News

Rescuers are Rushing to the Aid of an Entangled Whale on the Coast of Scotland

Featured Image Credit: oceanwide-expeditions.com

In Loch Eriboll in northern Scotland, a large whale has recently become stranded.

The whale is about 30 feet long and is a juvenile sperm whale according to local officials. The stranding has occurred near the village of Durness.

On Thursday, a team from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue arrived at the scene. The young whale appeared to be entangled in ocean trash of some kind and it was clearly in distress. The animal became stranded because of the trauma of the entanglement.

The whale was spotted as it slowly swam into the loch from the ocean. The rescue effort is still underway.

An official from the Shetland Coastguard which is coordinating the operation, had this to say, “the whale is less than 100 meters from the shore. It is very close to the mouth of the loch and we are concerned it will come ashore. It appears to be entangled and in distress so we would ask people to stay away from the scene so as not to cause any more distress to the animal.”

Hopefully the rescue mission will be able to disentangle the whale and allow it to return to deeper waters soon.

Read more from the source.

News

The City of Saint Petersburg, Florida is Banning Plastic Products

Featured Image Credit:http://nynjbaykeeper.org

Saint Petersburg, Florida, is a city situated on the Tampa Bay. The resident’s connection to the
water has inspired a new movement to keep it clean! Local leaders voted 5 to 2 to ban plastic within the
city limits. Straws, a piece of single-use plastic under fire from worldwide audiences, will only be served
by-request by 2020, while styrofoam products will be out of use just weeks into 2019.

Known by its brand name “Styrofoam”, the chemical polystyrene is commonly found as to go
boxes and insulated drink cups. The light and delicate material is known for degrading into tiny pieces
much faster than its other plastic counterparts, making it especially dangerous for humans and wildlife
alike. The soft material also absorbs environmental chemicals like a sponge, increasing the toxicity of the
material. According to a study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s National Institute of
Health, the chemicals in Styrofoam caused increased risk of lymphoma and leukemia in workers that
develop the compound.

Because of how polystyrene is made, it crumbles much faster than other types of plastic, shown in the photo above. This makes cleanup efforts much more difficult as the foam degrades into imperceptibly small dots. Source.

Harriet Spark of 1 Million Women shows how many plastic straws she collected swimming off of Australia’s coast. She removed over 150 straws on her solo mission, demonstrating the worldwide problem of plastic straw pollution. Source.

As much as 40 percent of debris found in streams is Styrofoam, largely due to how easily the
material blows around in the wind. The other subject of Saint Pete’s plastic ban, single-use straws, have
plagued beaches across the world. In The Ocean Conservancy’s citizen science project, the “International
Coastal Cleanup”, 9 million straws have been collected in just 30 years. The upcoming 2019 year will be
a phase-out period in which businesses will still be allowed to serve plastic straws without a customer
request. Starting in January 2020, businesses that serve straws automatically will be warned at the first
offense, then fined up to $80 for each additional offense.

Saint Pete joins cities and states across the United States that are banning single-use plastic
products. California, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Seattle are just a handful of other places that are
confronting plastic pollution head-on. Internationally, Scotland, Taiwan, and areas of Britain are also
limiting their consumption. Read more about Saint Pete’s plastic bans from our source here, and learn
more about how you can ban plastic from YOUR life at the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas page.

Conservation

The Endangered Species Act May Change, Negatively Affecting Sea Turtles

Featured Image Credit: uncommoncaribbean.com

The Endangered Species Act was passed back in the 1970s. Americans were becoming more aware about the problems facing animals in their country and decided to do something about it.

The protections offered by the Endangered Species Act have allowed many different populations of animals the protections they need to recover. One example is manatees, under protection from the ESA the population had been rebounding well.

Unfortunately, the Endangered Species Act is facing big changes that could potentially limit the effectiveness of the legislation.

The proposed revisions are aimed to remove protections from animals that will be affected by climate change. So, if the habitat of a potential endangered species is threatened by climate change, then they may not be able to receive any protections.

The new wording indicated that protections for animals “experiencing threats stemming from melting glaciers, sea level rise, or reduced snowpack” may not be prudent.

Basically, the new wording would like to ignore the potential effects of a changing global climate. Unfortunately, that could leave vulnerable animals unprotected.

One animal that stands to lose from this new wording is sea turtles. These species are particularly sensitive to climate change effects. If the new wording is effectively implemented, then sea turtles and other species may not have access to the protections they need.

Read more from the source.

News

Minke Whale Found Dead on Christmas

Featured Image Source:

A dead Minke whale was found on the shore of Yarmouth Bar on Christmas Day. It was a sad sight for the festive holiday.

A response coordinator from the Marine Animal Response Society, Andrew Reed, had this to say, “There would have been deeper gashes if they had been from a prop.” Instead, it was likely a natural death and the gashes were caused by the rough rocks in the area.

The death was unfortunate, but a necropsy will be needed to determine the exact cause of death. However, it is unlikely that it will be performed due to the time of year. The weather makes it very difficult to secure the body and perform the operation.

The whale was approximately 20 feet long, which means that the animal was a juvenile. Minke whales typically grow up to 30 feet long.

At this time of year, whale deaths are not uncommon. Whales have washed up in December in this area for the last couple of years. If you come across a washed up whale, please contact the authorities as soon as possible.

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News

Right Whale Calf Spotted in Florida

Featured Image Credit:Sea to Shore Alliance/NOAA

A North Atlantic right whale calf was spotted off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. That is exciting news for anyone that loves North Atlantic right whales.

No new calves were spotted last season, which was a depressing season for right whale researchers everywhere. The endangered whales have an extremely small population that is slowly dwindling.

The whales migrate from Canada and Maine down to Florida every year. Scientists carefully watch the migration. Last year, no right whales were spotted off the coast of Florida. While no calves were born last year, only 5 calves were born the year before. The small population is heading towards extinction fast, but this one calf represents hope for the future.

The calf was spotted with its mother swimming near the mouth of the St. Johns River. Frank Gromling, a member of the Marineland Right Whale Project, had this to say about the sighting, “I’m excited and looking forward to seeing the new mom and her calf in the Volusia/Flagler area real soon. The real key is that this mother-calf pair is a strong indication that this year is going to be a more active calving season for us and l look forward to seeing bunches of new moms and calves.”

Hopefully this will be a better year for right whales.

Read more from the source.

News

New Biodegradable Polymer Could Help Limit Ocean Pollution

Featured Image Credit: NOAA

The plastic problem in our ocean is getting out of control. As the problem spirals, researchers and activists are frantically searching for a solution to the problem.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University may have found a solution in the ocean itself. A small microorganism that feeds on seaweeds has been used to create a biodegradable polymer.

Alexander Golberg, a researcher at the Porter School of Environmental and Earth Sciences had this to say about the discovery, “Plastic from fossil sources is one of the most polluting factors in the ocean. We have proved it is possible to produce bioplastic completely based on marine resources in a process that is friendly both to the environment and to its residents.”

The process can be completed entirely with ocean resources and sea water. The polymer could potentially be used instead of plastic. That way, trash in the ocean will not harm the ocean.

It is an innovative solution, but we need to remember that forgoing single use plastic is an effective way to prevent plastic trash from ending up in the ocean. Limiting use of plastics and cleaning up beaches is an important part of keeping our oceans clean.

Read more from the source.

News

Seal Pup Returns to Sea After Washing Ashore on Myrtle Beach, SC

Featured Image Credit: Myrtle Beach Police Dept.

One lucky seal pup was recently able to return to sea after a long rest onshore. The injured seal pup washed ashore on Myrtle Beach early in the day. Someone reported the injured seal to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, which had an officer monitor the situation surrounding the young seal.

After resting onshore, the pup eventually made its way back into the ocean around 2 AM on December 20th.

The Myrtle Beach Police Department shared this statement on Facebook before the pup had made its way back out to sea, “ We want to say thank you to everyone who reached out with concerns for the harbor seal who swam up on shore. The pup has been checked out by marine biologists from Coastal Carolina University and a veterinarian. At this time the pup appears to be in good health and he or she will be monitored throughout the day and night.”

After the pup made it back into the ocean, they wrote, “A lucky escape from a predator required a long rest and we are happy to report a safe return home. Thank you for visiting, we hope you enjoyed our beach.”

Seal pups are apparently using the Myrtle Beach area to rest because a second seal was spotted on December 23rd around 10 AM.

Read more from the source.