Saving Marine Mammals

Earth’s ever changing climate have a great effect on marine life forms in the ocean, changing their natural habitats and driving them to the point of extinction. Of the 129 species of marine mammals an estimate of approximately one-quarter of them are current facing extinction. It is important to protect these animals in order to preserver the biodiversity as well as a functioning ecosystem because most of these mammals include top predators on the food chain, for example dolphins and polar bears. At Stanford University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, researchers found out that by preserving 4% of the ocean this could play a crucial role in the protection of a vast majority of marine mammal species.

                  The researchers pinpointed areas of the ocean where conservation could protect the maximum number of species that are vulnerable to extinction, and overlaid maps where each marine mammal species is found, these composition of map revealed to them locations with the highest diversity of species. After pinpointing the 20 conservation sites that contains about 84% of all marine animals, the scientist also considered habitats of special importance to the mammal as well as locating breeding grounds and migration routes. It was found that these areas where all coincided with regions that are highly impact by human activity therefore this would make conservation difficult, but the ultimate goal is still protecting 4% of the worlds ocean in order to preserve some of the worlds most magnificent creatures.

Sea Otter: One of the endangered marine mammals

 Bibliography: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829115431.htm: