Good news for the bats and some marine species because the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has recently granted them protected status. During the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP 12) that was held in Manila, protections for migratory bats, angelsharks, blue sharks, dusky sharks, guitarfish, white spotted wedgefish and whale sharks, among others were awarded migratory species protection.
Over the past 40 years, the Earth has already lost half of its wildlife, according to WWF. The planet is in the midst of a 6th mass extinction. But what makes this one worse than the previous 5 mass extinction is that the rate is becoming comparable if not rapid. The growing human population and their increasing demand for resources has cost the lives of tens of thousands of species. 865 species have already gone extinct, including 13% of birds and 25% of all mammals.
Climate change has had a startling effect on the rising temperatures of the oceans. Scientists predict that water temperatures will hit 1.4 – 5.8◦c by the end of the century. This change in the weather and ocean temperature is having a fundamental effect on the marine life that depends on it.
For years people have looked up at the sky and wondered what it would be like to travel into space. The possibility of colonising another planet is exciting and fills us with a sense of immeasurable awe. But what if we turned our eyes a little closer to home?
A recent study has highlighted a link between plankton and the staggering impact plastic pollution can have on the sea. A specific type of plankton, called zooplankton have been found to readily ingest microplastics. Rather than being digested, it is excreted in the plankton’s faecal pellets. As a consequence, the plastic waste produced by us, may end up in some of the deepest parts of the ocean, which has so far remained untouched by humans. This is bad news for marine wildlife.
Although it is a naturally occurring event, you’d be hard pressed not to be somewhat perplexed at the amount of reported whale strandings that have transpired since the beginning of 2016 in the United Kingdom and European shores. While an event of this nature is indeed mournful, it does leave us questioning how and why there seems to be a sudden surge of whales becoming marooned on our coasts.
Beyond critically endangered there are categories of extinction including extinct in the wild all the way up to entirely extinct. So, here is a little information about on species that is endangered headed in the direction of critically endangered: the Bluefin Tuna.
White and tiger sharks are well known as some of the largest and most aggressive shark species. Bull sharks are smaller, relatively speaking, but are thought to have attacked more people than any other species. What makes bull sharks so dangerous?
A short video showing marine life you can see freediving throughout Western Australia ; stingrays, caves, crayfish, dolphins, fish, seabirds and sharks
Sharks are one of the most fascinating species on earth. Here are the most amazing facts about them.
A fishing charter that works just off of the coast of New Zealand got a life-changing experience as they found themselves dealing with a Great White Shark.
As one of the largest vertebrate predators the planet has ever witnessed, the Megalodon is one of the most popular creatures in modern history.
Another mysterious wave of dead sea animals has washed ashore in Peru, the possible consequence of radiation releases from the nuclear facility in Japan.
Cruise ships are not the most environmentally friendly vacation destination. With over a billion gallons of sewage dumped into the open ocean every year.
On Sunday, November 9, 2014 several shark species were finally granted protection under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
What is believed by scientists to be the biggest amassing of Pacific walruses on record is being attributed to climate change. Point Lay, an island in northwest Alaska, was the venue for the gathering of more than 35,000 of these portly…