The world's most endangered marine mammal is being saved in 3D

Nature · Published 26 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While the vaquita porpoise faces a desperate fight for survival in the wild, scientists are racing to ensure it never truly vanishes from human knowledge. By turning a physical skeleton into a high-resolution digital archive, researchers are creating a permanent anatomical record of a species on the verge of extinction.

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is currently one of the most critically endangered marine mammals on Earth. Found only in the northern Gulf of California off Mexico, this small porpoise—measuring roughly 5 feet long—is the smallest member of the cetacean group. It was unknown to science until the latter half of the 20th century, and today, only an estimated handful remain in the wild.

The primary driver of the vaquita's collapse is human activity, specifically accidental entanglement in gillnets. These nets are primarily used for the illegal harvesting of totoaba, a large fish whose swim bladder is highly valued on international black markets. Despite a ban on totoaba fishing that was enacted decades ago, wildlife trafficking networks continue to drive demand, making it difficult to protect the vaquita's remaining habitat.

To address this emergency, a joint digital conservation initiative was launched by NOAA Fisheries, SeaWorld California, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and Florida Atlantic University researchers. Using a female skeleton donated to the museum in 1966, they employed medical CT scans and micro-CT imaging to create an exceptionally detailed 3D anatomical record. This archive captures tiny skeletal features that would otherwise be lost.

This initiative serves a dual purpose: it safeguards vital biological data for future study and provides open-access information to the global community. While conservationists continue to work on eliminating gillnet fishing through international cooperation, these digital models ensure that even if the species disappears from the ocean, its physical blueprint remains accessible to science.

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