Category: Sea Life

Baby Turtles Brave the Oil

There has been good progress in the Gulf of Mexico and federal biologists are gambling on the hope that things will get better very soon. It is on this gamble that they are releasing baby turtles in the seas of Texas.

The turtle hatchlings were released by The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service near the Padre Island National Seashore. The process happens every year and officials said that the oil spill wouldn’t be too much of a factor as Texas was not affected significantly in the disaster. Although releasing them might seem dangerous as the oil spill hasn’t completely dissipated, scientists say that keeping them in captivity would harm them more. There are many who support this argument and say that unless the oil spill gets worse or shifts direction, no one should interfere with the natural lives of these turtles.

However, there are many who oppose this decision. They say that changes in weather like storms and hurricanes or even a change in the sea currents would drive oil towards Texas and ultimately towards the vulnerable hatchlings. The critics said that these hatchlings should have been kept in captivity along with nesting mothers because at the moment they were headed towards a certain “oily” death.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has responded by saying that although many oiled turtles have been discovered (both alive and dead), none of them had been in the Texas region. They also pointed out that the oil slick was more than 400 miles away from the shores where the hatchlings were released.

Official: ‘Severe threat’ as China oil spill grows (AP)

AP – China’s largest reported oil spill more than doubled in size to 165 sq. miles (430 sq. kilometers) by Wednesday, forcing nearby beaches to close and prompting one official to warn of a “severe threat” to sea life and water quality.

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Official: ‘Severe threat’ as China oil spill grows
(AP)

UK-Odd Summary (Reuters)

Reuters – Madrid zoo made a transfer bid for Paul the oracle octopus on Thursday, telling his aquarium in Germany it would outbid all others and give him a warm welcome in gratitude for predicting Spain’s World Cup win.

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UK-Odd Summary
(Reuters)

Set Germany’s octopus oracle free: campaigners (AFP)

AFP – An octopus in Germany who has shot to fame by correctly predicting the outcome of the country’s World Cup matches should be set free, an animal rights group said on Friday.

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Set Germany’s octopus oracle free: campaigners
(AFP)

Dispersants, lesser evil or Gulf poison? (AFP)

AFP – Nearly a million gallons of dispersant have been poured into the Gulf of Mexico to fight the largest oil spill in US history, even though little is known about their effects fishermen claim makes them sick and kills sea life.

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Dispersants, lesser evil or Gulf poison?
(AFP)

BP’s massive spill threatens Gulf’s vast undersea life (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — As the magnitude of BP’s oil spill becomes clearer, scientists fear that the volume of oil, the depth of the leak and the chemical dispersants the company is using will combine to threaten a vast array of undersea life for years.

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BP’s massive spill threatens Gulf’s vast undersea life
(McClatchy Newspapers)

Oil spill on the Great Barrier Reef

Part of the Great Barrier Reef around Australia is in grave danger as an oil spill continues spreading. The Chinese ship known as Shen Neng 1 ran aground on the Douglas Shoals on Saturday and started leaking fuel. So far over two metric tons of oil has leaked into the ocean, forming an oil slick that is a hundred yards wide and two miles long.

To prevent the ship from excessive rocking (which would cause it to breakdown further), two tugboats were sent to the site to stabilize it. So far it appears to be working but any bad weather could upset the temporary balance that has been established. The fear is that the remaining 1,000 tons of fuel onboard could get out and cause irrevocable damage to a world heritage site.

The Great Barrier Reef is a protected site as it is the world’s largest coral reef and as such certain parts are off limits to shipping lines. The owner of the ship, Shenzhen Energy, is likely to be slapped with a fine amounting to $1 million (Australian) for drifting out of the specified shipping lane. The crew is still on the ship and will be evacuated if the situation takes a turn for the worse.

Dislodging the ship will be a lengthy process and has given authorities another thing to worry about. They fear that during that process, the ship could break apart and send more of its fuel load out. Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh said the state was getting all the expertise it could to prevent a catastrophe. Currently chemicals are being used to disperse the oil and break up the slick.

Australia Warns Japan Over Whaling

Late February saw Australia warn Japan that the diplomacy maintained on whaling would come to an end this year, following the presentation of a valiant scheme to put a gradual stop to the notorious Southern Ocean hunts.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reiterated a previous warning issued to Japan, where Australia even considered suing Japan for killing large numbers of minke whales who swim the seas near Antarctica every year for the sake of scientific research. Rudd further said that Australia did not support the practice, making it clear that their position on the issue was a firm one. He even said that they would be forced to instigate the necessary legal action if Japan did not come forth with a proposition on the gradual cutting down of the number of whales up to zero.

Tokyo however, deeming Australia’s proposal made at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) as ‘extremely regrettable’, chose to stand by its legality of whaling activities.
Rudd stated that Australia initially focused on trying to sort out the issue diplomatically, and said that this diplomacy will only last until the end of 2010. By this time, if Japan does not present any related proposals with regards to cutting back on whaling activities, Rudd said that international legal action would then be initiated.

The Australian plan presented at the IWC includes a reasonable five year grace period for the gradual phasing out of the hunting of the minke whale. Though Australia and Japan initially agreed to reach a diplomatic solution on the issue, recent clashes at sea between anti-whaling campaigners and Japanese fleets have led Australia to make stronger demands.

Decision soon on closing lock to stop Asian carp

Officials are considering closing a vital Chicago shipping waterway temporarily as they try to stop the increasingly invasive Asian carp from making their way to the Great Lakes.

Cameron Davis, the Great Lakes adviser to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the AFP that discussions were currently underway on shutting down the O’Brien Lock. This is to enable crews to poison part of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to kill the giant carp.
Before a final decision, officials will first complete their search for the Asian carp and conduct several tests along the canal to identify their location.

Authorities are trying to take every measure possible to ensure the voracious carp do not reach Lake Michigan. If they do, the Asian carp could possibly starve out smaller and less aggressive fish. This will cause the $7 billion-a-year Great Lakes sport and fishing industry to collapse. However, closing the lock could also disrupt movement of millions of tons of iron ore, coal, salts, grain and other goods.

The O’Brien Lock is not open for commercial vessels as the US Coast Guard set up a safety zone in its search for Asian Carp, said the American Waterways Operators. If the Lock remains closed for a longer period, it could lead to higher shipping costs, as commodities switch to transport on land by truck or train.

The carp, which can grow up to four feet long and weigh 100 pounds, sometimes leap out of the water when boats are nearby. Last week, environmentalists hit the panic button when they caught a single Asian carp during a fish-kill operation. It was the closest sighting of the carp so close to Lake Michigan. Officials believe the carp have bypassed an electrical barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Over 1,000 fish species ‘threatened with extinction’

According to an updated global “Red List” of endangered species more than 1,000 freshwater fish species are being threatened with extinction. This situation is a seen as reflection of the strain on global water resources. “Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected,” said Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of species programme at the IUCN.”This year we have again added a large number of them to the IUCN Red List and are confirming the high levels of threat to many freshwater animals and plants”. Covering more than 47,000 of the world’s species this list is the most respected inventory of biodiversity.

1,360 out of 1,989 species of dragonflies and damselflies were also added to the list. 261 are at risk of disappearing altogether. A cause for deep concern, as many dragonfly species are very sensitive to freshwater ecosystems and provide us with a good gauge as to status of these systems. The tiny Kihansi Spray Toad is now on the list of extinct creatures in the wild, thanks to the dam built upstream of the Kihansi Falls in Tanzania. A population of 17,000 used to exist at the Kihansi Falls until the dam removed 90 percent of the water flow to the gorge.

According to the IUCN, the overall situation may be worse as the survey covers only a fraction of the world’s species and insufficient data was recorded for 14 percent of species surveyed. “These results are just the tip of the iceberg. We have only managed to assess 47,663 species so far; there are many more millions out there which could be under serious threat,” said Craig Hilton-Taylor, manager of the IUCN Red List unit.

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