New York, N.Y. – June 10, 2015 – The following statement was issued by WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper of the Wildlife Conservation Society:

June 1, 2015—Recent forecasts on the impacts of climate change on the world’s coral reefs—especially ones generated from oceanic surface temperature data gathered by satellites—paint a grim picture for the future of the “rainforests of the sea.” A newer and more complex model incorporating data from both environmental factors and field observations of coral responses to stress provides a better forecasting tool than the more widely used models and a more positive future for coral reefs, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups.

May 29, 2015 —The Government of Madagascar has officially inaugurated Makira Natural Park, home to 20 species of lemur and over 50 percent of Madagascar’s plant biodiversity, and the first protected area to be created in a national network of 95 new marine and terrestrial protected areas established by the Government of Madagascar.

Bronx, NY – May 20, 2015 – A colony of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) has made its debut in the Aquatic Bird House at WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Bronx Zoo. Named for their small size and characteristic bluish hue, little penguins are also known as blue penguins, little blue penguins, and fairy penguins. Full-grown adults are only about 13 inches tall and weigh 2 to 3 pounds. They are the smallest of the 18 penguin species and native to coastal southern Australia and New Zealand.

Demand for seafood from wild fisheries and aquaculture around the world has nearly doubled over the past four decades.  In the past several years, major seafood retailers in developed countries have committed to source their seafood from only sustainably certified fisheries and aquaculture, even though it is not clear where that supply will come from.