Regional
Marine
Research
Hatchery could boost Idaho's sockeye
Hatchery could boost Idaho's sockeye
Bellingham Herald
July 28, 2010Idaho Fish and Game and the Bonneville Power Administration recently bought a mothballed hatchery that could help recover a unique Idaho species that was nearly extinct.
"This is an exciting time for sockeye recovery because we're not only seeing more returning fish than we have in a long time, but we also are seeing a commitment of resources to continue that trend," said Idaho Fish and Game Director Cal Groen.
Read more...
Invasive mussels could cost $100M a year to fight
Invasive mussels could cost $100M a year to fight
The Seattle Times
By Nicholas K. Geranios
July 28, 2010The expected arrival of invasive mussels in the Columbia River Basin could cost $100 million a year to fight, according to a new report done for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
The dime-sized freshwater mussels pose a threat to dams, irrigation systems and native fish species, said the report from a panel of economists.
Read more...
Coastal salmon fishing is good-news, bad-news situation
Coastal salmon fishing is good-news, bad-news situation
The Statesman Journal
July 28, 2010Special regulations go into effect Sunday for anglers pursuing fall Chinook salmon on coastal rivers and streams.
"This year's predicted returns for coastal fall chinook are a mixed bag," said Ron Boyce, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Ocean Salmon/Columbia River Program manager. "We expect overall numbers to be much better than last year, but some streams on the North Coast will continue to have weak runs."
Read more...
Great white shark tagged near Cape Cod
Great white shark tagged near Cape Cod
UPI
July 29, 2010Massachusetts wildlife officials say they've tagged their first great white shark of the year, after tagging five of the creatures in local waters last year.
Using a harpoon, wildlife workers sank a tracking device into the dorsal fin of the 12-foot shark, a normally elusive creature that has been spotted more often in recent years in southern Massachusetts waters, The Boston Globe reported Thursday.
Read more...
Oceans in peril: primed for mass extinction?
Oceans in peril: primed for mass extinction?
Live Science
By Wynne Parry
July 29, 2010One hundred days ago Thursday, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon began spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. As profoundly as the leak of millions of barrels of oil is injuring the Gulf ecosystem, it is only one of many threats to the Earth's oceans that, many experts say, could change the makeup of the oceans as we know them and wipe out a large portion of marine life.
The waters of the Gulf were already heavily fished, and the Gulf has been home to an oxygen-depleted dead zone generated by agricultural runoff rich in nutrients.
Read more...
UK retains Spanish vessel thought to be overfishing
UK retains Spanish vessel thought to be overfishing
FIS
By Analia Murias
July 28, 2010UK authorities have held a fishing vessel, Coyo Tercero, from Ribeira, A Coruña, captive for almost 20 days. The fishermen allegedly "under-stated the number of catches" of hake, confirmed the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM), reports the Europa Press.
Read more...
Marine phytoplankton declining: striking global changes
Marine phytoplankton declining: striking global changes
Science Daily
July 28, 2010A new article published in the 29 July issue of the journal Nature reveals for the first time that microscopic marine algae known as "phytoplankton" have been declining globally over the 20th century. Phytoplankton forms the basis of the marine food chain and sustains diverse assemblages of species ranging from tiny zooplankton to large marine mammals, seabirds, and fish. Says lead author Daniel Boyce, "Phytoplankton is the fuel on which marine ecosystems run. A decline of phytoplankton affects everything up the food chain, including humans."
Read more...
Scientists research bacteria afflicting rockfish
Scientists research bacteria afflicting rockfish
The Capital
By Pamela Wood
July 17, 2010It was more than a dozen years ago when Chesapeake Bay rockfish started turning up skinny and pockmarked with nasty skin lesions, and scientists are still figuring out what's going on.
Scientists soon determined the culprit was mycobacteriosis, a bacterial disease.
But understanding how the bacteria works - how it spreads, how it sickens the fish, how it affects the overall fish population - is a mystery that's still being unraveled.
Read more...
Study overturns long-standing theory on phytoplankton growth
Study overturns long-standing theory on phytoplankton
The Columbia Basin Bulletin
July 16, 2010A new study concludes that an old, fundamental and widely accepted theory of how and why phytoplankton bloom in the oceans is incorrect.
The findings challenge more than 50 years of conventional wisdom about the growth of phytoplankton, which are the ultimate basis for almost all ocean life and major fisheries. And they also raise concerns that global warming, rather than stimulating ocean productivity, may actually curtail it in some places.Read more...
World Fish Stories
Coming Events
| Sun Aug 01 - Fri Aug 06 ESA Annual Meeting |
| Sun Sep 12 - Thu Sep 16 AFS - Natl. Chapter |