After studying humpback whales off Queensland's Peregian Beach, researchers discovered that the whales’ ability to communicate and socialise is adversely affected by the noise and presence of boats.

In some cases, the mammals’ communication range is reduced by a factor of four.

"It appears that groups of humpback whales tend to socialise much less in the presence of vessels—in this study, mostly small fishing boats—compared to when there aren't any present," said Rebecca Dunlop from The University of Queensland's Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory.

It now looks as though apart from the "Operation Hailstone" ships sunk in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia will also benefit from being professionally documented too. Plans are being announced that a baseline is going to be established on these ‘bucket list dive’ wrecks.

A recent study by France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and colleagues indicates that the anemonefish does not have the genetic ability to adapt swiftly enough to climate change.

The findings of the study were published in the November 27 issue of the Ecology Letters journal.

The research was conducted in the lagoons of Kimbe Bay, covering more than a decade. This area is a biodiversity hotspot in Papua New Guinea.