Hector Dolphins- Marine Biodiversity

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is used to explain the diverse species on our planet. Biodiversity includes different species, land, and marine animals. Biodiversity is also related to Gene diversity. Because “Diversity” means lots of diverse things, Different things, and unique things. So, Gene diversity is just genes inherited into different species spread across diverse species. 

Biodiversity, painfully, includes endangered animals too. Biodiversity is also crucial to living.

We are learning about Marine biodiversity since biodiversity is related to species living in freshwater and saltwater. There are many different species in Marine biodiversity, and Marine biodiversity is significant to New Zealand because it shows our nation's identity. Biodiversity also supports healthy functioning in our world too!  

Which animals are endangered in the Marine biodiversity system?

For example, the Hector Dolphin, “only 15,000 Hector’s Dolphin older than 1 year” Source from the Department of Conservation, is an endangered and threatened species living on the Coast of New Zealand. As they are endangered due to diseases, tourism, and habitat threats. More and more of these innocent dolphins are dying each year.  “They live in small, isolated populations that don’t generally mix with each other.”- The Department of Conservation. They are close relatives of the Maui dolphin too. They are small dolphins, with gray bodies, white and black slices of color, and dorsal fins shaped like Mickey Mouse ears. 

Although it might seem impossible, We can make a difference by managing fishing-related threats. When fishers throw nets in the water, hector dolphins get trapped and die from drowning. Bycatching (meaning when fishermen catch different marine species they were not intending to catch) also brings down the population of innocent Hector dolphins!

Woefully, more and more Hector dolphins are dying. Because of us humans, the water they live in is being polluted, full of rubbish, and toxic waste! Recycling helps many Hector dolphins by reducing the amount of garbage that goes into the sea!  If you’re super lucky, you might see or have seen one before! But if we don’t act strongly, there will be no beautiful dolphins to gaze out at anymore!