Saturday, December 3, 2011

Tiawan To Ban Shark Finning

Shark fin soupImage via WikipediaWelcome to my article Tiawan To Ban Shark Finning!
Now, this is super cool and not a minute to late!
If people share this online you just never know who may end up reading it!

Photo right:  Shark fin soup!

In First for Asia, Taiwan to Ban Shark Finning
Taiwan’s luxury hotels have no interest in taking shark-fin soup off the menu. But in the wake of the hotels’ defiance, Taiwan has decided to ban the practice of shark finning!

Taiwan bans shark finning
Taiwan, which has the fourth largest shark-fishing industry in the world, has passed a new law to ban shark-finning. The practice of cutting off the fins and throwing the bodies back into the sea has been blamed for the 80 per cent drop in shark popu...

Taiwan Prohibe Aleteo en 2012-Taiwan Bans Shark Finning for 2012
Web Site Enlace www.isladelcoco.cr Web link / Taiwan, which has the fourth largest shark-fishing industry in the world, has passed a new law to ban shark-finning. The practice of cutting off the fins and throwing the bodies back into the sea has been...


Fresh off the heels of luxe Hong Kong–based Peninsula Hotels’ banning of the controversial shark-fin ingredient, Taiwan’s swank accommodations have refused to take shark-fin soup off the menu. But it may not matter much, as the island has introduced fishing laws in 2012 to ban shark finning. In doing so, it will be the first Asian government to disallow the practice.

(MORE: Is Shark Fin Slowly Becoming Passé in Hong Kong?)

Though just a tiny island off the coast of China, Taiwan has the fourth largest shark-fin industry in the world. (Hong Kong remains the hub.) The law doesn’t stop fisherman from catching sharks entirely, but it does make it illegal to take the fish back in pieces.

The European Commission, which has “banned” finning in E.U. waters, was also recently forced to issue draft legislation to close a loophole within its own rules. Though the sharks can’t be finned, it does allow fisherman to land shark carcasses and their fins as long as they comply with a strict fin-to-carcass weight ratio. If the revised law passes, all sharks must land with their fins attached similar to the contingencies in the Taiwanese legislation.

Though finning would be in theory banned, at least at sea, there are questions raised. There is nothing to stop fisherman from slicing fins off the carcasses once boats land, though carcass load could help reduce the number of shark fins that are able to pass through the island.

MORE: Shark-Fin Soup and the Conservation Challenge

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/01/taiwan-to-become-first-asian-nation-to-ban-shark-finning/#ixzz1fXI5UIRW

I wish I was more knowledgeable on this subject so I could provide more content on this area, but I do ask that you share this article amongst friends to get the word out.  Then we can only pray that other countries will worry about losing face and start to remove this hideous product from restaurants and markets alike!
Thanks my friends
Marty Ware



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Monday, November 28, 2011

Sea Trek Videos for The Great Barrier Reef

Welcome to a very cool video blog post! "Sea Trek Video for The Great Barrier Reef"

Sea Trek - Episode 4 - Great Barrier Reef part 1
Featuring a Loggerhead Turtle and Green Sea Turtles laying eggs. Brief encounters with Grey Reef and White Tip Reef Sharks. Episode 4 is mostly focused on reproduction. Part 1 of 3, Episode four of the documentary series: Sea Trek, with Martha Holmes...

Sea Trek - Episode 4 - Great Barrier Reef part 2
Featuring Potato Groupers, Remoras, Anemone, Parrot Fish and Giant Clams. Episode 4 is mostly focused on reproduction. Part 2 of 3, Episode four of the documentary series: Sea Trek, with Martha Holmes and Michael deGruy. One of the far more obscure s...

Sea Trek - Episode 4 - Great Barrier Reef part 3
Ship wreck dive with Bull Rays, Green Turtles and Snappers. Ends with the mass spawning of coral at night. Episode 4 is mostly focused on reproduction. Part 3 of 3, Episode four of the documentary series: Sea Trek, with Martha Holmes and Michael deGr...



I hope you enjoyed the video series above Sea Trek Videos for The Great Barrier Reef! They really are wonderful videos!
I hope you enjoyed it?
See you again soon!
Marty
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Monday, November 21, 2011

Hamilton Island Accommodation Resource List

Welcome to my blog post "Hamilton Island Accommodation Resource List"!
Below I have compiled a list of different links that point to a wide variety of accommodation article and reference links.
If you are looking to getaway to a tropical destination of the Queensland coast of Australia then this is definitely for you!

Hamilton Island Accommodation list


Poinciana Apartments

Once again welcome and thanks for dropping by to read my blog post Hamilton Island Poinciana apartments. If you are looking for a luxurious place to stay in Hamilton Island then these apartments could be the one for you.

The place is nicely settled in a very relaxing and rejuvenating view of pure nature, beauty and is a perfect place to stay for family, friends, and even lovers on a honeymoon or vacation. Why not just chill out relax and have a carefree time!
Hamilton Island Poinciana apartments

The Reef View Hotel

 Today, I will provide information about one of the best places to stay while having a vacation in Hamilton Island. The Reef View Hotel is certainly one of the fantastic places to stay. The name alone says its best feature. The hotel welcomes every visitor with the grandest of views.
The services and the facilities at this hotel are truly outstanding, as evidenced by positive reviews from those people who really stayed there during their vacation. The article below will provide you more exciting idea about the hotel.
Reef View Hotel Hamilton Island Accommodation

Qualia Resort Video

Below I found this wonderful slide show video with a real nice ambiance backing soundtrack!
I believe that this video really provides the feeling of the Whitsundays that Qualia provides.
So, sit back and enjoy!
Hamilton Island Resort Video Qualia

 

Accommodation on Hamilton Island


There is a wide range of places to stay on this part of the Whitsundays and they can range from the best luxury suites in the world to holiday houses and apartments.

Below I have compiled videos and links for you to view so you can organize your next holiday to this perfect piece of paradise!
Accommodation on Hamilton Island



South Molle Island Whitsundays

South Mole Island Resort Whitsundays

South Molle is situated right in the heart of the Whitsundays and the beautiful Whitsunday Passage. This Island has its own national park that is full of scenic beaches of alabaster-white sands and beautiful bays and inlets.
To find out more about South Mole Island Resort Whitsundays please follow the link provided.
South Molle Island Resort Whitsundays

Brampton Island Whitsundays

Brampton Island Queensland

Brampton is situated 50 km east of the coastal town of Mackay. It is the most Southern Island of the Whitsunday group. It is easily accessed from the airstrip at Mackay, and there are daily flights. TThis wonderful Tropical Island is also well known for its romantic settings and as a couples’ favorite getaway!
Would you like to find out more?
Brampton Island Queensland

I am quite sure you will find what your are looking for, reason being each one of these links takes you to separate website that is just jam packed full of content about the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays Islands, Cairns, Hamilton Island and much, much more!
Don't forget to bookmark them or follow the rss feed as there is plenty more on the way!
Happy Travels
Marty


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Does Coral Have a Sixth Sense?

A section of the Great Barrier Reef about 40 m...Image by Michael McDonough via FlickrDoes Coral Have a Sixth Sense?
What do you believe?
Me, I have total faith in the sixth sense of all living creatures on the planet.
If this didn't exist then we just wouldn't of evolved like we have!
Read the article below and make a decision for yourself!
Coral Bleaching (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority)
Corals live in a partnership with single-celled algae known as zooxanthellae. Coral bleaching occurs when this relationship breaks down under stressful conditions - such as higher-than-normal sea temperatures - and the coral host expels its zooxanthe...



Corals can sense what's coming

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Monday, 21 November 2011
narvikk_-_corals
Corals respond to heat stresses by killing off some of the cells, while strengthening others.
Image: narvikk/iStockphoto

Australian scientists have thrown new light on the mechanism behind the mass death of corals worldwide as the Earth’s climate warms.

Coral bleaching, one of the most devastating events affecting coral reefs around the planet, is triggered by rising water temperatures. It occurs when the corals and their symbiotic algae become heat-stressed, and the algae which feed the corals either die or are expelled by the coral.

 Table coral of genus Acropora (Acroporidae) at...Image via Wikipedia

There have been seven major bleaching events globally in the past 30 years, the most recent being in 2010 across the Indian Ocean and Coral Triangle. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered eight events since 1980, the worst being in 2002 when 55% of the total reef area was affected. The frequency of these events appears to be increasing.

Now a team of scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University has shown that a complex cascade of molecular signals leading up to the self-inflicted death of corals and their symbiotic algae is triggered as sea water begins to warm.

Working with Acropora corals from the reef at Heron Island, the researchers found the cascade begins at ocean temperatures as much as 3 degrees lower than those normally associated with coral bleaching.

And the process culminates in ‘apoptosis’ or programmed cell-death – a situation in which living organisms (including corals and humans) deliberately destroy their weakened or infected body cells, effectively a form of ‘cell suicide’ or amputation designed to protect the organism as a whole.

 A Blue Starfish (Linckia laevigata) resting on...Image via Wikipedia

“Our results suggest that the control of apoptosis is highly complex in the coral-algae symbiosis and that apoptotic cell death cascades potentially play key roles in tipping the cellular life or death balance during environmental stress prior to the onset of coral bleaching,” explains lead author Dr Tracy Ainsworth.

“It is also clear that this chain reaction responds significantly to subtle, daily changes in the environment and to sea temperatures which were generally thought till now to have little impact on the function of coral and its symbiotic algae.”

Paradoxically, the team’s research identified molecular signals both promoting and discouraging programmed cell-death in the corals.

This has led them to a theory that corals respond to the stresses caused by warming sea water by killing off some of the cells, while strengthening others in order to stage a possible recovery after the hot water has moved off the reef and conditions have returned to normal.

“This would explain why some corals are able to recover quite quickly from a bleaching event, if it has not gone too far.

“It is far too early to speculate, but understanding the recovery process for any living organism is always a big help, as human medicine has constantly demonstrated, Dr Ainsworth says.

“The next step in our research will be to see how we can use this new insight into the processes of coral bleaching to understand their recovery mechanisms. We also need to know more about how this process works at lower temperatures, or under varying temperatures.

“That in turn will lead us to explore ways that coral reef managers and users can perhaps minimise other stresses on the reef in order to give it the best possible chance of recovery from bleaching.”

However the team cautions that “further study of the tissue function and cellular differentiation and recovery processes in coral is needed before this complicated cell death system can be fully understood”.

 A variety of corals form an outcrop on Flynn R...Image via Wikipedia

The team’s paper "Defining the tipping point. A complex cellular life/death balance in corals in response to stress" by Ainsworth TD, Wasmund, K, Ukani L, Seneca F, Yellowlees D, Miller D, and Leggat W is published in the latest issue of Scientific Reports published by Nature.
View the original article here

There you have it!
It's all quite scientific isn't it?
But, hay, it could be great news for our Corals, maybe they are not so doomed after all.
It's nice to see a positive outlook for a change!
But, I do beg all of you please to consider ways to keep limiting your impact on this wonderful planet so other can benefit from what we have in the future!

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Hamilton Island Accommodation Palm Bungalows

Hamilton Island Swimming Pool, WhitsundaysImage by kevgibbo via Flickr Please enjoy the article below Hamilton Island Accommodation Palm Bungalows.  This is a part of a new article created on the website Hamilton Island Accommodation specials.

Enjoy the tropical ambiance of the place while enjoying the beauty of this Island and explore a whole new accommodation style with the same comfortable and cosy feeling you have at home.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK RESERVATION AVAILABILITY, REVIEWS AND BOOKINGS NOW WHY THE DEAL IS UP!

Photo right: Beautiful accommodation on the island is scattered everywhere, you just need to make a choice!

The place is simple, yet absolutely charming. This could be the perfect haven where family and lovers can relax after a day’s tour and activities. To know more about the accommodation check the article below and find out why this place is fantastic!

 Romantic and affordable, Hamilton Island Palm Bungalows are designed for couples and families holidaying on a budget. Surrounded by tropical landscaped gardens and Hamilton Island’s lush foliage, the bungalows have everything you need for a comfortable island holiday.
The freestanding bungalows are simple yet charming, offering a ‘back to nature’ experience. The bungalows offer seclusion in a convenient location, with the island’s main swimming pool and shops and restaurants of Marina Village just minutes away.

Palm Bungalow’s facilities


The Main Pool and Catseye Beach are a two-minute walk away. The Palm Bungalows reception operates 24 hours a day (Reef View Hotel reception), and are serviced daily. Guests staying at the Palm Bungalows have complimentary use of non-motorised water sports equipment, including catamarans, paddle skis, snorkelling equipment and windsurfers.
To Read the rest of the article and access links to the latest deals please click this link provided.

The article above is a part of our series of displaying my range of websites! You can find just about everything you need right here for the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays Islands!


Hamilton Island Wikipedia


Hamilton Island is the largest inhabited island of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia. Hamilton Island, like most in the Whitsunday group, was formed as sea levels rose creating numerous drowned mountains that are situated close to the east coast of Queensland, Australia. The island is a popular tourist destination and was featured in the successful "Best Job In The World" promotion.

In late August the island plays host to its annual Hamilton Island Race Week yachting festival, in which more than 150 yachts from across Australia and New Zealand gather for a week of races around the islands. 'Whitehaven Day' is when the yachts descend upon Whitehaven beach for a big beach party. However this is only one of many festivals hosted on the island.
The Great Barrier ReefImage via Wikipedia
At least two major films have been on location at Hamilton Island, Muriel's Wedding and Fool's Gold.
View Hamilton Island Wikipedia here

Photo right: The ever amazing Great Barrier Reef from the sky!
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5 Star Accommodation Port Douglas List

Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, QueenslandImage via WikipediaHi Guys and welcome to my blog post 5 Star Accommodation Port Douglas List.

I can't believe how popular this blog is becoming now!
I want to thank you all so much for coming back and reading the articles that I provide.
I really do try my best to bring quality content!

Are you looking for 5 Star Accommodation Port Douglas? If you are then just may of come to the right place!

Below I have provided  links to get you on your way! This part of the world sure is set apart from the rest of the and being so close to rainforest and the Daintree, well I think you get my drift!

There really is a great range of accommodation available from living in the tree tops to luxury hotels!

Enjoy!
Coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) at Port Douglas...Image via Wikipedia
Port Douglas Resort - Thala Beach Lodge Envirotv

Port Douglas Accommodation at Thala Beach Lodge was featured on Envirotraveltv. Winner of 2008 Best Luxury Hotel in Australia and 2009 Best Luxury Hotel in Australia and 2009 Best Romance hotel in Australia awarded by Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Awa...

Tropical northern Queensland Thala Beach Resort is set amongst beautiful trees and offers a wonderful view provided by something only nature can provide!
View 86 Port Douglas Hotels
Below there is a link that will direct you to 86 Port Douglas Hotels!

Here you will find reviews, prices photos and an option to book if you find something that you like!

Review and Book with a choice of 86 hotels in Port Douglas!

Click the link here now to view videos and get access to the list and deals right now!
5 Star Accommodation Port Douglas List
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Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Great Barrier Reef Information World

A Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindyn...Image via Wikipedia Welcome to my blog post The Great Barrier Reef Information World!
I wanted to share this with you, as I believe many of you may of missed my main website Great Barrier Reef Holidays that is just loaded with awesome content!
Click the links below and find out for yourself !


New 7 Wonders - Great Barrier Reef featuring Andy Ridley (Earth Hour), Part 1
Andy shot a series of videos on Green Island, Middle Cay and Norman Reef driving people to vote for the Great Barrier Reef as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. This video is day one of his three day visit to Green Island on the Great Barrier...



As you may or not know this Australian reef that fringes the north east coast of Australia is the largest reef of its kind. The reef is a relatively new and just over 1000 years old, but did you know that it has built itself on top of a very old reef?
Yes, the base underneath is hundreds and thousands years old and has provided the perfect base its relatives.

The Great Barrier Reef Info Center

If you are looking to find more information from within the list provided just follow the links and you will be guided to even more solid content!

Great Barrier Reef Age The Great Barrier Reef Age – Yes, this reef is steeped with mystery, but science is slowly unwrapping and solving some puzzles. Scientist are digging deep into the reef and discovering some of the oldest known coral reef that has existed on this planet.
Find out more here The Great Barrier Reef Age

Fish in the Great Barrier Reef Fish in The Great Barrier Reef - There are over 1500 species of fish that live on the reef that resides off the Queensland Aussie coast and virtually all of them depend on this coral reefs health for their survival. Actually one of these fish can live to more than 50 years of age. Find out its name and more here!
Fish in the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef for kids thumb The Great Barrier Reef Info for kids - Yes coral reef can be just like a wonderland to children and there is also lots that they can learn along the way, while having a great deal fun, especially if your kid loves nature and the great outdoors. Maybe they are an indoors computer kid? But that could easily change with an awesome holiday? To find out more follow the link to the resource page The Great Barrier Reef Info for Kids

 

Great Barrier Reef Food Web Great Barrier Reef food web - Yes, everything eats everything. Sharks here on the reef would be at the top of the food chain, but when you take a closer look at what humans do to sharks? Mmmm, this really is interesting.
Find out more about The Great Barrier Reef Food Web here!

information about the Great Barrier Reef Information about the Great Barrier Reef- Would you like to know more about the corals and marine life that live and breath the Great Barrier Reef?Follow the link below to get a greater understanding!
Information about the Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef History Great Barrier Reef History - There is more to history on this famous reef than just its age! What about shipwrecks? Captain Cook and his views on the reef? And also evolution! Find out more about Great Barrier Reef history here.
Great Barrier Reef History

Great Barrier Reef Map Great Barrier Reef Map - Are you looking to find your way around the reef, surrounding Islands and Australian north east mainland? Follow the link provided here to download the map! Great Barrier Reef Map

So, how cool are all these links that I have provided within this article The Great Barrier Reef Information World?
Actaully there is so much content here that I really think you should bookmark it, pass it on to your buddies and family online, and heck why not even Tweet it right now!
And if you haven't already make sure you watch the video up the top too!
Happy Holidays
Marty

ps: I also placed a massive link links below for you to access even more content! YE HAH!
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