http://www.alabamadive.com com_fireboard en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 08:29:33 -0500 fb_rsspower.gif http://www.alabamadive.com 88 http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1717&catid=32 Lower Ocean Temperatures Key To Saving Coral Reefs by Lee Rannals University of Bristol researchers writing in the journal Geophysical Research Letters say limiting global warming would be key to buying the coral reefs some more time. The researchers found restricting greenhouse warming to just 50-100 parts per million (ppm) carbon dioxide, or approximately half the increase since the Industrial Revolution, would avoid large-scale reductions in reef habitat occurring in the future. “If sea surface... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1716&catid=32 U.S. advisory on mercury in fish tied up at health department by Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Updated federal advice on mercury levels in fish appears to have stalled within the U.S. department of health, frustrating scientists and advocacy groups who argue that exposure to mercury may be dangerous at lower levels than previously thought. The government last revised its mercury guidance in 2004 when it said young children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and women who might become pregnant sh... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1715&catid=31 FWC scientists discover new bass species Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name ofMicropterus haiaka. They revealed their discovery at a meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society earlier this year. FWC scientists first noted a DNA profile that did not belong to any... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1714&catid=32 Could Coral Reefs Become Sponge Reefs In the Future? Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington International research has suggested that many coral species won’t survive beyond the end of this century, but marine biologists at Victoria University are offering an alternative scenario. Dr James Bell, who specialises in sponge ecology, is the lead author of an article published in Global Change Biology which suggests that sponges may become the dominant organisms inhabiting coral reefs when the... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1713&catid=23 Florida officials encourage lionfish harvests by AP TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — State wildlife officials want to permanently change rules that will make it easier to catch lionfish in Florida waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discussed the rule change Wednesday. The FWC put a temporary rule in place last August that waived the recreational fishing license requirement when targeting lionfish with pole spears, handheld nets, Hawaiian slings or other devices specifically designed... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1712&catid=32 DISTRIBUTION AND LENGTH FREQUENCY OF INVASIVE LIONFISH (PTEROIS SP.) IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO OF MEXICO Alexander Q. Fogg1*, Eric R. Hoffmayer1, William B. Driggers III1, Matthew D. Campbell1, Gilmore J. Pellegrin1, and William Stein2 1National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Mississippi Laboratories, P.O. Drawer 1207, Pascagoula, MS 39567 USA; 2Nekton Research Laboratory, Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr.... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1710&catid=32 Dolphin and turtle deaths a sign of sick Gulf by JANET MCCONNAUGHEY NEW ORLEANS — Continuing deaths of dolphins and sea turtles are a sign that the Gulf of Mexico is still feeling effects from the 2010 spill that spewed 200 million gallons of oil from a well a mile below the surface, a prominent environmental group said Tuesday. The deaths — especially in dolphins, which are at the top of the food chain — are a strong indication that there is something amiss with the Gulf ecosystem, said National ... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1709&catid=31 Scientists Confirm First-Ever Two-Headed Bull Shark by Layne Cameron Michael Wagner EAST LANSING, Michigan -- Scientists have confirmed the discovery of the first-ever, two-headed bull shark. The study, led by Michigan State University and appearing in the Journal of Fish Biology, confirmed the specimen, found in the Gulf of Mexico April 7, 2011, was a single shark with two heads, rather than conjoined twins. There have been other species of sharks, such as blue sharks and tope sharks, born with... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1708&catid=25 Aqua Lung Recalls Buoyancy Compensators Due to Drowning Hazard Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. Recall date: MARCH 21, 2013 Recall number: 13-146 Enlarge Aqua Lung Buoyancy Compensator with weight pockets and handles Name of product: Aqua Lung buoyancy compensators with SureLock II weight pocket handles Hazard: The rubber handles can detach as divers are trying to remove the weig... http://www.alabamadive.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&id=1707&catid=25 Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs - Tank Safety Advisory The U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) announced Sept. 6 potential dangers with certain improperly tested self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) tanks, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) tanks, and other compressed gas cylinders. The RSPA determined that Underwater Adventures, located at 400 W. Magnolia, Leesburg, Florida, marked and certified a...