They were overhunted in the 18th and 19th centuries and their population dropped from 300,000 worldwide to only a few thousand in Alaska. (Cohn, 1998) The 1911 International Fur Seal Treaty saved the otters and other marine mammals from extinction. (Bodkin 2002) The sea otter population is very important to many parts of the ocean’s ecosystem because they help keep sea urchin populations at a safe level. Too many sea urchins mean decreased kelp beds. Beyond the overhunting, there are many other threats to the sea otter population.
However, Lionfish can have negative effects on the overall reef habitat as they can eliminate organisms which serve important ecological roles such as herbivorous fish which keep algae in-check on the reefs. Lionfish usually prefer living in still waters protected from any current, in quieter and darker parts of the reef; they are also known to exist in bays, estuaries and harbors. A female lionfish will release between 4,000 and 30,000 eggs during mating to be fertilized by the male’s sperm. This invasive species is growing and spreading rapidly through the Americas. It is uncertain how the lionfish arrived.
Many groups are working to make people aware of orcas in captivity and avoid future reoccurring problems like this. Wanda, the first orca captured in 1961, was found off of the coast of california. (orcaaware.org) This large predatory marine mammal soon became
Even though there are between 3.25 and 16 billion barrels of oil in all of ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), it would take even more time, money and resources to extract it. The proposed area is only a fraction of ANWR, but would have a large impact and because the area is so small, many of the major oil companies have lost interest in drilling for oil in Alaska. Since the United States uses seven billion barrels of oil a year, or 19 million barrels a day, it would take only 24 days to use every drop of oil in the proposed area! And yes, I do understand that the United States needs to decrease its dependency on foreign oil, but drilling in Alaska is the wrong way to accomplish that. Instead of trying to figure out where to drill the next oil well, we should be finding alternative forms of energy.
As Burke states, “for many countries this practice is happening on the other side of the world, but for Australia, this is immediately to our south” . Due to this factor that Australia is in close proximity of the area being affected, Australia has an obligation to protect what is nearest to it. There are 5 species of whale that are located around the Southern Pacific in which Australia is responsible for, “including the humpback and blue whales.” In June 2011, Japanese whalers launched a research whaling deeming the expedition necessary to prove that commercial whaling did not affect the ecosystem. The three vessels that underwent the expedition were faced by the Sea Shepherd, an anti-whaling environmental activist group who ‘hurled paint and stink bombs’ . The fleet, led by Nisshin Maru, were only able to catch a fifth of their planned quota due to the harassment of the anti-whaler activists.
Approximately 95 million years ago, the ancestor of today’s dolphin, the Mesonix, roamed the earth. It was a land animal that went into the water to eat. It had front legs and back legs and was covered with hair. Plenty of the research that has been conducted shows that this is with the Artiodactyl order. It is believed that the ancestors of dolphins that we know today entered the water about 50 million years ago!
Abstract Worldwide populations of killer whales (Orcinus Orca) have long been thought to be an individual species with a unique cultural component. Transient and Resident orcas have long been studied to determine the cause of their starkly different societies and prey predilection. Until recently, they were considered to be no more than ecotypes of one another—genetically identical although behaviorally very different. Recent research, however (the discovery of a drastically dissimilar pod in Antarctic waters) has led scientists to question this classification and contemplate the real possibility that these divergent groups could in fact be genetically isolated species. With this being the case, much more care must be given to preserve the
The Arctic as most know is known for its fisherman and whalers, whom in the past overfished and whaling for the uses of oil, but cause a major downfall in the number of Arctic marine life. AS mentioned before with the climate change there will a larger number of fishing and whaling vessels due to the decrease of sea ice and the opening of Arctic waters that have never been accessible. Looking at the Arctic portal I found a list of restrictions that would be major to the fishing industry; 1. Restrictions on catch and effort, for instance by setting the total allowable catch (TAC) and allocating the TAC by means of national quotas. 2.
The Gulf of Mexico oil leak has fired up arguments against offshore drilling. After decades of heated debate, this incident shed light on its dangers and impact on the environment. Offshore drilling, the process of extracting oil and gas resources from underwater locations, including lakes, has been conducted at increasingly deeper and farther off shore sites in recent years, as shallow fossil fuel reserves and near-shore drilling locations have become exhausted. But with deeper drilling depths comes increased danger – including higher risks of accidents, spills and fires, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Why is it so dangerous?
The humpback whale and North Atlantic right whale are the top two that you may see in New Jersey waters though other whales may migrate there. These whales are large and move slowly. The whaling industry banned these endangered whales from being hunted when they saw the numbers decline. The whales are still at risk for death by getting tangled in fishing nets and colliding with ships or boats that are fishing, exploring for oil and whale watching. Indiana Bat The Indiana Bat has been on the endangered species list for New Jersey for over 40 years.