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As we accumulate more information about the coasts and oceans, we are increasingly aware of the growing challenges ahead as well as possible solutions. While we have taken steps to control "point" source pollution, we now face more problems of "diffuse" pollution. At the same time, although some pollution-related problems have been solved, habitat loss and degradation remains a threat. Many of the recently added content this month deals with these conservation issues.
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Thank you,
The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
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- Marine Reptiles : Biological information on sea turtles, marine iguana, saltwater crocodiles and sea snakes.
- Caspian Sea : The Caspian Sea is a landlocked endorheic sea of Eurasia between Asia and Europe.
- OBIS Now Has More Than 10 Million Records : Two years ahead of schedule, OBIS is now publishing more than 10 million records of the locations of 71,000 species from 142 datasets. The datasets recently added cover the understudied southern oceans, in particular the waters around Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and South America. Datasets are diverse both taxonomically and in the way they were collected and include records for algae, plankton, molluscs, crustaceans, fish, cetaceans, and birds. Collection methods included trawls and sightings from shore and satellites. Six of the datasets were contributed by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre, five by AfrOBIS, and two from AR-OBIS in Argentina.
- Earth May Be at Warmest Point in One Million Years : Earth may be close to the warmest it has been in the last million years, especially in the part of the Pacific Ocean where potentially violent El Niño weather patterns are born, climate scientists reported Monday.
- Assessment of the impact of the December 2004 tsunami on marine turtles and their habitats in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia : A report prepared for the Signatory States to the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding
- Year of the Turtle kicks off with Call for Cooperation : 2006 is the time for Countries and Communities to Take a Stand for the Threatened Sea Turtles of the Globe
- Shark That Walks on Fins Is Discovered : Scientists combing through undersea fauna off Indonesia's Papua province said Monday they had discovered dozens of new species, including a shark that walks on its fins and a shrimp that looks like a praying mantis.
- The Pacific Islands Roundtable for nature conservation : Designed to help increase effective conservation action in the Pacific Islands, the Inventory of Regional Conservation Activities is a living record of conservation activities of key actors in this region
- Database on Marine Protected Areas : a database of the world´s marine protected Areas
- Earthtrends - countryprofiles : The country profiles present environmental information about key variables for each topic area. View the charts and graphs to find the vital statistics you need for over 220 countries.
- Global Coastal Change : Overview of the environmental factors changing the marine systems of the world.
- Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC) Workshops : The purpose of the workshop is twofold, firstly: to involve as many humanitarian practitioners as possible within Australia to share the main lessons arising out of the TEC; secondly, to use these workshops as a catalyst for further initiatives between key stakeholders, both in Australia and globally. Who is this workshop for? This series of half-day workshops is primarily designed for people across the humanitarian to development spectrum, who may in some capacity be involved in learning and applying lessons from the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
- First digital map of Ningaloo Marine Park : A precision aerial image survey has captured a broadband spectral signature of the entire Ningaloo Marine Park, Australia at a fine scale. The successful mission is now providing a definitive and complete database, which will support accurate digital mapping and measurement of the Marine Parks nearshore environments.
- Review of Coastal Renewable Energy Status and Opportunities : US Government program review of US and world Coastal Renewable Energy Status and Opportunities
- L'approche écosystémique des pêches : quelles priorités pour la recherche? : Si les réflexions et les premières expériences relatives à la mise en place de l'approche écosystémique de la gestion des pêcheries (AEP) se multiplient, leurs conséquences sur l'évolution des recherches en soutien à l'exploitation durable des 'biens et services' des océans sont plus rares. Un exercice de prospective a donc été mené à l'initiative du programme scientifique 'Démarche écosystémique pour une gestion intégrée des Ressources Halieutiques' de l'Ifremer, pour identifier les évolutions possibles des contextes environnementaux, économiques et institutionnels des pêcheries, et identifier les axes de recherche qu'il convient de privilégier.
- Caviar, Oil Targeted by Caspian Protection Plan : Caviar lovers may benefit from a five-nation deal entering into force from Saturday meant to clean up the badly polluted Caspian Sea. The Caspian Convention - grouping Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - is the first legally binding document on any subject adopted by the five shoreline states with widely differing political systems.