Marine Mammals
Fewer than 366 North Atlantic Right whales are left on earth
“North Atlantic right whales face a serious risk of extinction, but there is hope if we can work together on solutions. Trauma reduction measures and applying new tools to assess their health are critically important to enhance the welfare of individual whales. If we can reduce the number of deaths, and successfully improve their health (and increase their) reproduction, the current decline in population can be reversed,” says lead study author Michael Moore, a whale trauma specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
WHOI and NOAA Fisheries Release New North Atlantic Right Whale Health Assessment Review
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered and declining. Climate change, vessel strikes, entanglements and noise engender poor health and reproductive failure, and are major threats to individuals and the species. Trauma reduction measures and applying new tools to assess and enhance their health, are critically important.
Read MoreNOAA Live! Webinar: That’s the Seal-iest Thing I’ve Heard: Studying Ice Seals in Alaska
Erin Moreland, Cynthia Christman, and Heather Ziel, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA Sponsored by: NOAA and…
Read More‘Ropeless’ Lobster Fishing Could Save The Whales. Could It Kill The Industry?
On the line
NOAA Live! Webinar: Lose the Loop: How Did Entangled Steller Sea Lions Lead to Alaska’s First Ocean Guardian Schools?
Kim Raum-Suryan, NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region in Juneau, AK Sponsored by: NOAA and Woods Hole Sea Grant This will be…
Read MoreGovernment of Canada continues to invest in research to inform protection measures for vulnerable whale populations
This funding supports five research projects under two Oceans Protection Plan programs dedicated to reducing the threats marine mammals face in our increasingly busy and noisy coastal waters.
Ocean Encounters: Saving the North Atlantic Right Whale
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered whales in the world, with an estimated 366 left on the planet. These animals are often found on the Continental Shelf of the East Coast of North America, making them vulnerable to human activities including fishing gear entanglements. In recent years, more whales have died than have been born. Join us as we examine the top threats facing North Atlantic right whales, and discuss the crucial efforts by the scientific community, fishing industry, and policymakers to develop the most effective and viable solutions to ensure the long-term survival of this critically endangered species.
Read MoreOCEAN ENCOUNTERS VIRTUAL SERIES: Saving the North Atlantic Right Whale
The next WHOI Ocean Encounters virtual series will be held on Wednesday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. This event is…
Read MoreRare whales spotted east of Boston; protection urged
The whales are North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360 in the world.
NOAA Live! Webinar: It Takes a Village to Save the Hawaiian Monk Seal
Stacie Robinson, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Wendy Marks, the Marine Mammal Center, Kona Sponsored by: NOAA…
Read MoreRight Camera Could Protect Endangered Whales
Scientist hopes his smart system can reduce ship collisions with North Atlantic right whales. A new technology on the horizon may help to reduce one of those threats, however.
NOAA Live! Webinar: Whale and Seek: The Underwater Lives of Whales
Dave Wiley, NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Sponsored by: NOAA and Woods Hole Sea Grant This will be held…
Read MoreHumpback whale songs provide insight to population changes
Following reports of unusually low whale numbers that began in 2015-16, researchers at the University of Hawaii in collaboration with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Oceanwide Science Institute and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, examined song chorusing recorded through long-term passive acoustic monitoring at six sites off Maui.
In a major effort to protect endangered whales, state officials plan to ban lobster fishing for several months a year
Moving to ropeless fishing would have “a far more lasting impact in reducing mortality, and equally importantly, the health and hence reproductive success of live animals,” said Michael Moore, director of the Marine Mammal Center at WHOI.
NOAA Live! Webinar: Drones, Scat, and the Joys of Marine Mammal Fieldwork in Alaska
Katie Sweeney, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, WA Sponsored by: NOAA and Woods Hole Sea Grant This will be…
Read MoreUnicorns of the Arctic face a new potential threat
Narwhals and other marine mammals could be vulnerable to a new threat we’ve become all too familiar with: COVID-19
Read MoreEndangered right whale population down to 360 as they begin migration toward Florida coast
As the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales begin their southward migration from New England and Canada toward the coast of Florida, including Volusia and Flagler counties, researchers are marking the beginning of calving season with uncertainty and urgency.
Fishing gear confirmed as major cause of right whale deaths
A major study looking into the deaths of North Atlantic right whales has found that entanglement in fishing gear has become a leading cause of mortality.
Film explores path to right whale’s extinction
In May 2019, the United Nations released a report that said 1 million species on Earth were facing extinction, and that the rate of extinction was accelerating. Boston Globe reporter David Abel said it led him to make the film “Entangled” about the path to extinction for one species people on the Cape know well.
Ocean research group says right whale entanglements hurt animals’ reproductive health
A research group says the rise in the number of fishing-gear entanglements of North American right whales is hurting the animals’ ability to reproduce and care for their young.
Remembering one of history’s greatest whale explosions
Last week marked the 50th anniversary of the infamous Florence whale explosion. While methods for dealing with dead whales have improved since the ’70s, the giant mammals do explode from time to time—no pyrotechnics needed. “The risk of a spontaneous explosion is always there with a decomposing whale,” says Michael Moore, a senior scientist at WHOI.
WHOI working to help save critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
North Atlantic right whales are in crisis. There are approximately 356 individuals remaining, and with over 80% bearing scars of entanglements in fishing line, the race to save this species is more critical than ever.
Read MoreStudy Sheds Light on Critically Endangered Beluga Whale Population
A team of scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and NOAA Fisheries are collaborating to help stem the decline of a critically endangered population of beluga whales in the Cook Inlet, Alaska.
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