WebWatch 003: Studying Orcas

Do you think it’s possible to study wild animals without interfering with their lives and habitat? More so, without being eaten? Well, Orcalab has been doing the unobtrusive way of studying these magnificent animals.

By positioning a network of hydrophones to gather acoustic data around the core habitat of the orcas, reports from other researchers and whale watchers and the visual sightings of orcas passing; Orcalab is able to monitor their movements all year round without disturbing the orcas.

The network enables us to listen in to a key area of about 50 sq.km of ocean within which numerous orca families spend much of their time during the summer and fall months.

In year 2000 we began to make our video & audio data available, in real time, to people around the world via the Internet. We call this project “Orca-live”.

This project enables people everywhere, to better understand how they live and appreciate the beauty of this magnificent whales.

See, nothing is impossible, ey?

Source: OrcaLab

WebWatch 001: Sharks

Source: Care2

It’s too barbaric to imagine, but it happens – all too often. Fishermen catch a shark, slice off its fins, and then, cast it back into the water to bleed a slow, painful death. What’s worse, this practice has accelerated in recent years, driven by increased consumer demand for shark fin soup across Asia, where it is considered a delicacy.

Shark finning is pushing the species dangerously close to extinction. Recent studies show the shark population has declined roughly 90% since the 1950s, with exploitation worsening in recent years. But the oceans cannot thrive without predator species — indeed, sharks play a critical role in maintaining the health of our marine ecosystems.

See full details here