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...

Researchers find that fishery closures in Belize’s Glover’s Reef help barracudas, groupers, and other predatory fish recover while the parrotfish and other herbivores essential for reef recovery still need more protection.

But Herbivorous Fish Needed for Reef Recovery Still Lagging14-year study finds need for increased protections for parrotfish and other herbivores in marine reserves NEW YORK (December 21, 2011) —A 14-year study by the Wildlife Conservation Society in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover’s Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fi...

Coral propagation lab allows aquarium staff to grow various species on site, eliminating the need to disrupt fragile reefs in the wild Brooklyn, N.Y. – Dec. 1, 2011 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is now growing corals on site in an effort to educate the public about the need to preserve fragile reef systems in the wild. Coral reefs are vital to the health of marine life. They provide shelter and food for countless marine species and help maintain a balanced ocea...

Research identifies eight factors that can alert managers to the threat of overfishing in otherwise healthy looking reefs NEW YORK (September 28, 2011)—Coral reefs that have lots of corals and appear healthy may, in fact, be heading toward collapse, according to a study published by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups. Using data from coral reef systems across the western Indian Ocean, an international team of researchers identified how overfishing creates a serie...

A new study identifies a better way to determine if coral ecosystems are in danger of collapse.

WCS marine scientists provide a color code for coral conservation by mapping out the stress loads of the world's reefs.

WCS leads global assessment showing where climate stresses on reef systems will beExposure map highlights places to focus management  NEW YORK (August 11, 2011)—Marine researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have created a map of the world’s corals and their exposure to stress factors, including high temperatures, ultra-violet radiation, weather systems, sedimentation, as well as stress-reducing factors such as temperature variability and tidal dynamics. ...

Recent expedition by WCS and partners found reef teeming with life WCS supports local communities in returning to a traditional ban on fishing NEW YORK (June 8, 2011) – The Wildlife Conservation Society, Pacific Blue Foundation, Wetlands International, and the Waitt Institute announced today that the people of Fiji’s Totoya Island have declared part of their coral reefs sacred in honor of World Oceans Day.   WCS Fiji Di...

Expedition leader Stacey Jupiter of WCS’s Marine Program is available for live, on-vessel interviews via phone or Skype Reef will be declared off limits to fishing on World Ocean’s Day on June 8th Excellent electronic images available NEW YORK (June 6, 2011) – The Wildlife Conservation Society and other partners are currently exploring a remote coral reef off Fiji’s Totoya Island.  Expedition leader, Stacey Jupiter ...