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
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
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
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
[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
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