Endangered Species of Australian Dolphin Discovered

It had always been assumed that the dolphins located near Melbourne, Australia were nothing more than a common type of bottlenose dolphin. While it is true that they are bottlenose dolphins, and very closely related to their more common cousins, the newly differentiated Tursiops australis, or Burrunan dolphin, is in fact its own species. This discovery came after DNA and skull samples were scrutinized by academics at the Monash University in Melbourne. Specialists are anticipating that the new species of dolphin "may immediately qualify under Australia's criteria for endangered animals," as they have so far been found to only live in one very small region of the ocean, numbering approximately 150 animals in all.

Bottlenose dolphins are notoriously intelligent creatures, solving problems and communicating in both captivity and the wild. In addition to brains, they are gifted with excellent eyesight, plus their ability to "see" using echolocation. The newly discovered Burrunan dolphin is smaller than the common bottlenose dolphin, coming it around eight feet long. Conservation efforts for the Burrunan dolphin have not yet been considered, as its existence was only recently realized.

via BBC

Endangered Status Delayed for the Pacific Walrus

The US Fish & Wildlife Service recently determined that the Pacific Walrus is threatened enough to warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. A backlog of vulnerable species is delaying the walrus' addition to the list, however, as there are more threatened animals in need of the law. Climate change is believed to be causing the walruses their recent strife, as they depend on drifting sea ice to rear their young. The Pacific Walrus, along with other animals considered in need of the Endangered Species Act, will have its status reviewed annually to raise the importance of the conservation efforts, if necessary. The Marine Mammal Protection Act currently offers the walruses some protection, as hunting, moving, and selling of walrus or walrus parts is illegal.

The walrus is a member of the pinniped family, being closely related to seals and sea lions. Pacific Walruses can weigh up to 4,400 pounds and are known for collecting into tremendous groups, numbering in the tens of thousands. They are easy to distinguish by their large tusks and "whiskers," which are filled with nerves, making them useful for tactile detection. These "whiskers" (officially called vibrissae) may be especially useful in collecting their favorite food, clams, although their method varies from Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter."

Aside from the recent climate changes, walruses numbers have been decreasing for centuries. Arctic hunters have treasured their meat and blubber for food and their ivory tusks for decoration. Walrus harvesting is now regulated throughout its habitat, restricted to only a few thousand a year, but tribal people are oftentimes still able to hunt for sustenance. It has been proposed that the current levels of harvesting are unsustainable, especially in combination with climate change.

via US Fish & Wildlife Service

Rare Dwarf Seahorse Threatened by BP Spill

The Dwarf Seahorse, a rare and elusive creature to begin with, is threatened with the possibility of extinction due to the notorious oil spill that began April 20, 2010. These seahorses swell only in shallow waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas. Because seahorses are poor swimmers, this species, like others of its kind, spend much of their time clinging to sea grasses. Unfortunately, clumps of vegetation near the oil spill were an easy destination for the heavy oil, collecting in the plants. The dark, clumpy oil starved the sea grasses, and the seahorses of light and oxygen. Aside from the murk and muck in the grasses caused simply by the oil, further complication arose when oil clean-up began to include setting such plant life ablaze, and releasing millions of gallons of toxic oil dispersent. Seahorses tend to produce relatively few offspring, and the grasses killed by the oil will need years to regrow. It is unclear how the oil and the dispersents may affect adults' hormones, or the health of newborn seahorse fry.

Dwarf seahorses are among the smallest species of seahorse, growing to only about two inches long. As with all seahorses, the males are the ones to become pregnant, carrying the babies for approximately ten days. They are carnivores, despite their small size, subsisting off baby brine shrimp and other shrimp larvae. Aside from the recent oil spill, the species has been threatened by the aquarium trade and from being bycatch during trawling. The size of the population is unknown, as they are rare, very small, and generally unresearched. Conservation efforts currently only involve regulations on the aquarium trade industry.

via guardian.co.uk

Finless Porpoise at Greater Risk

The finless porpoise has long been considered to be a vulnerable species, with only a few thousand individuals in the wild. A new study has found, however, that there are actually two separate species of finless porpoise, cutting the number of individuals down by half for each type. One lives in the Yangtze River, making it the only porpoise to survive in fresh water. This species is very rare, with approximately 1,000 porpoises living. The other lives in sea water, dwelling in the Yellow Sea and South China Sea. This revelation is hoped to cause more conservation efforts, as each type of finless porpoise has been found to be closer to extinction than previously thought.

The finless porpoise is a midsized marine mammal found primarily in coastal Asian waters. Their name stems from their lacking of a dorsal fin, a small ridge in its place, extending from its blowhole to its tail. They weigh between 65 and 100 pounds, and can grow to over five feet long. Although related to whales and dolphins, their behavior is more subdued, as they tend to be more shy of boats and do less playing in the waves.

The finless porpoise is currently considered to be an endangered species only in China. Their main threats are habit degradation, being caught in fishing nets, and enduring the after-effects of dredging lakes. Pollution has also been considered a dangerous threat, as are boat accidents. Hunting the porpoises has never been popular, as most have an aversion to eating the rare species, but when they are accidentally killed by becoming entangled in nets, or as byproducts of illegal electric fishing, they are sometimes sold as food.

via BBC Earth News

Critically Endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles Rehabbed and Released

Three Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles were released by the National Aquarium on June 19, 2010 after receiving six months of extensive rehabilitation. One of the turtles, later named Marshall, had been found cold-stunned in Massachusetts on December 1, 2009. It is an unfortunate, but common occurrence for turtles who have travelled too far north. After two weeks of slow warming and veterinary services, Marshall was relocated to the National Aquarium, in Baltimore, to receive further treatment. He underwent rehabilitation for pneumonia, a bacterial infection, and many scrapes and cuts. Now that he has been released, fans can still follow the adventures of Marshall, via a transmitter attached to his back, beaming the aquarium information about his current whereabouts.

The Kemp's Ridley is the smallest of the sea turtle species, weighing around 100 pounds when full-grown. They are considered to be critically endangered, the world's most endangered sea turtle, with only 1000 nesting females calculated to exist. The Kemp's Ridley Turtle is the only type of sea turtle to lay its eggs in the daylight hours, when hundreds of females bound up Mexican beaches. Shrimp trawls are the main threat to the turtles, so Turtle Excluder Devices are being put in the nets to keep them from harm's way. Their nesting beaches have been protected as sanctuaries for decades, and conservationists now use the areas as release grounds for hundreds of captive-born hatchlings.

via The National Aquarium

Hope For Beached Fin Whale

For the last three days, a fin whale has been stranded in a Danish fjord. It was thought that the young behemoth was ill and was expected to die in the near future. It had become exhausted after struggling to free itself from the shallow bank. As firemen sprayed it with water, trying to give it a less painful departure from this world, the whale began swimming again today, restoring hope for onlookers. As evening comes, rescuers will try to point the whale in the right direction, back into the high seas.

The fin whale is the second largest animal on the planet (behind only the blue whale), reaching lengths of 88 feet. A newborn weighs 4000 pounds, and an adult can grow to be 150,000 pounds. Because of their size, they, along with the blue whale, produce the lowest-frequency sounds sounds made by any animal.  They live almost exclusively off of krill, an animal similar to a tiny shrimp. Fin whales live to be approximately 100 years old.

Fin whales are currently listed as being endangered, with an estimated 40,000 individuals still remaining in the wild. Fin whale populations are primarily harmed by commercial whalers, seeking their blubber, oil and baleen. In the 1930s, over 28,000 fin whales were caught each year. Hunting of fin whales became illegal in all waters in 1987, though many countries still allow themselves a dozen or so creatures a year to hunt and market. Conservationists continue to push for zero fin whales to be hunted each year.

via AFP

Harsher Penalties for Hawaiian Monk Seal Harm

A bill recently became Hawaiian state law, increasing penalties for those caught intentionally harming Hawaiian endangered animals, including the Hawaiian monk seal. Doing so could result in up to a $50,000 fine and five years in prison, as hurting endangered animals has been raised to a class C felony. The Hawaiian monk seal was targeted to be the primary beneficiary of the bill.

The Hawaiian monk seal is currently considered to be critically endangered, with an estimated 1,000 individuals remaining. They are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and prefer living on islands mostly uninhabited by humans. They eat fish, octopus, eel, and lobster, which they dive as deep as 600 feet to obtain. They have the ability to slow their heart rate down to 10% of the norm when they are diving, reducing their need for oxygen, and increasing the amount of time they can stay underwater, up to 20 minutes.

Because of their aversion to human activity, Hawaiian development is a major factor in the animal's decline. Also, the seals have been historically hunted for their meat and skin, as have the animals that they prey upon, leading to a decrease in available food for the species. Becoming entangled in fishing nets and predation from sharks also have reduced the seal's numbers. Conservation efforts, in addition to the increased penalties mentioned previously, include cleaning marine toxins from their habitat, disallowing humans from certain parts of certain islands (to minimize interaction), removing sharks from areas that the Hawaiian monk seals dwell, and changing fishery regulations to design more seal-friendly methods of gathering fish.

via Hawaii Magazine

Loggerheads Rescued by SeaWorld Orlando

On May 6, SeaWorld Orlando rescued their 303rd sea turtle of 2010. As are many rehabilitated turtles, this large male presented itself covered in barnacles and emaciated. The Animal Rescue Team placed the 270-pound turtle on antibiotics and cleaned him of his barnacles. He has begun eating on his own and is planned to be released in the San Carlos Bay once he has fully recovered. So far (presently June), SeaWorld has rescued 304 turtles and has released 245, in 2010 alone. SeaWorld is currently the leader in endangered sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation.

Loggerhead turtles are omnivorous marine reptiles, living in almost all parts of the world where temperatures remain above 60*F. Florida is a particularly popular destination for the turtles, building up to 67,000 nests each year on the state's coasts. They are most active during the day, dividing their waking hours between resting and searching for food. Sea turtles are one of only a few animals that prey upon jellyfish, although most other marine life is also on their list of edibles (even sponges and corals). They ordinarily only stay underwater for fifteen to twenty minutes before coming to the surface for a breath, but have the ability to stay underwater for up to four hours.

Loggerheads, along with all of their sea turtle cousins, are considered to be an endangered species. Most turtles are harmed as a byproduct of fishing-- becoming entangled in nets. USA shrimpers' mandated Turtle Excluder Devices have reduced the number of sea turtles caught in fishing nets substantially, keeping turtles and other large creatures physically unable to be caught. Turtle nesting areas have also shrunk over time, as their beaches have become developed. Development of cities and the lights they produce have disrupted sea turtles' nests, as newly hatched turtles use the reflection of the moonlight over the ocean to guide them to water. Conservation campaigning has lowered the demand for turtle meat, as it is now almost globally illegal to consume.

via WINK News

Manatees Threatened by BP Oil Spill

In addition to the sea turtles, brown pelicans, dolphins, and terns being negatively affected by the recent oil spill, the manatee may also be threatened. As Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf states move to wrestle against the encroaching oil, news reports have begun to pour in about the first wave of habitat destruction to the marshes along the coasts. The first affected animals have in some cases been rehabilitated, and in others, have been found dead. The website, Monga Bay, questions whether manatees could soon face a similar future.

Manatees are almost exclusively herbivores. It is in their quest for sustenance that they may be harmed from the oil spill. They may be hurt if they "ingest oil-damaged sea grass beds and other vegetation." Also, if they were to "come into contact with surface oil, this could irritate their eyes and mucous membranes while clogging the animals’ nostrils."

Manatees are currently classified as vulnerable to extinction by IUCN and endangered by the federal government. Their numbers have shifted drastically over time in both directions, as protection laws, accidents, and nature have affected the mammals in different ways. Manatees are mostly harmed by boaters, often maimed by their propellers. Considered slow and stupid for years, it was not a lack of intelligence that kept them from reacting to an approaching boat. Their boldness is really caused by the fact that they are intelligent, curious creatures and they do not have the ability to hear the motors coming.

via Monga Bay News

National Aquarium Releases Rescued Harbor Seal

The National Aquarium, located in Baltimore, Maryland, released a rescued harbor seal back into the ocean May 13, 2010. The seal, named Hastings, had been in disrepair when he was picked up by the aquarium's Marine Animal Rescue Program in January. He had cuts on his fins, a slight case of pneumonia, was underweight, and severely dehydrated. Five months at the aquarium did Hastings well, enjoying his send-off into the waters of Maryland's Ocean City, even with a transmitter strapped to his back. The transmitter will inform aquarium staff about his feeding and migration patterns and hopefully will show that he has made a full recovery.

Harbor seals are not endangered animals, with a global population of around half a million. The illegalization of seal hunting across most of the world has raised the population to a healthy number. Harbor seals subsist off of numerous species of fish, with a crab, shrimp, or squid added in sporatically. They are able to stay underwater for up to ten minutes and can reach depths of 1500 feet or more.

via The Baltimore Sun