Above, the mighty sturgeon, whose numbers have declined drastically from deliberate harvesting of the fish and their eggs (caviar) as well as water pollution. They have officially made the list and at least getting recognized is a good thing - it’s the first step to bringing them back. “Relying on satellite and telemetry data, Dr. Fox plans to work with other researchers to build a model for identifying migratory coastal corridors” (NY Times).

The US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service are held responsible for classifying and protecting endangered species, which get on the list through two different, and cumbersome ways: “through the petition process or through the candidate assessment process. The ESA provides that any interested person may petition the Secretary of the Interior to add a species to, or to remove a species from, the list of endangered and threatened species. Through the candidate assessment process, FWS biologists identify species as listing candidates” (FWS.gov). Worldwide, endangered animals are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

These pocket guides to ordering fish are great - and so convenient! Get yours from the Monterey Bay Aquarium for free! 

The life of a salmon is a dramatic one. Salmon are endangered species. These underated, glorious creatures with amazing instincts are also essential to the bears and other animals that rely on them for survival. 

“When they reach sexual maturity, they return [from their saltwater homes] to the freshwater stream of their origin to lay their eggs. Pacific salmon make the round trip only once, but some Atlantic salmon may repeat the cycle several times.Pacific salmon may swim hundreds, even thousands, of miles to get back to the stream where they hatched. However, only a small percentage of salmon live to reach their natal stream or spawning grounds. Those males that survive the trip are often gaunt, with grotesquely humped backs, hooked jaws, and battle-torn fins. The females are swollen with a pound or more of eggs. Both have large white patches of bruised skin on their backs and sides.

Since salmon do not feed once they leave the ocean, some will die on the way… Many must make their way over power dams, leaping up from one tiny pool to the next along cement stairstep cascades called fish ladders. In the tributary streams, waterfalls and rapids are steep and swift enough to eliminate all but the strongest. Otters, eagles, and bears stalk the salmon in shallow riffles. Once on the spawning grounds, the fish battle each other: females against females for places to nest, males against males for available females.” Read more at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

See more highlights of the bears and salmon in their annual feats of survival.

Who would have thought this gorgeous fish would be a menace to (marine) society?

This photo from animal-wildlife.blogspot.com, shows the Lionfish in all his glory. Fishing contest contenders and environmental activists are on the same side when it comes to ridding the Caribbean of this invasive species. Native to the Indian Ocean, they were accidentally introduce into Caribbean waters from a Florida aquarium. And when it comes to the survival of the species, these guys are the best. They are stealthy hunters able to inject a poison into prey that is potent enough to cause pain to humans. They have no natural predators, and become sexually mature at one-year-old, reproducing every four days, “a single female lionfish can spawn over 2 million eggs/year… On heavily invaded sites, Lionfish have reduced their fish prey by up to 90% and  continue to consume native fishes at unsustainable rates” (read more from NOAA). 

The good news is, they are considered a delicacy! Conservation and culinary delights collide ceremoniously with the Lionfish. Read more about the efforts. 

Keep exploring. 

Underwater Magic

This underwater world is just off the Bahamian coast. “The waters surrounding the Bahamas offer a rich and diversified marine life. there are some 900 sq miles of reefs, including the third-longest barrier reef in the world off the east coast of Andros. The reefs are populated with eels, clownfish, angelfish, barracudas, Nassau grouper, nurse sharks and porcupine fish. Other marine life in the Bahamas waters are sponges, conch, lobster, hogfish, snapper, bonefish and many other fish.”

Read more about Bahamian marine life here and the conservation efforts for protecting the local Spotted Dolphin at Explore.org.