• Grand Turk, February 17-24 -- 7 nights/8 days - $990
• Tortola, British Virgin Islands, April 14-21 -- 7 nights/8 days - $974
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, May 22-27 -- 5 nights/6 days - $TBA
• St. Vincent, June 9-16 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,050
• Key Largo, Florida*, July 7-14 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,093
• San Juan Islands, Washington, July 23-26 -- 4 days/3 nights - $818
• Kona, Hawaii, August 4-11 -- 7 nights/8 days - $1,485
• Woods Hole, Cape Cod, September 11-16 -- 6 nights/5 days - $509
• Bonaire*, September 22-29 -- 7 nights/8 days - $1,063
• Utila*, October 20-27 -- 8 days/7 nights - $1,110
• Anguilla, November 10-17 -- 8 days/7 nights - $975
• Cozumel, December 1-8 -- 8 Days/7 Nights - $544

Tired of listening to your co-workers heave great sighs as they monotonously staple and shuffle unread memos back and forth? If you're worn out listening to NPR's awesome live concert recording of the excellent band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, then check out Sounds of the Deep.

This new CD, for sale through the British Library's Online Shop, features seals, whales, dolphins, and other marine animals making sounds...in the deep. While some of the sounds may be familiar to you, I'm guessing not many people have heard the mating call of the North Sea haddock. Think of their rumbling call as somewhere between a motorcycle and Barry White. You can hear a short sample of their call on the BBC.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I don't *think* your significant other is going to be swept away when you throw this disc on the CD player. Even the British Library's sound archive's wildlife curator, Cheryl Tipp, could only muster this, um, half-hearted accolade: "It really is quite a novel sound, it's fascinating."

[Via X-Ray Mag]

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- comprised of 2500 experts from 130 countries -- the Great Barrier Reef could become "functionally extinct" within a few decades. According to the Panel's leaked report -- the final, official draft of which should be available this Friday -- the reef will (might?) die from bleaching, which occurs when water temperatures grow too high, and which involves a breakdown of the symbiotic relationship between corals and their color-giving zooxanthellae. Interestingly, the cooling waters associated with last year's Cyclone Larry preempted the potentially catastrophic bleaching event that scientists had predicted for 2006. However, the thought is that by 2030, the GBR will likely begin suffering from routine bleaching events and quickly perish.

What's most disturbing to me about this news is that the GBR is the largest living organism on the planet. Able to be seen from space, a dead GBR would be a permanent, hideous scar -- a constant reminder of beauty and life wasted.

[Thanks, Drew!]

Oops, I meant to write the largest "fossilized" coral reef has been found in the arid mountain range near Dadu, about 100 miles north of Karachi, Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan.

In fact, researchers haven't just discovered fossilized reefs, they've also found fossilized fish, plants, snails, sponges, and "other organisms" in the area's mountain ranges, which, naturally, were once underwater.

• Pseudopterosin, an anti-inflammatory chemical found in the sea-whip Pseudopterogoria elisabethae. Interestingly, when these sea-whips are "pruned" and harvested, the whip actually grows back stronger and healthier than before, meaning this endeavor is not only good for the organisms, it provides sustainable employment for low-income coastal residents.
  
• A small, yellow coral in Australia that yields eleutherobin, which prevents cancer cell division.
  
• Two other compounds that may work against cancer, and one compound that may help patients fight Herpes simplex.

• Bioprospectors Do It With marine Animals
• William Smith, Literally Bitten By the Allure of Venomous Fish
• Harbor Branch researchers to Survey the Deep Sea for Potential Medicine
• Unregulated Bioprospecting Destroying the Ocean

For this installment of This Is Why We Dive, we're going to check out one of Dave "Seatrekker" Morgan's shots.

This image of a Rhinopias is striking for several reasons. First, the color is bold and unusual. Second, I love that Dave has managed to capture the creature in action -- check out that gaping mouth! Third, the fish has two little parasites on it, both near its left eye. (Can you see them?) Fourth, I appreciate that Dave took the time to provide a little description on the picture's Flick page.

Got striking pictures? I know you do. Please add them to Divester's Flickr pool.

Next time I head down to the Florida Keys, I may have to swing by the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. Located in NOAA's Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex on the Truman Annex waterfront in Key West, the Center features over 6,000 square feet of interactive, dynamic exhibits that interpret and explain the resources and management efforts of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, two national parks, and four national wildlife refuges. That suggests lots more models of animals than real animals, but I'm a fan of learning.

Highlights of the museum include a simulation of the Aquarius underwater research habitat, and a high-def theater showing a 17-minute video about the National Marine Sanctuary by filmmaker Bob Talbot. Admission to the Center, which is open Tuesday - Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free. Even if you stay until closing, that still leaves plenty of time (and money) to get to Mallory Square and chug a beer in time for Sunset Celebration!

While some people worry that fish populations are being exploited at a dangerous pace, others are rejoicing at the small successes that are occurring. In Australia, for example, the red throat emperor has made a spectacular comeback in recent years. Once heavily overfished, the fish seem to have rebounded. Why?

The general consensus is that reef closures, high winds, and high fuel prices have all kept fisherman away, giving time for this species to revive. Moreover, it appears that the fish mature early and hide in deep water (or some other fisherman-unfriendly location) until they're much older, giving them ample time to mature and reproduce. Finally, it also helps that other fish in the area fetch a higher market price, and fishermen have concentrated on finding them.

[Via Dive News]