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Detour for a Good Cause

Endangered right whales congregate in Cape Cod Bay, particularly from December through May, while an average of seven passenger or cargo vessels pass through the area each day. Using five years of data on right whale sightings (red indicates more frequent sightings), researchers proposed seasonal changes to shipping lanes to reduce ship-whale collisions. Solid lines indicate current shipping routes; dotted lines represent the new whale-friendly routes. (Illustration by Jayne Doucette, WHOI Graphic Services)