Our oceans are in trouble. Oceans should be a serene environment for the marine life that call them home, but instead, human activity has transformed our seas into noisy, polluted cities where threats lurk around every corner. But, if we come together, we can turn the tide for our oceans and marine life.
IFAW is working to:
•Turn down the volume on ocean noise. Human-created noise (usually from energy exploration and commercial ships) can be deafening underwater and can even be fatal for marine mammals like whales, porpoises, and dolphins who use their acoustic senses to navigate, communicate, and find food. We’re working with national governments and shipping organizations to regulate this noise to eliminate the threat of ocean noise pollution.
•Regulate vessel speed to prevent collisions with marine life. 2024 kicked off with a tragedy—a one-year-old North Atlantic right whale was found dead, after sustaining fatal injuries from a vessel strike. With fewer than 360 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, we cannot afford to lose one more to high-speed collisions. IFAW is working to support regulations for vessel speeds that will save lives.
•Prevent entanglement. Entanglement can be a death sentence for whales, seals, dolphins, and other marine life. When animals become entangled in fishing gear, it can be nearly impossible for them to escape. The fishing gear or plastic digs deeper into their skin as they try to escape, and death by starvation, drowning, and serious injuries is an all-too-common outcome for marine life. We’re working with companies to manufacture on-demand fishing gear.
Our oceans and the life they contain are essential to our planet’s ecosystem, and we must take action now to protect them.
Sign your name to show your support for IFAW’s work to protect our seas and marine life!