• 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!]

• Nose jobs
• Face lifts
• Liposuction
• Breast implants

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!

Last week, Greenpeace released a 74-page report, Trading Away Our Oceans, which concluded that trade liberalization is bad for fish and for communities dependent on fish. Using data from official bodies such as the OECD and the EU, the Greenpeacers determined that liberalization of fisheries will increase the speed at which over-fishing occurs; further increase unsustainable aquaculture production; and have "generally devastating consequences for fish, the wider marine environment, developing countries and the one billion poor people worldwide who depend on fish as their primary source of protein." Ouch.

The report also concludes that developing countries must be provided with the capacity to establish and enforce effective fisheries management systems in their own waters.

[Via NowPublic]

For today's Dive Video of the Day, I thought we'd do something inspirational and educational. Here's a 4-minute clip showing 29-year old Matthew Johnston -- who suffers from muscular dystrophy and is capable only of moving his thumbs -- preparing for a pool dive. Matthew recently became the first ventilator-dependent person to dive in open water, and I thought the process he has to follow to prepare for a dive was worth looking into more deeply.

If you're interested in learning more about Matthew, be certain to check out this clip from the Today Show, in which Ann Curry interviews him and discusses his recent open water triumph. Whether or not you're an Ann-fan is irrelevant; the piece is truly excellent.

[Thanks, Matthew!]

According to Kevin Vaughn, director of STARS, the program already has begun its spring program by nominating 32 middle and high school students who are battling issues ranging from learning disorders to single-parent homes to financial instability. However, not surprisingly, "The money issue is a big distraction," said Vaughn, who spent about $12,500 out of pocket last year to sponsor the program and trip. If you want to help out, you can spread the word about this program, or make a donation to keep it running. At the very least, we can give Vaughn and his colleagues Divester's Hero of the Week Award.

• Of the 160 reported dive fatalities in 2006, 88 were US/Canada residents.
• 42% of the fatalities in the US occurred in the Southeast Region (North Carolina to Florida, Tennessee and Alabama).
• Most fatalities occurred to people aged 50-59.
• Most fatalities occurred to people who were obese.
• 64% of fatalities were designated as drowning deaths.