Despite progress in reducing pollution, long-banned contaminants continue to threaten whales in Eastern Canada.
Banned contaminants are still affecting whales in Eastern Canada Read More »
Plasticizers added to plastics give them their properties, but these chemicals can leach into the oceans and harm marine life. Recent studies found plastic chemicals in marine mammals in Norway, raising concerns about their prevalence and impact. To help, reduce plastic use, recycle, and support policies to ban harmful chemicals and protect ocean creatures.
Toxic chemicals from plastics found in Norwegian marine mammals Read More »
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), though banned, remain a threat to marine ecosystems, particularly damaged the harbor porpoises in the North Sea. A study found that these porpoises consume high concentrations of such pollutants while feeding, compromising their health and reproduction. Transferred from mothers to calves through lactation, these chemicals, such as PCBs, pose a major concern for the future population of these marine mammals. This calls for enhanced conservation strategies and more responsible individual actions.
Harbor porpoise calves ingest toxic chemicals through their mother’s milk Read More »
Scientists have for a long time thought that orcas in Iceland specialized in eating fish (like herring). Recently, however, experts have noticed that some Icelandic orcas seem to enjoy another type of snack: marine mammals. This could be a problem, and eating marine mammals could threaten the long-term survival of these orcas. In this post,
Preying on marine mammals might be threatening the survival of Icelandic orcas Read More »
We found long-banned pesticides and industrial pollutants in the blubber of humpback whales from Antarctica, suggesting these contaminants accumulate in Antarctic food webs. The pollution levels however were the some of the lowest measured in the world for these whales. Good news for the whales! Our study on humpback whales from Antarctica just got published
What can whales tell us about pollution in Antarctica? Read More »
Marianna Pinzone is a 31 years-old Italian marine mammalogist. She is currently doing her PhD at the University of Liège in Belgium. Here is her story… Marianna’s Education I completed my Bsc. in Biological Sciences in 3 yrs at the University of Rome in Italy. After this, I went into my master program and got
Whale Scientists Story: Marianna Pinzone Read More »
Make sure to read Part 1 before you read this post. Regrettably, Part 2 is a bit of a downer but is necessary to address. The SRKWs population has been drastically decreasing. The most recent population estimate indicates a total of 73 individuals remaining. Scientists have identified three main threats to the SRKW population: starvation,
Orca Awareness Month: Southern Residents (Part Two) Read More »
