September 2012 - Vol. 17, No. 5

• Ocean Voices: Terry Goss's Images Tell Stories of the Ocean
• Science in the Spotlight: Documenting an Invasion of Unparalled Magnitude • Lionfish Culling Can Work • What's on the Horizon for Migratory Shorebirds
• SeaWeb in Action: Flash Mob Launches Campaign to Protect Spawning Groupers in Fiji

Ocean Voices

Terry Goss Hopes That "Some Image, Somewhere, Will Inspire Others to Love and Act for the Oceans."

On the eve of the launch of the Fifth Annual Ocean in Focus conservation photography contest, last year's winner Terry Goss is packing his gear for his Grand Prize expedition to the Galapagos Islands. His advice to anyone who cares about the ocean: "Keep telling the stories of the ocean through your images."

Read the interview >>

Science in the Spotlight

Lionfish: "An Invasion of Unparalleled Speed and Magnitude"

Since first being reported off the coast of southeast Florida during the 1980s, the Indo-Pacific lionfish has spread rapidly throughout the Western Atlantic.

Lionfish are voracious predators, and their venomous spines are a deterrant to their becoming prey themselves.

This study documents for the first time the extent to which lionfish can alter the makeup of susceptible marine ecosystems.

Read the full review >>

And Now the Good News: Lionfish Culling Can Work

A study into a community-based lionfish removal project off Little Cayman Island in the Caribbean provides the first scientific evidence that such programs may indeed be an option in reducing this invader's impacts

The study looked at lionfish populations in three areas where residents, resort owners and dive operators had joined together in a grassroots culling operation, and compared them with an unculled area.The results were highly encouraging.

Read the full review >>

What's on the Horizon for Migratory Shorebirds

A 'horizon scan' into the current and potential future threats facing some migratory shorebirds concludes that there are no less than 45 types of environmental change that could have significant impact on population sizes. The assessment is anticipated to help in the planning and prioritization of shorebird conservation research and action.

Read the full review >>

SeaWeb in Action

Flash Mob Launches Campaign to Conserve Grouper

More than 120 people gave onlookers at the Hibiscus cultural festival in Suva, Fiji a surprise thrill by breaking out into dance to "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees as part of an off-beat effort to launch a campaign to protect grouper during spawning season.

A flash mob is a choreographed dance, in which people gather suddenly in a public place to perform, and within minutes, quickly disperse.

Read more >>