Marine Conservation - Page 5

Between 1970 and 2012, marine vertebrates have declined by 49% and some fish species have declined by nearly 75%.

Learning to manage the habitats and biodiversity within our oceans and coasts is one of the greatest challenges of this century.

Not only do we kill animals at far higher rates than other predators, we hunt in ways that are particularly destructive.

A new study has revealed that shifting trade winds and ocean currents have resulted in a doubling of their population over the past 30 years.

The west coast population has increased by nine percent and the east coast population has increased by ten percent. These are the highest increases documented worldwide.

Mortality was found to rise in the winter months between November and March, which coincides with a greater congregation of dugongs and an increase in the level of fishing activity.

An international team of biologists recently scoured reports and research going back 250 years to identify nine ways humans pose a threat to penguins.

The total area of the reserve covers 322,000 square miles (834,000 sq km) which is roughly three and a half times the area of Britain.

As recently as the 1960s the total population was in the thousands, so the species is now listed as critically endangered.