Marine mammals contend with new industrial developments in the Arctic as local waters become increasingly ice-free during the summer and fall.

NEW YORK (March 16, 2012)—A rapid increase in shipping in the formerly ice-choked waterways of the Arctic poses a significant increase in risk to the region’s marine mammals and the local communities that rely on them for food security and cultural identity, according to an Alaska Native groups and the Wildlife Conservation Society who convened at a recent workshop. The workshop—which ran from March 12–14—examined the potential impacts to the region’s wildlife and highlighted priorities for fut...

Pot-bellied seahorses, native to Australian Seas, are a threatened species Brooklyn, N.Y. – Feb. 28, 2012 – The newest animals making waves at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is a herd of baby pot-bellied seahorses. When it comes to breeding seahorses, there is definitely no horsing around. These viable newborns are a credit to the aquarium’s expertise in animal-management and husbandry, the science of breeding, raising and caring for animals. The babies –known as fry, not...

A study by WCS and partners presents a novel approach for establishing new large-scale protected areas in Madagascar’s waters.

New study uses innovative method for establishing range of conservation options along the coast of Madagascar Madagascar now has a roadmap for proposed one million hectare increase in marine protected areas to improve local management of coastal fisheries University of California, Berkeley, WCS, and others authored study NEW YORK (February 24, 2012) – A new study by the University of California, Berkeley, Wildlife Conservation Society, and others uses a new scientific methodology for establishin...

Illegal orangutan owner and trader prosecuted in Sumatra NEW YORK (February 23, 2012) – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) announced today Sumatra’s first ever successful sentence of an illegal orangutan owner and trader in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.The seven-month prison sentence is only the third for Indonesia, despite orangutans being strictly protected under Indonesian law since 1924. Although there have been over 2,500 conf...

The Government of Bangladesh declares three new wildlife sanctuaries for Ganges River and Irrawaddy dolphins. A WCS collaborative study with the Bangladesh Forest Department helped pinpoint the locations of the new protected areas.

Half of fishermen will not give up their livelihood in the face of drastically declining catches according to research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA). A new report, published today by PLoS ONE, challenges previously held notions about poverty and adaptation by investigating why fishermen in developing countries stick with their trade.Lead author Dr Tim Daw from UEA’s School of International Development said: “We found that half of fishermen questioned would not be tempted to seek out...

Researchers from WCS, Columbia University, and other institutions find an unusual divide in song themes sung by humpback whales in Madagascar and Western Australia.

New study finds 87 marine mammal species consumed by people in 114 countries New York (January 24, 2012)—The fate of the world’s great whale species commands global attention as a result of heated debate between pro and anti-whaling advocates, but the fate of smaller marine mammals is less understood, specifically because the deliberate and accidental harvesting of dolphins, porpoises, manatees and other warm-blooded aquatic denizens is rarely studied or monitored. To shed more light on the i...