Orcas (formerly known as killer whales), Orcinus orca, are actually dolphins. They are the largest of the dolphin family (Family Delphinidae with about 32 species, including the dolphins, pygmy killer whales, Feresa attenuata, and false killer whales, Pseudorca crassiddens).

Next to humans, orca are the most widely distributed mammal. Orca inhabit all oceans of the world but are most numerous in the Arctic, the Antarctic and areas in nutrient-rich cold water upwellings. They have been sighted along the shores of Washington, Oregon, California, Baja California, and along the eastern coast of the United States. More...

MarineBio Projects

MarineBio is an advocacy and educational conservation organization for marine life. We provide information to people from all walks of life — students, journalists, policymakers, scientists.... You protect what you love. The ocean is an amazing place, rich in biodiversity and vital to our own survival, but it's in deep trouble (pardon the pun). One of our main goals is to help people learn about marine life and ocean conservation so that they will love the ocean too and help protect it.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with any of these projects.

Join the MarineBio Conservation Society and help support the following projects and our mission:

Project 1

Marine Species Databases: online databases for the most common and endangered ~4,000 marine species to include referenced taxonomic, morphological, behavioral, dietary, habitat, reproductive, and conservation status information. To also include high quality photographs, video or access to video, as well as a variety of online resources for deeper species research. Species include marine alga and plants, marine worms, hard and soft corals (and other cnidarians such as jellyfish, etc.), plankton, echinoderms, crustaceans, cephalopods, commercial, reef, and deep-sea fishes, sharks, marine birds, sea turtles (and other marine reptiles), and marine mammals.

Status: UNDERWAY (ongoing, 45% completed): Species launched »

Importance: various forms marine species data exists online but it is usually scattered with bits of data about different aspects at different locations, photos of species and behaviors at others, and video and other important information at yet other locations or missing altogether. By tying existing data together and filling in the remaining gaps, we hope to provide the most complete picture possible of each marine species that we discuss. Then, using various Web technologies, we will allow users to connect that data together in various ways to show, for example, relationships between species in terms of taxonomy, habitats, predators and prey, reproduction details, and conservation threats and status. Once we complete the most common and endangered ~4,000 marine species, we plan to offer that data in other ways for multiple uses to students, the general public, and researchers alike, especially to help promote marine conservation and marine conservation research.

Required: to achieve the above, ideally we need a small dedicated staff. Also, we need of Directors for various marine species groups. Please contact David Campbell at David@marinebio.org or 1 (713) 248-2576 PST if you would like to volunteer as a Director for a specific group.

Project 2

Marine Conservation Information: interesting and in-depth information covering the main issues concerning ocean life: global warming, the lack of a Sea Ethic, the solutions to overfishing (sustainable fishing), the threats to and an understanding of the importance of biodiversity, habitat conservation, ocean pollution, alien species, and sustainable ecotourism. Expert-reviewed sections on each topic with a focus on solutions while highlighting current efforts and the obstacles involved.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Status: UNDERWAY (ongoing, 60% completed): Marine Conservation section introduction

Importance: marine conservation essentially began with the save the whales campaign in the '70s and the dolphin-safe tuna boycott in 1986. Since those times, we have learned much more about what lives in the ocean and subsequently that much of it is struggling, if not disappearing, due mainly to our presence. Like marine species data, marine conservation data exists online but it is usually also scattered with bits of data about different aspects at different locations, hidden in various books and journals, or written about for various reasons for a wide number of audiences. By researching and tying the existing data together and filling in the remaining gaps, we hope to provide the most complete picture possible of each marine conservation issue online. Then, also using various Web technologies, we will connect that data together in various ways with the above species to show, for example, relationships between species and the various conservation threats and their status. We should also be able to show and share various data on conservation issue solutions to the widest possible number of people, groups, agencies, and governments (knowledge is power and time is wasting). In doing so, these efforts should help to further promote marine conservation and marine conservation research.

Required: to achieve the above we also need staff. An important goal for MarineBio is to generate adequate funding to hire Marine Conservation Researchers to work on the very latest issues in the places where they are needed most. Of all research, and especially conservation research, marine conservation research is severely lacking (~30:1 according to Dr. Norse) and ocean life, which so many of us depend on, is quickly paying the ultimate price, extinction. And now with global warming as the number one marine conservation issue, there has never been a time when marine conservation research was more needed.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Project 3

Marine Life Science (Marine Biology): exploring and describing the alien world that marine life inhabits to assist with the understanding of the various marine conservation issues and their related efforts. This effort is also interests and assists students around the world in studying Marine Biology, Biology, Zoology, Marine Conservation, Biological Oceanography, etc. By offering at least a base Marine Biology course's worth of information online to helping students with career and job advice and strategies, etc. we hope to increase the global awareness of marine life and its conservation by helping to ultimately produce teachers of the marine life sciences and the vital researchers that ocean life needs at this crucial time in history.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Status: UNDERWAY (ongoing, 25% completed)

Project 4

Marine Conservation and Research Support: MarineBio provides substantial exposure for effective marine conservation and research groups such as the Marine Conservation Institute, Blue Ocean Institute and others.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Status: UNDERWAY (ongoing, 75% completed)

Find out more about MarineBio's Frontline Marine Conservation Support Program »

Project 5

The Plankton Forums and our Facebook page and Facebook group are dynamic communities of worldwide members involved and interested in marine life, marine conservation and marine biology. Members include high school and college students, marine biologists, marine conservationists, ocean sports professionals, marine science professionals and academia, etc.

Status: UNDERWAY (ongoing)

Project 6

Marine Species Stranding Project: the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act falls short of requiring a central global database to store and analyze data concerning worldwide reports of marine mammal strandings (including unusual mortality events), necropsies results, etc. We plan to rectify that and also combine data about the stranding of sea turtles, fish, sharks, squid, etc. to help find out what trends may be hiding in the data to assist conservation efforts and reasearch and to see if further work is needed involving investigations, especially in terms of the pathology involved and the common causes of strandings.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help gather the initial data for this project.

Project main purposes: to display simplified and referenced metadata concerning strandings of marine life from 1825 to the present in a central place online to help with efforts to understand and hopefully minimize or prevent such events in the future. The application will be very simple to use, utilize Google Maps and allow for detailed searching and reporting. It will hopefully help answer some basic questions surrounding marine life stranding events, such as:

Which species strand the most often, where and why?
Are stranding events increasing or is it just that reporting is improving? Where are they increasing the most?
How are strandings related to natural events such as El Ninos and other weather phenomena?
What are the leading causes thought to cause stranding events? Does it differ by area?
How many fin whales have stranded in the Atlantic Ocean since 1990? In the Pacific?
What percentage of strandings have causes that are unknown? What is the likely reason? Etc.

The project will also allow the public to submit new events as well as updates to existing events at any time for review and approval.

Recent news examples related to this project:

Peru Massive Stranding Event (largest event ever recorded):
What is Peru's dolphin and pelican die-off telling us? | Mystery surrounds deaths of 877 dolphins washed ashore in Peru | 300 more dead dolphins found in northern Peru | The Investigation of Peru's Catastrophic Unusual Mortality Event Involving 3000+ dolphins [see report/video @Bluevoice.org] | Massive Dolphin Die-Off in Peru May Remain a Mystery | 3000 Dolphins Found Dead on the Coast of Peru | 615 dead dolphins found on Peru beaches; acoustic tests for oil to blame? | Dolphin Die-off Multinational | Peru examines deaths of more than 500 pelicans [500 sea birds]

Another Whale Caught in Crab Line [1 gray whale]
Another Non-report by NOAA on the Death of the Young Orca That Occurred in February 2012 | Deadly blow to orca: blast or glancing impact?
10-metre whale washes up near Fujairah port [1 humpback whale?]
Stranded Harbour Porpoise at Pwllheli [1 porpoise]
Dolphin freed from Long Beach Harbor construction site [1 dolphin]
Second whale caught in fishing gear freed off California coast [1 gray whale]
Dead Pygmy Sperm Whale Washes Ashore In West Hampton Dunes [1 pygmy sperm whale]
Dead whale spotted off Camano Island [1 gray whale]
Beached Dolphin Dies in Belmar: Despite volunteer efforts, mammal doesn't survive wait for expert help [1 common dolphin]
Penn Vet Pathologists Uncover the Fate of Stranded Marine Mammals
10-foot whale beaches self in Cocoa Beach [1 pygmy sperm whale]
Beached dolphin dies in Ormoc [1 spinner dolphin]
The Mystery Behind Dolphin Deaths
Whale carcass washes ashore in S. Africa [1 southern right whale]
Dolphin death case closed, unsolved [2 snubfin dolphins, Australia]
Dolphin deaths 'were not caused by humans' [1 bottlenose, 1 spinner, 1 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Dubai]
Two rare whales found dead in Oman [2 Arabian sea humpback whales, Oman]
Beached minke whale dies despite rescue effort in North Berwick
10 more dolphins strand in Mass. | Ten more dolphins stranded on the Cape; annual total rises to more than 200
Turtle stranding increased with unseasonably warm water in Georgia
Mystery of dead starfish washed up on Cumbrian beach
Entangled gray whale off Calif. freed of nets, fishing lines after rescuers give chase
Mystery of orca's death only deepens with new info > Military to Blame for Orca's Death?
Dead sperm whale at Old Hunstanton boosts tourism
What happens after a whale is beached?
Dolphin deaths drop dramatically | Weather influenced dolphin strandings
Dolphins found dead on Powderhorn Beach
Dolphins stranded and rescued in Brazil [video]
Beached whale in Volusia diagnosed with heart failure, euthanized
Racing to rescue stranded dolphins on Cape Cod
Dozens of dead marine mammals, turtles in Gulf this year, NOAA says
Dolphin Strandings Surpass Annual Average In A Month
Heartbreak on Cape shows value of research into dolphin strandings - Editorials - The Boston Globe
Unexplained dolphin strandings continue in US
Unprecedented Dolphin Strandings Wear Rescuers Thin...
Moby Dick novel inspired by Holderness coast whale stranding - possible first stranding event, sets initial date at 1825.

Status: UNDERWAY (projected launch date, May 2012).

Contact our Founder at David@marinebio.org if you have any technical questions or are interested in collaborating. If you would like to donate to help with the costs of this project, please sign up as a MarineBio Conservation Society member.

Project 7

Marine Conservation Organizations Research Project: via surveys and interviews we plan to determine the current status of marine conservation efforts, specifically, to find out which marine species of the endangered and threatened are on the radar, the success of the efforts underway, which efforts are the most successful and why, which species are in dire need, and which species and areas need the most help.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Status: UNDERWAY (5% completed)

Project 8

Marine Conservation Laws Report: research will be conducted to determine the extent of marine conservation laws worldwide. We will look at the details, species and areas protected and compare this to the above project. This should help define which laws are working, why, which are not and what needs to be changed.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Status: UNDERWAY (5% completed)

Project 9

Marine Conservation Technology: Status Report: we plan to identify the most useful and cost effective online and offline technologies being used to assist with marine conservation efforts. Posted online and updated frequently, this should provide a central place for marine conservation groups to most effectively take care of business.

Please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org if you'd like to help with this project.

Status: UNDERWAY (5% completed)

If you would like more information or have any questions about the above projects (or have an idea for a new one!), please contact Ginelle, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@marinebio.org or our Founder at David@marinebio.org.

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Marine Biology News :: ScienceDaily

First-of-its-kind study reveals surprising ecological effects of earthquake and tsunami

The reappearance of long-forgotten habitats and the resurgence of species unseen for years may not be among the expected effects of a natural disaster. Yet that's exactly what researchers have found on the sandy beaches of south central Chile, after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami in 2010. Their study also revealed a preview of the problems wrought by sea level rise -- a major symptom of climate change.

Marine food chain becomes clearer with new revelations about prey distribution

A new study has found that each step of the marine food chain is clearly controlled by the trophic level below it -- and the driving factor influencing that relationship is not the abundance of prey, but how that prey is distributed.

Impaired recovery of Atlantic cod: Forage fish or other factors?

Biologists suggest the delay in recovery of Atlantic cod on the eastern Scotian Shelf could be attributed to increased predation by grey seals or other governing factors and not the effect of forage fish as previously thought.

Global warming refuge discovered near at-risk Pacific island nation of Kiribati

Scientists predict ocean temperatures will rise in the equatorial Pacific by the end of the century, wreaking havoc on coral reef ecosystems. But a new study shows that climate change could cause ocean currents to operate in a way that mitigates warming near a handful of islands right on the equator.

Pacific islands on equator may become refuge for corals in a warming climate due to changes in ocean currents

Scientists have predicted that ocean temperatures will rise in the equatorial Pacific by the end of the century, wreaking havoc on coral reef ecosystems. But a new study shows that climate change could cause ocean currents to operate in a surprising way and mitigate the warming near a handful of islands right on the equator. As a result these Pacific islands may become isolated refuges for corals and fish.

Scientists provide first large-scale estimate of reef shark losses in the Pacific Ocean

First study to provide estimates of reef shark losses in the Pacific Ocean are sobering. Researchers noted the enormous detrimental effect that humans have on reef sharks.

Purple sea urchin metamorphosis controlled by histamine

Now that hay fever season has started, sufferers are well aware of the effect of histamines. However it is easy to forget that histamine is also a neurotransmitter involved in controlling memories, regulating sleep, and controlling secretion of gastric acid. New research shows that for the purple sea urchin histamine is also responsible for controlling metamorphosis from a free swimming larval form to the spiny adult living on the sea floor.

Desperate fishwives search for goby males

Breeding is on their minds, as the season draws to an end. Guys drop dead by the hour, making goby girls go all out in their hunt for a mate to father their offspring.

Eight species of wild fish have been detected in aquaculture feed

Researchers have for the first time analyzed a DNA fragment from commercial feed for aquarium cichlids, aquaculture of salmon and marine fish in aquariums. The results show that in order to manufacture this feed, eight species of high trophic level fish have been used, some of them coming directly from extractive fisheries.

Geophysicists employ novel method to identify sources of global sea level rise

As the Earth's climate warms, a melting ice sheet produces a distinct pattern of sea level change known as its sea level fingerprint. Now, geophysicists have found a way to identify the sea level fingerprint left by a particular ice sheet, and possibly enable a more precise estimate of its impact on global sea levels.

Fish larvae find the reef by orienting: The earlier the better

For the first time, a numerical study incorporates horizontal larval fish navigation skills into realistic 3D flow fields, creating a powerful tool that spells out how larvae use environmental cues to find their way back to the reef after being out on the open ocean. This model can be used for a wide variety of marine species.

First fertile, then futile: Ammonites change in reproductive strategy helped them survive three mass extinctions

Ammonites changed their reproductive strategy from initially few and large offspring to numerous and small hatchlings. Thanks to their many offspring, they survived three mass extinctions, a research team has discovered.

Freeing loggerhead turtles comes at a price

Scientists have studied loggerhead turtles' re-adaptation to the environment. The results show that after a lengthy recovery in rehabilitation centers these animals display changes in behavior and may not adapt well to being free.

Higher concentrations of heavy metals found in post-oil spill oysters from Gulf of Mexico, experts say

Scientists have detected evidence that pollutants from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have entered the ecosystem's food chain. Preliminary results demonstrate that oysters collected post-spill contain higher concentrations of heavy metals in their shells, gills, and muscle tissue than those collected before the spill.

Jellyfish on the rise in world's coastal ecosytems

Jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world's coastal ecosystems, according to the first global study of jellyfish abundance.

Cod has a key role in the whole Baltic Sea

A new investigation put in evidence the key role of cod as regulator of the whole Baltic Sea ecosystem. The study shows that when the cod population in the central Baltic increases, it spreads into larger areas and spills over into adjacent marginal systems where it usually does not occur, as for example the Gulf of Riga.

BP oil spill, two years later: Natural recovery far greater than expected

This Friday, April 20, will mark two years since the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused vast quantities of crude oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. But despite the size of the spill, "the natural recovery is far greater than what anybody hoped when it happened," said a professor of biology. "The fears of most people -- that there would be a catastrophic collapse of the ecosystem in the Gulf -- never materialized."

Understanding of hearing in baleen whales amplified

For decades, scientists have known that dolphins and other toothed whales have specialized fats associated with their jaws, which efficiently convey sound waves from the ocean to their ears. But until now, the hearing systems of their toothless grazing cousins, baleen whales, remained a mystery, largely because specimens to study are hard to get. Now, a new study has shown that some baleen whales also have fats leading to their ears.

Ammonites found mini oases at ancient methane seeps

Scientists have shown that ammonites -- an extinct type of shelled mollusk that's closely related to modern-day nautiluses and squids -- made homes in the unique environments surrounding methane seeps in the seaway that once covered America's Great Plains. The findings provide new insights into the mode of life and habitat of these ancient animals.

Twice as many emperor penguins as thought in Antarctica, first-ever penguin count from space shows

A new study using satellite mapping technology reveals there are twice as many emperor penguins in Antarctica than previously thought. The results provide an important benchmark for monitoring the impact of environmental change on the population of this iconic bird, which breeds in remote areas that are very difficult to study because they often are inaccessible with temperatures as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit.

Join the MarineBio Conservation Society »

Help us continue to share the wonders of the ocean with the world, raise awareness of marine conservation issues and their solutions, and support marine conservation scientists and students involved in the marine life sciences. Join the MarineBio Conservation Society or make a donation today. We would like to sincerely thank all of our members, donors, and sponsors, we simply could not have achieved what we have without you and we look forward to doing even more.