Marine Conservation - Page 6

The most comprehensive study on the impact of marine debris in more than a decade has recently been published.

The global population was down to just 15 tortoises by the 1960s. Now there are some 1,000 tortoises breeding on their own. The population is secure. It’s a rare example of how biologists and managers can collaborate to recover a species from the brink of extinction.

Recent research indicates that healthy coral could mean a healthy shark population.

As well as being a foundation for food webs and supporting a diverse array of species, coral reefs play an important role in protecting the shoreline from storms and surge water.

The great whales, like blue, sperm, grey and right whales, are slowly making a comeback. There are now more than a million sperm whales and tens of thousands of grey whales.

When their numbers are depleted it will take a long time for populations to recover. Better education on the consequences of purchasing Nautilus shells, more research and better regulation appears to be essential for their survival. We can only hope that it is not too late.

Floating plastic debris is ingested either directly, because the birds believe them to be food items, or indirectly by eating prey that has plastic in their stomach. The result of plastic ingestion is entanglement, ulcers, infections and death to many marine animals.

Have you ever taken away a shell as a souvenir of your trip? This activity is perceived as harmless, yet multiply this by millions of tourists and we have a global environmental problem on our hands.

One of the greatest threats to the survival of leatherback turtles is industrial longline fishing.