Marine conservation with interactive games
Click on Image As students return to the classroom for the new school year, educators and parents can encourage continued learning with Gone Fishin’ games. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in partnership with … … Read entire article »
Filed under: Aqualung, Artificial Reefs, Boats, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Games, Grouper, Lionfish, Lobster, Manatee, ocean, Reefs, Reference, Training, Wrecks
Zookeeper
Lionfish, The most dangerous and beautiful fish living in the ocean. Lionfish are categorized as one of the most invasive species to hit the eastern shores of the United States, Bahamas, Caribbean, Central and South America. Their native habitat is the Indo-West Pacific region, but there are now known to be established populations off the coast of Florida, and in the Indian River Lagoon. Because they consume so much prey in their native habitats, lionfish aren’t … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, ocean, Products, Promotions, Recognition, Reefs, Reference, Zookeeper
SeaSide Chats
Seaside Chats provide an interested party to attend annual speaker series related to ocean topics related to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the Gulf of Mexico. The presentations are on Wednesday evenings in February, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Central Time) Presentations are free and last for one hour. Speakers include sanctuary staff and guests from partner organizations.Anyone is welcome to attend, but presentation style is most suited to those in middle school and above. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Events, Featured, Flower Gardens, ocean, Reefs, Reference
Hawaii’s Shark Bill
A bill in the Hawaii State Legislature to protect sharks is moving toward final passage. The bill would protect sharks while not criminalizing their accidental capture and release. Fishermen are protected as long as the sharks are captured while individuals are fishing for other species, as permitted. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Hawaii, Sharks
Are Sharks Truly Protected in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica recently announced the Hammerhead, Silky and Fox Shark were officially included as protected species by the Costa Rican Wildlife Conservation Law. The environment ministry has sanctioned this decree. Previously they were fished like any commercial species, with practically no restrictions. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Conservation, Costa Rica, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Reference, Sharks
Georgia’s Dredging Plans Halted
A US federal judge ordered an immediate halt to plans to dredge a shipping channel on the Georgia coast, citing a threat to sea turtles nesting on nearby beaches. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Conservation, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Reference, Turtles
NASA needs your help to map the ocean
NASA invites video gamers and citizen scientists to embark on virtual ocean research expeditions to help map coral reefs around the world in an effort to better understand these threatened ecosystems.During the past several years, researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley have developed new instruments that can look below the ocean surface in more detail than ever before. Using techniques originally developed to look at stars, these “fluid-lensing” cameras use complex calculations to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Games, Products, Reefs, Reference
Invasion of the lionfish – From Reef to Table
There is a species invading the Eastern United States seaboard, the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America with unprecedented, alarming speed. Armed with venomous spines, a non-discriminating palate, ability to survive in various salinities and depths, high reproductive rate, a gluttonous ambush predator voracious of your food supply. The invader appears exotic to some, to others an opportunity. This non-indigenous species is commonly referred to as: Lionfish. Lionfish Watch this National … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Article, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, ocean, Products, Promotions, Reefs, Reference
California Spiny Lobster Season
Recreational lobster season opens at 6:00 a.m. on the Saturday preceding the first Wednesday in October and closes at 12:00 a.m. on the first Wednesday (night) after the 15th of March. **The season no longer starts at midnight for safety reasons** For current regulations, please visit the Current California Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations for Point Conception to the U.S. – Mexico Border.Recreational Bag Limit: Seven lobsters per person.Minimum Legal Size Limit: Three and one-fourth inches, measured … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Lobster, Spiny Lobster
Out of sights out of mind
What are they so upset about? So, what will you do about it? … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Conservation, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, General Question, ocean, Reefs, Reference
Six Reasons Why You Should Not Swim with Wild Spinner Dolphins
Would you swim with wild spinner dolphins if you knew that they were trying to sleep? Swimmers and boats that come to visit wild spinner dolphins close to shore during the day could be disturbing their rest and potentially harming them. Wild spinner dolphins feed off-shore at night and return to sheltered bays and coastlines during the day to rest, socialize, tend to their young, and avoid predators. Continue Reading More HERE … Read entire article »
Filed under: Alert, Article, Conservation, Diver, Divetalking, Dolphin, Earth, Education, Fish, ocean, Open Water, Reference, Training
WOW Tour Philippines 2019
It’s back by popular demand and better than ever. The World Of Wonder Tour Philippines 2019. There are so many sites we will be visiting. This is an active trip. Diving, sightseeing, cultural activities and more. Learn more by clicking on the image above. WOW … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Boats, Cameras, Diver, Divetalking, Drift, Earth, Education, Events, Featured, ocean, Open Water, Philippines, Photography, Promotions, Reference, Sharks, Travel, Trip Invitations, Turtles, Whaleshark, Wrecks
Lionfish Traps that appear to be working
Check out these new #lionfish traps researchers are testing in the northern Gulf of Mexico! Former Guy Harvey Scholar Holden Harris (UF IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station) has been working with Alex Fogg from the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners and Steve Gittings from the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to test a new a “non-containment” lionfish trap. The design works to “bait” lionfish by offering a structure that attracts them. The trap remains open while deployed on the sea floor, allowing fish to move in and out of the trap footprint. When the trap is retrieved, a netting is pulled up around the fish inside and they are brought to the surface. Now, with funding from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and help from DreadKnot Charters, the researchers are … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Artificial Reefs, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Lionfish, Reefs, Reference, Report
Invasive species are harming the ocean – here’s how you can help!
With its ornate, flowing fins and bold body pattern, the fish in the picture above is beautiful, but outside of its native Indo-Pacific range, this venomous lionfish can have harmful impacts on marine life. In the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, invasive lionfish are wreaking havoc on habitats, fisheries, and ecosystems with their voracious appetites and rapid reproduction. REEF is leading the way in addressing the lionfish invasion, through a combination of scientific research, lionfish removal projects and derbies, educational workshops, and market development. Your support is crucial to the success of these conservation actions. Please make a donation to REEF today – every contribution this summer will be matched. If you have already contributed, thank you so much for your support! For the past 25 years, REEF has enlisted citizen scientists … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divetalking, Donation, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Lionfish, ocean, Reefs, Reference, Report
Reef Assassin Act
House of Representatives Passes Congressman Matt Gaetz’s “Reef Assassin Act” Amendment to H.R. 200 July 12, 2018 Press Release Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed Congressman Matt Gaetz’s (FL-01) “Reef Assassin Act” amendment to H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act. The amendment will encourage the elimination of lionfish from our waters. It allows individuals to trade 100 harvested lionfish tails for one tag authorizing fishing for coveted reef fish: red snapper, gag grouper, triggerfish, and amberjack. The lionfish population has exploded over the last three decades; they can now be found throughout the Atlantic coast, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. A single female lionfish releases 30,000 eggs every two to four days — two million eggs per year. Lionfish harm … Read entire article »
Filed under: Alert, Article, Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Diver, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, ocean, Recognition, Reefs, Reference, Report
Lionfish Education Exhibit Program
To increase awareness and ensure consistent, accurate messaging about the lionfish invasion in Florida waters by supporting the creation of lionfish educational exhibits in public facilities around the State FWC has initiated a Lionfish Education Exhibit Program. To learn more about the program and to see if you qualify to participate, follow the following link. Lionfish Education Exhibit Program … Read entire article »
Filed under: Article, Artificial Reefs, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Lionfish