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Study: Shark-finning bans fall short, but bright spots offer hope
Despite evidence that efforts to ban shark finning in recent years isn't reducing shark mortality, new research shows there is reason to have hope.
January 12, 2024
Meet the startup using magnets to keep sharks at bay
Despite having far more to fear from humans, sharks are often vilified in popular culture. To protect beachgoers, governments often resort to ineffective strategies — at great cost to marine life. One company aims to change that.
January 8, 2024
2023 in review: Amid growing ocean threats, a surge of innovative solutions
Conservation News is reflecting on some of our most noteworthy ocean stories of the year — from an innovative approach to protecting Pacific waters, to the launch of a new program to reintroduce threatened sharks back into the wild.
December 14, 2023
‘Small rock’ making big ocean conservation impact
The small South Pacific island nation of Niue recently launched a first-of-its-kind sustainable funding initiative that enables anyone to sponsor a square kilometer of its ocean waters — a sanctuary for humpback whales, sea snakes and gray reef sharks.
September 25, 2023
How an extraordinary new effort is giving sharks ‘a fighting chance’
Earlier this year, three zebra shark pups became the first endangered sharks ever to be bred in captivity for the purpose of being released into the wild. They're part of a bold plan to bring sharks back from the brink of extinction.
July 24, 2023
Indonesia protects ‘walking sharks.’ Are other sharks next?
The Indonesian government has granted six species of threatened “walking sharks” the highest level of protection — a move experts hope will lead to the conservation of other sharks, whose numbers have plummeted due largely to the shark fin trade.
April 19, 2023
New study dives into what's killing the world’s largest fish — and more
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent research published by Conservation International experts.
June 30, 2022
New app aims to take a bite out of illegal shark fin trade
New technology will help inspectors tackle the illegal wildlife trade using a tool most already have in their pockets: their cell phones.
June 8, 2022
In historic move, Costa Rica makes big splash for conservation
Costa Rica announced Friday that it will expand its protected ocean area from 2.7 percent to more than 30 percent of its territorial waters.
December 17, 2021
In the high seas, scientists uncover a ‘vortex of life’
On the surface, the international waters off the coasts of Peru and Chile are a seemingly barren expanse. But beneath the waves, two underwater mountain chains — known as the Salas y Gómez and Nazca ridges — are bursting with life, according to a new study.
June 30, 2021
Meet a scientist: a species-discovering savant
Conservation News spoke with Conservation International's Mark Erdmann about his job as a marine biologist, where he spends almost as much time underwater discovering new species as he does helping communities above ground conserve them.
March 25, 2020
On the trail of ‘Sharky McSharkface’
The latest news on the travels of Indonesia’s tagged whale sharks.
August 30, 2016
Discovery afoot: New study cracks mystery of how ‘walking’ sharks split
Conservation News spoke with one of the authors of a new study on walking sharks to find out how he and his team uncovered the evolutionary origin of these peculiar creatures — and how this information could help us adapt to climate change.
January 22, 2020
New marine sanctuary in Galápagos Islands a ‘game-changer’ for wildlife
The sanctuary will protect an area crucial for biodiversity — and Ecuador’s economy.
March 24, 2016
In a career full of fish discoveries, these 5 species stand out
Dr. Mark Erdmann has described 100 fish species that are new to science. Here are his favorites.
February 24, 2017
Spider sleepovers, shark sightings and other spooky tales from the field
Are your eyes deceiving you — or is that spot on the wall crawling toward you? In honor of Halloween, Conservation International staff share some wild encounters with the natural world that still give them goosebumps.
October 31, 2019
Deep dive: New findings from our whale shark watchers
On International Whale Shark Day, we sat down with two Conservation International scientists to learn more about their work tagging the world's largest fish.
August 30, 2019
Social media turns tide of ocean protection in Brazil
Brazil recently announced the creation of two marine protected areas totaling 900,000 square kilometers.
April 17, 2018
Update: What we’re learning about the world’s largest fish
Two years into a whale shark tracking program, scientists are learning new facts about the world’s largest fish.
August 1, 2017
The doctor is in: Indonesia’s whale sharks get annual check-up
In Indonesia, scientists give whale sharks “physicals” — measuring, tagging and taking blood samples underwater, in 30 minutes — to assess the health of both the species and the surrounding waters.
September 28, 2017
Teeth to tail: 6 stories about sharks this week
For Shark Week, dive into these six shark stories from around the world.
July 21, 2017
Whale shark watch: 4 things we’ve learned from tracking the world’s largest fish
As Shark Week kicks off, check out the latest science on these ocean giants.
June 26, 2016
5 things you didn't know sharks do for you
For Shark Week, we’re re-sharing one of Human Nature’s all-time most popular shark blogs.
June 29, 2016
Why ‘walking’ sharks are at greater risk of extinction than we thought
Although the habitats of many walking sharks are at least partially protected, new research reveals their survival may be in doubt.
November 30, 2016
Recent findings illuminate dark world of ‘demon whale-biters’
Research on the elusive cookie-cutter shark is the latest evidence of how little we know about the ocean and its marine life.
June 28, 2016
In South America, are the tides turning against illegal fishing?
A Conservation International scientist explains how the Ecuadorean government handled a case of illegal fishing.
January 5, 2018