Two new North Atlantic right whale calves were spotted off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. This is exciting news for the critically endangered species. There are only 366 individuals left and every new whale counts. The population has taken…
For more than a century, gray seals were hunted in the New England area. Massachusetts even paid bounties of $5 each for the seals' valuable fur. The populations of these seals were decimated. In 1972, conservationists hoped the newly passed…
This year brought with it the most powerful El Niño on record. Oceans around the world are reaching their highest temperatures ever. And the heating of the oceans is leading to the bleaching of coral reefs all around the world. The National Oceanic…
On March 17, SeaWorld announced that it would no longer breed orcas. This decision came after years of criticism from animal rights activists. The pressure increased after a 2012 book and a 2013 documentary claimed that SeaWorld’s orcas were not…
Some humpback whales could soon be coming off the endangered species list. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wants to reconsider whether all humpback whales should be on the endangered species list. Instead, the NOAA would consider each of the world's…
Zookeepers at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago are caring for a special baby. A sea otter pup, orphaned at one week old, has arrived at their facility. Without its mom, the pup doesn’t know how to be a sea otter. The…
Hawaiian monk seals, one of the few tropical seal species, have been considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 1982. While their numbers are still falling, there is a sign of hope. The National Oceanic and…
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has started an investigation of whether manatees should be removed from the endangered list, and reclassified as threatened. The 90-day substantial finding announced by the FWS requires additional in-depth research. The agency will also be opening…
As we keep dumping greenhouse gases into the air, the oceans keep sucking them up, making the waters deadly to their inhabitants. The acidification – which some scientists believe is the fastest change in the ocean's chemistry in 300 million years –…
Scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute and Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research have shown for the first time how the complexity of a life form can limit its ability to adapt to a warming climate. The new sutdy,…