marine mammals Marine and Freshwater Biology Oceanography 

Marine Mammals Need a Voice in the Fishing Industry

Marine mammals such as dolphins, porpoises, and whales are often injured or killed by commercial fishing. New policies are needed to reduce the harm. By Neha Jain (@lifesciexplore) You might feel satisfied with your consumer choice after buying fish with a “dolphin-friendly” label. But you might want to look closer. It is likely that your tuna fishery is not actually friendly to dolphins, because most “sustainable” fishing labels do not consider the welfare of marine mammals, an issue that has long been neglected from fishing policies. The well-being of marine…

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Shellfish threatened by climate change: A mussel farm in South India (Photo courtesy of Lucy Turner) Environment Oceanography 

Will Climate Change Take Shellfish Off Menus?

Climate change may dramatically affect the availability of shellfish. As the oceans become warmer and less salty, bacteria could threaten the shellfish. Do you enjoy a tasty shrimp scampi, or perhaps some steamed mussels with lemon? How about a few oysters on the half shell? If so, you won’t be happy to hear that those and other shellfish dishes may soon be harder to come by. Climate change models are predicting rising sea temperatures around the world. In the tropics, rainfall is also predicted to increase, reducing the salt concentration…

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