Tag Archive for 'sea life'

Picture of the Day: The Waffle Cone Sponge

Published on February 4, 2009 in Tasmania and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Representing sweet success for a recent expedition off Tasmania, this 1.6-foot-wide (50-centimeter-wide), 6.5-foot-tall (200-centimeter-tall), “waffle cone” sponge is one of many new species found with a remotely operated submersible, scientists announced January 18, 2009.

The submersible, called Jason, is the size of a small car. It trawled the seas around the Tasman Fracture Zone, to a depth of 13,455 feet (4,010 meters)–the deepest such expedition yet in Australian waters. [National Geographic]

Picture of the Day: Gorgon’s Head Coral

Published on January 28, 2009 in Tasmania and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

A new species (pictured) of gorgon’s-head coral–apparently named for its members’ resemblance to snake-haired Medusa and the other gorgons of Greek myth–was discovered just over a mile (1,700 feet) underwater.

The soft coral is one of many new animals found off Tasmania, Australia, by a recent expedition, scientists announced on January 18, 2009.

“There’s a whole suite of brand new communities down there. Some of them are really bizarre,” said Ron Thresher of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), which co-led the expedition with the California Institute of Technology.

The team’s findings include previously unknown sea spiders, giant sponges, and purple-spotted sea anemones.  [National Geographic]

Only Two Beached Whales in Tasmania Remain Alive

Published on January 24, 2009 in Tasmania and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Sad news from Tasmania in regards to the recent beaching of 43 whales there:

A pod of about 50 whales, mostly mothers and calves, beached themselves on Perkins Island, north-west of Tasmania on Thursday night.

Marine biologists and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife staff spent Friday on the island trying to save the seven whales still alive.

Two died on Friday afternoon and another three overnight.

Marine biologist David Penberton said the situation is “very negative but very positive”.

“It’s bad because there are so many animals dead but good because there are two alive who are floating at high tide,” Mr Pemberton said this morning.

“They are just bobbing in the water amongst the dead whales.”

Rescuers will now look at an action plan and work on trying to get the pair out to sea.

That is unlikely to happen until later on today or tomorrow morning.

“I can’t put a time limit on it right now, it’s a long way off because at this stage we are assessing it and looking at the best way to go about and set them out to sea.”  [AAP]

Rescuers in Tasmania Try to Save Beached Whales

Published on January 23, 2009 in Tasmania and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

For whatever reason beaching of whales on Tasmania continues to be a problem:

No hope ... 43 whales died in a mass stranding off the northwest tip of Tasmania / Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife

RESCUERS are battling the odds to save five sperm whales that survived a mass stranding on the northwest tip of Tasmania.

Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Liz Wren said four staff members had made their way in a dinghy to Perkins Island, near the mouth of the Duck River at Smithton, where 48 whales beached themselves last night.

“They are stabilising the five surviving whales and are monitoring them until the next high tide due this afternoon, which will give them an opportunity to rescue them,” Ms Wren said.

She said the area where the whales had stranded themselves was treacherous, with numerous sandbars making navigation difficult.

She said some of the surviving whales were up 18m long.

Department of Primary Industries and Water spokesman Warwick Brennan said sperm whales were the “lords of the sea”.

“They weigh up to 50 tonnes and have a lot of blubber so they easily overheat,” he told The Mercury. [News.com]

Just a couple of months ago 64 whales were found beached on Tasmania as well.  The first beaching happened near Stanley, Tasmania with this one happening at Perkins Island just a short distance to the west:

Locations of whales beached in Northwest Tasmania.

The Bass Strait between Tasmania and the Australian mainland is known for its treacherous currents.  I wonder if the beaching of whales that continues to happen regularly in Australia has anything to do with the current that flow through the Strait that possibly the whales use to help navigate?

Picture of the Day: Australia’s Newest Bizarre Species

Published on January 21, 2009 in Tasmania and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Finds of strange sea life continued to be discovered in the waters around Australia:

An oddity among oddities, this newly discovered carnivorous sea squirt traps fish and other prey in its funnel-like front section, scientists announced today. Most of the 2,000 or so known sea squirt species are filter feeders that strain plankton from seawater.

Tethered to the seafloor 13,143 feet (4,006 meters) underwater, the 20-inch (50-centimeter) sea squirt, or ascidian, is one of the deepest-dwelling animals ever found in Australia. The new species is one of many new deep-sea creatures discovered on a recent expedition that used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) near southern Tasmania, Australia.

The joint U.S.-Australian endeavor explored the Tasman Fracture Zone, a crack in Earth’s crust 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to more than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep.  [National Geographic]