
The most endangered marine mammal in the world is the vaquita, a tiny porpoise found only in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico. It has been reduced to about 8-12 individuals through by-catch in gillnets. This talk introduces the audience to this unique species and assesses the prospects for its survival. This talk was led by Dr. Thomas A. Jefferson.
Update: The book Dr. Jefferson references during the Q&A is Bessesen, B. (2018). Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez: Island Press. Contact Viva Vaquita as they offer the book as a gift with $25 donations, while supplies last!
Dr. Jefferson is Director of VIVA Vaquita and an Independent Researcher as the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, where his main interests are the development of marine mammal identification aids and investigating the systematics and population ecology of the more poorly-known species of dolphins and porpoises.
Deep Dives are geared toward ages 14+, but all are welcome.
You can also find other DCP webinars here on our website: www.dolphincommunicationproject.org (look under the Knowledge Hub), on our YouTube channel, or on our Vimeo page.
Originally recorded on 7 October 2024.