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SCUBA News 68

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)
Issue 68 - December 2005
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the last SCUBA News of the year.  Thank you for 
subscribing and our best wishes for a happy and 
prosperous New Year.

Should you wish to cancel your subscription to 
SCUBA News you can do so at 
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html

Contents:
- What's new at SCUBA Travel?
- Your Letters
- Diving News from Around the World 
__________________________________________________________

What's New at SCUBA Travel?
============================

Diving in Bali
  More diving centres are now listed in the Bali section 
  of the site.  Find the highest rated operators at
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/baliop.html  

Diving Papua New Guinea
  The article published in the last issue of SCUBA News 
  is now available, with photographs, on the web site.
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/papua.html

Diving the Red Sea: Sharm El-Sheikh
  If you're planning on diving Sharm El-Sheikh, check 
  out the new recommendations and listings at
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmop.html
__________________________________________________________

Your Letters
============

Hi 

I am going to Coco Cayo, Cuba in March does anyone have 
any information on the diving over there? All info much 
appreciated. 

Yvonne Davis


--

If you can help Yvonne e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk
__________________________________________________________

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.

Scuba divers rescue 50-ton humpback whale
  A group of scuba divers rescued a 50-foot-long 
  humpback whale that had become entangled in crab
  fishing gear off the coast of San Francisco.
  http://www.sfgate.com/  

Broody squid carry their eggs in their arms
  A broody species of squid has been found to carry 
  thousands of its eggs under its many arms. It is the 
  first species of squid known to look after its clutch. 
  Previously, it had been thought that squid would be 
  incapable of caring for their eggs as the health of most 
  species deteriorates rapidly after laying eggs. 
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8462  

Marauders continue to plunder the oceans
  The biodiversity of the oceans is as seriously 
  threatened as ever, despite efforts to conserve it, 
  according to two new reports. Plans to set up protected 
  areas are proceeding woefully slowly, illegal fishing is 
  thriving, and international pledges to improve matters 
  are achieving little.  Both reports focus on the high 
  seas beyond the 360-kilometre limit of national exclusive 
  economic zones (EEZs). The high seas are especially 
  problematic because they are not governed by any single 
  nation, which means the rules are often complicated and 
  difficult to police.
  http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/deep-sea/  

Mexican Divers Try To Fix Storm-Wracked Coral Reef
  Mexican scuba divers are trying to repair one of 
  the world's biggest coral reefs after it was badly 
  damaged by Hurricane Wilma.  Buffeted by strong 
  currents, it takes three divers to hold broken 
  chunks of coral in place and tie them down with 
  plastic straps that are tricky to fasten even above 
  the surface. 
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9295  

Study Finds Climate Change May Melt Permafrost
  Climate change could melt the top 11 feet of Alaska 
  permafrost by the end of the century, according to a new 
  study.
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9539  

Japanese fleet suspends whaling, Greenpeace says
  Greenpeace says a Japanese fishing fleet in the 
  Southern Ocean has abandoned its whaling activities 
  for the time being, while it tries to shake off the 
  environmental group's tagging ships.
  http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1537393.htm

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Save Coral Reefs With eLearning
  Beautiful Oceans have launched what they claim to be 
  the world's first coral reef online science course 
  designed for recreational SCUBA divers and snorkellers. 
  http://www.news.scubatravel.co.uk/2005/12/ 

Scientists Say Too Many Fish are Snared in the Wrong Nets
  Commercial fisheries in the U.S. kill a pound of fish 
  for every four pounds intentionally caught, 
  jeopardizing efforts to restore some struggling stocks, 
  scientists have said.
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9367  

Migration of green turtles 1955 - 2003
  During 1955-2003, flipper tags were attached to 
  46,983 green turtles and ten turtles were fitted with 
  satellite transmitters at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. 
  The nesting area is more extensive than previously 
  documented.  Researches found the Tortuguero population 
  may have greater potential for recovery than other green 
  turtle nesting populations.
  http://springerlink.metapress.com/  

Hurricane Record for Single Year
  Tropical Storm Epsilon developed into the 14th hurricane 
  of 2005, setting yet another new record for a single year. 
  An analysis of the 2005 season suggests 2006 will to be 
  another turbulent year. 
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8413 

Pacific Islanders Move To Escape Global Warming
  Rising seas have forced 100 people on a Pacific 
  island of Vanuatu to move to higher ground in what 
  may be the first example of a village formally 
  displaced because of modern global warming, according 
  to a UN report.
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9392  

Gulf of Thailand oil spill mop-up raises new environmental concerns
  Marine scientists have warned of long term damage 
  to coral reefs and marine life after Thai Oil and 
  state agencies dumped huge amounts of chemicals into 
  the sea to disperse a crude oil spill. Thorn 
  Damrongnawasawadi, of Kasetsart University, said the 
  oil would eventually sink to the bottom of the ocean, 
  covering coral and marine animals, and that could 
  lead to another disaster.
  http://nationmultimedia.com/ 

What causes the most damage to coral reefs: Divers, Anchors or Antifouling Paint?
  A study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin has 
  compared the damage done to coral reefs by dropping 
  anchors, contact by divers and pollution by antifouling 
  paint. For a frequently visited site the scientists 
  forecast anchors and chains causing the most damage.
  http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16291181  

Sea slugs solve the battle of the sexes
  Striking that happy balance between giving and 
  receiving in a relationship can be fraught with 
  difficulty. But not, it seems, for hermaphrodite sea 
  slugs. These gentle soft-bodied animals, blessed with 
  both male and female genitalia, solve the battle of 
  the sexes by engaging in "sperm trading".
  http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/
__________________________________________________________

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