Maine Diver Videos Close Encounter With Shark - News Story - WMTW Portland
EASTPORT, Maine -- A diver off the coast of Maine had an incredibly close encounter with a shark over the weekend. Scott MacNichol, of Perry, was diving off Eastport Saturday when the porbeagle shark came right up to him and took a bite of his camera. MacNichol wasn't hurt and actually dove in the same spot again on Tuesday. The shark was about eight feet long and weighed about 300 pounds. Officials said the creature was likely not going after MacNichol, rather his camera, mistaking it for a fish. The video at the top of this story was provided by MER Assessment Corp. and Cooke Aquaculture.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Paul The Octopus
NPR News, October 26, 2010
Paul the Octopus, the tentacled tipster who fascinated football fans by correctly predicting results at this year's World Cup, died Tuesday. Paul had reached the octopus old age of 2½ years and died in his tank on Tuesday morning in an aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen, spokeswoman Ariane Vieregge said. Paul seemed to be in good shape when he was checked late Monday, but he did not make it through the night. He died of natural causes, Vieregge added. After rising to global prominence during the World Cup in South Africa in June and July, Paul retired from the predictions business after the final between Spain and the Netherlands - the result of which he also forecast correctly - and returned to his prime role of making children happy.
Paul the Octopus, the tentacled tipster who fascinated football fans by correctly predicting results at this year's World Cup, died Tuesday. Paul had reached the octopus old age of 2½ years and died in his tank on Tuesday morning in an aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen, spokeswoman Ariane Vieregge said. Paul seemed to be in good shape when he was checked late Monday, but he did not make it through the night. He died of natural causes, Vieregge added. After rising to global prominence during the World Cup in South Africa in June and July, Paul retired from the predictions business after the final between Spain and the Netherlands - the result of which he also forecast correctly - and returned to his prime role of making children happy.
Monday, October 25, 2010
UCSB Student Dies From Shark Attack
Read the News from ABC and CBS on our Shark News From October!
UCSB Student Dies From Shark Attack:
NPR Story:
ABC News Reports:
KEY News:
Vandenberg/Lompoc - Federal and State Fish and Game officials are working to identify the type of shark which attacked and killed a local student off Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base. The shark was described as being 14 to 20 feet in length. Experts should be able to determine by the bite marks on the "boogie board", and the victim, are that of a Great White or another type of shark. So far they have not made any announcement. Meantime, beaches in the area remain closed this weekend. 19-year-old Lucas Ransom, a UCSB student, died Friday morning when the shark bit off his leg while he paddled some 100 feet from shore. The massive wound caused him to bleed to death. - KEY News
UCSB Student Dies From Shark Attack:
NPR Story:
ABC News Reports:
KEY News:
Vandenberg/Lompoc - Federal and State Fish and Game officials are working to identify the type of shark which attacked and killed a local student off Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base. The shark was described as being 14 to 20 feet in length. Experts should be able to determine by the bite marks on the "boogie board", and the victim, are that of a Great White or another type of shark. So far they have not made any announcement. Meantime, beaches in the area remain closed this weekend. 19-year-old Lucas Ransom, a UCSB student, died Friday morning when the shark bit off his leg while he paddled some 100 feet from shore. The massive wound caused him to bleed to death. - KEY News
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The News of The Deep Sea!
From Deep Sea News:
Of Eyes and Hermaphroditism in Lizardfishes
Of Eyes and Hermaphroditism in Lizardfishes
Davis, M., & Fielitz, C. (2010). Estimating divergence times of lizardfishes and their allies (Euteleostei: Aulopiformes) and the timing of deep-sea adaptations Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.09.003
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Shark News in October
National Geographic's New Shark Show Clip:
UCSB Student Dies From Shark Attack:
ABC News Reports:
CBS News reported in may have been a Great White: "(CBS/AP) The huge shark that attacked and killed a body-surfer off the central California coast may have been a great white, a spokesman for the local sheriff's office says. The victim, Lucas Ransom, 19, was body-boarding two feet away from his friend, Matthew Garcia, who was surfing. Garcia says he heard a desperate cry for help. Within seconds, a shark flashed out of the water, bit into Ransom's leg and pulled him under in a cloud of blood." "The University of California, Santa Barbara, junior had a severe wound to his left leg and died a short time later on Surf Beach, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "The beach, 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is on the property of Vandenberg Air Force Base, in Lompoc, Calif., but is open to the public. Sheriff's deputies patrolled the coastline to search for Ransom's missing leg but were only able to recover the body-board, which had a 1-foot segment on the side bitten off."
"There have been nearly 100 shark attacks in California since the 1920s, including a dozen that were fatal, according to the California Department of Fish and Game. But attacks have remained relatively rare even as the population of swimmers, divers and surfers sharing the waters has soared. The last shark attack on Surf Beach was in 2008, when what was believed to be a great white shark bit a surfer's board. The surfer was not harmed. The last fatal attack in California was that same year, when triathlete David Martin, 66, bled to death after a great white shark bit his legs about 150 yards off of a San Diego County beach. Randy Fry, 50, died from a great white attack in 2004 while diving off the coast of Mendocino, north of San Francisco Bay. In 2003, a great white shark killed Deborah Franzman, 50, as she swam at Avila Beach, about 30 miles north of Vandenberg."
Shark Tagging Videos Released From Summer 2010
8 Great White Sharks Tagged Off Of Falmouth:
Great White Shark Devours Seal:
An older basking shark tagging from '07:
January Jones in Oceana's Shark PSA:
Canada’s Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG) recently posted a video featuring the successful tagging of a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) to their YouTube channel. The tagging process seen in the video involves diving in 10 ºC (50 ºF) water with very little visibility, off of Baie-Comeau, Québec. The Greenland shark is a coldwater species that can inhabit subarctic and arctic waters as cold as -2 ºC, according to Canadian Shark Research Laboratory. It is believed to be the only shark species that can inhabit these water. The average length of adult Greenland sharks is 11 to 16′ (3.5-5m), with the largest Greenland shark on record being measured at 21′ (6.4m). The species is also known to inhabit extreme depths.
Fishing trip in Boca Raton greeted with a hammerhead visit:
Obvious threats include what we are putting into the sea (millions of tons of pollutants) and what we are taking out (millions of tons of ocean wildlife), as well as profound disturbance to natural shoreline systems — mangroves, marshes, sea grass meadows, kelp forests, coral reefs and even healthy, natural sandy beaches. But far and away the biggest problem is ignorance, something that OCEANS helps to solve. When people understand how important the ocean is to their lives, and how much damage we are causing, they can respond with action. If people don’t know, they can’t care . . .
-Dr. Sylvia Earle
There is no doubt that sharks, especially large species, are greatly depleted. The best numbers come from a 2003 study that reviewed 50 years of global data and concluded that about 90 per cent are gone. Those of us who have been diving in places such as the Galapagos, Cocos, Gulf of Mexico, Seychelles, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Bermuda and elsewhere since the 1960s where sharks were once very abundant can attest to the greatly diminished numbers. Sharks reproduce slowly and live a long time, making them especially vulnerable to overfishing.-Dr. Sylvia Earle
Conservation of Bahamian Sharks:
Bahamas Expedition hopes to Raise Shark Awareness
by TheDorsalFin on Oct.12, 2010: WPTV 5 is reporting that Guy Harvey, marine artist and biologist, is heading up an expedition to the Bahamas with a mission of “recording the beauty of sharks.” In addition to Harvey, Jim Abernathy, and artist Wyland, will also be involved in the effort. The group hopes to use shark imagery to encourage people to promote shark conservation.
Guy Harvey Ultimate Media Shark Contest:
The Hong Kong Shark Foundation organized a “flash mob” demonstration in Hong Kong’s Time Square to raise awareness about shark finning and shark fin soup consumption, according to CNN Go. The group of approximately 150 people “froze” and held the same pose for 3 minutes at 12:40pm today. The group is also organizing a campaign, via Facebook, to encourage Donald Tsang, Hong Kong Chie Executive, to call for a ban on shark fin soup during his upcoming policy address.
UCSB Student Dies From Shark Attack:
ABC News Reports:
CBS News reported in may have been a Great White: "(CBS/AP) The huge shark that attacked and killed a body-surfer off the central California coast may have been a great white, a spokesman for the local sheriff's office says. The victim, Lucas Ransom, 19, was body-boarding two feet away from his friend, Matthew Garcia, who was surfing. Garcia says he heard a desperate cry for help. Within seconds, a shark flashed out of the water, bit into Ransom's leg and pulled him under in a cloud of blood." "The University of California, Santa Barbara, junior had a severe wound to his left leg and died a short time later on Surf Beach, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "The beach, 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is on the property of Vandenberg Air Force Base, in Lompoc, Calif., but is open to the public. Sheriff's deputies patrolled the coastline to search for Ransom's missing leg but were only able to recover the body-board, which had a 1-foot segment on the side bitten off."
"There have been nearly 100 shark attacks in California since the 1920s, including a dozen that were fatal, according to the California Department of Fish and Game. But attacks have remained relatively rare even as the population of swimmers, divers and surfers sharing the waters has soared. The last shark attack on Surf Beach was in 2008, when what was believed to be a great white shark bit a surfer's board. The surfer was not harmed. The last fatal attack in California was that same year, when triathlete David Martin, 66, bled to death after a great white shark bit his legs about 150 yards off of a San Diego County beach. Randy Fry, 50, died from a great white attack in 2004 while diving off the coast of Mendocino, north of San Francisco Bay. In 2003, a great white shark killed Deborah Franzman, 50, as she swam at Avila Beach, about 30 miles north of Vandenberg."
Shark Tagging Videos Released From Summer 2010
8 Great White Sharks Tagged Off Of Falmouth:
Great White Shark Devours Seal:
An older basking shark tagging from '07:
January Jones in Oceana's Shark PSA:
Canada’s Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG) recently posted a video featuring the successful tagging of a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) to their YouTube channel. The tagging process seen in the video involves diving in 10 ºC (50 ºF) water with very little visibility, off of Baie-Comeau, Québec. The Greenland shark is a coldwater species that can inhabit subarctic and arctic waters as cold as -2 ºC, according to Canadian Shark Research Laboratory. It is believed to be the only shark species that can inhabit these water. The average length of adult Greenland sharks is 11 to 16′ (3.5-5m), with the largest Greenland shark on record being measured at 21′ (6.4m). The species is also known to inhabit extreme depths.
Fishing trip in Boca Raton greeted with a hammerhead visit:
Obvious threats include what we are putting into the sea (millions of tons of pollutants) and what we are taking out (millions of tons of ocean wildlife), as well as profound disturbance to natural shoreline systems — mangroves, marshes, sea grass meadows, kelp forests, coral reefs and even healthy, natural sandy beaches. But far and away the biggest problem is ignorance, something that OCEANS helps to solve. When people understand how important the ocean is to their lives, and how much damage we are causing, they can respond with action. If people don’t know, they can’t care . . .
-Dr. Sylvia Earle
There is no doubt that sharks, especially large species, are greatly depleted. The best numbers come from a 2003 study that reviewed 50 years of global data and concluded that about 90 per cent are gone. Those of us who have been diving in places such as the Galapagos, Cocos, Gulf of Mexico, Seychelles, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Bermuda and elsewhere since the 1960s where sharks were once very abundant can attest to the greatly diminished numbers. Sharks reproduce slowly and live a long time, making them especially vulnerable to overfishing.-Dr. Sylvia Earle
Conservation of Bahamian Sharks:
Bahamas Expedition hopes to Raise Shark Awareness
by TheDorsalFin on Oct.12, 2010: WPTV 5 is reporting that Guy Harvey, marine artist and biologist, is heading up an expedition to the Bahamas with a mission of “recording the beauty of sharks.” In addition to Harvey, Jim Abernathy, and artist Wyland, will also be involved in the effort. The group hopes to use shark imagery to encourage people to promote shark conservation.
Guy Harvey Ultimate Media Shark Contest:
The Hong Kong Shark Foundation organized a “flash mob” demonstration in Hong Kong’s Time Square to raise awareness about shark finning and shark fin soup consumption, according to CNN Go. The group of approximately 150 people “froze” and held the same pose for 3 minutes at 12:40pm today. The group is also organizing a campaign, via Facebook, to encourage Donald Tsang, Hong Kong Chie Executive, to call for a ban on shark fin soup during his upcoming policy address.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Census of Marine Life Inspires Song
Census of Marine Life Inspires Song
"Original song inspired by the Census of Marine Life (www.coml.org). Written and produced by singer/composer Maryann Camilleri, musician Jerry Harrison (formerly of the Talking Heads), and engineer David Dennison (responsible for numerous recordings of Jerry Garcia), the song also features an accompanying video produced by National Geographic Television/Digital Studio. The song and video premiered at the closing reception of the first Census of Marine Life, 6 October 2010, Museum of Natural History, London, UK. View the lyrics at http://www.coml.org/look-to-the-sea"
Oceana's Recent Ads
"Original song inspired by the Census of Marine Life (www.coml.org). Written and produced by singer/composer Maryann Camilleri, musician Jerry Harrison (formerly of the Talking Heads), and engineer David Dennison (responsible for numerous recordings of Jerry Garcia), the song also features an accompanying video produced by National Geographic Television/Digital Studio. The song and video premiered at the closing reception of the first Census of Marine Life, 6 October 2010, Museum of Natural History, London, UK. View the lyrics at http://www.coml.org/look-to-the-sea"
Oceana's Recent Ads
Humpback Whale Swims Quarter of World!
Boston Globe
October 13, 2010
BBC News
October 12, 2010
"In a record-breaking journey, a female humpback whale has travelled across a quarter of the globe, a distance of at least 10,000km.The event, reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, is the longest documented movement by a mammal. Its voyage was also twice the distance that the whales typically migrate each season to new breeding grounds. Scientists say the extreme behaviour shows how "flexible" these animals are. Explore and adapt The female whale was spotted and photographed twice - once at its regular breeding ground in Brazil, then later off the coast of Madagascar. The shortest distance between these two locations is 9,800km."
October 13, 2010
BBC News
October 12, 2010
"In a record-breaking journey, a female humpback whale has travelled across a quarter of the globe, a distance of at least 10,000km.The event, reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, is the longest documented movement by a mammal. Its voyage was also twice the distance that the whales typically migrate each season to new breeding grounds. Scientists say the extreme behaviour shows how "flexible" these animals are. Explore and adapt The female whale was spotted and photographed twice - once at its regular breeding ground in Brazil, then later off the coast of Madagascar. The shortest distance between these two locations is 9,800km."
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sea Shepherd Leader Paul Watson and Ady Gil skipper Peter Bethune offer very Different Takes on Ship's Sinking
Sea Shepherd Leader Paul Watson and Ady Gil Skipper Peter Bethune Offer Very Different takes on Ship's Sinking
More Sea Shepherd News:
Actress Michelle Rodriguez says: I want to do something about it!
She is set to join Sea Shepherd to stop the whale killing in Antarctica Michelle Rodriguez, star of Avatar and Machete, has a heart for animals. She has been following Sea Shepherd since 2007 and is concerned about the plight of the whales.“I look forward to the action!,” exclaimed eco-warrior-to-be Michelle in response to the question, “What are you looking forward to most about being on that campaign in Antarctica?” Listen to her conversation with Captain Paul Watson as they chat about her upcoming role as a crewmember on Sea Shepherd's 2010-11 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign Operation No Compromise.
More Sea Shepherd News:
She is set to join Sea Shepherd to stop the whale killing in Antarctica Michelle Rodriguez, star of Avatar and Machete, has a heart for animals. She has been following Sea Shepherd since 2007 and is concerned about the plight of the whales.“I look forward to the action!,” exclaimed eco-warrior-to-be Michelle in response to the question, “What are you looking forward to most about being on that campaign in Antarctica?” Listen to her conversation with Captain Paul Watson as they chat about her upcoming role as a crewmember on Sea Shepherd's 2010-11 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign Operation No Compromise.
Pregnant Blue Whale Found Dead on Beach
Pregnant Blue Whale Found Dead on Beach
BEAN HOLLOW STATE PARK, CA (KGO) -- Researchers are trying to figure out what happened to a pregnant blue whale that washed up on the beach at Bean Hollow State Park in San Mateo County. The massive, 85-foot whale was found washed up on the beach on Monday, with her male fetus just 50 feet away. Blue whale calves are born after 12 months and this fetus was only six months old. The whale was likely swimming south to Baja California for the winter. According to state rangers, the scientists will take tissue samples of the whale and also do a necropsy to figure out how she died.
From Pete Thomas Outdoors:
Pregnant blue whale found dead in Bay Area was hit by ship. The 85-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore near her fetus during the weekend at Bean Hollow State Beach south of San Francisco had suffered "internal injuries consistent with a ship strike," said Joe Cordaro, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. A necropsy team discovered signs of hemorrhaging in the skeletal muscle and along the right lateral abdomen, and some fractured vertebrae. That there had been hemorrhaging implies that the whale was alive when it was struck. This brings to three the number of blue whales known to have been hit by vessels off California this year. In August a blue whale washed ashore at San Miguel Island with broken bones and other wounds consistent with a ship strike. Earlier in the summer, the captain of a Monterey commercial whale-watching boat reported hitting a blue whale that he said had surfaced in front of the boat. The captain said he saw no evidence that the whale had been injured. About 2,000 blue whales utilize California waters each summer. They're part of a worldwide population of about 10,000. Blue whales are an endangered species.-- Pete Thomas
SF Gate Claims whale deaths show boat traffic and krill to blame:
SF Gate Article October 10, 2010
BEAN HOLLOW STATE PARK, CA (KGO) -- Researchers are trying to figure out what happened to a pregnant blue whale that washed up on the beach at Bean Hollow State Park in San Mateo County. The massive, 85-foot whale was found washed up on the beach on Monday, with her male fetus just 50 feet away. Blue whale calves are born after 12 months and this fetus was only six months old. The whale was likely swimming south to Baja California for the winter. According to state rangers, the scientists will take tissue samples of the whale and also do a necropsy to figure out how she died.
From Pete Thomas Outdoors:
Pregnant blue whale found dead in Bay Area was hit by ship. The 85-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore near her fetus during the weekend at Bean Hollow State Beach south of San Francisco had suffered "internal injuries consistent with a ship strike," said Joe Cordaro, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. A necropsy team discovered signs of hemorrhaging in the skeletal muscle and along the right lateral abdomen, and some fractured vertebrae. That there had been hemorrhaging implies that the whale was alive when it was struck. This brings to three the number of blue whales known to have been hit by vessels off California this year. In August a blue whale washed ashore at San Miguel Island with broken bones and other wounds consistent with a ship strike. Earlier in the summer, the captain of a Monterey commercial whale-watching boat reported hitting a blue whale that he said had surfaced in front of the boat. The captain said he saw no evidence that the whale had been injured. About 2,000 blue whales utilize California waters each summer. They're part of a worldwide population of about 10,000. Blue whales are an endangered species.-- Pete Thomas
SF Gate Claims whale deaths show boat traffic and krill to blame:
SF Gate Article October 10, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Can Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Ever Be Monitored Effectively?
Read the BBC Report:
Bluefin in Murky Waters
"Anyone familiar with the field will know that the Atlantic bluefin is in trouble, having undergone a swift population decline - largely because of the recent dramatic expansion of fleets in the Mediterranean, which has led to sustained increases in legal and illegal catches. The big players now are purse seine boats, which use nets to encircle and then scoop up whole groups of bluefin as they spawn. Many of the fish are transferred to ranches and farms, where they're kept in cages until they're plump enough to command maximum profit. One of the biggest problems identified by Iccat is how to keep track of the fish during this chain of events. How many fish are actually caught by purse seiners, and how much does the catch weigh? How much goes to ranchers, and is the process traceable? The 2010 fishing season saw initial operations of the Regional Observer Programme for Bluefin Tuna (ROP-BFT), designed to monitor the biological production line, and operated by consultants MRAG and Cofrepeche."
Bluefin in Murky Waters
"Anyone familiar with the field will know that the Atlantic bluefin is in trouble, having undergone a swift population decline - largely because of the recent dramatic expansion of fleets in the Mediterranean, which has led to sustained increases in legal and illegal catches. The big players now are purse seine boats, which use nets to encircle and then scoop up whole groups of bluefin as they spawn. Many of the fish are transferred to ranches and farms, where they're kept in cages until they're plump enough to command maximum profit. One of the biggest problems identified by Iccat is how to keep track of the fish during this chain of events. How many fish are actually caught by purse seiners, and how much does the catch weigh? How much goes to ranchers, and is the process traceable? The 2010 fishing season saw initial operations of the Regional Observer Programme for Bluefin Tuna (ROP-BFT), designed to monitor the biological production line, and operated by consultants MRAG and Cofrepeche."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Photos: Great Whites "Take Turns" Feeding on Dead Whale
"A great white shark takes a bite from a dead Brydes whale (see pictures) in False Bay, South Africa, on September 10. The whale carcass was methodically stripped by at least 30 great whites—but without a violent feeding frenzy that can sometimes occur, witness Alison Kock, of the Save Our Seas Shark Centre, said by email."
Monday, October 4, 2010
Census of Marine Life Complete(!)
CNN Story
Census of Marine Life
"The Census of Marine Life, which announced its full findings Monday, has taken 10 years to complete, employing 2,700 scientists from 80 nations. The $650 million study surveyed from the coldest waters to the warmest lagoons, from the smallest microbes to the largest cetaceans. It even looked at life 10,000 meters (6.2 miles) down in the Marianas Trench southeast of Japan."
COML 13-Best Photos from National Geographic:
COML
Boston Globe Story:
COML
View the photo gallery at coml.org:
Census of Marine Life
"Scientists estimate that there are more than 1 million marine species but only about 250,000 have been formally described in scientific literature over the centuries. Those figures exclude microbes -- of which the census estimate there are up to 1 billion kinds. Myriam Sibuet, vice-chair of the Scientific Steering Committee on the mammoth study, said: "The census enlarged the known world. Life astonished us everywhere we looked. In the deep sea we found luxuriant communities despite extreme conditions." "The census also collated information on the 16,764 species of fish that have ever been described -- but estimates that a further 5,000 have yet to be discovered. Central to the census is its database called the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (or OBIS), which includes 28 million observations of more than 120,000 species, going back centuries. OBIS is growing at the rate of about five million observations each year."
On a related note: On Oceana:
"ROV Explores Seafloor Near Key West
Posted Tue, Sep 28, 2010 by emily to diving, fish, grouper, key west, marine ecology, marine life, oceana gulf expedition, ROV In the latest update from the Latitude, Oceana scientist Jon Warrenchuk describes the ROV’s dive near Key West. The underwater ridge looked promising: South of Key West, 10 miles offshore and 200 meters deep. The bathymetric lines piled up steeply on the chart, indicating some steep relief in some otherwise flat habitat. As far as I knew, no one had ever seen what the seafloor looked like in that area. We deployed the ROV some distance from the site, trying to take into account the drift of the boat."
Gulf of Mexico Expedition: Key West ROV South Slope. (26 September, 2010) from Oceana on Vimeo.
Census of Marine Life
"The Census of Marine Life, which announced its full findings Monday, has taken 10 years to complete, employing 2,700 scientists from 80 nations. The $650 million study surveyed from the coldest waters to the warmest lagoons, from the smallest microbes to the largest cetaceans. It even looked at life 10,000 meters (6.2 miles) down in the Marianas Trench southeast of Japan."
COML 13-Best Photos from National Geographic:
COML
Boston Globe Story:
COML
View the photo gallery at coml.org:
Census of Marine Life
"Scientists estimate that there are more than 1 million marine species but only about 250,000 have been formally described in scientific literature over the centuries. Those figures exclude microbes -- of which the census estimate there are up to 1 billion kinds. Myriam Sibuet, vice-chair of the Scientific Steering Committee on the mammoth study, said: "The census enlarged the known world. Life astonished us everywhere we looked. In the deep sea we found luxuriant communities despite extreme conditions." "The census also collated information on the 16,764 species of fish that have ever been described -- but estimates that a further 5,000 have yet to be discovered. Central to the census is its database called the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (or OBIS), which includes 28 million observations of more than 120,000 species, going back centuries. OBIS is growing at the rate of about five million observations each year."
On a related note: On Oceana:
"ROV Explores Seafloor Near Key West
Posted Tue, Sep 28, 2010 by emily to diving, fish, grouper, key west, marine ecology, marine life, oceana gulf expedition, ROV In the latest update from the Latitude, Oceana scientist Jon Warrenchuk describes the ROV’s dive near Key West. The underwater ridge looked promising: South of Key West, 10 miles offshore and 200 meters deep. The bathymetric lines piled up steeply on the chart, indicating some steep relief in some otherwise flat habitat. As far as I knew, no one had ever seen what the seafloor looked like in that area. We deployed the ROV some distance from the site, trying to take into account the drift of the boat."
Gulf of Mexico Expedition: Key West ROV South Slope. (26 September, 2010) from Oceana on Vimeo.
