Pixels Help Save the Vaquita, the World's Most Endangered Marine Mammal

Pixels Help Save the Vaquita highlights a digital effort to preserve the world's most endangered marine mammal. Researchers digitized a rare female vaquita skeleton collected in 1966, using medical CT scans, high-resolution micro-CT imaging, and detailed photography. The specimen comes from the vaquita’s native waters in Mexico's northern Gulf of California and measures about five feet. The study, published recently in Marine Mammal Science, combines macroscopic scans with microscopic bone imaging to create three-dimensional digital models. The dataset allows isolating each bone and reconstructing complex joints, yielding an interactive resource that enhances conservation and education. The effort involved Florida Atlantic University, the San Diego Natural History Museum, SeaWorld California, and NOAA Fisheries.