Underwater Burglar Alarms protect Wrecks

An estimated 1 million ancient shipwrecks litter the seafloor around the globe, proving a tempting target for looters and a nightmare for archaeologists and governments to protect.

But that could be set to change with the advent of a submarine alarm that can identify the telltale sounds of approaching treasure hunters in the hubbub of the oceans.

Recent technological advances have been a boon for underwater research – improvements in GPS navigation, sonar and diving gear mean ancient shipwrecks are more accessible than ever. But archaeologists worry that the same advances will also benefit looters seeking to make a quick profit.

Tuncay Akal of the TÜBİTAK-Marmara Research Center in Kocaeli, Turkey, is a member of an international research team designing an early warning system that can identify plunderers by their acoustic signature and alert officials of their presence.

Bubble detector The sea is a noisy place, with fish, storms and shipping all adding to the cacophony. But Akal says it is possible to pick out looter's noise from the mix by using vector sensors to record the direction of sound waves and identify specific sequences of sounds...[Divemaster News]

Fantasea Line FSD-770 Underwater Housing

Fantasea Line announces the release of a new housing specifically designed for the Canon PowerShot SD770 IS / IXUS 85 IS and SD1100 IS / IXUS 80 IS digital cameras. The FSD-770 housing, depth rated to 60 meters/200 feet, is fully functional providing photographers with access to all camera functions. Fantasea’s new compact housing design and improved construction ensures easy handling and accurate access to camera functions through the critical placement of push-button controls. The Fantasea FSD-770 housing has a double O-ring seal on all controls, anti-glare hood over LCD screen, removable flash diffuser and a 46mm threaded lens port.

The FSD-770 housing is ideal for outdoor and underwater photographers’ needs. Underwater photographers can dive or snorkel and capture all the excitement of this fascinating world, while outdoor photographers also have the option of capturing the action of such activities as white water and paddle sports, sailing and boating, surfing, fishing, hunting, backpacking and camping. The FSD-770 protects the Coolpix camera from water, sand, dust, and other damaging elements...[Photography Blog]

North-east firm throws light on ancient shipwreck

A HI-TECH underwater camera designed by an Aberdeenshire firm is being used to examine an ancient Roman shipwreck off Sicily.

Scientists from the marine research group RPM Nautical Foundation have had a major breakthrough thanks to the specialist equipment from Tritech International, based at Westhill, near Aberdeen.

The company, formed nearly 20 years ago, specialises in acoustic sensors and other underwater equipment.

Experts believe the Roman vessel was headed for Italy from north Africa in the 3rd century AD when she foundered in the Egadi Islands off the north-west coast of Sicily.

The wreck is thought to have been a merchant ship carrying foods such as olive oil and grain, with building materials.

It is difficult for divers to access the wreck, which lies in 300ft of water...[The Press and Journal]

Videography students dive to great depths for their best shot

Video technology student Rishane Rajkoomar may never realise his dream of becoming an astronaut, but he has experienced the feeling of floating in space during a novel under-water camera course.

Rajkoomar, 23, was among eight Durban University of Technology (DUT) final-year students chosen to learn marine videography, a component of their BTech degree.

The course — a first for South Africa — is being offered by DUT’s TV school and aims to produce qualified underwater cameramen.

Guided by veteran marine videographer John Du Plessis, students received scuba diving training to enable them to dive up to 12 metres with an instructor.

Initial dives took place in uShaka Marine World’s aquarium. Once competent, students turned their attention to mastering shooting under water...[The Times]

Handicapped, but we can dive

On land, she's unsteady on her feet because of a spinal injury she suffered nine years ago. But in water, Madam Colleen Low, 42, a certified master scuba diver, is a picture of confidence.

She is one of just a few certified disabled divers in Singapore.

Earlier this month, The New Paper on Sunday featured a group of four Singaporeans with different disabilities who are learning to dive, for charity.

Checks with international bodies for disabled divers showed that fewer than 10 Singaporeans got certified with them in the last 15 years.

For Madam Low, a retail operations executive, it was a matter of jumping back into the water.

She was already an experienced diver when she fell on a boat in 1999 and suffered a spinal injury...[Asia1.com]

Layang Layang Underwater Digital Photo Shootout 2008 Results

Congratulations to the winners of the Layang Layang Underwater Digital Photo Shootout 2008!

After six days of friendly competition among 34 competitors from 10 countries, a panel of three internationally acclaimed underwater photographers (Settimio Ciprianni, Stephen Wong and Rod Klein) selected winning images from entries submitted by contest participants.

Each of the participating divers undertook the challenge of creating beautiful and creative images during their dives around Layang Layang, with contest rules permitting everyone to submit up to three images in each of two categories — macro and wide-angle.

Given the world-renowned, rich waters around Layang Layang, as well as the determination and skill of the contest participants, it’s no surprise that the top images from this year’s event are simply amazing!...[FinsOnline.com]

It's a Shark-Eat-Shark World

Search for the Great Sharks

Dive into a new experience as an aquatic guest

I was kneeling under 12 feet of water when the sensation began, the feeling of something soft and velvety on the back of my neck. A minute passed, then another, and it was still there, a feathery pressure.

There were nine sharks swimming near me, but I wasn't worried about the tickle coming from one of them. They all kept a distance, even if that was barely a foot away at times.

But when I decided to reach back and brush away what I felt on my neck, dive master Yves Delpech, who was behind me, suddenly pushed my hand.

"Didn't want you to put your hand in Gill's mouth," he said after we finished the dive...[StarTribune.com]

12 Questions for the MythBusters on Shark Week's Animatronic Jaws 2.0

If you were caught in the jaws of a great white shark and were being thrashed around in the water, would you be able to poke the shark in its eye—distracting it long enough for you to escape and save yourself from certain death? If you're Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of television's MythBusters, there is only one way to find out: Turn a 17-ft.-long fiberglass cast of a great white into an animatronic shark, then put yourself—and a few of your unwitting colleagues—in its jaws. The results of this marine science experiment are featured in a 2-hour Shark Week special, airing this Sunday at 9 pm on the Discovery Channel. (New MythBusters episodes start Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 9 pm.) The dynamic duo takes PM behind the scenes of their coolest build yet...[Popular Mechanics]

Life clings to the history of Conception Bay

The temperature on my dive computer reads -1C. As I descend down the mooring line, the faint outline of the shipwreck comes into view. It's mid-June and I'm diving on the SS Rose Castle, a 138-metre-long merchant ship sunk in the Second World War off Bell Island, in Newfoundland's Conception Bay, 20 kilometres west of St. John's.

Earl Blundon, my guide from Ocean Quest charters, leads me past soft-coral-draped masts to a pilothouse on the main deck. He shines his light in the open doorway. A rusty fuse box and white transistors dangle from bare metal walls. It's the ship's Marconi Room, where radio operators would have desperately tried to call for help as the German submarine U-518 fired two torpedoes into the Rose Castle's hull on the morning of Nov. 2, 1942.

The ship exploded and sank within minutes, taking down 28 crew. Minutes later, another merchant ship, the PLM 27, was also sunk, taking another 12 lives...[GlobeandMail.com]

Can't decide between cycling and scuba...why not both?

Italy's Vittorio Innocente has set a new world record in underwater cycling, pedalling his specially adapted bike to a depth of 65 metres in the sea near Genoa.

The new mark bettered Innocente's own record of 60m, set three years ago.

The 62-year-old scuba diver was expected to set the record in a televised event on Wednesday but it had to be called off because Innocente damaged an eardrum in his last test on Monday.

But a Guinness Book of Records judge from London authenticated the record on Wednesday after vetting eye witness accounts and checking the computerised depth gauge on Innocente's modified mountain bike.

Innocente said he was sorry he was unable to repeat his Monday feat because of doctor's orders but happy to have taken his mark up a notch.

He thanked a team of local scuba divers who helped him get onto his bike as well as the Carabinieri police who oversaw his effort.

Innocente was lowered into the calm waters of Portofino's maritime reserve at about midday Monday...[ANSA.it]

PhD student to unlock tiger shark secrets with SharkNav

ONE of the most feared creatures of the ocean, the tiger shark, is going to be tracked by satellite navigation thanks to a UQ researcher.

PhD student Bonnie Holmes says her project might unlock some of the many mysteries that remain about the behaviour of tiger sharks and may even prevent future attacks on swimmers.

Although separate studies into tiger sharks have occurred at various places along Australia's eastern seaboard, Ms Holmes is planning to discover details of the creature's migratory and breeding habits through satellite tracking.

Marine biologist Ms Holmes's project has won support from the Queensland Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries and the Wildlife Preservation Society but is looking for corporate support.

Shark tagging stations exist in northern Queensland and New South Wales but they are only monitoring sharks in the immediate area, she says...[CourierMail.co.au]

Grazing sea urchins create ambient underwater noise on rocky reefs

Auckland University researchers say they have discovered why underwater recordings of ambient noise around the nation's coast gets louder twice a day.

Craig Radford and Andrew Jeffs recorded the sounds made by individual reef animals then compared them with the background sound in the natural reef, and found kina was the culprit. The scientists found grazing sea urchins produced the noise as they scraped algae off rocks, New Scientist magazine reported on its website. The bodies of kina act like resonance chambers, amplifying the sound of their chewing, they said.

"When they first come out I guess they're hungry, so they're eating with lots of gusto and making lots of munching noises," Mr Jeffs said.

Ambient noise generated around the coast, especially reefs, is thought to play a role in guiding baby fish and crustaceans which have hatched at sea to suitable habitat in which they can settle.

Researchers have speculated that increased intensity of biologically produced sound during dusk, new moon and summer could enhance the biological signature of a reef and transmit it further offshore. ..[3News.co.nz]

Sony Aquarium - 200 inches of screen to watch fishes in 3D

At Sony's Tokyo headquarters you can catch a glimpse of sea life in real 3D on a 200 inch screen. Using two HDC-F950 for a 3D effect the divers have shot fishes at the famous Okinawa aquarium. The aquarium will be open from July 21 to August 31.

(More images after the link)..[NewLaunches.com]

Divers look to solve sunken tanks mystery

A diving club is set to find out whether Second World War tanks found on the seabed are two of only four left in the world.
On Saturday Southsea Sub-Aqua Club will send divers down to take pictures and video footage of what they think are Centaur CS IV tanks.

And during the dive they will also try to work out the mystery of how they were lost, given there is no shipwreck nearby.

The tanks, assigned to the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group, lie eight miles off East Wittering, West Sussex.

They were part of an 80-strong contingent bound for France on D-Day but sank in mysterious circumstances...[The News]

Patagonia Feeding Frenzy

Scuba dive off the coast of Patagonia and join a group of dusky dolphins and sea lions as they feast on a swirling school of anchovy. [National Geographic.com]

Pedicure like a pelagic...

Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary...[Foxnews.com]

Looking for Scuba music?

1. Blackened Fish Sandwich
2. Hi-Tech Diver
3. Scuba Radio
4. The Parrothead Fish
5. Wreck(ed) Diver
6. Scuba Joe
7. Today is the Day
8. Skip the One-Legged Shark Diver
9. I Learned My ABC's
10. Is That A Moray In Your Pocket...?

[Eric Stone's Official Site]

Gibbs Aquada Coming to America

You’ll have to start looking both ways when crossing the beach, because the Aquada amphibious car is coming across the pond.

It won’t be making the trip under its own power, but the British company that developed it, Gibbs Technology, is setting up shop in North America with an eye on the recreational market, as well as military applications.

The slick, open-top three-seater can make the switch from car to boat in under 12 seconds, and has a top speed of 30 mph on the water. It’s fast and powerful enough to pull a water skier, and can do 110 mph on the road. In 2005, Billionaire Richard Branson used one to cross the English Channel in under two hours, setting a speed record for amphibious vehicles...[Foxnews.com]

Diving into Kingston Underwater

Kingston underwater, created to showcase Kingston as a premier diving destination and draw attention to the city's unique marine heritage, will be held in August.

City Hall and the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes will be hosting a variety of presentations, displays and demonstrations during Kingston Underwater weekend, Aug. 8 through Aug 10.

The event begins on the Friday night at 7 with a Marine Exploration Film Night in the marine museum and ends Sunday with a Diving Expo between 10 a. m. and 4 p. m. in City Hall's Memorial Hall. ...[The Whig Standard]

Tahoe is testing ground for water scooters

Experienced scuba divers are zipping through the West Shore’s 60-degree water this weekend holding onto underwater scooters being tested for speed and battery power.

“It’s fun, kind of like a fish just floatin’ along,” said Vic Erickson, one of three divers testing the scooters.

At Hurricane Bay, Erickson, along with divers Alan Studley and James Flenner, embarked on the first ever scientific test comparing underwater scooters and their manufacturers’ claims of speed and battery life.

The goal of the tests, sponsored by Adventure Scuba in Reno, is to develop a list of scooter models and their characteristics for consumers to use as a guide when buying this must-have toy...[Sierra Sun]

Old quarry to become diving centre

EXCITING plans have emerged to build a specialist scuba diving centre at a disused quarry.
Wath-based Sub Aqua Divers are behind the project, which would involve transforming the former Kilnhurst Quarry site off Wentworth Road.

The proposed centre would be one of only seven in the UK, potentially bringing far-reaching benefits to the Dearne economy.

Mike Atkinson, director of Sub Aqua Divers, said: "Potentially, this could be phenomenal for the area. There are six diving centres like this around the UK and hopefully ours will be another major centre.

"This would be the only centre of its kind in Yorkshire, and Yorkshire is a big place. Everyone would benefit from a centre like this because people who visit will stay in hotels, have a drink in the pubs, use the petrol stations etc so the local economy as a whole benefits."...[SouthYorkshireTimes]

Going down under

Wouldn't it be great to take a vacation scuba diving in Australia and come back with loads of professional pictures?

Wouldn't it be even better to do it for a living?

That's what Kristin Anderson, Spirit Lake High School graduate and former Orleans resident, does every day. Daughter of Eric Anderson, owner of Valley Contracting of Estherville, Anderson was a Rotary exchange student in Perth, Australia her junior year of high school. She liked Australia so much that she traveled back and forth, finally settling there permanently in 1993.

"I've always been a water baby," Anderson said, explaining her interest in diving. After she moved to Australia, she met people who had a dive shop. She started diving in 1993. "I was addicted from the first day," she said.

Anderson and her husband, David Hall, have owned Exmouth Diving Centre in Exmouth in western Australia since 1996. The Ningaloo Reef, the world's largest ringing reef, provides endless diving opportunities...[Estherville Daily News]

Underwater overachievers: waterproof cameras tested

As the mercury rises and temperatures sizzle, you're undoubtedly thinking about taking a plunge into a cool body of water. A pool. A lake. An ocean. If you want to snap some photographs of your waterside fun, you'll need to think about getting a waterproof camera. The ones developed a generation ago were bulky, steel-encased gizmos the size of toasters. Today's submersible cameras are small, sophisticated and light. We tested four models in a neighborhood swimming pool, including a one-time-use camera that utilizes (gasp!) film...[LATimes.com]

Ibiza wreck open for business

The Don Pedro cargo ship sank in June 2007 when, just ten minutes into its journey, it hit the island of Isla de Daus off the shoreline of Ibiza Town. All of the ship's crew were saved but the vessel was carrying 200 tonnes of oil. As a result three of Ibiza's beaches were temporarily closed and a huge cleanup project ensued.

In May this year the future of the wreck had looked bleak for divers when the Island's Council decided to dismantle the ship. But now, two months on, the council has retracted its original decision and opened the site up to divers.

Classed as a UNESCOTM world heritage site for its Posidonia seagrass habitats the waters of Ibiza already attract a steady stream of divers. However, the opening of the Don Pedro wreck, which is located at a depth of 43m one nautical mile from Ibiza's port, is expected to draw even more to the Spanish island.

Hansgeorg Lichte, Managing Director of Salinas Diving Centre, explained: 'Dive boats are able to reach the site within fifteen minutes. Once there divers can explore the ghostly atmosphere of this gigantic shipwreck.' ...[Dive Magazine]

Hardy divers sculpt a silent world at Edmonds Underwater Park

A man wades into the ocean with a wheelbarrow full of concrete blocks ... sounds like a joke setup, right? Except no funny stuff's going down in Edmonds, just the work crew at the city's underwater park.

For 31 years, Bruce Higgins has anchored a fluid collection of volunteers, the type that shun meetings and "just get out there already." The team has sculpted a sandy patch of Puget Sound, once known for scuba fatalities, into an urban dive destination.

Today, two miles of roped routes scissor this 27-acre site next to the ferry terminal 15 miles north of Seattle. Financed entirely by the sale of $10 laminated maps and an annual underwater pumpkin-carving contest, the protected area at Brackett's Landing boasts more than 20 major features.

Artificial reefs incorporate tree trunks, sunken boats, tractor tires, a cash register, a pickup bed and part of a model of the Hood Canal Bridge. Small wonder officials last year renamed the park "the Bruce Higgins Underwater Trails." ...[seattlepi.com]

A cutting edge treatment for sinus infections

These days, Tom Watson has a lot to sniff at. The Trumbull home remodeling contractor's nose is in the air. But there's nothing haughty about it. He's just taking in the scents around him. There's the Chanel No. 5 that his wife spritzes on her wrists. The aroma of the purple azalea-like flowers from his neighbor's yard. Wisps of a tantalizing seafood fra diavolo over linguini he'll have for dinner.

Watson is reaping the benefits of a renewed sense of smell — something he all but lost because of chronic severe sinus problems — thanks to a new surgical technique known as balloon sinuplasty.

"I'd had sinus infections for years — serious ones. They got so bad that the whole right side of my frontal sinuses swelled up...[CONNPOST.com]

Divers' finds may rewrite pre-history

For the first time in 30 years, underwater archaeologists are plunging back into Little Salt Spring, searching for signs of life.

With the help of National Geographic and The Florida Aquarium, a six-person dive team is taking a journey 90 feet down to prove man lived in Florida far earlier than anyone imagined.

"Twelve-thousand years ago, this was actually dry. It was a cave," said Dr. John Gifford, an underwater archaeologist with the University of Miami in charge of the expedition.

Dr. Gifford believes at the end of the last Ice Age, Florida was twice as wide -- a cool, dry savannah where hunters found plenty of prey like giant ground sloths, mastodons, and saber tooth tigers...[MyFoxTampaBay.com]

DMR Uses 'Reef Balls' For Fishing Reefs

They look like some sort of alien pods from outer space. But the 4500 pound concrete cones lined up at Matthews Marine will become artificial offshore reefs.

"These are reef balls. These are goliath size reef balls. These are the largest ones we make. They're fish attracting devices. We use them underwater for fish housing. It also grows coral," said Robert Duke of Reef Innovations.

The DMR contracted with the company to build 315 goliath reef balls. Matthews Marine in Pass Christian is the location for the unique production line.

The strange structures will be deployed about eight miles south of Horn Island, at offshore Fish Havens 1 and 2. Once they land on the sea floor, the reef balls can start attracting fish...[WLOX.com]

Exploration of underwater forest

Underwater archaeologists are taking to Loch Tay to try to uncover more about a submerged prehistoric woodland.

The stumps of about 50 trees were discovered in 2005 - some of them are thought to be about 6,000 years old. The experts are now aiming to find their root system and establish the depth to which the trees are buried.

Meanwhile, a campaign has been launched to help restore the reconstructed crannog, an ancient loch dwelling, which attracts thousands of visitors.

The Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology will spend the next two weeks inspecting the drowned forest. They will be focusing on two trees - one dating from 4,270 BC to 4,040 BC and the other dating from 2,350 BC to 2,120 BC. As well as looking for the tree roots, they will be taking samples of the sediment and organic materials to establish if there were any landslips taking place between the Mesolithic and the Bronze Ages..
..[BBC.com]

Horsea Island closed

The closure of Horsea Island Dive Centre to members of the public has been called 'a serious blow for safety in diving', by the managing director of one of Britain's biggest scuba schools.

The comments were made by Andark's Andy Goddard shortly after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) finally excluded the diving public from the Navy training site near Portsmouth. Although Horsea Island is an operational military diver-training base, the 1.2km-long lake has been open to recreational divers and managed by Andark Diving for the past ten years.

The last dives took place in late June, despite a long campaign to persuade the MoD that recreational diving still has a place at Horsea. Hundreds of divers signed an online petition, but the MoD has remained implacable in the face of criticism....[DiveMagazine.com.uk]

Safe diving measure becomes law in Saipan

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has signed into law a bill that gives more teeth to the Safety Diving Act.

House Bill 16-11, now Public Law 16-6, grants the Department of Public Safety the power to enforce the diving law. Specifically, it allows police officers to issue citation to those who operate businesses for scuba instruction or scuba diving tours without meeting legal requirements.

The new law also urges DPS to work with the Department of Finance and the Department of Lands and Natural Resources to assess the level of difficulty of each dive site throughout the Commonwealth and to set forth restrictions to ensure the safety of divers.
...[Saipan Tribune]

A Real Dive: Music, Campaign in Keys

Divers dressed as presidential candidates displayed campaign placards and waved American flags underwater Saturday in the Underwater Music Festival in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain impersonators were among the crowd of about 500 divers and snorkelers at Looe Key Reef, about 6 miles south of Big Pine Key.

"The candidates seemed to be immersed in the campaign," festival founder Bill Becker joked.

Dressed as a Secret Service agent, Becker wore sunglasses over his dive mask and dove with an American flag. The divers impersonating presidential candidates also pretended to play instruments that were sculpted by a Florida Keys artist...[TheLedger.com]

Israeli Diver Discovers Ancient Amulet at Yavne-Yam

A lifeguard diving at the Yavne-Yam antiquities site next to the Palmach beach unearthed a rare marble discus that was used 2,500 years ago to protect sea-going vessels from the evil eye.

To date, only four such items have been found in the world – two of them here in Israel, one recovered from the Mediterranean Sea off the coast at Carmel in addition to the one at Yavne-Yam.

The ancient white marble discus, which dates back to 4-5 BCE, was discovered by David Shalom, who handed it over to the Israel Antiquities Authority.

According to Kobi Sharvit, the director of the Marine Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “We know from drawings on pottery vessels, pithoi and ancient coins, as well as from historic sources of the fifth century BCE that this model was very common on the bows of ships and was used to protect them from the evil eye and envy, and was meant as a navigation aid and to act as a pair of eyes which looked ahead and warned of danger. This decoration is also prevalent today on modern boats in Portugal, Malta, Greece and in the Far East."...[IsraelNationalNews.com]

The Wider View: The icy nerve of the Arctic diver

Judging by what appears to be a sandy seabed, you could be forgiven for thinking this diver is in tropical waters.

In fact, Dr Neal Pollock is swimming alongside a sheer wall of ice, 40ft high and stretching as far as the eye can see.

What seem to be pebbles in the sand are scallop shells covered in plankton, which the American marine scientist is studying – deep below the ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, where the ocean temperature is minus two Celsius, the coldest in the world...[Mail Online]

Sea Breacher

The Seabreacher is the latest watercraft created by Innespace. This larger two seat vessel is powered by a supercharged Atkins marine rotary engine coupled to a Hurth V-drive transmission. The Seabreacher is currently undergoing testing and will be available in limited numbers for Racing and demonstration events in spring 2008.

At first glance, the new Seabreacher may look very similar to the Innespace Dolphin. However, it incorporates many design and engineering improvements that were gained from building, operating, and maintaining our first vessel. The body is fifty percent larger in volume, in order to make room for a full sized passenger as well as allowing for bigger and more powerful engine packages...[INNESPACE.com]

New Coral Reefs Teeming With Marine Life Discovered In Brazil

Scientists have announced the discovery of reef structures they believe doubles the size of the Southern Atlantic Ocean's largest and richest reef system, the Abrolhos Bank, off the southern coast of Brazil's Bahia state. The newly discovered area is also far more abundant in marine life than the previously known Abrolhos reef system, one of the world's most unique and important reefs.

Researchers from Conservation International (CI), Federal University of Espírito Santo and Federal University of Bahia announced their discovery in a paper presented today at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale. "We had some clues from local fishermen that other reefs existed, but not at the scale of what we discovered," says Rodrigo de Moura, Conservation International Brazil marine specialist and co-author of the paper. "It is very exciting and highly unusual to discover a reef structure this large and harboring such an abundance of fish," he adds.

The Abrolhos Bank is considered one of the world's most important reefs because it harbors a high number of marine species found only in Brazil including species of soft corals, mollusks and fish found only in the Abrolhos shelf. The Mussismilia coral genus, a relic group remnant of an ancient coral fauna dating back to the Tertiary period that went extinct long ago elsewhere in the Atlantic, is the dominant coral of the Abrolhos reef, which is structured in unique mushroom-like shapes....[Science Daily]

Divers learning more about Lake Erie shipwreck

For more than a century, no one knew exactly where the sidewheel steamer Anthony B. Wayne came to rest.

Now researchers are diving 60 feet below the surface of Lake Erie to explore the wreckage discovered in 2006 and identified last year.

"It's one of the earliest examples of a passenger and cargo steamer that we have, probably one of the oldest in Lake Erie," said Brad Krueger, who is spending the summer learning about the steamer.

Krueger, working on his master's degree in Texas A&M University's Nautical Archaeology program, and two other researchers dive at the site about six miles off the coast of Vermilion nearly everyday.

The passenger vessel went down in 1850 after an explosion, killing up to 80 people. The ship was heading from Sandusky to Buffalo with wine, whiskey and livestock.

"Shipwrecks are important because they truly tell our story," Carrie Sowden, archaeological director of the Peachman Lake Erie Shipwreck Research Center in Vermilion. "It's interesting to think that it had not been seen since 1850."...[Chron.com]

Use "octidextrous" in a sentence...

Marine experts have given 25 octopuses a Rubik's Cube each in a study aimed at easing their stress levels in captivity. Scientists believe the intelligent sea creatures have a preferred arm out of eight that they use to feed and investigate with.

They are now testing this theory with a month-long observation project in which the octopuses will be given food and toys to play with. They will then record whether the creatures use a specific limb to pick up the object or if they are octidextrous...[Mail Online]

Seascout ocean rescue robot

The Seascout aquatic rescue robot would be a welcome addition for professionals and wayward tourists in open waters. If someone was in trouble, all they would need to do is activate a GPS tracker and the 'bot would glide out to scoop them into its spacious bay, ferrying them back to safety. It can be operated manually or preprogrammed, and it has internal lighting, a sunroof and a radio system so those inside don't feel claustrophobic or alone. Now all it needs is a pair of frickin' laser beams to battle off sharks and it'll be the hero of the seas.

The Seascout is a design by New Zealander Andre Harley, a student at the Designskolen Kolding University in Denmark. Check out the gallery below for more images of the Seascout, as well as the Lego Mindstorms NXT prototype model Harley made and his model of the rescue vehicle...Click the pic above for more images...[via Dvice.com]

Remarkable Underwater Video of China's Great Wall

Every year more than 1.3 million tourists climb the Great Wall of China, but an elite group of divers got a special tour; they viewed the wall through their scuba masks.

While China's "quake lakes" have received considerable attention in recent weeks, few are familiar with the manmade lake around the Great Wall. In the early 1980s, the Chinese government flooded the coastal area of Tianjin in order to form the Pan Jia Kou Reservoir to resolve the region's water shortage. As a result, they also submerged the northern part of the Great Wall, some of which is 65 feet under water.

Will Moss, a diver at Sinoscuba, says the visibility around the Great Wall "is not very good, the reservoir is very cloudy and that means it's hard to be sure of where you are sometimes." At the same time, he also recognizes the unique opportunity he has to see this part of the wall.

"To be able to see and experience a part of it in a way that very few other people get to do - with all the added romance of being under water - I think that's a very special experience," says Moss, "and it's a way to get in touch with history in a way that few people get the opportunity to do."...[CBNnews.com]

B26 Wreckage found by Scuba Divers

At 6:10 p.m., Nov. 16, 1942, a B-26 took off on a training mission from the Fort Myers Army Air Base, now known as Page Field.

Aboard the aircraft were pilot Lt. Donald Vail of Macomb, Ill., co-pilot Lt. Fred Dees of Pender County, N.C., Lt. Louis Miles of Queens, N.Y., Sgt. William Kittiko of McKeesport, Pa., Sgt. Milton Newton of Davidson County, Tenn., and Sgt. Richard Treat of Essex County, Mass.

Fifty minutes after takeoff, the air base received a radio call from the B-26 saying the crew was bailing out — nothing more.
Search teams found the bodies of Dees and Vail on Nov. 20.

Army Air Forces documents indicate that a futile search for the rest of the crew lasted until Nov. 28.

“We got a telegram saying Bill was missing,” said Abigail Kittiko Casey, Kittiko’s sister. “Then we got telegrams saying they were searching. Then we got a death certificate.”

Dreams of Cuban gold
For almost 50 years, the aircraft lay undisturbed on the sea floor...[Divemaster.com]

Vietravel to hold underwater wedding

VietNamNet Bridge – Tour operator Vietravel will be organizing a mass underwater wedding for four couples on August 8 in Nha Trang City in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

Le Hong Viet Thao of the company says that the Oriental philosophy considers that number eight is a lucky one, which could bring good luck and prosperity.

Therefore, organizing the wedding on August 8 will be special and meaningful. The company is also experienced in arranging underwater weddings; last summer, it arranged the first one for an Australian couple in Nha Trang Bay, which earned the company a place in Vietnam Guinness record book as the first company to hold underwater wedding in Vietnam on June 28...[VietNamNet]

Shark vs. Octopus...who wins?

Rubber 'snake' could help wave power get a bite of the energy market

A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves.
Invented in the UK, the 'Anaconda' is a totally innovative wave energy concept. Its ultra-simple design means it would be cheap to manufacture and maintain, enabling it to produce clean electricity at lower cost than other types of wave energy converter. Cost has been a key barrier to deployment of such converters to date.

Named after the snake of the same name because of its long thin shape, the Anaconda is closed at both ends and filled completely with water. It is designed to be anchored just below the sea's surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves.

A wave hitting the end squeezes it and causes a 'bulge wave'* to form inside the tube. As the bulge wave runs through the tube, the initial sea wave that caused it runs along the outside of the tube at the same speed, squeezing the tube more and more and causing the bulge wave to get bigger and bigger. The bulge wave then turns a turbine fitted at the far end of the device and the power produced is fed to shore via a cable...[PHYSORG.com]

New York City subway cars now part of a Virginia reef

MANMADE REEFS designed to attract and hold fish are increasingly popular along the East Coast. From ships intentionally scuttled in the Florida Keys and off North Carolina's Outer Banks to the latest addition--44 stainless steel New York City subway cars added to Virginia's Blackfish Bank Reef--manufactured reefs have been expanding recreational angling opportunities over the past 30 years.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission sank the donated Metropolitan Transit Authority subway cars from a barge on June 26 just off the coast of Chincoteague in 65 feet of water.

The subway cars were placed in a grid pattern near 50 New York City "Redbird" subway cars sunk in November 2003 and 40 Army-donated surplus armored personnel carriers deployed in 1998, according to the VMRC's John M.R. Bull.

Each car is 50 feet long. The combined weight was 17 tons.

Virginia's marine waters now sport 23 reefs of varying size and composition. Materials such as old concrete pipes, demolished bridges, the remains of piers and a lighthouse or surplus equipment such as subway cars, armored personnel carriers or old Liberty-class ships comprise these underwater housing complexes for marine life...[Fredericksburg.com]

Underwater safari exhibit explores exotic African marine life

Lungfish that breathe oxygen on the ocean surface; catfish that generate bioelectricity to find and zap prey; kaleidoscopic cichlids that incubate eggs in their mouths - these marine creatures are just a handful of rare exotic species on display at the "African Underwater Safari" exhibit at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.

"We're trying to highlight the most interesting aspects of Africa," says Judith Bacal, aquarium exhibit director. "It's an area that is teeming with life."

Visitors are welcomed by the voices of the African Children's Choir of Uganda before coming upon groups of palm trees, boldly colored fish tanks and a pink plastic hippo. Decorative signage leads visitors through a wildlife exploration of the continent's primary bodies of fresh and salt water: the Nile River, Red Sea, rivers of West Africa, the rain forests of Madagascar and the lakes of the Great Rift Valley.

The exhibit also features elephant-nosed fish (which share the same floppy, elongated snout shape as its land-based namesake) and knifefish (which dart forward and backward with equal ease). The timid ground boas and giant day geckos offer a glimpse of reptilian life in the Malagasy rainforest.

"There's a lot of different things for people in this exhibit," says Bacal. "I'm really proud of the variety." ..[Greenwich Time]

Photography competition reveals the world of underwater

The World of Underwater Images photography competition will be held for the fourth year, this year, from the 10th to 15th of November, 2008 at the Isrotel Yam Suf Hotel in Eilat, Israel. New categories will be added this year, such as: The Best 5 Images, The Best Color Print, Humour, Ecology & Nature Care, Wrecks, Video Clip and a Beginners’ category.

The Eilat competition is open for all underwater photographers, both amateur and professional. This year we have more than $80,000 in prizes, diving trips to exotic dive sites around the world and cash money prizes. The first prize this year is $10,000, and a trip for two to Papua New Guinea....[Easier Travel]

Divemaster Scuba Diving Website Launches

Divemaster has now launched what is hoped to be the largest scuba diving forum On the internet today. The website is updated by divers who register for free with Divemaster.

The aim of Divemaster website is to promote Scuba Diving as a sport to more people out there.

The only way we can do this is if we get the support of exisiting divers, that means all divers reading this are needed to join us and lend their support by registering as a divemaster member, Its free of charge and registering with Divemaster helps to create a huge community of divers where we can make our voice heard...[Divemaster.com]

Unbelievable visibility creates divers' paradise

Ocean swimmers, free and scuba divers made the most of some the excellent water conditions during the month of June thanks to plenty of east and northeast wind.

In fact, during one time period, around June 16 and 17, divers reporting from the Triangle Wrecks near First Street in Kill Devil Hills said the water was "unbelievably clear" because of the right winds and calm seas.

John Bright, a NAUI instructor out of Outer Banks Dive Center in Nags Head, said he's snorkeled the triangle-shaped wreckage of two ships around 15 times so far this season. Even after conditions stir up the water, it eventually settles out and the "vis gets better," Bright noted.

The depth around the wrecks is about 25 feet and makes for a great place to look at marine life. Bright said it's not uncommon to see triggerfish, little schools of Atlantic spadefish, sheepshead and sea bass...[Outer Banks Sentinel]

'A huge history under that water'

Deep under the rippling waves of the St. Lawrence Seaway sit the remains of villages from half a century ago.

Underwater explorer and filmmaker John Earle calls the submerged land a time capsule -- a mysterious place rich in artifacts that are reminders of an often-forgotten time.

The villages of Aultsville, Dickinson's Landing, Farran's Point, Mille Roches, Moulinette, Wales and the hamlets of Maple Grove, Santa Cruz and Woodlands all existed as places on a map before the 1958 creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Now they exist only in memory -- and under the sometimes murky water of the St. Lawrence River....[OttawaCitizen.com]

Bermuda could be a 'Noah's Ark' for reefs

Bermuda's coral reefs are in such good shape compared to the Caribbean that they could be used as a "Noah's Ark" to re-populate destroyed reefs elsewhere.

That was the positive news from Dr. Thad Murdoch of Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS), who is hosting top scientists to carry out dives to assess the health of local reefs this week.

Bermuda has been chosen as one of nine field trip sites for scientists invited to this month's prestigious International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS).

Held every four years, the 11th symposium convenes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 7 to 11, as a major scientific conference to provide the latest knowledge about coral reefs worldwide. Leading up to the conference, experts will conduct field trips to several coral reef locations, including Bermuda.

"It's a chance to showcase Bermuda to the international coral reef community," said Dr Murdoch, chief scientist of the Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment & Mapping (BREAM) project, who has spent the past several years conducting the first extensive mapping of Bermuda marine parks and reef areas...[The Royal Gazette]