Posts tagged with

marine mammals

NOAA Offices Partnering to Collect Satellite Imagery of Stranded Whales
By Doug Helton, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, and Elizabeth Stratton, NOAA Fisheries
alyssa.gray Thu, 11/10/2022 - 13:02
A whale carcass on a beach.

NOAA is the lead U.S. federal agency responsible for the conservation and protection of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and pinnipeds (seals and sea lions). Within NOAA, that role is delegated to NOAA Fisheries, but sometimes other NOAA offices are called in to help. In this instance, "helping" involved dealing with a stranded whale carcass.

Tags
modeling
marine mammals
Sending Whale Carcasses to Davy Jones’ Locker: A Spooky Science Story
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration
alyssa.gray Mon, 10/31/2022 - 01:11
A whale carcass on the sea floor.

When whales wash onto beaches they create a stinky and potentially dangerous hazard. After NOAA or local marine mammal experts have responded and investigated the cause of death, the next step is getting the carcass off the beach. 

Tags
modeling
marine mammals
Protecting Protected Species: Breaking Down How NOAA Helps Conserve Protected Species as Part of its Mission
By Dale Youngkin, NOAA's Office of Protected Resources
alyssa.gray Tue, 01/25/2022 - 22:41
A seal and a sea turtle on a beach.

A whale breaching out of icy water, a sea turtle crawling onto the sandy shore to lay eggs, or a salmon swimming upriver to spawn, few species capture our hearts and imaginations more than protected species. However, it wasn’t until relatively recently that they were protected under U.S. law. 

Tags
endangered species
natural resources
marine mammals
Dolphin Discoveries in the Decade Since Deepwater Horizon
By Teri Rowles, Lori Schwacke (National Marine Mammal Foundation), and Megan Ewald
alyssa.gray Wed, 04/14/2021 - 20:30
A group of people in water holding a dolphin.

From March 30 to April 20, tune in as we go back in time to the day of our country’s largest marine oil spill, what’s happened since then, and how we’re better prepared for future spills. In our latest blog, learn more about the research and discoveries that have been made about dolphins since Deepwater Horizon.

Tags
Deepwater Horizon
marine mammals

Bringing Gulf Science to Life in New Orleans High Schools

Posted Fri, 02/14/2020 - 14:04
By Kendal Leftwich, Matthew Firneno, and Juliette Loup, University of New Orleans
An aerial view of a whale.

During Whale Week (Feb. 10-14), NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration is taking a closer look at the different pollutants affecting whales, and what OR&R and our partners are doing to help. In this guest blog from the University of New Orleans, learn more about a research group engaging high schoolers in Gulf science to monitor the impacts of Deepwater Horizon on marine mammal populations.

Tags
marine mammals
Gulf of Mexico

Living Sound: New Insights into the Acoustic World Under the Waves

Posted Thu, 02/13/2020 - 12:49
Guest blog by Brandon Southall
A man on a boat using a long metal instrument to place an item on a whale.

During Whale Week (Feb. 10-14), NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration is taking a closer look at the different pollutants affecting whales, and what OR&R and our partners are doing to help. In this guest blog by former NOAA Ocean Acoustics Program Director Brandon Southall, learn more about the vital role sound plays for whales and other marine life.

Tags
marine mammals
research

Marine Mammal Entanglement Prevention and Habitat Restoration in Alaska

Posted Tue, 02/11/2020 - 14:19
Guest blog by Hana Bulow and Andy Schroeder, Island Trails Network
A group of people on a rocky shoreline hauling large, plastic yellow bags onto a boat.

With the support of a Fishing for Energy grant, a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Covanta, and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, the Island Trails Network is working to reduce entanglement and mortality of marine mammals, increasing awareness of the impact of entangling debris, and engaging volunteers to remove marine debris from coastlines. In this guest blog by Hana Bulow and Andy Schroeder from the Island Trails Network, learn more about the important work this nonprofit does and the positive impact they have on the Kodiak archipelago.

Tags
Marine Debris
marine mammals

A Whale of Information from a Single Shot: Studying Marine Mammals After Oil Spills Using Remote Biopsy

Posted Mon, 02/10/2020 - 16:32
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration
A large whale trailing a boat.

As the vessel speeds through the icy water in pursuit of whales, one researcher cocks and loads a crossbow, waiting for a dorsal fin to surface and the perfect time to strike. It’s a scene reminiscent of America’s maritime past, when commercialized whalers harpooned whales from wooden rowboats to harvest their oils and bones. Industrial whaling nearly wiped out some of America's whales, but today when scientists approach marine mammals such as whales and dolphins in small boats, they are on the hunt for information that helps protect them.

Tags
marine mammals
pollution
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