# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All Challenges - Student Research Guide.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marine Animals Getting Sick From Toxic Algae Bloom

# data[].attributes.headline
Toxins - Cancer from DDT in Sea Lions Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Toxins - Cancer from DDT in Sea Lions Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alarming trend of cancer in sea lions being caused by exposure to banned chemical

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how scientists at The Marine Mammal Center are tackling the issue of cancer in California sea lions and what their research means for understanding cancer in humans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although most of the patients we treat for domoic acid toxicity are California sea lions, other marine mammals are susceptible to its effects as well. Domoic acid has been reported in a number of other seal and sea lion species, as well as cetaceans such as blue and humpback whales. In 2014, researchers at the Center were the first to detect domoic acid in Guadalupe fur seals, a threatened species.

Domoic acid can also affect humans who eat contaminated crab, shellfish and fish, causing a life-threatening condition known as amnesiac shellfish poisoning. Because sea lions are often the first to be affected by a toxic algal bloom, the Center provides data to the public health department when domoic acid poisonings are detected. This helps public health officials determine whether seafood warnings should be issued and allows scientists to better understand local ecosystem health.

Through testing and closing dangerous fisheries, we've gotten better at preventing humans from getting sick from domoic acid, but these efforts don't work for marine mammals. And there's still a lot we don't know about what causes massive algal blooms like the ones we've seen in recent years-or even why the Pseudo-nitzschia algae produces the toxin.

One thing we do know is that the algae thrives in unusually warm waters off the West Coast-ocean conditions that have become more frequent in recent years as we see the impacts of climate change increase. Center scientists collaborate with other oceanographers and climate scientists to investigate the links with climate change and other environmental factors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Domoic Acid Toxicosis | The Marine Mammal Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although most of the patients we treat for domoic acid toxicity are California sea lions, other marine mammals are susceptible to its effects as well. Domoic acid has been reported in a number of other seal and sea lion species, as well as cetaceans such as blue and humpback whales.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Marine Stewardship Council - Sustainable seafood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wild-Caught Seafood | The Marine Mammal Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn why seafood choices in wild-caught seafood matter. Join The Marine Mammal Center in supporting healthy fisheries and ensuring essential sources of food for marine mammals and people alike.

# data[].attributes.headline
Overfishing - Will the Ocean Run Out of Fish?

# data[].attributes.subject
Overfishing - Will the Ocean Run Out of Fish?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Will the ocean ever run out of fish? - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jennifer Jacquet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Is Overfishing A Problem For Marine Ecosystems? - Earth Science Answers

# data[].attributes.headline
Wetland Degradation - Threats to Wetlands

# data[].attributes.subject
Wetland Degradation - Threats to Wetlands

# data[].attributes.headline
Wetland Degradation - Fisheries at Risk Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Wetland Degradation - Fisheries at Risk Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
News

Habitat restoration experts discuss the challenges coastal habitats face from climate change and what NOAA is doing to address them.

Just like people, fish and wildlife need homes so they can thrive. They need healthy habitats where they can eat, rest, grow, and raise their young. Healthy habitats also help humans. They protect coastal communities from storms, filter pollution from water, and support thriving tourism and fishing industries. Wetlands, coral reefs, rivers, and other habitats are all at risk due to climate change.

Hear from our restoration experts about the challenges these coastal habitats face and what NOAA, along with our partners, is doing to address them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Climate Change and Habitat Loss: Fisheries at Risk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Just like people, fish and wildlife need homes so they can thrive. They need healthy habitats where they can eat, rest, grow, and raise their young. Healthy habitats also help humans. They protect coastal communities from storms, filter pollution from water, and support thriving tourism and fishing industries.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wetlands worldwide are disappearing. How one California wetland was saved

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wetlands are a pivotal part of the natural system, providing tremendous benefits for coastal ecosystems and communities. They provide us with clean water, flood protection, abundant fisheries, and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ensly, Kender, Odilio, Sal - MPA Video Minecraft

# data[].attributes.subject
Ensly, Kender, Odilio, Sal - MPA Video Minecraft

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacky, Suzie, Violeta, Samantha V - Marine Mammals Song

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacky, Suzie, Violeta, Samantha V - Marine Mammals Song

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out this Poster (US) designed by Phyo Paing.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacky, Violeta, Suzie, Samantha V - Toxins Song

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacky, Violeta, Suzie, Samantha V - Toxins Song

# data[].attributes.headline
Vivi, Andrea, Angeles, Mia - Ocean Trash Interview

# data[].attributes.subject
Vivi, Andrea, Angeles, Mia - Ocean Trash Interview

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

# data[].attributes.headline
Fatima, Tiana, and Vanessa - Oil Spills Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Fatima, Tiana, and Vanessa - Oil Spills Video

# data[].attributes.headline
Ky'Miah, Aubrey, Nadia, Geraldine - Fundraiser Photos

# data[].attributes.subject
Ky'Miah, Aubrey, Nadia, Geraldine - Fundraiser Photos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

# data[].attributes.headline
Alejandro, Luis, Anthony V - Entanglement Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Alejandro, Luis, Anthony V - Entanglement Video

# data[].attributes.headline
Oil Spills - Article About Effects on Marine Mammals 10 Years Later

# data[].attributes.subject
Oil Spills - Article About Effects on Marine Mammals 10 Years Later

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sea Turtles, Dolphins, and Whales - 10 years after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More information on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010 and its effects on surrounding marine life.

# data[].attributes.headline
Oil Spills - US Map of Spills and Waste Sites

# data[].attributes.subject
Oil Spills - US Map of Spills and Waste Sites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Map of the Month: NOAA Oil Spill and Waste Sites | response.restoration.noaa.gov

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over our 30+ year history, NOAA and our partners have helped recover over $10.5 billion to restore coastal ecosystems and communities after oil spills and hazardous waste pollution. This map shows the 81 oil spill sites and 163 hazardous waste sites across the country where we have reached settlements to fund restoration.

# data[].attributes.headline
Oil Spill Video - How to Clean Up Spills?

# data[].attributes.subject
Oil Spill Video - How to Clean Up Spills?

# data[].attributes.headline
Oil Spills - What are the Effects, Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Oil Spills - What are the Effects, Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Are Oil Spills So Damaging? | Summer School Week 16 | Twig Science Reporter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
UC Davis Specialists Rescue Animals in Oil Spill

# data[].attributes.headline
Climate Change - Domoic Acid Toxicosis Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Climate Change - Domoic Acid Toxicosis Video

# data[].attributes.headline
Climate Change - Algal Blooms Because of Warming Ocean Waters

# data[].attributes.subject
Climate Change - Algal Blooms Because of Warming Ocean Waters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Toxic algae bloom believed to be cause of marine animal deaths along California coast

# data[].attributes.headline
Climate Change - Basic Video Explanation

# data[].attributes.subject
Climate Change - Basic Video Explanation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Climate change explained in 5 minutes | CBC Kids News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marine mammals in U.S. waters are losing food and habitat to climate change, study finds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice volumes associated with climate change, according to a first-of-its-kind assessment.

# data[].attributes.headline
Climate Change - Effects on Marine Mammals

# data[].attributes.subject
Climate Change - Effects on Marine Mammals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Polar bears, walruses, and other Arctic species are facing similar challenges as summer sea ice continues to retreat (National Park Service)

Commission scientists have published a review of the evidence for effects of climate change on marine mammals that occur in U.S. waters.

The fundamental driver of climate change in the global oceans is increasing atmospheric carbon, which results in increased air and ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, loss of sea ice, and increased fresh-water discharge from melting ice and river outflows ( IPCC). These changes foster both abiotic (sea-level rise, altered storm activity) and biotic (food web) ecosystem responses. Marine mammal responses to food web alterations (e.g., shifts in range, distribution, phenology, migration routes, diet) have physiological consequences (e.g., changes in body condition, health), as well as influencing individuals' exposure to predation, pathogens, toxins, and risks associated with human activities, and this ultimately can affect reproductive success and survival. It is important to recognize that while climate change-related ecosystem alterations may have negative effects on some species, they can benefit others.

Schematic representation of climate change impacts on marine mammal populations ( Gulland et al., 2022).

Climate change impacts on marine mammal are best known in the Arctic, but have also been documented throughout US waters, including temperate and sub-tropical regions. While many of the observed effects had been predicted, some unforeseen effects have also been documented, such as the dramatic loss of pupping/nursing habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk seals due to sea level rise and severe storms. Other examples of marine mammal species in U.S. waters for which effects of climate change have been documented include humpback whales, North Atlantic right whales, and polar bears.

Examples of marine mammal species in U.S. waters for which effects of climate change have been documented. a. Humpback whale off Jeffreys Ledge, Gulf of Maine; b. male polar bear; c. North Atlantic right whale, Florida; d and e. Hawaiian monk seals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Photo credits: a. Lauri Leach; b. Ian Stirling; c. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA research permit #15488; d. Shawn Farry Permit # 16632. ( Gulland et al., 2022)

Many suspected effects of climate change remain unconfirmed; modifications to research and monitoring efforts could reveal the full scope and significance of current and future impacts on marine mammals. Commission scientists concluded that detecting and mitigating the threats to marine mammals from climate change will require some realignment of research and monitoring priorities, coupled with rapid and flexible management that includes both conventional and novel conservation interventions.

The paper can be read online for free in the Journal of Climate Change Ecology.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effects of Climate Change on Marine Mammals - Marine Mammal Commission

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Commission scientists have published a review of the evidence for effects of climate change on marine mammals that occur in U.S. waters. The fundamental driver of climate change in the global oceans is increasing atmospheric carbon, which results in increased air and ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, loss of sea ice, and increased fresh-water discharge from [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Why is the ocean important for life on Earth?

The ocean is important because it is a very large part of our planet. In fact, it covers 70% of Earth's surface. The ocean is a home and food source for countless fish, mammals, plants, birds, and more.

The ocean plays an important role in whatever happens in our environment on Earth. Even if you live on land - like humans do - you wouldn't survive without the ocean!

One example: without the ocean, Earth would be much hotter than it is right now. That's because the ocean absorbs heat from the Sun and spreads it more evenly around our planet.

How does the ocean soak up heat from the Sun?

Water is excellent at storing heat. Water has a high heat capacity-it absorbs a lot of heat before it begins to get hot. Air, on the other hand, is not so great at storing heat.

Earth's climate is warming due to human activities. As Earth experiences a warming climate, we experience hotter air temperatures. The ocean does an excellent job of absorbing the extra heat from the atmosphere, delaying the full impact of global warming.

The top few meters of the ocean store as much heat as Earth's entire atmosphere. So, as the planet warms, it's the ocean that gets most of the extra energy. More than 90% of the global warming is going into the ocean.

But if the ocean gets too warm, then the plants and animals that live there can get sick or even die.

How are coral reefs affected by climate change?

Coral reefs are created by living creatures. Warming oceans caused by climate change are putting coral reefs in danger. Coral reefs are made by very fragile colonies of organisms that build skeletons around themselves.

Coral lives together with a certain kind of colorful algae. The algae make food using sunlight ¬- a process called photosynthesis. The algae share the food with the coral, and in turn, the coral gives the algae a safe and comfortable place to live.

The two of them get along fine, living in clean, clear, shallow waters where the Sun shines through brightly. Fish and other sea creatures love coral too, because there are lots of nooks and crannies for them to hide in.

But the algae cannot carry out photosynthesis in water that is too warm. The algae either die, or the coral spits it out. It's bad for the algae, the coral and the fish, because the coral lose their food sources and become weak and can die. This event is called coral bleaching, and it is a very serious problem in many ocean ecosystems around the world.

Read about what it's like to be an ocean scientist studying coral reefs.

How does the ocean soak up CO₂?

Fish and other animals in the ocean breathe oxygen and give off carbon dioxide (CO ₂), just like land animals. Ocean plants take in the carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, just like land plants. The ocean is great at absorbing CO ₂ from the air.

However, a lot of CO ₂ comes from human activities, too. For example, exhaust from cars, planes, and factories put extra carbon dioxide into our air. Too much carbon dioxide in the air is a problem, as it causes the Earth to trap more heat. The ocean absorbs about one-quarter of the CO ₂ that humans create when we burn fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas).

Too much carbon dioxide in the ocean causes a problem called ocean acidification. You can read this article to learn all about ocean acidification and its effects.

How does the ocean affect the climate?

The ocean absorbs heat from the Sun and ocean currents move that warm water all around the planet. Ocean currents are like highways that carry water around the world. Heat (along with salt) is a major source of power for ocean currents.

Cold water near the North and South Poles sinks deeper into the ocean. Water near the equator is warmed by the Sun. Then, the warm surface water moves closer to the poles where it cools and sinks.

As Earth's climate warms, the water also warms melting sea ice. This warming could make the water less cold and less likely to sink. Without sinking cold water, the ocean currents could slow down or stop in some places. This could change the climate in places like Europe that have milder climates thanks to the warm currents in the oceans around them.

Does the salt in the ocean do anything?

The amount of salt in the ocean also affects currents. Saltier water is heavier than less salty water. When salty ocean water freezes, the ice can no longer hold on to the salt. Instead, the salt mixes with the water below making it saltier and heavier. Glaciers, land ice and icebergs are made of fresh water, so what happens when this ice melts? Good question!

The water in the North Atlantic sinks because it's cold, but also because it's salty. Being both cold and salty makes it really dense and heavy, so it can sink very far. But if too much ice melts in the North Atlantic, the water could become less salty and affect ocean currents. NASA satellites are keeping a close eye on the melting ice, the ocean currents, and ocean life to better understand this complicated system.

Play Go With the Flow to use temperature, salinity, and ocean currents to find treasure!

How does climate change impact sea level?

As Earth warms, NASA has observed that sea levels are rising. Water expands as it gets warmer. So, warm water takes up more room in our oceans, and this leads to higher sea levels. Another reason that oceans are rising is due to melting ice on land. Glaciers and ice sheets are large masses of ice that sit on the land. As our planet warms, this ice melts and flows into the oceans. More water in the oceans makes sea level higher.

NASA satellites are constantly measuring sea level around the globe. Learn more about how we measure sea level with satellites.

Related NASA Missions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Does Climate Change Affect the Ocean?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Additional heat and carbon dioxide in the ocean can change the environment for the many plants and animals that live there.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Word with Dr. Whizzlepuff: Climate Change

# data[].attributes.headline
Ship Strikes - Map and What Is Being Done Already

# data[].attributes.subject
Ship Strikes - Map and What Is Being Done Already

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vessels of any size and type can strike and kill or injure marine life. Collisions can occur anywhere vessels cross paths with marine life but are more common in areas with both high vessel traffic and many animals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Human Wildlife Interaction - Harassment Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Human Wildlife Interaction - Harassment Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
More people harassing seals and sea lions: report

# data[].attributes.headline
Human Wildlife Interaction - Bay Area Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Human Wildlife Interaction - Bay Area Video

# data[].attributes.headline
Human Wildlife Interaction - Harassment Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Human Wildlife Interaction - Harassment Video

# data[].attributes.headline
Human Wildlife Interaction - Animal Harassment Article

# data[].attributes.subject
Human Wildlife Interaction - Animal Harassment Article

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Why is it illegal to feed, attempt to feed, or harass marine mammals in the wild?

Marine Mammal Protection Act regulations prohibit feeding, attempting to feed, and harassing marine mammals in the wild. These activities are illegal because they harm the animals in the following ways:

Marine mammals associate people with food, losing their natural wariness of humans or boats and becoming conditioned to receiving handouts.

Marine mammals change their natural behaviors, including feeding and migration activities, and show decreased willingness to forage for food on their own. They may also begin to take bait/catch from fishing gear. These changed behaviors may be passed on to their young and other members of their social groups, increasing their risk of injury from boats, entanglement in fishing gear, and intentional harm by people frustrated with the behavioral changes.

Marine mammals may eat contaminated (old or spoiled) food or non-food items. Feeding marine mammals inappropriate food, non-food items, or contaminated food jeopardizes their health.

Marine mammals sometimes become aggressive when seeking food and are known to bite or injure people when teased or expecting food.

Marine mammals include dolphins, porpoises, whales, seals, sea lions, and manatees.

How does the MMPA define "harassment"?

The MMPA lists two levels of harassment:

Level A harassment means any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild.

Level B harassment refers to acts that have the potential to disturb (but not injure) a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by disrupting behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.

Does NOAA Fisheries have a policy about interacting with marine mammals in the wild?

NOAA Fisheries has a policy on human interactions with wild marine mammals that states:

Interacting with wild marine mammals should not be attempted, and viewing marine mammals must be conducted in a manner that does not harass the animals.

NOAA Fisheries does not support, condone, approve, or authorize activities that involve closely approaching, interacting, or attempting to interact with whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, or sea lions in the wild. This includes attempting to swim with, pet, touch, or elicit a reaction from the animals.

Learn more about viewing marine mammals and other marine life
How can people responsibly view marine mammals in the wild?

NOAA Fisheries supports responsible viewing of marine mammals in the wild. Each of our five regional offices have developed viewing guidelines or regulations tailored to the specific needs of the species in their area to help people responsibly view the animals and avoid harassment. In general, the guidelines recommend the following:

Observe wild dolphins, porpoises, and seals from a safe distance of at least 50 yards (150 feet) by land or sea.

Observe large whales from a safe distance of at least 100 yards (300 feet) by land or sea.

Observe whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals from a safe distance of at least 333 yards (1,000 feet) by air.

Use binoculars or telephoto lenses for a better view of the animals.

Limit overall viewing time to no more than 30 minutes.

Avoid circling or entrapping marine mammals between watercraft or between watercraft and shore.

Avoid abrupt movements or loud noises around marine mammals.

Avoid separating mother/calf pairs.

Move away cautiously if you observe behaviors that indicate the animal is stressed.

Avoid touching or swimming with wild marine mammals, even if they approach you.

In addition to these recommended guidelines, federal regulations strictly prohibit closely approaching certain species of marine mammals and feeding or attempting to feed any species of marine mammal:

It is illegal to feed or attempt to feed any species of marine mammal.

It is illegal to approach humpback whales in Hawaii and Alaska within 100 yards (300 feet) by land or sea.

It is illegal to approach humpback whales in Hawaii within 333 yards (1,000 feet) by air.

It is illegal to approach killer whales in inland waters of Washington State within 200 yards (600 feet) by land or sea.

It is illegal to approach North Atlantic right whales within 500 yards (1,500 feet) by land, sea, or air.

To learn more, visit our Viewing Guidelines and Distances page, as well as 50 CFR 216.3 and 50 CFR 224.103.

How does NOAA Fisheries educate the public about the MMPA feeding and harassment regulations?

NOAA Fisheries works cooperatively with many partners, including other federal and state wildlife officials, to develop clear and consistent outreach messages educating the public that it is illegal to feed and harass wild marine mammals. We use a variety of innovative methods to ensure the public understands why feeding or harassment is illegal, how these activities may harm marine mammals in the wild, why these activities are unsafe for people, and how to avoid these illegal activities and enjoy viewing marine mammals in the wild.

Visit the following websites for more information about our education and outreach campaigns to prevent feeding and harassment of marine mammals:

What can people do if they see a marine mammal violation?

To report marine mammal violations, such as people feeding, attempting to feed, or harassing marine animals in the wild, please call NOAA Fisheries' Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. You may leave information anonymously.

Learn more about marine resource violations.

What can happen to those prosecuted for violating the MMPA?

NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement works closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies to enforce federal regulations and investigate violations when they occur.

If prosecuted, violators of the MMPA could face:

Civil penalties up to $11,000.

Up to 1 year in prison, plus criminal fines.

Forfeiture of the vessel involved, including penalties for that vessel up to $25,000.

Examples of penalties include the following:

What research identifies the risks to marine mammals from feeding?

Scientific research has documented the harmful consequences when humans feed or provision marine mammals in the wild. Notable literature includes:

Cunningham-Smith, P., D. E. Colbert, R. S. Wells, and T. Speakman. 2006. Evaluation of human interactions with a provisioned wild bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) near Sarasota Bay, Florida, and efforts to curtail the interactions. Aquat. Mamm. 32(3): 346-35.

Finn, H., R. Donaldson, and M. Calver. 2008. Feeding flipper: a case study of a human-dolphin interaction. Pac. Conserv. Biol. 14: 215-225.

Mann, J. and C. Kemps. 2003. The effects of provisioning on maternal care in wild bottlenose dolphins, Shark Bay, Western Australia. In Marine mammals: fisheries, tourism, and management issues (N. Gales, M. Hindell, and R. Kirkwood, eds.), p. 304-317. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria.

National Marine Fisheries Service. 1994. Report to Congress on results of feeding wild dolphins: 1989-1994. National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, 23 p.

Orams, M. B. 2002. Feeding wildlife as a tourism attraction: a review of issues and impacts. Tourism Manage. 23: 281-293.

Samuels, A., and L. Bejder. 2004. Chronic interaction between humans and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins near Panama City Beach, Florida, USA. J. Cetac. Res. Manage. 6(1): 69-77.

What research supports the need for responsible viewing practices?

Scientific research has shown that human interactions with marine mammals in the wild can disrupt their normal behavior and activities. These include boat-based interactions and intentional swimming. Notable literature includes:

Bejder, L., A. Samuels, H. Whitehead, N. Gales, J. Mann, R. Connor, M. Heithaus, J. Watson-Capps, C. Flaherty, and M. Krutzen. 2006. Decline in relative abundance of bottlenose dolphins exposed to long-term disturbance. Conserv. Biol. 20(6): 1791-1798. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00540.x.

Christiansen, F., D. Lusseau, E. Stensland, and P. Berggren. 2010. Effects of tourist boats on the behaviour of Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins off the south coast of Zanzibar. Endanger. Species Res. 11: 91-99.

Constantine, R. 2001. Increased avoidance of swimmers by wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) due to long-term exposure to swim-with-dolphin tourism. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 17(4): 689-702.

Constantine, R., D. H. Brunton, and T. Dennis. 2004. Dolphin-watching tour boats change bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behaviour. Biol. Conserv. 117: 299-307.

Jensen, F. H., L. Bejder, M. Wahlberg, N. Aguilar Soto, M. Johnson, and P. T. Madsen. 2009. Vessel noise effects on delphinid communication. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 395: 161-175.

Lusseau, D. 2003. Effects of tour boats on the behavior of bottlenose dolphins: using Markov chains to model anthropogenic impacts. Conserv. Biol. 17: 1785-1793.

Lusseau, D. 2004. The hidden cost of tourism: detecting long-term effects of tourism using behavioral information. Ecol. Soc. 9(1): 2.

Lusseau, D., and J. E. S. Higham. 2004. Managing the impacts of dolphin-based tourism through the definition of critical habitats: the case of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Tourism Manage. 25: 657-667.

Nowacek, S. M., R. S. Wells, and A. R. Solow. 2001. Short-term effects of boat traffic on bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in Sarasota Bay, Florida. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 17(4): 673-688.

Samuels, A., and L. Bejder. 2004. Chronic interaction between humans and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins near Panama City Beach, Florida, USA. J. Cetac. Res. Manage. 6(1): 69-77.

Samuels, A., L. Bejder, and S. Heinrick. 2000. A review of the literature pertaining to swimming with wild dolphins. Marine Mammal Commission, Bethesda, Maryland, 57 p.

Wells, R. S., and M. D. Scott. 1997. Seasonal Incidence of boat strikes on bottlenose dolphins Near Sarasota, Florida. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 13(3): 475-480.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Frequent Questions: Feeding or Harassing Marine Mammals in the Wild

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is illegal to feed or harass wild marine mammals including dolphins, porpoises, whales, seals, sea lions, and manatees. For the health and well-being of these animals and for your safety, please do not feed, swim with, or harass these marine animals. We encourage you to observe them from a distance of at least 50 yards (150 feet).

# data[].attributes.headline
Human Wildlife Interaction in the Bay Area - Article

# data[].attributes.subject
Human Wildlife Interaction in the Bay Area - Article

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While crowding is the most prevalent form of harassment range-wide, a significant number of harassment cases were more severe, including dragging the animal, touching it, attempting to feed it or pouring water on it. Harassment by dogs accounted for more than a quarter of all cases.

"While on the surface, taking a close-up selfie or having your dog off-leash near a marine mammal may seem cute and innocent, it can create real challenges, especially for young seals and sea lions," says Ratner. "These behaviors can separate young pups from their mothers, increase stress and potentially increase the risk for disease transmission between people and animals."

Now armed with strong baseline data to make year-over-year comparisons going forward, the Center's team is utilizing a multi-pronged approach this year to address the issue of human wildlife interaction, including working with behavior change experts. These initial efforts include trying to reach beachgoers, tourists and small businesses in key interaction hot-spot areas with information about how to safely share our shores and local waterways with marine wildlife.

More specifically, The Marine Mammal Center is also seeking to identify the following:

Motivations for problematic behaviors such as touching, moving, harassing or taking up-close selfies with marine mammals

Attitudes, knowledge and demographics associated with such behaviors and the consequences of these problematic actions

Leaders in the community who can help spread the message of how to protect marine mammals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
San Francisco Bay Area a Hot Spot for Marine Mammal Harassment, Experts Say | The Marine Mammal Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Marine Mammal Center reports that data gathered last year on the impact of human wildlife interaction highlights a complex and concerning threat for marine mammals in the San Francisco Bay Area and along the California coast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Entanglement of Marine Life: Risks and Response

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris can be dangerous for marine mammals and sea turtles. Learn how NOAA Fisheries and partners work to prevent entanglements and rescue entangled animals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Plastic Entanglement - Ghost Gear Article

# data[].attributes.subject
Plastic Entanglement - Ghost Gear Article

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
trip to the remote north Pacific gyre provides a stark reality check on the scale of the planet's plastic waste crisis. "You've been sailing at 10 knots for five days, you're alone. You don't see any other boats. And then you find toothbrushes and lighters floating around you," says Laurent Lebreton, head of research at the Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit organisation that develops technology to extract marine plastics. "It's just very surreal."

What he finds most striking, however, are the metres of netting, ropes and line, luminous orange buoys, crab pots and fish traps: remnants of the global fishing industry, drifting around in what is known as the "great Pacific garbage patch".

From samples gathered by the Ocean Cleanup's floating boom system - which rakes in plastic from this swirling gyre - Lebreton's new research deciphered clues on some of the plastic fragments, whichsuggest that most of that waste can be traced back to five industrialised fishing nations: the US, Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan.

Typically, the finger of blame for marine plastic is pointed at terrestrial pollution from rapidly developing economies in south-east Asia and elsewhere, Lebreton says. But his fresh discoveries highlight the contribution of industrialised nations to this problem, too.

Known officially as abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) - and unofficially as "ghost gear" - this marine waste comprises fishing nets, ropes, line, traps and other fishing paraphernalia, mostly made up of durable plastics. Highly buoyant plastic fishing gear is more likely to become concentrated in places such as the north Pacific gyre, but it is also dispersed across the ocean. The quantity is notoriously difficult to measure, but it is estimated that between 500,000 and 1m tons a year tumble into the seas.

Q&A
Plastic in the depths
Show

The oceans swirl with plastic. More than 8m tonnes pour into the seas every year, spewed out via rivers, dumped on coastlines or abandoned by fishing vessels. Plastic even contaminates the air: in many places, it literally rains plastic.

However, while ocean pollution suggests bobbing plastic bottles or straws, these make up only a fraction of the total. In this series, the Guardian's Seascape project is looking at what is in this plastic avalanche to find out where it comes from, the harm it causes and what can be done to fix it.

The type of plastic that proliferates through ocean ecosystems depends on where you look. While bags and food wrappings dominate the shoreline, further out it is abandoned fishing gear and plastic lids.

Some sources of plastic pollution are less obvious, such as cigarette butts and sachets. Then there's the vast, unseen churn of microplastics - trillions of tiny fibres and beads that are now so much part of our water systems that every week most people drink a credit card's worth of it.

Microplastic itself has many sources. It comes from clothes fibres, released in washing machines, and from nurdles, the building blocks for many plastic goods that are often spilled in their billions from ships, causing as much damage as oil spills (though still not classified as hazardous).

And it comes, in huge quantities (representing about a quarter of all microplastic in oceans), from tyre dust - the residue generated as people drive their cars ( and even bicycles) down the street.
Chris Michael, Seascape editor

Photograph: Andrey Nekrasov/Rex Features

Thank you for your feedback.

An October survey of 450 fishers from seven big fishing nations estimated that 2% of fishing gear used globally ends up in the ocean. The share may seem small but the scale of global fishing is enormous, says Kelsey Richardson, the lead author on the study.

It amounts to an estimated 3,000 sq km of gill nets, 740,000 km of longline mainlines, and 25m pots and traps. At the current rates of loss, the amount of stray fishing nets measured by area would be enough to carpet the surface of the planet in 65 years, the researchers found.

"Unfortunately, wherever fishing takes place, gear is being lost," says Ingrid Giskes, director of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, a programme spearheaded by Ocean Conservancy that brings together fishers, conservation organisations, industry players and governments.

A team from the Papahānaumoku-ākea Marine Debris Project drags fishing nets from the beach of Midway Atoll, off Hawaii. The abandoned gear threatens endangered Hawaiian monk seals and other marine animals. Photograph: Matthew Chauvin/AP

Ghost gear contributes about 20% of marine plastic - with most of the rest coming from land-based sources - but underwater, its effects are profoundly worse. "It continues to operate as something that catches marine wildlife," says Christina Dixon, ocean campaign leader at the Environmental Investigation Agency. "It's an invisible killer."

The World Wide Fund for Nature calls fishing waste the deadliest form of marine plastic, finding that entanglement or entrapment by ghost gear affects 66% of marine animals, including all sea turtle species and 50% of seabirds.

Captured animals die due to suffocation, drowning and starvation, or because they are left unable to properly breed and migrate. "Everyone knows that video of the turtle with the straw in its nose, but kilometres of gillnets are way more deadly," Giskes says.

Different types of ghost gear can form giant masses - such as the 9,000kg ball of jumbled rope, nets and line that Ocean Conservancy helped fishers haul up from the seafloor off the coast of Maine in 2019. It was "floating beneath the surface, out of sight", Giskes says. These layers of waste can pose navigational hazards and crush ecosystems such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows, creating barriers and stifling marine life.

A dead humpback whale washed up in East Lothian, on Scotland's east coast, after getting entangled in nets. Photograph: East Lothian Ranger Service/WDC/PA

All the while, ghost gear is costing millions of dollars to clean up, especially for small island nations that lie in the path of drifting gear that invades their reefs and beaches, Dixon says.

There are many reasons fishing gear ends up as marine waste - from stormy weather to poor storage and gear snagging on the seafloor. Fishers facing tough economic conditions may take more risks to catch fish, says Richardson, increasing the likelihood of damaging or losing gear. The especially risky conditions around illegal fishing mean that this shadowy phenomenon is probably contributing even more to the waste.

Whatever the scenario, "the majority of the loss is not because fishers throw gear overboard. It's unintentional," Giskes says. Equipment is often expensive to replace. Warren Unkert, a commercial crabber in New Jersey, says he loses about 30 crab pots annually, and at $40 (£35) a pot plus lost catch, the costs mount up.

skip past newsletter promotion
The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion

Where exactly ghost gear comes from is still under-researched. Lebreton's study traced the national origins of fishing waste in the great Pacific garbage patch (which pointed, logically, to countries with the greatest fishing presence in that ocean) - but it does not tell us much about the other regions, he says. "I'd be curious to know what we'd find in the other [four] gyres."

To plug these knowledge gaps, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative is drawing together data from government members and fisher surveys to create what Giskes expects will be the largest global dataset on ghost gear. In the next five or 10 years, they hope to have a comprehensive picture of the problem.

A researcher pulls apart a mass of ghost nets to trace fishing gear that washed ashore in Hawaii back to the manufacturers and fisheries where it originated. Photograph: Caleb Jones/AP

In the shorter term, there has been innovation aiming to tackle ghost gear. Designers have developed biodegradable fishing gear and satellite-traceable buoys that allow fishers to track and retrieve lost traps. Gear recycling is now commonplace in several ports, and a handful of these include gear buy-back schemes for old or damaged gear.

In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program funds dozens of prevention and retrieval projects: one of these has partnered with the New Jersey-based Stockton University with fishers including Unkert to identify sunken crab pots using sonar off the state's shoreline. "We've gotten at least 5,000 or 6,000 off the bottom, from one small bay over the last 10 years," Unkert says.

Canada has made it mandatory to report gear loss, as well as to mark certain gear, which makes it possible to trace lost gear back to individual vessels and nations, and is thought to increase accountability. Some momentum is building on the industry side too: Thai Union, one of the largest seafood companies in the world, requires its tuna suppliers to mark the non-biodegradable parts of fish-aggregating devices, says Adam Brennan, the company's group director of sustainability.

But efforts to tackle ghost gear have so far been piecemeal and mainly voluntary, which does not fit the enormous scale and transnational nature of the waste, Dixon says. "Fishing gear has really been falling through the gaps of global governance."

This may change with the legally binding international treaty to end plastic pollution, which will be drafted by 2024. Negotiations on its terms, which start this month, provide an opportunity to make measures to tackle ghost gear - such as gear-marking, buy-back schemes and designing recyclable gear - mandatory across all nations. Most solutions are "only really going to be effective if everybody is doing it", Dixon says.

There is a way out of the tangled mess of ghost gear if governments are willing to come together, Giskes says. "This does feel like a solvable problem."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'An invisible killer': how fishing gear became the deadliest marine plastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
trip to the remote north Pacific gyre provides a stark reality check on the scale of the planet's plastic waste crisis. "You've been sailing at 10 knots for five days, you're alone. You don't see any other boats.

# data[].attributes.headline
Plastic Ingestion and Entanglement Infographic

# data[].attributes.subject
Plastic Ingestion and Entanglement Infographic

# data[].attributes.headline
Plastic Ingestion and Entanglement Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Plastic Ingestion and Entanglement Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Hidden Dangers of Plastics Pollution for Marine Animals

# data[].attributes.headline
Plastic Ingestion - Great Pacific Garbage Patch Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Plastic Ingestion - Great Pacific Garbage Patch Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Frequent Questions: Feeding or Harassing Marine Mammals in the Wild

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is illegal to feed or harass wild marine mammals including dolphins, porpoises, whales, seals, sea lions, and manatees. For the health and well-being of these animals and for your safety, please do not feed, swim with, or harass these marine animals. We encourage you to observe them from a distance of at least 50 yards (150 feet).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
July 2017

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is one of the best places in the world to see endangered blue whales. But these whales are also at risk from ship strikes. Watch our video to learn about a unique program that brought shipping companies, nonprofits, and government agencies together to solve this problem and help protect whales!

Transcript

Between the coast of Southern California and the Channel Islands lies a 70 nautical mile stretch of the Pacific Ocean known as the Santa Barbara Channel.

The exciting things about this region, the Southern California Bight and the Santa Barbara Channel in particular is it's one of the most reliable places to see concentrations of blue whales anywhere in the world.

Blue whales occur throughout the world's oceans and occured in some of their largest numbers in the Southern Ocean. But right now with what whaling has done, this is probably the best place to see blue whales around the year.

There are areas that can get hundreds of blue whales in an area feeding and that's something you don't run into anywhere else in the world.

This same channel also serves as an important passageway for another ocean giant: container ships. Maritime shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy.

At any given moment across the globe, thousands of container ships are steaming across oceans, delivering 90% of our everyday goods and products.

In the Santa Barbara Channel alone, more than 2,700 ships power through these waters annually making it a very busy shipping lane.

One of the emerging threats to many large whale species, not just blue whales, has been ship strikes. These ships move incredibly fast and these whales that just are not used to this kind of a threat don't seem to know how to avoid that or even recognize it as a threat.

So that puts them in vulnerability of actually just being run over by the ship, either hit by the bow or sometimes hit by the propeller.

We understand that no ship captain wants to hit a blue whale or humpback whale or fin whale as they come through the channel.

We also understand that they have busy schedules to keep as they move the world's goods from Asia to the West Coast.

Our mandate at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are to protect these blue, humpback, and fin whales as they come here every summer to feed.

Shipping has also been linked to increased air pollution in coastal communities.

We estimate that ships contribute more than 50% of our nitrogen oxides pollution in Santa Barbara County, and in Ventura County it's more than 25%, and we are very concerned about that because NOx combines to form ozone, which is a principal component of smog.

And it's very very harmful to human health.

We're worried about exhaust in this community.

Asthmatic children have inflamed airways.

These are the tubes that go into the lungs.

And they're very sensitive to anything that will make inflammation worse.

Nitrogen oxide is one of those things because it's converted by sunlight to ozone and it's a pro-inflammatory mediator, ozone is, and will make the inflammation in the lungs even worse, making it more difficult for them to breathe.

Groups from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties formed a unique partnership to try a new approach.

Voluntary vessels speed reduction.

The vessel speed reduction incentive program offers financial incentives to ships that are willing to slow down voluntarily as they pass through the Santa Barbara Channel.

On average, ships traveling through the Santa Barbara Channel are traveling 14 to 18 knots.

In the incentive-based program, we're asking that they slow down to 12 knots and we're offering a bonus if they're willing to slow down to 10 knots.

There are certain speeds where the vessels are more energy efficient and therefore use less fuel and produced fewer air emissions.

You know, reducing speed really does reduce air pollution.

The way that works, it's just like your car.

As you know, your car is more fuel efficient say if you're operating at 45 or 55 rather than say at 85.

So slowing down does get you that better fuel efficiency.

The same thing is true with a vessel.

By slowing down the vessel to something closer to the optimal speed, we can reduce fuel consumption and that reduces the air pollution.

Maersk is really committed to a healthy environment and that's why we really value this opportunity to partner with this innovative team on this voluntary speed reduction program This program is really what I think we all aspire to achieve.

A program that achieves the results on a voluntary basis, where private industry sees that there is a better way of doing things that still allows them to achieve their bottom line but is being sensitive to the impact to the environment.

It's always gratifying when you can work in partnership with private industry and we've been very excited to see the way the shipping companies have really come to the table, have talked to us about the program, have helped us form the program, and are now very actively participating in the program.

Initially as usual we're a little reluctant, but when we actually got to the point that I picked up the phone, talking to another human face, and it opened up the dialogue and realized that NOAA wasn't out there to be very heavy-handed with what you're trying to accomplish and in trying to have it one way it's been two ways.

Slowing ships down is a solution to multiple environmental challenges.

Slower ships are safer ships for whales.

Slower ships emit less air pollution.

And slower ships are quieter ships, reducing the noise impacts in a very noisy ocean.

Fifty years ago many scientists who studied whales thought the blue whale was doomed to extinction.

And we're fortunate now that we've seen that turn around.

Populations around the world are slowly recovering and one of the biggest success stories we have here is in the Santa Barbara Channel.

I think all the partners in this program recognized that it's a very special project.

We've brought together really diverse interests -- government agencies, nonprofits, private industry -- and created a voluntary, non-regulatory solution that addresses all these problems together -- air pollution, greenhouse gases, whale protection -- in this very special marine environment.

We look forward to continuing and expanding this program.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
national oceanic and atmospheric administration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is one of the best places in the world to see endangered blue whales. But these whales are also at risk from ship strikes. Watch our video to learn about a unique program that brought shipping companies, nonprofits, and government agencies together to solve this problem and help protect whales!

# data[].attributes.headline
Ship Strikes - Why Can't Whales Be Trained to Avoid Them?

# data[].attributes.subject
Ship Strikes - Why Can't Whales Be Trained to Avoid Them?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Whales cannot Learn to Avoid Ship Strikes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘Ship Strikes’ Kill Whales at Highest Levels in More Than a Decade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MAKING WAVES – SHIP STRIKES PART 1: OVERVIEW - Pacific Whale Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As discussed in previous Making Waves articles, there are many complex and very real threats facing the world’s whales and dolphins today. While large whales in particular are beginning to recover from the era of large-scale commercial whaling, they continue to encounter new, more modern-day challenges. In the final installments of our Making Waves: Policies … Continued