HONOLULU, July 6 -- The University of Hawaii issued the following news release:
Unexpectedly low calf numbers within the spinner dolphin population off Hawaiʻi Island were revealed in a study led by scientists with the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa along with national and international collaborators. Their research, published in Endangered Species Research, determined that calves make up only about 9% of the population, a stark contrast to the 17% expected in a healthy, stable population, raising urgent concerns about the long-term survival of this isolated population.
Viewing spinner dolphins is an attraction of the tourism industry in Hawai'i, however, those activities put pressure...