Drones are a new technology that help researchers observe and record whale behaviours from a distance. But if the drones are flown too low, they change the whales’ behaviour.
To fish the oceans sustainably, nations must reduce bycatch, or accidental catches. But fishermen often resist changing gear or techniques that kill nontargeted species.
As the dead whales decompose, an astonishing and rare chain of events is likely to flow through the marine ecosystem – ultimately leading to an explosion of activity and new life.
The declining salmon and whale numbers raise a critical question: Is the southern resident killer whale population solely reliant on the abundance of salmon? And, if so, since when?
The scars many whales bear throughout their lives resulting from shark attacks are more than sufficient evidence sharks will have a go if an opportunity arises.
The Soviet Union was a latecomer to industrial whaling, but it slaughtered whales by the thousands once it started and radically under-reported its take to international monitors.
We need to advance our understanding of the effects of microplastics on aquatic ecosystems, especially on small animals at the base of food webs that might be ingesting more of these particles.
It’s usually good news when a once-scarce species starts to recover – unless it starts getting in humans’ way. An ecologist explains how science can help predict unwelcome encounters.