围绕长江江豚的种群数量及动态特征、濒危现状评估、栖息地选择与利用格局、种群快速衰退机制和保护对策分析等方面开展了系统的研究。研究结果显示2012年长江江豚的种群数量约1040头，呈现显著的加速下降（Mei et al. 2014）。2017长江江豚种群快速衰退的趋势得到基本遏制，但种群数量仅约1000头，极度濒危的现状没有改变（Huang et al. 2020）。建模预测最快未来10年长江江豚将从长江干流消失，种群未来100年的灭绝风险高达86%（Mei et al. 2012）。IUCN据此将长江江豚的濒危等级由濒危调整为极危（Wang et al. 2013）。结果还揭示长江江豚种群分布破碎化加剧，长江干流存在多个长度超过100km的分布空白区（Mei et al. 2014）。在不受人类活动干扰的情况下，长江江豚倾向于喜好分布在深度7-12米和坡度平缓的水域（Mei et al. 2017）。长江干流江豚倾向于选择分布在自然岸线而回避人工岸线（章晋秀等，2019），为了捕食，他们会冒着风险出现在港口（Wang et al. 2014）。江湖交流对长江江豚种群的保护至关重要，维持每个世代5%的种群交流将显著增加干流长江江豚的平均灭绝时间（Huang et al. 2017）。当前长江干流上行船只贴岸行驶对长江江豚影响较大，江豚呈现围绕沙洲分布的现象（Mei et al. 2021）。长江江豚是典型的机会捕食者，小型鱼类资源下降是影响种群生存的关键因素（Yang et al. 2019）。鄱阳湖长江江豚种群在不同时期食性不同，需要加强对江湖洄游性鱼类资源的保护（Yang et al. 2021）。十年禁渔对长江水生生物，尤其是长江江豚的保护具有显著的意义，但还应该加强对水生生境的保护和恢复（Mei et al. 2020）。作为主要参与人，撰写了长江江豚保护的指导性文件——《长江江豚拯救行动计划2016-2025》和《长江江豚迁地保护标准》。

代表性论文：

Mei ZG, Han Y, Turvey ST, Liu JJ, Wang ZT, Nabi G, Chen M, Lei PY, Hao YJ, Wang KX*, Barlow J, Wang D*.  Mitigating the effect of shipping on freshwater cetaceans: The case study of the Yangtze finless porpoise. Biological Conservation, 2021. 257: 109132.

Yang JW, Mei ZG*, Zheng JS, Wan XL, Hao YJ, Wang KX, Wang D. Temporal shifts in the diet of Yangtze finless porpoise in the Poyang Lake: calls for conservation of the semi-migratory fish. Freshwater Biology, 2021, online. DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13692.

Mei ZG, Chen M, Han Y, Hao YJ, Zheng JS, Wang KX*, Wang D*.  Thresholds of population persistence for the Yangtze finless porpoise implications for conservation managements. Integrative Zoology, 2021, doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12523.

ZHANG, Y., CHEN, M., CHEN, M., HAN, Y., HAO, Y.*, WANG, K., MEI, Z.*, WANG, D., Community-based population monitoring for large baleen whales: the case study of Bryde's whale in Beibu Gulf of China. Integrative Zoology, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12525

Mei, Z.*, Cheng, P.*, Wang, K., Wei, Q., Barlow, J., Wang, D., 2020. A first step for the Yangtze. Science 367, 1314-1314.

Jie Huang, Zhigang Mei*, Mao Chen, Yi Han, Xinqiao Zhang, Jeffery Moore, Xiujiang Zhao, Yujiang Hao, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang*; Population survey showing hope for population recovery of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise. Biological Conservation, 2020, 241: 108315.

Zhigang Mei, Yi Han, Lijun Dong, Samuel T. Turvey, Yujiang Hao, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang*; The impact of fisheries management practices on the survival of the Yangtze finless porpoise in China. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2019, 29: 639-646.

Jiwei Yang, Xiaoling Wan, Xianyuan Zeng, Jinsong Zheng, Yi Han, Fei Fan, Yujiang Hao, Kexiong Wang, Zhigang Mei*, Ding Wang: A preliminary study on diet of the Yangtze finless porpoise using next‐generation sequencing techniques. Marine Mammal Science 2019, DOI:10.1111/mms.12585

Mo Chen#, Shiang‐Lin Huang#, Haiping Wu#, Zhigang Mei#, Yiwen Chen, Jingsong Zheng, Wen Cheng, Keshun Deng, Chengteng Yang, Mao Chen, Chun‐Chieh Wang, Derun Lin, Chongwei Peng, Youhou Xu, Ding Wang: Occurrence of Bryde's whales, Balaenoptera edeni , in the northern Beibu Gulf, China. Marine Mammal Science 2019, DOI:10.1111/mms.12607

Xiong Xiong, Xianchuan Chen, Kai Zhang, Zhigang Mei*, Yujiang Hao, Jinsong Zheng, Chenxi Wu, Kexiong Wang, Yuefei Ruan, Paul K S Lam, Ding Wang: Microplastics in the intestinal tracts of East Asian finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) from Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2018, 136:55-60.

Zhigang Mei, Mao Chen, Yongtao Li, Shiang-lin Huang, Jie Huang, Yi Han, Binting Zhu, Chunsheng Li, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang*; Habitat preference of the Yangtze finless porpoise in a minimally disturbed environment. Ecological Modelling, 2017, 353: 47-53.

Shiang-Lin Huang#, Zhigang Mei#, Yujiang Hao, Jinsong Zheng, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang*: Saving the Yangtze finless porpoise: Time is rapidly running out. Biological Conservation 2016, DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.021

Zhigang Mei^#, Xinqiao Zhang^#, Shiang-lin Huang, Xiujiang Zhao, Yujiang Hao, Lin Zhang, Zhengyi Qian, Jinsong Zheng, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang*; The Yangtze finless porpoise: On an accelerating path to extinction? Biological Conservation, 2014, 172:117–123.

Zhigang Mei, Shiang-Lin Huang, Yujiang Hao, Samuel T Turvey, Weiming Gong, Ding Wang: Accelerating population decline of Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis). Biological Conservation 09/2012; 153:192-200.

专利：

《长江江豚迁地保护技术规范》(SC/T 9609-2020), 中华人民共和国水产行业技术标准, 农业农村部2020年8月26日发布, 2021年1月1日实施.