Hundreds of kilometers of commercial fishing lines slither along coastal waters in Costa Rica, hooking thousands of mahi-mahi and many other marketable fish. But when scientists scrutinized fishermen’s catch, they were shocked by the staggering number of sea turtles accidentally snagged on the lines. A study published Aug. 20 in the Journal of Experimental Marine […]
Tag: sea turtle
Johnny vs. the Texas Coast
We spent a day on the (Texas) coast last weekend. In 2007 I vowed I’d never return to such a foul place after a particularly horrid experience. I totally lied to myself and have gone back every year since I so loudly pronounced this. Usually multiple times, even working at Padre Island National Seashore for […]
Endangered But Not Protected
Did you know that only about 6% of all U.S. species protected under the Endangered Species Act live in the oceans? On Monday, the conservation group WildEarth Guardians asked the federal government to grant protection for 81 additional marine species. Those currently listed are mostly “charismatic mega-fauna,” such as dolphins, whales, seals, and sea turtles. […]
Destructive Fishing Gear Kills 400K+ Seabirds per Year
“Walls of death.” Gillnets have often been described in this haunting way due to their devastating ability to catch all kinds of fish, as well as sea turtles, seals, dolphins, and even whales. Marine creatures of all sizes and species are indiscriminately snared and drowned in these death traps, and a recent report reveals that […]
A Deaf Whale is a Dead Whale: Keep the Atlantic Free of Seismic Testing
According to government estimates, 138,500 whales and dolphins will soon be injured and possibly killed along the East Coast if exploration companies are allowed to use dangerous blasts of noise to search for offshore oil and gas. These loud blasts are used on a recurring basis, going off every ten seconds, for 24 hours a […]
More than 739 Miles of U.S. Coastline Protected for Loggerhead Sea Turtles
This morning the government announced a decision, long in the making, to designate more than 739 miles of Atlantic and Gulf coastline as critical habitat for threatened loggerhead sea turtles. Loggerheads face threats from all sides, including from pollution, degradation of foraging areas, and serious injury and death from entanglement in fishing gear. They’re also […]
Leatherback sea turtles suffer 78 percent decline at critical nesting sites in Pacific
The world’s largest sea turtle, the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), is vanishing from its most important nesting sites in the western Pacific, according to a new study in Ecosphere. Scientists found that leatherback turtle nests have dropped by 78 percent in less than 30 years in the Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea. […]