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SCUBA News 64~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 64 - August 2005 http://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the August edition of SCUBA News. We hope you enjoy this issue, but should you wish to cancel your subscription you can do so at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html If you would like to reprint any of this newsletter you may do so, as long as you include the following notice and a link to our web site. * Copyright SCUBA Travel - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ * Reprinting permitted with this notice included. Contents: - What's new at SCUBA Travel? - Your Letters - Creature of the Month: Crocodile Fish (Carpet Flathead) - Diving News from Around the World __________________________________________________________ What's New at SCUBA Travel? ============================ Wrecks and Caves of Sardinia The Italian island of Sardinia is famous for its wreck and cave dive sites. Now updated, the Sardinian dive description page gives more details. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/italy/sarddive.html Dive Shops in Costa Rica Find our readers' latest recommendations for diving centres in Costa Rica. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaiop.html Diving in the UAE Get the low-down on the diving and decompression facilities in the United Arab Emirates. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scuba.html#UAE Dive Shops in Thailand More recommendations for diving centres in Koh Phi Phi and Phuket... http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaiop.html ADVERT:__________________________________________________ LOW COST TRAVEL INSURANCE: World Nomads offers divers low-cost travel insurance which doesn't limit the depth to which you can dive. For more details visit http://www.worldnomads.com.au/ __________________________________________________:ADVERT __________________________________________________________ Your Letters ============ Does anyone have any info on diving in Angola? I will be working there for a while and thought I could take in some diving and wanted to know what they had to offer. Chet McDonald If you can help Chet e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk. -- From the Diving Board... Hi there, can anyone please help, I will be in Port el Kantorui, Tunisia in mid November 2005. First time in this part of the world and if anyone could be help with information about diving, dive sites, PADI, and costs, any info would be great. Keiran If you have information on diving in Tunisia, either e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk or post a message at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=175 ADVERT:__________________________________________________ FREE ADVERTISING: Post a month of diving-related adverts for free at the Diving Board Forum. For anything related to diving, travel or the underwater world. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 __________________________________________________:ADVERT __________________________________________________________ Creature of the Month: Crocodilefish (Carpet Flathead), Papiloculiceps longiceps ========================================================= For a photo of the Crocodilefish see http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/carpetflathead.html Appropriately named, the Crocodilefish has a flattened shape with bony ridges and spines on its head. Its body is mottled above, whitish below. It mainly lives on sand and rubble near coral heads, although you might also find it in patches of seagrass. From the Red Sea to Durban, the Seychelles and Madagascar - it stays shallow: between 1 and 15 m. The Carpet Flathead grows to 70 cm and has two dorsal (back) fins. It is a very placid fish which, confident in its camouflage, lets you approach closely. Although related to scorpion fish it is harmless. It is an interesting and easy fish to photograph, worth turning your attention from the coral to the sand for a few moments. Further Reading: ---------------- Coral Reef Fishes, Indo-Pacific and Caribbean by Lieske, E. and R. Myer http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/fishbook.html __________________________________________________________ Diving News From Around the World ================================= If you would like to read the diving news as it happens, without waiting for this newsletter, then grab the SCUBA News feed from http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsfeed.html It's free and automatically updates you with the latest SCUBA news via your web site, e-mail or any news feed reader. Pre-Dive Exercise May Protect Against Decompression Sickness A single bout of aerobic exercise 24 h before a dive significantly reduces the formation of bubbles during decompression. A new study investigated the effect of exercise 2 hours before a dive and found that 45 minutes of running decreases bubble formation. This suggests a protective effect of exercise against decompression sickness. http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=225 Israeli Study Calls for a National Registry of Diving Accidents The growing popularity of diving in the Red Sea has resulted in more diving accidents there. A new study characterizes Red Sea divers requiring recompression treatment in Eilat and identifies 23-year trends of diving accidents. http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16003040 Shark Fin Stays on Hong Kong Menus The Hong Kong government has refused requests from environmentalists to take shark's fin soup off the official banquet menu for visiting dignitaries. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/25/content_3262780.htm Bleaching threatens Thailand coral reefs, not Tsunami Last year's tsunami had limited impact on coral reefs in the Andaman Sea, which is now more threatened by bleaching phenomenon, said Thai marine officials. Marine scientists are no longer worried about the impact of the tsunami on coral reefs, which have recovered rapidly over the past six months. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/18/content_3371137.htm Scientists Recommend Bespoke Regulator Mouthpieces Divers can have several oral problems. Firstly, problems caused by pressure changes. Toothache may be caused by barotrauma or tooth fractures may occur by expansion of air beneath restorations. Insufficient fit of the mouthpiece may induce oral mucosal lesions. A recently published report recommends individual diver mouthpieces. http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;15932043 Andamans plan sparks row Leading Indian environmentalists have opposed a plan to bring in tourists to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from the Thai resort of Phuket. Tourists numbers have plummeted in the Andamans since the December tsunami. The archipelago used to get nearly 100,000 tourists every year. Now it is down to one-tenth of that figure. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4738745.stm ADVERT:__________________________________________________ FLIGHTS: Find the cheapest flights to diving locations. http://tinyurl.com/znnj2 __________________________________________________:ADVERT Study Recommends Fluid Breaks in Hot-Water Suit Dives Bodyweight losses up to 5 kg have been observed during diving with an open hot-water suit. A new study has found that the loss is mainly caused by sweating. Dives of 4 hours produce an isotonic dehydration and a break for fluid intake is, therefore, recommended. http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16018350 Poachers Massacre Turtles on Mexico Beach Mexican poachers bludgeoned and chopped some 80 Olive Ridley sea turtles to death for their eggs, believed to be an aphrodisiac, and left their shells scattered on a Pacific beach. The navy has sent two ships to the area to step up protection of turtle nesting areas. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8479 Australia Seeks to Breed Test-Tube Sharks The endangered grey nurse shark is its own worst enemy -- its young eat each other in the womb -- so Australian scientists have a radical rescue plan to artificially inseminate and breed the ocean predator in test-tubes. http://enn.com/today.html?id=8449 Scientists speed coral growth By exposing embryonic coral cells to concentrated salt water, researchers at St. Louis' World Aquarium have been able to accelerate their growth. Coastal development, increased pollution in rivers that empty into oceans and commercial activities such as fishing and snorkelling have endangered more than three-quarters of the world's coral reefs, ecologists estimate. This has spurred world-wide efforts to preserve or grow them. http://www.bradenton.com/mld/ The Impact of Human Recreational Activities in Marine Protected Areas The aesthetic appeal of marine reserves and the facilities provided, together with the increased public awareness of nature, all contribute to creating massive tourism in Marine Protected Areas. Human activities are being changed inside MPAs in two ways: humans as top predators are generally being removed, but in turn they could come back at great numbers as visitors. New study assesses the impact of SCUBA diving, boat anchoring and other recreational activities. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/ Grow in the Dark: Bottom-dwelling bacterium survives on geothermal glow A microbe discovered in the deepest, darkest reaches of the Pacific Ocean makes its living in an unlikely way - by photosynthesis. It is the only photosynthetic organism in nature known to use a light source other than sunlight. The newly described species uses faint light emitted by deep-sea hydrothermal vents to power its metabolism. http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050625/fob5.asp Grey Whales to Fly to Britain? Dozens of whales could be flown to Cumbria from California under a plan by two academics to reintroduce the species to the UK. The species lived off the British coast until 400 years ago. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/4692193.stm __________________________________________________________ * Copyright SCUBA Travel - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/ * Reprinting welcomed with this footer included. We are happy for you to copy and distribute this newsletter, and even use parts of it on your own web site, providing the above copyright notice is included and a link back to our web site is in place. Previous editions of SCUBA News are archived at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING Visit http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html and add or remove your e-mail address. CONTACTING THE EDITOR Please send your letters or press releases to: The Editor SCUBA News The Cliff Upper Mayfield DE6 2HR UK ADVERTISING Should you wish to advertise in SCUBA News, please fill in the form at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsad.html PUBLISHER SCUBA Travel Ltd, 5 Loxford Court, Hulme, Manchester, M15 6AF, UK Subscribe To SCUBA NewsOur newsletter, SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011), is absolutely free. It is a monthly publication, delivered by e-mail. To receive your copy fill in your details below. We will never pass your e-mail address to any third parties, or send you unsolicited e-mail. You will receive an e-mail confirming your subscription. If you don't receive this you have probably entered your e-mail address incorrectly - revisit this page and re-subscribe. 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