Ocean News

To assess how distinct blacktip sharks from different countries in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean are we need to examine their DNA. In recent years, major technological advances have enabled geneticists to examine differences in DNA of…

Due to the charismatic nature of many large shark species such as great whites, tigers, bulls and whale sharks, they have received much attention over the years, and for this reason are relatively well studied. Unfortunately, this trend…

World Oceans Day is celebrated annually on 8 June. On this day, we celebrate what our oceans mean for our survival and wellbeing, and highlight some of the more pressing challenges to their healthy functioning. It’s been unofficially observed since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, but…

A tiny, candy-striped fish gaping goggle-eyed from its hiding place below the overhang on a coral reef is easily overlooked. “Once one knows what to look for and where to look, it is relatively easy to find them”, explains Dr Ryan Daly, former Research Director of the SOSF D’Arros Research…

The South African Minister of Environmental Affairs announced twenty new marine protected areas (MPAs) – a move that increases the oceans protected around the country’s mainland territory from 0.4% to 5%. The MPAs were formally gazetted yesterday and will take effect on 1 August this year. Designed to pack a…

‘I had to call on two other boats for help and there were 19 of us altogether, struggling for hours to pull the giant out of water. It was the king of fish, a sawfish, and it weighed…

I’ve been up to the Great Bear Rainforest three times now. Once, on the RV Bangarang, a research vessel owned and operated by a dear friend, Dr. Eric Keen. Once, at Whale Point and the Wall, a full…

Today reminds us which species need immediate conservation focus and is a chance to learn what we can each do to turn the tide for highly threatened biodiversity. Endangered Species Day follows the recent release of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report, which details that…

Words by Michael Scholl The 34th DOK Festival opened on May 8, 2019 in Munich with the world premiere of the film The Whale and the Raven by Mirjam Leuze. The team that made this exceptional documentary was present during the opening ceremony at the Deutsches Theatre, which hosted a…

One of the Maldives best known and loved manta rays, Babaganoush, surprised and delighted our researchers this week when he reappeared at Hanifaru Bay, six months after sustaining what were thought to be fatal injuries from a speedboat…

When you are searching for the last remaining sawfish on earth, you need a lot of help. Once known from at least 90 countries it is not a job for a small team. These animals, five species in…

In a surprise coup, the ruling order in False Bay, South Africa has been toppled.  The broadnose sevengill sharks (Notorhynchus cepedianus) and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) that once reigned at the top of the ocean food chain in this ecosystem have been replaced by a new super predator. A new…