Title: This Channel Isn't Big Enough for Two Behemoths
Source: Hakai Magazine 14 December 2020
Summary: Collisions with ships are one of the principal causes of death for baleen whales off the coast, and the problem is only getting worse. In 2018 and 2019, ships killed at least 20 whales in California. Dozens more likely met that same fate and now lie at the bottom of the ocean. A non-profit is action.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/this-channel-isnt-big-enough-for-two-behemoths/?omhide=true&utm_source=Hakai+Magazine+Weekly&utm_campaign=d651fd232d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_06_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0fc1967411-d651fd232d-107982073
Is everyone able to access the blog? Can you see the blog post example?
ReplyDeleteI can see the blog and your blog post example. However, I'm not sure how to post a blog.
ReplyDeleteAs it says in the video, click on the "x comments" hyperlink next to the pencil icon. A comment window will open and you can enter your article.
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ReplyDeleteAs it says in the video, click on the "x comments" hyperlink next to the pencil icon. A comment window will open and you can enter your article.
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DeleteTitle: The demographic decline of a sea lion population followed multi-decadal sea surface warming
ReplyDeleteSource: Scientific Reports June 26 2020
Summary: This was a study conducted in the Gulf of California where the sea surface temperature was measured for 3 decades. The warming showed a 65% decrease of population variance from 1991 to 2019. Also the population of sea lions decreased from ~44,000 to ~15,000 over the 30 years.
Citation: Adame, K., Elorriaga-Verplancken, F.R., Beier, E. et al. The demographic decline of a sea lion population followed multi-decadal sea surface warming. Sci Rep 10, 10499 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67534-0
Title: New Population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean
ReplyDeleteSource: Science News Dec.21 , 2020
Summary: A team of researchers analyzed acoustic data and recognized a blue whale song. They realized that it was from a population of blue whales that had previously gone unrecognized. Northern Indian ocean blue whales along with the Arabian sea humpback whales together are a unique subspecies which make them very important for biodiversity.
Citation: New England Aquarium. (2020, December 21). New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221155935.htm
Title: Weddell sea: Whale song reveals behavioral patterns
ReplyDeleteSource: Science News Dec.17, 2020
Summary: For the past 9 years, researches have been using permanently installed underwater microphones to analyze whale audio. The audio has shown insight into humpback and Antarctic minke whales. It has shown that the humpback whales avoid sea ice and call/sing most frequently during Fall. Oppositely, the Antarctic minke whales live mostly in ice-covered regions and make their quacking sounds during the Winter.
Citation: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. (2020, December 17). Weddell sea: Whale song reveals behavioral patterns. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201217135315.htm
Title: How dolphins avoid 'the bends'
ReplyDeleteSource: Science News Nov. 25, 2020
Summary: 'The bends' is another way of saying decompression sickness which is a common diving-related issue. The researchers worked with 3 male bottle nose dolphins to understand how marine mammals can dive safely for long periods of time. They found that the dolphins are able to slow down their heart rates to certain rates depending on the length of their intended dive. The slowing of their heart rate allows them to conserve oxygen and adjust their body to changing pressures.
Citation: Frontiers. (2020, November 25). How dolphins avoid 'the bends': Dolphins conserve oxygen and prevent dive-related problems by consciously decreasing their heart rates before diving. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201125091446.htm
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ReplyDeleteTitle: Can whales and dolphins catch COVID-19 from wastewater? It’s murky
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay News 3 December 2020
Summary: When one of the Malayan tigers in the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, it was questioned if humans could transmit the virus to other species. It has been documented that social animals such as dolphins and beluga whales have been infected with related gamma coronaviruses in the past. In a recent paper, it was found that 15 marine species could be susceptible to SARS CoV-2. Larsen says the risk of infection through wastewater is “possible, but very implausible.” It is more likely that captive marine mammals that are vulnerable to the virus could be infected though close contact with humans who may be an asymptomatic carrier.
Citation: Alberts, E. C. (2020, December 03). Can whales and dolphins catch COVID-19 from wastewater? It's murky. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/could-whales-and-dolphins-get-covid-19-from-wastewater-possibly-study-says/
Title: A Dolphin Double Whammy
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 11 January 2021
Summary: Dolphins injured by recreational human fishing practices such as leaving behind fishing gear can face social isolation from their friends. Injured dolphins usually retain their strongest social connections, for example with their mothers or mates, but are usually abandoned by acquaintances which can have consequences. Some hypothesize the reason they are abandoned by their old friends include feeling as if they are a liability, or that their personality simply changes from their accident.
Citation: Augliere, B. (2021, January 11). A Dolphin Double Whammy. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/a-dolphin-double-whammy/
Title: Narwhals beware: Killer whales are on the rise in the Arctic
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay News 23 July 2020
Summary: Killer whales are moving into the Arctic where the ice is melting due to climate change, and Narwhals are a primary food source. Currently, killer whales are not a substantial threat to the overall narwhal population. The real threats to Narwhals are climate change and habitat degradation. Although now it is important to monitor the population of killer whales that move into the Arctic as this gives an indication that the ecosystem is changing which will eventually impact the food web.
Citation: Alberts, E. C. (2020, July 23). Narwhals beware: Killer whales are on the rise in the Arctic. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/narwhals-beware-killer-whales-are-on-the-rise-in-the-arctic/
Title: Wildfire Smoke May Harm Whales and Dolphins: Here's What We Know
ReplyDeleteSource: National Geographic September 30, 2020
Summary: The increase in Californian Wildfires pose threats for the respiratory and reproductive health of various Marine Mammals. Evidence gathered from the BP Oil Spill from ten years ago verifies this concern as it was noted that PAH's, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen gas, and other particulate matter caused severe lung disease and adrenal atrophy in various porpoises affected. These Marine Mammals lack sinus cavities to trap and filter the air breathed in leaving them highly susceptible to these adverse health effects, and increase the concern for smoke inhalation off the coast of California.
Citation: Basu, B. (2020, September 30). Wildfire smoke may harm whales and dolphins: Here's what we know. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/09/whales-dolphins-harmed-wildfires-smoke-west/
Title: Florida Manatee Found With 'Trump' Written on Its Back
ReplyDeleteSource: Smithsonian Magazine 13 January 2021
Summary: A manatee with the word 'Trump' written on it's back was found by a boat captain in the Homosassa River, Florida. Manatees are federally protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) are currently investigating the harassment. USFWS has said that it seems it was written in the algae on the back of the manatee, hopefully not injuring the animal.
Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/Florida-Manatee-Found-With-Trump-Written-on-It-180976743/
Title: A Dolphin Double Whammy
DeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 11 January 2021
Summary: Human-caused injuries to dolphin's are able to affect their social life. For example, if a dolphin were to be injured due to being hit by a boat, their social ties may unravel after they get hurt. Studies have shown that the stronger ties they have, for example a calf to its mother, are not affected by these types of injuries. However, social ties between friend groups seem to be largely affected. Furthermore, after some time the dolphin is able to be accepted back into their group after they usually have healed. The reason for this type of behavior is being studied, but no one knows why dolphins behave that way in social groups yet.
Citation:https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/a-dolphin-double-whammy/
Title: Hundreds of gray whales dying off Pacific Coast in 'unusual' event
ReplyDeleteSource: KGET TV 11 January 2021
Summary: Over the past two years, numbers of gray whales stranded each year have been significantly increasing. In 2020, 386 were found off the coasts from Mexico to Canada in stranding events which is an unusual mortality event that involves a significant die-off. One possible cause of the mass die-offs could be the heavy loads of whale lice found on the dead whales.
Citation: https://www.kget.com/news/state-news/hundreds-of-gray-whales-dying-off-pacific-coast-in-unusual-event/
Title: Manatee harassment under investigation after the word ‘Trump’ was found on an animal’s back
ReplyDeleteSource: CNN, 13 January 2021, 4:49 AM ET
Summary: A manatee was discovered in the Homosassa River of Florida with the word ‘Trump’ written on the creature’s back. This discovery is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, along with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It is illegal to harass manatees per federal law, and a $5,000 reward is being offered by the Center for Biological Diversity for information that can help lead to a conviction.
Citation: Johnson, L. (January 13, 2021). Manatee harassment under investigation after the word 'Trump' was found on an animal's back. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/us/manatee-with-trump-on-its-back-trnd/index.html.
Title: NOAA Approves Plan to Bring Captive Belugas to Connecticut
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine, 21 September 2020
Summary: NOAA approved a five-year permit request by Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, to import five beluga whales from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario. However, there are strings attached, i.e. breeding is disallowed along with training for performances. Indeed, the only purpose for the import could not be public display, because the whales are the progeny of the depleted Sakhalin Bay-Nikolaya Bay-Amur River area in Russia. Before importing the whales, Mystic Aquarium needs to issue a contraception plan.
Citation: Augliere, B. (September 21, 2020). NOAA approves plan to bring captive belugas to Connecticut. Retrieved on January 14, 2021 from
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/noaa-approves-plan-to-bring-captive-belugas-to-connecticut/
Title: Fatal freshwater skin disease in dolphins linked to climate crisis
ReplyDeleteSource: The Guardian 29 December 2020
Summary: Dolphins are dying off the coasts of The U.S., South America, and Australia from skin lesions. These are caused by being exposed to fresh water, leading to dermatitis which progresses into lesions and ulcers. They are equivalent to third degree burns on humans.
Citation: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/29/fatal-freshwater-skin-disease-in-dolphins-linked-to-climate-crisis
Title: Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone
ReplyDeleteSource: ScienceNews 11 June 2020
Summary: Since their reintroduction to Canada's North Pacific coast, sea otter populations have increased in number. This has led to a decrease in shellfish populations, which is a determinate to shellfish harvesting. It has also led to the recovery of kelp forest biomass, including commercially viable fish. There is also an increase of tourism to these areas. There will need to be collaboration between coastal communities and regulatory bodies to allow both harvesting of shellfish at an economically viable level and sea otter populations.
Citation: Lambert, J. (2020, June 12). Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sea-otters-pacific-northwest-indigenous-communities
Title: What Drifting Car Tires Can Tell Us about Dead Sea Otters
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 3 January 2020
Summary: Due to the sea otter's extreme vulnerability to oil spills, sea otters are focused on in oil spill studies. Since their fur traps air, a carcass of a Dead Sea otter can stay afloat for a month, which makes the removal of an oil covered otter difficult when it's drifting in the current. Tires that are cut in half behave the same as an otter in rigor mortis (in regards to floating). This knowledge will allow better retrieval of bio-hazardous carcasses and the gathering of data that can be used to save more animals and properly assess ecological damage.
Citation: Keartes, S. (2020, January 3). What Drifting Car Tires Can Tell Us about Dead Sea OttersSarah Keartes. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/what-drifting-car-tires-can-tell-us-about-dead-sea-otters/
Title: Could Marine Mammals Contract COVID-19?
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 17 September 2020
Summary: Some marine mammals are shown to be able to have COVID-19, much like cats, dogs, and some other mammals. So far an infected sea mammal hasn't been found, but the possibility is there. Scientists are testing the ACE2 receptors of these animals to see if they're able to have the virus bind to them. The most likely way these mammals could be exposed is untreated waste water, though transmission is unlikely to occur before the virus decays.
Citation: Averett, N. (2020, September 17). Could Marine Mammals Contract COVID-19? Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/could-marine-mammals-contract-covid-19/
Title: Salish Sea Killer Whales Have a Surprising New Way of Hunting
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 14 January 2021
Summary: Scientists have discovered a new hunting technique being utilized by Killer Whales in the Salish Seas. These whales will purposely beach themselves to scare seal pups back in to the water where they are easily preyed upon. This behavior has been documented in other areas, but never is the Salish Seas. It was learned by the Salish whales without interaction with the other populations who utilize this risky technique.
Citation: Cowan, C. (2021, January 14). Salish Sea Killer Whales Have a Surprising New Way of Hunting. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/salish-sea-killer-whales-have-a-surprising-new-way-of-hunting/
Title: Tabulating the Victims of Plastic Pollution
ReplyDeleteSource: Alastair Bland, Hakai Magazine, November 19, 2020
Summary: The marine conservation group Oceana has noted almost 1,800 events of plastic waste directly harming marine mammals and other sea animals in a new report from November. Information found for the report shows that single-use plastics that are discarded from human consumption injure and harm manatees and sea turtles for the most part, and this number is likely an underrepresentation. The United States generates more plastic waste than any other nation, which most likely ends up in the sea, including microplastics that litter the seafloor.
Citation: Bland, A. (2020, November 19). Tabulating the Victims of Plastic Pollution. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/tabulating-the-victims-of-plastic-pollution/
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ReplyDeleteTitle : Rare beaked whale sighting could be a world first for the species
ReplyDeleteSource : Mongabay News 14 January 2021
Summary : On May 2019, the scientist found out possible recorded the first ever live sighting of the ginkgo – toothed beaked whale, or the first live sighting of the nearly identical Deraniyagala’s beaked whale in the western Pacific Ocean. The Cuvier’s beaked whale lives the world’s deepest in the water, which is 2,992 meters. Scientists’ evidence shows that three-quarters of four-fifths of ginkgo have interacted with fishing gear or marine debris – toothed and Deraniyagala’s beaked whale carcasses. Also, there were new beak whale species off Mexico recently and those whales played a large role in their identification.
Citation : Hansen, C. (2021, January 14). Rare Beaked Whale Sighting Could Be a World First for the Species. From https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/rare-beaked-whale-sighting-could-be-a-world-first-for-the-species/
Title : Are industrial chemicals killing rare whales and familiar dolphins?
DeleteSource : Mongabay News 24 November 2020
Summary : Page – Karjian said that marine mammals are exposed to gives us a snapshot of what it is happening in the marine environment. Lots of chemicals from household and factories enter the ocean every day. The tons of toxins are eaten by one anchovy minuscule and marine mammals eat hundreds of fish. The process called bioaccumulation is compromising the immune system and bodily function with small amounts of ingested toxins concentrate in carnivores. Also , : Page – Karjian mentioned that toxins are not the only direct cause of death and they “ could have led to the animal’s demise.” Scientist still do study and do more research about this topic.
Citation : Hansen, C. (2020, November 24). Are industrial chemicals killing rare whales and familiar dolphins? From https://news.mongabay.com/2020/11/are-industrial-chemicals-killing-rare-whales-and-familiar-dolphins/
Title: Devastating skin disease covering up to 70% of a dolphin's body due to climate change.
ReplyDeleteSource: The Marine Mammal Center December 18, 2020
Summary: The decrease in salinity of coastal waters due to an increased frequency of storm events is linked to a deadly skin disease affecting dolphins globally. The disease was first recognized off the coast of Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The new freshwater environment causes dolphins to develop skin lesions on large portions of their bodies. This is the first case definition for the freshwater skin disease.
Citation: The Marine Mammal Center. (2020, December 18). Devastating skin disease covering up to 70% of a dolphin's body tied to climate change. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201218131854.htm
Title: Researchers See Signs of Chronic Stress in Polar Bears’ Blood
ReplyDeleteSource: Katarina Zimmer, Hakai Magazine, October 28, 2020
Summary: A concern for conservationist scientists since the 1980s has been that climate change is forcing polar bears to fast for longer amounts of time due to sea ice thawing sooner in the spring and freezing later in the fall than in previous years. According to a team from the University of Toronto, polar bears have high levels of cortisosteroid binding globulin (CBG) compared to every other mammal species which have low levels when more cortisol is needed under chronic stress. This could be an evolutionary adaptation that has protected the polar bears so far, but there are signs that some bears are struggling to keep up their CBG levels in response to stress from climate change and other factors in recent years.
Citation: Zimmer, K. (2020, October 28). Researchers See Signs of Chronic Stress in Polar Bears' Blood. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/researchers-see-signs-of-chronic-stress-in-polar-bears-blood/
Title: Humpback whale songs provide insight to population changes
ReplyDeleteSource: University of Hawaii at Manoa, ScienceDaily, December 18, 2020
Summary: Humpback whales are a flagship species of the Hawaiian islands, and mature males emit “songs” that can be measured with autonomous acoustic recorders. Between 2014 and 2018, a study by the Hawaii Institue of Marine Biology found a continuous decrease in overall chorus levels during the peak months. Although there was a slight increase after 2018 again, it never reached above the original 2014 levels, and the peak months seemed to shift, showing whales could be leaving Hawaii earlier than before. While the 50% decrease in acoustic energy does not equal 50% decrease of population, this decline correlates with other visual reports of numbers of mother-calf pairs declining.
Citation: Humpback whale songs provide insight to population changes. (2020, December 18). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201218131917.htm
Title: Climate change: Polar bears could be lost by 2100
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News 20 July 2020
Summary: Polar bears in the Artic are losing their habitats because of climate change. Scientists and researchers believe to have found ways to project future areas of sea ice loss and calculate the limits of endurance polar bears can handle within the future. Unless more can be done to combat climate change, the loss of sea ice will continue to be an immediate threat to polar bears.
Citation: Gill, Helen Briggs and Victoria. “Climate Change: Polar Bears Could Be Lost by 2100.” BBC News, BBC, 20 July 2020, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53474445#:~:text=Polar%20bears%20will%20be%20wiped,Ocean%20to%20hunt%20for%20seals.
Title: Jellyfish could replace cod on fish and chip menus in future, researchers claim
ReplyDeleteSource: The Independent 22 September 2020
Summary: Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have noticed an increase in endangered species being caught at sea and served in local pubs and restaurants. While led to believe Australia has become more sustainable, many restaurant owners may not realize the threat they are posing on local fisheries and endangered species. University of Queensland’s researchers have asked if jellyfish could possibly replace endangered species and promote sustainability.
Citation: Barr, Sabrina. “Jellyfish Could Replace Cod on Fish and Chip Menus in Future, Researchers Claim.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 22 Sept. 2020, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/jellyfish-fish-and-chips-takeaway-endangered-seafood-b530261.html.
Title: Shark finning: why the ocean’s most barbaric practice continues to boom
ReplyDeleteSource: The Guardian 6 July 2020
Summary: Every year, sharks are dying from unnatural causes. Shark populations have begun to decline or have become endangered due to the sale and consumption of shark finning. Places like Hong Kong and Ecuador continue to profit from the smuggling of shark fins. While shark finning is banned around the world, Hong Kong just recently had the largest seizure of illegal shark fins but with the introduction of COVID-19, shark finning has been put on the back burner.
Citation: Keegan, Matthew. “Shark Finning: Why the Ocean's Most Barbaric Practice Continues to Boom.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 July 2020, www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/06/shark-finning-why-the-oceans-most-barbaric-practice-continues-to-boom.
Title: New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean
ReplyDeleteSource: New England Aquarium 21 December 2020
Summary: As group of researchers focused on Omura’s whales near Madagascar, they ended up discovering a new population of blue whales. Each population of blue whales sing their own unique, low-pitched song and the songs have been extensively studied. This allowed for the researchers to discover a new population because they heard a song that has never been recorded before. They reported their findings and shortly after, another group of researchers reported the same discovery in another area near the western Indian ocean. Together, they worked to study this newly discovered population of blue whales.
Citation: New England Aquarium. (2020, December 21). New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221155935.htm
Title: What’s killing killer whales?
ReplyDeleteSource: University of British Columbia
Summary: Over the course of a decade, around 50 orcas, also known as killer whales, have died in the Pacific Ocean. Researchers have been able to determine the cause of death for most of the killer whales, and human-caused deaths was a common reoccurrence. With the help of a standardized killer whale necropsy protocol, we will be able to understand the impact of human threat on this species and help to better protect them.
Citation: University of British Columbia. (2020, December 3). What's killing killer whales? Orca report covering a decade of necropsies identifies threats. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201203173446.htm
Title: Can Whales and Dolphins Catch COVID-19 from Wastewater
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay Environmental News December 3, 2020
Summary: Studies were done to determine the susceptibility of marine mammals to the coronavirus. Several marine mammals are at greater risk than humans. Coronavirus poses a threat to marine mammals through human wastewater being dumped into their habitats. There is also a greater chance of spread in mammals who congregate in groups. The main purpose of this study is to highlight how diseases can spread through zoonosis.
Citation: Alberts, E. (2020, December 3). Can whales and dolphins catch COVID-19 from wastewater? It’s murky. Mongabay Environmental News. https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/could-whales-and-dolphins-get-covid-19-from-wastewater-possibly-study-says/
Title: Like humans, beluga whales form social networks beyond family ties
ReplyDeleteSource: Florida Atlantic University 10 July 2020
Summary: A group of researchers found that beluga whales form multi-scales societies and groups that range from mother-calf to entire communities. These whales don’t only interact with close kin, but with individuals of all ages, sexes, and both migratory and resident populations. With the use of many different research techniques, such as mtDNA profiling, it has helped us understand the social structure of the beluga whale.
Citation: Florida Atlantic University. (2020, July 10). Like humans, beluga whales form social networks beyond family ties: Study first to uncover the role kinship plays in complex groupings and relationships of beluga whales spanning 10 locations across the Arctic. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 14, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200710212233.htm
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ReplyDeleteTitle: New Population of blue whales Discovered in the Western Indian Ocean
ReplyDeleteSource: New England Aquarium
Summary: A research team from the international team found there is what they believe to be a new population of blue whales in the western Indian Ocean.
Citation:New England Aquarium. "New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 December 2020. .
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ReplyDeleteTitle: Coastal Job: Whale Snot Collector
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 25 September 2020
Summary: Through her efforts to identify the human impact of pollution and ship strikes for beluga whale populations in the Arctic, marine mammal biologist Justine Hudson has successfully collected samples expelled mucus from the whales’ blow holes. This is a powerful method of research because it is noninvasive but still provides information on their health and reproduction. This is especially relevant in the Arctic, as shipping is expected to increase during longer ice-free seasons.
Citation: Minke-Martin, V. (2020, September 25). Coastal Job: Whale Snot Collector. http://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/coastal-job-whale-snot-collector/.
Title: Future too warm for baby sharks
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily
Summary: Researcher Carolyn Wheeler and her team at James Cook University have observed disturbing physiological changes in populations of epaulette sharks in the Great Barrier Reef. While this species of shark is well-regarded as resistant to climate change, baby sharks are suffering from malnourishment and early hatching due to an increase in water temperature. When the eggs hatch too quickly, the baby sharks use up the nourishment from their egg casing too quickly and emerge into the water hungry, exhausted, and underdeveloped. This development casts doubt that other Great Barrier Reef species will be able to survive the warming conditions of the ocean.
Citation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. (2021, January 12). Future too warm for baby sharks. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 15, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210112085353.htm
Title: New Population of blue whales Discovered in the Western Indian Ocean
ReplyDeleteSource: New England Aquarium
Summary: A research team from the international team found there is what they believe to be a new population of blue whales in the western Indian Ocean. They in fact saw them in three different spots in the Western Indian Ocean rather than just the one location.
Citation: New England Aquarium. "New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 December 2020. .
Title: Devastating skin disease covering up seventy percent of a dolphins body tied to climate change
ReplyDeleteSource: The Marine Mammal Center
Summary: Researchers found that there was the first ever case for fresh-water disease in bottlenose dolphins that are related to climate change. There has been an outbreak in Australia. This has threatened a different type of dolphin breed as well and lead to a treatment down the road.
Citation: The Marine Mammal Center. "Devastating skin disease covering up to 70% of a dolphin's body tied to climate change." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 December 2020.
Title: Scientists discover electric eels hunting in a group
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily, January 14th 2021
Summary: David De Santana and a group of researchers from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History have discovered a unique phenomenon in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. While categorizing electric eel populations in the Iriri River, De Santana and his team discovered that a large group of adult eels were hunting as a group, delivering a massive shock, enough to power over 100 lightbulbs, to their prey to stun and kill it. This discovery holds significance in the scientific community as very few fish species hunt together in groups. De Santana hopes to capture and study the eels further in his lab in Germany before deforestation can ruin their habitat.
Citation: Smithsonian. (2021, January 14). Scientists discover electric eels hunting in a group: Never-before-seen behavior culminates in a synchronized zap of eels' prey, raising new questions about how they communicate. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 15, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163927.htm
Title: A bucket of Water can reveal climate change impacts on marine life in the Artic
ReplyDeleteSource: University of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Summary: Artic Marine life is very still unknown. Researchers are trying to change that and learn as much as they can about the Artic life. They have recently learned you can learn the presence, patterns of migration, and even genetic diversity of bowhead whales by taking a water sample. Climate change and human activities can also be shown by the water sample.
Citation: University of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. "A bucket of water can reveal climate change impacts on marine life in the Arctic." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 January 2021. .
Title: Whale road: how to keep marine mammals safe from speeding ships
ReplyDeleteSource: The World Economic Forum
Summary: The transportation form of global shipping are killing whales and affect the whales roles in the ocean's nutrient's cycle. A variety of researchers from different programs come together on the podcast to discuss a new system that is providing vessels and their crews aid in sighting whales.
Citation: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/whale-road-shipping-collisions-house-on-fire-podcast/
Title: The Military Wants to Hide Covert Messages in Marine Mammal Sounds
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 10 December 2020
Summary: As a method of passing encrypted communications between military stations separated by sea, researchers at Harbin Engineering University and Tianjin University have made advancements in embedding messages through whale and dolphin sounds. Although this method has not yet been perfected, it does show to have worked for passing on simple messages. Unfortunately, implementing this technology could negatively impact the mammals’ ability to communicate and protect their position from predators.
Citation: Hsu, J. (2020, December 10). The Military Wants to Hide Covert Messages in Marine Mammal Sounds. Hakai Magazine. https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/the-military-wants-to-hide-covert-messages-in-marine-mammal-sounds/.
Title: 600-year-old marine sponge holds centuries-old climate records
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily January 14th 2021
Summary: Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel are using a recently discovered 600-year-old sclerosponge to better categorize the climate conditions of the waters in the Caribbean. The soft outer body of the sclerosponge grows slowly, giving the researchers useable data about how the ocean climate used to be and projecting how it will change. Peter Swart, the lead researcher, hopes this discovery will help Florida and the surrounding islands in the Bahamas better prepare for hurricanes.
Citation: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. (2021, January 14). 600-year-old marine sponge holds centuries-old climate records: Temperature records show past volcanic activity, current climate warming trends. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 15, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114113749.htm
Title: Catastrophic disease events in marine mammals mostly caused by viruses
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily 18 June 2020
Summary: Beyond the scope of the events from this past year, researchers have conducted an intensive literature review of the devastating impacts that viruses have had on marine mammal populations throughout history. A notable example was the death of 10,000 endangered Caspian seals within a four-month span due to canine distemper virus. As ocean acidification changes the chemical balance of the ocean, less prey availability for marine mammals can hinder their immune function. The possibility of future outbreaks would pose serious consequences to marine mammal populations.
Citation: Virginia Tech. (2020, June 18). Catastrophic disease events in marine mammals mostly caused by viruses. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200618073540.htm.
Title: A beaked whale’s nearly four-hour-long dive sets a new record
ReplyDeleteSource: ScienceNews 23 September 2020
Summary: In a refreshing discovery, a Cuvier’s beaked whale has been observed spending 222 minutes underwater without coming up for air. This “breath-holding” ability shows that beaked whales have exceedingly powerful oxygen stores and tolerance for anaerobic stress.
Citation: Garcia de Jesus, E. (2020, November 5). A beaked whale's nearly four-hour-long dive sets a new record. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cuviers-beaked-whale-longest-record-dive.
Title: New Skin Disease in Dolphins Linked to Climate Change
ReplyDeleteSource: The Marine Mammal Center
Summary: Researchers from the Marine Mammal Center and Australia have discovered a new, devastating skin disease that covers ~70% of dolphins' bodies. They have tied this disease to climate change and the severe and frequent storms that are a consequence of climate change. These extreme weather events cause the salinity of the waters the dolphins inhabit to decrease, causing dolphins to develop patchy and raised skin lesions. This study provides essential knowledge as to how climate change effects and will continue to effect marine mammals such as dolphins.
Citation: The Marine Mammal Center. (2020, December 18). New Skin Disease in Dolphins Linked to Climate Change. Retrieved 15 January, 2021, from https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/news/new-skin-disease-in-dolphins-linked-to-climate-change
Title: MEET CORKY, THE LONGEST-HELD ORCA IN CAPTIVITY
ReplyDeleteSource: International Marine Mammal Project May 21, 2020
Summary: Most Orca’s captured and held in captivity are dead pretty quickly. One has happened to survive longer than the rest and her name is Corky. There is still mush debate around Corky of whether to return her to her home or keep her in captivity.
Citation: News: Meet Corky, the Longest-Held Orca in Captivity. (2020, May 21). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from http://savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/meet-corky-the-longest-held-orca-in-captivity
Title: Paleontologists uncover three new species of extinct walruses in Orange County
ReplyDeleteSource: PHYS ORG Nov 16 2020
Summary: There seem to have been found new species of walruses. These are different than the ones now a days because it seems that they do not have tusks. They seem to have very similar bones to other walruses though.
Citation: Paleontologists uncover three new species of extinct walruses in Orange County. (2020, November 16). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://phys.org/news/2020-11-paleontologists-uncover-species-extinct-walruses.html
Title: Pacific walrus haulout near Point Lay in Northwest Alaska is earliest on record
ReplyDeleteSource: August 10 2020
Summary: Walrus Tend to haul out around early august but now they are hauling out around late July most likely because of global warming. Since it is obvious we are having an unnatural impact on the walruses we should be careful to harm them even more.
Citation: DuClos, D., & Sounder, A. (2020, August 11). Pacific walrus haul out near Point Lay in Northwest Alaska is earliest on record. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wildlife/2020/08/10/pacific-walrus-haulout-near-point-lay-in-northwest-alaska-is-earliest-on-record/
Title: Walrus shortage may have caused collapse of Norse Greenland
ReplyDeleteSource: The Guardian Jan 6 2020
Summary: There has been a lot of speculation around the fall of the viking and why it happened so quickly. After much research the answer seems to be that the Vikings may have killed so many walrus in that area that there were no more to survive.
Citation: Walrus shortage may have caused collapse of Norse Greenland. (2020, January 06). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/06/walrus-shortage-may-have-caused-collapse-of-norse-greenland
Title: Whale of a find: Scientists spot beaked whale believed to be a new species
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay, 11 December 2020
Summary: Off the Pacific coast of Mexico, a group of beaked whales was found by scientists north of the San Benito Islands. After taking photos and recording video and acoustic signals of the animals, much evidence was found that this could be a new species. The researchers thought they had found the Perrin’s beaked whale, however the beaked whales they observed were different from Perrin’s in their color patterns, location of teeth, and acoustical data. An environmental DNA analysis is being conducted to further investigate the possibility of a new species of beaked whale.
Citation: Alberts, E. (2020, December 11). Whale of a find: Scientists spot beaked whale believed to be a new species. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/whale-of-a-find-scientists-spot-beaked-whale-believed-to-be-a-new-species/
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ReplyDeleteTitle: Whale Watching in Northern Peru: An Economic Boom?
ReplyDeleteSource: Tourism in Marine Environments, 1 November 2020
Summary: This new study analyzes the economic impacts of whale watching tourism in Northern Peru as well as the needed regulations to avoid harming the whale populations. Two surveys were taken by the tourist operators and the tourists themselves. Expenses and profits were also assessed to see the overall economic contribution.
Citation: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/tme/2020/00000015/00000001/art00001
Title: Salish Sea Killer Whales Have a Surprising New Way of Hunting
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 14 January 2021
Summary: The article describes a new hunting behavior of killer wales. The Salish Sea killer whales will purposely beach themeless to scare seals back into the water so they can be more easily hunted.
Citation: Cowan, C. (2021, January 14). Salish Sea Killer Whales Have a Surprising New Way of Hunting. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/salish-sea-killer-whales-have-a-surprising-new-way-of-hunting/
Title: A Dolphin Double Whammy
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 11 January 2021
Summary: this article talks about how after being injured some dolphins are cut from social groups they were once a part of. he strongest of bonds don't die but other important friendships can fade away. This may be to a number of different reason one being predators targeting weak dolphins
Citation: Augliere, B. (2021, January 11). A Dolphin Double Whammy. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/a-dolphin-double-whammy/
Title: Could Marine Mammals Contract COVID-19?
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 17 September 2020
Summary:This article talks about how susceptible marine mammals are to COVID-19. Some marine mammals seem like they be more susceptible to the virus but the chance of them coming into a viral load big enough for them to get sick seems small.
Citation: Averett, N. (2020, September 17). Could Marine Mammals Contract COVID-19? Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/could-marine-mammals-contract-covid-19/
Title: On Knowing the Winged Whale
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 7 July 2020
Summary:This article talks about humpback whales and goes into detail about researchers who study the whales. they talks about how the whales act as protectors of other smaller marine mammals and how they were almost hunted to extinction. they go into detail about their pack life and their recovery in terms of population.
Citation: Grierson, B. (2020, July 7). On Knowing the Winged Whale. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/on-knowing-the-winged-whale/
Title: Weddell sea: Whale song reveals behavioral patterns
ReplyDeleteSource: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Summary: Researchers have confirmed that Minke whales prefer to use sea ice as shelter while Humpback whales usually avoid it. They discovered this by using permanently installed underwater microphones that recorded whale songs for nine years, leading to new observations about whale behavior.
Citation: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. (2020, December 17). Weddell sea: Whale song reveals behavioral patterns. Retrieved 15 January, 2021, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201217135315.htm
Title: Beached whale stranded on Dee estuary for third time dies
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News 14 June 2020
Summary: A young fin whale beached itself for the third time at the same location on Dee estuary. Previously the 6-7 month fin whale had been rescued by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). This time however, it was confirmed that the young fin whale had died.
Citation: Beached whale stranded on Dee estuary for third time dies. (2020, June 14). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-53041553
Title: Washed up Risso’s dolphin offers glimpse into “whole other world” near Tofino
ReplyDeleteSource: BC Local News 14 January 2021
Summary: A beached Risso's Dolphin was found on Tolfino Beach this past Wednesday. This beaching provides a unique insight into the illusive Risso's Dolphin which the article mentions usually lives close to forty miles from the coast. It was also noted that this beaching may provide new insights into the lives of the Risso's Dolphin such as the heavy scaring present on its body as a result of living in close quarters with the rest of it's pod.
Citation: Bailey, A., & News. (2021, January 14). Washed up Risso's dolphin offers glimpse into "whole other world" near Tofino. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/washed-up-rissos-dolphin-offers-glimpse-into-whole-other-world-near-tofino/
Title: Endangered Sei Whale dies on southern Oregon beach
ReplyDeleteSource: Seattle Times Associated Press 8 September 2020
Summary: A young Sei Whale was beached on a beach in southern Oregon. Typically Sei Whales live far off the coast and prefer temperate water temperatures. It was reported that a necropsy would be performed on the Sei Whale before being buried on the beach.
Citation: Press, T. (2020, September 08). Endangered sei whale dies on southern Oregon beach. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/endangered-whale-dies-on-southern-oregon-beach/
Title: Yangtze Finless Porpoise: A Smiling Rarity
ReplyDeleteSource: The Economic Times 8 June 2020
Summary: After the Baji Dolphin was declared extinct, its cousin the Yangtze Finless Porpoise was declared endangered. The Yangtze Finless Porpoise is known for high levels of intelligence as well as their spy hopping behavior. Unlike dolphins that jump out of the water the Yangtze Finless Dolphin positions itself vertically above the water and surveys the area by rotating itself around.
Citation: Agencies. (2020, June 08). Yangtze Finless Porpoise: A Smiling Rarity. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/yangtze-finless-porpoise-a-smiling-rarity/articleshow/76270223.cms
Title: North Atlantic right whales are in much poorer condition than Southern right whales
ReplyDeleteSource: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 23 April 2020
Summary: After researchers began noticing population declines in North Atlantic right whales, they began a study that is considered "the largest assessment of the body condition of baleen whales in the world". The North Atlantic right whales are faced with different challenges compared to the Southern rights that are causing their rapid decline. Death of these whales has been directly linked to entanglement and vessel collision from human activities, as well as decreased plankton abundance.
Citation: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (2020, April 23). North Atlantic right whales are in much poorer condition than Southern right whales. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 15, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200423130402.htm
Title: Deal on Marine Mammal Oil Spill Response Program for Western Alaska
ReplyDeleteSource: Marine Link 15 January 2021
Summary: An agreement was formed between the Alaska Chadux Network (ACN) and the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) to form a program that would help marine mammals that are impacted by oil spills in western Alaska. The ACN will provide the funding that the ASLC needs in order to develop a program that allows marine mammal veterinarians, animal care professionals, and technicians to respond to oil spills in Western Alaska. The program will teach the people involved how to effectively mobilize, assess, treat, and stabilize the marine mammals. They will also learn how to operate in the remote areas of Western Alaska when there are no support facilities around.
Citation: Deal on Marine Mammal Oil Spill Response Program for Western Alaska. (2021, January 15). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.marinelink.com/news/deal-marine-mammal-oil-spill-response-484572
Title: Sea lion diagnosed with tuberculosis triggers public health concerns
ReplyDeleteSource: Science X Network 14 January 2021
Summary: A case of tuberculosis was reported in Australian sea lions, an endangered species found in South Australia. The tuberculosis was found in the sea lion’s abdomen and researchers are considered because tuberculosis can be transferred to humans. This means that researchers that are working with the sea lions, animal rescuers, and all other individuals that may come in contact with free ranging pinnipeds, are at risk. The Australian sea lions are also being impacted by a hookworm infection and the species has a low reproductive rate. This means that the tuberculosis puts the species’ survival at risk.
Citation: Strom, M. (2021, January 14). Sea lion diagnosed with tuberculosis triggers public health concerns. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://phys.org/news/2021-01-sea-lion-tuberculosis-triggers-health.html
Title: Monk Seal Killings On Kauai Highlight Human Threat To Endangered Species
ReplyDeleteSource: Honolulu Civil Beat 7 January 2021
Summary: The Hawaiian monk seal is an endangered species and it is illegal to cause them any harm. Even with this law in place, more than half of the 114 known seal deaths on the Hawaiian Islands have been due to human activity. The seals are dying from beatings, shootings, by swallowing fish hooks, and drownings due to be tangled up in fishing nets. 14% of the seals are dying from toxoplasmosis. Some researchers believe that humans are to blame for this because it toxoplasmosis is caused by the ingestion of a parasite that is often found in the feces of house cats.
Citation: Parachini, A. (2021, January 07). Monk Seal Killings On Kauai Highlight Human Threat To Endangered Species. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/01/monk-seal-killings-on-kauai-highlight-human-threat-to-endangered-species/
Title: Deadly Skin Disease – Affecting Dolphins Worldwide – Tied to Climate Change
ReplyDeleteSource: SciTechDaily 18 December 2020
Summary: The Marina Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA have discovered a deadly skin disease in dolphins known as ulcerative dermatitis. The disease is linked to climate change. Climate change causes the salinity in the water to decrease which affects coastal dolphins. Storm events, such as hurricanes and cyclones, coupled with periods of drought are causing large amounts of rain to enter coastal water, which in turn makes them freshwater. Dolphins are being negatively impacted because they do not live in freshwater. Outbreaks have been reported in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Australia.
Citation: Deadly Skin Disease – Affecting Dolphins Worldwide – Tied to Climate Change. (2020, December 18). Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://scitechdaily.com/deadly-skin-disease-affecting-dolphins-worldwide-tied-to-climate-change/
Title: Hormone metabolites found in feces give researchers new insight into whale stress
ReplyDeleteSource: Oregon State University
Summary: The Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab at OSU has collected over 150 fecal samples, which they used to observe endocrine levels and establish a baseline for stress and reproduction in whales. This is a first-of-its-kind study as fecal samples have never been used to measure endocrine levels in Eastern North Pacific gray whales.
Citation: Oregon State University. (2020, December 21). Hormone metabolites found in feces give researchers new insight into whale stress. Retrieved 15 January, 2021, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221173124.htm
Title: Global vulnerability of marine mammals to global warming
ReplyDeleteSource: Nature 17 January 2020
Summary: Mammals fulfill key and irreplaceable ecological roles in the ocean, and the collapse of their populations may therefore have irreversible consequences for ecosystem functioning and services. The potential extinctions of the marine mammals that were most vulnerable to global warming might induce a disproportionate loss of functional diversity, which may have profound impacts on the future functioning of marine ecosystems worldwide.
Citation: Albouy, C., Delattre, V., Donati, G. et al. Global (2020, January 17). Vulnerability of marine mammals to global warming. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-57280-3
Title: Pandemic danger to the deep: The risk of marine mammals contracting SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater
ReplyDeleteSource: Science of the Total Environment
Summary: Researchers discuss and identify specific marine mammals that could be highly susceptible to the novel virus after encountering it in poorly managed waste treatment systems. These marine mammals include species of whales, dolphins, seals and otters. They also identified areas of heightened risk of exposure to see overlaps in the marine mammals’ habitats. Alongside the geographic proximity to the danger, they analyzed the available genome sequences to see the animals most at risk.
Citation: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368777
Title: A Dolphin Double Whammy
ReplyDeleteSource: Bethany Augliere, Hakai Magazine, 11 January 2021
Summary: Dolphins seem to have reactions to other dolphins whom have been injured by man. These reactions seem to lead to rifts forming in social relationships the injured dolphin has and leaves them with a smaller social network.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/a-dolphin-double-whammy/
Title: As ships move north with climate change, their noise scares Arctic cod away
ReplyDeleteSource: The Conversation; 1 April 2020
Summary: As ships travel throughout the ocean, the noise pollution created can be quite detrimental to cod populations. The significance of cod factor into the diets of many organisms, specifically marine mammals such as seals and whales. The noise of ships can cause cod to disperse long distances away from their common school of fish. This dispersal can result in higher energy usage and loss of fat, which ultimately have grave consequences in their food web. Noise disruptions can also interfere with communication and predator avoidance. With ice melting and more ships traveling in the Arctic region, there will more occurrences of noise related impact in the ocean ecosystem.
Citation: https://theconversation.com/as-ships-move-north-with-climate-change-their-noise-scares-arctic-cod-away-131296
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ReplyDeleteTitle: Petroleum effects on Marine Mammals
ReplyDeleteSource: Engelhardt, F. (2002, November 20)
Summary: It has been shown that mammals such as seals, baleen whales polar bears, and along with sea otter experience devastating effect when they come into contact with oils in a long-run. Some effects is that the oil can coat the outer body surface of these mammals which causes them to not be able to
swim properly and there thermoregulation along with filtering capabilities won't function correctly.This will then causes thermal stress to this mammals as a result.It has also been shown that these oils can be absorbed through the skin of these mammals through their gastrointestinal trace which can lead to many different types of health effects such as pathological changes and renal abnormalities.
Citation:Engelhardt, F. (2002, November 20). Petroleum effects on marine mammals. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0166445X83900188
Title: Marine mammal noise exposure criteria: Initial scientific recommendations
ReplyDeleteSource:Southall, B., Bowles, A., Ellison, W., Finneran, J., Gentry, R., Jr., C., . . . Tyack, P. (1970, January 01)
Summary:Experts were able to indicate that marine mammal such as pinniped and cetacean behavioral responses to sound exposure could have a negative effect on these marine mammals over time. These effects were considered
to be both physical and behavioral effect therefore marine mammals were broken down into different types of functional hearing groups such as single pulses, multiple pulses, and non pulses. There are different criteria needed in order to come to a full conclusion on how noise exposure to marine mammal could have an effect and groups classified to be considered induce permanent noise hearing loss had to be determined for each of 15 sound types combination along with discrete behavioral disturbance. Improved criterias is still in the working in order to have a fully supported datas.
Citation:Southall, B., Bowles, A., Ellison, W., Finneran, J., Gentry, R., Jr., C., . . . Tyack, P. (1970, January 01). Marine mammal noise exposure criteria: Initial scientific recommendations. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.4783461
Title:EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ARCTIC MARINE MAMMAL HEALTH
ReplyDeleteSource:Burek, K., Gulland, F., & O'Hara, T. (2008, March 01)
Summary:There has been shown evidence that the effect of climate change has had a negative effect on arctic marine mammal health. Some ways that the effect could be would be elevations of sea water, change in air temperature and along with an increase in occurrence of bad weathers. There are indirect effects such as an unstable body temperature, toxicant exposure, and pathogen
pollution caused by human kind.The warming of the climate could lead to several impacts on marine mammals health such as increase toxic stress in mammals, and along with pathogen transmission.
Citation:Burek, K., Gulland, F., & O'Hara, T. (2008, March 01). EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ARCTIC MARINE MAMMAL HEALTH. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/06-0553.1
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ReplyDeleteTitle: High affinity binding of red tide neurotoxins to marine mammal brain
ReplyDeleteSource:Trainer, V., & Baden, D. (1999, May 24)
Summary:It was stated in 1996 over the spring that a range of 200 manatees were seen dying on the beaches of florida.The case study shown that the brevetoxin binds to the nerve that is isolated and the same evidence has been shown to occur in terrestrial mammals as well. These binding of red tide neurotoxin in marine mammals brain has had a negative effect on the brain tissue and the overall anatomy functionality of these marine mammals. The result from this study acts as a good hypothesize on the death along with the stranding of manatees in this time period.
Citation:Trainer, V., & Baden, D. (1999, May 24). High affinity binding of red tide neurotoxins to marine mammal brain. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166445X98001258
Title: Left stranded: US military sonar linked to whale beachings in Pacific, say scientists
ReplyDeleteSource: John Letman, The Guardian (Jan 15, 2021)
Summary: The Mariana Islands, located near the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean and containing Guam, are one of the primary locations for US naval experiments. This area of the ocean is heavily used by the Navy for the testing of sonar and anti-submarine technology. The timing of the tests has lined up with multiple incidents of whale beachings, while causation has not been proved yet the whale primarily impacted (Cuvier's beaked whale) are known to have a particular sensitivity to sonar. So far the Navy has been resistant to changing their methods but Senators from Guam hope to have protections put in place for the whales in the region.
Citation: Letman, John. (2021, January 15). Left stranded: US military sonar linked to whale beachings in Pacific, say scientists. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/16/left-stranded-us-military-sonar-linked-to-whale-beachings-in-pacific-say-scientists
Title: Ocean pollutants 'have negative effect on male fertility'
ReplyDeleteSource: Helen Briggs, BBC (Jan 12, 2021)
Summary: Although they have been removed from most modern products PCB's remain in the ocean, seeping from trash in the ocean and can linger in the water for decades. These chemicals build up in marine mammals over the course of their lifetimes. It has been found that male individuals with high levels of PCB in their systems have lowered sperm counts and reduced fertility. This problem is not likely to go away anytime soon unless a concerted effort to clean the oceans is made.
Citation: Briggs, Helen. (2021, January 12). Ocean pollutants 'have negative effect on male fertility'. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55625096
Title: Beaked whales may evade killer whales by silently diving in sync
ReplyDeleteSource: Jonathan Lambert, ScienceNews (Feb 6, 2020)
Summary: Beaked whales are not equipped to evade killer whale predators since they are large in size, stay in small groups, and swim slowly. But, they have evolved to sneak past killer whales through silent, synchronous diving. Once the whales are deep under the water where killer whales can't hunt them, they spread out and use echolocation to find food. Through discovering this behavior, scientists have hypothesized that beaked whales react negatively to sonar sounds and their behavior may be affected.
Citation: Lambert, J. (2020, Feb 6). Beaked whales may evade killer whales by silently diving in sync. ScienceNews. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/beaked-whales-killer-whales-diving
Title: Florida manatee with ‘Trump’ etched on back prompts investigation
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News 12 January 2021
Summary: A manatee in the Homosassa River in Florida was discovered with the words ‘Trump’ etched on the algae on its back. The US wildlife authorities launched an investigation to find the culprit who could face up to one year in prison as well as a $50,000 dollar fine. Manatees are protected under the US Endangered Species Act as they are already victims to boat accidents, habitat loss, and other human interactions.
Citation: BBC. 2021, January 12. Florida manatee with 'Trump' etched on back prompts investigation. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55631498.
Title: Why whale watching is having a moment - in New York City
ReplyDeleteSource: National Geographic 5 January 2021
Summary: A humpback whale was spotted in the Hudson River in New York which is a rare sighting as marine mammals are usually not seen in these waters. According to scientists, this occurrence is likely the result of cleaner water from city cleanup efforts and the presence of Atlantic menhaden fish that these whales desire. This shows that efforts to keep the environment clean is helping aquatic life.
Citation: Ackerman, P. 2021, January 5. Why whale watching is having a moment-in New York City. Travel. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2021/01/why-whale-watching-is-having-a-moment-in-new-york-city/#close.
Title: Deadly Skin Disease - Affecting Dolphins Worldwide - Tied to Climate Change
ReplyDeleteSource: SciTechDaily 18 December 2020
Summary: The Marine Mammal Center in California has discovered a fatal skin disease in dolphins called ulcerative dermatitis which are painful lesions all over the skin. This is thought to be connected to climate change because severe storms (such as Hurricane Katrina) tend to decrease water salinity which causes these wounds all over the dolphin’s skin.
Citation: O'Neill, M. 2020, December 20. Deadly Skin Disease – Affecting Dolphins Worldwide – Tied to Climate Change. SciTechDaily. https://scitechdaily.com/deadly-skin-disease-affecting-dolphins-worldwide-tied-to-climate-change/.
Title: Whale of a find: Scientists spot beaked whale believed to be a new species
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay; 11 December 2020
Summary: Off of the Pacific coast of Mexico, near the San Benito Islands, a research vessel noticed unusual whales swimming and circling their boat. Upon further investigation, they observed that these whales did not fit the typical description of whales found in the area. Perrin’s beaked whales are the common whale of the area, and they possess many unique characteristics such as colors, size, acoustic clicks, and other features. While the scientists are highly confident that they have discovered a new species, there is some belief that the whales could be pygmy beaked whales or Perrin's beaked whales. Scientists are waiting for DNA results and samples to determine the answer.
Citation: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/whale-of-a-find-scientists-spot-beaked-whale-believed-to-be-a-new-species/
Title: These Items In Your Home Are Harming America's Sea Animals
ReplyDeleteSource: The New York Times, 19 November 2020
Summary: Global plastic consumption is significantly increasing the risks of marine mammal endangerment and extinction. The United States alone produced the most plastic waste in 2016 and in 2015 only about 1/10 of the world's plastic waste was even recycled. It was noted by Oceana that in eighty-two percent of marine mammal deaths reported that plastic was the leading cause resulting in ingestion blockages, lacerations, or entanglements.
Citation: Einhorn, C. (2020, November 19). These Items in Your Home Are Harming America's Sea Animals. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/climate/plastic-ocean-animals.html
Title: Using comb-shaped teeth, Baikal seals feed on tiny crustaceans like whales do
ReplyDeleteSource: Jake Buehler, ScienceNews (Dec 11, 2020)
Summary: Seals may be thriving because of their preference for small prey. Baikal seals, found in Siberia, feed on amphipods using special teeth, similar to baleen whale teeth. These seals may be more resilient to climate change than other seals due to their exploitation of this predictable and dependable food source.
Citation: Buehler, J. (2020, Dec 11). Using comb-shaped teeth, Baikal seals feed on tiny crustaceans like whales do. ScienceNews. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/baikal-seals-feed-like-whales-crustaceans-comb-shaped-teeth
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ReplyDeleteTitle: Marine mammals' adaptations to low oxygen offer new perspective on COVID-19
ReplyDeleteSource: University of California - Santa Cruz (Dec 3, 2020)
Summary: Marine mammals that dive have specific adaptations that allow them to survive changing levels of high and low oxygen. Since humans lack those adaptations, they are susceptible to tissue damage due to low oxygen levels. The adaptations that marine mammals have to tolerate hypoxia may be the key to understanding how to protect humans from tissue damage.
Citation: University of California - Santa Cruz. (2020, Dec 3). Marine mammals' adaptations to low oxygen offer new perspective on COVID-19. ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201203144123.htm
Title: Viral-Induced Cancer Found in Sea Lions in Orange County
ReplyDeleteSource: Dana Point Times; 27 May 2020
Summary: Rescuers in Orange County took in two female adult sea lions. During their assessment of the sea lions, it was discovered that both marine mammals had urogenital carcinoma. This is a viral-infection caused by environmental pollutants and can be a highly aggressive and fatal form of cancer. This viral-infection has never been seen off of the coast of Orange County, California and is worrisome for scientists and the health of sea lions in the area. Research and sample collection is being done to further understand the disease.
Citation: https://www.danapointtimes.com/viral-induced-cancer-found-sea-lions-orange-county/
Title: New Population of Blue Whales Discovered in the Western Indian Ocean
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily, 21 December 2020
Summary: Blue whales, once almost hunted to extinction in the 20th century, are now considered one of the many endangered marine mammals. These large mammals are easily identifiable due to their unique low-pitched and recognizable songs. A Director of the African Aquatic Conservation Fund recently identified a new unique Blue Whale song in the western portion of the Indian Ocean. Previously, any Blue whale populations in that area were unrecorded.
Citation: New England Aquarium. (2020, December 21). New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 16, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221155935.htm
Title: Deal on Marine Mammal Oil Spill Response Program for Western Alaska
ReplyDeleteSource: MarineLink January 15, 2021
Summary: A new agreement has been finalized to implement a program to respond to oil spill-impacted marine mammals throughout Western Alaska. The program will offer a pre-planned system that can rapidly be mobilized to support oil spill operations that require specialized marine mammal veterinarians, animal care professionals, and support equipment. It will be especially useful in offering support to oil spills in remote areas.
Citation: Release, P. (2021, January 15). Deal on Marine Mammal Oil Spill Response Program for Western Alaska. MarineLink. https://www.marinelink.com/news/deal-marine-mammal-oil-spill-response-484572.
Title: Orcas target of new technology in a bid to protect marine mammals
ReplyDeleteSource: Chek News January 16, 2021
Summary: The Canadian Coast Guard is using recent technology in an effort to preserve whales and other cetaceans from ship traffic and vessel strikes on British Colombia’s west coast. Technology such as surface radar and hydrophone networks are being used to locate marine mammal movements. These movements are monitored and then shared with shipping companies so that ship strikes and marine mammal fatalities can be avoided.
Citation: Griffin, M. (2021, January 16). Orcas target of new technology in a bid to protect marine mammals. CHEK. https://www.cheknews.ca/orcas-target-of-new-technology-in-a-bid-to-protect-marine-mammals-734899/.
Title: Scores of pilot whales dead in New Zealand stranding
ReplyDeleteSource: Phys.org; 25 November 2020
Summary: Close to one hundred whales, on the New Zealand Beaches of Chatham Islands, ended up stranded. These islands have been the site of other pilot whale strandings, like the largest one to take place with 1000 whales. Pilot whales can grow up the 20 feet in length, and being very large and hard to save in these situations. Many of the whales died or had to be euthanized. Because the reasoning for mass stranding is still unknown, there isn't much that can be done to prevent the death of these whales.
Citation: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scores-whales-dead-zealand-stranding.html
Title: What can a bucket of water tell us about Arctic marine life? A lot, says a new study
ReplyDeleteSource: DownToEarth Magazine January 13 2021
Summary: A new study is examining seawater samples collected from bottles and buckets in the Arctic Ocean. They have found that the bowhead whale’s distribution, life history, and health are tightly connected to sea ice and sea temperature. This research could help examine the effects of climate change and human impacts on the bowhead whale. Scientists collect the water in the ripples formed from the whales swimming through the ice. The DNA of the whales was found in high quantities for at least ten minutes after they retreated. This type of research can be proposed to study other marine lifeforms in the Arctic as well as in other aquatic ecosystems.
Citation: What can a bucket of water tell us about Arctic marine life? A lot, says a new study. Down To Earth. (2021, January 13). https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/environment/what-can-a-bucket-of-water-tell-us-about-arctic-marine-life-a-lot-says-a-new-study-75043.
Title: Wild Dolphins Seem to Have a Range of Personalities
ReplyDeleteSource: Smithsonian Magazine April 15, 2020
Summary: Dolphins have complex social groups that are similar to humans. In a recent study, scientists have found that wild dolphins have unique personalities that affect the dynamics of their social groups. Particularly bold individuals are believed to be the ones that spread information to others in the group. There are some criticisms of the study though because they use a noisemaker that is usually used by fishermen to keep dolphins from getting caught in nets. Some are worried that the scientists are accidentally training the dolphins to associate the noisemaker with rewards since the study lured the bold dolphins in.
Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wild-dolphins-have-range-personalities-180974672/
Title: Scientists Managed to Find Marine Animals that Weren’t Contaminated by Plastic
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine January 29, 2020
Summary: A study was conducted in the eastern Canadian Arctic in which scientists cut open the stomachs of 142 seals. They did not find any plastics that were larger than 425 microns in their stomachs. They only found krill, fish, kelp, roundworms, and rocks. Although they did not find visible plastic, scientists say that they most likely are still indirectly ingesting microplastics through the polar cod that they eat, and it might not be long before plastic starts accumulating in the eastern Canadian Arctic.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/scientists-managed-to-find-marine-animals-that-werent-contaminated-by-plastic/
Title:SARS-CoV-2 poses significant threat to many marine mammal species
ReplyDeleteSource: News Medical Life Sciences Aug 17 2020
Summary: The Sars-Cov-2 virus poses a significant threat to many marine species, especially those who are labeled as endangered and critically endangered through sewage carrying it into their respective habitats. Animals like the sea otter and whales, whose populations are very unstable are at high risk to having the virus wreck their populations as well.
Citation:https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200817/SARS-CoV-2-poses-significant-threat-to-many-marine-mammal-species.aspx
Title: Wildfire smoke may harm whales and dolphins: Here’s what we know
ReplyDeleteSource: National Geographic September 30, 2020
Summary: After the particularly brutal season of wildfires on the US West Coast in 2020, scientists are worried that the smoke with harmful chemicals could have adverse effects on marine mammals like dolphins and whales. Because of their unique anatomy that allows them to rapidly exchange large amounts of air through their blowholes, it is easier for these animals to inhale particles from the air. They also do not have to ability to sneeze or cough out particles like many land mammals can. After the BP oil spill many dolphins washed up on shore that turned out to have a lung disease (they do not know if this is from the burning oil smoke or from ingesting the oil). It is hard for scientists to conduct studies on the effects that the smoke is having on living individuals since there is no way for them to test live wild marine mammals. From a few small preliminary studies and knowledge of their anatomy, scientists believe that increasing wildfire smoke will have detrimental cumulative effects for marine mammal populations.
Citation: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/09/whales-dolphins-harmed-wildfires-smoke-west/
Title: One of world's rarest dolphins rebounding in Pakistan
ReplyDeleteSource: National Geographic June 18, 2020
Summary: The Indus Dolphin is one of the last freshwater dolphins in the world, living in the Indus River. Dams, built for the community, have been destroying their habitat along with pollution. Their numbers were staggeringly low, 132 in 1972, but after years of education and conservation efforts, they have grown to 1,987. These dolphins have been living with this community for years, and they are considered to be friends. The dams have upended the range of these mammals, and now only a few can get through the dam. However, on the other side there is nothing for them, and if they are trapped here they often die. Thankfully, due to the Sindh Wildlife Department, rescues these animals. They are trying to tag the dolphins to keep information on how many there are and how the population is doing overall.
Citation: Sultan, Iman. (2020, June 18). National Geographic. One of world's rarest dolphins rebounding in Pakistan. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/06/rare-indus-dolphins-rebounding-pakistan/
Title:Cape Cod volunteers race to rescue 45 dolphins stranded on beach
ReplyDeleteSource: Fox News August 11 2020
Summary: 45 dolphins were found stranded in a beach near cape cod and scientists were unsure as to why this fairly large group all ended up stranded there. Due to them being stranded, many of the dolphins were found with different injuries. Some initial thoughts by some scientists were that these dolphins were fairly confused by the change in tides and were left in shallow water in low tide and unable to get out. There are also questions as to if this attributes to any mating behavior at the time, but nothing is certain as of yet.
citation:https://www.foxnews.com/science/cape-cod-dolphins-rescue-beach-massachusetts
Title: Devastating Skin Disease Covering Up Tp 70% of A Dolphin’s Body Tied to Climate Change
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily 18 December 2020
Summary: Through an international study, scientists have discovered a skin disease negatively affecting dolphins that is tied to climate change. More specifically, there have been significant decreases in water salinity. These freshwater conditions are resulting in an outbreak of a skin disease that is killing dolphins, and the long-term effects do not seem to be good. This is especially important because the Burrunan dolphin in Australia is being negatively affected by the disease, and they are a rare and threatened species.
Citation: The Marine Mammal Center. (2020, December 18). Devastating skin disease covering up to 70% of a dolphin's body tied to climate change. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 16, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201218131854.htm
Title: Shhh, The Whales Are Resting
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily 16 June 2020
Summary: Given that whales use hearing as their dominant sense, they need to be protected from human-produced noises. A study was conducted which monitored whale behavior in response to various noise levels. It was concluded that noise levels from a boat’s engine (such as those used for whale-watching) should not exceed 150 decibels. This will ensure that the whales are not disturbed nor will their behavior change as a result of disturbance.
Citation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200616135810.htm
Title: Fishing Less Could Be a Win for Both Lobstermen and Endangered Whales
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily 27 May 2020
Summary: Previous methods of pot fishing for lobster was known to kill whales and other protected species due to its long lines of rope which could entangle these species resulting in stress, starvation, injury, or death. However, fishing with less gear and during a shooter season could benefit the profitability of lobster fishery while proposing less risk to endangered whales.
Citation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200527123337.htm
Title: Toxic Chemicals From Burning Fossil Fuels Poison Dolphins and Whales on East Coast
ReplyDeleteSource: CNN 5 August 2020
Summary: Toxic chemicals such as arsenic and mercury (many of which come from the burning of fossil fuels and mining) are entering and traveling through the ecosystem. Organisms low on the food chain are ingesting toxic chemicals which end up in dolphins and whales who eat fish containing large amounts of toxic chemicals.. Furthermore, humans eat some of these fish, and large amounts of these toxic chemicals can be harmful to the human body. Humans can reduce the use of fossil fuels and single-use plastics to lessen the amount of toxins going into marine ecosystems.
Citation: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/05/world/dolphins-whales-chemical-poisoning-scn/index.html
Title: Researchers think they spotted new whale species off Mexico
ReplyDeleteSource: Reuters December 9, 2020
Summary: Researchers led by Jay Barlow were looking for a rare beaked whale species when they encountered what could possibly be a new species. It was an extremely unusual encounter because these whales came right up to the boat to get air. The scientists collected samples from the water hoping to determine if the DNA will truly identify a new species of beaked whale.
Citation: Cassandra Garrison. (2020, December 9). Reuters. Researchers think they spotted new whale species off Mexico. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-whale-discovery/researchers-think-they-spotted-new-whale-species-off-mexico-idUSKBN28K00E.
Title: Climate change: Polar bears could be lost by 2100
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News July 20, 2020
Summary: The polar bears are in dire straights, listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN. They could be in even worse conditions than we previously thought, and if conditions do not change soon, we could lose almost all of the polar bear populations by 2100. First, the cubs will fail to survive because the mothers will be so malnourished that she won't be able to produce milk for them. As climates warm, species are continuing to move north to find colder climates, but polar bears have nowhere to go. Their food is not easily found on land, either. With this in mind, we have to save the ice and stop the warming of the climate to save the polar bears.
Citation: Helen Briggs and Victoria Gill. (2020, July 20). BBC News. Climate change: Polar bears could be lost by 2100. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53474445
Title: Wildfire smoke may harm whales and dolphins: Here’s what we know
ReplyDeleteSource: National Geographic - 30 Sept 2020
Summary: This article explores the consequences that wildfires have on marine mammals. Wildfires consist of many different gases, many of them toxic. This can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in humans. However, since marine life aren’t as well adapt to these atmospheric toxins and don’t have some of the physical barriers that humans do to trap these toxins (i.e. sinus/nasal structures), they are even more at risk.
Citation: Basu, B. (2020, Sept 30). Wildfire smoke may harm whales and dolphins: Here’s what we know. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/09/whales-dolphins-harmed-wildfires-smoke-west/#close
Title: Deep impact: grey seals clap underwater to communicate
ReplyDeleteSource: The Conservation February 2, 2020
Summary: Seals in captive are well-known for their ability to clap as part of an entretainment medium, but wild grey seals also are known to clap as well. It took 17 years for marine biologist Ben Burville to accurately document and film the practice of grey seals communicating with one another via clapping. It is a social behavior done mainly by male seals to attract mates or scare off predators. Why is it important? The ever increasing noise pollution due to industrial complexes could definitely interfere with seal's ability to communicate.
Citation: Hocking, D., Burville, B., & Marx, F. G. (2020, November 30). Deep impact: Grey seals clap underwater to communicate. Retrieved January 17, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/deep-impact-grey-seals-clap-underwater-to-communicate-129910
Title: Using hypoxia adaptations in marine mammals to understand COVID-19
ReplyDeleteSource: News-Medical-Life Sciences - 16 December 2020
Summary: The article first explains how marine mammals are able to tolerate low oxygen levels through a number of different physiological mechanisms. It then goes on to connect this to coronavirus since the central cause of most symptoms seems to be a lack of oxygen in vital organs. The researcher hopes to continue researching marine mammals to understand how their adaptations have allowed them to survive in a partially oxygen-deprived world.
Citation: Coveney, S. (2020, Dec 16). Using hypoxia adaptations in marine mammals to understand COVID-19. News-Medical-Life Sciences. https://www.news-medical.net/amp/news/20201216/Using-hypoxia-adaptations-in-marine-mammals-to-understand-COVID-19.aspx
Title: Rare Beaked whale sighting could be a world first for the species.
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay News January 14, 2021
Summary: On a research expedition throughout the western Pacific Ocean researchers spotted, what they have decided to be, either a pair of ginkgo-toothed or Deraniyagala's beaked whales. This sighting was significant because it was the first ever live-sighting of either species in the western Pacific Ocean. They were able to observe and record much information about these whales, however, without a DNA sample there is no definite way to conclude that what they saw was a sighting of the elusive species of whale. Despite that the discovery and information that was gathered was still very valuable and can with future research.
Citation: Hansen, C. (2021, January 14). Rare beaked whale sighting could be a world first for the species. In Mongabay News & Inspiration From Nature's Frontline. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/rare-beaked-whale-sighting-could-be-a-world-first-for-the-species/
-MaKenzie Leatherwood
Title: Dolphins Have an Eating Trick. How They Learn It Is More Surprising.
ReplyDeleteSource: The New York Times June 25, 2020
Summary: This article goes into detail about the practice of conching, where dolphins chase their prey into seashells, trapping them there and then moving the shells to the surface of water where they easily can eat the fish. This practice is interesting because it is thought not to be learned from their nuclear family but rather by observing their peers such as whales who exhibit the same practices. This is interestsing because this is a trait that is usually just seen in chimpanzee, orangutan, and human species.
Citation: Wu, K. (2020, June 25). Dolphins Have an Eating Trick. How They Learn It Is More Surprising. Retrieved January 17, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/science/dolphins-shells-learning.html
Title: Climate change: Polar bears could be lost by 2100.
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News 20 July 2020
Summary: At the current rate of climate change, polar bears are expected to be nearly wiped out by year 2100. If the worst-case scenario for greenhouse emissions continues its course in the future, nearly all but a few polar bear populations will die out. Even the moderate case-scenario of emissions will kill many polar bear populations. This is largely due to melting sea ice habitats, and with them, the bears' food supply.
Citation: Briggs, H. and Gill, V., 2020. Climate Change: Polar Bears Could Be Lost By 2100. [online] BBC News. Available at:
Title: The sea otter rescue plan that worked too well
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News Article August 18, 2020
Summary: This is the story of the population increases and decreases up and down in time. A couple hundred years ago otters were great in number and then they went down and now they are back up again because of some strategies of the government but mostly because of the resilience of the otters.
Citation: The sea otter rescue plan that worked too well. (2020). Retrieved January 18, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200818-the-canadian-sea-otter-rescue-plan-that-worked-too-well
Title: Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone
ReplyDeleteSource: Science News Article June 11, 2020
Summary: There was a push to have sea otters comeback around the west side of Canada near the coast. There seemed to be many benefits from one side of the coin but also when you looked there was also some costs to having them as well. You always need to look deeper than you think.
Citation: Lambert, J. (2020, June 12). Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone. Retrieved January 18, 2021, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sea-otters-pacific-northwest-indigenous-communities
Title: Teeth from extinct Oregon sea otters reveal a northern kinship
ReplyDeleteSource: University of Oregon Dec 4 2020
Summary: There was speculation on where the otter that lived in Oregon were orginally from . It seems to be that they are more similar to the northern Seat Otters than they are to the Otters that are from the California region.
Citation: Teeth from extinct Oregon sea otters reveal a northern kinship. (2020, December 04). Retrieved January 18, 2021, from https://around.uoregon.edu/content/teeth-extinct-oregon-sea-otters-reveal-northern-kinship
Title: In otter news: Disappearing otters and climate change spell double trouble for reefs
ReplyDeleteSource: Envirobites article Sep 30 2020
Summary: The loss of species and climate change can put habitats into really bad situations. It seems that the loss of otters from an environment was in correlation with an increase in climate change and there being too many urchins in the reefs in the area.
Citation: Wilkening, J. (2020, September 30). In otter news: Disappearing otters and climate change spell double trouble for reefs. Retrieved January 18, 2021, from https://envirobites.org/2020/09/30/in-otter-news-disappearing-otters-and-climate-change-spell-double-trouble-for-reefs/
Title: What Would a British Columbia Seal and Sea Lion Cull Actually Entail?
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 22 October 2020
Summary: A University of British Columbia professor emeritus has proposed for a culling of 50,000 harbor seals and 25,000 Stellar sea lions under the argument that their presence is suppressing salmon stocks for human consumption. Competing arguments suggests that many other factors are likely at play, including ocean warming. This has been an ongoing, highly contested, and polarizing proposal that has jumpstarted reports for the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, geared toward investigating the effects that seals and sea lions have on salmon populations.
Citation: Pynn, L. (2020, October 22). What Would a British Columbia Seal and Sea Lion Cull Actually Entail? Hakai Magazine. https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/what-would-a-british-columbia-seal-and-sea-lion-cull-actually-entail/.
Title: In the past 15 years, climate change has transformed the Arctic
ReplyDeleteSource: ScienceNews 9 December 2020
Summary: Technological advancements and new research methods have allowed marine researchers to discover ways in which different characteristics of Arctic climate change are linked. By determining sea ice mass using gravity measurements in conjunction with direct observation methods, climate scientists discovered that sea ice in 2020 had reached the second lowest recorded mass in the past 42 years.
Citation: Segarra, C. (2020, December 9). In the past 15 years, climate change has transformed the Arctic. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-arctic-warming-noaa-report-card-2020.
Title: Listening to marine mammals is helping scientists understand Arctic impacts of climate change
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay 24 February 2020
Summary: Researchers with Wildlife Conservation Society have conducted a study using acoustic monitoring to determine how seasonal sea ice variation has affects populations of five marine mammal species. After capturing more than 33,000 vocalizations, results have helped determine baseline mammal distributions in the northern Bering Sea as ship traffic increases in the Arctic.
Citation: Listening to marine mammals is helping scientists understand Arctic impacts of climate change. Mongabay Environmental News. (2020, March 18). https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/listening-to-marine-mammals-is-helping-scientists-understand-arctic-impacts-of-climate-change/.
Title: Dolphins can learn from peers how to use shells as tools
ReplyDeleteSource: ScienceNews 25 June 2020
Summary: A clever and adaptive foraging technique used by several Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins allows them to more easily capture prey found at the seafloor. The mechanism employed allows them to trap prey in a large snail shell, insert their beaks into the opening, and consume its contents at the surface. This behavior has been estimated to have been learned through social transmission.
Citation: Lee, J. J. (2020, June 25). Dolphins can learn from peers how to use shells as tools. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/dolphins-learn-shells-foraging-tools.
Title: A rare species of whale washed ashore dead in North Carolina
ReplyDeleteSource: CNN 23 November 2020
Summary: One of the most rare marine mammals, a North Atlantic right whale, was found dead on the shore in North Carolina. The calf seemed to have died during or shortly after birth. However, the species is endangered and such a loss negatively impacts its recovery as a species. While there was no indication of human interaction causing the death, the leading cause of whale death/injury involves human interaction.
Citation: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/us/rare-right-whale-washed-ashore-trnd/index.html
Title: New whale Species discovered in Mexico
ReplyDeleteSource: CNN 9 December 2020
Summary: Each species of whale produces a unique acoustic signal underwater. Experts found an acoustic signal that had not yet been identified which was being produced by a whale with characteristics that had not been previously identified. This makes the experts confident that a new species of whale has been discovered.
Citation: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/americas/new-whale-species-mexico-scli-intl-scn/index.html
Title : Fresh water skin disease in dolphins: a case definition based on pathology and environmental factors in Australia
ReplyDeleteSource: Scientific Reports (December 15, 2020)
Summary: Over the past couple years, a multitude of dolphins, especially those endemic to Australia, have been affected by an emerging cetacean dermatitis. This terrible pathological presentation can cover up to 70% of the dolphin's body surface and can begin to colonize with a variety of fungal, bacterial, and algal species, showing a yellow, green, or orange discoloration.
Citation: Duignan, P.J., Stephens, N.S. & Robb, K. Fresh water skin disease in dolphins: a case definition based on pathology and environmental factors in Australia. Sci Rep 10, 21979 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78858-2
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78858-2#citeas
itle: An Annual Sea Lion Sickness Is Linked to Climate Change
ReplyDeleteSource: KAZU (Radio station) from The Marine Mammal Center (June 23, 2020)
Summary: Over the past couple years Climate change and warming waters on our west coast has led to an outburst in algal blooms. These blooming algae produce a toxin called domoic acid, which can result in disorientation and seizures in marine mammals, especially sea lions who eat fish that consume these algae.
Citation: Loxton, M. (n.d.). An Annual Sea Lion Sickness Is Linked to Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.kazu.org/post/annual-sea-lion-sickness-linked-climate-change#stream/0
Title: Tracking humanity's latest toxins in stranded whales and dolphins
ReplyDeleteSource: Phys.org, Frontiers in Marine Science (August 5, 2020)
Summary: As we develop new types of plastics and chemicals, one thing that should be on our minds is how will the runoff of these materials affect our wildlife, whether on land or in the water. This study gives a look at how the presence of these pollutants is affecting stranded whales and dolphins on the coast of Southeastern United States. It also gives insight into the potential risk to humans since the buildup of toxic contaminants in fish not only affects marine wildlife since humans are a big consumer of seafood.
Citation: Staff, S. X. (2020, August 05). Tracking humanity's latest toxins in stranded whales and dolphins. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2020-08-tracking-humanity-latest-toxins-stranded.html
Title: Future Too Warm for Baby Sharks
ReplyDeleteSource: Science Daily 12 January 2021
Summary: Climate change can cause the oceans to have warmer temperatures. If temperatures are warmer, shark embryos grow faster and hatch earlier, meaning that they have a shorter amount of time to access nutrients and develop. If these sharks are born smaller and without proper nourishment, it is challenging for them to survive. Ecosystems may not be able to properly function without sharks because they are crucial predators.
Citation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210112085353.htm
Title: Deep Impact: Grey Seals Clap Underwater to Communicate
ReplyDeleteSource: The Conversation 2 February 2020
Summary: Breeding grey seals were found to be clapping at each other as a means to scare away predators and to get the attention of potential mates. This finding is important because seals are known to communicate via vocal sounds. However, a clap seems to create a nose that makes seals stand out, especially males.
Citation: https://theconversation.com/deep-impact-grey-seals-clap-underwater-to-communicate-129910
Title: Native Knowledge of the Narwhal
ReplyDeleteSource: Smithsonian Ocean March 2020
Summary: Narwhals are very hard to track but have been a source of mystery for a long time. Their lifestyle and travel patters make them difficult to track, as they often spend much time in deep waters. In the summer months they do come closer to the shore. The Inuit people are very familiar with the Narwhals as they depend on them for food and other resources. They encounter the Narwhals often and have been able to observe their social systems and skin shedding called molting.
Citation: Hall, D. H. (2020, March). Native Knowledge of the Narwhal. Smithsonian. https://ocean.si.edu/human-connections/history-cultures/native-knowledge-narwhal
Title: Deep impact: grey seals clap underwater to communicate
ReplyDeleteSource: The Conservation February 2, 2020
Summary: There has been video footage of grey seals clapping underwater in order to attract potential mates or get rid of competitors. This is so surprising because most marine mammals communicate vocally, which grey seals do as well. Many mammals communicate with other sounds as well but that usually happens at the surface of the water, not under water. It took 17 years to get this clapping act on video. Many divers have heard the sound before but sometimes mistake it for vocal communication. Clapping seems to be specific to grey seals as other marine mammals have not been seen doing the act but dolphins can make a similar sound by slapping their tails against the water. Clapping is important to breeding and survival.
Citation: Hocking, D., Burville, B., & Marx, F. G. (2020, February 3). Deep impact: grey seals clap underwater to communicate. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/deep-impact-grey-seals-clap-underwater-to-communicate-129910
Title: With the help of trained dolphins, our team of researchers is building a specialized drone to help us study dolphins in the wild
ReplyDeleteSource: The Conservation July 1, 2020
Summary: Humans have a big impact on the survival of dolphins and small whales, many have died from being entangled in rope. Humans also impact their stress levels, reproductive health and respiratory system which is very hard to collect data on. A group of researchers is developing a drone that collect samples from the spray that comes from their blowholes. This new way of collecting samples and data would be much less stressful on the animals than the old way of collecting tissue samples with darts. Samples of spray from blowholes is already being collected from whales, which are much easier to sneak up on than dolphins. It is very important to get those samples because it gives researchers information on the hormones which reflects the reproductive ability.
Citation:https://theconversation.com/with-the-help-of-trained-dolphins-our-team-of-researchers-is-building-a-specialized-drone-to-help-us-study-dolphins-in-the-wild-137971
Title: Salish Sea Killer Whales Have a Surprising New Way of Hunting
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine January 14, 2021
Summary: Bigg's killer whales in the Salish Sea have been spotted intentionally beaching themselves to ambush prey. When this was first observed, the naturalist's were concerned for the whales, however it was soon seen that this behavior was intentional for hunting food, particularly seals. In some areas, this behavior is more dangerous than others due to the rocky shores. Overall, this behavior shows the intelligence of these whales in the way they are coming up with creative hunting tactics.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/salish-sea-killer-whales-have-a-surprising-new-way-of-hunting/
Title: Marine Mammals' adaptations to low oxygen offer new perspective on COVID-19
ReplyDeleteSource: University of California - Santa Cruz December 3, 2020
Summary: Humans are vulnerable to rapid damage in a wide range of tissues when oxygen levels drop due to the effects on the lungs and cardiovascular system of infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. A new article explores how the diving physiology of marine mammals can help us understand the effects of COVID-19.
Citation: University of California - Santa Cruz. "Marine mammals' adaptations to low oxygen offer new perspective on COVID-19." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 December 2020. .
Title: A New Population of Blue Whales Was Discovered Hiding in the Indian Ocean
ReplyDeleteSource: The New York Times 17 January 2021
Summary: A group of scientists has discovered a new population of blue whales in the Indian Ocean. They believe that these whales are an unknown population because their calling is unlike anything they have ever heard. Scientists are excited about this new discovery because it shows how diverse our oceans really are.
Citation: Wu, K. J. (2020, December 23). A New Population of Blue Whales Was Discovered Hiding in the Indian Ocean. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/science/blue-whales-indian-ocean.html.
Title: Aquarium agrees to delay beluga whale delivery amid lawsuit
ReplyDeleteSource: Phys.org; 3 January 2021
Summary: There are five beluga whales in a Canadian Aquarium awaiting a decision about their movement. There is currently a lawsuit between the Friends of Animals groups and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Friends of Animals group believes that the transfer of these beluga whales would cause unnecessary stress and strain on the marine mammals. The Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the National Marine Fisheries Service believe that the movement of the beluga whales is necessary for vital research and would be a safe and comfortable move for the animals. Before the marine mammal transport from Ontario, Canada to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, United States, a decision must be reached by a court.
Citation: https://phys.org/news/2021-01-aquarium-beluga-whale-delivery-lawsuit.html
Title: California Harbor Porpoises Rebound After Coastal Gillnetting Stopped
ReplyDeleteSource: NOAA Fisheries; 13 January 2021
Summary: Gillnet fishing has been responsible for the death of many marine mammals and the sharp decline in their populations. Off the coast of California, populations of Harbor porpoises reside. Their populations have been increasing exponentially as laws were created to restrict the use of gillnets along the shore. Harbor porpoises have been a success story of how controlling and removing the causes of marine death can bring back once dying populations.
Citation: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/california-harbor-porpoises-rebound-after-coastal-gillnetting-stopped
Title: Severe Entanglements Threaten Recovery of Guadalupe Fur Seals
ReplyDeleteSource: Marine Mammal Center 1 June 2020
Summary: Scientists with the Marine Mammal Center are deeply concerned with the rise of entanglements with stray fishing gear that is negatively affecting the chances of the Guadalupe Fur Seals' chance of recovering its population after being close to extinction. They've treated close to 10 seals just halfway through 2020 and they are worried that they may discover more. They are still cautiously optimistic however, that this issue can be resolved and the species can continue to gain back its numbers. They understand that their curious behaviors also could lead to them becoming entangled with these stray equipment.
Citation: OctoberCMS. (2020, June 1). Severe Entanglements Threaten Recovery of Guadalupe Fur Seals. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/news/severe-entanglements-threaten-recovery-of-guadalupe-fur-seals
Title: The woman who helped reveal whale migration in Kenya
ReplyDeleteSource: CNN, 6 January 2021
Summary: Tourism in Kenya once focused on safaris and the annual migration of wildebeest in the Maasai Mara. Now, thanks to Jane Spilsbury of the Watamu Marine Association, along with divers and local fishermen, a marine tourist hub has emerged on the Kenyan coast. Spilsbury began documenting whales and dolphins in the area, including humpback whales that travel from Antarctica to Somalia. While she continues her conservation and research work, the locals have become “citizen scientists,” with a database where they document whale sightings. A total of 24 whale and dolphin species have been identified off of Kenya, and domestic tourism continues to flourish despite the pandemic.
Citation: Stewart, A. (2021, January 6). The woman who helped reveal whale migration in Kenya. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/whales-in-kenya-scn/index.html
Title: Someone Wrote 'Trump' on a Florida Manatee
ReplyDeleteSource: The New York Times
Summary: A manatee was found with "TRUMP" etched into its back off of the coast of Florida. Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for any information regarding the incident. There is some dispute among experts whether the markings are a result of carving into the skin versus writing in algae. Regardless, the markings are an example of gross animal abuse and these beautiful, endangered creatures should be left alone.
Citation: Diaz, J. (2021, January 11). Someone Etched 'Trump' on a Florida Manatee. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/florida-manatee-trump.html
[Repost with correct formatting]
DeleteTitle: Someone Wrote 'Trump' on a Florida Manatee
Source: The New York Times, 11 January 2021
Summary: A manatee was found with "TRUMP" etched into its back off of the coast of Florida. Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for any information regarding the incident. There is some dispute among experts whether the markings are a result of carving into the skin versus writing in algae. Regardless, the markings are an example of gross animal abuse and these beautiful, endangered creatures should be left alone.
Citation: Diaz, J. (2021, January 11). Someone Etched 'Trump' on a Florida Manatee. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/florida-manatee-trump.html
Title: Dolphins learn how to use tools from peers, just like great apes
ReplyDeleteSource: National Geographic
Summary:A study by Swiss scientists has found that unrelated Australian bottlenose dolphins teach each other how to use certain tools. Formerly, this behavior was believed to be exclusive to great apes and humans. This social learning behavior displays dolphins ability to learn both vertically and horizontally within their communities. These findings bolster the already wide-held belief of dolphins as highly intelligent creatures.
Citation: Langley, L. (2020, June 25). Dolphins learn how to use tools from peers, just like great apes. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/06/dolphins-use-tools-peers-similar-great-apes/
[Repost with correct formatting]
DeleteTitle: Dolphins learn how to use tools from peers, just like great apes
Source: National Geographic, 25 June 2020
Summary: A study by Swiss scientists has found that unrelated Australian bottlenose dolphins teach each other how to use certain tools. Formerly, this behavior was believed to be exclusive to great apes and humans. This social learning behavior displays dolphins ability to learn both vertically and horizontally within their communities. These findings bolster the already wide-held belief of dolphins as highly intelligent creatures.
Citation: Langley, L. (2020, June 25). Dolphins learn how to use tools from peers, just like great apes. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/06/dolphins-use-tools-peers-similar-great-apes/
Title: In ‘Huge Victory for Polar Bears’, Court Rejects Arctic Offshore Drilling Project.
ReplyDeleteSource: Good News Network, 12 December 2020
Summary: On December 7, 2020, The U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the Liberty oil project of Foggy Island Bay in Alaska. The decision came after a series of lawsuits condemned the project, for it could have been detrimental to threatened and endangered wildlife in the area, including marine mammals. Indeed, Foggy Island Bay is home to not only polar bears, but also sea otters, Pacific walruses, three species of seal, and six whale species. The court ultimately rejected the project because it omitted estimates of foreign oil emissions and included “poor-quality modeling.” For now, marine mammals and other species can continue to inhabit the area.
Citation: Corbley, A. (2020, December 12). In ‘huge victory for polar bears’, court rejects Arctic offshore drilling project. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/liberty-hillcorp-alaska-drilling-project-denied/
Title: Where seals hide their compasses? Seals can feel magnet fields, scientists say
ReplyDeleteSource: Russian News Agency TASS, 19 January 2021
Summary: Russian scientists have discovered seal have the ability to sense electromagnetic fields. This discovery was achieved by studying the behavioral patterns of several pinnipeds over the course of 2015-2020 when exposed to an artificial magnetic field. Scientists hope to extrapolate this information to make inferences regarding the migrational patterns of the seals.
Citation: Where seals hide their compasses? Seals can feel magnet fields, scientists say. (2021, January 19). Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://tass.com/science/1246643
Title: Big win for orcas – the Klamath River dams are coming down
ReplyDeleteSource: Whale and Dolphin Conservation, 19 November 2020
Summary: The Governors of California and Oregon, along with PacifiCorp, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, and the Karuk and Yurok Tribes, reached an agreement on November 17 to remove four dams on the Klamath River. The removals are projected to increase the population of Chinook salmon by up to 80 percent in the Klamath River Basin, and in turn, result in a greater abundance of food for the Southern Resident orcas in the region. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) will continue monitoring the process.
Citation: Weiler, C. (2020, November 19). Big win for orcas – the Klamath River dams are coming down. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://us.whales.org/2020/11/19/big-win-for-orcas-the-klamath-river-dams-are-coming-down/
Title: Hazards of disease transfer from marine mammals to land mammals
ReplyDeleteSource:PMC, E. (n.d.).
Summary:During a phase of a 5 year study, it has been shown that there are different types of disease agents that is being spreaded throughout the diversity of the ocean inhabitant. These disease agents were found to be transmissible which is why these bacteria agents have the ability to transfer from marine mammals to land mammals. Due to this, the bacterial pathogens that were found to be on land mammals had to be isolated from the wild marine mammals. These viruses were also found to be contagious to swine horse and primates. All in all, precautions are being taken in order to ensure that the infectious agents won't be transmitted in a long run.
Citation:PMC, E. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://europepmc.org/article/med/738931
Title:Discovery of a Novel Bottlenose Dolphin Coronavirus Reveals a Distinct Species of Marine Mammal Coronavirus in Gammacoronavirus
ReplyDeleteSource:Woo, P., Lau, S., Lam, C., Tsang, A., Hui, S., Fan, R., . . . Yuen, K. (2014, January 15).
Summary:There has been a study that has been found to indicate that novel bottlenose dolphin coronavirus found a unique species of marine mammal coronavirus in "gammacoronavirus."Fecal samples were taken from three Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.The genome sequencing an the genome analysis shown the same genome feature however there was a big difference in the amount of protein that was encoded by the S genes.
Citation:Woo, P., Lau, S., Lam, C., Tsang, A., Hui, S., Fan, R., . . . Yuen, K. (2014, January 15). Discovery of a Novel Bottlenose Dolphin Coronavirus Reveals a Distinct Species of Marine Mammal Coronavirus in Gammacoronavirus. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://jvi.asm.org/content/88/2/1318.short
Title:Health risks for marine mammal workers
ReplyDeleteSource:Hunt, T., Ziccardi, M., Gulland, F., Yochem, P., Hird, D., Rowles, T., & Mazet, J. (2008, August 19).
Summary:It has been stated that marine mammals have the ability to be infected with different types of zoonotic pathogens therefore report of humans coming in contact with marine mammals that has such disease agents has been reported to be transmittable to humans. A survey has been conducted to estimate the amount of illnesses marine mammals volunteers or worker has contracted several illness such as brucellosis, and tuberculosis. Although it could not be confirmed by physician through the case study. Humans were able to contract such as coming in contact with marine mammals tissue or blood.
Citation:Hunt, T., Ziccardi, M., Gulland, F., Yochem, P., Hird, D., Rowles, T., & Mazet, J. (2008, August 19). Health risks for marine mammal workers. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v81/n1/p81-92
Title: Can Marine Mammals Catch Covid-19 via Wastewater? The Evidence Is Murky
ReplyDeleteSource: Smithsonian Magazine 9 December 2020
Summary: A new study suggests that marine mammals may be able to contract Covid-19 from humans. The study found that 15 marine mammal species have the same receptor as humans that the virus binds to. It was proposed that areas with poor wastewater management may be at risk for transmitting the disease to marine mammals. However, it was ultimately concluded that transmission within water is unlikely and not expected to occur.
Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-marine-mammals-catch-covid-19-new-study-says-its-possible-180976471/
Title: Whale of a find: Scientists spot beaked whale believed to be a new species
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay News 11 December 2020
Summary: Scientists have spotted a species of beaked whale off Mexico's Pacific coast that differs visually and acoustically from other currently known beaked whale species. However, more evidence including the animals' physical features and skeletal structure is necessary in order to establish and identify a new species.
Citation: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/whale-of-a-find-scientists-spot-beaked-whale-believed-to-be-a-new-species/
Title: New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean.
ReplyDeleteSource: New England Aquarium, December 21, 2020
Summary: Scientists have discovered a new whale song off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea that they believe may belong to an undocumented group of blue whales. Dr. Salvatore Cerchio from the African Aquatic Conservation Fund's Cetacean Program led an analysis of the new song from three different locations throughout the Indian ocean. When reported to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, the recent discovery opened lots of doors for future studies of whale populations in the western Indian ocean.
Citation: New England Aquarium. (2020, December 21). New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 19, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221155935.htm
Title: Global Vulnerability of Marine Mammals to Global Warming
ReplyDeleteSource: Scientific Reports, 3 March 2020
Summary: Greenhouse gases pose an intrinsic threat to Marine Mammal's livelihoods. Ocean's act as a sink for excess atmospheric heat and carbon dioxide which leads to Ocean acidification and temperature rises, ultimately threatening the complex and diverse ecosystems within. Marine Mammals sensitivity to the issues of global warming are condensed to five major points: food availability, habitat loss, reproductive issues, social behavior, and biological implications.
Citation: Albouy, C., Delattre, V., Donati, G., Frölicher, T., Albouy-Boyer, S., Rufino, M., Leprieur, F. (2020, March 03). Global vulnerability of marine mammals to global warming. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-57280-3
Title: Elephant Seal Bulls Take Over Drakes Beach as Glad Gawkers Gape
ReplyDeleteSource: CBS 16 January 2021
Summary: In the middle of a pandemic, Drakes beach was taken over by seals. Although they had to shut down the beach to protect the mating season of these mammals, passerbyers have noted that there were only 9 to 10 seals compared to the usual beaches being taken over by female seals and their pups.
Citation: Ramos, J. (2021, January 16). Elephant Seal Bulls Take Over Drakes Beach as Glad Gawkers Gape. CBS San Francisco. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/01/16/marine-mammals-elephant-seals-drakes-beach-marin-reyes/.
Title: Florida Likely to End 2020 with More Manatee Deaths than Usual
ReplyDeleteSource: Tampa Bay Times, 22 December 2020
Summary: The Fish and Wildlife Conservation have reported at least 562 manatee deaths since early December, surpassing the five year average. Two-thirds of the reported deaths were attributed to boat collisions and cold waters. Sea grass depletion as a result of algal blooms and poor water quality has driven manatees farther from their protected areas and into unregulated waters. The death toll is expected to rise.
Citation: Sampson, Z. (2020, December 22). Florida likely to end 2020 with more manatee deaths than usual. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2020/12/22/florida-likely-to-end-2020-with-more-manatee-deaths-than-usual/
Title: Archaeologists Could Help Bring Otters Back From the Dead
ReplyDeleteSource: The New York Times, 03 December 2020
Summary: Efforts to reintroduce Sea Otter populations off of the shore in Oregon using captured and released Alaskan Sea Otter's was attempted unsuccessfully. Archeological evaluation of Sea Otter teeth found in Northern Oregon gave insight to the failed attempt. Previous Sea Otter populations consisted of both Northern and Southern Sea Otter populations that interbred off of the coast of Oregon. This suggests that an incorporation of both Californian and Alaskan Sea Otter's could replenish the Oregon population.
Citation: Sokol, J. (2020, December 03). Archaeologists Could Help Bring Otters Back From the Dead. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/science/otters-oregon-alaska.html
Title: High-precision Isotopic analysis sheds new light on mercury metabolism in long-finned pilot whales
ReplyDeleteSource: Scientific Reports 13 May 2019
Summary: Evidence has shown that Mercury levels in these whales do not have a negative effect on them, which has been the school of thought usually. Using the study, it has been shown that an increased metabolism directly correlates to a lower level of mercury in the whale and usually levels continue to go higher as the whale gets older in age. Most of the mercury in the studied animals was concentrated in the liver but with the animal being so large, it can be absorbed in its other organs as well, with no toxic effect.
Citation:Bolea-Fernandez, E., Rua-Ibarz, A., Krupp, E., Feldmann, J., & Vanhaecke, F. (2019, May 13). High-precision isotopic analysis sheds new light on mercury metabolism in long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas ). Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43825-z
Title: Sri Lankans save pilot whales in epic rescue after mass stranding
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay; 5 November 2020
Summary: Short finned pilot whales ended up stranded on the beach shores of Panadura, Sri Lanka. About 100 whales came to shore, and almost all but 5 made it out safely. The process took many attempts by locals, volunteers, and activists to get the large group of whales back out to water safely. The people pulled the whales with jet-skis; the process took around 16 hours to complete. The reason behind this stranding and maybe other is unknown and could be from multiple factors. The factors could include noise disturbances that interfere with the sonar navigation of whales.
Citation: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/11/sri-lankans-save-pilot-whales-in-epic-rescue-after-mass-stranding/
Title: Endangered Right Wales Spotted Off the Coast of Virginia Beach
ReplyDeleteSource: NBC Affiliate, WWBT (14 January 2021)
Summary: North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, once susceptible to whaling, now susceptible to boat strikes and fishing gear entanglements. With at least three whales spotted less than 30 miles off of the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, NOAA has declared a slow zone for boats in this area in order to protect the right whales as they migrate off of the coast. This could possible be an uptick in the future of the North Atlantic right whale.
Citation: Russo, N. (2021, January 14). Endangered right whales spotted off the coast of Virginia Beach. Retrieved 19 January, 2021 from https://www.nbc12.com/2021/01/14/endangered-right-whales-spotted-off-coast-virginia-beach/
Title: New Rules for Watching Endangered Orcas in Washington Take Effect in 2021
DeleteSource: NBC Affiliate, K5 (24 December 2020)
Summary: The Fish and Wildlife Commission has put new regulations in place along the coast of Washington state in order to protect endangered orcas from commercial vessels. The rules limit the amount of vessels allowed at a certain distance from the mammals at a time and include fines for violations. The regulations, while seemingly helpful, are debatably so. Conservationists argue that lessening whale watchers could negatively effect the whales, and also argue that salmon recovery and pollution limitation would better aid the endangered orcas. Time will tell how these new regulations will effect the population.
Citation: King 5 Staff (2020, December 24). New rules for watching endangered orcas in Washington take effect in 2021. Retrieved 19 January, 2021 from https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/orcas/new-orca-whale-watching-rules-in-2021-washington-state/281-6ac51861-67b7-4f0d-b28c-bf3b5c744e6f
Title: Rare beaked whale sighting could be a world first for the species
ReplyDeleteSource: Mongabay News 14 January 2021
Summary: There is a possibility that the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale or the Deraniyagala’s beaked whale has been spotted for the first time in history. This conclusion was made by scientists on a research cruise in the South China Sea, and it is significant due to there being so little known about these two species. They are hoping for future successful research cruises in order to collect DNA samples from the whales, so that they can confidently identify them.
Citation: Hansen, C. (2021, January 19). Rare beaked whale sighting could be a world first for the species. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/rare-beaked-whale-sighting-could-be-a-world-first-for-the-species/
Title: Coastal Job: Whale Dog
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai; August 28, 2020
Summary: Written from dog perspective's who works as a killer whale feces locater. The dog has been trained to sniff out killer whale feces which aids in finding out more about diet, reproductive health, and well-being. They are currently trying to figure out why the whales in the Salish Sea are having so few offspring.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/coastal-job-whale-dog/
Title: Number of critically endangered North Atlantic right whale calves grows to 11 after 2 spotted off Florida coast
ReplyDeleteSource: Julia Jacobo; ABC News 19 Jan, 2021
Summary: The North Atlantic Right Whale is a critically endangered species of whale endemic to the East Coast. Recently two new calves was spotted off the coast of Amelia Island, bringing the total number of calves up to 11. This is a massive change from previous years, over the last 4 calving seasons only 22 calves have been born.
Citation: Jacobo, Julia (2021, January 19). Number of critically endangered North Atlantic right whale calves grows to 11 after 2 spotted off Florida coast. Retrieved January 20, 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/International/number-critically-endangered-north-atlantic-whale-calves-grows/story?id=75343023
Title: How Whales Help Cool the Earth
ReplyDeleteSource: Sophie Yeo; BBC 19th January, 2021
Summary: Species of whales, particularly sperm and baleen whales, play important roles in the carbon cycle of the ocean. Being large animals whales are able to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide in their bodies which gets transported to the bottom of the ocean once they die. In addition to this whale excrement provides the ideal conditions for phytobacteria to grow, which further reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Citation: Yeo, Sophie (2021, January 19). How Whales Help Cool the Earth. Retrieved January 20, 2021. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210119-why-saving-whales-can-help-fight-climate-change
Title: Climate Change: polar bears could be lost by 2100
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC News Jul 20, 2020
Summary: The melting of Arctic sea ice is causing polar bears to struggle to find food. Their mostly hunt their prey on the sea ice, so as sea ice melts they have less and less area to roam for food. They are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of nature.
Citation: Gill, V., & Briggs, H. (2020, July 20). Climate change: Polar bears could be lost by 2100. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53474445
Title: Devastating skin disease covering up tot 70% of a dolphin's body tied to climate change.
ReplyDeleteSource: Science News Dec 18, 2020
Summary: There is an outbreak in Australia of a fresh-water skin disease in bottle nose dolphins. This skin disease can kill the dolphins and is especially threatening to the Burrunan dolphin. This skin disease is believed to be caused by climate change and is worsened by other problems such as habitat loss and degradation.
Citation:The Marine Mammal Center. (2020, December 18). Devastating skin disease covering up to 70% of a dolphin's body tied to climate change. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 20, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201218131854.htm
Title: How whales help cool the Earth
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC 19 January 2021
Summary: Because whales are so big, they store large amounts of carbon within their body. Whales sink to the ocean floor when they die, and the carbon stored within their bodies is released to the whole ocean. Their feces also provide conditions perfect for phytoplankton to grow.
Citation: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210112-the-vast-bicycle-graveyards-of-china
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210119-why-saving-whales-can-help-fight-climate-change
DeleteTitle: Hormone metabolites found in feces give researchers new insight into whale stress
ReplyDeleteSource: Oregon State University Dec 21, 2020
Summary: The researchers used fecal samples to monitor gray whale reproduction, stress and other physiological responses. Fecal samples are a great non-invasive way for monitoring a species. For the past four years, researchers have been analyzing 2 reproductive hormones, stress hormones, and thyroid which can show nutrition-related stress. This has allowed them to document when stressful events have occurred in specific whales.
Citation: Oregon State University. (2020, December 21). Hormone metabolites found in feces give researchers new insight into whale stress. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 20, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221173124.htm
Title: Pilot whale study reveals copycat calls o outsmart predators
ReplyDeleteSource: Curtin university Dec.3, 2020
Summary: Researchers have found that the long-finned pilot whales found in southern Australia can mimic the sounds that it's natural predator and food rival makes. It's predator/food rival is the killer whale. It is believed that this mimicking is a way for the pilot whales to outsmart and deter the killer whales.
Citation: Curtin University. (2020, December 3). Pilot whale study reveals copycat calls to outsmart predators. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 20, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201203113234.htm
Title: More Manatees Were Killed by Florida Boaters in 2019 than ever before
ReplyDeleteSource: Fox 13 Tampa 29 January 2020
Summary: There has been an alarming trend in Florida waters of manatee deaths rising because of boating clashes and 2019 saw the highest amount of deaths to date. It has been said that it is a multitude of factors that cause this to be a problem, especially with more manatees inhabiting heavily boated areas, as well as boaters ignoring no wake zones or simply not being careful enough. Some scientists believe that the manatees will again return to the scary endangered species list because of these new developments.
Citation:News, F. (2020, January 29). More manatees were killed by Florida boaters in 2019 than ever before. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.fox13news.com/news/more-manatees-were-killed-by-florida-boaters-in-2019-than-ever-before
Title: What’s killing killer whales?
ReplyDeleteSource: ScienceDaily 3 December 2020
Summary: Over 50 Killer whales have been stranded in the Pacific around Hawaii, most of them stranded due to human interactions. Some of these interactions include hook injuries which cause the whales to starve to death from the facial deformity.
Citation: ScienceDaily. (2020, December 3). What's killing killer whales? ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201203173446.htm.
Title: Harbor porpoises on the decline in the German North Sea
ReplyDeleteSource: Eurekalert 7 January 2021
Summary: Porpoises is known as an animal that scientist use to measure the condition of the Earth. Due to frequent ship traveling, the population is on declination in specific areas; however, increase in others. Researchers have a system to keep up with the population and have been using it for the last 20 years. With the data found, Researchers hope to understand the decline and growth more.
Citation: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/f-hpo010521.php
ReplyDeleteTitle: Cell death in porpoises caused by environmental pollutants
Source: Vet Candy 10 January 2021
Summary: Polluntants are harming finless porpoises more than seen elsewhere. The polluntants mostly come from man made chemicals that affect almost all Marin wildlife. To determine the exposure in finless porpoises, fibroblasts were collected and analyzed. With the analysis, researchers estimated the exposure-activity ratios to determine the pollutants affects.
Citation: https://www.myvetcandy.com/newsblog/2020/7/20/cell-death-in-porpoises-caused-by-environmental-pollutants
Title: How whales help cool the Earth
ReplyDeleteSource: BBC Future 19 January 2021
Summary: Whales are essential to the carbon cycle. Because they are so big, their bodies carry a grave amount of carbon. They are beneficial to the health of Earth; the amount of carbon they excrete helps control climate through death when at the bottom of the ocean and defecation while alive.
Citation: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210119-why-saving-whales-can-help-fight-climate-change
Title: Baleen whales have changed their distribution in the Western North Atlantic
ReplyDeleteSource: Vet Candy 28 Decembesr 2020
Summary: Over the last 10 years, the distribution of several types of baleen whales have changed and continues to be tracked. Depending on the type of baleen whale, their population and movement varied: Blue Whales were found more in deeper waters and in south east Åmerica ( they are usually found in Eastern Canada); while the other whales were seen in more Northern places.
Citation: https://www.myvetcandy.com/newsblog/2020/7/17/baleen-whales-have-changed-their-distribution-in-the-western-north-atlantic
Title: Climate shifts for krill predators
ReplyDeleteSource: Nature Climate Change 27 April 2020
Summary: Climate change models and research studies predict that warming global temperatures will have interesting effects on the crabeater seal, a krill-specialist predator. As temperatures rise and sea ice melts, the crabeater seal will most likely have to move their habitats further inland, away from the krill populations in the Southern Ocean. This will disrupt the balance of the ecosystem since crabeater seals are one of the few predators left that depend on the antarctic krill population. Many other key predators will be affected by these population changes.
Citation: Melbourne-Thomas, J. Climate shifts for krill predators. Nat. Clim. Chang. 10, 390–391 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0756-6
Title: Climate shifts for krill predators
ReplyDeleteSource: Nature Climate Change 27 April 2020
Summary: Climate change models and research studies predict that warming global temperatures will have interesting effects on the crabeater seal, a krill-specialist predator. As temperatures rise and sea ice melts, the crabeater seal will most likely have to move their habitats further inland, away from the krill populations in the Southern Ocean. This will disrupt the balance of the ecosystem since crabeater seals are one of the few predators left that depend on the antarctic krill population. Many other key predators will be affected by these population changes.
Citation: Melbourne-Thomas, J. Climate shifts for krill predators. Nat. Clim. Chang. 10, 390–391 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0756-6
Title: Devastating skin disease covering up to 70% of a dolphin's body tied to climate change
ReplyDeleteSource: The Marine Mammal Center 18 December 2020
Summary: Recent research has linked a novel skin disease in dolphins that first appeared in 2005 to climate change. Due to the decreased water salinity brought upon by climate change, the dolphins develop patchy and raised skin lesions. These findings can be used to reduce the impact of increasing ocean temperatures on marine mammals.
Citation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201218131854.htm
Title: Scientists thought these seals evolved in the north. 3-million-year-old fossils from New Zealand suggest otherwise.
ReplyDeleteSource: The Conversation 10 November 2020
Summary: The 3 million year old fossils of Eomonachus belegaerensis, a monk seal, were found in the southern hemisphere. This is very groundbreaking because scientists had always thought these seals evolved in the north. This discovery not only changed everything scientists thought they knew about this species of seals, it also altered what they assumed about how all monachines evolved.
Citation: Rule, J. P., Fitzgerald, E., Marx, F. G., & Adams, J. W. (2020, November 17). Scientists thought these seals evolved in the north. 3-million-year-old fossils from New Zealand suggest otherwise. Retrieved January 21, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/scientists-thought-these-seals-evolved-in-the-north-3-million-year-old-fossils-from-new-zealand-suggest-otherwise-149746
Title: More than just a sun tan: Ultraviolet light helps marine animals to tell the time of year
ReplyDeleteSource: EurekAlert!
Summary: Sunlight is used in many ways. Animals can use it to change mating times, feeding or sleeping activities. Not only does the length of the day have an influence on these activities, but also seasonal UVA lights. The scientists realized that the animals that didn't have a light receptor (c-opsin 1) did not respond to the UVA changes. HOw the UVA influences this behavior is not understood.
Citation: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/uov-mtj010821.php
Title: Young Dolphins pick their friends wisely
ReplyDeleteSource: EurekAlert!
Summary: One study showed that dolphins under 10 years find friends to help them build bonds and build skills for their future. When dolphins are around 3-4 years they leave their mothers to start these bonds and come together in different combinations. Males tend to find other males and females find other females. Females tend to be less social but spend almost 2x more time finding fish for food. These activities help develop social skills that can help in adulthood with less high-stakes risks that correlate to sexual maturity
Citation: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/du-ydp072320.php
Title: How Diseases Sweep through the Sea
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine; August 7th, 2020
Summary: There have been more frequent mass die offs of marine mammals since 1996 that have been found to be mostly from influenza A and Morbillivirus. These viruses spread particularly fast through species that tend to haul out together such as seals and sea lions. In addition, moving from the sea to the land exposes these species to both terrestrial and aquatic viruses. The researchers have also found that increasing global temperatures play a role in outbreaks, but they are still investigating this further.
Source: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/how-diseases-sweep-through-the-sea/?utm_campaign=reprint&utm_source=smithsonian
Title: Dead whale, one of Med's largest, found off Italy
ReplyDeleteSource: Phys.org; Jan 20, 2021
Summary: A dead whale was found off the coast of Italy in Wednesday. The whale was one of the largest ever recorded in the Mediterranean. The corpse was spotted along with a smaller whale that disappeared after the initial sighting. The large corpse is currently being studied to determine cause of death.
Citation: 2021, Jan 20. Dead whale, one of Med's largest, found off Italy. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-01-dead-whale-med-largest-italy.html. Retrieved Jan 21, 2021
Title: Delaware-Sized Iceberg Could Decimate Wildlife on South Atlantic Island
ReplyDeleteSource: Smithsonian Magazine; November 6th, 2020
Summary: There is an iceberg the size of Delaware heading towards the island of South Georgia which will complicate how wildlife, including seals and whales will be able to get their food. It is pupping season for seals, so getting food back to their young in a certain amount of time is really important, and the iceberg could cause big detours. Photosynthetic algae could also be killed off because of blocked sunlight which eventually will impact the fish populations, a food source for whales. Scientists are trying to map exactly where and when the iceberg will hit, but they say it is hard to predict because of ocean currents.
Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/iceberg-size-delaware-could-decimate-wildlife-south-atlantic-island-180976222/
Title: Blue Whales Sing All Day When They Migrate and All Night When They Don’t
ReplyDeleteSource: Smithsonian Magazine; October 8th, 2020
Summary: Researchers found that male blue whales sing at night during the warm summers, but when they migrate they switch to singing at night. The whales will sing for 12 hours straight sometimes during the nights. If the they do more research and find out that the songs are "acoustic signatures of migration", this could help conservation efforts of the whales. For instance, they would be able to warn ships that the whales are currently migrating and to use a different path.
Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-its-time-migrate-blue-whales-shift-timing-their-songs-new-study-reveals-180976021/
Title: Scientists discover eels hunting in a group
ReplyDeleteSource:Social predation in electric eels. Ecology and Evolution, 2021
Summary: In the Amazon river basin, scientists discovered upwards of 100 electric eels. These eels work in packs to herd groups of tetras and form them into a ball. When this is accomplished, about 10 eels pull off of the massive pack to keep the prey surrounded and launch simultaneous electric attacks which stuns the tetras into submission.
Citation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163927.htm
Title: Future too warm for baby sharks
ReplyDeleteSource: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, January 12, 2021
Summary: As the climate changes the worlds oceans to become warmer, baby sharks are in turn being born not suited in environments that are already difficult for them to live in. This happens due to the heat causing embryos to grow faster and used their yolk sac quicker which is their single source of food while developing. Sharks do not care for their eggs after they are laid, so the egg must be able to survive unprotected for up to four months. Without these predators, oceans ecosystems are likely to collapse.
Citation:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210112085353.htm
Title: Sharks nearby? A bottle of seawater can hold the answer, study says
ReplyDeleteSource:Environmental DNA detection tracks established seasonal occurrence of blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in a semi-enclosed subtropical Bay. Scientific Reports, 10(1). Aug 2020
Summary: A new study has been able to identify the presence of blacktip sharks in the waters of a bay in Florida through eDNA detection in water samples. The water contained more blacktip eDNA in the spring and summer months. Only half a gallon of water is needed to test the presence of sharks and since the eDNA does not last long in the water due to bacteria and UV radiation, this method has proven to be successful to determine the populations seasonally.
Citation: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/sharks-nearby-a-bottle-of-seawater-can-hold-the-answer-study-says/
Title: 600-year-old marine sponge holds centuries-old climate records
ReplyDeleteSource: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Jan 14, 2021
Summary:
Scientists have been able to reconstruct a record of ocean temperature in the North Atlantic by a 600 year old sea sponge. This sea sponge has revealed a past of volcanic activity, global warming, release of Co2 ad other heat trapping gasses into the Earths atmosphere, then absorbed by oceans. The sponge was basketball sized and found more than 133 meters below the waters surface in the Bahamas.
Citation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114113749.htm
Title: Researchers See Signs of Chronic Stress in Polar Bear's Blood
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine, October 28, 2020
Summary: Due to climate change melting the ice, researchers have found the time period that the polar bears have to hunt is decreasing so they are having to fast for longer periods of time. There has been research done on how the stress of having less hunting time and more fasting time is taking a toll physiologically on the polar bears. They have found that CBG (which normally declines during chronic stress) has been shown at rising levels for polar bears during stressful hunting years. This is counter-intuitive, and is maybe indicative of a survival mechanism that polar bears have adapted. Regardless, the climate change is affecting the polar bear population negatively but it is interesting to note the hormonal changes that it causes in the polar bear's body.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/researchers-see-signs-of-chronic-stress-in-polar-bears-blood/
Title: Coastal Job: Whale Snot Collector
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 25 September 2020
Summary: Snot collecting from whales includes waiting for the whales to approach the boat, waiting for them to come up for air, and when they exhale, collecting the snot in a petri dish on a pole. This snot can be tested for hormone levels like cortisol. The study is being done to test how increased boat traffic in the Hudson Bay is affecting the stress levels of beluga whales, along with pollution and ship strikes.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/coastal-job-whale-snot-collector/
Title: A Dolphin Double Whammy
ReplyDeleteSource: Hakai Magazine 11 January 2021
Summary: When a dolphin gets hurt, it can be cutoff from its social group and friends. Strong bonds like mother and calf and male groups stayed intact, but friends drifted away. Possible reasons for this could be that the injured dolphin is a liability, or their personality could have changed and they are less likeable.
Citation: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/a-dolphin-double-whammy/