By Leigh Coleman and Steve Gorman; editing by Jerry Norton25 March 2011 BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) – The U.S. government is keeping a tight lid on its probe into scores of unexplained dolphin deaths along the Gulf Coast, possibly connected to last year’s BP oil spill, causing tension with some independent marine scientists. Wildlife biologists contracted […]
March 29, 2011 (ScienceBlog) – The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 devastated the Gulf of Mexico ecologically and economically. However, a new study published in Conservation Letters reveals that the true impact of the disaster on wildlife may be gravely underestimated. The study argues that fatality figures based on the number of recovered animal […]
By Amy Lou Jenkins, Green Living Examiner23 March 2011 Francois Hugo of Seal Alert-SA (South Africa) says that one man, Hatem Yavuz, demands ransom for 90,000 Cape Fur Seals in Namibia. Yavuz has purchased the rights from the Namibian government to club these seals to death and has offered to sell away these rights for […]
By KAREN NELSON – klnelson@sunherald.com Mar. 16, 2011 GULFPORT — Federal officials involved in the investigation of the deaths of dozens of baby dolphins along the northern Gulf said Wednesday that they are certain now that a portion of the infants were stillborn — that their mothers did not carry them to full term. Blair […]
By Leigh Coleman and Steve Gorman; Editing by Jerry NortonThu Feb 24, 2011 BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) – The death toll of dolphins found washed ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast since last month climbed to nearly 60 on Thursday, as puzzled scientists clamored to determine what was killing the marine mammals. The National Oceanic and […]
By Leigh Coleman and Steve Gorman; Editing by Peter Bohan and Greg McCuneTue Feb 22, 2011 8:20pm EST BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) – Marine scientists are examining the deaths of 26 baby dolphins whose carcasses have washed ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast this year, the bulk of them since last week, researchers said on Tuesday. […]
Here are 2010’s most-viewed stories on Desdemona. A few have had further developments since they were posted, and I’ve noted this where appropriate. Not surprisingly, the most popular event was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with seven entries (that’s why this post is about the top twenty stories, instead of the top ten). Six of […]
A final refuge of Arctic summer sea ice may be the last outpost for polar bears. By Jessica Marshall Thu Dec 16, 2010 04:05 PM ET As sea ice disappears, a refuge of suitable habitat for polar bears and ringed seals — key polar bear prey — may persist in northeastern Canada and northern […]
Even whales near the supposedly pristine Galapagos Islands carry disturbing levels of man-made pollutants in their bodies. By Jennifer ViegasMon Dec 6, 2010 08:49 AM ET Sperm whales throughout the Pacific Ocean carry evidence within their bodies of exposure to multiple man-made pollutants, according to a new Environmental Health Perspectives study. In a surprising finding, […]
James Cook UniversityNovember 30, 2010 Australian marine scientists have expressed disquiet over the continued worldwide spread of large, dead zones in the ocean. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg and Associate Professor Mark McCormick of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have recently published scientific articles, which raise concern about the impact of large areas […]
