, France, Belgium and the UK - who have received EU subsidies to the tune of over 16 million Euros. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/eu-subsidises-fishing-crooks.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/eu-subsidises-fishing-crooks.html Inspired by comments from their readers, SCUBA Travel have added a page to their dive guide site on diving Mozambique. Comments include "fantastic", "amazing" and "the best diving anywhere". http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/mozambique.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/mozambique.html SCUBA Travel have revamped their diving destination directory to make it easier to find what you are looking for. Now arranged by country, sea, ocean and continent. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html The giant Marble Ray is three metres long. It is not aggressive but watch out for the spines on its tail. You see the Marble Ray in the Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to southern Japan, Micronesia and tropical Australia; and in the Cocos and Galapagos islands in the Eastern Pacific. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/marble-ray-is-creature-of-the-month.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/marble-ray-is-creature-of-the-month.html The ongoing El Nino of 2010 is reducing the numbers of pelagic fish, according to scientists at NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/2010-el-nino-reduces-marine-life.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/03/2010-el-nino-reduces-marine-life.html In just ten years life in the Sea of Cortez (Mexico) has declined at a shocking rate. The cause is highly destructive new fishing methods. Traditional hook-and-line fisherman have been put out of business by vastly more damaging gill net fishing and hookah diving. Hookah fishermen use surface-supplied air through piping that allows them to walk along the seafloor for long periods of time. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/02/sea-of-cortez-threatened.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/02/sea-of-cortez-threatened.html SCUBA Travel have added many new images to their wreck diving photo gallery, including those of the Carnatic in the Red Sea. http://scubatravel.co.uk/photo4.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/photo4.html Completely revised edition of "Scuba Diving" is now available. A reference book explaining the techniques of diving: bouyancy, diving physiology, dive tables, dive planning, etc. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736079009/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736079009/rss1-21 Researchers have found that Red Grouper dig out and maintain complex structures at the bottom of the sea. They remove sand, exposing hard rocks that are crucial to corals and sponges and the animals that rely on them. The work demonstrates that Red Groupers modify their environment, much as beavers do, creating habitat for many other animals including lobster and commercially important fish. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/red-grouper-create-home-for-many.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/red-grouper-create-home-for-many.html A pretty tube anemone, the burrowing anemone is sometimes confused with tube worms. Like the worms they have attractive tentacles with which they capture prey, and when disturbed they shoot back into their tubes. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/creature-of-month-burrowing-anemone.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/creature-of-month-burrowing-anemone.html A new genetic analysis of Antarctic minke whales concludes that population of these smaller baleen whales have not increased as a result of the intensive hunting of other larger whales - countering arguments by advocates of commercial whaling who want to cull minke whales. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/minke-whales-should-not-be-culled.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/minke-whales-should-not-be-culled.html Big Brother is a tiny island in the middle of the Egyptian Red Sea. It is a world class dive site deserving of the new dedicated photo gallery at the SCUBA Travel site. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photobrothers.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photobrothers.html New acoustic sensors are being used in research and conservation projects around the world, with some very important practical results. Among them is improved monitoring of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an effort to reduce ship strikes, a leading cause of their deaths. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/acoustic-tools-help-whales.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/01/acoustic-tools-help-whales.html Norway has some beautiful dives and SCUBA Travel have added to their list of Norwegian dive operators. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/norway.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/norway.html Increased release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making seawater more acidic and is threatening ecosystems and species. It is also reducing the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide and regulate climate. According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), deep and immediate cuts in emissions are needed to stall the acidification of oceans and prevent mass extinction of marine species. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/iucn-warns-of-acid-oceans.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/iucn-warns-of-acid-oceans.html This is billed as the first field guide to all known species of shark. Colour plates illustrate all the sharks and there are helpful tips for differentiating between species. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691120722/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691120722/rss1-21 SCUBA Travel have extended their diving in Brazil section and included more Brazilian diving operators. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/brazil.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/brazil.html Populations of numerous migratory fish species - those that move between freshwater and saltwater during the course of their lives - have declined by a shocking 95 percent. The analysis showed that the once-abundant allis shad, a member of the herring family that lives most of its life in coastal waters but migrates into rivers to spawn, plummeted by 99.9 percent in the Rhine River in the Netherlands between 1886 and 1933; the same species dropped by 99.4 percent in the Minho River in Portugal between 1925 and 1988. The European eel's population plunged 95.4 percent in the Ems River, which flows through the Netherlands and Germany, and in the Vida River in Denmark between 1960 and 1997; it decreased by 99.5 percent in the Yser River in Belgium between 1974 and 2004 http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/shocking-95-decline-of-fish-populations.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/12/shocking-95-decline-of-fish-populations.html New book explains the techniques, tips and equipment needed to safely dive with Trimix. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0956376304/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0956376304/rss1-21 The wreck of the Rosalie Moeller lies in the Red Sea at 46 m. She is almost totally intact with many fish: a very scenic dive site. New underwater photos of her are now up on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photorosalie.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photorosalie.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photorosalie.html Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that live down to 5000 meters (around 3 miles) below the ocean waves. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/scientists-discover-new-deep-sea.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/scientists-discover-new-deep-sea.html Planning to dive in the south of France? More dive operators are now listed on the SCUBA Travel France section. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/france/franceacc.html#diveop http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/france/franceacc.html#diveop Jack Jackson's Dive Atlas of the World has been at the top of the SCUBA Travel best-seller list for the last 5 years. A new, revised edition has just been published and is currently available with 50% off from Amazon. Just in time for you to add it to your Christmas list. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1847735703/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1847735703/rss1-21 There is some terrific coral in Jordan's Red Sea. For details of the dive sites there visit SCUBA Travel's newly updated guide. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/jordandive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/jordandive.html Swarms of miniature robotic ocean explorers could one day help predict where ocean currents will carry oil spills. The robot swarms could also aid in development of marine protected areas by following currents for determining critical nursery habitats and for tracking harmful blooms of algae. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/swarms-of-ocean-robots-to-monitor-oil.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/swarms-of-ocean-robots-to-monitor-oil.html More reviews of SCUBA diving books are now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/interview.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/interview.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/interview.html A tracking study of white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean shows they follow a rigid migration route across the sea, returning to precisely the same spot on California coast. Over tens of thousands of years, this behavior has made the population in the northeastern Pacific genetically distinct from other white shark populations. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/tags-reveal-great-white-sharks-beat.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/11/tags-reveal-great-white-sharks-beat.html More great photographs of the underwater life around Britain are now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photouk.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photouk.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photouk.html Ocean observatories will give people a never-before-seen view of the world's oceans. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/nsf-launches-ocean-observatories.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/nsf-launches-ocean-observatories.html The wreck of the Ulysses lies at 27 m in the Straits of Gobal, Egypt. A popular dive, new photos are now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photoulysses.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photoulysses.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photoulysses.html The state government of Western Australia is creating a marine park to protect and manage a key nursery of the world's largest humpback whale population. The marine park is to be at Camden Sound, about 400km north of Broome. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/western-australia-to-protect-whales.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/western-australia-to-protect-whales.html The pretty plumose anemone is the SCUBA News creature of the month. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/creature-of-month-plumose-anemone.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/10/creature-of-month-plumose-anemone.html The intense noise produced by seismic surveys affects Blue Whales, making them call much more frequently. http://tinyurl.com/mbpnlp http://tinyurl.com/mbpnlp When you mention killer whales, the image of one ambushing a terrified seal often springs to mind. But there are populations of killer whales who live exclusively on fish. And not on just any fish: they are very specialised in which fish they will eat. If their chosen fish declines in numbers, the whales decline in numbers too. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/killer-whales-die-without-chinook.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/killer-whales-die-without-chinook.html Madagascar hosts the world's largest continuous coral reefs. The Madagascar dive operator directory is now completely revised at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/madagascar/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/madagascar/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/madagascar/ There is a new dive waiting off the coast of Comino: former Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) Patrol Boat P31. The wreck is 52 m long and lies at 18 m. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/new-wreck-dive-off-comino-malta.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/09/new-wreck-dive-off-comino-malta.html This new book covers the full spectrum of conditions and ailments that affect divers. Diagrams highlight key aspects, such as ear barotrauma, while therapeutic decompression tables complement the chapters on acute decompression illness, deep diver rescue and emergency ascents. Written by an experienced diving medical officer who has been a board member of DAN (Divers Alert Network) Southern Africa since 2001. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1770077537/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1770077537/rss1-21 Discover the 100 best dive sites in the world, according to SCUBA Travel readers. Newly updated list at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveslong.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveslong.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveslong.html Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is among the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the US Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to a new NOAA report. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/08/healthiest-us-coral-reef-is-in-gulf-of.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/08/healthiest-us-coral-reef-is-in-gulf-of.html Brand new page on the SCUBA Travel site about the diving in the Maldives. With more underwater photos, recommended dive sites and diving centres. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/maldives.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/maldives.html The fish that pulls faces as part of its courtship ritual is SCUBA News's creature of the month. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/07/creature-of-month-dragonet-callionymus.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/07/creature-of-month-dragonet-callionymus.html UNESCO has added the Belize Barrier Reef to its list of world heritage sites in danger. The main problem with Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System concerns mangrove cutting and excessive development. The reef is also the country's top tourist destination. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/07/belize-barrier-reef-in-danger.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/07/belize-barrier-reef-in-danger.html If you like driving around the desert in 4x4's and jumping in the water from the shore to find a complete contrast between the desert above and thriving life below then go to Dahab on the Egyptian Red Sea. To help you SCUBA Travel have updated their directory of dive centres in Dahab. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabop.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabop.html The first study to determine the global conservation status of 64 species of open ocean (pelagic) sharks and rays reveals that 32 percent are threatened with extinction, primarily due to overfishing, according to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/06/third-of-pelagic-sharks-threatened-with.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/06/third-of-pelagic-sharks-threatened-with.html Once thought of as a strictly cool-water species, basking sharks migrate to deep tropical waters each winter, according to research published in the June 2009 issue of journal Current Biology. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/once-thought-of-as-strictly-cool-water.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/once-thought-of-as-strictly-cool-water.html Using a system of underwater hydrophones that can record sounds from hundreds of miles away, a team of scientists has documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an area they were thought to be extinct. The discovery is particularly important, researchers say, because it is in an area that may be opened to shipping if the melting of polar ice continues, as expected. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/endanged-right-whales-found-where-they.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/endanged-right-whales-found-where-they.html An international team of scientists has identified a nesting population of leatherback sea turtles in Gabon, West Africa as the world's largest. The research estimated a population of between 15,730 and 41,373 female turtles using the nesting beaches. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/worlds-largest-leatherback-turtle.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/worlds-largest-leatherback-turtle.html Sharks, barracuda and other large predatory fishes disappear on Caribbean coral reefs as human populations rise, endangering the region's marine food web and ultimately its reefs and fisheries, according to a study published today in the journal PLoS One. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/caribbean-big-fish-disappearing.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/05/caribbean-big-fish-disappearing.html Gallery of photos of Spotted Dolphins swimming in the Red Sea. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photodolphin.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photodolphin.html According to research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, newly applied radiocarbon dating of the deep water corals Gerardia and Leiopathes species show that their growth rates are extremely low, and that individual colonies live for thousands of years. The longest-lived specimens were Leiopathes species (black corals) at 4265 years old. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/03/deep-sea-corals-live-thousands-of-years.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/03/deep-sea-corals-live-thousands-of-years.html Most SCUBA divers disturb the seabed, Spanish researchers say, with inexperienced males carrying a camera or torch being the worst offenders. A study published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science found that nearly 97% of divers in marine protected areas (MPAs) made contact with the bottom. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/03/divers-disturb-seabed-scientists-say.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/03/divers-disturb-seabed-scientists-say.html You can now follow SCUBA News updates on Twitter, the micro-blogging service. http://twitter.com/SCUBANews/ http://twitter.com/SCUBANews/ Discover the best dive companies and dive sites in Italy at the newly updated SCUBA Travel site. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/ See the top ten dive sites in Europe, as voted for by SCUBA Travel readers. The Zenobia (Cyprus) takes the top spot, closely followed by the Blue Hole (Gozo), Cirkewwa (Malta) and the Booroo (Isle of Man). Disagree with the list? Cast your vote at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveseurope.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveseurope.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveseurope.html Marine aquaculture can have some nasty side effects, especially when the pens are set near sensitive coastal environments. All those fish penned up together consume massive amounts of commercial feed, some of which drifts off uneaten in the currents. And the crowded fish, naturally, defecate and urinate by the tens of thousands, creating yet another unpleasant waste stream. The wastes can carry disease, causing damage directly. Or the phosphate and nitrates in the mix may feed an algae bloom that sucks the oxygen from the water, leaving it uninhabitable, a phenomenon long associated with fertilizer runoff. New research shows "the icky stuff from the pens will travel farther, and in higher concentrations, than had been generally assumed". http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/02/when-fish-farms-are-built-along-coast.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/02/when-fish-farms-are-built-along-coast.html Read about some great diving in India in the new SCUBA Travel section. The best dive sites and recommended diving centres in the Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep Islands and Goa. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/india.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/india.html This new technical guide provides a comprehensive overview of the principles underlying decompression theory. This book aims to bridge the gap between introductory books and source scientific information. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1905492073/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1905492073/rss1-21 British National Newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, has published a list of the "Top 10 links for aquatic life". See if you agree with their list at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3394841/Top-10-links-for-aquatic-sites.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3394841/Top-10-links-for-aquatic-sites.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3394841/Top-10-links-for-aquatic-sites.html Fancy a warm charitable glow when you buy insurance? From now on if you purchase World Nomads travel insurance via SCUBA Travel, we will donate to the Footprints charity of your choice. http://www.worldnomads.com/af.aspx?affiliate=SCBTVL http://www.worldnomads.com/af.aspx?affiliate=SCBTVL Hand-picked diving books: guides to diving around the world, stories of the history and pioneers of diving, books featuring great underwater photography and some just stories about diving. http://astore.amazon.co.uk/1286 http://astore.amazon.co.uk/1286 For just 2.45 GBP a month you can advertise your new SCUBA products, late deals and special offers on the "Diving Board". This special introductory price is guaranteed for the lifetime of your subscription. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 You can now use either php or Javascript to display this news on your own web pages, absolutely free. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsfeed.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsfeed.html