Researchers combine visual surveys and passive acoustic monitoring to estimate the dwindling vaquita population, but despite their best efforts, pinpointing an exact number remains an ongoing challenge. Their elusive nature…
What makes porpoises interesting to study?
Porpoises are enigmatic little creatures. We know very little about them as they spend most of their lives underneath the ocean surface. We usually only observe them when they surface…
With its low numbers, can the vaquita survive despite inbreeding?
The vaquita porpoise, the world’s smallest cetacean, teeters on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 10 individuals remaining in their sole habitat in Mexico’s Gulf of California. UCLA biologists…