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Dolphin Slaughter Fueled by Illegal Shark Trade

Dolphin Slaughter Fueled by Illegal Shark Trade

Posted by Alexis Manning in Ocean Views on October 24, 2013 Dolphins in Peru are having their lives cut short as fishermen take to the seas, illegally harpooning and killing the animals in order to harvest their skin for shark bait. Sharks are a profitable commodity to fishermen, as their meat has long been considered an expensive delicacy in Asia, and now, a new report by the investigative group and conservation NGO Mundo Azul suggests that this … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Dolphin, Donation, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, ocean, Preservation, Reference, Report, Stories

Airlines Might Just Hold the Secret to Ending Dolphin Captures at the Cove

Airlines Might Just Hold the Secret to Ending Dolphin Captures at the Cove

By David Kirby If a dolphin were captured by Japanese fishermen and sold at great profit to a faraway amusement park, but no one was willing to fly the animal there, would the fishermen want to capture more dolphins? Probably not. That thinking has fueled a growing international effort to convince the world’s airlines and airfreight companies not to fly marine mammals captured from the wild to theme parks and aquariums. Citing the severe stress placed on … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Dolphin, Donation, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, ocean, Open Water, Preservation, Recognition, Reference, Report

Lionfish workshops throughout the Southeast United States

Lionfish workshops throughout the Southeast United States

Greetings Lionfish Enthusiasts! As part of our efforts to address the lionfish invasion to the western Atlantic, REEF received a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Invasive Species Program to organize and lead lionfish workshops throughout the Southeast United States. Workshop topics include background of the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research findings, market development, and ways to get involved, with an emphasis on safe collecting and handling tools and techniques. We have … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Convention, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Events, Expo, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, ocean, Open Water, Reefs, Reference, Report, Training

MIDWAY – Can you answer: Why?

Divetalking has posted on this subject before but we thought the importance of its message should be shared as a reminder, once again. Please spend a moment of your time to watch this short video of the impact we have on this planet. Can you, will you step forward to speak up? Will anything you say or do matter? MIDWAY a Message from the Gyre : a short film by Chris Jordan from Midway on Vimeo.     … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, ocean, Photography, Preservation, Recognition, Reference, Report

Lionfish Facts

Lionfish Facts

Pterois volitans Pterois miles The genus name, Pterois, pronounced (tare-oh-eese) is defined as “lionfish.” The word Pterois comes from the Greek word “pteroeis” meaning “feathered” or “winged” The species name, volitans, pronounced (vole-ee-tahnz), is Latin for “flying” or “hovering,” the complement of the Latin word “volitō,” which means “to fly” or “to hover.” The species name, miles, pronounced (mee-layz), is Latin for “soldiering,” the complement of the Latin word “mīlitō,” which means “to soldier.” They are so beautiful. I want … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Diver, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, ocean, Preservation, Recognition, Reefs, Report, Training

Turn Shark Week into Shark Weak

Turn Shark Week into Shark Weak

Please help us. Every day that passes, I wonder if I will be next. I am afraid. I am scared, I am alone. Can we live together, on this one world? Before it is too late, please help me.. Please save my life. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, ocean, Preservation, Recognition, Reefs, Reference, Sharks

Can you identify the species?

It is one of the most endangered species of sea turtles. The Sea Turtle Organization … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Education, extinction, Featured, Kemp Riley, ocean, Reference, Turtles

Lionfish Found at Disturbing Depths

by Megan Gannon, News Editor Live Science The relentless scourge of lionfish has crept to unexpected depths: Off the coast of Florida, researchers say they found the venomous invader thriving around a sunken ship at 300 feet (91 meters) below the water’s surface. [singlepic id=945 w=320 h=240 float=right] “We expected some populations of lionfish at that depth, but their numbers and size were a surprise,” researcher Stephanie Green, of Oregon State University, said in a statement. Last month, Green and colleagues investigated the seafloor near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in a deep-diving Antipodes sub. At 300 feet (91 m) deep, the team witnessed a large number of the spiny fish near the intentionally sunken Bill Boyd cargo ship, an artificial reef created in 1986. [See Photos of Lionfish & Other Freaky Fish] While lionfish are typically … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Diver, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, Preservation, Reefs, Reference, Report

Belize to export invasive species, lionfish

9th July 2013, Placencia, Belize – Along Belize’s world heritage site-listed barrier reef, coastal communities are making waves in fight against a rapacious predator. At 11am on Tuesday, 2 July, the first box of filleted invasive lionfish left Belize international airport bound for Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its contents: 5.2 kg of the invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans, a species that poses one of the greatest threats to the sustainability of coral reefs and fisheries throughout the Caribbean region. [singlepic id=941 w=320 h=240 float=left] First released accidentally into the Caribbean near Florida by aquarists in the 1980s, the predatory fish from the Indo-Pacific has no natural predators in the Atlantic, and an exploding population is steadily eating its way across the entire Caribbean Sea. From the Bahamas to Barbados, coral reefs – and the traditional fisheries they … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divemaster, Diver, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, ocean, Open Water, Preservation, Products, Reefs, Reference

Federal rule could upend states’ shark fin bans

[singlepic id=939 w=320 h=240 float=center] SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Several members of Congress representing coastal states are voicing concern about a proposed federal regulation that could pre-empt state bans on buying or selling shark fins. Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California is being joined by representatives of New York, Florida and Guam in seeking changes to a proposal they say would take away a state tool to protect shark populations. California, Hawaii, New York and several other states have passed regulations on the sale and trade of shark fins, which are used in a soup considered an Asian delicacy. California’s ban on the sale, trade and possession of shark fins will go into effect Monday after a compromise allowed time for restaurants and businesses to use up their existing supplies. A letter from the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, ocean, Open Water, Preservation, Products, Recognition, Reference, Report, Sharks, Stories

[singlepic id=938 w=320 h=240 float=center] Follow this link to read the story of how this dolphin died. Then return to Divetalking to share your comments and thoughts on the subject with your Divetalking community.   … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Dolphin, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, ocean, Report

SS Ozama Discovered off South Carolina

Larry, The shipwreck that we’ve found and identified is the SS Ozama, which was lost in 1894 off Cape Romain, South Carolina. The lead story is now out, so there is no more hold. It was on Discovery News at http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/smugglers-shipwrecked-steamer-found-130602.htm [singlepic id=936 w=320 h=240 float=center] [singlepic id=934 w=320 h=240 float=left][singlepic id=935 w=320 h=240 float=center] An associate has started a Wikipedia page on the wreck giving a lot of my source material. That page is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ozama_(1881). Thank you so much for your interest in this. Lee … Read entire article »

Filed under: 3D, Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Boats, Conservation, Diver, Divetalking, Featured, ocean, Preservation, Reefs, Report, Wrecks

India Takes A Stand Against Captive Dolphins

Jayanthi Natarajan, the Indian Minister of Environment and Forests, has announced that captive dolphin facilities will not be allowed in India, leaving dolphin advocates hopeful that an official ban will be put in place. [singlepic id=932 w=320 h=240 float=center] There are currently no facilities in India that house captive dolphins, but there are there are several proposals to establish facilities for marine mammals from Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Andamans and Lakshadweep that won’t just promote animal cruelty, but will threaten sensitive coastal areas, according to the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO). More than 23,000 people signed the petition asking the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to help stop the continued exploitation of dolphins. In January, the AWBI acted by issuing an advisory to all state governments against granting permission … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation, Divetalking, Dolphin, Earth, Education, Featured, ocean, Preservation, Reference, Report, Stories

Goliath Grouper conservation survey

Please consider taking the time to complete this survey. It’s rather long but only took me about 15 minutes to complete. It was sent to saltwater fishing license holders in Florida. I’m disturbed by the sample of stakeholders for the survey. I hope that divers will participate to get a more diverse sample of opinions. Commercial fisherman are of the opinion that there are now too many goliath groupers and want to open the season to kill them. They complain that Goliath steal their catch. Scientific evidence has shown that although goliath grouper have made a miraculous recovery, the breeders are still rather young and cannot handle the pressure of a harvest. Click here to take the SURVEY     … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, Grouper, ocean, Open Water, Preservation, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report

Manatees Are Dying In Droves, Florida Says ‘Too Bad’

A record number of endangered manatees are dying in Florida’s algae-choked waterways. So far this year, 582 manatees have died, more year-to-date than any year on record, according to preliminary numbers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Pat Rose is an aquatic biologist and the executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, an organization devoted to preserving the animal. In his interview with TakePart, Rose reports the estimated minimum population of these gentle beasts is only 3,100 adults. That means their population has decreased by more than 10 percent in just four months. A total of 247 of these have died in the southwest of the state due to an explosion of a red-hued algae called Karenia brevis, also known as a red tide. This pesky microorganism produces neurotoxins … Read entire article »

Filed under: Alert, Conservation, Divetalking, extinction, Featured, Manatee, Preservation, Reference, Report, Stories

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