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Earthquake disrupts sperm whales’ feeding for a year

Earthquake disrupts sperm whales’ feeding for a year

A new study has revealed how an earthquake affected the ability of a group of ‘dazed and confused’ whales to find food for over a year. Kaikoura is a coastal town on the South Island of New Zealand known for its abundant marine wildlife including a population of sperm whales. On November 14th, 2016 a…

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Underwater noise threatens fish as well as dolphins and whales

Research findings published in the Royal Society B journal suggest that the underwater noise levels caused by man-made activities such as wind farm construction could kill fish by making them more vulnerable to predators. In controlled experiments on sea bass conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol, recordings of pile-driving used in the construction of wind…

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Trans mountain pipeline construction stopped

From the west coast of Canada: the provincial government of British Columbia has taken action to prevent Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.  Contruction was scheduled to begin in September but will not be allowed to move forward on public and Tribal lands under further consultation with First Nations is completed.  The government has retained…

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Whale ears could reveal secrets of underwater noise pollution

Researchers are using the ears of whales that died after stranding on beaches to try to work out how they are affected by increasing, man-made underwater noise levels. Scientist, Maria Morell has been working with staff from the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme to produce a study (published in Scientific Reports) examining the inner ears taken…

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Eavesdropping on dolphin chat

A new project has been set up that will listen in on whale and dolphin activity in order to protect them and their homes. Scientists from Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) plan to eavesdrop on marine mammals around the Irish and Scottish coasts using a network of sophisticated underwater monitoring devices. These devices…

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Whale calls recorded at deepest point of the Earth’s surface

The first audio recordings taken from the deepest point on the Earth’s surface have reveal a number of amazing sounds, including the calls of different species of whale.  Little is known about what happens in the Mariana Trench, located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean around 322 km (200 miles) southwest of Guam, but…

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