The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is a critically endangered species of porpoise found only in a small part of the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico. Less than 100 of these animals are thought to be alive today, and an international team of scientists are currently leading an expedition to obtain a precise abundance estimate of this species. One […]
Fins & Flukes ~ How I Became a Marine Biologist
Azura participated in the Girls Inc. Eureka! Program at the University of Texas at Dallas this summer. Eureka! is designed to engage girls ages 12 to 18 in exploring STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to motivate girls to pursue post-secondary education and careers in STEM fields. The 65 volunteers this year included faculty, staff, students, and several […]
Azura Awarded NOAA EFH Contract
The NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region, Habitat Conservation Division recently awarded Azura a contract to provide professional services to review and update the document titled Impacts to Essential Fish Habitat from Non-Fishing Activities in Alaska and enter all references into EndNote. This document was first written in response to the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation […]
Azura on Winning Team for NAVFAC Pacific Contract
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific (NAVFAC PAC) recently awarded a multiple award contract under their Natural Resources Management Services IDIQ. Of the five winning firms, Azura is a member of the SWCA Environmental Consultants team. Work under this $49M contract will include natural resources management services throughout the NAVFAC PAC Area of Responsibility (AOR) and other areas in the NAVFAC […]
Azura Scientists Publish Encounter Between Killer Whales & Sperm Whales
A paper by Azura marine scientists Amy Whitt and Melody Baran and Maurice Bryson and Luke Rendell from the University of St Andrews was recently accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Aquatic Mammals. In the paper titled “First Report of Killer Whales Harassing Sperm Whales in the Gulf of Mexico,” the authors describe an interesting and prolonged interaction […]
