Environmental News March 8 - March 26, 2018

Only 12 Vaquita Porpoises Remain, Watchdog Group Reports
March 8, 2018
By Erik Hoffner
Using sonic buoys to count them through echolocation, scientists have been able to confirm this number of about a dozen vaquitas left in the wild. Their primary cause of death becoming entangled gillnets used to catch the totoaba, a prized Mexican Fish.
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Belugas at Marineland
March 2018
By the Whale Sanctuary Project
Despite the fact that there are over 50 beluga whales at Marineland in Canada, there is currently no information them about any of them as individuals. Some were captured in the wild, others were born there, and many have died there at a earlier than average age.
Read more here.

Trump Rollback Target Offshore Rules ‘Written With Human Blood’
March 10, 2018
By Eric Lipton
Oil rigs off the California coast are a part of a huge industry that extracts oil and gas from the sea floor. Recently, the Trump administration has been making efforts to increase offshore productions and make it easier to drill in nearly all US coastal waters. There has been a lot of debate and several rules enforced regarding this practice since then.
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Today’s “Planet Earth Report”— David Attenborough on the “Beauty and Horror” of the World’s Oceans
March 11, 2018
By David Attenborough
David Attenborough emphasizes the need for exploration and research in oceans in order to help it overcome the threat humans pose to it. In his last swath of nature television, Attenborough says, “Never has there been a more crucial time to explore what goes on beneath the surface of the seas!” All the information we are discovering about the deep directly relates to humans and our impact on the world’s oceans.
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11 Things We Learned From Fabien Cousteau— Who Lived Underwater For 31 Days
March 11, 2018
Fabien Cousteau recounts his mission in 2014 when he lived underwater for a month and in the process broke his grandfather’s record by one day. He addresses the misconceptions and endless questions on life underwater. There was a lot of planning and training that went into the mission, but it was all worth it as Fabien came out with an even deeper understanding of the ocean.
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Autopsies of Beached Whales in Southern Taiwan Reveal Sickness
March 11, 2018
By Renée Salmonsen, Taiwan News
Three stranded killer whales, two females and one male, died at the National Cheng-kung University in Kaohsiung this week. After a close dissection, researchers found plastic bags in both females, while the male had infected lungs and more. These occurrences are becoming increasingly common as plastic continues to accumulate in oceans.
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US Absent From Global Meeting on Ocean Health. That’s Bad News for the Planet
March 12, 2018
By Claudia Geib
The World Oceans Summit met in Mexico from March 7-9. The United States was conspicuously absent in the conversation about ocean health, unlike other nations that sent presidents and ministers to the meeting.
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Orcas Spotted Off the Irish Coast Show Us Why These Animals Belong in the Wild
March 13, 2018
By Aisling Cronin
The majestic animals known as Orcas have long been targeted by marine parks and amusement centers for entertainment. Consequently, many of them arise with psychological and physical health problems, a result of a wild animal being held captive. In early March, a few lucky people were able to witness these animals off the coast of Ireland and feel the magic of the moment.
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Fishing For Krill is an Eco-disaster: We Must Protect the Antarctic
March 13, 2018
By Chris Packham
Unfortunately for the species that heavily depend on them, krill has become an increasingly sought after commodity for the expanding fishing industry. Companies in the Antarctic usually label themselves as sustainable, and yet many vessels have been linked to environmental and labour abuses. Krill populations are already dwindling due to warming waters, and being the bedrock of the Antarctic food web, this has end up having detrimental effects.
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‘Sacred Obligation’ for Lummis: Freeing Lolita From Seaquarium
March 14, 2018
By Chabeli Herrera, Miami Herald
Lolita is a killer whale that lived at the Miami Seaquarium for over 40 years, and will now potentially go into retirement. Her future is being debated between the Native American tribe, the Lummi Nation, and the Miami Seaquarium, who believes transporting her to a sea pen will be detrimental to her health.
Read more here.

Gov. Inslee to Request More Work for Chinook, Orca Recovery
March 14, 2018
By Kimberly Cauvel
Over the years, the whale population has decreased along with the number of chinook salmon. Inslee will issue an executive order today requesting that state agencies take immediate action and make long-term plans to recover the salmon and orca populations.
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When Will Animal Farming End? This Researcher Has a Prediction
March 14, 2018
By Kate Good
Most people that eat meat do not approve of the living conditions of animals on factory farms, and yet they continue to eat it. Will animal agriculture come to an end? Jacy Reese, cofounder and Research Director of Sentience Institute, thinks so. Through a progressive social movement and raised awareness, Reese believes people will start to see animals as “worthy” beings that deserve to be treated as such.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Wants to Take Big Oil to Court- Here’s Why He Should Take On the Meat Industry Too
March 14, 2018
By Michelle Neff
The former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is looking to sue the oil industry for knowingly polluting the environment and in the process, killing people. Yet many are wondering if he will also take on factory farmers, as it has been repeatedly proven that animal agriculture releases a lot of greenhouse gases, which contributes significantly to climate change.
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New Washington Directive Aims to Help Endangered Orcas
March 15, 2018
By Phuong Le
Living off the coast of Seattle, orcas have had to deal with vessel traffic, lack of food, and noise pollution. With the orca population in decline, Washington’s governor took long needed steps to protect the struggling whales. Although some action is long overdue, it is still not too late to take the necessary measures to keep this iconic species from disappearing.
Read more here.

Jean-Michel Cousteau on Exploring Earth’s Last Frontier
March 2018
By Lauren Hill
Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of esteemed ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau, has become such a prominent figure in the conservationist world. The distinguished ocean advocate, environmentalist and film producer talks to Elite Traveler about his life’s mission to nurture his father’s legacy.
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Hunting Squid Slowed by Rising Carbon Levels
March 21, 2018
By ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated Coral Reef Studies
The ocean uptakes over one quarter of the atmosphere’s CO2, which in turn causes the seawater to become more acidic. This is already having a significantly negative effect on sea life, and it is only expected to worsen over the years. One species in particular, the squid, has been affected in its ability to attack prey, as they were overall more inefficient as predators.
Read more here.

Four Seasons Announces Plans for Luxury Resort in Belize
March 21, 2018
By Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
The private island of Caye Chapel is going to opening to the public in 2021, and will be featuring oceanfront estates, private residences, and overwater bungalows. Guests and homeowners will be able to enjoy the exceptional natural aquatic environment around the island through boat expeditions, snorkeling, paddle boarding, diving and the on-site Fabien Cousteau Nature and Conservation Institute and Adventure Center.
Read more here.

‘Horrified’ Scientists Watch Killer Whale Infanticide
March 21, 2018
By Bethany Lindsay
A female orca attacked a male of the same species after he drowned her calf off the coast of Vancouver Island. Scientists watching were horrified and fascinated by the phenomenon, which had never been witnessed before in orca populations. After a couple years of analyzing, researchers were able to conclude that the male committed infanticide in hopes of being able to mate with its mother.
Read more here.

In Ocean Conservation, Bigger IS Better
March 21, 2018
By Ocean Elders
Protecting small, highly-diverse places in the ocean is vital, but this alone cannot restore and maintain ocean health. There is an urgent need to take action to secure a truly sustainable future for humankind by taking care of much more than the current 4% of the ocean now officially protected. Momentum is now growing among nations to protect large areas of the ocean while there are still healthy and functioning marine ecosystems.
Read more here.

Lessons from the Forefront of the Global Fight for Food Security
March 24, 2018
By Robbie Swinnerton
Climate change is fast affecting the land available for cultivation, while food production and the resulting habitat loss is destroying wildlife and biodiversity across the globe. Feeding the world’s ever-growing population has become one of the daunting issues being discussed today. A diverse cast of luminaries gathered in Brazil, among them marine conservationist Céline Cousteau, to present their inputs and solutions on sustainable food.
Read more here.

The Economist Explains How Technology Is Changing Human’s Relationship With the Ocean
March 25, 2018
By R.G.
Within the past decade, people have started to view the ocean with the fragility and respect that it deserves. Better technology has allowed us to explore regions of the ocean that might have remained unknown, along with the extent of the effects of climate change on oceans. Yet we must continue to regulate the use of these new devices, so that we limit our impact on the natural underwater world.
Read more here.

Almost 50 Dolphins Die After Becoming Stranded on an Argentinian Beach
March 26, 2018
By Tom Wood
More than 60 dolphins were left stranded on a popular beach in Argentina. A dozen of them were successfully returned to the ocean, but the rest had already died. Many specialists have predicted that increased numbers of killer whales could have been a cause to this phenomenon, although it has not been confirmed. This is one of a few recent examples of cetacean beachings around the world, but it is the first that has occurred at this particular location.
Read more here.