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One of the major issues facing the world’s oceans and marine species living within them is the presence of marine debris. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), marine debris is defined “as any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned…

Six North Atlantic Right Whales have been found dead in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada this month. Could this mean a tragic and short future for the entire species? The North Atlantic Right whale is one of the most endangered large whale species in the world, with less than 450 individuals left. They are a baleen whale species that live off the coast of North America, feeding on zooplankton and copepods in Canada and New England during spring to fall months. Migrating to the warm waters of South Carolina and Georgia to give birth during the winter (NOAA). This 1000 mile journey through unprotected waters makes them extremely vulnerable. Breaching North Atlantic Right Whale The frightfully small population size is due to being hunted to near extinction during the 19th and early 20th century. In fact, they were…

The sea is a mysterious place. Mostly undiscovered, uncharted and unknown territory lies beneath the oceans that we see at the beach each day. Approximately 70 percent of the earth is covered by water. Only 20 percent of that water has been explored. The ocean may seem like a foreign and exotic place, but when…

When we think about oxygen production, plankton is not often the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe it should though; plankton produces between 70-80% of the oxygen we breathe (Hall 2011). Conserving our oceans is a critical multinational effort that is often undervalued. If precautionary steps are not taken to conserve the seas, in…

As the Atlantic Star rocked back and forth the blue-green tinted water glared back up at me. I could see hundreds of Atlantic Menhaden and countless Cownose Rays swimming several feet beneath the surface. No, I was not in the Bahamas or the Caribbean or even remotely close for that matter. This was the coast…

Figure 1; Credit to Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center Database; Photo taken by Victoria Reader Throughout the summer, I have been researching the patterns of the Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) in the waters of Cape May and Wildwood from this year compared to last year’s data. Last year the American and Atlantic Star…

Photo credit: Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center Database Far out in the Atlantic lurk strange creatures considered to be the deepest diving of all mammals. These record setting animals are Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris). Normally found far from shore, the Research Center has encountered and photographed individuals of this species during pelagic…