The Government of Bangladesh has declared a new marine protected area (MPA) spanning 1,743 square kilometers (672 square miles) around Saint Martin’s Island, a region which represents 1.5 percent of Bangladesh’s exclusive economic zone.

The Wildlife Conservation Society thanks the U.S. House of Representatives for including key amendments that address global pandemics of zoonotic origins at the source, biosecurity and marine mammal protection in the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed yesterday.

A new study finds that that some large whale species (humpback, fin and minke whales) use the waters off New York and New Jersey as a supplemental feeding area feasting on two different types of prey species. 

WCS's Ocean Giants experts will speak at the Hudson River Foundation's Edward A. Ames Seminar on Monday, December 7th from 2-3:30 pm ET.

Scientists examining levels of ocean noise in the Bering Sea—an important migratory seascape for whales, walruses, seals, and other acoustically sensitive animals—have confirmed that the presence of sea ice plays a central role in the soundscape of these Arctic waters.

A growing concern is that the disappearance of sea ice due to a changing climate could mean a marine realm increasingly filled with shipping and other human-related ocean noise, according to scientists from Southall Environmental Associates, WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), and other groups in a new study.

Experts at the New York Aquarium recommend ten locations where people might have the best chance to see a whale from shore–including the roof of its own Ocean Wonders: Sharks!

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club has announced donations totaling over $60,000 to local nonprofits in the Coney Island community, including a $20,000 donation for the New York Aquarium’s local marine conservation efforts.