— even for experienced eyes, sifting through 200 documents to be considered at the upcoming convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) conference is a challenge. here is a sneak peak! read article : what to expect at CITES more : CITES cop17
art ecology science & animals
From photography
LET’S GET TO WORK
the hawaiian crow (‘Alal?) use stick tool to extract food. ‘Alal? have relatively straight bills and highly mobile eyes — morphological features that may aid their handling of bill-held tools —”let this discovery serve to emphasise the importance to conserving these and other animal species so that we can continue to learn ever more about the range of their behaviour before they vanish for ever in the 6th great wave of extinction.” read article : tropical crow species is highly skilled tool user
WHAT’S FOR DINNER
— “the study suggests that 20 percent of all seafood globally is mislabeled, and that isn’t accurate,” he says. “the studies they looked at focused on commonly mislabeled species. the report distorts the findings by design.” read article : that fish on your dinner plate may be an endangered species
THE FULL POTENTIAL
— “with the knowledge we have, we need more than that. we need a far more strategic, connected approach if we are going to get out of this mess. protected areas can have positive impacts on species extinction risk and population trends, but they need to be properly sited and managed to realize their full potential.” read article : protected lands and endangered species aren’t properly safeguarded
RARE FRIENDS
— in early august, a biologist returned from the south pacific with news that he encountered an old friend, one he hadn’t seen in over three decades. the university of washington professor had seen what is considered one of the world’s rarest animals read article : rare nautilus sighted for the first time in three decades
A FOXY RECOVERY
— biologists herald this the fastest recovery of a land mammal in the history of the endangered species act. — feral pigs were eradicated from santa cruz, opening the door for island foxes to flourish, which they have. initially, it was thought that santa cruz island had a carrying capacity of approximately 1,200 to 1,500 island foxes, but estimates show a population infusion of 2,100 animals on the largest, most biodiverse island off the california coast.
THE DEVIL AND THE QUEEN
— effective enforcement strategies rely on a complete program in which all levels of syndicates are targeted by appropriate experts, including rangers on the ground, aerial surveillance, prosecutors and investigators. engaging the support of the community is also an integral part of enforcement. read article : can smart collaboration stop the killing of endangered wildlife in tanzania?
A PLEASED INDUSTRY
— the permian basin petroleum association and other oil and natural gas industry groups sued the agency, claiming the designation was too strong. environmental groups also sued, claiming the government did not go far enough and that the lesser prairie chicken should have been listed as “endangered” instead of “threatened.” read article : lesser prairie chicken removed from endangered species list
THESE ARE PRIMITIVE WORLDS?
— the research teased out these details by using 21,946 fossil specimens from areas of nevada in the us and the yukon in canada that were once ancient sea beds to paint a picture of graptolite evolution. the analysis found that as ocean circulation patterns began to shift hundreds of thousands of years before the ordovician extinction, graptolite communities that previously included a rich array of both shallow- and deep-sea species began to lose their diversity and complexity. read article : zooplankton warn us, extinction has a tipping point
A GENTLE GIANT’S NEXT LEVEL
— the iucn is the most comprehensive and recognized listing of the status of species in the world. the list categories range from least concern (lu), meaning the species is still widespread and abundant, to extinct (e), meaning there are no known individuals still existing, whether in the wild or in captivity. the whale shark was previously classified as vulnerable (vu), this next level, endangered (en), kicks this status up to a high risk of extinction. read article it’s official: ‘butanding’ an endangered species
WELL DONE SMALL ONE
— thanks to the powerful conservation tools provided by the esa and the work of countless dedicated people, plovers are steadily recovering. hardly are plovers alone in their slow but encouraging return. that important point was driven home by a new study by the center for biological diversity showing that a remarkable 85 percent of all u.s. continental birds currently protected by the endangered species act are increasing or stabilized. read article : rebound of great lakes plovers a sign that endangered species act works
THE ANNIVERSARY
— “if you’re in research work you’re an optimist, you have to be. sometimes natural optimism makes us be too hopeful about what can be achieved. i think perhaps we are slowly learning to be more realistic and not make the same mistake again.” read article : dolly the sheep creator calls for biobank to save endangered animals more : twenty years on from dolly the sheep
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