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SCUBA News 69

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)
Issue 69 - January 2006
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the first issue of 2006 - a little late so my 
apologies for that.  This year we introduce a new regular 
feature - "Did You Know?" - with snippets of information 
on coral reefs and the marine environment.  This is 
courtesy of the Beautiful Oceans company, of which more 
next month.

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
- Did You Know? Coral Reef Facts
- Diving News from Around the World 
__________________________________________________________

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

Find a Dive Centre in Thailand
  For newly listed dive centres in Pattaya, Phuket and 
  Koh Lanta see
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/thaiop.html 

SCUBA Bestsellers 2005
  Discover the top ten bestselling diving books and DVDs 
  of 2005. The list features three guides to the best 
  diving destinations, diving guides to Bali and Truk
  Lagoon, a couple of sea life books and even 
  a map.  Top of the list for the second year running 
  comes Jack Jackson's "Dive Atlas of The World".
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/bestsellers.html

Diving in Sharm El-Sheikh, Red Sea
  We've increased our coverage of diving centres in 
  Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
  http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/redsea/sharmop.html
__________________________________________________________

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

From the Diving Board...

  Hi everyone,

  I am thinking of doing my Advanced Open Water cert in 
  Greece this year, but do not know which island to go to. 
  I've been to Crete before so I'd like to go somewhere 
  else, has anyone been to any other islands diving, 
  particularly Halkidiki or Zakynthos? If so could you 
  also let me know which diving club you used and any 
  good hotels nearby if you can remember any names, thanks!!

  Emma Newton

To reply to Emma visit 
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=300

--

  Hi guys, "What elements make up your perfect dive site?" 
  
  Andrew 

Tell Andrew about your perfect dive site at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=295
__________________________________________________________

Did You Know? Coral Reef Facts
==============================

The origins of collective nouns - such as "school" of fish 
- are unclear.  Some sources suggest that they were 
originally old English hunting terms.  Whatever the origin, 
there are certainly plenty of interesting and thought-
provoking examples.  Here are a few other marine related 
collective nouns.  (I especially like the knot of eels.)

Knot of eels
Smack of jellyfish
Beds of clams or oysters
Pod of dolphins or whales

--

From the Beautiful Oceans science diver and science 
snorkeler program, Coral Reef Architecture and 
Organisms.  For more on this excellent on-line 
course visit 
http://www.beautifuloceans.com/

__________________________________________________________

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/scuba.xml
It's free and automatically updates you with the latest 
SCUBA news via your web site, e-mail or any news feed 
reader.

Spy-Diver Killer Invented
  When you are diving, be sure not to swim anywhere near 
  any ship or installation that has been protected by 
  the Raytheon Corporation's new "swimmer denial" system. 
  Otherwise you will very quickly feel extremely sick and 
  probably drown. Raytheon's underwater sensors detect any 
  unwelcome presence and trigger an underwater sound system. 
  The pulse rate and audio frequency of the sound make 
  human organs resonate like organ pipes, causing swimmers 
  to vomit into their masks or suffer internal ruptures.
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8559  

Narwhal's tooth senses temperature, pressure and particles
  For hundreds of years scientists have wondered why the 
  narwhal, or unicorn, whale have an 8-foot-long tooth 
  emerging from its head.  The answer is that the narwhal's 
  tooth is a sensor which can detect changes in water 
  temperature, pressure and particle gradients.  This 
  means that they can discern the salinity of the water, 
  which could help them survive in their Arctic ice environment. 
  It also allows the whales to detect water particles 
  characteristic of the fish that constitute their diet. 
  There is no comparison known in nature.
  http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/12_13nweeia.html

New Study Measures Nitrogen Narcosis
  The narcotic effect of nitrogen impairs diver performance 
  and limits dive profiles, especially for deep dives using 
  compressed air.  A new study attempts to establish 
  measurable correlates of nitrogen narcosis using EEG 
  (an electroencephalogram which records electrical waves of 
  the brain). If confirmed by studies with larger case series, 
  the researchers hope that EEG patterns could be used to 
  identify nitrogen narcosis for various gas mixtures and 
  prevent the dangerous impact of nitrogen on diver performance.
  http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16313139

Can Fire Coral cause Kidney Disorder?
  A case has been reported of woman scuba diver developing 
  a kidney disorder after being exposurd to fire coral 
  (Millepora species), according to an article published 
  in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
  http://www.ajkd.org/article/PIIS0272638605014964/abstract

ADVERT:__________________________________________________

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 posters and prints: Doubilet's Red Sea, sharks, Great 
 Barrier Reef, coral...browse the offers at 
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__________________________________________________:ADVERT

Deep-sea fish species decimated in a generation
  At least five species of deepwater exotic fish - only 
  caught since the 1970s - are now on the critically 
  endangered list.  Most commercial fish, such as cod, 
  live on the continental shelves. But overfishing in 
  the 1970s led fishing vessels to move on to a 
  hitherto-unexploited wealth of strange-looking fish 
  on the slopes of the continental shelves, down to 
  1600 metres.  The bonanza was short-lived.  Most of 
  these fisheries peaked after five years and 
  collapsed after 15. 
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8533

World's biggest fish shrinking
  Whale sharks spotted off the coast of Australia are 
  getting smaller. In a decade the average size recorded 
  by observers has shrunk from 7m to 5m. Whale sharks, 
  the world's largest fish, are caught for food in some 
  east Asian countries and Australian researchers suspect 
  this is causing a decline.  
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4620960.stm  

South African Divers Need New Permits
  Scuba divers who were granted an exemption allowing 
  them to dive in marine protected areas (MPAs) now need 
  to re-apply for such exemption.  The old permits expired 
  at the end of the year.
  http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/

Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age
  The ocean current that gives western Europe its 
  relatively balmy climate is stuttering, raising fears 
  that it might fail entirely and plunge the continent 
  into a mini ice age. The dramatic finding comes from 
  a study of ocean circulation in the North Atlantic, 
  which found a 30% reduction in the warm currents 
  that carry water north from the Gulf Stream.
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8398

Asia-Pacific group pledges cleaner technologies
  The six-nation Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean 
  Development and Climate committed to invest in 
  cleaner energy technologies at its inaugural meeting 
  Australia.  But pledges by the US and Australian 
  governments were slammed by green groups as disastrous, 
  as these countries have not also signed up to cut 
  their greenhouse gas emissions.
  http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8581

Marine Census Shows Both Diversity and Declines
  A massive census of all the fish and other marine 
  life in the world's oceans has reached the halfway 
  point with new evidence of the rich diversity under 
  the sea along with warnings about the alarming decline 
  of many species.
  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9486
__________________________________________________________

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