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Reef-forming sponges, Early Triassic era.
Reef-forming sponges, Early Triassic era.

Reefs recovered faster after mass extinction than first thought

Harsh living conditions caused by major fluctuations in the carbon content and sea levels, over-acidification and oxygen deficiency in the seas triggered the largest mass extinction of all time at the end of the Permian era 252 million years ago.

Life on Earth was also anything but easy after the obliteration of over 90 percent of all species: Throughout the entire Early Triassic era, metazoan-dominated reefs were replaced by microbial deposits. Researchers had always assumed it took the Earth as long as five million years to recover from this species collapse.

A rendition of U-533 resting on the seabed off Oman

German WW2 u-boat located off Oman

U-533 was a Nazi German U-Boat (Type IXC/40) that operated during World War II between April 15, 1943 and October 16, 1943. It was first launched on September 11, 1942 with a crew of 53, under the command of Helmut Hennig.

It was sunk by a Royal Air Force Blenheim bomber while it was operating in the Gulf of Oman. Of the crew of 53, only one survived by staying afloat without a life jacket for 28 hours until he was rescued by the HMS Hiravati near Khor Fakkan.

Wes Skiles' cause of death is being listed as an accidental drowning.
Wes Skiles' cause of death is being listed as an accidental drowning.

Wes Skiles' death remains a mystery

Skiles died while on a dive off Boynton Beach, Florida, on July 21, 2010. He signalled to the other divers that he was ascending because he was out of film (although not technically shooting "film" in this digital age)

His body was found on the reef, shortly after that. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was subsequently pronounced dead at a local hospital.

In 1985, Skiles founded Karst Productions and continued his underwater film career.

Tiger shark

Tiger sharks hunt like yo-yos

A joint research effort between the University of Hawaii at Mānoa's Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology(HIMB), University of Tokyo, the Japanese National Institute of Polar Research and the University of Florida has shed new light on the hunting behaviour of tiger sharks.

Cosmopolitan predators with large home ranges, tiger sharks consume a wide variety of prey, often moving hundreds of kilometres between oceanic islands and far out into the open ocean to fill their resource needs.

Space Diving: European Astronaut Centre in Cologne

To simulate work in space, astronauts practice maneuvering equipment and gear underwater

At the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) where astronauts train for ESA’s manned space missions, trainee astronauts undergo a 16-month basic training program, and an integral part of this is to dive. Astronauts need to be underwater to practice spacewalks, also known as Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA). Diver and underwater photographer, Christian Skauge, paid ESA’s Neutral Buoyancy Facility a visit.

Grenada

Grenada. Photo by Kate Clark
Grenada. Photo by Kate Clark

The island of Grenada is affectionately known as the Spice Isle for its exotic spices of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Indeed, as we stepped off the plane, its warm, fragrant breezes welcomed us. Just a few hours earlier we were shivering in the drizzle and cold, wrapped in several layers of clothing dreaming of this exact moment.

Cayman Islands —A guided tour with Cathy Church

When people ask me where my favorite dive spots in the entire world are, I have to stop and give it some serious thought. I like Fiji for soft corals, Chuuk for wrecks, Indonesia for critters, the Solomon Islands for an all-around trip and the U.S. west coast for kelp. But I usually reply that I like wherever I am going next, and that often includes right here in the Cayman Islands where I have the good fortune to live.