Another reason to protect our oceans: they may help us medically! Science Daily writes: sea coral could soon be used more extensively in bone grafting procedures thanks to new research that has refined the material's properties and made it more compatible with natural bone. Read the full article here.
Global warming is causing a silent storm in the oceans by acidifying waters at a record rate, threatening marine life from coral reefs to fish stocks, writes The Sydney Morning Herald. Read the full article here.
It's not all doom and gloom in the oceans! New research shows seagrass, mangroves and salt-marsh ecosystems can adapt to and help mitigate climate change impacts. Defences include being major CO2 sinks, dissipating waves and reducing coastal erosion, according to the University of WA. Read more.
Redmap has launched a free phone application to complement our website!
Logging an unusual marine sighting is about to get easier! Redmap launches its new phone app at the Under the Sea Film Festival at Avoca Beach in NSW. Check out the pics of the new app.
SCUBA diver Sarah Speight is relatively new to the sport but has taken to it, well, like a fish to water. She's glimpsed many unusual marine life during five years of diving in New South Wales and Victoria. Here she describes her favourite sightings that she logged on Redmap!
Chocolate rations, “crazy” fish and the spread of ancient diseases probably don’t spring to mind when you think of climate change. We scanned the news for reports of the more unusual impacts of rising temperatures.
About 75 per cent of Redmap photos are uploaded by scuba divers! Read these amusing dive stories from citizen scientists around the country.
Explore the Seafloor is asking for help to identify images of sea urchins and kelp during August. The project takes a 'crowd-sourcing' approach to a job normally done by research assistants! Read more at www.exploretheseafloor.net.au.
AFP: "A major research aquarium able to simulate ocean warming and carry out key studies on the deadly crown-of-thorns starfish devastating the Great Barrier Reef opened in Australia...." Read the article here.
