Lionfish, a beautiful exotic species from the Indo-Pacific region, began appearing in the Atlantic Ocean in the 1980s, possibly due to pet owners releasing them into waters. Since then the Lionfish have multiplied massively, eating smaller fish and out-competing fish like Grouper for food. Meanwhile they have no predators, giving them the moniker “Darwin’s Nightmare.” A group of people have developed a robot that will electrocute and collect the Lionfish.  >>> Article from PBS Newshour

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/robot-lionfish-invasive-species-rise-nekton/

President Obama will create the largest marine protected area in the world, Papahānaumokuākea national monument surrounding the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.  The protected area will cover 582,578 square miles and provide protections to more than 7,000 marine species, including monk seals, whales, sea turtles, and  black coral. >>> Article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/papahanaumokuakea-expansion-2016-obama-largest-marine-protected-area_us_57bf8f32e4b085c1ff28c654

Fish urine contains phosphorous, which coral reefs need.  Fish also excrete ammonium through their gills which is an essential nutrient for coral reefs. So the decline of fish populations due to over-fishing can present a problem. >>> Article

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0817/Why-healthy-coral-reefs-need-fish-urine

Cuba has a secret: The country’s thousands of miles of coral reef ecosystems appear to be healthier than the other reefs found in Caribbean waters. In 2012, the Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund completed a three-week expedition of Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina National Park. Despite some localized coral bleaching, the research team was awed by what they found—reefs intact, teeming with fish and marine life. Read more >>

BLUE film festival and conservation summit.

http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org/about-us/

Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific but are now established on the southeast coast of the U.S., in the Caribbean,  and in the Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have few predators in this area. They are carnivores that feed on crustaceans and small fish.   Read the brief by the National Ocean Service.

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lionfish.html

A journalist dives in Cuba’s beautiful coral reefs – Alert Diver

http://www.alertdiver.com/Cubas-Coral-Reefs