Dolphins are simplifying their calls to be heard over shipping noise
The world’s oceans are getting noisier, humming with the near-constant sounds of ship engines, seafloor mining, and oil and gas exploration. Now, a new study has found that dolphins are being forced to simplify their calls in order to be heard over the noise.
PCB pollution threatens to wipe out killer whales
More than 40 years after the first initiatives were taken to ban the use of PCBs, the chemical pollutants remain a deadly threat to animals at the top of the food chain. A new study shows that the current concentrations of PCBs can lead to the disappearance of half of the world’s populations of killer whales from the most heavily contaminated areas within a period of just 30-50 years.
Dolphin Deaths in Florida’s Red Tide Disaster Prompt Federal Investigation
Federal wildlife officials are investigating dozens of dolphin deaths off Florida’s southwest coast which has been experiencing a severe red tide.
Hundreds of endangered turtles killed in illegal fishing net
About 300 sea turtles have died on Mexico’s southern Pacific coast after they were trapped in an abandoned illegal fishing net.
Decades of chemical pollution suspected in Maine’s seal die-off
As the number of dead and stranded seals washing up on southern Maine beaches rises by the day, researchers are linking the sudden die-off to decades of chemical pollution that made the seal population vulnerable to toxins and disease.
Ghost netting: Image emerges of decomposed turtle wrapped in plastic net
Pictures taken from the upcoming environmental film Blue, which will be shown at the Ocean Film Festival UK & Ireland Tour, show the horrific effects of plastic pollution and ghost nets on marine life and the world’s oceans.
Shark Mystery: Where Have South Africa’s Great Whites Gone?
The world’s most famous sharks are the great whites off Cape Town, featured in the popular “Air Jaws” series. But now these sharks have mostly gone missing, and some experts blame a fishery for depleting the smaller sharks that the great whites feed on.
Sea turns red with blood after whale hunt in Faroe Islands
Denmark is involved in a shameful practice. While it may seem incredible, even today a whale slaughtering custom continues, in the Faroe Islands. The sea is stained in red from the slaughtering of hundreds of the famous and intelligent Calderon dolphins, which are a type of Pilot whales. An intelligent dolphin that is placid and approaches humans out of friendliness.
In a coastal town, beach owners don’t even want sea turtles trespassing
All over Florida, people are arguing over whether a new law blocks the public from walking across a private beach. Instead of just humans, some Belleair Shore residents want to give sea turtles the boot too.