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):
Mass dolphin deaths in Peru caused by acoustic trauma | 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]

Scapa Flow whale rescue drama filmed in Orkney [1 humpback whale]
Humpback whale freed from life-threatening entanglement [1 humpback whale]
Dolphins photographed in damage assessment [>700 dolphins, since 2/10 - Deepwater Horizon oil spill/N Gulf of Mexico]
Fluke malformation in stranded bottlenose calf [1 dolphin]
Farewell, Whole New Time [Carl Safina, 1 fin whale (NJ, 2011? Ship strike)]
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 (endangered population)?]
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.

Share your thoughts

Please note: All comments are moderated. Trolls, spammers and those who post offensive material will be reported/banned.

Feedback & Citation

Something to say about this page? Let us know

MLA Citation: "". MarineBio.org. <http://marinebio.org/research/projects/index.asp?>. Note: If no author is given under the main page title, simply cite MarineBio.org.

Marine Biology News :: ScienceDaily

Sulfur finding may hold key to Gaia theory of Earth as living organism

Is Earth really a sort of giant living organism as the Gaia hypothesis predicts? A new discovery may provide a key to answering this question. This key of sulfur could allow scientists to unlock heretofore hidden interactions between ocean organisms, atmosphere, and land -- interactions that might provide evidence supporting this famous theory.

Hidden lives of elephant seals: Record-setting dive more than a mile deep

The same researchers who pioneered the use of satellite tags to monitor the migrations of elephant seals have compiled one of the largest datasets available for any marine mammal species, revealing their movements and diving behavior at sea in unprecedented detail.

Ancient sea reptile with gammy jaw suggests dinosaurs got arthritis too

Imagine having arthritis in your jaw bones ... if they're over 2 meters long! A new study has found signs of a degenerative condition similar to human arthritis in the jaw of a pliosaur, an ancient sea reptile that lived 150 million years ago. Such a disease has never been described before in fossilized Jurassic reptiles.

Arctic seabirds adapt to climate change

The planet is warming up, especially at the poles. How do organisms react to this rise in temperatures? Biologists have now shown that little auks, the most common seabirds in the Arctic, are adapting their fishing behavior to warming surface waters in the Greenland Sea. So far, their reproductive and survival rates have not been affected. However, further warming could threaten the species.

The gut could reveal effect of climate change on fish

As sea temperatures rise, stocks of some fish species can decline while others may grow, reveals new research looking at gastrointestinal function in fish.

New species of fish in Sweden

Reticulated dragonet have been found in Väderöarna -- "Weather Islands" -- off the west coast of Sweden. It is not often that a new species of fish is discovered in Sweden.

Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country

The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists. The study links higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the acreage of vineyards upstream.

Roadmap towards sustainable pole-and-line-caught tuna

New research offers a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of tuna caught using the pole-and-line method.

First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants

Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: The manta ray.

First forecast calls for mild Amazon fire season in 2012

Forests in the Amazon Basin are expected to be less vulnerable to wildfires this year, according to the first forecast from a new fire severity model.

What do marine snails and insulin have in common? New approach to treat diabetes?

The cone snails are predators of the sea. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails' venom, so-called conopeptides, are known for their extraordinary pharmacological properties and potential.

One-quarter of grouper species being fished to extinction

Groupers, a family of fishes often found in coral reefs and prized for their quality of flesh, are facing critical threats to their survival. Scientists report that 20 species are at risk of extinction if current overfishing trends continue, and an additional 22 species are near "threatened" status.

Encyclopedia of Life reaches historic one million species pages milestone

The Encyclopedia of Life has surged past one million pages of content with the addition of hundreds of thousands of new images and specimen data. Launched in 2007 with the support of leading scientific organizations around the world, the Encyclopedia of Life provides global access to knowledge about life on Earth by building a web page for each of the 1.9 million recognized species.

Antarctic octopus study shows West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have collapsed 200,000 years ago

Scientists have found that genetic information on the Antarctic octopus supports studies indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could have collapsed during its history, possibly as recently as 200,000 years ago.

Plastic trash altering ocean habitats

A 100-fold upsurge in human-produced plastic garbage in the ocean is altering habitats in the marine environment, according to a new study.

Dolphin speaker to enhance study of dolphin vocalizations and acoustics

To gain new insights into how dolphins communicate, researchers in Japan created a prototype of an extremely broadband "dolphin speaker" capable of projecting dolphins' communication sounds, whistles, burst-pulse sounds, as well as detection sounds such as echolocation clicks.

Built-in ear plugs: Whales may turn down their hearing sensitivity when warned of an impending loud noise

Toothed whales navigate through sometimes dark and murky waters by emitting clicks and then interpreting the pattern of sound that bounces back. The animals' hearing can pick up faint echoes, but that sensitivity can be a liability around loud noises. Now researchers have discovered that whales may protect their ears by lowering their hearing sensitivity when warned of an imminent loud sound.

Weed-eating fish 'help protect jobs, livelihoods'

Jobs, livelihoods and ecotourism industries can benefit from having a diverse supply of weed-eating fish on the world's coral reefs, marine researchers say. Despite their small size, relative to the sharks, whales, and turtles that often get more attention, herbivorous fish play a vital role in maintaining the health of coral reefs, which support the livelihoods of 500 million people worldwide, say researchers.

Means to detect low-level exposure to seafood toxin in marine animals developed

Scientists have discovered a biological marker in the blood of laboratory zebrafish and marine mammals that shows when they have been repeatedly exposed to low levels of domoic acid, which is potentially toxic at high levels.

Nutrient supply after algal bloom determines the succession of the bacterial population

Algal blooms can considerably interfere with summer holidays by the sea. In the coastal zone of temperate regions a spring algal bloom is not a sign of excessive nutrient input, but most of all a consequence of the more intense solar irradiation in spring. When algal blooms end, the algae die and their remnants constitute an important nutrient supply for the whole ecosystem. Researchers have examined an algal bloom in the North Sea and identified the microorganisms involved in the degradation of algal remnants. With their findings, the researchers discovered a solution for the so-called Plankton paradox: By specializing in different degradation processes, bacteria apparently occupy separate ecological niches in the sea.

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.