Sea Creatures Store Carbon In The Ocean – Could Protecting Them Help Slow Climate Change?

A sperm whale goes down for a dive off Kaikoura, New Zealand. (Heidi Pearson, CC BY-ND)

As the prospect of catastrophic effects from climate change becomes increasingly likely, a search is on for innovative ways to reduce the risks. One potentially powerful and low-cost strategy is to recognize and protect natural carbon sinks – places and processes that store carbon, keeping it out of Earth’s atmosphere.

Forests and wetlands can capture and store large quantities of carbon. These ecosystems are included in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies that 28 countries have pledged to adopt to fulfill the Paris Climate Agreement. So far, however, no such policy has been created to protect carbon storage in the ocean, which is Earth’s largest carbon sink and a central element of our planet’s climate cycle.

As a marine biologist, my research focuses on marine mammal behavior, ecology and conservation. Now I also am studying how climate change is affecting marine mammals – and how marine life could become part of the solution.

A sea otter rests in a kelp forest off California. By feeding on sea urchins, which eat kelp, otters help kelp forests spread and store carbon. (Nicole LaRoche, CC BY-ND)

What is marine vertebrate carbon?

Marine animals can sequester carbon through a range of natural processes that include storing carbon in their bodies, excreting carbon-rich waste products that sink into the deep sea, and fertilizing or protecting marine plants. In particular, scientists are beginning to recognize that vertebrates, such as fish, seabirds and marine mammals, have the potential to help lock away carbon from the atmosphere.

I am currently working with colleagues at UN Environment/GRID-Arendal, a United Nations Environment Programme center in Norway, to identify mechanisms through which marine vertebrates’ natural biological processes may be able to help mitigate climate change. So far we have found at least nine examples.

One of my favorites is Trophic Cascade Carbon. Trophic cascades occur when change at the top of a food chain causes downstream changes to the rest of the chain. As an example, sea otters are top predators in the North Pacific, feeding on sea urchins. In turn, sea urchins eat kelp, a brown seaweed that grows on rocky reefs near shore. Importantly, kelp stores carbon. Increasing the number of sea otters reduces sea urchin populations, which allows kelp forests to grow and trap more carbon.

Scientists have identified nine mechanisms through which marine vertebrates play roles in the oceanic carbon cycle.( GRID Arendal, CC BY-ND)

Carbon stored in living organisms is called Biomass Carbon, and is found in all marine vertebrates. Large animals such as whales, which may weigh up to 50 tons and live for over 200 years, can store large quantities of carbon for long periods of time.

When they die, their carcasses sink to the seafloor, bringing a lifetime of trapped carbon with them. This is called Deadfall Carbon. On the deep seafloor, it can be eventually buried in sediments and potentially locked away from the atmosphere for millions of years.

Whales can also help to trap carbon by stimulating production of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton, which use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make plant tissue just like plants on land. The whales feed at depth, then release buoyant, nutrient-rich fecal plumes while resting at the surface, which can fertilize phytoplankton in a process that marine scientists call the Whale Pump.

And whales redistribute nutrients geographically, in a sequence we refer to as the Great Whale Conveyor Belt. They take in nutrients while feeding at high latitudes then release these nutrients while fasting on low-latitude breeding grounds, which are typically nutrient-poor. Influxes of nutrients from whale waste products such as urea can help to stimulate phytoplankton growth.

Finally, whales can bring nutrients to phytoplankton simply by swimming throughout the water column and mixing nutrients towards the surface, an effect researchers term Biomixing Carbon.

Fish poo also plays a role in trapping carbon. Some fish migrate up and down through the water column each day, swimming toward the surface to feed at night and descending to deeper waters by day. Here they release carbon-rich fecal pellets that can sink rapidly. This is called Twilight Zone Carbon.

These fish may descend to depths of 1,000 feet or more, and their fecal pellets can sink even farther. Twilight Zone Carbon can potentially be locked away for tens to hundreds of years because it takes a long time for water at these depths to recirculate back towards the surface.

‘Marine snow’ is made up of fecal pellets and other bits of organic material that sink into deep ocean waters, carrying large quantities of carbon into the depths.

Quantifying marine vertebrate carbon

To treat “blue carbon” associated with marine vertebrates as a carbon sink, scientists need to measure it. One of the first studies in this field, published in 2010, described the Whale Pump in the Southern Ocean, estimating that a historic pre-whaling population of 120,000 sperm whales could have trapped 2.2 million tons of carbon yearly through whale poo.
Another 2010 study calculated that the global pre-whaling population of approximately 2.5 million great whales would have exported nearly 210,000 tons of carbon per year to the deep sea through Deadfall Carbon. That’s equivalent to taking roughly 150,000 cars off the road each year.

A 2012 study found that by eating sea urchins, sea otters could potentially help to trap 150,000 to 22 million tons of carbon per year in kelp forests. Even more strikingly, a 2013 study described the potential for lanternfish and other Twilight Zone fish off the western U.S. coast to store over 30 million tons of carbon per year in their fecal pellets.

Scientific understanding of marine vertebrate carbon is still in its infancy. Most of the carbon-trapping mechanisms that we have identified are based on limited studies, and can be refined with further research. So far, researchers have examined the carbon-trapping abilities of less than 1% of all marine vertebrate species.

The brownish water at the base of this humpback whale’s fluke is a fecal plume, which can fertilize phytoplankton near the surface. (Photo taken under NMFS permit 10018-01. Heidi Pearson, CC BY-ND)

A new basis for marine conservation

Many governments and organizations around the world are working to rebuild global fish stocks, prevent bycatch and illegal fishing, reduce pollution and establish marine protected areas. If we can recognize the value of marine vertebrate carbon, many of these policies could qualify as climate change mitigation strategies.

In a step in this direction, the International Whaling Commission passed two resolutions in 2018 that recognized whales’ value for carbon storage. As science advances in this field, protecting marine vertebrate carbon stocks ultimately might become part of national pledges to fulfill the Paris Agreement.

Marine vertebrates are valuable for many reasons, from maintaining healthy ecosystems to providing us with a sense of awe and wonder. Protecting them will help ensure that the ocean can continue to provide humans with food, oxygen, recreation and natural beauty, as well as carbon storage.

About Today's Contributors:

Steven Lutz, Blue Carbon Programme leader at GRID-Arendal, contributed to this article.
Heidi Pearson, Associate Professor of Marine Biology, University of Alaska Southeast

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Melbourne-Based Immersive Tech Studio Create AR Social Experience To Complement Netflix's New Series, 'Our Planet', Narrated By David Attenborough

REWILD Our Planet

Melbourne-based immersive technology studio, PHORIA, announced the launch of REWILD Our Planet, which uses persistent and social Augmented Reality (AR). In partnership with Netflix, WWF, ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, Arup and Google, this innovative installation blends location-based AR technology and IMAX-style content into an immersive and interactive experience. 

The exhibition complements Our Planet, an eight-part documentary series narrated by Sir David Attenborough. 

Our Planet showcases the Earth's most fragile ecosystems through cutting edge multimedia storytelling and is available to stream worldwide on Netflix from April 5. 2019.

The Our Planet documentary series captures the impact of human life across Earth's diverse and interconnected biomes, including forest, grassland, ocean and frozen regional landscapes. 

REWILD Our Planet takes on a macro perspective of the same biomes to help users understand their role in restoring these ecosystems. The experience brings to life an unflinching account of how humanity has damaged the natural world and encourages humans to take back control and restore balance by rewilding these environments.

REWILD Our Planet combines 2D storytelling with AR gameplay, supported by sensory sights and sounds. The experience prompts users to physically collaborate with one another to restore damaged biomes, unlocking unique weather patterns and wild animal encounters. 

By rewilding realistic 3D landscapes together, users are able to realise their collective power to take action. Finally, users will leave their mark on the exhibition by placing ongoing AR pledges. 

• These are a commitment to the environment and connect to WWF's Voice for the Planet campaign.

This one-of-a-kind experience is achieved through PHORIA's software platform CAPTUR3D, whose unique digital twin system creates a virtual clone of each exhibition site. The digital twin system aligns digital information within the physical space, and as a result, it generates a new form of contextual storytelling. 

REWILD Our Planet is the first shared and ongoing AR experience to operate across three cities at the same time. This was achieved by leveraging Google's ARCore software - an Android SDK that brings AR to mobile devices and by partnering with Arup for the structural design of the physical elements of the exhibition that could be scaled internationally. 

To intensify the visitor experience, Arup's acoustics team also created an immersive, emotive soundscape: it adapted the series' master audio score (comprising original music by Steven Price - best known for his Academy Award-winning score for 'Gravity') and added sound effects from nature to enhance key moments in the video. Thanks to these partners, developers like PHORIA can bring these experiences to an even larger user base, helping launch REWILD Our Planet globally.

"REWILD Our Planet showcases how AR has the power to build bridges between people and the places they love," said Trent Clews-de Castella, CEO of PHORIA. "This evocative experience emphasises the connection between human beings and our environment. It generates a sense of presence and interactivity for every individual user. Building this exhibition with Netflix and Google and combining it with compassion-driven narrative from WWF demonstrates how emerging XR technologies will transform the social impact sector for good."

• Launching at three renowned venues across the globe, ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (6 April, 2019 - June 2, 2019) Dolby Studio in New York City (6 April, 2019 - 22 April, 2019) and We The Curious in Bristol (UK) (12 April, 2019 - 2 June, 2019), REWILD Our Planet aims to augment the emotional connection users feel to each other and the planet.

"Together, these world first features will generate a shared understanding of our responsibility to protect nature through time. The global activation has been designed to remind users that we are all on the same team and that the effort to rewild the world needs everyone involved," continued Mr. Clews-de Castella.

'Our Planet'

About the series:

In the groundbreaking Netflix original documentary series Our Planet, viewers will witness stunning, never-before-seen footage of wildlife and their habitats - while also discovering why the natural world matters to us all and what steps must be taken to preserve it. 

All eight hour-long episodes of Our Planet will become available to Netflix members worldwide on April 5, 2019. The series is accompanied by Behind-the-Scenes content which will launch simultaneously on Netflix. Produced by Silverback Films, Ltd. and in partnership with WWF, the landmark series is narrated by renowned broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough. 

SOURCE: PHORIA

Related Video:

UK MPs Call for Ban on Human Consumption of Dog Meat Following USA Ban

The drawing of WDA of Sully, the loyal service dog of former US President George HW Bush, to celebrate the passing of legal ban of dog meat consumption

World Dog Alliance (WDA), which aims to push forward legislation in 100 countries consecutively, is happy to announce that the U.S. House of Representatives' vote through legislation in the Farm Bill, which outlaws the human consumption of dog and cat meat in America, has prompted cross-party support in the U.K. from Members of Parliament who also want to see the practice banned in the U.K. 

The U.K. government has stated previously that it would look closely at the decision taken in the U.S. Now that the U.S. legislation has passed, the World Dog Alliance is urging the government to make sure the U.K. remains a world leader in animal welfare by introducing a U.K. ban. 

The amendment to the U.S. Farm Bill states that: "No person may knowingly slaughter a dog or cat for human consumption."

⏩ Those who violate the law will be subject to a fine of up to $5,000. 

U.S. President Donald Trump will host the signing ceremony of the Farm Bill at the White House within 10 days following the passage of the bill. 

The passing of the U.S. Farm Bill highlights the country's commitment to outlawing the practice globally and cements the USA as a global champion of animal welfare.

"The mission of the World Dog Alliance has always been to not only legally ban the consumption of dog meat, but to also change attitudes and help save canine lives."- Genlin, the founder of World Dog Alliance

The legislation signifies success for international charity World Dog Alliance, which has been driving the campaign to outlaw the practice globally. 

There is no law against the consumption of dog meat in the U.K. While there have been no cases of dog meat consumption in the U.K., the WDA is calling for legislative change that will close the legal loophole and join the USA in outlawing the horrific practice. The WDA believes that outlawing the practice in the U.K. will help with their campaign to ban the practice in countries where it takes place. 

The legal ban of dog meat consumption enables the U.S. to acquire the leading position of the U.S. in fighting for animal welfare and defending morality. This sets the direction of human progress and lays one pivotal milestone of animal protection.

Dog meat ban: MPs call for UK to follow the US in outlawing the practice (Via BBC)

Extract from The Bang of the Gavel:

US legislation of banning dog meat consumption will influence 100 countries

World Dog Alliance was established in 2014, aiming at bring legislation of banning dog meat consumption into reality, creating a trend of such ban in the globe and changing the destiny of 30 million dogs which are to consumed as food per year. After the passage of a legal ban on dog meat consumption, WDA will further its persuasion on the Committee on Foreign Affairs to echo with the bill of H. Res. 401 of ‘urging all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade and to enforce existing laws against such trade’. In the meantime, WDA is initiating movements to ban dog meat consumption in the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and China. 

The United Kingdom

In the UK, it is legal to consume dog meat if one kills that dog in a humane way. Such loophole in the UK, a country which is relatively advanced when it comes to the protection of animal welfare, is shocking and unbelievable. While watching closely over the progress of legislation in the US, WDA announced to the media in the United Kingdom that it would promote the legislation of banning dog meat consumption on 6th August, sparking coverage and heated discussion from different media like The Sun and Daily Mail. Such gesture inspired members of parliament to defend Britain’s leading status in animal protection and stimulated waves of opinions to legislate on this issue. Even the Prime Minister Theresa May herself also made a statement, indicating that the UK would soon begin the legislation process after the US in a bid to provide comprehensive protection to British people’s favorite companion. The movement in Britain aims at blocking legal loopholes. WDA hosted an event for parliament members with over 20 parliament members attending. It is expected an independent bill will be proposed in January, 2019.

France

There are also loopholes regarding consuming dog meat in France. France only limits illegal slaughtering so it is not illegal to eat dog in France. In 1870, there were shops selling specifically dog meat in France and there are also alleged cases of eating dog meat nowadays. The habit of consuming dog meat still exists in French Polynesia. Every year on the French National Day, people in Tahiti will kill and eat dogs for celebration. WDA will meet with the vice president of the Groupe d'études condition animale, Typhanie Degois, in January 2019 to promote the amendment of the legislation to add banning of dog meat consumption.

Japan

Little do people know that Japan is a country where it is legal to eat dog meat. There are more than 100 restaurants, supermarkets and frozen meat merchants selling dog meat in Japan. The official records of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have data on imported dog meat for the past 15 years. The World Dog Alliance first grasped the information on imported Japanese dog meat, and then went to Nishikawakuchi, Ikebukuro, Saitama, Japan to record the supply of dog meat in restaurants and stores, and sent it to Senator Oshima Kyushu as evidence for the debate in the parliament. It is expected that with the joint effort of parliament members and animal protection groups, the legislative process of banning dog meat consumption in Japan can be completed before 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Vietnam

90% of Vietnamese love to eat dog meat, and even think that it is necessary to abuse the dog to death to make the meat tastier. The prevalent views asking for a legal ban in the US and UK, as well as their criticism against such poor behaviour, led to a potential proposal of banning the consumption of dog meat in Hanoi by the municipal government. The World Dog Alliance will meet with the Director of the Hanoi Municipal Government and Veterinary Bureau in March 2019, hoping to implement law on full ban of dog meat consumption in Hanoi in 2021.

South Korea

60% of South Koreans consume dog meat, and there are more than 2,000 dog farms in the country, slaughtering 5 million dogs a year. Although young people in South Korea loathe eating dog meat, there is still no legal ban on treating dogs as food. Fortunately, under the unremitting efforts of the World Dog Alliance and the local animal protection group CARE, South Korea’s first in ever case of a dog farm farmer was sentenced for killing a dog. The Bucheon City Court ruled that "meat consumption is not a legitimate reason to kill a dog", indicating that dogs are no longer considered as economic animals for slaughtering. The Watchdog Plan which WDA and CARE carry out together continues to rectify illegal farm in different cities. WDA also proactively work with the Korean Cangyuan to promote amending regulations to prevent eating dog in law.

China

There is only 20% of the Chinese population which treats dogs as food and they mostly live in second- and third-tier cities. There are no shops selling dog meat in civilized cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen. Therefore, the World Dog Alliance recommends to push forward legislation against eating dog meat in Shanghai in 2019 as an example to the entire country. At the same time, WDA also publishes a white paper on increasing the punishment of stealing dogs in a hope to put an end to the black industry chain of dog meat.

Along with the success of legislation in the US, the World Dog Alliance has now planned a development blue print covering 100 countries including the UK, France, Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union, the Scandinavia, and the French overseas provinces. The founder of WDA, Genlin, states that: “the mission of World Dog Alliance has proceeded to the second stage from simply banning dog meat consumption legally to changing human society and saving canine lives. If the humankind wants to create an ecological world in which we can peacefully live all animals, we have to start with respecting the right of living of o companion animal and escalating such respect to a common norm. There should be no exception!”

For the Yulin dog meat festival, some dogs are stolen from their owners and beaten or bled to death. Then they’re hung upside down from hooks, a slit cut from their anus and skin ripped off their bodies, and sold to be eaten (Via LoupDargent.info)

Related Video:

SOURCE: World Dog Alliance

Chinese Mythical Creature Zouwu Appears In Hollywood Fantasy Film

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" - Poster

The following is a news report by China.org.cn on the Chinese mythical creature named Zouwu:

Written by J.K. Rowling, the Hollywood blockbuster "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" was recently released worldwide. Compared to the first installment of the franchise, Rowling's 2018 sequel introduces many new fantastic beasts, among which a Chinese mythical creature named Zouwu has captured the hearts of most filmgoers.

Zouwu has a cat face, tiger body, five-colored long tail, sharp claws and teeth, making it irresistible and destructive wherever it goes. However, when the hero, Newt Scamander, appears and waves a fluffy toy, this ferocious beast can immediately be captured to become a cute "big-eyed cat" with a happily-wagging tail.

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" - The Zouwu

This dual character has received rave reviews from fans around the world. An article on the USA Today website claimed Zouwu was "the best new fantastic beast" that made the film so successful.

Zouwu is a creature in ancient Chinese mythology. It first appeared in the Book of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), a work of folk geography in ancient China. The book states: "There is a rare creature in Lin's country which is tiger-sized with a five-colored striped body and with the tail longer than the body. Called Zouwu, this creature is capable of travelling 1,000 miles in a day."

In many ancient painters' works, Zouwu was also portrayed as a horse-like animal. However, nowadays, many people believe the most likely realistic prototype of Zouwu is a snow leopard.

It is this ancient Chinese mythology written thousands of years ago that provided fresh inspiration to J.K. Rowling. In her interpretation, Zouwu is a terrifying beast that can be captured by nobody but Newt.

Actually, Zouwu is not the first Chinese mythical creature to appear in Rowling's books. Other such strange beasts populating her world of wizardry include "Chinese Fireball," Abominable Snowman and Fawkes, a pet phoenix of Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School. These "fantastic beasts" are the embodiment of both human imagination and respect for nature.

Ancient Chinese mythology highly valued moral integrity. For example, in Chinese culture, Zouwu is a beast of kindness, which only eats already dead-animals, never killing them itself. Kylin was said to have the ability to distinguish between good and bad people; and the phoenix was a symbol of peace and order. These mythical creatures reflect Chinese people's emphasis on lofty morality and warnings about human weakness.

With growing cultural exchanges between China and other countries, we hope that Chinese culture can offer more inspiration and that more Chinese "fantastic beasts" can become known by the outside world..

The News Report - Video:

SOURCE: China.org.cn

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Award Winning Charity Reveals Travel Associations Could Do More to Protect Wildlife

Baby elephant tied up, waiting to entertain tourists at a venue in Thailand. After brutal training as youngsters, elephants like this one spend their lives forced into unnatural interactions with tourists. (Photo: World Animal Protection)

Just over half a million captive wild animals globally are suffering to entertain tourists, including elephants, sloths, tigers and dolphins. Many animals are beaten, chained up, isolated and forced to perform tricks. These experiences often cause the animals pain and psychological trauma. Many tourists are animal lovers who don't realize these attractions harm animals.

Travel trade associations, for the most part, are looking the other way. World Animal Protection commissioned the University of Surrey to review 62 travel associations on whether they provide their members with animal welfare guidelines and require them to be met. 

The research shows only three of the 62 associations provide guidelines (TA (UK), ANVR (Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators) and GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) and only one (ANVR) is monitoring its members' progress in implementing the guidelines.

The research also states that around 110 million people annually visit cruel wildlife attractions, either independently or through tour operators or travel agents.

Not only is all this harmful to animals but there are also major safety risks to tourists participating in wild animal attractions. In Thailand, 17 fatalities and 21 serious injuries were reported in venues with captive elephants between 2010 and 2016.

"We hope travel associations will consider the research findings, step up, show leadership and take action to protect animals," says Melissa Matlow, the Senior Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection. "Some travel companies have committed to not selling cruel attractions, but many still do. There will be a big impact on animals' lives if travel companies align with tourist values on animal welfare."

Strong views on wildlife protection are especially common in younger generations. Research firm, Northstar, recently conducted a series of traveller focus groups for World Animal Protection that showed people under 35 are more aware of animal cruelty issues. They prefer seeing animals in their natural habitats rather than in forced interactions.

World Animal Protection is also working with various travel companies in Canada, including G Adventures and World Expeditions.

G Adventures is shifting tourist demand towards more ethical wildlife tourism. They are also part of CEWT (The Coalition for Ethical Wildlife Tourism) along with World Animal Protection. 

This coalition was created to encourage stronger industry standards and legislation to phase out using wild animals for tourist entertainment.

"Travel trade associations have a very important role to play in educating their members about responsible travel," says Jamie Sweeting, Vice President for Social Enterprise and Responsible Travel at G Adventures, "Too many animals continue to be harmed by tourism and we call on travel trade associations globally to do more to work with their members to put a stop to this cruel and unnecessary behaviour."

Several recommendations from World Animal Protection were put forward from the report. Vague language – such as 'good conditions' and 'natural behaviour' – should be avoided within any animal welfare guidelines. Elephant riding and other direct visitor interaction and forced performances with wild animals must be classed as unacceptable.

Many animals like monkeys, tigers and elephants endure painful training to force them to do unnatural things like give people rides, perform tricks and allow people to get close to them for a photo. (Image via World Animal Protection)

Although it's clear more work needs to be done, the mission of World Animal Protection is not going unnoticed. It was recently announced that the charity grabbed the top spot in the "Best for Wildlife" category at the World Travel Market, in London, U.K, based on the success of its global Wildlife Not Entertainers campaign to improve animal welfare and wildlife conservation. The charity now has over 200 travel companies no longer selling captive elephant entertainment.

Over 1.6 million people have signed World Animal Protection's animal friendly travel pledge. This signals there is a demand to phase out cruel wildlife attractions, like elephant riding, dolphinariums, and tiger selfies once and for all.

• Click here to read the report. 'Associated with Cruelty: How travel trade associations are ignoring wild animal abuse'.
• Click here to learn more about the Gold Responsible Tourism Award

SOURCE: World Animal Protection

Related Video:

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• Undercover Investigation: Shocking New Evidence Finds Wild Jaguars Cruelly Poached To Fuel Traditional Asian Medicine Trade
• Thailand's Infamous Tiger Temple Plans To Reopen Under Another Name
• Iconic Wild Animals In Amazon Suffering For Selfies

NBC, Universal Brand Development and LEGO Unleash Two-Part 'LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit' On November 29

LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit premieres on NBC November 29, 2018 at 8pm local time.

NBC has partnered with Universal Brand Development and The LEGO Group for the upcoming debut of a two-part animated special: "LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit." The all-new animated special – inspired by the blockbuster Jurassic World franchise – will air on Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

⏩ The story takes place before the adventures of Jurassic World in 2015. 

In the special, Simon Masrani has an idea for a new attraction that is guaranteed to keep Jurassic World at the forefront of theme park entertainment. It's the greatest thing since the discovery of dinosaurs, but in order for it to succeed, he needs his right-hand can-do problem solver, Claire Dearing, to get a trio of dinosaurs across the park to the new, super-secret exhibit. 

Reluctantly teaming up with newcomer Owen Grady, the animal behaviorist she hired sight unseen to deliver the dinosaurs, the duo set out on a fun-filled adventure across the island. 

⏩ Unfortunately, delivering the dinosaurs to the new attraction is not as easy as they thought.

"LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit" - Owen Grady and Claire Dearing

The two-part special will be available to stream the morning after the NBC broadcast, Nov. 30, across multiple platforms, including the NBC app and NBC.com, where it can be viewed without a login, as well as on Hulu and On Demand. It will also be available for download from major digital retailers. The DVD, with exclusive bonus content, drops Jan. 15, 2019.

For more information, visit nbc.com.

About LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit:
With the grand opening of Jurassic World's new super-secret dinosaur exhibit just days away, only one thing is missing - the dinosaurs! In order to get the job done, Simon Masrani enlists his newly-hired assistant, Claire Dearing, to ensure the new attraction opens on time...or else. Unfortunately, Owen Grady, the animal behaviorist Claire hired to deliver the dinosaurs, is late. Things aren't looking too good for Claire...or for Owen, who just wants to deliver the dinosaurs, collect his paycheck and get off the island.

But the mission to deliver the dinosaurs turns out to be far more difficult than anyone could have imagined. From a runaway Gyrosphere, hang gliding with a Pteranodon (how did they get out of the Aviary?!), to a high-speed game of chicken with a T-Rex, Owen will earn his paycheck and then some. And Claire may just get promoted to Assistant Manager of Park Operations. 

"LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit"

Along the way, we get the first inklings of why Owen and Claire drive each other crazy, but despite their differences, they succeed and make a great team. Oh, and Owen meets Blue for the first time as he discovers he has a way with dinosaurs he never knew about!

SOURCE: NBCUniversal

The Trailer:

Undercover Investigation: Shocking New Evidence Finds Wild Jaguars Cruelly Poached To Fuel Traditional Asian Medicine Trade

A four year old female Jaguar named Curubanda at Las Pumas wildlife sanctuary in the region of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. (Image via World Animal Protection)

The majestic big cats known for their elaborate markings, are being poached and processed to be exported to China. The process involves boiling down their bodies for up to a week until it turns into a glue-like paste, it is then sold on the black market in tubs and until now, has been undocumented.

The product is used in the belief that it can treat arthritis pain, improve sexual performance and enhance health even though there are proven alternatives readily available.

This shocking cruel practice involves jaguars being stalked and shot numerous times, suffering multiple injuries, until eventually they are killed, usually with a final bullet to the head once they are too injured to move. In one instance, it was reported that the jaguar had to be shot seven times until it died, causing prolonged suffering.

Investigators from the international charity also captured interviews with rangers, discussions with poachers and the traders who are putting orders for a jaguar on social media, by phone, or through their personal networks.

The sale of the jaguar paste is a lucrative business with a zealous market – a driving factor given that almost half of the population lives in poverty and a jaguar is considered to some miners to be worth around 20 grams of gold.

In addition, there is evidence of jaguar cubs being taken from the wild and sold – often to wealthy business men keeping them as status symbols and not knowing how to take care of them.

Sources say they live their lives in cages, until they are too big to look after and at times they are killed to eat, as their meat is also consumed among Suriname's Chinese population.

A poached jaguar. (Image credit: World Animal Protection confidential source.)

Nicholas Bruschi, Investigations Advisor at World Animal Protection, said: "This investigation has uncovered a shocking underground trade exploiting an iconic animal of the South American rainforests for unproven traditional Asian medicine.

Jaguars already face the challenges of habitat destruction and human animal conflicts. They are now cruelly and needlessly killed, left to die agonizing deaths. It is extremely sad news for these incredible big cats whose numbers are already in decline. And, while jaguar cubs might seem very cute, they are still wild animals and belong in the wild, not in the illegal pet trade."

It's estimated that there are approximately 173,000 jaguars left in the wild, and they are classed as 'near threatened' according to IUCN list. It is also thought that jaguars, like other big cats, are being used as a supplement product for traditional Asian medicine to their relative, the tiger, sparking a worrying trend that could see their numbers plummet.

With more mining and logging resulting in loss of habitat and increased human wildlife conflicts, jaguars are becoming more visible, and are being targeted for taking livestock. Habitat loss also makes it easier for opportunist poachers and organised mafia gangs to source jaguars in the wild.

World Animal Protection works tirelessly to prevent cruelty to animals around the world. Jaguar poaching for traditional Asian medicine is something that has, to date, been relatively under the radar.

To tackle the issue, World Animal Protection will be cooperating with Suriname's rangers and specialist NGOs on tangible solutions and sharing intelligence to prevent poaching.

They are raising awareness of the issue, in the hope that the Suriname government will put greater enforcement within their borders to stop poaching, but also prevent the smuggling of the product out of the country.

The undercover video of the jaguar trade:

SOURCE: World Animal Protection

Additional information:

• Suriname is home to one of the earth's largest tract of pristine tropical rainforest
• Suriname was a former Dutch colony, founded mainly as a plantation economy based on crops of coffee, cocoa, sugar cane and cotton plantations
• The jaguar is classified by all countries of the Guianas as being endangered and thus in need of protection. This means that it is illegal to target and hunt the species, whether for export, recreation, the domestic pet trade, or for bushmeat. There are only a few exceptions where special provisions are made for capture and shipment for education, exhibition and research to zoological parks, museums and wildlife reserves