During a few weeks each year or so, an international team of scientists spends long days at sea searching for the most endangered marine mammal on Earth: the vaquita porpoise. Results from this year’s survey, issued on Tuesday, were disappointing: Researchers estimate they saw six to eight individual vaquitas there, the lowest result ever recorded. Since at least 2019, the visual surveys have focused on one zone where acoustic monitoring and other research has suggested the remaining animals congregate. “It’s worrisome,” said Barbara Taylor, a longtime vaquita researcher who led the survey. “We just need to go out and find out whether the vaquitas have moved someplace else and adapt the management accordingly.”

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Persons: they’ve, It’s, ”, Barbara Taylor