The harbour porpoise is the only cetacean native to the cold waters of the Baltic Sea. But its small population is in trouble. Lauren talks to Ida Carlén, who is working with the NGO Coalition Clean Baltic to save the last individuals of this little porpoise that still call the Baltic Sea home.
#6: Genetics and Why the Vaquita Still Has a Chance
Dr. Barbara Taylor is a NOAA scientist who has been fighting for the vaquita’s survival for decades. In this episode, she talks about her role in that mission and explains why she thinks that low numbers and a lack of genetic diversity alone won’t doom the vaquita to extinction.
#5: Lessons learned from the VaquitaCPR program
Grant Abel served as the Co-program Manager for Animal Care and Housing at the Vaquita Conservation, Protection and Recovery (VaquitaCPR) program. In this episode, he tells Lauren about that experience, and lessons learned.
#4: Mr. Vaquita ─ A Life Dedicated to Saving Vaquita
Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho has been working for decades to save the vaquita, the world’s smallest cetacean. In this episode, he tells Lauren about the reality of his conservation work in Mexico and the unique challenges of trying to save an animal that can only be found in a tiny patch of the Gulf of California.
#3: Vanishing Vaquita: Gillnets and Black Markets
This episode is the first in a mini series about the vaquita. Lauren chats with Dr. Thomas Jefferson, the founder of VIVA Vaquita, about his mission to save the endangered vaquita porpoise.
#2: Drones, Brains and Robo Dolphins
In this episode, Lauren talks about dolphin brains, drone research, and robo dolphins with comparative biologist Dr. Jason Bruck. Jason studies cognition in bottlenose dolphins and hopes that his research will help scientists answer some of the many questions we still have about whales, porpoises and dolphins.
#1: What are Porpoises?
In this inaugural episode, Lauren answers the question everybody’s been asking. If it’s not a dolphin, what exactly is a porpoise? She is joined by marine zoologist Dr. Anna Hall, who helps her uncover that mystery.