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Wetstuff News 16 April 2008

IN THIS EDITION:

MARINE AND COASTAL LEGISLATION, POLICY AND PLANNING
1. United effort over whales (New Zealand)
2. Congress Pushes for True Shark Finning Ban (USA)
3. Protector of our ocean (Pacific)
4. Hopes Rise Global Trade Deal Can Avert Fish Crisis (Switzerland)
5. Opportunity for Bush Administration to Enhance its Ocean Legacy Threatened by Shortsighted Interests (USA)

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
6. Drought refuge sought for endangered fish (Australia)
7. All that water, every drop to drink (USA)

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
8. Growing pressure over Tasmanian marine reserves (Australia)
9. Marine parks meeting (Australia)

FISHERIES
10. EU Cuts Poland Cod Quota After Overfishing In 2007 (Europe)
11. Ocean Aquaculture Will Not Tackle Seafood Deficit (USA)
12. Fish Hatchery Controversy Takes On New Significance As Wild Chinook Salmon Populations Crash (USA)

AQUACULTURE
13. Australia: Strategy aims for rapid aquaculture industry growth (Australia)
14. Learning from Success Stories (Asia)
15. Support for Aquaculture Development (New Zealand)

CLIMATE CHANGE
16. Australians ready to act on climate change: report (Australia)
17. Climate change affecting UK's coastal wildlife, report warns (UK)
18. Bangladesh faces climate change refugee nightmare (Bangladesh)
19. Why Is Arctic Sea Ice Melting Faster Than Predicted? (Alaska)
20. Warming trends rise in large ocean areas: study (International)

NATURAL HAZARDS
21. Unusual Earthquake Swarm Off Oregon Coast Puzzles Scientists (USA)
22. Whole Lotta Shaking Going On (Pacific)

COASTAL DEVELOPMENT
23. Project to protect ocean from industry (Australia)

MARINE & COASTAL INVASIVE SPECIES
24. Tortoises under threat from sea worm (Australia)

MARINE SPECIES
25. Japan may raise Antarctic whale meat prices (Japan)
26. Nuked coral reef bounces back (Marshall Islands)
27. Aussie anti-sealing activists released (Australia)
28. Tracking effort to protect sharks (Australia)

PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
29. Japan to plant coral island in the Pacific (Japan)

SHIPPING & PORTS
30. Analysis - Shipping Co2 Controls To Raise Transport Costs (UK)

HERITAGE
31. Preserving the past (Australia)

INDIGENOUS
32. Islanders can return, says report (Chagos Islands)

BLUE ENERGY
33. Maritime College riding a wave of power (Australia)
34. Harnessing river whirlpools puts energy on tap (USA)

COASTAL WETLANDS
35. Migratory bird numbers plummeting, study shows (Australia)

POLLUTION
36. Plastic plethora calls for drastic bag limits (Australia)
37. Record beach litter threatens marine wildlife (UK)

RECREATION & TOURISM
38. International Seminar Shapes Path Towards Sustainable Tourism (UK)
39. Eritrea: Coral reefs (Eritrea)
40. Freak wave kills cage-diving adventurers (South Africa)

RESEARCH
41. Ocean mud yields secrets of past Earth impacts (Hawai’i)

PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES
42. Marine Science Review 255: Pathogens, disease and die-offs (International)
43. Increasing Capacity for Stewardship of Oceans and Coasts: A Priority for the 21st Century (USA)

OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
44. Review of the zoning plans for Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands Marine Parks (Australia)
45. Quarantine And Biosecurity Review – Submissions Close 28 April 2008 (Australia)
46. Inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities (Australia)
47. MCCN’s Coastal Survey 2008 – closes 18 May 2008 (Australia)

AWARDS
48. Call for Entries to Reuters-IUCN Environmental Media Awards (International)
49. 2008 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Environmental Research (Australia)
50. World Environment Day Awards 2008 (Australia)

WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
51. Join Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day 2008 (Australia)
52. International Ocean Stewardship Forum 2008 (International)

CALL FOR PAPERS & ABSTRACTS
53. Littoral 2008 - A Changing Coast: Challenge the Environmental Policies (Europe)
54. Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference (China)
55. International Marine Conservation Congress: call for papers (International)

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MARINE AND COASTAL LEGISLATION, POLICY AND PLANNING

1. United effort over whales (New Zealand)
Abridged from: The Dominion Post
16 April 2008
Full text: http://www.stuff.co.nz
The New Zealand Government will meet its Australian counterparts tomorrow to prepare a joint strike that aims to stop Japan whaling in the Southern Ocean. The meeting between Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick and Australia's Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, will discuss making "one big hit" on Japan during the International Whaling Commission's annual conference in Chile in June. Ms Chadwick said she hoped adopting a joint approach would put pressure on pro-whaling countries to abandon scientific whaling.
Back to Contents

2. Congress Pushes for True Shark Finning Ban (USA)
Abridged from: Environmental News Network
14 April 2008
Full text: http://www.enn.com
A recent decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has prompted Congress to introduce the "Shark Conservation Act of 2008."  This legislation would close loopholes exposed in the court decision by improving existing laws, originally intended to prevent shark finning. The Act would require sharks to be landed with their fins, improving current laws that only require fins and carcasses to be landed in a specific ratio.
Further information: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov
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3. Protector of our ocean (Pacific)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
13 April 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, could become the face for the protection and safety of the Pacific Ocean. Governor Schwarzenegger, is being sought after by planners of a new initiative to be known as the "Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge." This challenge, which is being coordinated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature based in Suva, seeks to focus global attention, build new partnerships, and generate the necessary commitments to address threats to the world's largest natural resource the Pacific Ocean by 2020.
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4. Hopes Rise Global Trade Deal Can Avert Fish Crisis (Switzerland)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
11 April 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
Negotiations on fisheries rules within a global trade deal have reached broad agreement that certain subsidies promoting overfishing should be banned, the chairman of the talks said on Thursday.  And progress in the talks, part of the long-running Doha round, suggest the World Trade Organisation could play a key role in averting an environmental crisis...  
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5. Opportunity for Bush Administration to Enhance its Ocean Legacy Threatened by Shortsighted Interests (USA)
Abridged from: The Earth Times, from Pew Environment Group Press Release
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.earthtimes.org
Ocean luminaries and fisheries experts recognised the Bush administration for its efforts to end overfishing and preserve ecologically significant areas of the ocean.  They also urged the administration to stand up to powerful fishing interests that could jeopardize recent successes in ocean policy. "During his final months in office, President Bush has the opportunity to enhance his ocean legacy," said Dr. Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environment Group.  "The administration must stand firm against attempts by those in the fishing industry and on some of the nation's fishery management councils to undermine its significant achievements for marine conservation."

Related articles:
http://www.foxbusiness.com
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine and Coastal Legislation, Policy and Planning
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NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

6. Drought refuge sought for endangered fish (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
A native fish feared to be near extinction will be put into temporary refuges in South Australia to help ensure its survival.  The southern purple-spotted gudgeon has lost its natural habitat because of ongoing drought.  Suzanne Keith from Waterfind Environment Fund hopes the fish will be able to breed in the refuges for release into the wild when the usual water flows return.
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7. All that water, every drop to drink (USA)
Abridged from: Los Angeles Times
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.latimes.com
With all the growing limitations on freshwater, it is easy to see why people would look to the Pacific Ocean as a potentially unlimited new water supply.  However, the reality is that despite the industry-fanned hopes, ocean water desalination remains largely impractical in California. Back to Contents

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MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

8. Growing pressure over Tasmanian marine reserves (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
The national marine science community is up in arms about the Tasmanian Government's position on marine protected areas in the Bruny Bioregion, off the state's south-east. 30 marine scientists, academics and aquatic policy experts have signed a letter, calling on the government to adopt the recommendation of the Resource Planning and Development Commission.
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9. Marine parks meeting (Australia)
Abridged from: Eyre Penninsula Tribune
9 April 2008
Full text: http://eyrepeninsula.yourguide.com.au
(SA) Department of Environment and Heritage staff met with Arno Bay residents on Tuesday to discuss proposed marine parks in local waters. Long-time Arno Bay commercial fisherman Haydn 'Jacko' O'Brien says the State Government proposal could have drastic effects on the local fishing industry and associated businesses. 
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine Protected Areas
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FISHERIES

10. EU Cuts Poland Cod Quota After Overfishing In 2007 (Europe)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
European Union ministers agreed on Monday to reduce Poland's annual allowances over four years for fishing cod in the eastern Baltic Sea as pay back for busting the quota in 2007, officials said on Monday.  The decision ends months of angry exchanges between Warsaw and Brussels over whether Poland caught too much cod last year.  At one point, Poland even filed a lawsuit against the European Commission, which administers quotas, at the EU's highest court. 
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11. Ocean Aquaculture Will Not Tackle Seafood Deficit (USA)
Abridged from: thefishsite.com
9 April 2008
Full text: http://www.thefishsite.com
Commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture will not eliminate our seafood trade deficit despite government claims, says a new report by Food & Water Watch.  The report Fish Story: Why Offshore Fish Farming Will Not Break US Dependence on Imported Seafood, explains why open water ocean fish farming, will not reduce the $9.2 billion US seafood trade deficit.  

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14. Learning from Success Stories (Asia)
Abridged from: The FishSite
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.thefishsite.com
The Network for Aquaculture Centres in Asia Pacific ^is to document aquaculture success stories in a bid to help others see how aquaculture can move to a more sustainable future.  The move follows the recommendations of the Workshop on Research Needs to Sustaining Aquaculture to 2025 and Beyond that was held in Rayong, Thailand in June last year. 
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15. Support for Aquaculture Development (New Zealand)
Abridged from: the fishsite.com
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.thefishsite.com
The New Zealand Government is to provide funds to back aquaculture development in the Canterbury and Waikato areas. Environment Minister Trevor Mallard has announced nearly NZ$100,000 of funding for Environment Canterbury and NZ$24,000 for Environment Waikato to develop procedures for dealing with applications for new aquaculture space and for research on environmental effects, respectively. 
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Aquaculture
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CLIMATE CHANGE

16. Australians ready to act on climate change: report (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
14 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
A new report has found the overwhelming majority of Australians accept that their lives have to change as a result of climate change. The Climate Institute report found 94 per cent of people supported changes in their own lives, and a large majority also want to see government leadership on the issue. Institute chief executive John Connor says people are prepared to act in a number of areas of their lives in order to reduce their impact on the environment.
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17. Climate change affecting UK's coastal wildlife, report warns (UK)
Abridged from: The Guardian
14 April 2008
Full text: http://www.guardian.co.uk
A diverse range of wildlife along Britain's coastline will be affected by flooding and coastal erosion in the next 100 years, conservationists warned. Research from the National Trust forecasts "dramatic changes" that will put at risk native wildlife along Britain's 9,040 miles of coastline and herald the arrival of new foreign species. The trust, which manages 707 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has compiled a list of "winners and losers" of the marine and terrestrial species that will be affected by climate change.
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18. Bangladesh faces climate change refugee nightmare (Bangladesh)
Abridged from: Environmental News Network
13 April 2008
Full text: http://www.enn.com
Abdul Majid has been forced to move 22 times in as many years, a victim of the annual floods that ravage Bangladesh. There are millions like Majid, 65, in Bangladesh and in the future there could be many millions more if scientists' predictions of rising seas and more intense droughts and storms come true. "Bangladesh is already facing consequences of a sea level rise, including salinity and unusual height of tidal water," said Mizanur Rahman, a research fellow with the London-based International Institute for Environmental Development.
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19. Why Is Arctic Sea Ice Melting Faster Than Predicted? (Alaska)
Abridged from: Science Daily
9 April 2008
Full text: http://www.sciencedaily.com
NOAA scientists are now flying through springtime Arctic pollution to find out why the region is warming — and summertime sea ice is melting — faster than predicted.  Some 35 NOAA researchers are gathering with government and university colleagues in Fairbanks, Alaska, to conduct the study through April 23.  
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20. Warming trends rise in large ocean areas: study (International)
Abridged from Reuters
9 April 2008
Full text: http://uk.reuters.com
Warming trends in a third of the world's large ocean regions are two to four times greater than previously reported averages, increasing the risk to marine life and fisheries, a U.N.-backed environmental study said. Overfishing, coastal pollution and degradation of water quality were common in all 64 large marine ecosystems studied by scientists who contributed to the U.N. Environmental Program report presented at an international conference on oceans, coasts and islands in Vietnam this week.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Climate Change
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NATURAL HAZARDS

21. Unusual Earthquake Swarm Off Oregon Coast Puzzles Scientists (USA)
Abridged from: Science Daily
14 Daily 2008
Full text: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Scientists at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center have recorded more than 600 earthquakes in the last 10 days off the central Oregon coast in an area not typically known for a high degree of seismic activity. “In the 17 years we’ve been monitoring the ocean through hydrophone recordings, we’ve never seen a swarm of earthquakes in an area such as this,” Dziak said. “
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22. Whole Lotta Shaking Going On (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
There have been over 10 recorded undersea earthquakes in the past 24 hours between Vanuatu and neighbouring New Caledonia, including one peaking 7.3 on the Richter scale. 
The most powerful quake occurred at 11:46 p.m. local time on Wednesday at an estimated depth of 35 kilometres below sea level, the Colorado-based U.S. Geological Survey said. 

Further information: http://www.reefbase.org
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COASTAL DEVELOPMENT

23. Project to protect ocean from industry (Australia)
Abridged from: The West Australian
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.thewest.com.au
The protection of the pristine North West Shelf marine environment from continuing industrial expansion is part of a $7.7 million project that researchers hope can be used worldwide. The findings of the North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study, jointly funded by the WA Government and the CSIRO through the Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship was released in Perth today. The CSIRO study, which has been underway for about seven years, is hoped to help better manage potentially competing uses of Australia’s marine ecosystems. 
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Coastal Development
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MARINE & COASTAL INVASIVE SPECIES

24. Tortoises under threat from sea worm (Australia)
Abridged from: The Australian
11 April 2008
Full text: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
A new threat is emerging to marine life at the bottom end of the Murray River, with increasing numbers of freshwater tortoises falling victim to sea worms attracted by the saline waters. An unknown number of tortoises have died at the Lower Lakes of the Murray and near the mouth of the river in South Australia, while one volunteer group has taken 150 injured tortoises into its care.  The tortoises are turning up on river and lake shores or stuck in mud banks, after being paralysed by the predatory bristle worms.  The infestation can mean a slow death for the river creatures.
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MARINE SPECIES

25. Japan may raise Antarctic whale meat prices (Japan)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
Japan may raise prices of whale meat to finance the next round of its annual Antarctic hunt after activists stopped it whaling fleet from killing their target number of animals. This season's hunt saw a series of skirmishes between the Japanese fleet and anti-whaling protesters. The Fisheries Agency says its fleet caught only 551 minke whales, compared with the planned catch of 850, and no fin whales were caught, although the agency had set a target of 50. 

Related articles:
http://news.bbc.co.uk
http://www.enn.com
http://www.abc.net.au
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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26. Nuked coral reef bounces back (Marshall Islands)
Abridged from: New Scientist
14 April 2008
Full text: http://environment.newscientist.com
What does a coral reef look like 50 years after being nuked? Not so bad, it seems. Coconuts growing on Bikini Atoll haven't fared so well, however. Three islands of Bikini Atoll were vapourised by the Bravo hydrogen bomb in 1954, which shook islands 200 kilometres away. Instead of finding a bare underwater moonscape, ecologists who have dived it have given the 2-kilometre-wide crater a clean bill of health. "It was fascinating – I’ve never seen corals growing like trees outside of the Marshall Islands," says Zoe Richards of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia.

Related articles:
http://news.theage.com.au
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27. Aussie anti-sealing activists released (Australia)
Abridged from: The Age
14 April 2008
Full text: http://news.theage.com.au
Two Australian anti-seal hunt activists have been released without charge after their ship was seized by Canadian authorities, but the vessel's captain faces court. 
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28. Tracking effort to protect sharks (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
9 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
Australian researchers are tracking 50 deep sea sharks in efforts to ensure the protection of vulnerable species. More than 200 sharks have been caught in a marine-protected area off the South Australian coast and tagged with acoustic devices. Scientists will use listening stations to track the sharks for the next three years to work out if they stay within a protected zone. Dr Alan Williams from the CSIRO says the work has a degree of urgency. "We're sort of recognising that many deep water species which are typically are very slow-growing and very long-lived are probably in a worse state of health than we might have realised," Dr Williams said.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine Species
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PETROLEUM AND MINERALS

29. Japan to plant coral island in the Pacific (Japan)
Abridged from: telegraph.co.uk
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Japanese scientists will attempt to "grow" an island in the Pacific Ocean to maintain its fishing territory. Up to 50,000 shards of coral will be transplanted into the waters around Okinotorishima, two stone outcrops 1,000 miles south of Tokyo, in an effort to stop them sinking. The outcrops sit just 4in above water at high tide.  If they disappear, Japan's maritime territory will shrink dramatically. In addition, rights to oil, minerals and gas beneath the seabed could be lost. However, the £3.6 million project is causing friction with China, which refuses to recognise the outcrops as an island and claims they cannot be used to stop Beijing's exploration of the area.
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SHIPPING AND PORTS

30. Analysis - Shipping Co2 Controls To Raise Transport Costs (UK)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
11 April 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
The world's shipping industry plans to limit its growing carbon dioxide emissions by taxing marine fuels and signing up to a new climate change deal in moves likely to raise transport costs for raw materials.  Experts say the measures, aired at an International Maritime Organisation meeting on fuel pollutants in London last week and about a year away from being formally agreed, will be painful but are necessary in the fight against climate change.
Shipping, because it operates out of sight on the oceans, has avoided the high-profile criticism for its production of CO2 as aviation, but its emissions are high and growing.
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HERITAGE

31. Preserving the past (Australia)
Abridged from: Science Alerts, by Carmelo Amalfi
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.sciencealert.com.au
How archaeologists deal with skeletal remains discovered on shipwrecks is the subject of a new paper by a WA Maritime Museum scientist.  Dr Ian MacLeod, the executive director of collection management and conservation, said the age of the human remains has a direct bearing on the way in which shipwrecks have been managed.  For example, the discovery of HMAS Sydney last month has raised issues over the possibility of finding remains on the World War Two wreck sitting in 2.5km of water off Shark Bay.

Related articles on finding the HMAS Sydney:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
http://www.thewest.com.au
http://www.abc.net.au
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Further information:
Visit the Finding Sydney website: http://www.findingsydney.com/default.asp
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INDIGENOUS

32. Islanders can return, says report (Chagos Islands)
Abridged from: BBC News
8 April 2008
Full text: http://news.bbc.co.uk
There are no physical, environmental or economic reasons why Chagossians cannot return to their islands in the Indian Ocean, a new settlement plan says.  The independent report says eco-tourism and fishing industries could provide jobs for them in the Chagos islands. More than 1,800 islanders were evicted in the 1960s when the UK made a deal allowing the US to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the main island.  Since then, apart from the military presence on Diego Garcia, the islands have remained largely uninhabited. The islands have a valuable coral eco-system and many rare animal and plant species.
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BLUE ENERGY

33. Maritime College riding a wave of power (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
14 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
Two technologies that generate electricity from the ocean are going through final testing at the Australian Maritime College in Launceston this week. Sydney company BioPower Systems has created two designs for ocean power conversion - one which harnesses energy from currents, the other from waves. Both models are more than 20 metres tall, sit just below the ocean surface and are designed to move and respond in a similar way to plants and fish. Smaller scale models are being tested in the AMC towing tank this week and prototypes will be installed off King and Flinders Islands later this year.
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34. Harnessing river whirlpools puts energy on tap (USA)
Abridged from: New Scientist
11 April 2008
Full text: http://environment.newscientist.com
Whirlpools created by currents as they flow over obstacles are powerful enough to tear apart bridges and offshore rigs.  So why not use them as a source of renewable power?  Previous attempts to harness energy from the flow of the world's rivers and oceans have had limited success, at best.  Tidal flow can only be tapped at certain times of day, while underwater turbines are only viable if they are mounted in rapid currents.  Now researchers led by Michael Bernitsas at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, are preparing for the first outdoor trials of a technology that makes use of the slow-moving currents down rivers and across the ocean.
Back to Contents

Interested in this topic? 
View MCCN’s latest edition of WAVES magazine which focuses on ‘blue-green’ energy, and ocean technologies and includes articles such as: An Ocean of Energy – There for the Taking, Wave Energy – The Way To Go, Potential of Offshore Wind Energy in Australia, Impact of Desalination Plants on Coastal Environments and Communities, Post-harvesting Innovations, Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef, and more....
Further information: http://www.mccn.org.au
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COASTAL WETLANDS

35. Migratory bird numbers plummeting, study shows (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
Birds are considered an accurate barometer of the state of the environment, so when the numbers of migratory birds fall, scientists consider it cause for concern. Now the first major long-term survey assessing shore birds from Broome to Sydney has found that Australia's massive migratory population has plummeted by up to 75 per cent over the last 25 years. 
Every year in April and March around Australia, millions of birds get ready to launch on their 10,000-kilometre flight to the northern hemisphere. 
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POLLUTION

36. Plastic plethora calls for drastic bag limits (Australia)
Abridged from: The http://www.smh.com.au
You know there's something seriously wrong with the planet when parts of the Pacific Ocean have more plastic in them than marine life. In fact, it's estimated there are 100 million tonnes of plastic circulating in the northern Pacific.  That's about 2.5 per cent of all plastic items made since 1950. It has been suggested that unless we cut our use of unnecessary disposable plastic items, the ocean dumping ground will double in size during the next 10 years.  And it's already twice the size of the US continent.
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37. Record beach litter threatens marine wildlife (UK)
Abridged from: Reuters
10 April 2008
Full text: http://uk.reuters.com
Plastic litter on Britain's beaches has reached record levels, endangering whales, dolphins and seabirds, an environmental charity survey said on Thursday. The (UK) Marine Conservation Society, which campaigns for cleaner beaches and seas, said plastic litter has increased by 126 percent since its first survey in 1994. Scores of marine wildlife species, including seals and turtles, have died after eating plastic or drowning after getting tangled in debris or old fishing nets, it said.
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RECREATION AND TOURISM

38. International Seminar Shapes Path Towards Sustainable Tourism (UK)
Abridged from: Environmental News Network
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.enn.com
An international seminar on climate change adaptation and mitigation in the tourism sector concluded today in the United Kingdom after involving 30 high level tourism and environment officials from developing countries and Small Island developing states. 
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39. Eritrea: Coral reefs (Eritrea)
Abridged from: weather online
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.weatheronline.co.uk
Experts say this small Horn of Africa nation has some of the most pristine coral reefs left anywhere worldwide, a "global hotspot" for marine diversity supporting thousands of species. The remote reefs are exciting scientists, who see in Eritrea's waters a chance of hope amidst increasingly bleak predictions for the future of coral reefs - if sea temperatures rise as forecast due to global climate change.  Eritrea's large expanses of shallow -- and therefore hotter waters have created corals uniquely capable of coping with extremes of heat, scientists say.
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40. Freak wave kills cage-diving adventurers (South Africa)
Abridged from: The Australian
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
Two Americans and a Norwegian tourist hoping to get close to great white sharks on a cage-diving adventure drowned yesterday when their boat capsized after it was hit by a freak wave, officials said.  Sixteen people suffered minor injuries. The accident happened in Gansbaai, a small town about two hours from Cape Town that calls itself the great white shark capital of the world.  The area's clear waters teem with great whites, each year attracting thousands of tourists who go out on shark-spotting boats and enter the water in metal cages in hopes of encountering the mighty predators.
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RESEARCH

41. Ocean mud yields secrets of past Earth impacts (Hawai’i)
Abridged from: New Scientist
10 April 2008
Full text: http://environment.newscientist.com
Mud at the bottom of the ocean holds precious clues about asteroids that struck Earth in the past, a new study reveals. Scientists would love to have a better record of asteroid and comet impacts to understand how these catastrophic events have affected life and Earth's climate.  But most impactors that made it through the atmosphere either gouged out a crater that was subsequently erased or splashed into the ocean. Now, scientists have developed a new tool to uncover these events, based on concentrations of the metal osmium found in mud at the bottom of the ocean.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine and Coastal Research
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PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES

42. Marine Science Review 255: Pathogens, disease and die-offs (International)
Full text: http://64.130.1.197
April 2008
This 11 page publication by Seaweb reviews the latest marine science literature on disease and die-offs.
Back to Contents

43. Increasing Capacity for Stewardship of Oceans and Coasts: A Priority for the 21st Century (USA)
Abridged from: The National Academies Press, Website
April 2008
Full text: http://www.nap.edu
Marine environments support the livelihoods, economies, and quality of life for communities around the world.  But growth of coastal populations and increasing demands on marine resources are putting the future of ocean and coastal resources at risk through impacts such as overfishing, wetland drainage, climate change, and pollution of coastal waters.  Given these demands, it is vital to build capacity-the people, the institutions, and technology and tools-needed to manage ocean resources.  This book finds that the most successful capacity-building efforts meet the needs of a specific locale or region based on periodic assessments and include plans to maintain and expand capacity after the project ends.
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OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

44. Review of the zoning plans for Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands Marine Parks (Australia)
Abridged from: Marine Parks Authority NSW Release
The Marine Parks Authority (NSW) commenced a review of the zoning plans for Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands Marine Parks from 31 March 2008.  The review will determine whether the current zoning plans for Jervis Bay and Solitary Islands Marine Parks remain appropriate for securing the objects of the Marine Parks Act 1997. The review commenced on 31 March 2008. Public submissions will be invited for a period of two months from that date.
Further information:  http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au; or T: 1300 361 967
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45. Quarantine And Biosecurity Review – Submissions Close 28 April 2008 (Australia)
Abridged from: Australian Government, The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
March 2008
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke has announced a two-month extension for the wide-ranging independent review of Australia’s quarantine and biosecurity systems, following a request by the review head Roger Beale AO. Submissions to the review are now due by 28 April 2008 and the report will be submitted by 30 September 2008. Following public submissions, the review will hold targeted stakeholder meetings in state and territory capital cities. 
Further information:  http://www.quarantinebiosecurityreview.gov.au/ or T: 1800 196 192.
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46. Inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities (Australia)
Abridged from: Media Release, House Of Representatives Standing Committee On Climate Change, Water, Environment And The Arts, Inquiry into the Australian Coastal Zone
20 March 2008
The House of Representatives Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts Committee is to conduct an inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on Australian coastal communities. Committee Chair Jennie George welcomed the co-referral of this inquiry by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett MP and the Minister for Climate Change and Water Senator Penny Wong. “Much of Australia’s population and infrastructure is in the coastal zone, increasing our vulnerability to climate change impacts,” Ms George said. “The growth in population and intensification of land use along the coast is further increasing pressure on the environment in many areas.” “That both ministers jointly referred this inquiry to the committee reflects the critical importance of this area.” The committee will accept submissions until Friday, 30 May 2008.  
Further details about the inquiry, including how to make a submission, can be obtained from the committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/ccwea.
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47. MCCN’s Coastal Survey 2008 – closes 18 May 2008 (Australia)
Have your say on how to improve the future conservation and sustainability of our coasts and marine environments. Coast to Coast 2008, Australia’s national coastal conference, will be held in Darwin in August 2008. Use this Survey to input into the conference agenda and potentially a submission to the recently announced House of Representatives Standing Committee inquiry into “Climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities”. Tell us what you think are important for future coastal programs for community engagement , capacity building and training! All responses will be treated confidentially. Please complete the questionnaire by 18 May 2008.
Further information: for a hard copy of the coastal survey call MCCN on 1800 815 332 or E: nat-off@mccn.org.au.  Complete the survey online: Click here for MCCN Coastal Survey 2008 or view from MCCN’s website: http://www.mccn.org.au
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Act Now
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AWARDS

48. Call for Entries to Reuters-IUCN Environmental Media Awards (International)
Abridged from: Reuters-IUCN Media Release
15 April 2008
Reuters Foundation and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) launch today the 2008 Media Awards, a worldwide competition aimed at raising global awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues, by encouraging excellence in environmental reporting worldwide.  The deadline for entries is 15 June 2008.
Further information: http://www.foundation.reuters.com and http://www.iucn.org/media_awards.
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49. 2008 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Environmental Research (Australia)
Abridged from: Australian Museum Website
April 2008
Full text: http://www.amonline.net.au
Entries and nominations are invited for the Eureka Prize for Environmental Research, one of seven prizes dedicated to environmental issues in this year’s Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, Australia’s largest award scheme for research into critical environmental sustainability issues facing the country. This Eureka Prize is designed to highlight outstanding research being undertaken in Australia that addresses critical environmental issues, and the leading role often played by Australian research in identifying solutions to environmental problems and to the improvement of the environment. Entries close 2 May 2008
Further information: http://www.amonline.net.au  or email eureka@austmus.gov.au
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50. World Environment Day Awards 2008 (Australia)
Nominations for the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards 2008 opened 1 February 2008.  The World Environment Day Awards is a national awards program which recognises businesses, local governments, organisations, community groups, individuals, schools and the media whose work serves to protect, manage or restore the environment.  More information: http://www.unaavictoria.org.au. Nominations Close Friday 2 May 2008.
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WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

COMING UP (April – June 2008)

51. Join Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day 2008 (Australia)
22 April 2008
The Project AWARE Foundation is asking all divers, snorkelers and water enthusiasts to Dive for Earth Day during the week of 22 April to put aquatic issues on the Earth Day map.  Visit Project AWARE for more information about events like the Asia Pacific Fish Survey, Coral Monitoring, AWARE Kids and Underwater Cleanups.
Further information: http://www.projectaware.org
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52. International Ocean Stewardship Forum 2008 (International)
17-18 June 2008
The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK will host a major International Ocean Stewardship Forum with the aim of facilitating the effective integration of marine science, policy and law within ocean governance. World-leading experts in these disciplines together with principal users of ocean space represented by governments, industry and academia, will meet to assess the development of a sustainable operational strategy for marine policy.
Further information: http://www.oceanstewardship.com/ or email: info@oceanstewardship.com
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CALL FOR PAPERS & ABSTRACTS

53. Littoral 2008 - A Changing Coast: Challenge the Environmental Policies (Europe)
Held in Venice, Italy, 25-28 November 2008. Abstract submission due: 28 April 2008
Further information: http://www.littoral2008.corila.it or contact: littoral2008@corila.it
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54. Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference (China)
http://www.czapa.org and now open for on-line abstract submission. The deadline for submission is 15 June 2008.
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55. International Marine Conservation Congress: call for papers (International)
The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology will be hosting its first stand-alone meeting, the International Marine Conservation Congress from 20-24 May 2009 at George Mason University near Washington D.C. This will be an interdisciplinary meeting that will engage natural and social scientists, managers, policy-makers, and the public.
1st Call for symposia and workshops: 1 April - 1 June 2008, decisions by 15 July 2008. Further information on submitting papers: http://www.conbio.org/IMCC ; E: IMCCprogram@conbio.org
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View full calendar of events on MCCN website:Held in Qingdao, China, 19-22 October, 2008. The conference theme is 'Sustainable Coasts and Better Life,' with a focus on how to manage coasts to cope with climate change and expanding populations. The conference will be hosted by Professor Guifang (Julia) Xue at Ocean University of China, Qingdao. Further information Workshops, Conferences and Events

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The views and opinions expressed in Wetstuff-News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, or the Minister for Climate Change and Water.

While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.

All material in Wetstuff-News may be reprinted unless it has been sourced from an unidentified publication whereby no reprint is authorised except by permission from the source publishers.

News articles are posted as a free community service for the purposes of non-commercial education, research, study review and news reporting, and are archived for reference of students and researchers as a 'fair dealing' activity under Australian Copyright Law.

Marine Coastal Community Network (MCCN) is a national, not-for-profit Network that facilitates government, industry & community involvement in marine and coastal conservation and sustainability initiatives. Marine Coastal Community Network is supported by the Australian Government.

Wetstuff-News is compiled by Anne Briggs for Marine Coastal Community Network.

Anne Briggs
Marine Coastal Community Network
PO Box 709
Spit Junction NSW 2088
Australia
E: anne@mccn.org.au
W: http://www.mccn.org.au

     

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