No. 1271, November 14, 2024 |
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Help Protect Deep-Sea Corals |
Deep-sea corals live in ocean waters at least 160 feet beneath the surface. Untouched by sunlight, they can survive for thousands of years and come in different colors, sizes, and shapes — with some looking like trees, feathers, or fans.
These coral colonies are key habitat for fish, sea stars, and other marine life. But even the deep sea can't protect them from threats like destructive fishing. That's where you come in.
NOAA Fisheries just proposed a new rule to protect Sur Ridge, a deep-sea coral site within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California, from any groundfish fishing gear that touches the ocean floor. Two other critical coral sites — Año Nuevo Canyon and Ascension Canyon — were excluded from the rule's protection following industry pressure.
Tell NOAA Fisheries you support a rule that protects all three sites in Monterey Bay from groundfish fishing gear, which will help conserve and restore beautiful deep-sea corals. |
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Fighting for the Climate at COP29 |
We’re in Baku, Azerbaijan, at COP29 — the 29th annual United Nations climate conference — where we’ve been fighting for urgent, lifesaving action on fossil fuels. With Trump 2.0 looming, everyone wants to know how the United States and world will meet international climate treaty goals.
“We know Trump wants to ‘drill, baby, drill,’ and I’m here to tell you we’re going to ‘sue, baby, sue,’” said the Center’s Karuna Jaggar at a press conference. “We’re urging the Biden administration to urgently fill dozens of federal judicial vacancies. It should also use its last two months to halt dangerous, megapolluting projects like the CP2 gas export terminal and the Dakota Access pipeline.”
The Center just launched our Future for the Wild Fund to resist Trump's assault on species and the climate. We need you more than ever — give now and your donation will be doubled. |
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Louisiana to Ban Snake-Killing Contests |
Thanks to the actions of Center supporters, Louisiana just approved regulations that will end snake-killing contests, where hunters slaughter as many snakes as they can. The new rules will outlaw Louisiana events like the Lake Providence Snake Rodeo, which led to the killing of hundreds of native snakes (80% of them nonvenomous) each year it was held.
Learn more about our work to end cruel snake-killing contests across the United States. |
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Pine rocklands, one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems, are found in South Florida and the Florida Keys. They’re the last refuge for dozens of protected species, including rare butterflies and snakes, diminutive Key deer, and endangered Florida bonneted bats. The greatest threats to their existence are urban development and sea-level rise. This Pine Rocklands Conservation Week, check out our new website to learn about saving this precious habitat and its most imperiled species.
Then watch an eastern indigo snake slither through the pines in this video on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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An Irreverent New Center-Authored Book |
Longtime Center staffer Jeff Miller has a book out. Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide casts a spotlight on the whereabouts and personalities of the Bay Area’s furred, feathered, and fork-tongued neighbors. Meet “screaming death parrots” (aka peregrine falcons), “disco slugs dressed for a P-Funk concert” (nudibranchs), and “rototillers with fur” (badgers), among many others.
Jeff’s colorful descriptions offer a compilation of each species’ natural history and fun facts. Did you know beavers have vanilla-scented butts, elephant seals have the loudest recorded burps, and pooping whales may save the world? Each section includes tips on finding and observing the Bay Area’s coolest animals. The guide supports bold conservation efforts, discussing iconic and essential species returning to the region. |
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Revelator: 20 Books to Help You Prep for Trump 2.0 |
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That’s Wild: A Beautiful Fruit Fly Brain Map |
Fruit flies went into space before people did — a vanguard sent by NASA in 1947 to test the survivability of space flight. These tiny insects share 60% of humans’ genetic code and have neural networks containing 490 feet of wiring. About 75% of the genes known to cause illness in people also occur in Drosophila. Over the past decade, scientists have been working on diagramming fruit flies’ neural networks, and the result is the most detailed (and 3D) map of an animal’s brain ever made.
Check out the mind-boggling animation. |
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Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States
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