WCS builds assurance colonies in its zoos and in the field to help restore endangered turtles May 23, Thursday: World Turtle Day NEW YORK (May 23, 2013) — The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today progress in its effort to restore some of the world’s most endangered turtles , an effort that combines the creation of assurance colonies at its zoos with in-country field conservation work. The announcement comes on World Turtle Day – a global celebration to bring...

State fishery managers unanimously approve world’s most lenient finning rules for region’s second largest shark fishery Alexandria, Virginia, May 22, 2013 -- Conservationists are denouncing yesterday’s decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to ignore public concerns, advisory panel recommendations, and scientific evidence by voting to weaken an already lenient regulation on shark “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding...

New York (May 20, 2013) – In two critical reports released at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna, Sweden on May 15th, the scientific expertise of the Wildlife Conservation Society helped inform an international body of senior government officials about changing conditions in the Arctic, and potential responses to those changes. The scientific reports reviewed by the ministers are products of contributions from various experts, representing a range of knowledge and traditions—includ...

Why are so many whales dying in Argentine Patagonia? The southern right whales that use Península Valdés, Argentina as a nursery ground have suffered the largest mortality event ever recorded for the species in the world. At least 605 right whales have died along the Argentine coast since 2003, including 538 newborn calves. One hundred and thirteen calves died in 2012 alone. The Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program is working with scientists worldwide to determine why the whales a...

Coral reef fisheries expert Dr. Tim McClanahan highlights the resilience of coral reefs and the conservation efforts that will help them adapt to changing conditions.

Ignoring declining species until they become rare poses risks to ecosystems NEW YORK (April 18, 2013) – A provocative new paper written by current and recent Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists takes the international wildlife conservation community to task for ignoring abundant wildlife and their importance to ecosystems and humans worldwide. The paper, “Abundance as a Conservation Value,” written by longtime WCS scientist Kent Redford, now head of Archipelago Consulting; WCS Senior...

In a survey of the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean, due south of the Maldives, marine scientists found a huge array and high numbers of fish. The area was declared a no-take zone just a few years ago.

Reflecting on the American Museum of Natural History’s captivating new whale exhibition, Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, director of WCS’s Ocean Giants program, describes the challenges these beloved, but troubled creatures face in today’s oceans.

Aquarium on Track to Help Spark Coney Island Comeback from Hurricane Sandy Coney Island, Brooklyn, April 5, 2013 -- The Wildlife Conservation Society will partially reopen the New York Aquarium on Saturday, May 25.This partial reopening will come about 7 months after Hurricane Sandy devastated the 14-acre aquarium campus, severely damaging its buildings, exhibits, and the facility’s aquatic life support systems.The partial reopening will include: Glover’s Reef (featuring the sea life ...

Conservationists make available computerized anti-poaching tools to wildlife managers around the world SMART 1.0 is available for free at http://www.smartconservationsoftware.org  SMART is a partnership of conservation organizations including CITES-MIKE, the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), the North Carolina Zoo (NCZ), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) N...