In The News: Coasts & Oceans

2025-12-05

“We’ve shown clearly that small vessels can be a threat to whales. We’ve shown that very light, but fast-moving vessels like trans-oceanic racing sailboats can cause potentially lethal injuries to whales, so it means if you’re in a vessel on the ocean, you may be a threat to these animals,” says Sean Brillant, an adjunct in the Department of Oceanography, and Senior Marine Biologist for the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

2025-12-05

Fog, darkness, high waves make environmental observation impossible, while operations continue apace

2025-12-05

Friends, we have sad news about our winner. Red Rockette was recently found dead on Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy shoreline. This was a shocking discovery for us because we recently found her again in Canadian waters, off the coast of Nova Scotia, feeding as usual. However, this year we found her body in a very decomposed state. When marine animals are found in this kind of state, it’s hard to determine a cause of death. We are still waiting on results from the necropsy, although preliminary results indicated that they weren’t able to determine a cause of death.

2025-12-05

Make Rain Barrels a Fun Feature of Your Garden — Not an Ugly Tool to Hide!

2025-12-05

At the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Christy Hudak, a researcher in the Right Whale Ecology Program, leaned over a microscope looking at a water sample, counting and categorizing different kinds of plankton.

2025-12-05

Genevieve Peck is using her thesis to test the use of whale-safe fishing gear in the Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishery.

2025-12-05

Island fishers with larger quotas prepare to use ropeless gear in case of closure

2025-12-05

'The slowing down of the decline is sort of the first good news that we've had in a long time'

2025-12-05

"Rewilding'' is the process of reintroducing animals to an area where their species used to roam in the hope of re-establishing that population, according to a senior conservation biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Carolyn Callaghan says the cheetahs' journey from Quebec to Africa — the product of a partnership between Parc Safari, the Aspinall Foundation and Imire — is an example of the international effort that is increasingly needed to save vulnerable animals. The partnership also reflects the shifting role of zoos, she said, from displaying captive animals to helping repopulate endangered species.

2025-12-05

Events during Ocean Week range from building a whale skeleton and creating jewelry from sea glass to making art from algae, beach cleanups and evening paddles.