Sea Technology

AUG 2012

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Plant-eating green turtles had the lowest plasma concentrations for the majority of PFCs examined, especially PFOS. Leatherbacks, loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys had progressively higher PFOS concentrations. However, hawks- bills—who browse low on the food chain, primarily on sponges—recorded the second-highest average concentra- tion of PFOS and were the only species to have a detectable PFOA level. This may relate to the locations where they forage, or it may suggest that sponges have unusually high PFOS and PFOA concentrations. The turtles' plasma concentrations of PFOS were compared with previously reported concentrations shown to have adverse health effects in laboratory ani- mals. The results showed that hawks- bills, loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys had PFOS concentrations approaching those linked to liver and neurobehav- ioral toxicity in other animals. Levels in loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys ap- proached those linked to thyroid disrup- tion. All five species had levels that ap- proached those linked to suppressed immunity. Vote Fails to Establish South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary The South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary (SAWS) failed to meet the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) required three-fourths majority vote to be estab- lished, Greenpeace announced in July. The SAWS would have protected South- ern Hemisphere whales from commer- cial whaling. Japan, China, Norway, Russia and Iceland opposed SAWS, as well as sev- eral smaller countries environmentalists say are allied with Japan, such as Nauru and Tuvalu, the Los Angeles Times re- ported. Most Southern Hemisphere whales are migratory, feeding in the nutrient- rich waters of the Antarctic before trav- elling to tropical waters to give birth. They then migrate back to their feeding grounds in the south. SAWS protection would help the re- covery of the whale population, pro- mote conservation and research, and help develop responsible whale watch- ing, according to Greenpeace. The whales also drive tourism for many coastal communities in South America. Anemone Fish Able to Cope With Rising Ocean Acidity Researchers at Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies re- ported in July in Nature Climate Change that anemone coral reef fish may be bet- ter prepared to cope with rising CO2 in the world's oceans because of their par- ents. Global ocean acidity is expected to increase by 0.3 to 0.4 pH by the end of this century due to human activity. The research showed that anemone fish can adjust to the changes expected in the oceans by 2100, provided their parents are also raised in more acidic water. When both parents and their off- spring were exposed to more acidic water, they were able to compensate for the change. It is unknown whether this effect is lifelong or how parent fish pass on this ability to deal with acidity to their offspring. Rising ocean acidity could lead to bone and shell development problems, and nervous system malfunction in sea life. Anemone fish are particularly hardy and may not be typical of all ocean fish, said the researchers, who want to ex- tend their study. VA500 Altimeter a new a A500 a new approach to subsea distanc distance measurement s K(Z"ROA DBAND s n s K(Z "ROADBAND44RANSDUCER M ANG MRRANGEE s $ GITA L!NA LOGUEOUTPUTS s VDCPOWERINPUT VDCPOWERINPUT (IGHACCURA Y (IGH ACCURACCY $IGITAL !NALOGUEOUTPUTSASSTANDARI n AS STANDARD PRESSURETRANSDUCEROPTION PRESSURETRANSDUCEROOPTION ANSDUCER Contact us now to improve your distance measurContact us now to improve your distance measurement. Tel: +44 (0)1803 869292 el: ZHSLZ']HSLWVY[ JV \R ^^^ ]HSLWVY[ JV \R www.sea-technology.com St. Peter's Quay Totnes, Devon TQ9 5EW U, T otnes, Devon TQ9 5EW United Kingdomnited Kingdom ZHS LZ']HSLWVY [ J V \R ^^ ^]HSLWVY [ J V \R AUGUST 2012 / st 67

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