Our staff photographer Julie Larsen Maher recently snapped this great shot of a humpback whale off the NY coast, but such a sighting is not as rare as you may think.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Aug. 28, 2014 – The Wildlife Conservation Society photographed a humpback whale feeding yesterday less than six miles from New York City. Waters off New York City and the greater New York Bight serve as a feeding ground, nursery, and migratory corridor for many species of marine life including whales, dolphins, sharks, fish, and sea birds. WCS’s New York Seascape program works to restore healthy populations of these species and protect New York marine waters, which are vital to...

Caleb McClennen, executive director for the Wildlife Conservation Society's Global Marine Program, explains the most important take away from Discovery Channel's Shark Week: sharks are an extraordinarily threatened species.

During "Shark Week" this year, says WCS Executive Vice President of Pubic Affairs John Calvelli, consider the serious threats to sharks and the vital New York seascape they rely on.

Brooklyn, N.Y. - June 30, 2014 – A harbor seal pup (Phoca vitulina) was born at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium – only the second harbor seal born at the aquarium in the past 15 years. The male pup was born on May 27 and weighed 22 pounds at birth. “He has already made an impression on visitors and staff,” said Jon Forrest Dohlin, WCS Vice President and Director of the New York Aquarium. “He is a delightful addition to the aquarium and a treat to everyone who comes through...

The New York Seascape is WCS’s conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of local marine species and protect waters in and around New York City. Saturday and Sunday, June 7 & 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekend programming includes hands-on activities and much more Costume characters from Nickelodeon’s animated preschool TV series, Bubble Guppies, will be among the attendees Brooklyn, N.Y. – June 5, 2014 – As the annual United Nations-designated World Oceans Day approaches ...

Ray populations in Indonesia face serious threats from overfishing, but recently the government has taken action to ensure their future.

Game-Changing: Plan Includes Marshaling All Federal Agencies to Address Wildlife Crime and a Ban on Trade in Elephant Ivory Washington, DC – February 11, 2014 – The following statement was released today by WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper, who also serves as a member of the United States Advisory Council to the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking:“The United States government committed today its full power behind efforts to end the crime of wildlife trafficking. Wildlife crimi...

As overfishing pushes more and more shark and ray species to the brink, WCS is increasing its commitment to the conservation of these fish and their relatives over the next 10 years.

Bronx, New York (January 22, 2014) -- The following statement was issued today by Dr. Cristián Samper, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society: "The Wildlife Conservation Society expresses its alarm at the new findings released yesterday by IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, indicating the heightened threatened status of the world’s sharks, rays, skates and chimeras, the cartilaginous fishes.“A global analysis of the conservation status of the 1,041 specie...