Little-known Gulf Manta Rays Affected by Oil Spill?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101015-new-manta-rays-gulf-bp-oil-spill-science-animals/

Gulf Manta rays' daily lives might be interrupted and altered. With the five million barrels of oil that were burned and released into the ocean, the 'cleaning stations' where small fish clean out their gills, might be infected with oil, according to marine biologist Andrea Marshall of the Mozambique-based Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna. Accoring to Rachel Graham, a shark scientist with the program Ocean Giant's at the Wildlife Conservation's Society, said that these creatures grow to such large sizes by taking sea water in and out through their gills. They also keep tiny creatures such as plankton in their gills.They grow to 20 feet long and could possibly be of their own species, but it is not quite certain. Their gills are quite sensitive to any toxins in the water. The dispersants used to break up the oil can be harmful to the Manta rays, and gills are covered they could suffocate and die due to the lack of oxygen. Because little is known about the Manta rays, it is possible their reproduction or migration in the gulf  can be disrupted, says Mexican marine biologist Silvia Hinojosa Alvarez who is a part of the Mexican Caribbean Manta Project. She also states that little is known of where they give birth, so because of the little bit of information that they do have on the biology of these creatures, they cannot give an accurate prediction of what could happen to them.
This is so sad. Somebody needs to figure out how to help them. This case is similar to the whale sharks predicament. All of these creatures are dying because of the Gulf spill, but what is being done to those responsible for the spill? Something must be done to these irresponsible workers.

New Deep-Sea Pictures: Snailfish, Eels Found in Trench

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/photogalleries/101014-deep-fish-seen-snailfish-eel-ocean-pictures/

A new creature was found in the deep sea trench of Peru-Chile. It's not so much the creature, which is called a snailfish, that is spectacular, but the depth in which it was found. The white fish's picture was taken on an expedition at 4.3 miles in the Peru-Chile trench. The director of Oceanlab at Scotland's University of Aberdeen, Monty Priede, was excited when he explained that this type of snailfish has never before been photographed or caught. According to the National Geographic article Oceanlab was quoted saying this uniquely white snail fish is 6 inches long and can withstand pressure equal to 1600 elephants standing a roof of a mini cooper. Priede says that if it was seen in an acquarium it wouldnt be said to look weird, "...But at a molecular level, in the details of its biochemistry, it is highly adapted in order to survive the high pressureThat is amazing!!the fish looks like a mini sting ray. It is almost a transluscent white color. I think it looks cute. I wonder if theyre going to put it in an acquarium. It would be awesome to see one in person.

Chile Creates Large Marine Reserve at Sala y Gómez Island

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/10/chile-creates-large-marine-res.html

 After the Waitt Foundation, Oceana, and National Geographic went on an expedition earlier this year to seek out marine divergence in waters surrounding a small Chilean island called Sala y Gomez, the Chilean government set up a reserve that branched out 150,000 square kilometers around the tiny island. This reserve will protect the species that have become quite vulnerable in other parts of the ocean due to the over fishing. The reserve covers 100 times more than what was protected before. According to marine ecologist and National Geographic Ocean Fellow, Dr. Enric Sala, Sala y Gomez is one of the "...undisturbed and relatively pristine places left in the ocean." The Sala y Gomez Marine Park does not cover the entire seamounts in its surrounding waters, according to Professor Dr. Carlos Gaymer, at Universidad Catolica de Norte and Southeast Pacific coordinator for the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Commission on Protected Areas. Oceanas hope is that Chile will expand its reserve to 200 miles out. Another expedition is hoped to be conducted in 2012 for an extensive search of the baseline of the ecological community and to inspect seamounts that are not involved in the Sala y Gomez Marine Park.
I think that these researchers and scientists genuinely want to help save these animals, but sometimes it annoys me that theyll spend thousands and thousands of dollars on these trips and on the research, but when it comes to children who are starving and aborted babies in the U.S. its left to 'others' to campaign and raise money to save them. An animal has no soul, but a human being does. Why dont they put their borrowed money to some use over here. INVEST in lives for a change. I know that this is totally off topic, but this is my opinion and how i feel. When i was reading the article i couldnt help but feel annoyed and disgusted with their zeal for their cause. I do not empathize with them, nor will i support their cause.

Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced by Gulf Oil?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100924-whale-sharks-gulf-oil-spill-science-environment/

According to the National Geographic article "Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced by Gulf Oil?", it is being suggested that whale sharks have died and sunk to the bottom of the ocean due to the oil spill. A feeding habitat where the whale sharks swarm was contaminated by the spill. Although there have been no bodies found, it is being suggested by 'new research' that these mamals have been killed. Because of the unsightly scene of oil covering the surface of the water, biologist Eric Hoffmayer from the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory notes that the whale sharks could have suffocated due to their gills filling with oil or their prey being tainted. Although much of the oil has disappeared, the spill isnt 'going away' say scientists. Because the shark whales swim with their mouths open so that they may feed off tiny plankton, they are believed to be at greater risk of absorbing dispersants being used during the clean up effort and other contaminants. Scientists are concerned that the oil has submerged to the bottom and that more animals are in danger. Theyre hoping that fish and sharks theyre tracking will provide them with information about new habits being formed and new territory being covered because of the oil spill.
Animals act on instinct, so it is most plausible that they have drifted on to newer territories and feeding grounds. im sure there have been deaths among these sharks, but they will be fine. they are smart creatures and will adopt a new way of living. As it has been discovered, certain fish being tracked have adopted new habits and they are migrating elsewhere to avoid the oil. Hopefully this spill is dealt with soon.

Massive Fish Kill in Gulf Caused by "Dead Zone," Oil?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100916-fish-kill-louisiana-gulf-oil-spill-dead-zone-science-environment/

Apparently, a large group of fish was found floating dead in a Louisiana marsh. They were discovered Friday in  Bayou Chaland area of Plaquemines Parish. Experts are saying that it was due to an annual low oxygen "dead zone", but that the oil spill in the Gulf attributed to there death as well says Prosanta Chakrabarty, a fish biologist from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Brown stuff was discovered floating around the fish, and is believed to be oil, according to experts. He also states that agricultural runoff accounts for the nutrients that aided the expansion of "oxygen-hungry algae". The added oxygen snuffing bacteria from the Gulf spill made the "dead zone" worse. The fish had no chance and died due to suffocation, or so the experts say. Becoming isolated at times, the body of water where the fish were trapped had a low tide, therefore the fish were stuck, says Olivia Watkins from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Further testing must be done in order to prove these hypothesis.
Basically these experts are blaming the agricultural runoff and the oil spill for the death of these fish. they blame pollution for everything, and now their saying that all of these combined killed these fish. NOT saying i dont care these fish died, or to find out exactly how, but really...these fish would have died anyway. They would have been eaten by us or other fish. Thats just the way the cycle of life goes...Now if the oil spill and the agricultural spill was the problem then it must be fixed. However, the marsh had a low tide...Olivia Watkins said so herself. So the fish, which there were many, could have died naturally from that. But the oil and added nutrients from the agricultural runoff just added to the decrease in oxygen. So either way there was a problem...and hopefully these experts find out what exactly it was so that perhaps it can be fixed.