Cetaceans Stranding

I believe that underwater noise has an effect on marine animals such as whales. Using information from the passages I will prove my point. Their numbers are declining rapidly and I believe that underwater noise has some involvement in the rapid decrease in their population numbers. The information given within the two passages will help prove my point.

There is no debate that one of the most attractive, human friendly and intelligent beauties in nature is the killer whale, more commonly known as the orca. The orca is in the dolphin family, but capable of learning human traits and freely interacting with them without causing any harm. Their curious behavior and acrobatic moves make us enjoy their company through watching and spending time in the waters with them. However, the gradual decline in the population of the orca is a worrying trend that sparks another kind of debate. Our interactions with killer whales is endangering their survival in the ecosystem, which should not be the case (BioExpedition 1). Our interaction with the

Humans fish to survive and in doing so they will target specific species leading to overfishing. Sound pollution is causing issues with the wildlife of the ocean in how they communicate and move around. With human interaction comes trash which gets left in the ocean and affects many different species.

Cetacean bycatch in fishing industries has been a highly debated topic for decades and is still considered an ongoing problem(NOAA 8). However, when it is looked at in comparison, the problem of bycatch has already been solved as much as is possible while still allowing fishing industries to fish at all. Cetaceans are defined as marine mammals. Bycatch is defined as any marine life that is caught and returned to the sea, whether it is dead or alive(Brooke 2). Therefore, many marine animals that are considered bycatch are not harmed in any way. Including these animals, the national bycatch ratio is still low(Brooke 3). Many actions have already been taken since this has become an issue that has reduced bycatch

Cetaceans use sound extensively in both communication, hunting, and navigation. However as humanity continues to make use of the ocean we are constantly filling it with equipment that produces high amounts of sound. These devices are starting to have an impact on cetaceans worldwide, from mass strandings often linked to military exercises to area denials caused by busy commercial shipping lanes and seismic surveys. If consideration is not taken towards this problem now it could develop into something that could have degrading effects on cetacean populations in the future.

Introduction: Paradoxical swim-with programs, modeled as an ecotourism method, are of great interest to conservation biologists. Crystal River, Florida, which includes Kings Bay, is the only place in the United States where swimming with manatees is permitted. This globally advertised tourism attraction draws in well over 100,000 tourists a year.1 These tourists have close interaction with over 500 manatees that winter in Kings Bay (2 km2).2 This number has increased from the 114 manatees using these warm-water springs in 1981-1982, demonstrating the growing importance of Kings Bay as a warm-water site.3 West coast manatees migrate to the Kings Bay area to escape environmental stressors such as water temperature, as manatee fatality occurs

Trego works at the Conservation Ecology Lab at San Diego State University in California. She reported her team’s early findings on December 14, at the Society for Marine Mammalogy meeting in San Francisco.

In a documentary film directed by Bill Wisenski, “Threatened: The Controversial Struggle of the Southern Sea Otter,” it reveals some of the reasons why the California sea otter population is declining. In addition, it shows the controversy surrounding the “No Otter Zone”. Furthermore, it ensures why the California sea otter population is important to the marine ecosystem. In the film, sea otter populations are endangered because of the significant impact by some human factors. In the 1700’s and 1800’s, fur traders hunted sea otter population to near extinction. Besides this, threatened events such as shipping and drilling oil across the Pacific and along coastal areas; the California sea otters is vulnerable to oil contamination. As a result,

The ocean is a vast biome that is constantly changing. There is much to learn about the life within, the article “Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai) off northwest Madagascar: ecology, Behavior and conservation needs” showed how our knowledge of the ocean and the life within continues to grow. Balaenoptera omurai, or Omura's whale was only found as a new species in the year 2003. Their are no dependable population size estimates or evaluation of conservation facts because there is not enough data collected on these cetaceans. Scientists are able apply what they learn from some of these organism to humans. In the article “Reproductive Conflict and the Evolution of Menopause in Killer Whales” scientists were able to draw comparisons between Humans and other species.

Cetacean bycatch in fishing industries has been a highly debated topic for decades and is still considered an ongoing problem(NOAA 8). However, when it is looked at in comparison, the problem of bycatch has already been solved as much as is possible while still allowing fishing industries to fish at all. Bycatch is defined as any marine life that is caught and returned to the sea, whether it is dead or alive(Brooke 2). Therefore, many marine animals that are considered bycatch are not harmed in any way. Including these animals, the national bycatch ratio is still low(Brooke 3). Many actions have already been taken since this has become an issue that has reduced bycatch by an incredibly large amount. In many areas, the amount of bycatch compared to the amount of fish that the fisheries in that area take in is only a small fraction(Brooke 3). There will always be bycatch in fishing, even if a single fisherman is fishing with a single

Bottlenose dolphins are among the most familiar cetaceans, just as whales. The Bottlenose dolphin is a primitive member of the subfamily Delphinine. Bottlenose dolphins are grey, varying from dark grey at the top near the dorsal fin to very light grey and almost white at the underside. There are two ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins the coastal and the offshore. The Coastal dolphin has a small body and large flippers to increase agility and heat dissipation. They have a limited movement into offshore waters and like shallow warm water near the shore. Coastal dolphins for the most part remain in their region. The Offshore dolphin has a large body to help conserve heat and defend itself against predators. They are less restricted in range and movement and like deep, cold waters. Offshore dolphins in the North Atlantic have migratory patterns that follow prey distribution. Bottlenose dolphins live in groups typically of 10–30 members, called pods, but group size varies from single individuals up to more than 1,000. In a case study performed by Randall Wells who is the leader of the longest study of dolphin population since 1970, it was discovered that there are three main factors that influence migration: Seasonal changes in prey location, predation pressure and reproductive requirements. (Wells, 1980). In the fall dolphins follow mullet fish when they migrate from the bays into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. Dolphins experience the most predation pressure during the summer when

Clicks are high-frequency and directional sounds that are used to detect, discriminate and recognize objects in the environment, including potential preys (Caldwell et al., 1990; Janik, 2013). These clicks are used to locate/discriminate an object based on the returning echo, and the system is known as echolocation or biosonar (Griffin, 1958). Bottlenose dolphins produce high-frequency broadband clicks with dominant frequencies generally higher than 50-60kHz (Au, 1993).

On Saturday May 20th a confused Humpback whale gets stuck in the Ventura Harbor in California. The Coast Guard attempted to guide the Whale in various ways. The First way was to lure it with food but it did not take the bait. The next way was to emit sounds in the ocean to also lure it out but again it did not. Officials said they were worried about all the boats in the harbor being damaged because of the whale.

Cetacean bycatch is an ongoing problem in the oceans of the world. Cetaceans are defined as whales, dolphins and porpoises(CBRC 1). Bycatch is “marine mammals that are “captured” but discarded”(Read 2). This happens when fishing industries are fishing for a certain type of marine animal and other marine animals are caught accidentally along with the intended catch. Many times, this leads to the death of the animal that was not meant to be caught, and the animal is tossed back into the ocean. This happens with all kinds of marine life, and it has caused the depletion of many different species. However, this is specifically bad for cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales, because they have such a long lifespan(Brown 2). They also take a very long time to mature(Brown 2). These factors make catching these animals very detrimental to the species as a whole because it takes longer for them to reach an age where they can reproduce(Brown 2). The population of many cetaceans have decreased exponentially. When there is someone watching the nets that cetaceans are accidentally caught in, many times they can be saved. However, there are only select few types of fishing methods that do this, and they are not of the prevalent fishing methods that produce cetacean bycatch. This is a problem because there is a connection between most living animals. If a certain part of the connection is eliminated, it will all fall apart. For example, the relationship between

Marine biologist play a key role in understanding climate change and identifying sustainable and profitable ways humans can use the sea and its resources. Marine biologist understand marine organisms needs in their habitats, ultimately helping protect species and reduce human threats. As experts in understanding marine habitats, marine biologist often form essential parts of relief teams. They respond to oil spills and chemical leaks, helping other scientist restore normalcy to local habitats. Sometimes, marine biologists influence other spheres, such as economics and law. They might analyze the effect of sonar on whales and seals, for instance, recommending best practices for reducing harm on those sensitive populations. Marine biologists understand how the ocean supports basic needs, and in turn relay that information to lawmakers, who establish protocols regarding human use of ocean waters and marine organisms. Marine biologist help develop ocean technology too, improving waste elimination, energy sourcing and extraction of key sources. A brief review of components of the marine environment, world food resources, climate control, air and water quality, transportation, and the ecosystem balance are important features that are studied by marine biology. So, understanding why marine biology is important is foundational to integrating a balanced approach toward management of the sea and proper stewardship of organisms,