Latest news with #ocean
CTV News
2 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Cleaning up our oceans
Atlantic Watch We chat with local diver Salt Water Sean about his latest finds, and how we can all do our part to clean up our oceans.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boater shares video in attempt to raise awareness of growing threat to oceans: 'Why are those not banned?'
Boater shares video in attempt to raise awareness of growing threat to oceans: 'Why are those not banned?' A dramatic TikTok video is sparking outrage for spotlighting one of the ocean's most pervasive and preventable threats: balloon pollution. Posted by boating company Vessel Mastery (@vesselmastery), the video shows a boater fishing a bundle of balloons out of the sea. "Please do your part," the caption urges. "The ocean belongs to the creatures that live in it, we are guests." The creator's plea includes a call to pop balloons before they float away and educate kids about the destruction they cause. "We are the example," the caption continues. "Please share this to as many people as possible!" Just moments after the captain retrieves the balloons, we see a pod of whales swimming near the surface. The message raises important questions about a celebration staple that has become an environmental menace. Although balloons are associated with celebrations and joy, they wreak havoc on marine ecosystems. When ecosystems get thrown off balance, the effects ripple across our food chain. Plus, local communities that rely on the ocean for fishing, tourism, and other livelihoods can suffer. Most balloons are made of plastic that doesn't break down. Instead, it turns into microplastics, which harm human health when they enter our food, drinking water, and bodies. Balloons can float for miles before landing in sensitive habitats. Marine animals often mistake deflated balloons for jellyfish or other food, leading to fatal blockages or injuries. Research shows that balloons are among the most lethal forms of ocean debris to seabirds. A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that birds that ingested soft plastic such as balloons were 32 times more likely to die than those that ate hard plastic. Balloon ribbons and strings also entangle birds, turtles, and other wildlife. Fortunately, organizations such as the Ocean Conservancy are pushing for public education campaigns and balloon-release bans, while some U.S. states and municipalities have already enacted local restrictions. For anyone planning a celebration, the eco-conscious move is to skip the balloons entirely or switch to reusable or biodegradable decorations. Commenters on the video didn't hold back. "Why are those not banned?" one asked. "I pull any & everything I see that doesn't belong there," another added. "Nearby on shore as well when I'm passing by. Straws… plastic… litter etc the wind blows it all in." A third chimed in, "Thanks for your service my friend." Should we be pouring money into nuclear fusion technology? Yes — it'll pay off It's worth exploring Not from our tax dollars No — it's a waste Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Science
- Washington Post
Where will the next big hurricane hit? Ask the sharks.
In the so-bad-it's-good TV movie 'Sharknado,' heroes armed with bombs and chain saws battle sharks tossed inland by a hurricane. In reality, biologists have found a way for sharks to help anticipate the next big storm. Researchers are enlisting sharks as mobile marine monitors, attaching sensors to their dorsal fins. The hope is that as the sharks swim through the ocean, they will collect temperature readings and other information that can be used to predict the power and trajectory of Atlantic hurricanes.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Former Navy diver reveals the key to surviving a shark attack
Former Australian Navy diver and shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder says the key to ensuring your survival lies in your behaviour, and advises staying calm and collected during an encounter, as panic can worsen the situation. Maintain eye contact with the shark, as they are less likely to attack when they know they are being watched. Resist the urge to punch the shark unless absolutely necessary; pushing them away is generally more effective, avoiding sensitive areas like the Ampullae of Lorenzini under their snout. If a shark becomes aggressive, target its eyes and gills, though experts note water resistance can weaken a punch. Shark attacks are extremely rare, often due to mistaken identity, but swimmers can minimise risk by avoiding areas with many fish, and not swimming alone or at dawn or dusk.
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
We Might Have Been Wrong About Where Spiders Came From
Technically speaking, every living thing on Earth can trace its origins to the sea. Some of these earliest creatures crawled onto land, evolving to become many different kinds of animals and insects—including, scientists believed for a long time, spiders and their relatives. A new study published today in Current Biology challenges the popular conception that spiders first emerged on land, instead suggesting that these arachnids and their relatives originated and evolved in the ocean. The team reached this conclusion by investigating the fossilized central nervous system of Mollisonia symmetrica, a long-extinct animal from the Cambrian era (between 540 and 485 million years ago), thought to be the ancestor of horseshoe crabs. Mollisonia's brain structure closely resembled that of modern spiders and their relatives, not their supposed crab descendants. 'The discovery of an arachnid brain in such an ancient creature as Mollisonia suggests that the major groups of arthropods alive today were already established then,' Nick Strausfeld, study lead author and neuroscientist at the University of Arizona, told Gizmodo in an email. He added that this 'casts a fresh view on the question: Where did arachnids first evolve?' Until now, scientists had assumed—based on the external features of arachnid-like fossils found in sedimentary rocks formed on land—that modern spiders and their relatives evolved on land. For the study, however, Strausfeld and his colleagues looked inside a well-preserved fossil of Mollisonia, which they did using an optical microscope and other imaging techniques to investigate its cerebral arrangements in higher detail. The team uncovered several similarities between modern spiders and Mollisonia, but the most striking feature was that of the creatures' central nervous system. Unlike insects, arachnid brains have a strange backward structure, in which the 'forebrain lies on top of circuits that control the movement of the legs,' Strausfeld explained. It's this that makes spiders and their relatives so 'incredibly versatile in their movements.' As the new research shows, 'the backward organization is enough of a 'tell' to demonstrate [that] Mollisonia's brain arrangement typifies those of living arachnids,' he said. Other common features the team found included external resemblances, such as jointed limbs or pincer-like claws. They bolstered their hypotheses by running a statistical analysis comparing 115 anatomical traits across both living and extinct arthropods (which includes arachnids), which placed Mollisonia as a 'sister' to modern arachnids, the authors reported in the study. 'This is very interesting, but we do not yet know how it relates to the vast array of arachnids other than spiders,' said Paul Selden, a paleontologist and arachnologist at the University of Kansas who wasn't involved in the new work, in an email to Gizmodo. 'Clearly, their conclusions on the phylogenetic [study of evolutionary history using visual cues] placement of Mollisonia are fascinating but merely mark the start of further investigation.' It's probably premature to declare spiders as spawns of the sea, but the good news is that Strausfeld and his colleagues already seem to be on the case. 'Most Cambrian fossils look very different from modern species, so it is really exciting when such outward appearances reveal something inside them—a fossilized brain and nervous system—that tells a different story,' Strausfeld said. 'Arachnids are a crucial feature of our biosphere, and we should pay attention to what they contribute to our well-being.'
