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Indonesia is taking one large step forward in protecting its wildlife
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In recognition of the manta ray and the crucial role it plays in the world's oceans, Indonesia has declared the world's biggest manta ray sanctuary. For the first time, manta ray hunting and export is banned within the entire 3 million square kilometre area of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone.
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2331 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Culling of sharks for the sake of safety?
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The culling policy aims to reduce shark attacks by killing white, bull and tiger sharks over 3 metres long off the coast of Western Australia. Research on previous culls reveal no scientific evidence that destroying sharks reduces attacks, and the cull has caused outrage from conservation groups. Two experts from the University of Western Australia explain: "Pre-emptively killing sharks is a response based on emotion rather than of scientific data."
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4790 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
World's newest island
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The world's newest island, Niijima, keeps on growing, and is now eight times the size it was when it first emerged off the coast of Japan on 20 November. Having merged with its neighbouring uninhabited island, Nishino Shima - which sat 500 metres away in November - the pair bears an uncanny resemblance to Snoopy the cartoon dog.
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6336 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Colourful candy-striped land snail
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This is the colourful candy-striped land snail ( Liguus virgineus), and it’s only found on Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba. For years its colourful shell made a popular souvenir for travellers visiting these Caribbean islands, but now a law forbids people from harvesting the shells and selling them.
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10554 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
My new favourite animal
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Meet the guineafowl puffer ( Arothron meleagris), all puffed-up and poisonous to deter any would-be predators. Found throughout the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific Oceans, this spotty species loves feeding on tiny marine invertebrates and the tips of coral.
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7566 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Danger lies below
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An unlikely happy ending for the chemical weapon containers that were dumped in the Pacific Ocean after World War II - US scientists have discovered an array of sponges, crabs and anemones that have made them home. The barrels are still filled with unknown substances that threaten other species in the area, but these opportunistic creatures at least are thriving despite all odds.
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12555 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
There's no place like home
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Female lemon sharks return to the place they were born almost 15 years later to give birth to their own young, a longer-term study has revealed, confirming "homing" behaviour for the first time in sharks.
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5781 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Metal-coated animal
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This little guy on the left is the iron sulphide secreting scaly-foot gastropod. It's the only animal known to plate itself with metal and lives in a thermal vent deep in the ocean. But last year scientists found a pale, genetically identical version of the species (on the right) that doesn't secrete metal, leading scientists to question what the purpose of the armour really is.
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6066 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Rare whale sighting
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Considered the rarest whale population in the world, a North Pacific right whale ( Eubalaena japonica) is an incredible sight to see. And for just the second time since 1951, one of these 17-metre-long creatures was spotted off the coast of British Columbia.
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2476 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Some fish celebrate Halloween everyday
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While we're talking about Halloween, this is the Atlantic wolffish ( Anarhichas lupus), very appropriately and otherwise known as the ‘devil fish’. The hefty fish grows up to 1.5 metres long and over 20kg, and they’re named for those unmistakable fangs. If they're not scary enough, their throats are also lined with a spattering of small, serrated teeth.
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4580 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Prickly crab
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This is the porcupine crab ( Neolithodes grimaldii), found in the deep sea bed along the continental slopes of the Atlantic Ocean. A member of the king crab family, its carapace, or body, can stretch up to 18 cm long, and it can weigh over 2 kg. But that's nothing compared to the blue king crab ( Paralithodes platypus) from Alaska, which weighs a whopping 8 kg. ...
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9141 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
A fascinating looking whale
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This is Migaloo, the albino white humpback whale. His name is derived from an Aboriginal word that means “white fella.” Migaloo is a favorite for whale watching enthusiasts. He is believed to be the only documented white humpback whale in the world. He was discovered in 1991 and quickly became popular with tourists and locals alike. Since then, sightings have been rare. He migrates from Antarctica to Australia on a yearly basis, and some years he slips by undetected. Most of these photos were taken in 2012 on Migaloo’s return to Antarctica. ...
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5096 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Designer crab
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This is Trapezia rufopunctata, a small and brightly coloured species of crab native to the lagoons and coastal reefs of the Maldives, Polynesia and the Indo-Pacific region. Also known as a guard crab, it lives symbiotically with corals, feeding on their discarded tissue and mucus while defending them from predators. ...
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4681 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
A fascinating real-life optical illusion
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A fascinating optical illusion can be found at the southwestern tip of Mauritius Island. If seen from above, this part of the island seems to be melting into the ocean, forming a spectacular underwater waterfall. We owe this to a runoff of sand and silt deposits (the light-coloured portion of the water) and the downward pull of the receding waves.
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5885 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Birds evolving from fish, a possibility?
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A flying fish moves its tail up to 70 times per second to propel itself up and out of the water. Those specialised pectoral fins are spread wide and tilted slightly upward to provide lift, and then folded back against the body to lower the fish back into the ocean. Flying fish (family: Exocoetidae) are eaten by dolphins, tuna, birds, squids and porpoises, so they needed to develop an ingenious mode of escape - such as flying - in order to survive.
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2872 |
duddy |
10 years ago |