Are You Interested In Ocean Conservation

By Harold Moore


Wildlife conservation is as important in the oceans as it is on the mainland. Ocean research gives us better information about what lives in the depths of our seas, so we can endeavor to keep them safe for future generations to enjoy. When you think Africa, you may not immediately think of its coastline and the animals that live there, but in fact, the African coast shelters many creatures, some in danger from human-made pollution and hunting. If you are searching for a profession in ocean conservation and love the ocean, spending time volunteering for projects in Africa is a perfect choice for your gap year.

You can find whale sharks in warm and tropical oceans and live for around 70 years. Although they were thought to feed mainly on plankton, the BBC program Planet Earth caught a shark feeding on a school of small fish. Their anatomy has evolved to allow them to be very effective when they are feeding and their large mouths which can be up to 1.5 metres wide allow them to collect and filter their food.

Preservation also involves protection of marine wildlife such as dolphins. The fishing industry relies on modern methods to capture as many fish at one time to increase profits. The nets that are used to catch tuna fish also trap dolphins.

The tuna industry is supposed to take the time and make an effort to check all catches and clear their nets of dolphins from their nets. But some tuna fishing boats ignore this requirement and allow dolphins to be processed with the tuna that is caught in their nets. It is difficult to regulate and monitor the tuna industry because there are limited resources available and not all tuna fishing boats can be watched as they make their catches.

The scientists and volunteers involved in the projects will spend some time recording their location so that their journeys can be mapped so the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme can make decisions as to their preservation and protection mechanisms.

Swimming with the Dolphins and Whales- When you think of the residents of the sea, you are likely to think of dolphins or whales, the seas most popular sea creatures. Unfortunately, both these are under threat and have become the focus of wildlife preservation groups. You can play a role in the study of these creatures and learn more about them and the efforts to preserve them.

The whale shark is currently targeted by many commercial fisheries, the overall population of this particular fish is unknown, and along with six other species of shark, it is considered as vulnerable. Although they continue to be hunted in many areas for commercial purposes, the fishing, selling, importing and exporting of the species has been banned in the Philippines, India, and Taiwan. With more conservation wildlife projects taking place, hopefully, eventually the population will be recorded, allowing there to be some more hard facts on the future of the whale shark.

As the seas are complex environments, your work in preservation can virtually take any shape or focus. Depending on your interests, your experience could include working with fish, mammals, invertebrates, coral, mangroves, sea grass, fisheries or even communities that depend on the fishing industry. Location-wise, you could help out in a local UK coastal town or even volunteer to do some work in preservation in some of the world's more exotic locations.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment