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University of St Andrews researchers record porpoise entanglement
Researchers from the University of St Andrews have recorded a rare, detailed instance of a harbor porpoise becoming entangled in a gillnet off the coast of Cornwall, England. The study, published in the journal Open Science, utilized an acoustic monitoring system to capture the event in 2019.
The recording shows a porpoise, approximately 1.2 meters in length, emitting more than 50 calls while struggling to free itself before eventually suffocating. Marine biologist Jamie Macaulay and his team suggest these vocalizations may serve as distress signals to other porpoises.
The findings highlight the severity of the bycatch problem. According to the university, entanglement in fishing gear is the leading human-caused cause of death for dolphins and porpoises globally. In British waters alone, an estimated 1,000 porpoises die annually due to gillnets. Researchers hope this data will assist in developing protective measures, such as nets that reflect sound to deter marine mammals.
Entities
Cornwall · Jamie Macaulay · Open Science · University of St Andrews
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Researchers from the University of St Andrews recorded a porpoise becoming entangled in a gillnet. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.leinetal24.de · www.onetz.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The calls may be distress signals to other members of the species. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.leinetal24.de · www.onetz.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Entanglement in fishing gear is the most common human-caused death for dolphins and porpoises worldwide. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.leinetal24.de · www.onetz.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] An estimated 1,000 porpoises die annually in gillnets in British waters. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.leinetal24.de · www.onetz.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The team led by marine biologist Jamie Macaulay reported the findings in the journal Open Science. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.leinetal24.de · www.onetz.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The entangled porpoise, approximately 1.2 meters long, emitted more than 50 calls while attempting to free itself. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.leinetal24.de · www.onetz.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de