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"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." – Marie Curie
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Theme by Stijn
February 6th
19:05
18 notes

Scenes from the Bloody Manta and Mobula Ray Trade

Manta and mobula rays are ecotourism gold, but fishing to feed the traditional Chinese medicine trade is threatening both groups, according to a new report published jointly by conservation organisations Shark Savers and WildAid. 

The trade is valued at $11 million annually, yet the report states that even some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners say the gills are not a legitimate component of their medicines and others admitted that gills are not effective and many alternatives are available. 

Listing the many species of mobula ray and the two species of manta ray under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) would be the most effective conservation tool, according to the report. The US CITES delegation has considered proposing that all mobulid species be listed on CITES appendix II, which is reserved for species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction but may become so as a result of trade. However, the delegation did not submit the proposal because it had too little information on fisheries and trade. 

The two species of manta ray now have some protection, at least, as both were listed as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List in November. The species has also gained protection through the intergovernmental Convention on Migratory Species in the same month.

#science      #news      #conservation      #animals      #manta ray      #mobula ray      #fishing      #environment      #endangered species      #rays      #chinese medicine trade     
December 17th
21:18
413 notes
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Rhino’s end From now on, the only place you’ll see this subspecies of black rhino from western Africa is in photographs or stuffed in museums. That’s because this year, the western black rhino (Diceros bicornis longipipes) is officially extinct, and others are clinging on by a thread. In all, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says that a quarter of all mammals are at risk of extinction. It’s not all bad news though. One of conservation’s success stories is (Ceratotherium simum simum), a subspecies of the African southern white rhino, which has soared in number from less than 100 individuals to 20,000 since the end of the 19th century. 

Rhino’s end

From now on, the only place you’ll see this subspecies of black rhino from western Africa is in photographs or stuffed in museums. That’s because this year, the western black rhino (Diceros bicornis longipipes) is officially extinct, and others are clinging on by a thread. In all, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says that a quarter of all mammals are at risk of extinction. It’s not all bad news though. One of conservation’s success stories is (Ceratotherium simum simum), a subspecies of the African southern white rhino, which has soared in number from less than 100 individuals to 20,000 since the end of the 19th century. 

#science      #zoology      #rhinoceros      #endangered species      #extinction      #rhino      #western black rhino     
December 6th
18:23
4 notes
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Nuclear Plants Cooling Canals Help Save Endangered Florida Crocodiles Here’s something you probably don’t hear very often: A nuclear power plant that lights up thousands of homes in Florida has become a major refuge for a once-endangered species. Canals designed to divert power plant water provide a safe haven for crocodiles, a supremely cold-sensitive species that once numbered fewer than 300 in this country. The closed-loop cooling system channels warmed water into the canals, heating the crocs’ once-disappearing habitat. “It’s wound up being a win-win situation for the animals,” said Bianca Martinez Cruz, spokeswoman for Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point nuclear power plant. Crocodiles’ only habitat in this country is in south Florida (where they coexist with the more common alligator; it’s the only place in the world that boasts both species), but that habitat was slowly eroded by development throughout the mid-20th century. By the 1970s, there were fewer than 300 crocs in the state, and the federal government classified them as endangered. But in 1977, Turkey Point employees happened upon a crocodile nest in one of the then-new plant’s cooling canals. The company set up a monitoring program to ensure they didn’t hurt the animals (none has been found with any radiation), and this program has helped track their rebound, according to the AP. Crocodile monitoring entails capturing the beasts, microchipping them and weighing them. This video shows what this work looks like. Florida Power has a team of biologists who keep tabs on the crocs — not exactly the type of job you would expect to find at a nuclear plant. Now there are something like 1,500 crocs in south Florida, hundreds of which live at Turkey Point. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service credits the power company for the population increase.

Nuclear Plants Cooling Canals Help Save Endangered Florida Crocodiles

Here’s something you probably don’t hear very often: A nuclear power plant that lights up thousands of homes in Florida has become a major refuge for a once-endangered species. Canals designed to divert power plant water provide a safe haven for crocodiles, a supremely cold-sensitive species that once numbered fewer than 300 in this country. The closed-loop cooling system channels warmed water into the canals, heating the crocs’ once-disappearing habitat.

“It’s wound up being a win-win situation for the animals,” said Bianca Martinez Cruz, spokeswoman for Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point nuclear power plant.

Crocodiles’ only habitat in this country is in south Florida (where they coexist with the more common alligator; it’s the only place in the world that boasts both species), but that habitat was slowly eroded by development throughout the mid-20th century. By the 1970s, there were fewer than 300 crocs in the state, and the federal government classified them as endangered.

But in 1977, Turkey Point employees happened upon a crocodile nest in one of the then-new plant’s cooling canals. The company set up a monitoring program to ensure they didn’t hurt the animals (none has been found with any radiation), and this program has helped track their rebound, according to the AP. Crocodile monitoring entails capturing the beasts, microchipping them and weighing them. This video shows what this work looks like. Florida Power has a team of biologists who keep tabs on the crocs — not exactly the type of job you would expect to find at a nuclear plant.

Now there are something like 1,500 crocs in south Florida, hundreds of which live at Turkey Point. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service credits the power company for the population increase.

#science      #zoology      #biology      #nuclear power      #crocodiles      #endangered species      #learn