Ecosystems and Biodiversity Scientists are calling for fishing regulations to help save the Amazon forest. Why? Brazil’s Pantanal is a floodplain the size of Washington State, which spends half the year underwater. The Pantanal’s biodiversity is helped by large, fruit-eating fish, which spread undigested seeds to 95% of the region’s woody plants. These seeds are […]
New Light on an Elusive Species
Last week, the journal PLOS ONE published a study on the acoustic calls of narwhals, an elusive Arctic species whose day-to-day life we know very little about. Ocean Wise researcher Valeria Vergara, who spends her summers recording beluga whale acoustic communication, read over the study “Spatial and temporal patterns of sound production in East Greenland […]
Ecosystems and Biodiversity Researchers recently discovered why whale sharks tend to congregate in a small number of sites. It turns out that these congregation sites have a similar topography of shallower waters near a steep drop, which allows whale sharks to feed on upwelling currents, filled with plankton and small crustaceans, and spend time in […]
Earth is a blue planet with over 70% covered in vast bodies of water: lakes, rivers, and the ocean. This vast watery side of the world is in an increasingly vulnerable state, but how do we get a big-picture understanding of the ecosystem in order to help it? Floating silently above earth, satellites watch and […]
Ecosystems and Biodiversity After spending weeks dragging underwater cameras across the Pacific Ocean, biologists have discovered a “shark highway” connecting the islands of Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands. The route follows a stretch of seamounts, and a number of species of sharks, fish, dolphins, and sea turtles travel along it. Though not currently part […]
Canada's Bold Push to Reduce Plastic Waste
On World Ocean Day, Canada is pushing to reduce plastic waste at the G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Quebec. With a new #PlasticsCharter that sets out ambitious goals for recycling and reducing plastic waste, Canada is encouraging the six other industrialized countries in the G7 to tackle this global issue together. Studies show that one million […]
Ecosystems and Biodiversity A new study outlines how the return of sea otters along B.C’s western coast has helped the ecosystem in more ways than one. Otters keep the sea urchin populations in check, allowing kelp beds to thrive and spread; kelp forests attract many of the animals that eagles feed on, including sea otter […]
Sustainable Seafood In an effort to meet growing demands for seafood, Malaysian, Nicaraguan and Tanzanian fishers have resorted to a technique called “fish bombing” to maximize yields. Using bombs made from fertilizer and diesel fuel, the fishing technique destroys reefs and aquatic life. Researchers in Malaysia are now using acoustic sensors, previously used to locate […]
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