“1. Support reef-friendly businesses. Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operators, hotel and other coastal businesses are doing to save the coral reefs. This is especially important in coastal areas with reefs. Let them know you are an informed consumer and care about reefs.

2. Don’t use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products end up in the watershed and may ultimately impact the waters that support coral.

3. Volunteer for a reef cleanup. You don’t live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do with their vacation: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the world’s treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.

4. Learn more about coral reefs. How many different species live in reefs? What new medicines have been discovered in reef organisms. Participate in training or educational programs that focus on reef ecology. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the fragility and value of the world’s coral reefs.

5. Become a member of your local aquarium or zoo. Ask what they are doing and what your donation can do toward saving the world’s coral reefs. The answer may pleasantly surprise you.

6. When you visit a coral reef, help keep it healthy by respecting all local guidelines, recommendations, regulations, and customs. Ask local authorities or your dive shop hot to protect the reef.

7. Support conservation organizations. Many of them have coral reef programs, and your much-needed monetary support will make a big difference.

8. Spread the word. Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet’s coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Sharing this excitement gets everyone you speak with involved.

9. Be an informed consumer. Consider carefully the coral objects that you buy for your coffee table. Ask the store owner or manager from what country the coral is taken and whether or not that country has a management plan to insure that the harvest was legal and sustainable over time.

10. Don’t pollute. Never put garbage or human waste in the water. Don’t leave trash on the beach.

11. Recycle. This is the first step each of us can take to make a change. Recycle anything and everything. If your community doesn’t have a program, do it anyway, and get one started.

12. Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually finds its way back into our oceans.

13. Report dumping or other illegal activities. Environmental enforcement cannot be everywhere, and your involvement can make a big difference.

14. Keep it clean. You may be in the habit of picking up your own trash. You may even participate in an organized cleanup. But have you considered carrying away the trash that others have left behind?

15. Only buy marine aquarium fish if you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound manner. In some areas, marine fish harvested for the pet trade, are stunned with sodium cyanide so that capturing them is easier.

16. Surf the net! Many different addresses exist to link you to information about coral reefs and what you can do to become involved. A good starting point is at http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs/coral-reef.html

17. Don’t start a liverock aquarium. Although this living rock is still harvested legally in some places, its collection is devastating to the reef organisms habitat.

18. Hire local guides when visiting coral reef ecosystems. Not only do you learn about the local resources, but you will be protecting the future of the reef by supporting a non-consumptive economy around that reef.

19. Don’t anchor on the reef. If you go boating near a coral reef, use mooring buoy systems when they are available.

20. If you dive, don’t touch! Take only pictures and leave only bubbles! Keep your fins’ gear, and hands away from the coral, as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.

21. Participate in the Great American Fish Count. What better way to enjoy your vacation time than snorkeling or diving in America’s coral reefs and helping scientists better understand reef fish populations?

22. Volunteer. Volunteer and community coral reef monitoring programs are very important. If you do not live near a coast, get involved in your local save the river (bay, lake, or other estuarine environment) program. Remember, all watersheds affect the oceans and eventually the coral reefs.

23. Support the creation and maintenance of marine parks and reserves. Encourage your friends to get involved with projects to protect special areas.

24. Be a wastewater crusader! Make sure that sewage from your boat, from others’ boats, and from land is correctly treated. The nutrients from sewage feed growing algae that can smother and kill corals.

25. Inform yourself. Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could affect the world’s coral reefs.”- http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/25list.html

Threats to the panther generally fall into three basic categories:

1. Population Security

The single, small population provides little security against extinction. In a population of this size, a disease outbreak or random fluctuations could reduce the population to a level to which it would be unable to sustain itself.

2. Population Viability

Population viability is threatened by numerous physiological and reproductive abnormalities prevalent within the population. For the most part, these conditions are considered manifestations of isolation and inbreeding, and possible environmental contamination. These include a high rate of abnormal sperm (90+ percent malformed), cryptorchidism (a testicle descending abnormality affecting 30-60 percent of males), congenital heart defects (including atrial septal defects), and possible immune deficiencies.

3. Habitat Destruction/Fragmentation/Contamination

Remaining panther habitat in south Florida is under tremendous threat from urban and agricultural conversion. Approximately half of the occupied landscape is under private ownership. It appears that habitats available to the radio-instrumented segment of the population in south Florida are at, or approaching, carrying capacity for the panther. In 1986, the Florida Panther Interagency Committee was formed to provide for a cooperative, coordinated federal/state recovery program for the panther. The committee is made up of the Service, the National Park Service, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Recovery activities generally focus around the following three areas of emphasis:

1. Actions to protect, enhance, and monitor the existing population in south Florida, its associated habitats, and prey resources.

Agencies represented on the Florida Panther Interagency Committee focus on actions on their respective lands to enhance conditions for the panther. Approximately 900,000 acres of panther habitat on private lands have been identified in the Florida Panther Preservation Plan (Logan 1993). The plan classifies habitats as either Priority 1 or Priority 2, based on panther use and/or habitat quality. Priority 1 habitats are used most frequently by the panther and contain lands of high quality native habitat. Priority 2 habitats are used less frequently by the panther and represent lands of lower quality native habitat interspersed with intensive agriculture, serving as buffer zones to urban development and other forms of encroachment. Efforts are underway to design cooperative conservation programs that will compensate landowners for maintaining panther habitat on their lands.

2. Actions to address population health. A genetic restoration program, designed to restore natural gene flow lost because of population isolation for a century or longer, was initiated in 1995. Eight P.c. stanleyana females were translocated into the population from southwest Texas. To date, eight intercross litters containing 12 verified kittens have been produced. Geneticists project that within a few generations, lost genetic variability and viability will be restored.

3. Actions to reestablish the panther into historic range areas. The current recovery objective is to achieve a minimum of three viable, self-sustaining populations within the historic range of the panther. To reach this goal, at least two populations will have to be reestablished populations. Fourteen candidate population reestablishment sites have been identified in a preliminary site identification/evaluation effort. A recently completed reintroduction feasibility study within a north Florida/ south Georgia candidate site, using Texas cougars as surrogate panthers, concluded that reestablishment of additional panther populations is biologically feasible. The study concluded that there are enough habitat and prey available in this site to support a viable, self-sustaining population of panthers. Based on preliminary evaluations, other candidate sites also appear capable of supporting panther populations. It now appears that the most significant remaining obstacle to advancing panther recovery is effectively dealing with sociological/political issues related to population reestablishment, which surfaced during the study. A program to evaluate and address these issues was initiated in early 1998. The future of the panther looks brighter now than at any time since recovery efforts began in the late 1970s. The genetic restoration program proved successful and the reintroduction feasibility study has shown that habitats exist within the panther’s historic range capable of supporting reestablished populations.

History of the Refuge

The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge was established in June 1989 by the authority of the Endangered Species Act to protect the important Florida panther. The final recovery plan for the panther was approved by the Service in December 1981. The plan stated “. . . it is vital to acquire the remainder of the Fakahatchee Strand and the prairies and cypress forests adjacent to it to ensure that a unified management strategy can be effected between the Fakahatchee Strand, the Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Everglades National Park.” The Service purchased the initial 24,300 acres of the refuge from the Collier Family (for which Collier County was named) for $10.3 million through a series of fee title acquisitions. With the addition of lands from the Collier Land Exchange on December 18, 1996, the refuge grew to approximately 26,400 acres. The refuge encompasses the northern origin of the Fakahatchee Strand which is the largest cypress strand in the Big Cypress Swamp drainage basin. Orchids and other rare swamp plants grow within the strand’s interior. The refuge contains a diverse mix of pine forests, cypress domes, marl prairies, hardwood hammocks, and lakes surrounded by swamps. In addition to the panther, 20 other species of animals are found in the refuge vicinity that are state or federally listed as endangered, threatened, or species of special concern. The Florida black bear, alligator, wood stork, roseate spoonbill, limpkin, eastern indigo snake, Florida grasshopper sparrow, Everglades mink, and Big Cypress fox squirrel are a few examples. Other resident wildlife include whitetail deer and feral hogs, which are important panther prey species.

Steps

Step One

Steer clear of buying any products that have been made using a polar bear and at no time join in a polar bear hunt unless it is a controlled traditional harvest. Illegal hunting, trophy hunting and poaching can be severe threats to some polar bear populations. Traditional harvests by local communities do not present the same problem and can be sustained without endangering overall polar bear populations.

Step Two

Support research that allows scientists and conservationists to better understand polar bears. Knowing more about their habitat, hunting habits, health and other behaviors can lead to better solutions for saving polar bears. The World Wildlife Fund, for example, sponsors research aimed at learning more about these large bears.

Step Three

Reduce your dependence on oil and gas. Exploring, extracting and transporting oil and gas in the Arctic creates danger not only for polar bears but other mammals and fish. Oil spills in frozen or partially frozen seas can be extremely difficult to clean up and they kill animals and fish.

Step Four

Contact policymakers and government officials to encourage them to protect Arctic habitats from the effects of global warming. National policies can decrease the rate of global warming and protects the polar bear’s habitat from melting.

Step Five

Do your part to help stop global warming. Even small acts like driving less, recycling, using florescent bulbs and turning off electronics when you aren’t using them can collectively make a difference. Consider planting trees and donating money to organizations fighting climate change.

Step Six

Help cut pollution by using environmentally safe products in and around your home. Polar bears eat fish and other mammals with high fat content. Many pollutants bond with fat when animals and fish ingest them. This makes the polar bear particularly vulnerable.

FAQ regarding Chinese White Dolphins

What kind of dolphins are these?

Sousa chinensis, or Chinese White Dolphins, or Indo-pacific Humpback
Dolphins, are one of some 79 cetacean species. They can be found in
geographically isolated populations from South Africa to Australia, and
up the Chinese coast to the Yangtze River. The populations in Southeast
Asia are unique in their colouring: born almost black, they quickly
change to light grey, then slowly become white or pink as the grey
colouration recedes.

Where are they?

Sousa chinensis is almost always found near coastlines, and usually near
a major river brackish (estuarine) water favoured by this population.
Young males may wander quite far from the group, but the population as a
whole is unlikely to move to another location, no matter how degraded
the environment becomes.

This population is usually found to the north of Lantau Island, and
occasionally to the southwest, near the Soko Islands, and the southeast,
near Peng Chau. The western, northern, and southern extents of their
range are not known, though pink dolphins have been sighted around
Macau.

How many dolphins are there?

Estimates range from fewer than 100 to around 150. Current studies are
limited to Hong Kong Territorial waters, so these estimates do not
consider the total population in the Pearl River Delta.

How long do they have?

The birth and death rates, like the population size, are unknown. There
were 11 confirmed deaths in 1995, 10 as of November 1996. These are
either bodies washed up and photographed, bodies photographed dead at
sea, or babies who have disappeared from their mother’s side. More
dolphins could have sunk without a trace, or washed up on remote coasts,
or decomposed before being found.

In South African populations, females reach sexual maturity at around
10, and they have one baby every three years at most.

Have you noticed a decrease in the number of dolphins?

No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the number is not decreasing. Hong
Kong Dolphinwatch has not been doing systematic survey work; we just go
out and look for dolphins. Dr. Jefferson of the Ocean Park Conservation
Foundation, who is doing systematic survey work, says that by the end of
his study in early 1998, he will be able to detect a 10% decline in
population with 60% certainty, and a 20% decline with 92% certainty.
Current estimates are that the population within Hong Kong waters at any
given time varies from 85 to 165 (over 130 individuals have been
identified, though at least two of these have died, and probably more).
Ten dead dolphins were found in Hong Kong in 1997, the true death rate
is probably higher (see “Ninth carcass”, this issue).

 What can You do to save the dolphins?

Report sightings — Routine sightings: fax to the World Wide Fund for
Nature, 2845-2734. Urgent cases (dead dolphins washed up, or dolphins
being sold in the market) call the

Swire Institute for Marine Science at 2809-2179,

Thomas Jefferson at 9199 0847, C.C. Lay at 2733-2129, or the dolphin
hotline: 2377-1661. Report any illegal dumping, dynamite fishing, or
violations of the dolphin sanctuary (trawl fishing, high-speed boats, or
water sports in the waters around Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau)
immediately to the Marine Police. Write letters — ask for our
Letter-Writing Guide Protect sea life — Eat less seafood, and never buy
coral or shells, or take them from the seabed.

Reduce pollution –

Conserve water. This helps sewage treatment facilities operate more
efficiently.  Avoid using toxic cleaning products. Many cleaning agents
sold for household use contain heavy metals and other toxins. Soap,
vinegar, and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) will clean almost
everything. Other toxic materials, such as paint, solvents, and oil
should be disposed of properly, not dumped down the drain. Look for
detergents that are biodegradable. Call Friends of the Earth (2528-5588)
for more information.

Don’t litter. Even if you throw it on the land, it usually ends up in
the sea. Use garbage bins. If you’re really motivated, join a beach
clean-up or organise one yourself (call Regional Services or Urban
Services for help). Eat organic vegetables. DDT, still used in China as
a pesticide, has been found in dolphin tissue in alarming
concentrations. Encouraging pesticide-free farming will have
far-reaching benefits.

Learn more — Join any or all of the green groups listed below.

Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong): Tel: 2528-5588, Fax: 2529-2777. Ask
about the Water Action Group, which focuses on issues such as sewage,
reclamation, and marine pollution.

World Wide Fund for Nature (Hong Kong): Tel: 2526-1011, Fax: 2845-2734.
Ask about the “Adopt a Dolphin” programme. Hong Kong Marine Conservation
Society: Tel: 2851-4468, Fax: 2851-4463.

Green Power: Working on a dolphin education pack for schools. Tel:
2314-2662, Fax: 2314-3661.

Green Lantau Association: Tel: 2985-5099. Monitors airport-related
development and other issues affecting marine environment around Lantau.

Hong Kong Dolphinwatch, GPO Box 4102, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852)
2984-1414 Fax: (852)2984-7799. E-MAIL to dolphins@hk.super.net
Write to the Chief Executive:
Tung Chee-Hwa
PRC SAR Chief Executive’s Office
1109-1111 Asia Pacific Finance Tower
Citibank Plaza, 3 Garden Rd.

More information can be found on the following website:

http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/alerts/pinkdol.html

The Golden Toad is sometimes referred to as the Monteverde Toad or the Orange Toad. It was only known to exist on a high altitude ridge in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The IUCN database entry states: “In 1989, a single male was found, this was the last record of the species. Extensive searches since that time have failed to produce any more records.” Its demise is attributed to a combination of factors, including airborne pollution and, due to its restricted range, global warming.

Spix’s Macaw

Extinct in the wild

by 2004.

IUCN: database entry.
Scientific name:
Cyanopsitta spixii.

This species of Macaw was native to Brazil. The IUCN database entry says the last known individual in the wild disappeared at the end of 2000, and that the species may well have gone extinct, primarily through trapping for trade and from habitat loss. “Any remaining population is likely to be tiny, and for these reasons it is treated as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild).”

Hawaiian Crow

Extinct in the wild by 2004.
IUCN: database entry.
Scientific name:
Corvus hawaiiensis.
Photo source (Wikipedia).

The last Hawaiian crows were found only in the Kona Forest Unit of the Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii. The IUCN database entry states: “The last two known wild individuals of this species disappeared in 2002, so the species is now classified as Extinct in the Wild.”

Po’o-uli

Functionally extinct by 2004.
IUCN: database entry.
Scientific name:
Melamposops phaeosoma.

The Po’o-uli, sometimes referred to as the Black-faced Honeycreeper, was first discovered in 1973 on the north-eastern slopes of Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui. By mid-1997, only three individuals could be found. The IUCN database entry states: “A few unlocated individuals may exist in the wild, but the current wild population is functionally zero since the three known birds occur in separate, non-overlapping home ranges and no breeding is probable without intervention.”

Kama’O

Declared extinct in 2004.
IUCN: database entry.
Scientific name:
Myadestes myadestinus.
The Kama’o was the larger variety of thrush on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i (the smaller variety, Myadestes palmeri, is Critically Endangered). No sightings of this bird have been recorded since 1989, despite numerous intensive surveys.

More information can be found on the official website of IUCN

http://www.iucn.org/

According to the cited resource from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the 3rd edition of the World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity shows that every week, the world loses two breeds of its valuable domestic animal diversity. The endangered animals include domesticated mammals and birds such as cattle, goats, buffalo, yaks, sheep, pigs, horses, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geeses, pigeons and even ostriches.

These animals are the major economic contribution because they are crucial for food and agriculture, providing 30-40% of the agricultural sector’s global economic value. A large number of the global population at least partly depend on these farm animals for their livelihoods. According to the FAO Global Databank for Farm Animal Genetic Resources, there are information recorded on 6,379 breeds within 30 mammalian and bird species. Data on population size are available for 4183 breeds. Already, 740 breeds are recorded as extinct, and 1335, or 32 percent, are classified at high risk of loss and under threat of extinction.

The biggest threat to domestic animal diversity is the export of animals from developed to developing countries. However,the problem is that these animals are only suited to conditions of the countries they come from, they can hardly survive under the often harsh environment of developing countries. Many countries actually have no market incentives for farmers to use local breeds. The reason is that they are not as productive as those from developed countries. As a result of it is that those local animals are economically undervalued.Keith Hammond, Senior Officer of FAO’s Animal Genetic Resource Group, pointed outt that genetic diversity is insurance against future challenges and threats such as famine, drought and epidemics. Therefore, using as many different breeds as possible could be the most cost-effective way of conserving and developing the animal gene pool for the future.

The following breeds are at risk of being lost:

• In Madagascar, the Renitelo cattle is nearly extinct. It is particularly well adapted to the different climate zones in Madagascar and provides meat and draught power.
• In Mexico, the Chiapas sheep has been reared for almost 500 years in the highlands of the State of Chiapas. Indigenous women produce wool for their clothing and for sale. Sheep are considered sacred, and people do not consume lamb or mutton.
• In Vietnam, the importance of H’Mong cattle was only discovered in 1997. For many years, these animals have been kept isolated. The breed is very well adapted to mountain regions up to 3 000 meters. The current population is estimated at 14 000 cattle.
• In Germany, the Hinterwälder Rind cattle, found primarily in the Black Forest, is endangered. It is very robust and highly fertile.
• In the Russian Federation, the Yakut cattle is adapted to the freezing climate in Siberia. Its numbers are estimated to be less than 1 000.

More information can be found on the official FAO website:

http://www.fao.org/NEWS/2000/001201-e.htm

Article from:   http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/14371127/detail.html

Most people have heard about the polar bears’ food supply dwindling thanks to global warming, but there’s another species that is reaching this critical stage: primates. The gelada baboon is a dying breed.”Within the eight months I just spent in Ethiopia with the geladas, I saw people destroying the grasslands where the geladas live,” said conservation biologist Dr. Peter Fashing.

Fashing explains because of global warming, Ethiopians are able to farm higher and higher in the once cold alpine grasslands where the geladas live.

“As the climate gets hotter and hotter, the gelada gets pushed higher and higher and eventually they’ll literally be pushed off the mountaintop and into extinction,” said Fashing.

But it’s not only the geladas that are dying.

So are other primates, including a sub-species of the western lowland gorillas, “mainly due to the fact that their habitat is being destroyed by logging,” said Fashing. “They’re being hunted and the most recent threat is the Ebola virus.”

That’s why the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has started a new program called One Degree of Change.

Instead of focusing on the problem of global warming, they’re teaching solutions at the zoo and online by launching a Web site at the end of the month focused on Pittsburghers and what you can do to help.

“With global warming, having the Pittsburgh Zoo do something right here for Pittsburgh, we think we’re on the cutting edge for that,” said Mark Reardon of One Degree.

Here are some easy steps to fight global warming, from One Degree Of Change:

At the World Wild Life online gift center you can support conservation in over 200 different ways! Every donation you make helps save some of the world’s most endangered animals from extinction and supports WWF’s conservation efforts. You can adopt everything from a Tiger to a Toucan. https://secure.worldwildlife.org/ogc/