WuZhiZhou International Underwater Carnival

The Coral Triangle reports that the Philippines has declared a million hectare marine protected area (MPA) covering both the coastal and offshore waters of Cagayancillo and another area off Aborlan in the Philippine province of Palawan. Image from Shutterstock.
In a study recently published in Current Biology, scientists from the University of Oldenberg in Germany have determined that fish use magnetic fields to find their way back to their birthplace. Consistent experiments show that the larvae of Doederlein’s cardinalfish, Ostorhinchus doederleini, will swim south south-east after being thrust into the ocean’s currents. However, when scientists applied a magnetic field to tanks of newly hatched larvae, and then adjusted it by 180-degrees, the fish adjusted their direction every time.
Archaeologists from the National Park Service and photographers from National Geographic have just completed a 10-day expedition to document interior portions of the U.S.S. Arizona that have previously not been seen since the ships’ sinking in 1941. The 608-foot long battleship sits in 40-feet of water and is one of the most well studied shipwrecks, but sections within the ship have been unreachable until now.
The Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) contest is making its final call for entries for the 2017 competition. This year it offers 11 categories, including one for the Underwater Photography Book of the year. The deadline for entries is 2 January 2018, with the results due to be announced in early February.
Don Silcock provides the Wetpixel community with an illustrated guide to photographing the enigmatic and unique Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus). These creatures grow up 1.5m (5 ft.) long and 25kg (55lbs) in weight and live in fresh water rivers in rural Japan.
Subal has announced their new housing for the Olympus O-MD E-M1 Mark II camera. It features Subal’s new locking system and is compatible with their Type 3 ports. Strobe triggering is via electric or optical, with optional bulkheads or electro optical converter fitted.
The 2017 North Carolina Wreck and Shark Shootout is calling for entries. The event is hosted by Olympus Dive Centre in Morehead City and will be running from 1 to 4 June, with 2 option “recon days” available prior to the the actual shootout
Issue 25 of Anima Mundi magazine is now available to download. Featured are the bird poo eating spider, the sands of the Namib, India’s Kheoladeo National Park, leopards and Tonga’s humpback whales.