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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Phoenix swims in George’s Bank, off the coast of New England, on March 13, 2009. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a whale featured story.
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May 18 2012 - 1:34pm
Largely due to overfishing, the Southern Bluefin Tuna is listed as "critically endangered." If its population continues to decline, the species faces the possibility of extinction. It's not alone.
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Jul 5 2011 - 2:33pm
In the dark, cold waters 600 meters (nearly 2000 feet) below the ocean's surface, things happen slowly. Orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), deep ocean fish that were once known as "slimeheads" because of the mucous-producing canals on their heads, grow and mature at a sluggish rate compared to...
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Sep 20 2011 - 11:52am
In the Pacific Ocean, four ocean currents merge to form the North Pacific gyre, also known as the North Pacific Subtropical High, which spans the western US to Japan, and Hawaii to California.
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Jun 14 2011 - 2:53pm
Monk seals -- the only completely tropical species of seal in the world -- are in trouble.
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Oct 28 2010 - 7:01pm
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, maintains the Red List of Threatened Species, an inventory of the global conservation status of plants and animals. In a 2010 study, researchers concluded that one-fifth of the world's vertebrates (animals with backbones) are...
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Jan 16 2013 - 10:49am
A close up view of Phoenix and the rough patches of skin known as callosities that are found on all North Atlantic right whales. These callosities are inhabited by small amphipods called whale lice and they can be used to identify an individual right whale much like fingerprints. More about the...
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May 17 2013 - 9:24am
West Indian Manatees, Trichechus manatus, are found in warm, shallow coastal ecosystems along the southeastern North America and northeastern South America. They graze plants in mangrove ecosystems and seagrass beds, occasionally eating small fish or invertebrates.
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Dec 23 2010 - 3:05pm
“Leatherback turtles are critically endangered, and this young hatchling is a symbol of hope for their future.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Jason Bradley.
See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo contest.
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Sep 5 2012 - 9:24am
The endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is one of hundreds of marine species that can be found cruising the waters of Papahānaumokuākea, a chain of islands northwest of the main Hawaiian archipelago. Papahānaumokuākea was listed as a Marine World Heritage Site in August 2010.
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
A manatee swimming in shallow waters. The West Indian manatee is listed on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species as Vulnerable. More about mangroves can be found in our Mangroves featured story.
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Sep 20 2011 - 12:33pm
At the ends of the Earth, life thrives despite extreme conditions. In the Arctic and Southern Oceans, organisms have evolved adaptations to cope with year-round cold and six months of darkness. But the tough critters living in these harsh climates belie the delicate balance that holds the ecosystem...
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Phoenix’s mother, Stumpy (#1004), was killed in a collision with a ship near Virginia in February 2004. She was pregnant with her sixth known calf. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a whale featured story.
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Sep 24 2009 - 12:34pm
CREDIT: Wikimedia User “Fisherman”
Because of consumer demand for sashimi (a fresh raw seafood dish), the fishing pressure on Atlantic bluefin tuna is extraordinarily high. The sale of a single bluefin tuna made headlines in 2011 when it fetched nearly $400,000 in a Japanese market....
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
There were fewer than 450 North Atlantic right whales in 2006. Yet it has been illegal to hunt them since 1935. Why haven’t populations increased? Traits that made right whales easy to hunt make them vulnerable to ship collisions and fishing gear. Sometimes, as the whales feed, they get entangled...
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Dec 19 2011 - 2:33pm
A Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, swims down a narrow channel into a freshwater spring late in the day.
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Two North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) swim at the surface of the water. Learn more about this species in the North Atlantic Right Whale section.
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Jan 14 2011 - 1:32pm
Forensics is a key tool for enforcing the laws and treaties that protect marine animals. Investigators in a recent case used DNA analysis to track down and convict sea turtle poachers. All seven species of marine turtle are protected under international treaty. Explore other videos that capture...
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Sep 26 2012 - 9:12am
A Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) rests on a beach in Ecuador. The population of these charming animals swings wildly during El Niño events, but is declining overall. They are currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
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Nov 5 2010 - 1:21pm
The Sundarbans National Park site in India was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. The site, located in the Ganges delta, contains the world's largest mangrove forest and hosts a number of rare and endangered species including tigers, aquatic mammals, birds, and reptiles.
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Jan 31 2012 - 10:52am
Endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtles now have nearly 42,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean to call their own. Thanks to a decision in January 2012 by the National Marine Fisheries Service, these magnificent reptiles will now be safeguarded off the U.S. West Coast.
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Feb 24 2012 - 1:00am
Scientists from the U.S. and Greece are working from opposite sides of the ocean to save the Hawaiian (pictured here) and Mediterranean monk seals. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has declared both species to be critically endangered.
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Dec 6 2009 - 10:31pm
Stretching up to 16.8 meters (55 feet) long and weighing up to 62 tons (70 tons), the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s largest animals—and one of the most endangered whales. Scientists estimate that between 300-400 individuals remain. Why so few? For generations the right whale was...
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Sarah Gotheil, from IUCN Global Marine Programme, snapped this photo in the course of her research into fragile species and ecosystems. A new project led by IUCN will unveil the mysteries of southern Indian Ocean seamounts and help improve conservation and management of resources. Two research...
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