Sustainable Choices to protect Vaquita

Section 1. The endangered species.

The Vaquita is a mammal that belongs to the Phocoena genus also known as porpoise. The scientific name for the species is Phocoena Sinus. The animal looks like a small gray or dark gray dolphin with dark circles around the eyes. According to the article, What's the difference between dolphins and porpoise, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce states that dolphins and porpoises differ in their faces, fins, and body shapes. Porpoise physical characteristics are a triangular dorsal fin, no beaks, smaller flippers, and whale teeth. Rojas-Bracho has been studying the decline of Vaquita and summarizes his findings in an assessment on the IUCN red list. From this website I learned a lot about the animals in terms of where there found, their diet, where they fall on the food chain, and their predators. The species travels individually or in groups up to ten but don't migrate long distances. They are found in the shallow waters along the Northern Gulf of California, Mexico. 
Vaquita are secondary consumers falling in the middle of the food chain. Their vast diets consist of feeding off smaller animals like squid, fish, shrimp, crabs, and lobsters (primary consumers) . Above Vaquita on the food chain are tertiary consumers such as large sharks and killer whales. Besides animals, humans are also predators of the animal. In an article posted by the center for biological diversity,  Natural history of Vaquita, I learned about the lifespan and reproduction of Vaquita mammals. The average life span is 10 years from birth to death but the longest lifespan known is 21 years. As for the reproduction cycle, it is usually around 11 months and a new offspring typically occurs every 2 years for the mothers.  The typical mating periods occur in the spring and the beginning stages of summer.
When looking at the population, the IUCN red list states the total numbers are decreasing for the population and the mature individuals. Out of the population left there are 18 mature individuals and 33 individuals in total. This assessment was updated in 2017, but according to a new study published in Royal Society Open Science, the estimated population left is now around 19. From this we can see that the animal is on the edge of extinction.

1. This photo was taken from flickr and shows two Vaquita swimming together and what the animals look like.

Section 2. The habitat of the species.

The Vaquita species lives in the Northern Gulf of California, Mexico and are part of the Marine Oceanic biome. The marine is the largest of all the biomes, consisting of the oceans in America; the Arctic, Southern, Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian, along with smaller bodies of water. In the article, Characteristics of a Marine Biome, posted by sciencing, author Emily Neal discusses the temperature, water, nutrients, and organisms that make up the Marine Biome. Waters closer to the equator or with smaller depths are warmer than oceans with great depth. The temperature decreases into the ocean zones. The seasons affect the marine biome because when its summer, the weather is warmer and so is the water vs. winter when the temperature drops and the water freezes. A Marine Biome has salt water and different names for the depths of the ocean. When sunlight is available organisms can produce their own energy and food. Remaining organisms, Neal says, feed on dead organic matter on the seafloor. Organisms vary depending on the zone of the ocean. 

As we learned in class, the primary producers are phytoplankton (algae, plants, etc.) and above them is zooplankton. Primary consumers are fishes and squids. Secondary consumers are vaquita or small fish and the consumers at the top of the food chain are sharks and killer whales. The Vaquita habitat is the marine biome as learned from IUCN red list . This habitat is important because it has shallow waters which vaquita only swim going no deeper than 50 m. The waters have high amounts of nutrients or primary producers, the animals’ main food source. We can conclude that vaquitas habitat is in shallow warm water due to more direct sunlight and nutrients. Throughout the year, Mexico's water remains warm, which is why the species lives there.

2. This photo is taken from wikipedia and shows the main oceans the Marine Oceanic biome consist of.

3. This is a diagram I made using various pictures of animals to show the food chain and web. (zooplankton and phytoplankton, fishes and squids, vaquitas, and sharks and killer whales)

4. This photo is taken from wikimedia commons and shows where on the map vaquitas habitat is (the gulf of california the body of water in between Baja, California and Northern Mexico)

1. Section 2 (additional photos)

5. This photo is taken from wikimedia commons and shows the temperature of the sea surface of the marine biome across America. If you look at the previous image (4.) and find the location of the gulf of California then look at the same spot in this image. You can see the area has high surface temperature ranging from 20-25 degrees Celsius. (68-77 degrees Fahrenheit)

6. This image is taken from Wikimedia Commons and shows the different ocean zones. This Vaquita swim in highest zone but as we get deeper into the ocean the type of animals, temperature, and nutrients change.

7. This image is taken from wikipedia and shows the nutrients in the marine oceanic biome. As we can see the circle is phytoplankton and the fish represent approximately where the vaquita would swim. We can also see the organic matter that falls to the sea floor. This shows the process of how the soil nutrients flow into the ocean as well.

Section 3. Critical threats to the species, compared with the threat in a different biome.

The biggest threat to the Vaquita species is fishing. According to the article, ’Rampant’ fishing continues as vaquita numbers dwindle, posted by  Mongabay.comon 29 October 2019, the use of gill nets in fishing is the main reason for the significant drop in the species.  The issue with using these nets is that other animals like vaquita can be caught instead of the fisherman's desired target. If the fishermen are catching the vaquita intentionally, it is because the bladder of the animal is worth the high amounts of money and is a food source in areas such as china. Fishermen use gill nets to catch fish, shrimp, etc. According to the article Fishing Gear 101: Gillnets-The Entanglers, author Elizabeth brown discusses how gill-nets work and the danger the impose on animals. When brown explains how Gill nets work she describes how they can range in terms of size, how the lining of the nets is invisible to animals, and how the holes are designed just for the head of the animals to fit. Gill nets can be placed at various points in the water varying from the top to the bottom of the ocean.  Vaquita are air breathing animals. The article discusses air breathing animals that get caught in the nets, and how it causes them to drown because they are unable to reach the surface. This is why vaquita drown as well and even if the fishermen are able to free them before they die, their breathing is impaired. This article is not referencing Vaquita but we are able to make the connection because the fisherman catching Vaquita are using gill nets. However the article does talk about other species gill nets affect in this biome, specifically sea turtles stating  “—Small-scale gillnet fisheries off Baja California, Mexico have some of the highest sea turtle bycatch rates in the world, killing thousands of sea turtles each year” (Senko). Gillnets are affecting the biome as a whole as it is killing animals that are not intended to be caught by the nets.

            While fishing is a threat to the Vaquita species in the marine oceanic biome it is also a threat to the marine coral reefs biome. The threat is connected for the two biomes. This is explained in the article posted by the national ocean service, Overfishing can deplete key reef species and damage coral habitat, discusses the concept of when one biome is off balance so is the other. When the fish population is being reduced, the algae and other reefs increase because they are no longer being eaten. The article also talks about how certain fishing equipment like gill nets can physically damage the coral reefs, which require long periods of time to grow back. The issue is equally threatening to both biomes because of the ripple effect it has. 

8. This photo is taken from flickr and accurately shows how gill nets work. Gill nets can be at all levels of the ocean, this photo shows the gill net at the top.

9. This photo is taken from flickr and shows how animals can get caught and drown. The picture specifically is showing the sharks fin being caught so it was not able to swim.

Section 4. Solutions to the threats.

The Vaquita species is on the edge of extinction. If any solutions are being put in place to address the threat then they need to act fast. Because vaquita homeland is in Mexico and the use of gill nets for fishing is big in Mexico too the only solution would have been to ban gill nets. In the article, ’Rampant’ fishing continues as vaquita numbers dwindle posted by Mongabay.com on 29 October 2019, the ban against gillnets is discussed. The government did ban gillnets specifically in the vaquita habitat however without the ban being strictly enforced, it means nothing. There has been a decline in the vaquita species even after the ban was put in place, meaning gill nets are still being used in the habitats or near them. 
Another solution mentioned in the article for the few vaquita left would be putting tracking devices on the animals. This would help monitor their activity and catch fisherman who are still using gill nets. The IUCN red list mentions several solutions that are or need to be put in place. One that is already put in place is night fishing is banned and it's not a ban that can be broken because the points of entry and exit are monitored. There needs to be better monitoring during the day such as boats with conservation teams on them watching over the vaquita habitat. The best recommendation the assessment states is removing the vaquita from their habitat into sanctuaries to preserve the species.

Citizens in Keene could help the threats of the endangers this species by not purchasing gill-nets or fish caught with gill-nets. Citizens could also help by being more aware that the species is on the verge of extinction. Before doing this assignment, I knew nothing of the vaquita species and the drastic decline. Here at Keene state the first step towards helping these species is raising awareness about them. Another solution we could implement here at Keene State that is being worked on by the marine mammal center, is promoting the use different fishing gear besides gill nets. For example, going back to the traditional way of fishing with a fishing pole. I understand that fishing is an income for those in the industry, however there are ways to fish without harming animals. Its taking the extra effort and learning these ways, in order to help species like vaquita. Keene state could offer a fishing seminar on these ways so that here in New Hampshire we are at least making better choice and could hopefully influence other areas with the positive trend.

10. This photo is taken from Flickr.com and shows an example of a solution to get rid gill nets which is going back to the standard way of fishing; with a pole.