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As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is celebrated on June 8th each year. This annual event spurred the creation of a special collections around our oceans and the efforts being made in conservation ranging from pollution to habitat restoration to fishing and fisheries.

The special collection continues to grow along with Plastic in Our Oceans and 1Water, with a focus on the challenge of providing clean drinking water to the world population.

Curated by mokiethecat

Speeding Ships Are Killing North Atlantic Right Whales
July 20, 2021
Oceana released a new report finding that most vessels are exceeding speed limits in areas designed to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only around 360 remain. Oceana analyzed vessel speeds from 2017 to 2020 in speed zones established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) along the U.S. Atlantic coast, and found non-compliance was as high as almost 90% in mandatory speed zones, and non-cooperation was as high as almost 85% in voluntary areas. Collisions with vessels are one of two leading causes of injury and death for North Atlantic right whales. Studies have found that slowing vessel speeds to 10 knots reduces a North Atlantic right whale’s risk of death from vessel strikes by between 80% to 90%. While this analysis focused on vessels 65 feet or larger that are required to use public tracking devices, vessels of all sizes can cause fatal injuries to North Atlantic right whales. In fact, a calf died earlier this year from propeller wounds, broken ribs, and a fractured skull from a collision with a 54-foot recreational fishing vessel.