For news, articles and updates on scuba diving, travel and the marine environment. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubaicon.gif http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ 61 45 Latest issue of SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) is now up at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews143.html. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews143.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews143.html The World Trade Organisation has effectively outlawed the sale of dolphin-friendly canned tuna in American supermarkets, ruling such labels were unfair to Mexican fishermen. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, was the third from the World Trade Organisation against the use of a voluntary system of labels for dolphin protection and was immediately denounced by conservation groups. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/16/us-dolphin-safe-tuna-labels?newsfeed=true http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/16/us-dolphin-safe-tuna-labels?newsfeed=true Intense exploitation over millennia has depleted Mediterranean Sea species from the large to the small. What would a 'healthy' Mediterranean rocky bottom look like? There are no pristine sites (ie undisturbed by humans) left in the Mediterranean against which to compare the health of current ecosystems. SCUBA divers surveyed the rocky reefs throughout the Med, from Morocco to Turkey. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/how-healthy-are-mediterranean-rocky-reefs.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/how-healthy-are-mediterranean-rocky-reefs.html Shark stocks in the Scotland and the Netherlands have opposite records. Many of the 20+ Scottish species have been in severe decline, whereas until 10 years ago sharks in Dutch waters were very scarce, but now through an apparent northern migration, increasing numbers of several species are being taken. Now the two countries are collaborating with shark tagging. http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/shark-tagging-goes-international http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/shark-tagging-goes-international SCIENTISTS are taking to the sky to work out what parts of the Great Barrier Reef whales find the most romantic. http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2012/05/16/219535_local-news.html http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2012/05/16/219535_local-news.html International scientists will set out on a month-long voyage to survey Scotland's coral reefs. The team hope to discover whether Scotland's cold-water corals will die out within 100 years or whether they will adapt and survive. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18071033 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18071033 If we must open the Arctic Ocean to oil and gas development we should at least do it in a way that doesn't harm wildlife, but the signs don't look good http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428646.000-do-we-know-enough-to-ensure-safe-arctic-drilling.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428646.000-do-we-know-enough-to-ensure-safe-arctic-drilling.html More reviews, photos and maps of the excellent wreck diving of the northern Red Sea: Thistlegorm, Ulysses, Rosalie Moeller, Ghiannis D, Carnatic... http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/wreckdive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/wreckdive.html Pristine areas of ocean near World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef and the far north Kimberley coast could be opened to drilling for oil and gas under Australian Federal Government plans. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/13673465/oil-threat-to-ningaloo-kimberley/ http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/13673465/oil-threat-to-ningaloo-kimberley/ HUMPBACK whales could be a casualty of Queensland's booming coal industry, a new study reveals. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news-old/coal-boom-will-harm-humpbacks-study/story-fn3dxity-1226355106145 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news-old/coal-boom-will-harm-humpbacks-study/story-fn3dxity-1226355106145 The U.S. Navy estimates its use of explosives and sonar may unintentionally cause more than 1,600 instances of hearing loss or other injury to marine mammals each year. It also calculates the explosives could potentially kill more than 200 marine mammals a year. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/11/navy-study-sonar-blasts-might-hurt-more-sea-life536811/ http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/11/navy-study-sonar-blasts-might-hurt-more-sea-life536811/ Groupers, a family of fishes often found in coral reefs and prized for their quality of flesh, are facing critical threats to their survival. As part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission, a team of scientists has spent the past ten years assessing the status of 163 grouper species worldwide. They report that 20 species (12per cent) are at risk of extinction if current overfishing trends continue, and an additional 22 species (13per cent) are Near Threatened. These findings were published online on April 28 in the journal Fish and Fisheries. http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/17136/quarter-of-grouper-species-being-fished-to-extinction http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/17136/quarter-of-grouper-species-being-fished-to-extinction A study in the journal Ecology finds that jobs, ecotourism and diving industries depend on a diverse supply of weed-eating fish on the world's coral reefs. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/coral-reef-fish-help-protect-jobs.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/coral-reef-fish-help-protect-jobs.html Marine researchers in Australia have welcomed the New South Wales State Government's protection of Southern Right Whales. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-10/protection-for-whale-species-as-numbers-rise/3996072 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-10/protection-for-whale-species-as-numbers-rise/3996072 At the World Heritage Site of the Daymaniyat Islands you'll see healthy hard and soft corals, with very little damage. Lots of shoaling fish, very many moray eels, stone fish and cuttlefish. Turtles are frequently seen, and some huge ones at that. From July to September the plankton bloom also attracts whale sharks. The new SCUBA Travel Oman page is at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/arabian-sea/oman-diving.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/arabian-sea/oman-diving.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/arabian-sea/oman-diving.html A 100-fold upsurge in human-produced plastic garbage in the ocean is altering habitats in the marine environment. New study shows that nine percent of the fish contained plastic waste in their stomachs. That study estimated that fish in the intermediate ocean depths of the North Pacific Ocean ingest plastic at a rate of roughly 12,000 to 24,000 tons per year. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/uoc--pta050712.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/uoc--pta050712.php An assessment of coastal change over the past century has found 70 percent of beaches on the islands of Kaua'i, O'ahu, and Maui are undergoing long-term erosion. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/uoh-7po050712.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/uoh-7po050712.php The marine conservation organisation Oceana warns that there is a link between the collapse status of cod from the North Sea and bad decisions taken by the Council of Fisheries Ministers of the European Union (EU). http://tinyurl.com/bryaecr http://tinyurl.com/bryaecr Pairs of SCUBA divers towed behind a small boat have been recording shark numbers at both heavily populated Pacific islands and islands away from humans. The numbers show the enormous detrimental effect that humans have on reef sharks, with 90% loss in places. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/scientists-say-90-shark-loss-at-populated-pacific-islands.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/scientists-say-90-shark-loss-at-populated-pacific-islands.html Scientists have predicted that ocean temperatures will rise in the equatorial Pacific by the end of the century, wreaking havoc on coral reef ecosystems. But a new study shows that climate change could cause ocean currents to operate in a surprising way and mitigate the warming near a handful of islands right on the equator. As a result these Pacific islands may become isolated refuges for corals and fish. http://tinyurl.com/89dvnzw http://tinyurl.com/89dvnzw SCUBA Travel have updated their list of the top 10 world class dive sites, as voted for by their readers. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdives.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdives.html While working on a research sailboat gliding over glassy seas in the Pacific Ocean, oceanographer Giora Proskurowski noticed something new: The water was littered with confetti-size pieces of plastic debris, until the moment the wind picked up and most of the particles disappeared. The wind was pushing the lightweight plastic particles below the surface. That meant that decades of research into how much plastic litters the ocean, conducted by skimming only the surface, may in some cases vastly underestimate the true amount of plastic debris in the oceans, Proskurowski said. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-04/uow-wpp042512.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-04/uow-wpp042512.php The scorpionfish is one of the most venomous fish in the world. Its poison causes severe pain and paralysis. This scorpionfish is extremely well-camouflaged: it can change colour to match its background and has many 'tassles' masking its outline. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/tassled-scorpionfish-is-creature-of-the-month.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/sealife/tassled-scorpionfish-is-creature-of-the-month.html The Chilean Government intends to expand the Salas y Gomez marine reserve and create a smaller reserve in Hanga Roa Bay, the harbour off the main town and capital of historic Easter Island. http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/chile-plans-to-expand-marine-reserves http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/chile-plans-to-expand-marine-reserves Life-sized elephant artworks are to be placed 10 m underwater at Koh Mak Island, Thailand to create an artificial reef. http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/art/289998/underwater-elephants http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/art/289998/underwater-elephants Coral gardens inside Komodo National Park have been transformed into desolate gray moonscapes by illegal fishermen who use explosives or cyanide to kill or stun their prey. Dive operators and conservationists say Indonesia's government is not doing enough to keep illegal fishermen out of the boundaries of the national park, a UN World Heritage site. http://www.3news.co.nz/Illegal-fisherman-destroy-Asias-best-dive-sites/tabid/1160/articleID/251435/Default.aspx http://www.3news.co.nz/Illegal-fisherman-destroy-Asias-best-dive-sites/tabid/1160/articleID/251435/Default.aspx Blu Infinito is now in the SCUBA Travel directory - scuba diving, snorkelling and PADI courses in in the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara and Capo Coda Cavallo. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sardop.html#SanTeodoro http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sardop.html#SanTeodoro Independent guide to the best SCUBA diving in the Philippines: find out where to go, who to dive with, when to visit. With divers' ratings and reviews. Newly updated with many more photos, dive sites and dive centre reviews. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/philippines/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/philippines/ The most venomous jellyfish in the Mediterranean - the Mauve Stinger - is creature of the month at http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/03/mauve-stinger-is-creature-of-the-month.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/03/mauve-stinger-is-creature-of-the-month.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/03/mauve-stinger-is-creature-of-the-month.html More reviews and ratings of the dive operators of Italy are now on the SCUBA Travel site. http://scubatravel.co.uk/italy/italyop.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/italy/italyop.html More reviews of the dive sites around Sharm El Sheikh are now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmdive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmdive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmdive.html For centuries, it has been believed that selective fishing that avoids young, rare and charismatic species and focuses on older and larger individuals, is key to increased harvest and reduced impacts on the environment. But this has serious evolutionary side effects. A new approach proposed by IUCN, called balanced harvesting, involves targeting more species and sizes. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/03/iucn-suggests-completely-new-fishing-approach.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/03/iucn-suggests-completely-new-fishing-approach.html More reviews of dives sites in Baja California, including the excellent Guadalupe and Revillagigedo Islands. "100 ft viz, huge great white sharks: a life changing experience." Just one of the comments now on the SCUBA Travel site. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/baja/bajadive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/baja/bajadive.html A new, beautifully illustrated, reference which represents a historic change in the context of White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) research. Once considered one of the most poorly understood and difficult sharks to study, this timely book recognizes a new sophisticated focus on the White Shark, raising its status from obscurity to enlightenment. The Global Perspectives on the Biology and Life History of the White Shark celebrates the White Shark as the most studied shark in the sea. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1439848408/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1439848408/rss1-21 New page on diving in the UK features comprehensive listing of dive boats operating in the wreck diving heaven of Scapa Flow. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/uk-diving.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/uk-diving.html New book opens with a quick overview of the skills underwater photographers need to go forward, including exposure, focus, subject selection and composition. The author then explores the techniques professional photographers use to achieve more gripping images. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1608952533/rss-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1608952533/rss-21 Plenty of 5 star dives in Jordan, including the 80 m long wreck of the Cedar Pride. More coverage now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/jordandive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/jordandive.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/jordandive.html New research uses dolphin photos from the SCUBA Travel site to show, for the first time, how to build 3D moving models from 2D photographs. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/02/what-shape-are-dolphins-turning-2d-images-into-3d-models.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/02/what-shape-are-dolphins-turning-2d-images-into-3d-models.html Fiji has some world class dive sites and SCUBA Travel have updated their guide to the island at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/fiji-diving.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/fiji-diving.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/fiji-diving.html Over 150 dive operators are now listed in the SCUBA Travel Thailand dive directory. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/ SCUBA Travel are pleased to release the list of the best selling diving books in 2011. The The Dive Atlas of the World has finally been knocked off its top spot perch, no surprise as it is now out of print and only available second-hand. The bargain of the list has to be Red Sea Sharks which is available from some booksellers new for just 1p. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/01/scuba-travel-announce-diving-best-sellers-of-2011.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/01/scuba-travel-announce-diving-best-sellers-of-2011.html More details of the dive sites and dive operators of Mozambique now at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/mozambique.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/mozambique.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/mozambique.html Nearly one-third of CO2 emissions due to human activities enters the world's oceans, making them less alkaline and affecting calcification of corals. By the middle of the century, corals at the Northern edges of the tropics will be in trouble with the Hawaiian island reefs will be among the first to feel the impact. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/01/corals-in-trouble-by-middle-of-this-century.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/01/corals-in-trouble-by-middle-of-this-century.html Best dive sites and dive operators reviewed along the Croatia Adriatic coast. http://scubatravel.co.uk/europe/croatia.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/europe/croatia.html The rare giant mussel, Pinna nobilis, is found only in the Mediterranean Sea. Pinna nobilis has been assessed by the European Union as being in need of special protection (EC Habitats Directive). This means that it is illegal to kill or disturb the species. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/01/creature-of-the-month-giant-mussel-pinna-nobilis.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2012/01/creature-of-the-month-giant-mussel-pinna-nobilis.html Scientists have discovered that sharks on Australia's east coast display a mysterious tendency to interbreed, challenging several accepted scientific theories regarding shark behaviour. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/world-first-discovery-of-hybrid-sharks-off-australias-east-coast.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/world-first-discovery-of-hybrid-sharks-off-australias-east-coast.html The biggest fish in the sea feeds on microscopic plankton. As its teeth are redundant they are minute. It is one of only three sharks who filter feed, the other two being the Basking Shark and the aptly-named Megamouth. More on the whale shark...http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/creature-of-the-month-whale-shark.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/creature-of-the-month-whale-shark.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/creature-of-the-month-whale-shark.html The Second Annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has announced its winners for 2011. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/underwater-photography-guide-announces-photo-competition-winners.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/12/underwater-photography-guide-announces-photo-competition-winners.html Rathlin island and the Wreck of The Laurentic are now featured in the British and Irish Underwater Photo Gallery. http://scubatravel.co.uk/photouk.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/photouk.html Photos, identification tips and lifestyle notes on the fish, invertebrates and mammals of the Red Sea are now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/redsealife.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/redsealife.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/redsealife.html Costa Rica has some great diving and you can now find more recommended dive operators there at http://scubatravel.co.uk/americas/costarica.html#operators http://scubatravel.co.uk/americas/costarica.html#operators http://scubatravel.co.uk/americas/costarica.html#operators The latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals two species of Manta Ray are vulnerable, and the situation is particularly serious for tunas. Among the marine species classified as critically endangered - the most serious risk category - are staghorn and elkhorn coral, the hawksbill turtle and the Mediterranean Monk Seal. The marine realm though is very poorly covered in the IUCN Red List, comprising less than 5% of the species included. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/11/mantas-and-tuna-on-red-list-of-endangered-species.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/11/mantas-and-tuna-on-red-list-of-endangered-species.html Yellow saddle goatfish are a common site on the reefs of the Red Sea. A team of scientists from Switzerland though have discovered that these fish exibit very unusual behaviour: they work together to catch their dinner. The researchers claim that similar co-operation has only been identified in a handful of species - primarily mammals including chimpanzees, orcas, lions and dolphins. However, SCUBA News notes that Helmut Debelius wrote about such co-operation in a different species of goatfish in his book Red Sea Reef Guide published in 2003. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/11/goatfish.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/11/goatfish.html Dahab is home to the famous Blue Hole and Canyon dive sites, as well as many others. New from SCUBA Travel: Getting to Dahab, hotel recommendations and other things to do apart from diving. http://scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabgo.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabgo.html "One of the most beautiful sites to dive in the world. Best of all is still unexploited by tourism" - just one of the comments on the diving off Colombia on the new SCUBA Travel page at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/colombia.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/colombia.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/colombia.html Ramsey Bay has been designated as the Isle of Man's first Marine Nature Reserve. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/10/isle-of-man-finally-gets-a-marine-nature-reserve.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/10/isle-of-man-finally-gets-a-marine-nature-reserve.html Masses of dives in Indonesia have earned SCUBA Travel readers' top rating at http://scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/indodive.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/indodive.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/indodive.html Changes in the ratio of nitrate to phosphorus in the oceans off the coasts of Korea and Japan may influence marine ecology and the makeup of marine plants, according to a study published this week. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/09/ocean-nitrogen-rising.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/09/ocean-nitrogen-rising.html In a study published today in Biology Letters, male squid were found to routinely and indiscriminately mate with both males and females. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/09/live-fast-and-die-young-same-sex-sexual-behaviour-in-a-deep-sea-squid.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/09/live-fast-and-die-young-same-sex-sexual-behaviour-in-a-deep-sea-squid.html SCUBA Travel have added more dive operators and dive site descriptions to their Maldives page. The serious diving resorts include Biyadoo - very good food as they grow their own fruit and vegetables - and Elaidoo. http://scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/maldives.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/maldives.html Tax payers are subsidising deep sea fishing which is causing profound, lasting damage to fishes and life on the seafloor. Many deep-sea fish populaters around the world are collapsing, including sharks. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/09/scientists-call-for-end-to-deep-sea-fishing.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/09/scientists-call-for-end-to-deep-sea-fishing.html More recommendations for dive operators in Koh Tao, Thailand, are now on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaigulfop.html#TAO http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaigulfop.html#TAO http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaigulfop.html#TAO Scientists have long believed soft corals, one of the many endangered elements of marine life, are only minor contributors to the structure of coral reefs. But that's not true, says new research - and the preservation of soft corals is essential to the health of our seas. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/08/soft-coral-is-reef-building.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/08/soft-coral-is-reef-building.html A thriving undersea wildlife park tucked away near the southern tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula has proven to be the most robust marine reserve in the world, according to a new study led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/08/worlds-most-robust-marine-reserve-is-at-baja-california.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/08/worlds-most-robust-marine-reserve-is-at-baja-california.html In the last 30 years, more than 90 percent of the reef-building coral in the Caribbean has disappeared because of a disease of unknown origin. Now, scientists from the University of Florida have used a GIS (geographic information system) to show the whereabouts of the clusters of diseased coral. Their findings may help determine what contributes to coral disintegration. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/08/519.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/08/519.html Dahab supports over 40 dive centres and they are all listed on the SCUBA Travel site with reviews and ratings - www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabop.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabop.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/dahabop.html New page dedicated to photos of whale sharks is up at the SCUBA Travel site. http://scubatravel.co.uk/photowhaleshark.html http://scubatravel.co.uk/photowhaleshark.html Dive sites in 97 countries are now covered on the SCUBA Travel Guide to Diving around the World. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html UNESCO adds Ningaloo reef in Western Australia to its World Heritage List. One of the longest near-shore reefs in the world, Ningaloo Reef hosts annual whale shark gatherings and is home to numerous marine species including a wealth of turtles. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/06/ningaloo-reef-on-world-heritage-list.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/06/ningaloo-reef-on-world-heritage-list.html Of over a thousand underwater photos on the SCUBA Travel site, these are the 20 most popular. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photo.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photo.html Scientists are warning that marine species are at risk of entering a phase of extinction unprecedented in human history. Looking at a combination of factors - warming oceans, pollution, fishing pressures, etc - they concluded things are much worse than we feared and mass extinctions will occur unless we do something now. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/06/iucn-warn-of-unprecidented-marine-exctinctions.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/06/iucn-warn-of-unprecidented-marine-exctinctions.html A new fun introduction to the mathematics and physics needed to really understand scuba diving. This book should appeal to divers interested in a deeper understanding than is available in most dive courses. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1907284788/rss1-21 http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/1907284788/rss1-21 Watching Google Earth over time could show the effects of predator removal, such as through fishing, nearly anywhere on Earth, according to a study on the Great Barrier Reef published this week in Scientific Reports. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/06/google-earth-shows-marine-prey-and-predator-interactions.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/06/google-earth-shows-marine-prey-and-predator-interactions.html Discover the best dive sites and dive operators in South Africa at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/southafrica.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/southafrica.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/southafrica.html Scientists have observed a huge group of more than 300 humpback whales gorging on the largest swarm of Antarctic krill seen in more than 20 years in bays along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/05/record-number-of-whales-in-antarctic-bay.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/05/record-number-of-whales-in-antarctic-bay.html University of Miami scientists have developed a new tool to monitor coral reef vital signs. By accurately measuring their biological pulse, scientists can better assess how climate change and other ecological threats impact coral reef health worldwide. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/03/scientists-reveal-new-technique-to-monitor-coral-reef-vital-signs.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/03/scientists-reveal-new-technique-to-monitor-coral-reef-vital-signs.html New page listing dive operators in Singapore is now up at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/singapore.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/singapore.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/singapore.html The water temperature is of major importance for how well young sea urchins grow, new research reveals. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/03/sea-urchins-depend-on-sea-temperature.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/03/sea-urchins-depend-on-sea-temperature.html "One of the most amazing dives I have ever done was in the Mayan Riviera near Tulum called Dos Ojos." Read about Tab Hauser's diving experience at the SCUBA Travel site. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/cenotes.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/cenotes.html It's a strange location to try and boast as a number 1 dive site however if you want a dive location that should guarantee over the course of a week the following, then go to Dibba Rock. Visibility is never brilliant - mostly OK. Mantas, Rays, Black tip and grey reef sharks, Whale sharks, All the usual tropical fish in huge abundance plus massive shouls of barracudas, snappers, trevallies. Loads of turtles, cuttle fish, and more. I dived Fujeurah for years - never really appreciating it until I clocked up hundreds of dives around the world. Fujeirah itself has little to offer - but hey your only there for the diving...More on Dibba Rock and other dive sites of the United Arab Emirates are now on the SCUBA Travel site. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubaall.html#UAE http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubaall.html#UAE Many more diving centres in New Zealand are now listed on the SCUBA Travel site at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/newzealand.html#operators http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/newzealand.html#operators Analysis of a comprehensive database has revealed strong links between biological productivity in the surface oceans and patterns of biomass and abundance at the seafloor, helping to explain large regional differences. seafloor biomass is highest around the poles, and on continental margins, where upwelling waters supply nutrients needed for phytoplankton growth in the photic zone. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/02/how-life-on-the-surface-affects-life-on-the-seafloor.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/02/how-life-on-the-surface-affects-life-on-the-seafloor.html Tagging and tracking leatherback turtles has produced new insights into the turtles' behavior in a part of the South Pacific Ocean long considered an oceanic desert. According to researchers at Stanford University, the new data will help researchers predict the turtles' movements in the ever-changing environment of the open ocean, with the goal of reducing the impact of fishing on the endangered leatherback population. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/02/why-leatherback-turtles-linger-in-south-pacific.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/02/why-leatherback-turtles-linger-in-south-pacific.html Thailand is closing 18 dive sites to give its coral a chance to recover. Over 80% of the coral at each site has been damaged by bleaching, due to warmer sea temperatures. The Maldives has also been badly affected. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/01/thailand-closes-dive-sites-to-save-reefs.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2011/01/thailand-closes-dive-sites-to-save-reefs.html Researchers have found that Parrotfish have developed their own mosquito nets in order to get a good night's sleep. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/11/fish-mucous-cocoons-the-mosquito-nets-of-the-sea.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/11/fish-mucous-cocoons-the-mosquito-nets-of-the-sea.html Scientists have discovered a new, large, species of squid in the Indian Ocean. The squid was found during a seamounts cruise in the southern Indian Ocean. Seamounts are typically deep, steep-sided, extinct volcanoes which are extremly important for life in the oceans. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/11/new-species-of-squid-found.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/11/new-species-of-squid-found.html Our featured animal this month is one of the most venomous fish in the sea. It is extermely well-camouflaged. It can change colour to match its background and has many "tassles" masking its outline. This Tassled Scorpionfish lives from 1 to at least 35 m in the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific. Lacking a swim bladder, it remains on or near the bottom. Lethargically, the fish waits for prey to pass by then opens its lower jaw and sucks its victim in. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/e_Scorpion_fish_26_06.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/e_Scorpion_fish_26_06.html Many more great underwater photos taken in the Red Sea are at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photored.html and http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photo5.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photored.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photored.html SCUBA Travel have a brand new section on the diving of Tanzania, in particular Zanzibar and Mafia Island. "Apparently they have a lot of nice hard and soft coral on this dive, but it was so full of fish that most of the time we couldn't see anything else" Just one of the comments on this excellent Indian Ocean diving spot. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/tanzania.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/tanzania.html Hopes that coral reefs might be able to survive, and recover from, bleaching caused by climate change are fading for certain coral species. It was previously thought that corals may be able to take up stress-tolerant algae to provide critical nutrients, but new research shows they cannot do this for any length of time. http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/10/climate-change-remains-a-threat-to-corals.html http://news.scubatravel.co.uk/2010/10/climate-change-remains-a-threat-to-corals.html More on diving the Great Barrier Reef, and, on the other side of the country, Ningaloo Reef. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/australia/ http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/australia/ SCUBA Travel have updated their coverage of the amazing dive sites in the Galapagos Islands. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/galapagos.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/galapagos.html If you have dived in the Red Sea, Indian or Eastern Pacific Ocean, you will probably have seen three-spot dascyllus. They live on coral and rocky reefs at depths of 1 to 55 m. Youngsters often live in large sea anemones, alongside the instantly recognisable Clownfish, as in our photo. Adults though leave the anemone to congregate in small groups around prominant rocks or coral outcrops. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/bro_anemome_fish_26_02a.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/bro_anemome_fish_26_02a.html Most SCUBA divers disturb the seabed, Spanish researchers say, with inexperienced males carrying a camera or torch being the worst offenders. A study published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science found that nearly 97% of divers in marine protected areas (MPAs) made contact with the bottom. http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/03/divers-disturb-seabed-scientists-say.html http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2009/03/divers-disturb-seabed-scientists-say.html You can now follow SCUBA News updates on Twitter, the micro-blogging service. http://twitter.com/SCUBANews/ http://twitter.com/SCUBANews/ See the top ten dive sites in Europe, as voted for by SCUBA Travel readers. The Zenobia (Cyprus) takes the top spot, closely followed by the Blue Hole (Gozo), Cirkewwa (Malta) and the Booroo (Isle of Man). Disagree with the list? Cast your vote at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveseurope.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveseurope.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveseurope.html Hand-picked diving books: guides to diving around the world, stories of the history and pioneers of diving, books featuring great underwater photography and some just stories about diving. http://astore.amazon.co.uk/1286 http://astore.amazon.co.uk/1286 For just 2.45 GBP a month you can advertise your new SCUBA products, late deals and special offers on the "Diving Board". This special introductory price is guaranteed for the lifetime of your subscription. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 You can now use either php or Javascript to display this news on your own web pages, absolutely free. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsfeed.html http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsfeed.html