Dolphins Whales and Porpoises: Cetacea
Conservation Status
Interest in protecting cetaceans is high, and several organizations such as the American Cetacean Society and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in Great Britain work hard at promoting conservation awareness among the public. Public pressure has lead to the development of "dolphin-safe" fishing nets and "dolphin-free" tuna, but many cetaceans are still drowned when they accidentally become trapped in fishing gear. Estimates of populations of different species are difficult to make, but the population of many species appears to be declining. Some, such as the baiji, a Chinese river dolphin, are Critically Endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Books:
Carwadine, Mark, and Martin Camm. Smithsonian Handbooks: Whales Dolphins and Porpoises. New York: DK Publishing, 2002.
Gowell, Elizabeth T. Whales and Dolphins: What They Have in Common. New York: Franklin Watts, 2000.
Mead, James G., and Joy P. Gold. Whales and Dolphins in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002.
Nowak, Ronald. M. "Order Cetacea." In Walker's Mammals of the World Online 5.1. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997. http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/walkers_mammals_of_the_world/cet acea/cetacea.html (accessed on July 8, 2004)
Other sources:
American Cetacean Society. P.O. Box 1391, San Pedro, CA 94536. Phone: (310) 548-6279. Fax: (310) 548-6950. E-mail: info@acsonline.org Web site: http://www.acsonline.org.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. P.O. Box 232, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 7SB United Kingdom. Phone: (44) (0) 1225 354333. Fax: (44) (0) 1225 791577. Web site: http://www.wdcs.org.
Additional topics
Animal Life ResourceMammalsDolphins Whales and Porpoises: Cetacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Cetaceans And People, Conservation Status - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET