Vaquita †An Endangered Species

Table of Contents Introduction Social and Reproductive Life Reasons for its Decline Reduction of the flow of Colorado River Conservation Efforts Conclusion Reference List Introduction The vaquita is a small naval creature found in the Gulf of California and is in danger of extinction. Very few people have gotten the opportunity to see this species and many people may not be able to see it now that its existence is threatened. The vaquita looks like a curved stocky porpoise, and it is the smallest of all the porpoises in the world.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Vaquita – An Endangered Species specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It survives in shallow waters. It is even believed to survive in lagoons where the water can hardly cover its back. Most Vaquitas are found on the northern part of the Gulf of California within Colorado River delta. This paper will give more information about the vaquita, exp lain some of the reasons that are causing its decline, and highlight some of the steps taken by the Mexican government to conserve this rare species. A newborn Vaquita weighs about seventeen pounds and is approximately 30 inches long. Adults are 150 centimeters which is equivalent to 4.92 feet, and weigh not more than 50 kilograms, making then the smallest cetaceans in existence. Most parts of its body are grey in color and it has a smaller skull compared to other porpoises. Calves are usually a dark shade of grey and as they grow older, they are actually tri-colored having a whitish belly, light grey sides and remaining dark grey on their back. Although they are commonly compared and closely related to dolphins, they vary in many ways. They have spade shaped teeth, rounded beaks and are stouter than dolphins who also have no beaks. Their triangular shaped fins are surprisingly larger and higher than most porpoise species. From far away, Vaquitas look like bottlenose dolphins but th eir behavior clearly distinguishes them from other cetaceans. Social and Reproductive Life The Vaquita are more agile and less social than dolphins. They appear to be comfortable porpoises that like swimming and are sometimes found relaxing leisurely along the shoreline, but normally they barely come into contact with the sea surface and disappear for long periods, remaining inconspicuous. They are also afraid of boats of all kinds. If a boat appears near them, they either hide under water or move to a different position. Vaquitas rise to the surface of the water to take in fresh air and then go under water for a long period of time. They like feeding on fish species, especially the smaller ones although they are known to be nonselective feeders and can feed on almost anything that crosses its path. Being that they limit their living area, they tend to eat squid, grunts, benthic fishes and crustaceans. They have a loud shout indistinct blow. They have their own high frequency click they use to communicate with other vaquitas while plotting their course through waters. Vaquitas give birth to calves during spring, and gestation normally takes about ten to eleven months. Three to six years is believed to be the Vaquitas maturity age. Vaquitas are believed to have a life span of about 21 years (Jefferson, et al 2008).Advertising Looking for term paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reasons for its Decline It is hard to find a person hunting Vaquitas because many people do not know much about them. Actually their existence was realized in 1958, after a survey was carried out by dedicated scientists. Since then, other scholars have developed an interest on this rare species and are carrying out research to understand more about them and how their survival can be enhanced. Their existence is being threatened since they are normally trapped in gillnets that are used for fishing the tot oaba which is also found in the Gulf of California. It is important to note that this species reproduces very slowly because they are very few in number. Therefore, if one female Vaquita is trapped in gillnets, it poses a very great threat to their survival (Leatherwood, et al. 1988). The population of the Vaquitas has declined at a very high rate (15% every year). Their existence is mainly threatened by commercial fishing, which takes place within Colorado River delta. However, other species are being fished and this threatens the survival of the Vaquita. It is estimated that the population of the vaquita may be declining at a rate of about eighty percent for the next 20 to 30 years, which may render the species extinct. Commercial fishing still stands as the greatest threat to the survival of the vaquitas, although there are other threats such as habitat degradation, pollution, and inbreeding, given that they population is very low. A lot of non-environmental friendly waste is bei ng damped in Colorado River which is a threat to the security of the vaquita. Many vaquitas have died from suffocation (given that they stay underwater for a longer period than they stay on the surface) and they are still facing the threat of environmental pollution. Agricultural farming has also increased around the area with many farmers using water from Colorado River for irrigation (Reeves, et al. 2002). This has resulted in a decrease in the volume of water in the river thereby interfering with the habitat of the vaquitas. Apart from the use of water, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is on the increase and most of these chemicals find their way into the river. This does not only cause death to the Vaquitas, but to all other aquatic animals. Inbreeding is also a major reason for the decline of the vaquitas. As seen earlier, a single calf takes about six years to mature and be able to reproduce. Also a female vaquita can only give birth to a single calf and this takes place annually especially during spring. Let’s assume there are about 100 female vaquitas out of the total population, this means that fewer than 100 calves will be born each year because the gestation takes almost one year and not all this vaquitas may be able to survive throughout the year.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Vaquita – An Endangered Species specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If 70 calves are born each year, after six years we will have about 420 new vaquitas (holding all other factors constant). However, it is estimated that, the rate of death can go up to 84 individuals meaning that, all the calves may die before they are able to reproduce. The number of females may also decline. Reduction of the flow of Colorado River Other risk factors for the decline of the vaquita species include but not limited to; Increased rate of incidental mortality in fisheries Indirect effects of fishing wh ereby the vaquitas are trapped in fishing nets Use of hydrocarbon pesticides and fertilizers for agricultural purposes mostly in the Mexican basin Reduced flow of the Colorado River which interferes with the vaquitas habitat Reduction of the flow of Colorado river has not yet had negative effects on the current productivity but poses great threat on the survival of the vaquitas 9 (Lavà ­n Sà ¡nchez 1999) If the flow of the river continues to decrease, the inbreeding of the vaquitas will be affected which in turn will affect the population growth. Northern Gulf ecosystem has been affected by the reduced flow of the Colorado River and has been experiencing large-scale stresses also caused by intensive shrimp trawling. There is no cause to suppose that these stresses have enhanced habitat environment for the vaquita. On the other hand, it must also be recognized that there is no proof to propose that food shortages are distressing the reproductive victory or escalating the mortalit y of vaquitas. Bycaught and trapped specimens observed recently have shown no signs of emaciation, and mothers with healthy calves are frequently experimented during studies, signifying that reproduction is taking place in the population Reduced flow of the Colorado River seems not to be an immediate threat, that is, it is not affecting the present population of the vaquita. This finding is based on three factors: (i) Nutrient levels and rates of prime productivity apparently are high in the northern Gulf of California (ii) Vaquitas have a somewhat varied diet and do not appear to rely entirely on one or a few prey species (iii) Out of all the vaquita species that have been examined this far, none of them has shown signs of malnourishment or poor nutritional status.Advertising Looking for term paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, in the long term, changes in the vaquita’s environment due to the reduced flow of the Colorado River may lead to a decline in the levels of nutrient concentration. This is a matter of concern and ought to be investigated if the survival of the vaquitas is to be guaranteed. Other less well-characterized and longer-term risk factors include the possibility of interruption by trawling to influence vaquita behavior, and the tentative effects of dam construction on the Colorado River and the ensuing loss of freshwater input to the upper Gulf. Environmental change from reduced freshwater flow of the Colorado River was cited as a ‘major cause’ of the declines. Thus, by the mid-1990s, two distinct and contradictory views concerning the root causes of the vaquita’s current shortage had been expressed, one is by-catch in large-mesh gill nets and the other is damming and abstraction of water from the Colorado River drainage system in the United States was th e chief culprit (Lavà ­n Sà ¡nchez 1999). Conservation Efforts Traditionally, the position of the institute and of the Federal Government had been that no evidence was present to verify that the vaquita was endangered. Furthermore, the institute’s position had been that even if the species was in danger, the main cause was the lack of freshwater input to the Gulf as a result of the damming of the Colorado River. Today, the number of Vaquitas estimated to be alive varies from one hundred to three hundred. In 2000, research was conducted by the Vaquita recovery committee which discovered that about 40 to 80 Vaquitas die every year in the hands of commercial fishermen (Shirihai Jarrett 2006). A reserve was created on the northern side of the Gulf of California by the government of Mexico to prevent the extermination of the vaquitas. Trawlers were banned from fishing in the reserved area and with this ban the number of Vaquita killed each year has reduced. However, most conse rvationists are still concerned about the survival of the vaquita especially now that the use of pesticides along the shoreline has increased and the flow of water from Colorado River has reduced mostly due to increased irrigation around the area. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), believe that the Vaquita is the most endangered species of all the marine animals. An international committee formed by the Mexican government has established many steps that are aimed and conserving this rare species. Other international bodies such as the United States, and Canada joined hands with Mexico and established a strategy that was aimed at supporting Mexico in its effort to protect the vaquitas (The Cousteau Society 2010). Vaquitas are considered the most endangered acquired mammal all over the world. Conclusion Vaquita is most endangered species of all the marine species. Its existence was recognized in 1958 and since then, most scientists have be en interested in the study of the species. The survival of the species is threatened mostly because of the reduction of the flow of water in Colorado River. Another risk factor includes the use of hydrocarbon pesticides and fertilizer along Colorado River and the use of fishing grills which trap the vaquita. It is therefore clear that urgent conservation measures have to be taken if the population of the vaquitas is to be maintained. Reference List Jefferson, T. A, et al (2008). Marine Mammals of the World, a Comprehensive Guide to their Identification. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Lavà ­n, M.F. Sà ¡nchez, S. (1999). On how the Colorado River affected the hydrography of the Upper Gulf of California. Continental Shelf Research, 19, 1545–1560. Leatherwood, S., R. et al. (1988). Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Eastern North Pacific and Adjacent Arctic Waters: A Guide to Their Identification. New York: Dover Publications. Reeves, R. R., et al. (2002). Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Shirihai, H. Jarrett, B. (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. The Cousteau Society (2010). Vaquita Conservation in Mexico. Retrieved from https://www.cousteau.org/english/who.php This term paper on Vaquita – An Endangered Species was written and submitted by user Christian Sharp to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Speech at Shopping Centers essays

Free Speech at Shopping Centers essays I. Thesis Statement ..................................................................... 1 II. Shopping Centers Definitions ................................................................... 1-2 Definitions .................................................................. 2 Regional Shopping Centers ............................................... 2-3 Pruneyard v. Robins ...................................................... 4-5 NJ Coalition Against War in the Middle East v. J.M.B. Realty .... 5-6 Industry Reaction ......................................................... 7-9 Litigation ................................................................... 9 VIII. Conclusion .......................................................................... 9-10 Is an individuals right to freedom of speech, as granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, valid on private property, which is owned by someone else? Specifically, can an organization not associated with a shopping center use the shopping centers property to promote their cause? The U.S. Supreme Court has left the answer to this question up to the individual states. The majority of states, to date, have answered no; however, several states, most notably California and New Jersey, have answered yes. What is the basis for each States decision and how do these decisions affect the shopping center industry? In order to understand how the courts decisions affect the shopping center industry, we must first understand what a shopping center is and who the organizations are. As referred to in the two most notable court cases, Pruneyard v. Robins (Pruneyard) and NJ Coalition Against War in the Middle East et al. v. J.M.B. Realty Corp. et al. (JMB), a [regional] shopping center is defined as one that is between 300,000 square feet and 1,000,000 square feet in size and...

How to Write a Law School Case Brief

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English Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English Assignment - Essay Example Sometimes, only dancing in front of the mirror when nobody else is watching me helps me know myself more. I am surprised at the ideas on different ways to move my body that I get; they unveil hidden portions of my personality that I only get to see while I dance. Although it takes energy to dance, yet it is ironical that dance instills energy in me and I feel energized. While I move my body, it automatically occurs to me to life my eyebrows up or curl my lips into a smile that goes perfect with the moves I take. Dance holds value for me as it helps relieve tension and anxiety and alleviates mood. I dance mostly at too situations; one, when I am extremely happy, and the other, when I am extremely sad. When I am happy, it helps me retain the happiness, and when I am sad, it helps me shed away the sadness and forget my sorrows. More importantly, I use dance as a physical exercise. I am too lazy to follow a tough workout routine or to jog every day, so I dance. I play songs at the stereo system and dance on them at least for half an hour every day. It helps me burn calories and restore energy at the same time. It is a wonderful exercise because it does not feel like a liability when you are running or jogging. Doing exercise through dance is actually fun; it is like being in a party and dancing like crazy. While it does burn a lot of calories, one does not feel exhausted or feel like giving up while the exercise is on. The value dance holds for an individual depends to a large extent on how one understands it. Some people are just too dry and serious to understand the value of dance. To them, to dance might be like being a clown. People that enjoy dancing and get benefits out of it like me do place a lot of value in dance. I have been interested in the Indian classical dance since my childhood. That is so different from the conventional western dance. I think Indian classical dance embeds a lot of aspects of the Indian culture. I see a lot of difference in the clas sical dance performed by the Indian men and Indian women. It is, to some extent, an expression of the gender roles in the society. I tried to learn Indian classical dance in a school in my childhood, but it was not as easy as I had presumed it to be. They danced it at Tabla, the popular musical instrument. Being a western, it was very difficult for me to learn the Indian classical dance. I think it takes a fair understanding of a culture to learn the way people of that culture dance. I dance spontaneously depending upon the song. It mostly takes me a fast track to get me in the mood to dance. I have danced on disco and pop songs on the birthday parties of my friends. I have practiced both dancing alone and dancing socially. I am more comfortable dancing alone than dancing socially. The major reason I see behind this is that I have not learnt dance at some institution successfully and thus am not a very good dancer. When I dance socially, I have this feeling that I am being watched b y others. It occurs to me not to dance than dance badly, so I dance very less publicly. However, when everybody is dancing and there is not much watching around, I also do my bit, like at the birthday parties of my friends. When I am in the mood of dancing and I am alone, I tend to make sure that there is nobody else watching. I even draw the curtains of my windows down to make sure that nobody far away gets a glimpse. I dance alone in absolute privacy. When I dance

Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Essay -- Philosophy Philosophi

Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau developed theories on human nature and how men govern themselves. With the passing of time, political views on the philosophy of government gradually changed. Despite their differences, Hobbes and Rousseau, both became two of the most influential political theorists in the world. Their ideas and philosophies spread all over the world influencing the creation of many new governments. These theorists all recognize that people develop a social contract within their society, but have differing views on what exactly the social contract is and how it is established. By way of the differing versions of the social contract Hobbes and Rousseau agreed that certain freedoms had been surrendered for a society’s protection and emphasizing the government’s definite responsibilities to its citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each political theorist agrees that before men came to govern themselves, they all existed in a state of nature. The state of nature is the condition men were in before political government came into existence, and what society would be if there was no government. In relation to this the two theorists raised as much praise as criticism for their famous masterpieces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hobbes and Rousseau created a revolutionary idea of the state of nature. They did not believe government should be organized through the church, therefore abandoning the idea of the divine right theory, where power of the king came directly from God. Starting from a clean slate, with no organized church, Hobbes and Rousseau needed a construct on what to build society on. The foundation of society began with the original state of nature. Hobbes’ perception of the original state of nature is what would exist if there were no common power to execute and enforce the laws to restrain individuals. In this case, the laws of the jungle would prevail: only the fittest survive. Man’s desires are insatiable. Since resources are scarce, humankind is naturally competitive, inevitably creating jealousy and hatred, which eventually leads to war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The constant state of war is what Hobbes believes to be man’s original state of nature. According to Hobbes, man cannot be trusted in the state of nature. War among men is consequent and nothing can be unjust. Notions of justice and injustice or right and wrong will not hav... ...ons on what kind of government should prevail within a society in order for it to function properly. Each dismissed the divine right theory and needed to start from a clean slate. The two authors agree that before men came to govern themselves, they all existed in a state of nature, which lacked society and structure. In addition, the two political philosophers developed differing versions of the social contract. In Hobbes’ system, the people did little more than choose who would have absolute rule over them. This is a system that can only be derived from a place where no system exists at all. It is the lesser of two evils. People under this state have no participation in the decision making process, only to obey what is decided. While not perfect, the Rousseau state allows for the people under the state to participate in the decision making process. Rousseau’s idea of government is more of a utopian idea and not really executable in the real world. Neither state, h owever, describes what a government or sovereign should expect from its citizens or members, but both agree on the notion that certain freedoms must be surrendered in order to improve the way of life for all humankind.

How To Develop A Good Personality

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