Plastic bans don't correlate to pollution levels
Plus the trap that's harming juvenile turtles and how lobster could save reefs
Hi everyone,
Hope you had a lovely weekend. As most people are busy with summer holidays this week, Baleen is slightly shorter this week. Love this new compact digest? Want us to return to the longer format? Let me know your preference in the comments - it really helps me improve Baleen for you.
🐳 Whales
Once in a blue moon: first confirmed sighting of a blue whale off the Irish coast in six years (Irish Mirror)
Kasey and Knobble: HWDT want your pics of two minke whales regularly spotted off Scotland for 20 years… and any other cetaceans you see (BBC)
Whale, that blows! study investigates how the blowhole of whales and dolphins changes position during embryonic development (Phys.org)
Baleen is provided completely free each week to help you keep on top of the latest marine conservation news - if you find it useful, shout me a coffee (thanks!)
🐬🐙 Marine animals
Wally’s on the move: the famous walrus has left Scilly and was spotted in Ireland (BBC)
Wow! cool shots of a thresher shark breaching off the Pembrokeshire coast (LadBible)
Scottish beauties: lovely pics of the fab marine life in Scotland (BBC)
It’s getting hot in here: the troubling consequences of recent heatwaves on marine life (Guardian)
Thanks to everyone who shares Baleen - helping us reach new Pod members is one of the best ways you can support the newsletter!
🚯 Threats
Caribbean coastlines: a study finds plastic bans don’t always correlate to pollution levels (Sky News)
Top tips: marine scientists share their tips on how to tackle plastic pollution (The Conversation)
Edge effect: MPAs around the world being significantly harmed by overfishing and other human threats (Phys.org)
Deep sea sediment: models predict how discaraded sediment from mining operations is carried through the ocean (Phys.org)
Evolutionary trap: young turtles are being led to highly polluted areas of the ocean (Phys.org)
💰 Opportunities
University of California, Santa Barbara: is recruiting a MSc student in Fall 2022 to lead research & data analysis on giant sea bass
Pitch me! If you’re interested in being featured in my guest blog series showcasing cool conservationists, please get in touch
Quick poll: would you like to be able to submit your own opportunities to be shared via Baleen? Leave a comment to let me know
🐚🐠 Ecosystems
Canaries in the coalmine: impacts of the climate crisis are often first felt in estuaries (Guardian)
Knights in spiny armour: how Florida’s threatened coral reefs could be saved by lobster (EcoWatch)
Melting sea ice: could make emperor penguins extinct by 2100 (Live Science)
Horsemen of climate change: A growing dead zone in the ocean is concerning scientists (The Byte)
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Thanks, as always, for reading and hope you liked this week’s short but sweet edition. It’s great to see you showing up every week to find out what’s been going on in the ocean and I look forward to seeing you next week!
Melissa