Beluga sturgeon in Caspian Sea reclassified as 'critically endangered' Beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea have been reclassified as "critically endangered" placing them on IUCN's Red List, providing strong evidence that fishing and international trade should be halted and a stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately. Beluga sturgeon populations have been decimated...

Atlantic bluefin tuna trade ban fails Doha, Qatar – Discussion of a long-awaited proposal to ban international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna was cut short today at the largest wildlife trade convention when an immediate vote was pushed through. Member governments of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species...

Sharks from deep waters of Cantabrian Sea are opportunist hunters A team of Spanish researchers has studied the diet of three species of sharks living in the deep waters in the area of El Cachucho, the first Protected Marine Area in Spain, which is located in the Cantabrian Sea off the coast of Asturias. These animals feed on the resources available in their environment,...

High Arctic species on thin ice A new assessment of the Arctic's biodiversity reports a 26 percent decline in species populations in the high Arctic.Read more: ScienceDaily: Marine Biology News

Thrill-seeking holidaymakers may be putting dolphins at risk Tourists wanting to watch and swim with dolphins are now being urged to keep their distance in a bid to protect both the animals and the local communities whose livelihoods depend on them.Read more: ScienceDaily: Marine Biology News

Swedish scientists stop acorn barnacles Marine organisms that fasten to the bottoms of ships have always been a scourge to seafaring. By monitoring how the larvae of acorn barnacles go about finding suitable spots to attach themselves, researchers in Sweden have managed to design surfaces that prevent growths -- without using poisonous chemicals.Read...

Thrill-seeking holidaymakers are putting dolphins at risk Tourists wanting to watch and swim with dolphins are now being urged to keep their distance in a bid to protect both the animals and the local communities whose livelihoods depend on them.Read more: ScienceDaily: Marine Biology News

To the Antarctic or Brazil for new feathers: Thin-billed prions select their moulting grounds individually Scientists have studied the migratory behavior of thin-billed prions and discovered that the animals spend their molting season in two areas that are at a considerable distance from each other. Thus, it would appear that some seabirds can be extremely flexible and change their habitat if required --...

Urged on by urchins: How sea lilies got their get-up-and-go Nature abounds with examples of evolutionary arms races. Certain marine snails, for example, evolved thick shells and spines to avoid be eaten, but crabs and fish foiled the snails by developing shell-crushing claws and jaws. Now, a study finds that sea urchins have been preying on marine animals known...

Scientists discover 600 million-year-old origins of vision By studying the hydra, a member of an ancient group of sea creatures that is still flourishing, scientists have made a discovery in understanding the origins of human vision.Read more: ScienceDaily: Marine Biology News

All 27 EU countries to back Atlantic bluefin tuna international trade ban Brussels, Belgium – WWF applauds the confirmation from European Union member states that they will vote for a ban on international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna during a meeting of the largest wildlife trade convention starting this week. The 27 EU members said today they would vote...

Deep sedimentation of acantharian cysts: a reproductive strategy? Spore-like reproductive cysts of enigmatic organisms called acantharians rapidly sink from surface waters to the deep ocean in certain regions, according to new research. Scientists suspect that this is part of an extraordinary reproductive strategy, which allows juveniles to exploit a seasonal food...

'Globetrotting' new worms discovered on Great Barrier Reef and Swedish coast Between the grains of sand on the sea floor there is an unknown and unexplored world. Scientists have just found new animal species on the Great Barrier Reef, in New Caledonia, and in the sea off the Gullmarsfjord in the Swedish county of Bohuslan.Read more: ScienceDaily: Marine Biology News

CITES can help save bluefin tuna, stem wildlife poaching crisis Gland, Switzerland: Governments meeting March 13 for the largest wildlife trade convention will have a unique opportunity to help preserve the world’s oceans and simultaneously stem a worldwide poaching crisis. The 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered...

Methane bubbles out from Arctic to heat up earth                                Methane which traps heat 30 times more effective than CO2 is getting liberated from Arctic faster than we expected. The permafrost Arctic which locks in a huge amount of methane has started expelling methane as it is getting hot due to rising...