Good morning (/ afternoon / evening depending on your time zone!),
I hope you’ve all had a good week. Since last week’s edition, I’ve been busy working on a few articles - the first of which is out now on ScubaDiving.com exploring what positive things have happened to the ocean over the last year (because I think we all need some good news).
And, with that, let’s get straight onto the latest ocean news….
👀 Wildlife sightings 👀
Killer whales: spotted in Cornwall, UK, for the first time - wow! (Somerset Live)
White-beaked dolphins: reported in Essex (BBC)
Humpback whale and calf: seen off the coast of Donegal (Donegal Daily)
Juvenile great whites: caught on camera by drones in California (Fox LA)
Have you had any amazing wildlife sightings recently?
🐳🦈 Whales & sharks 🦈🐳
Where’s Wally? Scientists are concerned about the grey whale, named Wally, believed to be lost in the Mediterranean (Yahoo!)
Whale hugs: Rare drone footage could show endangered North Atlantic right whales cuddling (Nat Geo)
Sharknado: Researchers discover how sharks change their behaviour during major storms (University of Miami)
Baby shark: South Africa’s sheltered Mossel Bay is used by juvenile great whites as they learn to hunt (Sky News)
Think your friends would be interested in the latest ocean conservation news? Share Baleen:
🐬 Other marine animals 🐙
Chi-nah: Animal activits are trying to prevent dolphins from a Dutch dolphinarium from being sold to China (Dutch News)
Turtley recovering: Sea turtles in the Cayman Islands are recovering from the brink of local extinction (Frontiers)
Weird fish: Flatfish used to be symmetrical but things got weird real quick as they evolved (Phys.org)
Cut off: How did Arctic char in Jan Mayen island get cut off from the ocean and how have their coped with being cooped up there? (Hakai)
Declining numbers: Populations of endangered sea lions in Australia have dropped by 60% in just 40 years (Guardian)
Team work makes the dream work: Dolphins help each other even if they’re not friends (Atlas Obscura)
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🚯 Plastic & pollution 🚯
Historical plastic: Fish have been swallowing microplastics since the ‘50s 🤯 (Phys.org)
Deep sea plastic: A new article has summarised the impact of plastic waste generated resulting from uncontrolled human activity (Sci Tech Daily)
Microplastics: We know they’re everywhere - but how harmful are they? (Nature)
🐚 Ecosystems 🐠
I can see the tide from here! NASA has been able to see the movement of the world’s tides from space - the visualisation is very cool (Sci Tech Daily)
Spit that out: The symbiosis between coral and dinoflagellates depends on the algae suppressing the coral’s immune system so it isn’t spat out! (Sci Tech Daily)
Cyprus’ reefs: could be under threat (Cyprus Mail)
Reef stars: Meanwhile in Indonesia, a new project is restoring coral reefs (BBC - thanks to Stephanie for flagging this one)
Unexplored undersea mountains: may be rich in marine life (Science Focus)
Seafloor mapping: Scientists have been using underwater robots to look at the seabed of Australia’s Ashmore Reef Marine Park (BBC)
Rewilding Britain: A new Marine Conservation Society report gives an overview of how the ocean can help the UK reach net zero in 30 years (MCS)
🎣 Fisheries 🎣
No-take vs. gear restrictions: No-take MPAs resulted in better long-term benefits for fisheries than restricting types of fishing gear (WCS)
New conservation measures: announced to protect yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation)
Wall-E in the sea: a floating scarecrow is helping to protect seabirds from getting caught in gillnets (Guardian)
No trawling: Research shows prohibiting trawling has improved biodiversity in Hong Kong waters (Phys.org)
💰 Funding, grants & opportunities 💰
The Sea-Changers Innovation Fund: will support innovative marine conservation approaches and solutions. Award: £2,000. Deadline: 18 June 2021 (Sea-Changers)
PhD opportunity:Biologging Marine Predators in the UK and Overseas, fully funded. Deadline 2 June (University of Exerter)
Thanks to everyone helping us reach new pod members by sharing Baleen!
Thanks for reading again this week - I hope you found the latest edition interesting, informative and full of fab memes ;) Remember, Baleen is created for free each week - if you find it helpful, please do like and share the posts. It helps me reach new pod members.
Thanks and see you next week!
Melissa
📢 If you’d like to chat about how my comms consultancy or copywriting services can help you (from June), please get in touch 🤓 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!)