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This month's newsletter covers the tragedy of the earthquake near the central coast of Chile on 27 February 2010 in which several hundred people were killed and two million affected. A tsunami struck Concepción and adjacent areas of the Chilean coast and caused substantial damage to fishing villages, destroying boats and infrastructure. Visit FAO Country Profiles - Chile to learn about Chile and its fishery sector.
Every March 8th International Women's Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. This year the United Nations observes the day with the theme: "Equal rights, equal opportunities for all: Progress for all" as elaborated in the UN Secretary-General's message for the day. Find out more about the global issues facing women.
Each year, Earth Hour brings to mind that we can think globally - and act locally - to reduce emissions of CO2 and other harmful gases.
Follow the UN Atlas as International Year of Biodiversity events unfold. Keep an eye out on the Census of Marine Life. A key partner of the UN Atlas of the Oceans, the Census of Marine Life is an international science research programme begun in 2000 and uniting thousands of researchers worldwide with the goal of assessing and explaining the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life, and will release "The Census of Marine Life 2010: A Decade of Discovery" later this year. If this newsletter may interest someone you know, please forward it.
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Thank you for your continued support,
The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
Visit the UN Atlas of the Oceans Web site
Comments? Please write to UN-Atlas-Oceans-Project@fao.org
- Map of Chilean earthquake and tsunami 2010 : Origin Time: 27 Feb 2010 06:34 UTC Magnitude: 8.8 Mwp (reviewed by PTWC) Latitude: 36.1° S Longitude: 72.6° W Depth: 55 km (34.2 mi) Location: Near Coast of Central Chile (News)
- Marine reserves work : The creation of marine protected areas can lead to the rapid recovery of depleted fish populations, according to several new studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (News)
- Atlas Climático Digital de México (ACDM) : Atlas Climático Digital de México (ACDM) (Website)
- French Marine-Related Economic Data 2007 : French Marine-Related Economic Data 2007 (Document)
- Digital Climate Atlas of Mexico : The "Unidad de Informática para las Ciencias Atmosféricas y Ambientales Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, UNAM" is pleased to announce the launch of the Digital Climate Atlas of Mexico (Atlas Climático Digital de México (ACDM)). (News)
- IMO: Hydrographic survey for Marine Electronic Highway in Straits of Malacca and Singapore underway : A key hydrographic survey within the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore is now underway, as part of the Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) Demonstration Project, a regional project that IMO is executing for the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/World Bank. The purpose is to produce an updated electronic navigation chart of the area. (News)
- Oceanography : Collection of online peer-reviewed articles that chronicle all aspects of ocean science and its applications. (Website)
- National Biodiversity Indicators Portal : The leading resource for information on national biodiversity indicators (Website)
- Report of FAO expert advisory panel to CITES now online : The 15th Conference of the Parties for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will be proposals to list a number of species on Appendices I and II. To assist them in considering their positions on the proposals covering species relevant to fisheries, FAO convened the third FAO Expert Advisory. (News)
- Fishing vessel registration mandatory in Ghana : The government of Ghana, in support of Fisheries Act 625 of 2002, requires that all fishing vessels are properly registered and identified. (News)
- New agreement strengthens partnership : The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Philippe Cousteau "Union of the Oceans" Foundation A new agreement to enhance collaboration between the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department and the Spanish Fundación Philippe Cousteau was signed on 28 January 2010 at FAO headquarters in Rome. (News)
- The case of the mysterious seafood : An unknown percentage of the fish we eat isn't what's it's purported to be – FAO meeting explores how forensic techniques could help address the problem (News)
- Senior UN official calls for increased social protection in Pacific island region : The ongoing economic and financial crises are an opportunity to implement social protection programmes in Pacific island countries that address the needs of the vulnerable, particularly of women and children, the United Nations development chief said at the start of a conference about the impact of the global downturn on the region. (News)
- Ocean-Climate : Interactive global site exploring complexities between oceans and climate change - highlighting key issues and possible responses (Website)
- Beyond the Abyss: Deep Sea Creatures Build Their Homes from Materials That Sink from Near the Ocean Surface : Evidence from the Challenger Deep -- the deepest surveyed point in the world's oceans -- suggests that tiny single-celled creatures called foraminifera living at extreme depths of more than ten kilometres build their homes using material that sinks down from near the ocean surface. (News)
- 'Boutique' Fish Farms Created for Ugandans to Combat Lake Victoria's Depleted Fish Supplies : In a unique project to combat depleted fish supplies in Lake Victoria, researchers have established 'boutique' fish farms in small villages around the Lake's shore in Uganda. (News)
- Whales, dolphins and porpoises suffer high death rate as by-catch in fishing nets – UN : Large-scale fishing operations are seriously threatening the lives of the majority of toothed whale populations, which include dolphins and porpoises, warned a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report . (News)
- Check List of Marine Biota of China Seas : This New Check List records the scientific names (in Latin and Chinese) in China seas and the world oceans of all species (total 22 629) of Chinese marine life in 46 major phyla, particularly the dominant Mollusca and Crustacea. (Book)
- IAP Statement on Ocean Acidification : Statement by the Academies of Science about ocean acidification. (Website)
- Earth Hour 2010. Saturday 27 March, 8.30 pm local time : In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future. Turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, 8.30pm, Saturday 27th March 2010. More at http://www.earthhour.org (Event)
- Biodiversity loss matters, and communication is crucial : Both climate change and biodiversity issues face formidable challenges in persuading political leaders and the public of the urgent need to take action. The reasons are complex. But at root is the conflict between the need to radically change our use of natural resources and the desire to maintain current forms of economic growth in both developed and developing countries. (News)
- Climate Change and Coral Reefs. Consequences of inaction : This leaflet prepared for the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 shows that reefs are suffering increasing damage from climate change and threatening the livelihoods and food security of millions of people. (Document)
- Muddied Waters. Historical and contemporary perspectives on management of forests and fisheries in island Southeast Asia. : Environmental history of Southeast Asia, with emphasis on forest and marine ecosystems. Until recently, economic activities had limited and rather stable impact. Excessive levels of logging and fishing have emerged only within the last generation. (Book)
- Rethinking the Global Commons: Fisheries : Two-thirds of the world’s fish stocks are at, or over, their limits of sustainability; yet one in four people depend on fish for their daily protein. How can the international community collaborate to ensure the recovery of major fisheries worldwide? (News)
- World Wetlands Day 2010 Links to Climate Change, Biodiversity : World Wetlands Day 2010 is being celebrated with the full recognition of Africa's Lake Chad as a wetland of international importance, fulfilling a commitment made 10 years ago by the four nations that share the continent's fourth largest lake. (News)
- Brazil's Northeast Under the Vagaries of the Oceans : Research on the relationships between climate and agriculture will at least enable farmers in the North-East to judge better the most appropriate time for sowing, estimate forthcoming yields and as far as possible prevent bad harvests. (News)
- Bubble Physicist Counts Bubbles in Ocean to Answer Questions About Climate, Sound, Light : The bubbles in your champagne that appear to jump out of your glass and tickle your nose are exhibiting a behavior quite similar to the tiny bubbles found throughout the world's oceans, according to bubble physicist Helen Czerski. (News)
- Red Grouper to Be 'Frank Lloyd Wrights of the Sea' : To the casual observer in the Gulf of Mexico, the red grouper seems sluggish but a new study led by researchers at the Florida State University reveals the fish to be both architect and ecosystem engineer. (News)
- Fish Oil Given Intravenously to Patients in Intensive Care Has Many Benefits, Study Finds : A randomised controlled trial of fish oil given intravenously to patients in intensive care has found that it improves gas exchange, reduces inflammatory chemicals and results in a shorter length of hospital stay. (News)
- Wilder Weather Exerts a Stronger Influence on Biodiversity Than Steadily Changing Conditions : An increase in the variability of local conditions could do more to harm biodiversity than slower shifts in climate, a new study has found. (News)
- Tsunami alerts must be tailored to people : The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS), established after the devastating tsunami of December 2004, will fail unless attention is paid to how local governments and people respond to such warnings, says a report. (News)
- The 'hidden hunger' caused by climate change : Understanding how carbon dioxide impacts food quality is vital to tackle malnutrition effectively, says agricultural researcher. (News)
- First Study to Show That Seismic Imaging Detects Ocean's Internal Tides : Internal tides, waves below the ocean's surface that propagate at tidal frequencies, play an important role in ocean mixing but can be difficult to detect and study. (News)