A federal advisory panel weighed a ban on salmon fishing in California after a dramatic decline in the fishery. “The situation now is unprecedented and off the charts,” said the executive director of the Pacific Fishery Management Council …
… a University of Tasmania scientist discovered two new types of toxic algae in the Southern Ocean, which he believes must be calculated into fishing quotas to prevent further overfishing …
… ocean acidification caused the ears of baby damselfish to develop incorrectly …
… it was discovered that fish that feed on plankton can smell an odor released by algae, and congregate near the source of the scent, since plankton feed on algae …
… a computer model based on the gathering of plankton populations could help ships avoid striking right whales, which also feed on plankton …
… a rare white orca was sighted off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands …
… a dolphin guided a pygmy sperm whale and her calf back to sea after the two were stranded on a New Zealand beach …
… an Australian man discovered a hunk of whale spit, or ambergris, on the beach while walking his dog. The waxy substance, which can be used in perfume, could fetch $20 a gram on the international market …
… and 775 Russians were rescued by helicopters after the ice floes from which they were fishing drifted into the Pacific Ocean.
