Previous Wildlife News 2023
Fresh Hope for Tracking Bird Migration in the Remote West 11-22-23
Scientists are turning to a low-cost radio-based technology to help solve the mysteries of declining bird populations.
Beaked Whale Calf’s Death Attributed to Plastic Pollution 11-08-23
Scientists who performed a necropsy on the Gervais’ beaked whale removed a crumpled-up plastic balloon that had obstructed the calf’s gastrointestinal tract, ultimately causing its death.
Baby whale alert: sperm whale and calf spotted in New England’s ocean haven 11-07-23
A sperm whale mom and her calf were spotted swimming in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts—a first for New England Aquarium scientist.
In the Gulf of Maine, scientists race to save seabirds threatened by climate change 08-25-23
“I could see that, if successful, the methods developed could likely help these species.” Read more
NOAA to fund oyster sanctuary, marine sciences program 08-21-23
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is moving forward with its plans to expand an existing Pamlico Sound oyster sanctuary network and create a partnership to encourage underrepresented university students to study marine sciences. Read more
The people eavesdropping on the ocean 08-15-23
Scientists have long listened to the ocean, but new technology is helping to piece together a far more complex picture of life beneath the waves. Read more
Hawaiian Forest Birds Receive Federal Help 08-08-23
The Department of the Interior recently announced a historic, nearly $16 million investment into preventing the extinction of Hawaiian forest birds. Read more
After helping prevent extinctions for 50 years, the Endangered Species Act itself may be in peril 08-04-23
“The Endangered Species Act has been very successful,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in an Associated Press interview. Read more
Red knots make Outer Banks stopover on spring migration 07-27-23
Those spending time on Ocracoke beach and other areas of the Outer Banks this spring may have been pleasantly surprised to see flocks of binge-foraging red knots, the rufa subspecies (Calidris canutus rufa). Read more
Billions of snow crabs are missing. A remote Alaskan village depends on the harvest to survive. 07-05-23
The Indigenous people of St. Paul Island need to decide their future — stay or go? Read more
Keeping an ear out for whales 06-30-23
Scientists look to safeguard the mammals with robotic buoys in the New York Bight. Read more
Shorebird Species Along the Atlantic Are in Decline, Study Finds, Telling the Story of a Planet in Peril 05-18-23
Each summer, like clockwork, thousands of whimbrels, an elegant shorebird with a long, thin beak, hatch along the Arctic tundra. Their parents soon depart, and when the hatchlings are old enough, they make their way, too — guided by intuition to stop on Cape Cod to feed and rest before continuing on to Brazil. Read more
Restoring Seabird Populations Can Help Repair the Climate 05-12-23
The number of ocean going birds has declined 70 percent since the 1950s. New research shows how projects bringing them back can also bolster ocean ecosystems that sequester carbon. Read more
Newly formed island off the coast in Brigantine serves as a haven for federally listed red knot 04-16-23
A naturally formed island in New Jersey’s Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge has provided a haven for migratory birds. Read more
Conserving Wildlife Can Help Mitigate Climate Change 03-31-23
Solving the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are not separate issues. Animals remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. Restoring species will help limit global warming, new science reveals. Read more
The looming threat of deep-sea mining 03-14-23
A new international treaty aims to support protection of the high seas – what will this mean for deep-sea mining? Read more
The East Coast Whale Die-Offs: Unraveling the Causes 03-08-23
Activists are blaming a recent spate of humpback strandings off New York and New Jersey on seismic exploration by offshore wind companies. But scientists say the deaths are not unusual and are likely due to increased ship traffic and entanglements with fishing gear. Read more
Climate Crisis Increases Human-Wildlife Conflict 03-06-23
In 2019, an archipelago in the Russian Arctic Ocean declared a state of emergency when an aurora of polar bears muscled their way into a settlement and began nosing through the garbage. Read more
Once Scorned, Birds Are Returning to Farms 02-27-23
The Wild Farm Alliance is working with farmers across California and beyond to help farmers take advantage of birds as natural pest control. Read more
Hurricane Harvey more than doubled the acidity of Texas’ Galveston Bay, threatening oyster reefs 02-07-23
Most people associate hurricanes with high winds, intense rain and rapid flooding on land. But these storms can also change the chemistry of coastal waters. Such shifts are less visible than damage on land, but they can have dire consequences for marine life and coastal ocean ecosystems. Read more
People are building artificial beaver dams in drought-stricken Montana 01-23-23
They’re hoping that the new dams will eventually attract real beavers. Read more
