Marine who played wide receiver in college catches boy thrown from burning building by his mom

A former Marine and college wide receiver was able to catch a three-year-old boy thrown from burning building by his mother, dramatic cellphone footage shows.  Phillip Blanks, 28, ran to the home in Phoenix on July 3 barefoot after hearing calls for help and was able to save Jameson Long from the flames on the third … Read more

Scientists confirm first marine fish extinction of modern times

Scientists have made a depressing discovery – the first marine fish of modern times has been declared extinct. The smooth handfish has officially been wiped from the south-eastern Australian waters due to habitat decline, pollution and destructive fishing practices. The bottom-dweller was one of 14 species of handfish, which use highly modified pectoral fins to … Read more

Global warming caused by volcanoes triggered mass extinction, wiping out 85% of marine species

Global warming caused by volcanoes triggered mass extinction event that wiped out 85% of all marine species on Earth 450 million years ago, scientists claim Scientists have suggested a new explanation for the Late Ordovician extinction Researchers say they heated rocks collected from a stream in southern Scotland The rocks released huge amounts of mercury … Read more

Land animals are smarter than marine creatures because of complex landscapes

Land animals are, on the whole, smarter than marine creatures and scientists now believe this is because complex landscapes sped up the evolution of intelligence.  Animals first left the seas and colonised land around 385million years ago but their brains were far more primitive than modern-day species.  This, scientists say, is because the simplicity of … Read more

Ex-US marine Paul Whelan is jailed for 16 years by a Russian court for stealing state secrets

A Russian court found ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which U.S. diplomats said was unfair and opaque. Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, has been in custody since he was detained by … Read more

Marine species are edging closer to Earth’s poles at an average pace of 3.7 miles per year

Marine species are edging closer to Earth’s poles at an average pace of 3.7 miles per year as climate change causes global ocean temperatures to rise Experts reviewed 258 studies into shifting habitat ranges with climate change They used this to make a database, BioShifts, that covers some 12,000 species Marine species are moving poleward six times faster … Read more

Venomous lionfish are threatening native marine life in the Mediterranean

‘Most damaging invasive fish species known to science’: Venomous lionfish are thriving on the Southern European coast and threatening native marine life in the Mediterranean Lionfish — Pterois miles — were first seen off the coast of Cyprus eight years ago Researchers fear that the species has now established a significant population They found individual lionfish … Read more

Intrepid marine biologist Mike Gil travels to the remotest spots to study amazing creatures 

Think of a scientist and a lab-coat-wearing bod staring at a petri dish tends to spring to mind. Dr Mike Gil is a living reminder that being a scientist can also involve adventuring in some of the earth’s most remarkable and remote spots – amid some of its most astonishing creatures. Mike, 34, you see, … Read more

Light pollution from ships is playing havoc with Arctic marine animals by masking natural light 

Light pollution caused by the bright beams from ships is playing havoc with Arctic marine animals by masking natural light from the moon, stars and aurora borealis. Studying the impact of light on marine life during the Arctic’s long polar night, experts found that ships can disturb marine life up to depths of 650 feet. … Read more