WCS confirms sea urchins destroy reef building algae in overfished sites on Kenya’s coast NEW YORK (January 11, 2011)—An 18-year study of Kenya’s coral reefs by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of California at Santa Cruz has found that overfished reef systems have more sea urchins, organisms that in turn eat coral algae that build tropical reef systems.By contrast, reef systems closed to fishing have fewer sea urchins—the result of predatory fish keeping urchins under contr...

Media Availability: WCS President and CEO Steven SandersonWCS says vote for independence offers historic opportunity for conservation and sustainable natural resource managementWCS is an official partner with the government of Southern Sudan on wildlife conservation issues NEW YORK (January 10, 2011) – The following op-ed by WCS President and CEO Dr. Steven Sanderson was published this weekend: This Sunday, more than three million people in South Sudan are expected to vote in a referendum to c...

WCS researchers working on a New York Seascape study discover a female sand tiger shark, missing all its fins, swimming through Delaware Bay. The conservationists call the discovery a disturbing reminder about the ongoing threats to vulnerable shark populations around the world.

Millions of sharks are finned every year for the global shark-fin soup trade Brooklyn, N.Y. – Jan. 7, 2011 - A photo released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium shows a finned shark caught in partnership with Delaware State University during a New York Seascape study in Delaware Bay.  The photo shows where the dorsal and pectoral fins were removed.  The female sand tiger shark had no anal fins, and most of its tail fin had been removed. Shark finning – the practice...

Linking artists, scientists and other professionals Karukinka Natural Park will host a one-week workshop on the topics of conservation, land use and management, and the relationship between art and the task of preservationDecember 6, 2010 - Santiago, Chile – initiated by the curator Camila Marambio, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society Chile, Essay N°1 is a one-week workshop that will take place from February 14th to 21st, 2011 at Karukinka Natural Park, in the extreme localit...

Meet Chopin, Haydn, Handel, Purcell, and Scarlatti Brooklyn, NY – Jan. 5, 2011 – Five male Sebastopol geese can now be seen waddling around the barn yard at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo. This ruffled breed is of Central European origin and has a look very different than most other geese. Sebastopol geese have frilly plumage on their backs that falls in tendrils while their neck feathers are smooth.   Named for notable Baroque composers – Chopin, Haydn,...

The ocean-spanning journeys of the gigantic leatherback turtles in the South Atlantic have been tracked for the first time, thanks to groundbreaking research.

Statement Issued by John Calvelli, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, New York – Jan. 4, 2011 – “Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement today that New York City drew a record-breaking number of visitors in 2010 is right on track with what we are finding at our Wildlife Conservation Society parks. In Fiscal year 2010, WCS parks – the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo – together score...

Registration is now open First zoo camp in nine years New York, N.Y. – January 3, 2011– The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo will begin accepting summer camp registrations for the 2011 season on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011.   Zoo Camp offers a variety of adventures for children ages four to nine.  Four to five day camps give children a chance to learn about conservation, how to care for animals, and meet some of the zoo’s most popular residents.     Regi...

Message to Coney Island Polar Bear Club: THIS is how it’s done   New York, NY, December 30, 2010- Just like the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, the real polar bears at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo relish winter swims.     The famous Central Park Zoo polar bears can be seen in the Polar Circle area of the zoo alongside a harbor seal, puffins, and three species of penguin.   The Wildlife Conservation Society works around the globe to combat the effects of climate ch...