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Japanese scientists have identified two light receptors in marine algae which appear to be responsible for the proliferation of these plants. The scientists hope to use the findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, to control unwanted algal growth, such as red tides, or to cultivate coveted species of kelp that are used as food. In their experiment, the scientists removed the receptors genetically from a species of algae, called vaucheria, and found that the plant could no longer grow even though it was exposed to blue light for the next six months
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The President of the Maldives on Wednesday called for urgent global action against climate change, saying rising sea levels are threatening the survival of his country's low-lying islands. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said 80 of his country's 1 200 islands had experienced tidal surges earlier in 2007, most of which are no more than one metre above sea level. "Never in our documented history have so many islands been affected to such an extent. These surges were a grim reminder of the devastating tsunami of 2004 and a clear warning of future disasters," Gayoom said at a conference on development and climate change in Lisbon
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Climate change may get the most publicity, but it's not the only global phenomenon linked to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Another is the gradual acidification of the oceans, as more of CO2 dissolves in seawater, creating carbonic acid and lowering the pH
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THEY may sound like wops, thwops, grunts, moans and squeaks to the human ear, but they could actually be complex conversations between remarkable ocean mammals. Thousands of hours of humpback whale sounds have been recorded off the coast of Queensland and analysed to reveal a secret and ancient language of the deep sea. Over three years, researchers identified at least 34 recurring sounds - some lasting less than one second and others stretching for more than 10 - that can be linked to specific, different social settings
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To help celebrate our re-launch, DivePhotoGuide has partnered with our newest sponsor, Mares, to provide gear for a special monthly promotion for DPG members. Once a month for the next year, we will be selecting one registered member at random to receive free dive gear from Mares
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We received a note from Gates about a shameful act of theft at their factory. Someone apparently broke into the Gates factory and stole two video cameras and a housing while the factory was evacuated during the southern California fires two weeks ago
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Fishermen caught nearly twice their legal quota of critically endangered bluefin tuna in European waters this year despite stocks being in a state of collapse, according to investigators
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A tiny Western Atlantic fish does something never before seen: It makes like a bird, living in mangrove wood for months at a time
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Pollution threatens the lake that is the heart and soul of Vietnam's capital - and a legendary turtle who lives below its murky waters - but now a high-tech solution may be at hand to save them both. Over the next three years, in time for Hanoi's 1 000th birthday in 2010, scientists intend to clean up Hoan Kiem Lake, home to the creature that symbolises Vietnam's centuries-old struggle for independence. Vietnamese and German experts say they will use a new device, which borrows from the designs of corkscrews, submarines and tanks, to suck several metres (feet) of toxic sludge from the bottom of the 'Lake of the Returned Sword'
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A federal agency that regulates offshore oil drilling says Alaska's northern coast had unusual visitors this summer -- endangered humpback whales. Humpback whales off Alaska generally are not seen north of the Bering Strait, the upper limit of the North Pacific Ocean. But observers connected to oil exploration activity spotted humpbacks east of Barrow in the Beaufort Sea. Robin Cacy (KAY'-see) of the federal Minerals Management Service says humpback whales were seen in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast last year. She also says endangered fin whales were detected this summer by acoustic monitoring north of the Bering Strait in the Chukchi Sea
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