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This week, Focus Earth takes a look at the challenges faced by marine animals and those who work to protect them before rounding up the top environmental news stories of 2008.
First, Focus Earth talks with Jeff Boehm of the Marine Mammal Center. The Center, with the help of more than 800 volunteers, rescues sick and injured animals from the beaches along California's coast and rehabilitates them before reintroducing them to the wild. Veterinarians at the hospital, which treats around 600 animals every year, make a special effort to determine the cause of each patient's ailment. It is crucial, they say, to find out if the cause is natural or the result of human impact.
Then, Bob Woodruff sits down with marine conservationist Howard Rosenbaum to discuss the factors leading to the threatened status of the Pacific walrus. Once in danger due to hunting and overfishing, Rosenbaum explains that the destruction of habitats and global warming have become the major threats to the walrus.
Finally, Focus Earth rounds up the top environmental news stories of 2008. From natural disasters to endangered animals, economic bailouts to political appointments, Focus Earth shows that 2008 was an exciting year for the environment.
For more of the latest in environmental news, don't miss Focus on Focus Earth: Top Environmental News Stories of 2008.
Read more about endangered species:
Focus on Focus Earth: The Changing Lives of Reindeer
Which Has More Species, the Galapagos Islands or Antarctica?
Focus on Focus Earth: Saving the Condor
Save the Whales. Seriously: These 3 Websites Can Help
Focus on Focus Earth: eBay Bans Illegal Animal Products
Focus on Focus Earth: Grey Wolf Protected
Help Save the Polar Bears without Leaving Home
Focus on Focus Earth: Changes to Endangered Species Act?
