I stumbled cross these stunning satellite images of Bikini and Enewatak Atoll on the Artificial Owl blog. Top left is a 2000m crater left by Castle Bravo in 1954, the second biggest thermonuclear hydrogen bomb (weighing in at 15 megatons, 1200 times [...]
Researchers from Tuebingen University in Germany have made a startling discovery by finding the first known vertebrate to have evolved mirrors, which focus light into the eyes. This odd vertebrate is a species of fish (Dolichopteryx longipes), commonly known as the ‘spookfish‘ or ‘barreleye‘. Although the spookfish has been recognised for [...]
Believe it or not, this isn’t a photoshopped or altered image – the crab the size of a trash can is the ‘coconut crab‘ (Birgus latro), and can be found throughout the equatorial Indo-Pacific region. These incredible 10 legged creatures grow upto a metre in leg span, with large [...]
Amongst the winners of the National Geographic “best wild animal photos of 2008″ (link) is this incredible photograph of a diver and a southern right whale, taken in New Zealand. Like most whale populations, the souther right whale was extensively hunted from the mid 18th century up until the [...]
Following on from a previous article at Climate Shifts, a recent article published in PLoS One shows that corals are proving to be even more non-conformist than previously thought. Zoe Richards and co-authors from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies found that ‘rare’ species of branching [...]
ScienceNow News, 21st August
Warming seas and ocean acidification aren’t the only hazards facing the world’s coral reefs. A new study suggests that the communities can be thrown quickly and seriously out of balance by the iron from sunken ships. Scientists hope the findings will encourage the prompt removal of derelicts [...]
Reuters, 1st June 2008
Rising acidity in the ocean caused by seas absorbing greenhouse carbon dioxide could make low-lying island nations like Kiribati and the Maldives more vulnerable to storms as their coral reefs struggle to survive, say scientists.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at its highest level in the past [...]
“By the light of April’s full moon on Sunday or, quite likely a night or two after, corals will be mating en masse. Along the length of the island archipelago that makes up the Republic of Palau, millions of coral colonies will simultaneously release billion upon billion of eggs and sperm into the dark [...]
Wildlife Extra, 29th February 2008
Scientists have warned that a beautiful black, white and yellow butterflyfish, much admired by eco-tourists, divers and aquarium keepers alike, may be at risk of extinction.
The case of the Chevroned Butterflyfish is a stark example of how human pressure on the world’s coral reefs is [...]
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