Scientists: Endangered Porpoise Not Doomed — If Humans Stop Killing Them

"The vaquita marina, Spanish for "little sea cow," is considered the world's most endangered marine mammal.

The gray porpoise – known for its small size and characteristic black markings around its eyes and mouth – only lives in the northernmost part of Mexico's Gulf of California, where fishing has brought the species to the brink of extinction.

But research now finds that, genetically speaking, there is still hope the vaquita population can recover.

"We're really pushing back on the idea that the species is doomed," says Jacqueline Robinson, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of California, San Francisco and an author of the study, which is published in the journal Science."

Kendal Blust reports for NPR May 5, 2022.