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Boston Globe
12-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Osprey came back from the brink once. Now chicks are dying in nests, and some blame overfishing.
The fish-eating raptor known for gymnastic dives and whistle-like chirps is an American conservation success story. After pesticides and other hazards nearly eliminated the species from much of the country, the hawk-like bird rebounded after the banning of DDT in 1972 and now numbers in the thousands in the U.S. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But Watts has documented an alarming trend. The birds, which breed in many parts of the U.S., are failing to successfully fledge enough chicks around their key population center of the Chesapeake Bay. The longtime biologist blames the decline of menhaden, a small schooling fish critical to the osprey diet. Without menhaden to eat, chicks are starving and dying in nests, Watts said. Advertisement Watts's claim has put him and environmental groups at odds with the fishing industry, trade unions and sometimes government regulators. Menhaden is valuable for fish oil, fish meal and agricultural food as well as bait. U.S. fishermen have caught at least 1.1 billion pounds of menhaden every year since 1951. Members of the industry tout its sustainability and said the decline in osprey may have nothing to do with fishing. Advertisement But without help, the osprey population could tumble to levels not seen since the dark days of DDT, said Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 'The osprey are yelling pretty loudly that, hey, there's not enough menhaden for us to reproduce successfully,' Watts said. 'And we should be listening to them to be more informed fully on the fisheries side, and we should take precaution on the fisheries management side. But that hasn't won the day at this point.' Watts, who has studied osprey on the Chesapeake for decades, has backed his claims of population decline by publishing studies in scientific journals. He said it boils down to a simple statistic — to maintain population, osprey pairs need to average 1.15 chicks per year. Osprey were reproducing at that level in the 1980s, but today in some areas around the main stem of the Chesapeake, it's less than half of that, Watts said. In particularly distressed areas, they aren't even reproducing at one-tenth that level, he said. And the decline in available menhaden matches the areas of nesting failure, Watts said. Also called pogies or bunkers, the oily menhaden are especially important for young birds because they are more nutritious than other fish in the sea. Osprey 'reproductive performance is inextricably linked to the availability and abundance' of menhaden, Watts wrote in a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Conservationists have been concerned for years, saying too many menhaden have been removed to maintain their crucial role in the ocean food chain. Historian H. Bruce Franklin went so far as to title his 2007 book on menhaden 'The Most Important Fish In The Sea.' Advertisement Menhaden help sustain one of the world's largest fisheries, worth more than $200 million at the docks in 2023. Used as bait, the fish are critical for valuable commercial targets such as Maine lobster. They're also beloved by sportfishermen. The modern industry is dominated by Omega Protein, a Reedville, Virginia, company that is a subsidiary of Canadian aquaculture giant Cooke. The harvesting of the menhaden is performed by an American company, Ocean Harvesters, which is based in Reedville and contracts with Omega, which handles processing. The companies pushed back at the idea that fishing is the cause of osprey decline, although they did acknowledge that fewer menhaden are showing up in some parts of the bay. Federal data show osprey breeding is in decline in many parts of the country, including where menhaden is not harvested at all, said Ben Landry, an Omega spokesperson. Climate change, pollution and development could be playing a role, said Landry and others with the company. Blaming fishing 'just reeks of environmental special interest groups having an influence over the process,' Landry said. The menhaden fishery is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate body that crafts rules and sets fishing quotas. Prompted by questions about ospreys, it created a work group to address precautionary management of the species in the Chesapeake Bay. In April, this group proposed several potential management approaches, including seasonal closures, restrictions on quotas or days at sea, and limitations on kinds of fishing gear. The process of creating new rules could begin this summer, said James Boyle, fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. Advertisement The osprey population has indeed shown declines in some areas since 2012, but it's important to remember the bird's population is much larger than it was before DDT was banned, Boyle said. 'There are big increases in osprey population since the DDT era,' Boyle said, citing federal data showing a six-fold increase in osprey populations along the Atlantic Coast since the 1960s. To a number of environmental groups, any decline is too much. This irritates some labor leaders who worry about losing more jobs as the fishing industry declines. Kenny Pinkard, retired vice president of UFCW Local 400's executive board and a longtime Virginia fishermen, said he feels the industry is being scapegoated. 'There are some people who just don't want to see us in business at all,' he said. But Chris Moore, Virginia executive director for Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said the country risks losing an iconic bird if no action is taken. He said Watts's studies show that the osprey will fail without access to menhaden. 'Osprey have been a success story,' Moore said. 'We're in a situation where they're not replacing their numbers. We'll actually be in a situation where we're in a steep decline.'
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Science
- Scoop
Threatened Whale Species In The Pacific Found In Areas Targeted By The Metals Company For Deep Sea Mining
Press Release – Greenpeace The survey published today in the scientific journal Frontiers in Marine Science was conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter and Greenpeace Research Laboratories from Greenpeace Internationals ship, Arctic Sunrise. A scientific survey of two areas targeted by The Metals Company for deep sea mining in the Pacific Ocean has confirmed the presence of whales and dolphins, including sperm whales, which are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The news comes as world governments are preparing to meet once again at the International Seabed Authority (ISA), where the call for a moratorium on deep sea mining keeps growing. The survey published today in the scientific journal Frontiers in Marine Science was conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter and Greenpeace Research Laboratories from Greenpeace International's ship, Arctic Sunrise. Researchers studied two exploration blocks held by The Metals Company in the Pacific's Clarion-Clipperton Zone (known as NORI-d and TOML-e) [1] [2] Dr Kirsten Young, Lead Study Author, University of Exeter, says, 'We already knew that the Clarion-Clipperton Zone is home to at least 20 species of cetaceans, but we've now demonstrated the presence of some of these species in two areas specifically earmarked for deep sea mining by The Metals Company.' Following President Trump's approval of a deep sea mining Executive Order in April 2025, The Metals Company applied to the US government to give TMC unilateral permission to commercially mine the international seabed in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. According to reports, this application covers the NORI-d area. This move bypasses and undermines the International Seabed Authority, the UN regulator for deep sea mining, which continues to prohibit commercial mining activities, and has been met with strong criticism from governments around the world. Scientists have previously warned of 'long-lasting, irreversible ' impacts of deep sea mining on the region. Cetaceans are known to be impacted by noise pollution caused by humans, and could be impacted by the significant noise expected to be created by deep sea mining operations. These operations would also generate sediment plumes, which could further impact cetacean populations by disrupting deep ocean food systems. Dr Kirsten Young continued, 'While more research is needed to build a complete picture of the impact of the noise and sediment plumes on cetaceans, it's clear that deep sea mining operations will negatively impact ocean ecosystems in areas far out to sea where monitoring is particularly challenging.' The survey provides a 13-day snapshot of cetacean activity in these two deep sea mining exploration areas. Using hydrophones, the research team confirmed 74 acoustic detections of cetaceans. This included a sperm whale, Risso's dolphins and common dolphins. Louisa Casson, Greenpeace International senior campaigner, says, 'The confirmed presence of cetaceans, including threatened sperm whales, in areas that The Metals Company is targeting for deep sea mining is yet another clear warning that this dangerous industry must never be allowed to begin commercial operations. The only sensible course of action for governments at next month's International Seabed Authority meeting is to prioritise agreeing on a global moratorium.' Greenpeace Aotearoa deep sea mining campaigner Juressa Lee adds, 'This study again highlights why deep sea mining in the Pacific must be stopped before it gets a chance to start. Deep sea mining is just the latest colonial, extractive industry that will destroy the ocean that Indigenous Pacific Peoples depend upon for their livelihoods and to which they have close relational and ancestral ties. Pacific communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis that they have done nothing to create. They should not be sacrificed by the false solutions being peddled by wannabe deep sea miners who will wreck their homes and livelihoods, and compromise their traditional food source.' Calls for a moratorium on deep sea mining grew at the recent UN Ocean Conference, with four new countries joining the group supporting a moratorium, bringing the total to 37. The UN Secretary General also issued a strong call to stop this dangerous industry. Momentum against deep sea mining will now be carried forward at the July ISA meetings. [1] Threatened cetaceans in a potential deep seabed mining region, Clarion Clipperton Zone, Eastern Pacific: [2] This study in the Pacific is mirrored by another recent piece of research in the Arctic by Greenpeace Nordic and Greenpeace Germany. Researchers found cetaceans, including deep-diving and noise-sensitive sperm whales and northern bottlenose whales, in an area earmarked for future mining. If the Norwegian government proceeds with deep sea mining in the area, noise and other forms of pollution risk severe consequences. Greenpeace Nordic researchers are in the Arctic right now further documenting the presence of cetaceans in the area to expose the risks of deep sea mining and to champion the protection of the Arctic's vulnerable marine life.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Probiotics can help heal ravaged coral reefs
Probiotics are everywhere, claiming to help us poop, restore gut health, and more. They can also be used to help threatened coral reefs. A bacterial probiotic has helped slow the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in wild corals in Florida that were already infected with the disease. The findings are detailed in a study published June 5 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science and show that applying this new probiotic treatment across coral colines helped prevent further tissue loss. SCTLD first emerged in Florida in 2014. In the 11 years since, it has rapidly spread throughout the Caribbean. This mysterious ailment has been confirmed in at least 20 other countries and territories. Other coral pathogens typically target specific species. SCTLD infects more than 30 different species of stony corals, including pillar corals and brain corals. The disease causes the soft tissue in the corals to slough off, leaving behind white patches of exposed skeleton. The disease can devastate an entire coral colony in only a few weeks to months. The exact cause of SCTLD is still unknown, but it appears to be linked to some kind of harmful bacteria. Currently, the most common treatment for SCTLD is using a paste that contains the antibiotic amoxicillin on diseased corals. However, antibiotics are not a silver bullet. This amoxicillin balm can temporarily halt SCTLD's spread, but it needs to be frequently reapplied to the lesions on the corals. This takes time and resources, while increasing the likelihood that the microbes causing SCTLD might develop resistance to amoxicillin and related antibiotics. 'Antibiotics do not stop future outbreaks,' Valerie Paul, a study co-author and the head scientist at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida, said in a statement. 'The disease can quickly come back, even on the same coral colonies that have been treated.' Paul and her colleagues have spent over six years investigating whether beneficial microorganisms (aka probiotics) could be a longer lasting alternative to combat this pathogen. Just like humans, corals are host to communities known as microbiomes that are bustling with all different types of bacteria. Some of these miniscule organisms produce antioxidants and vitamins that can help keep their coral hosts healthy. [ Related: Caribbean coral is getting sick and dying. A probiotic could help. ] First, the team looked at the microbiomes of corals that are impervious to SCTLD to try and harvest probiotics from these disease-resistant species. In theory, these could be used to strengthen the microbiomes of susceptible corals. They tested over 200 strains of bacteria from disease-resistant corals and published a study in 2023 about the probiotic Pseudoalteromonas sp. McH1-7 (or McH1-7 for short). Taken from the great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa), this probiotic produces several antibacterial compounds. Having such a stacked antibacterial toolbox made McH1-7 an ideal candidate to combat a pathogen like SCTLD. They initially tested McH1-7 on live pieces of M. cavernosa and found that the probiotic reliably prevented the spread of SCTLD in the lab. After these successful lab tests, the wild ocean called next. The team conducted several field tests on a shallow reef near Fort Lauderdale, focusing on 40 M. cavernosa colonies that showed signs of SCTLD. Some of the corals in these colonies received a paste containing the probiotic McH1-7 that was applied directly to the disease lesions. They treated the other corals with a solution of seawater containing McH1-7 and covered them using weighted plastic bags. The probiotics were administered inside the bag in order to cover the entire coral colony. 'This created a little mini-aquarium that kept the probiotics around each coral colony,' Paul said. For two and a half years, they monitored the colonies, taking multiple rounds of tissue and mucus samples to see how the corals' microbiomes were changing over time. They found that the McH1-7 probiotic successfully slowed the spread of SCTLD when it was delivered to the entire colony using the bag and solution method. According to the samples, the probiotic was effective without dominating the corals' natural microbes. While using this probiotic appears to be an effective treatment for SCTLD among the reefs of northern Florida, additional work is needed to see how it could work in other regions. Similar tests on reefs in the Florida Keys have been conducted, with mixed preliminary results, likely due to regional differences in SCTLD. The team believes that probiotics still could become a crucial tool for combatting SCTLD across the Caribbean, especially as scientists fine tune how to administer them. Importantly, these beneficial bacteria support what corals already do naturally. 'Corals are naturally rich with bacteria and it's not surprising that the bacterial composition is important for their health,' Paul said. 'We're trying to figure out which bacteria can make these vibrant microbiomes even stronger.'
The Independent
03-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Sightings soar on Australia's ‘humpback highway' as 40,000 whales return for winter
Thousands of humpback whales have begun their migration from Antarctica to Australia, with a pod appearing in the Sydney harbour on Monday and momentarily halting ferry services. A group of three to four whales surfaced near Manly Wharf on Monday afternoon, causing the Freshwater ferry service to pause for about five minutes, according to Transport for NSW. The sighting follows several other appearances in the harbour over the weekend and comes during the annual migration of humpback whales. The migration sees up to 40,000 humpback whales journeying from the cold feeding grounds of Antarctica to the warmer waters off Queensland and Western Australia to breed and give birth. The northward migration, often referred to as the "humpback highway," covers almost 10,000km and is one of the longest migrations of any mammal. The migrating whales tend to swim closer to the shore, making them more visible to onlookers. 'Anywhere you can see the ocean, you have a chance of spotting a whale,' Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a marine scientist, told The Guardian, adding that peak migration season was 'pretty much like whale peak hour' along Australia's east coast. Researchers are now seeing changes in the humpback migration pattern, however. A recent study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, notes humpback calves being born much further south than expected, including off the Tasmania coast and New Zealand 's South Island, which are not traditionally considered calving grounds. They say the shift may be linked to the waters getting warmer due to rising ocean temperatures. Although the humpbacks continue to recover from near-extinction due to commercial whaling, with latest estimates of their population ranging from 30,000 to 50,000, conservationists say the species remains vulnerable to human impact, especially during the migration season. Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the biggest threats. In an effort to reduce such risks, OceanWatch Australia and similar groups are running initiatives like the East Coast Whale Entanglement Mitigation Programme, which is trialling modified gear designs. The humpback migration typically peaks in June and July but is expected to continue through to October, with the whales returning south with newborn calves. Scientists say this year's observations will be key to understanding how these iconic mammals are adapting to a warming ocean.
The Herald Scotland
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Surprise humpback whale calf sightings off Australia prompt worries
That pattern raises new issues, including the need to increase awareness to protect newborn whales throughout their winter journeys, the authors wrote in the study published May 21 in the scientific journal Frontiers in Marine Science. "Hundreds of humpback calves were born well outside the established breeding grounds," said Tracey Rogers of the University of New South Wales, a senior author. "Giving birth along the 'humpback highway' means these vulnerable calves, who are not yet strong swimmers, are required to swim long distances much earlier in life than if they were born in the breeding grounds." Newborn humpbacks aren't as strong as adult whales, and "mums with newborns swim much more slowly," Rogers said. "Newborns are like Great Dane puppies. They have those long, enormous fins that they need to grow into, and they're not very strong swimmers. So they rest a lot of the time on their mum's back." Once near extinction, humpback whales have rebounded thanks to conservation programs. Today the population is estimated at roughly 50,000. Sightings for the study were collected across an area extending from Queensland down to Tasmania and across to New Zealand's South Island. "Historically, we believed that humpback whales migrating north from the nutrient-rich Southern Ocean were travelling to warmer, tropical waters such as the Great Barrier Reef to calve," says lead author Jane McPhee-Frew, a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales Sydney and whale watching skipper. "The pattern we're seeing is mother whales with calves travelling through some of the busiest shipping lanes and urbanised regions," said McPhee-Frew. Her first calf sighting in Newcastle in 2023, home of the largest coal export port in the world, was within a busy shipping lane. "This means these vulnerable animals are exposed to risks like boat strikes, entanglements, pollution - and just general public unawareness," she said. Questions remain about the whales' migration, including how the humpback mothers use different marine environments along their migration route and why they continue to travel north after giving birth, even though there's really no food for them in the tropics. Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, wildlife and the environment. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
