Reports of marine wildlife from all around the British Isles, with pollution incidents and conservation initiatives as they affect the flora and fauna of the NE Atlantic Ocean.
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20 July 2007
Fisherman Pip Farline landed a 3 metres long Thresher Shark, Alopias vulpinus, that had become entangled in his salmon nets, 200 metres off Filey, near Scarborough, Yorkshire. Thresher Sharks are a pelagic species that are occasionally seen inshore in the English Channel, but are much rarer in the North Sea and the last one reported from off the Yorkshire coast was over 80 years ago. The length includes its abnormally long tail that it uses to strike or thresh fish. 

16 July 2007  12:50 pm
Drifting east with the tide 200 metres off Ventnor Cove in the calmer water a two metres long Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola, swam so close to the rib that I was able to reach down and stroke it. It felt soft to the touch. The Sunfish appeared to nibble at the growths on the boat. Its large eyes just under the the surface of the sea were looking at me. 

8 July 2007
For the first time in 10 years, with an incredible 300+ Common Dolphins, Delphinus delphis, were seen in the outer southern Moray Firth in NE Scotland along the Southern Trench on our Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, survey. 

25 June 2007
A young Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus, swam into Fishguard Harbour, Pembrokeshire, Wales, during some story weather. Because this whale has a long dorsal fin it was first spotted as a shark. The young whale kept swimming in wide circles in the deeper area of the harbour clearly demonstrating some degree of spatial awareness. Luckily, about an hour after being seen, it followed the outgoing ferry to the open sea off south-west Wales. 

Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Mailing Groups

With the closure of Smart Groups at the end of November 2006 most of the 7500+ messages have been filed at:

Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Jiglu
http://www.Jiglu.com/spaces/glaucus/

For ongoing messages please transfer to the Yahoo forum as I think you will find that easier to use.
Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Yahoo Group
New Group: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Glaucus

Images can be uploaded to flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/glaucus/

NEW
Wet Thumb (Marine Aquariology) Forum Link

Each month, at least one special marine image will be published from images sent to the BMLSS. This can be of the seashore, undersea world or any aspect of the marine natural world, especially the underwater life, but not restricted to life beneath the waves. Topical inclusions may be included instead of the most meritorious, and images will be limited to the NE Atlantic Ocean and adjoining seas, marine and seashore species and land and seascapes.
 

NEW BOOK:
 

The Gulf Stream
by Bruno Voituriez 
Publisher:  UNESCO 
ISBN:  92-3-103995-4 
222 pages, figures, glossary, bibliography

The Gulf Stream
Amid contemporary scenarios of potential climatic catastrophes and global warming that might be imagined to bring a new ice age, the powerful image of the Gulf Stream rising from the Florida Straits and flowing to the north Atlantic inevitably provokes questions about its ecological significance and whether it might ever stop.
 

JOURNALS:
 

Newsletter on biodiversity education, with a polar pullout for children with its focus on the Arctic. 
 

The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom launched a new full colour magazine, GLOBAL MARINE ENVIRONMENT in 2005, which will appeal to people who wish to read accurate, interesting and entertaining articles about the world's oceans and its inhabitants.
Much of the source material for this new magazine is the Journal of the Marine Biological Association (JMBA). Whereas the journal is full of excellent scientific papers, GLOBAL MARINE ENVIRONMENT takes some of the most interesting studies and, in full colour, writes a more understandable summary of the findings.

The first issue of Global Marine Environment may be purchased in hard copy for £1.75 (see below) or downloaded from the web at the following
address:

http://www.mba.ac.uk/PDF/mbaglobal%20news.pdf
Information provided by Richard Lord (Guernsey)
 

Coastal Plankton 
Photo Guide for European Seas

by Otto Larink & Wilfried Westheide

reviewed by Wim van Egmond
 

ISBN  0-9522831-5-8 Available from:

NEW