Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species releases new assessment
The Marine Mammal team for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) just published their report on at-sea and aerial surveys that took place in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico between 2017-2018. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) […]
Blue whales return to the Seychelles
Blue whales – the largest animals on Earth – are making their home in a part of the Indian Ocean where they were wiped out by whaling decades ago. Researchers and filmmakers in the Seychelles captured footage of the whales in 2020 and 2021. It features in the Imax film Blue Whales 3D. But a […]
Dominica Announces Sperm Whale Reserve
The world’s first marine reserve for sperm whales is set to open in the waters off the coast of Dominica, a tiny island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The reserve’s establishment is aimed at safeguarding a local population of a few hundred endangered sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that are threatened by fishing gear entanglements, […]
Whales and dolphins survey concluded successfully for Upolu and Savaii Islands
The Samoa Ocean Strategy 2020 – 2030 (SOS) underlines the vital importance of monitoring and researching marine life as integral elements of its overarching strategic priorities. In line with this commitment, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Conservation International successfully […]
The Twinning’s Final Partners Workshop 2023
From October 16 – 18, the Marine Mammal Twinning hosted its final partners workshop, in collaboration with Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Scituate (MA), United States of America. In total, over 15 MPA managers, marine mammal experts, and researchers, representing 6 countries (USA, France, Mexico, Iceland, UK and Bermuda), convened for a packed 3 […]
North Atlantic Right Whale Population Trends Worries Scientists: Lowest Since 2010
For more than 40 years, a group of researchers in New England (US) have been monitoring the population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, by photographing them and tracking their movements throughout their extensive range. The whales migrate from their feeding grounds off the north-eastern coast of the US and Canada, to the […]
Reductions in Vessel Speed Reduce Noise Impacts on Marine Mammals
In a recent study published by the Advances in Science journal, researchers have found that even minor reductions in cargo vessel speed can have a significant impact on reducing underwater nose levels and the detrimental effects they have on marine mammals. The study emphasizes the urgent need for global actions to mitigate the increasing cumulative […]
The Marine Mammals Management Toolkit launches the SAT-LITE
To bolster the resources available to managers and marine users to effectively manage Marine Protected Areas (MPA) for the benefit of marine mammals, the Marine Mammal Twinning has launched the fifth core component of the Marine Mammals Management Toolkit – the SAT-LITE. As the reduced version of the already established Self-Assessment Tool, the SAT-LITE bridges […]
Marine Mammal Twinning and WIOMSA – Recorded Webinar
On the 13th of April, the Marine Mammal Twinning hosted a training webinar in collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Network (WIOMPAN) to MPA and marine mammal practitioners in the Western Indian Ocean. The webinar was a great opportunity to introduce the Marine […]
Risso’s dolphins face new threat in the Mediterranean
Cetaceans, especially dolphins such as Grampus griseus, are particularly prone to build up of persistent chemical toxic substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as they are apex predators (at the top of the marine food web). This added to their long lifespan and wide home ranges, makes cetaceans, like Risso’s dolphin, excellent indicator species […]
