Ocean heatwaves threaten survival of dolphins – “The reproductive success of females appears to have not returned to normal levels, even after six years”

1 April 2019 (UZH) – An unprecedented marine heatwave had long-lasting negative impacts on both survival and birth rates on the iconic dolphin population in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Researchers at UZH have now documented that climate change may have more far-reaching consequences for the conservation of marine mammals than previously thought. Shark Bay in […]

Red tide suspected for recent spike in dead Florida dolphins – 37 dead dolphins have washed ashore in the last week

By Michael Mora and Gina Tomlinson 27 November 2018 BONITA BEACH, Florida (WINK News) – Steve Abbott and Jim Farrior hoped to interact with some of the dolphins when they set out to kayak near Bonita Beach. “We rode side by side with one for a mile a couple years ago,” Abbott said, who lives […]

Governor Brown signs bill to end destructive swordfish drift gillnet fishing off California – New law will promote sustainable, domestic swordfish and safeguard ocean wildlife

27 September 2018 (Oceana) – Today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill — Senate Bill (SB) 1017 — that will clean up California’s swordfish fishery. SB 1017 will phase out the use of large-mesh driftnet fishing for swordfish, establish a buyout program, and incentivize the use of cleaner fishing gear to reduce […]

Florida’s red tide crisis shows how global warming will make the world an ugly place

By Ephrat Livni 22 August 2018 SARASOTA, Florida (Quartz) – All the water birds—pelicans, egrets, cormorants—are gone.Flies swarm the coast of the seaside city of Sarasota, Florida. Crows caw. The air stinks of death. Carpets of fish, belly-up, mouths gaping, line the shore. This is the putrid new world created by a toxic red algae […]

“Devastating” dolphin loss in Florida red tide disaster – More than 100 tons of dead sea creatures have been shoveled up from smelly, deserted beaches

16 August 2018 (AFP) – A state of emergency has been declared in Florida as the worst red tide in a decade blackens the ocean water, killing dolphins, sea turtles and fish at a relentless pace. More than 100 tons of dead sea creatures have been shoveled up from smelly, deserted beaches in tourist areas […]

A pregnant dolphin. A fatal gunshot. A disturbing trend.

By Sarah Mervosh 1 August 2018 (The New York Times) – This whodunit begins on a beach in Mississippi, where a bottlenose dolphin turned up dead one day this spring. A man found the animal lying at the water’s edge in April and called the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, which responds to dolphin strandings […]

“Sustainable seafood” dealer sold fishy tale – “Honestly, they know. I just don’t think they care.”

By Robin Mcdowell, Margie Mason, Martha Mendoza, Julie Jacobson, and Niniek Karmini 14 June 2018 MONTAUK, New York (Associated Press) – Even after winter storms left East Coast harbors thick with ice, some of the country’s top chefs and trendy restaurants were offering sushi-grade tuna supposedly pulled in fresh off the coast of New York. […]

Venezuela’s hungry citizens hunt wildlife, zoo animals, as economic crisis grows – “I can’t imagine a place in the world where they let the animals suffer so much”

By Jeanfreddy Gutiérrez Torres 21 May 2018 LAKE MARACAIBO, Venezuela (Mongabay) – The wildlife of Venezuela, one of 17 countries that account for 70 percent of the world’s biodiversity, has come under new pressure in addition to deforestation, toxic oil spills. and illegal trafficking: human starvation.The economic crisis that began in 2014 with the collapse […]

Endangered vaquita porpoise dies in captivity – Fewer than 30 vaquitas remain

By Mark Stevenson 5 November 2017 MEXICO CITY (AP) – Researchers were thrilled to have captured one of the few remaining vaquita porpoises, but announced Sunday that the adult female died after a few hours in captivity in a floating pen, raising questions about the last-ditch effort to enclose the world’s smallest porpoises to save […]

Mexico launches desperate attempt to save the world’s last vaquita porpoises – “These beautiful animals deserve to live free in the Gulf of California, but that will never happen until the Mexican government eliminates the illegal gillnet fishing that has driven these porpoises to the very brink of extinction”

SAN FELIPE, Mexico, 5 October 2017 (Center for Biological Diversity) – Wildlife officials in Mexico next week will attempt to capture and protect some of the last vaquita on Earth in a desperate effort to save these small porpoises from extinction. The operation in the Gulf of California, scheduled to begin 12 October 2017, will […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial