Earth Blog

The ARC Centre for Excellence of Coral Reef Studies in Australia published a study in the latest issue of the journal Ecology that would like to remind us there are a bunch of little fish that make coral reefs happy and healthy. Despite our focus on higher profile marine animals that often tug on our heartstrings (sea turtles) or frighten us (sharks), the fish that provide basic maintenance deserve some credit.

"Herbivorous fishes protect coral reefs by limiting the growth of algae, or seaweed," says Loïc Thibaut, the lead researcher of this study. "Seaweeds grow rapidly and compete with corals for space. If left unchecked, they can smother the corals and take over the reefs. This shift, once it happens, is extremely difficult to reverse."

Three Australian environmental activists from Forest Rescue with assistance from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society boarded a Japanese whaling ship, the Shonan Maru II, on a Sunday morning earlier this month.Their goal was to use non-violent demonstration to demand the ship leave, and to raise awareness of illegal whaling and the Australian government’s inaction on the issue. The activists boarded the whaling ship despite the “slim” possibility they could be taken to Japan with legal ramifications.  Japanese authorities questioned the trio and then released them about a week later to the Australian government at their request.

Sad news out of a suburb of Australia’s capital Canberra today where the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the death of two people after a private New Year’s dinner, at a bistro closed for the holidays, was prepared and eaten with Death cap mushrooms that were mistaken for Chinese straw mushrooms.