Conservationists trying to save the endangered vaquita porpoise from the brink of extinction were disappointed this month after two porpoises they captured alive had to be released, one of them dying in the process. Reflecting on their mission, which took place from Oct. 10 to Nov. 10, scientists said they had to contend with an abundance of unknown variables as they attempted to save the species (Phocoena sinus), which has never been studied in captivity. The discouraging results have made a future attempt unlikely. The vaquita population declined by 92% during 1997-2016, according to findings published in Conservation Letters by a team of researchers led by NOAA conservation biologist Barbara Taylor and Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, head of the international rescue group Vaquita CPR. This month... [Log in to read more]