Group items tagged

Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines to set up transit corridor as Abu Sayyaf hijacking fears rise.

Seafloor under the hypothesized East Asian Sea vanished 10 million years ago as surrounding plates swallowed it up, according to new reconstructions of plate tectonics in the Philippine Sea region.

Seafloor under the hypothesized East Asian Sea vanished 10 million years ago as surrounding plates swallowed it up, according to new reconstructions of plate tectonics in the Philippine Sea region.

ranian Warships Repel Pirate Attack on Philippine Ship.

On Friday, the towing vessel TB Henry was hijacked and four of her crewmembers kidnapped off of Lahad Datu, Malaysia, near the intersection of Indonesian, Malaysian and Philippine waters. The attackers have not been definitively identified, but officials suspect militants associated with the designated terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. The kidnapping was the third in two weeks.

Can a tourist ban save DiCAPRIO's coral paradise from destruction?

Coral reefs are under stress throughout the world. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying coral biology and their genomic evolution, here we sequenced the genome and transcriptomes of elegance coral Catalaphyllia jardinei (Euphylliidae). This monotypic genus stony coral is widespread but rare, being found across the Indo-West Pacific, from the northern Indian Ocean, Australia, Philippines, to the South China Sea. Due to its popularity among aquarium hobbyists, it is an overexploited species collected in large quantities from the wild for aquarium trade. The assembled genome is ~ 651.3 Mb in total length and of high physical contiguity with a scaffold N50 size of 28.9 Mb. The gene copy numbers of abiotic stress regulator (heat shock protein family genes) and neuropeptides (GLWamide, GRFamide, PRGamide and HIRamide) are similar to other sequenced anthozoans, and we have also identified the first set of sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic pathway genes in coral. Sequencing of small RNAs allows us to identify 35 microRNAs in C. jardinei and update the number of conserved microRNAs in cnidarians. This study established a foundation for further investigation into the roles of sesquiterpenoids and microRNAs in development of coral and understand their responses to climate change. Due to the easiness to culture C. jardinei in reef tanks and the established resources in this study, we propose this species be adopted as a new laboratory model in environmental and ecological experiments aiming to understand coral biology and responses to environmental stressors.

45 Filipino seafarers still held captive by Somali Pirates [VIDEO].

As if coral didn't have enough to deal with.

As if coral didn't have enough to deal with.

Somali pirates seize Algerian-owned ship off Oman.

NATO says Danish warship rescues 2 from pirates.

Somali pirates free two hostages from Algerian ship.

Scientists examine a weather phenomenon central to the lives of billions from multiple angles.

China's island cities: Treasure or trouble for Asia?