Marine Connection
Encyclopedia
Marine Connection is a London
, UK
-based animal welfare
charity
working both nationally and internationally for the welfare, protection, and conservation of cetaceans: dolphin
s, whale
s and porpoise
s. The charity aims to achieve its objectives via various campaigns, educational and research programmes; events and press coverage. It also encourages the general public, private companies and celebrities to become involved.
Threats to cetaceans has never been greater than they are today. These threats include such factors as bycatch
, which is the painful, often drawn-out suffocation
of marine mammal
s after having been accidentally caught in large fishing net
s and pair trawlers; environmental and noise pollution
of the marine environment; loss of natural habitat and food
supplies often due to such modern-day problems as exploring and expanding new underwater petroleum
supplies, navigation
, over-fishing, climate change
and global warming
.
By raising public awareness to these issues concerning threats to marine life and their underwater environment, Marine Connection hopes to promote a better understanding of these problems through educational and public outreach programmes. Also, by conducting ongoing research
and examining these issues now, the charity hopes to identify upcoming problems before they happen so changes can be made before it's too late to stop the destruction of the marine habitat
that's already occurring at such a rapid pace.
Another example of Marine Connection's ongoing commitment to cetaceans is examining the effectiveness of current legislation
and calling for stronger laws to protect the marine environment. Marine Connection seeks to actively secure a safer and therefore healthier future for all dolphins and whales as well as the oceans in which they live.
On 17 April 2008, the Marine Connection released a new research 51-page study on the phenomenon of solitary dolphins, including Dave the Dolphin
, Opo, Georges, Marra, Jet, Luna, and another 85 solitary dolphins.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
working both nationally and internationally for the welfare, protection, and conservation of cetaceans: dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s, whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
s and porpoise
Porpoise
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen...
s. The charity aims to achieve its objectives via various campaigns, educational and research programmes; events and press coverage. It also encourages the general public, private companies and celebrities to become involved.
Threats to cetaceans has never been greater than they are today. These threats include such factors as bycatch
Bycatch
The term “bycatch” is usually used for fish caught unintentionally in a fishery while intending to catch other fish. It may however also indicate untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting...
, which is the painful, often drawn-out suffocation
Suffocation
Suffocation is the process of Asphyxia.Suffocation may also refer to:* Suffocation , an American death metal band* "Suffocation", a song on Morbid Angel's debut album, Altars of Madness...
of marine mammal
Marine mammal
Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
s after having been accidentally caught in large fishing net
Fishing net
A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for fishing. Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and...
s and pair trawlers; environmental and noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
of the marine environment; loss of natural habitat and food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
supplies often due to such modern-day problems as exploring and expanding new underwater petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
supplies, navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, over-fishing, climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
By raising public awareness to these issues concerning threats to marine life and their underwater environment, Marine Connection hopes to promote a better understanding of these problems through educational and public outreach programmes. Also, by conducting ongoing research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and examining these issues now, the charity hopes to identify upcoming problems before they happen so changes can be made before it's too late to stop the destruction of the marine habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
that's already occurring at such a rapid pace.
Another example of Marine Connection's ongoing commitment to cetaceans is examining the effectiveness of current legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
and calling for stronger laws to protect the marine environment. Marine Connection seeks to actively secure a safer and therefore healthier future for all dolphins and whales as well as the oceans in which they live.
Primary activities and goals
- Campaigning against dolphins and whales being caught in fishing nets
- Contributing towards the British government's legislation on marine conservationMarine conservationMarine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine ecosystems...
, including the new Marine Bill - Working with the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) on marine wildlife legislation and law enforcement
- Researching the effects of underwater noise on marine mammals
- Stopping the capture of, and trade in, wild dolphins and whales for the captivity industry
- Protecting the resident bottlenose dolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
population in the Moray FirthMoray FirthThe Moray Firth is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotland...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... - Funding ongoing research projects in Scotland, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
Publications
Marine Connection collaborates with many other animal welfare organisations to produce publications in the areas of research, conservation, and campaigning. Marine Connection worked with the Devon and Cornwall Wildlife Trusts; jointly developing and writing The South West Dolphin Campaign. A report detailing the problem of cetaceans, including dolphins and whales, being accidentally caught and dying in fishing nets, an issue also known as Bycatch.On 17 April 2008, the Marine Connection released a new research 51-page study on the phenomenon of solitary dolphins, including Dave the Dolphin
Davina the Dolphin
Davina the Dolphin was a sociable solitary dolphin who resided off the coast in the Shepway area of England for approximately eighteen months. This was a very unusual situation as dolphins normally reside with family groups known as pods, and are not usually seen on their own. She was often...
, Opo, Georges, Marra, Jet, Luna, and another 85 solitary dolphins.
- The Lone Rangers
- The South West Dolphin Campaign
- Are you dreaming of swimming with dolphins?
- Statement of Concern over underwater noise pollution
- Marine Litter, plastic bags, and ballon releases: their effects on marine life
- UK Navy's use of Sonar
- Marine Impacts