#conservation works

[hope-for-the-planet]

Ascend to an otherworldly 'sky island' where something 'unbelievable' is going on

The forest at the tip of Lord Howe Island's highest peak is an otherworldly place alive with animals and plants not found elsewhere on Earth

Five years after a massive effort to remove invasive mice and rats from Lord Howe Island, the unique ecosystem is experiencing what is being called "an ecological renaissance" as the endangered flora and fauna recovers.

Lord Howe Island woodhens were reduced to only 30 individuals in the 70s due to egg predation from the invasive rodents, but in just the last five years the population has jumped from 200 to over 2,000.

From the article:

"It's just amazing, the changes that have happened in the forest--it has blown me out of the water really. I thought it would change but I just can't believe how quickly things have been happening."

[hollyevolving]

Important conservation news for NJ, PA, NY, and everyone in general:

From the article:

"Bobcats’ conservation status was recently downgraded from “endangered” to “threatened” in the state, but their future is not yet secure. They are isolated in the state’s northwest corner by three virtually impassable interstate highways—I-78, I-80 and I-287.

Bobcats are solitary animals that need large, connected habitats to hunt and find water and mates. One cat that Fowles fitted with a GPS tracking collar ranged over 10 square miles.

...

At least 127 terrestrial wildlife species could benefit from the Bobcat Alley and CHANJ initiatives, from black bears, porcupines and red foxes to wood turtles, timber rattlesnakes and Jefferson salamanders.

...

New Jersey built two of the nation’s first wildlife crossings back in the 1980s, shortly after the newly completed Interstate 78 sliced through the 2,000-acre Watchung Reserve: Two wildlife bridges reconnected forest isolated by the new highway. Then, in 2015, NJDEP developed under-the-road solutions, dubbed “critter tunnels,” that use tall roadside fencing to guide animals to safe underpasses."

We've seen the proof, over and over again, worldwide: wildlife crossings WORK. If we build them, animals will use them. Getting them built requires people to vote for the legislators and programs that will continue conservation work - work which we can never, ever afford to stop.

Bobcat Alley

Fifty years ago bobcats vanished from New Jersey. Wildlife scientists reintroduced them, but to survive a changing climate and increasing ur

[montereybayaquarium]

The feel-good science behind sea otter surrogacy

Ask not (only) what you can do for sea otters, but what sea otters can do for California. That’s one of the thoughts on the minds of Aquarium scientists in the wake of a new study, which confirms t…

After 15 pawesome years, the science is in: Rescued sea otter pups graduating from our one-of-a-kind surrogacy program are thriving in the wild and improving their ecosystem as they go! 

These results are giving us the tools to work harder—and smarter—to help these cute and critical creatures return to more of their historical home.

Link to paper

[montereybayaquarium]

Happy World Oceans Day! 🌊❤️

Happy World Oceans Day from us here at the Aquarium! Thanks to you and the rest of the ocean-minded community, we’re hard at work advancing our mission to inspire conservation of the ocean.

The challenges facing the marine environment, the heart of our planet’s life support system, are many. Earlier this week, we published a paper with our colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) showing the deep impact of plastic pollution on our beloved Monterey Bay. We discovered that microplastics permeate our corner of the ocean, from the surface to the seafloor, in concentrations often greater than the famed “Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.”

If you’re anything like us, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the work at hand. It’s a daily discussion here at the Aquarium: “These problems are so big, so systemic, so powerful—what exactly can *we* do about them?” And that’s when we’re humbled to look up and see so many people dedicated to bringing about a more sustainable future.

The story of microplastics in our backyard confirms what many of you are speaking out for in your communities: We must produce less plastic globally, and we must use less plastic collectively, to preserve the marine environment and the people that depend on it.

We once burned whale oil to light city streets. We don’t anymore. A hundred years later and now we know that we can’t rely on fossil fuels to power the world. Now, just as then, there is a better solution. Plastic has saved lives and transformed how we live, a lot for the better. And now that we know how single-use plastic is harming our world, once again a course correction is needed.

Cultural momentum is shifting. Individuals are adjusting, communities are organizing, and nations are investing in a cleaner future. As long as we continue to learn and to embrace the change our advancing knowledge demands of us, there’s a bright future ahead. We’re proud and honored to be on this journey with you all in the ocean-minded community. You make our work and mission possible. 

Thank you, and Happy World Oceans Day. Onward! 

[montereybayaquarium]

We're working hard to make a difference for the threatened Western snowy plover. Since the Aquarium's plover rehabilitation program began in 2000, we've successfully released over 140 birds and counting!

[montereybayaquarium]

Animal care specialist Sandrine dresses like a Sith to help save sea otters—it's simple science! 

Our friends at BBC Earth take us behind the scenes of our Sea Otter Program for #OurBluePlanet.

[montereybayaquarium]

🚨 Due to public interest and requests for additional time, NOAA will formally accept comments on the review of national marine sanctuaries through August 14! Thank you for letting the administration know that the ocean needs more protection, not less. 

Photo: Kelp forest, reef and rockfish, Big Sur, California — part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, as seen last Saturday by local diver Jon Anderson.

[montereybayaquarium]

We pelican make a difference for the planet! From facing extinction in the 1970s to their daily fly-bys of the Aquarium, brown pelicans recovered thanks to political pressure by concerned citizens. If you need any ocean optimism hope, it's the thing with feathers.