Wetpixel/Under The Jungle Cenote Workshop 2021
Articles
Crucial meeting for Fijian sharks
Important announcement: Mr. Inoke Wainiqolo, Permanent Secretary for Fisheries & Forests, issued a notice that there will be a stakeholder consultation to discuss the protection of sharks in Fiji waters tomorrow, 2 May at 10 AM at the Suva Holiday Inn, Suva, Fiji. The agenda is not yet determined, but Shark Defenders are calling for as much support for the proposal as possible, in person or via letter. The contact person is Kelly Thomas Brown who will be attending the meeting. In addition, if you can’t attend in person please:
- Write a short letter to the Fiji Times explaining why you support shark protections. If you don’t live here, say that you can’t wait to come visit our sharks. Email your letter to the editor.
- Post our public service announcements to your Facebook wall. PSA #1 and PSA #2 talk about the importance of sharks, while PSA #3 (starring shark champion Senator Tony DeBrum from the Marshall Islands) talks about the importance of banning bycatch and transshipment.
- Update your Facebook and Twitter status to “I love Fiji Sharks #FijiMe.” Then Like, Share, and ReTweet the message everytime you see it!
Albert Falco dies
Albert Falco, diver and ship’s captain for Jacques Cousteau, has passed away after an illness on 21 April in his home town of Marseilles, France. Falco teamed up with Cousteau in 1957 and spent 37 years as captain of the Calypso. He retired in 1990 but continued to make environmental films and work with conservation groups until shortly before his death. In many ways, Cousteau and Falco were the earliest champions of the marine environment and in a recent interview, he comments that by the late 1950’s and when:
“I went with Cousteau, and with a team of scientists, and through them I understood what was happening to the world. It was then that I completely changed my tune. I threw away my harpoon to take up a camera.”
Ned DeLoach to present a Fishinar about fish spawning
Author, photographer and marine life behavior specialist, Ned DeLoach will present a “Fishinar” entitled “Speed Dating Fishy Style: How Fish Spawn and When You’re Likely to Catch Them in the Act” on 9 May at 8pm EDT. The presentation will be held in conjunction with the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and will feature many of Ned’s unique images.
In order to view and participate in the “Fishinar”, you will need to register for a free membership of REEF and then enroll. Once this process is complete, participants will receive details about how to log on.
Adobe introduces Speedgrade on Adobe TV
Adobe has introduced its new Speedgrade color grading software on its TV channel. It uses the GPU-accelerated Lumetri Deep Color Engine to grade virtually any file-based footage, including RAW and HDR content, and will not clip highlights or crush shadows according to the company. It utilizes a layers-based grading process and allows the addition of primary and secondary corrections.
Speedgrade will be available as a part of the Creative Cloud subscription service as a standalone app, or integrated into the complete suite. It will also be available in CS6 Production Premium and Master Collections. Adobe plans to start shipping the new versions on 7 May.
New study shows shark numbers significantly dimished
In a new study published in the journal Conservation Biology, NOAA’s Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program has compiled shark sighting data from more than 1,607 dives at 46 reefs in the central-western Pacific, which included reefs near the Hawaiian islands and American Samoa as well as extremely isolated reefs nearly devoid of human influence. Though eight species of shark were seen on the dives, the researchers excluded sharks, such as hammerheads, that aren’t dependent on reefs. This left them with five shark species to tally: gray reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks and tawny nurse sharks.
Study leader Marc Nadon commented on the survey’s results:
“Around each of the heavily populated areas we surveyed — in the main Hawaiian Islands, the Mariana Archipelago, and American Samoa — reef shark numbers were greatly depressed compared to reefs in the same regions that were simply [farther] away from humans,” and went on to say. “We estimate that less than 10 percent of the baseline numbers remain in these areas.”
Sri Lankan blue whales threatened by boat traffic
The southern tip of Sri Lanka is home to the world’s largest colony of resident blue whales and also one of the busiest international shipping lanes. This combination is causing a number of collisions between boats and whales and is raising concerns that this may eventually destroy the whale population. Simply moving the shipping lane away from the shore, as has been done successfully in the USA, may solve the problem. Mazdak Radjainia has posted a video onto YouTube to try and raise awareness about the issue.
Adobe releases Lightroom 4.1 release candidate 2
Adobe has announced the release of a second release candidate for version 4.1 of Lightroom. This includes support for the following cameras: Canon EOS 5D Mark III (introduced with release candidate 1), Canon EOS 60Da, Fuji FinePix F770EXR, Fuji FinePix F775EXR, Nikon D3200, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5, Pentax K-01, Samsung NX20, Samsung NX210, Samsung NX1000, Sony Alpha NEX-VG20 and Sony SLT-A57. It also introduces a new Defringe slider in the Lens Correction panel to help address chromatic aberration and the ability to read 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit HDR files. Lastly, there are numerous bug fixes for the Lightroom 4 and 4.1 release/release candidates.
Lightroom 4.1 release candidate 2 is available as a free download for Lightroom 4 owners on Adobe Labs.
HGVT offers LANC software for Canon EOS C300 and C500
HGVT Videotechnik has “hacked” the firmware of the Canon Digital Cinema EOS C300 and C500 cameras. This allows control of the following functions via wire and the LANC camera connection: Camera on/off, full menu control, assign buttons 1 to 6, toggle white balance functions, gain/ISO control, shutter/aperture control and manual focus. The company is currently offering land and underwater remote controls with these functions, but the “hack” allows these controls to be simply incorporated within an underwater housing, which will be available soon. In addition, the company plans to release a version for the Sony FS700 soon.