Achilles Tang

Researchers in Spain are reporting deep new insights into how evolution changes the biochemistry of living things, helping them to adapt to new environments. Their study, based on an analysis of proteins produced by two populations of marine snails, reveals chemical differences that give one population a survival-of-the fittest edge for life in its cold, wave-exposed environment. View the full article

Welcome to Singapore Reef Club! Glad to have you with us and do share your tank photos and setup information with us!!

A giant Atlantic bluefin tuna weighing more than half a ton had the honor of being fitted with the 1000th electronic tracking tag placed on this threatened species when it was caught and released on Monday (October 20) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Port Hood, Nova Scotia. (2008-10-30) View the full article

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the international body charged with the conservation and management of tuna and associated species in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, will meet in San Diego from Nov. 2-7 to consider conservation measures for vulnerable tuna populations. Whether this 16-nation Commission will act to protect declining tuna stocks, or once again demonstrate their impotence to do so, remains to be seen. The fate of Pacific tuna stocks hangs in the balance. View the full article

I have updated a security patch and improved Captcha mechanism in place. This should stem the current flow of spam bots (till the next influx when they get smarter!). Happy surfing all!!

A 1,250-pound giant bluefin tuna caught in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada had the honor of being released with the 1000th electronic tracking tag placed on this depleted species by the Tag-A-Giant campaign. View the full article

A round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) was caught in late July off the Swedish coast near Karlskrona. This is the first find of its kind in Sweden. The species, which originates from the Black Sea and probably spread to the Baltic via ballast water, has been found in the Gulf of Gdansk since 1990, in the southern Baltic. View the full article

There is no longer any shadow of a doubt about the impact of global warming on coral reefs. A rise of a few degrees in sea surface temperature induces the expulsion of essential microscopic algae which live in symbiosis with the coral. This process is the cause of coral bleaching and is well known to scientists, but few large-scale studies have dealt with its effects on the structure of communities of hundreds of species of reef-colonizing fish. View the full article

Rising carbon dioxide levels in the world's oceans could deliver a disastrous blow to the ability of coral reefs to withstand climate change. A major new investigation by Australian scientists has revealed that acidification of the oceans from human carbon dioxide emissions has the potential to worsen the impact of the bleaching and death of reef-building organisms expected to occur under global warming. View the full article

Canadian and US researchers have made a surprising discovery that some endangered Pacific salmon stocks are surviving in rivers with hydroelectric dams as well as or better than in rivers without dams. View the full article

The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are made-from-scratch wonders of nature. View the full article

Wild migratory birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America. View the full article

Co-operation in nature often works as an exchange of goods or services between two different parties. Scientists have studied how certain fish on coral reef keep other species of fish clean. The Bluestreak cleaner wrasse helps other fish species by eating parasites from their skin. The cleaner's favorite food is, however, the nutrient-rich mucus layer that covers the client fish. View the full article

Review of today's knowledge about the coloration of the guests in our tanks. View the full article

What is the connection between crumpled paper and marine algae? Saddle-like shapes similar to those found in an Elizabethan "ruff" collar, say physicists in a new article. View the full article

An international team of researchers has shown that mercury is another important factor in cardiovascular disease as it changes the way arteries work. One of the possible sources of exposure of humans to mercury is by eating contaminated fish. View the full article

Cod, salmon and eels and other native cold water fish might eventually become a rarity in Irish waters--and not necessarily because of overfishing, pollution or habitat destruction. Long-term changes in the temperature and salt content of our regional seas, brought about by climate change, may force species such as these into deeper, colder waters and replace them with warm water species such as sea bass and boarfish. View the full article

I need to go update the software soon... bot spammers are getting smarter and smarter to hack into new and newer versions of forum software... standby.

The Marine Mammal Center has seen an increase in leptospirosis cases in sea lions this year. Researchers there are launching a new study to determine causes of cyclical outbreaks and how the disease is spread among sea lions. View the full article

A rise in carbon emissions is not the only threat to the planet. Changes to the nitrogen cycle, caused in large part by the widespread use of fertilizers, are also damaging both water quality and aquatic life. These concerns are highlighted in a historical review of landscape changes around Chesapeake Bay. View the full article

Spinner dolphins have long been known for their teamwork in capturing prey, but a new study using high-tech acoustics has found that their synchronization is even more complex than scientists realized and likely evolved as a strategy to maximize their energy intake. View the full article

Rare corals may be smarter than we thought. Faced with a dire shortage of mates of their own kind, new research suggests they may be able to cross-breed with certain other coral species to breed themselves out of a one-way trip to extinction. This finding has raised hopes for the ability of the world's corals to withstand the rigors of changing climates and human impacts. View the full article

Methylmercury, the predominant form of mercury found in the blood of marine mammals and fish-eating communities, could be more damaging to seals than has previously been thought. New research shows that MeHg harms T-lymphocytes, key cells in a seal's immune system. Similar results were also found for human lymphocytes. View the full article

A new study says that people trying to help nature by designing corridors for wildlife need to think more naturally. "Human beings tend to think in terms of regular, symmetrical structures, but nature can be much more irregular," said the lead researcher. View the full article

Politics have played a critical role in the increase of the cod stock in the Baltic Sea, but environmental conditions are equally important. Only the synergies from these two factors have resulted in a stock increase that exceeds the sums of both factors. The study is highly relevant for the management decision on Baltic cod, which will be taken by the Council of Ministers on October 27th 2008. View the full article