Marine Mammals
Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Getting Smaller, New Research Finds
A report out this week in Current Biology reveal that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are up to three feet shorter than 40 years ago. This startling conclusion reinforces what scientists have suspected: even when entanglements do not lead directly to the death of North Atlantic right whales, they can have lasting effects on the imperiled population that may now number less than 400 animals. Further, females that are entangled while nursing produce smaller calves.
Read MoreOn the Verge of Extinction, These Whales Are Also Shrinking
Most of the 360 or so North Atlantic right whales alive today bear scars from entanglements in fishing gear and collisions with speeding ships and, according to new study, they are much smaller than they should be. According to the authors of the new study, the best way to ensure the continued survival of the species is to pressure fishery managers in the United States and Canada to significantly reduce the amount of rope-based fishing gear and implement ship speed limits in the North Atlantic. “We all consume goods moved by the sea, and many eat lobsters,” said Michael Moore, a senior scientist with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and co-author of the study. “If we all were to demand these management changes of our elected officials the situation would change drastically.”
NOAA Live! Webinar: Killer Whale Tales: Environmental Science through Storytelling
Lynne Barre, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office and Jeff Hogan, Killer Whale Tales, Seattle, WA Sponsored by: NOAA &…
Read MoreDrone Footage Captures Rare Moment of Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales ‘Hugging’
Researchers spotted the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales on a recent trip to Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts.
Whale of a hug: Drone video shows endangered mammals in apparent embrace
One of the few things rarer than North Atlantic right whales? Capturing a whale ‘hug’ on video. Scientists have done that for what might have been the first time from the air.
Collaborating to Save the Right Whale
Fishermen, engineers, and scientists are working together to test and develop fishing gear that has no buoy lines in the water column to save the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. There are less than 400 North Atlantic Right Whales left in the world and many right whale deaths can be attributed to entanglement.
Read MoreRare drone video shows critically endangered North Atlantic right whale surface active group
During a joint research trip on February 28 in Cape Cod Bay, Mass., WHOI whale trauma specialist Michael Moore, National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, and scientists from New England Aquarium, witnessed a remarkable biological event: North Atlantic right whales in a surface active group, also known as a SAG.
Read MoreRare Drone video shows critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
May 10, 2021 During a joint research trip on February 28 in Cape Cod Bay, Mass., WHOI whale trauma…
Read MoreWhales Seen Hugging Off Cape Cod
State waters remain closed to lobstermen
Also, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s Slocum underwater glider on Sunday acoustically detected the presence of North Atlantic right whales north of Cape Cod and NOAA Fisheries on Monday instituted a voluntary right whale slow zone north of Cape Cod until May 17.
With A Drone And Patience, Scientists Track Endangered Right Whale In Cape Cod Bay
“Right whales are beautifully equipped for drone work in terms of identification,” he said. “They wear their identity on their heads in the form of callosities,” which are massive calluses that are unique to each individual whale. “So every time we take a photograph, we know who it is.”
NOAA Live! Webinar:Needle in a Haystack: Studying the World’s Rarest Large Whale
Dana Wright, University of Washington, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) and Duke University Marine Laboratory, working…
Read MoreWith A Drone and Patience, Scientists Track Endangered Right Whale in Cape Cod Bay
The whales are nearing the end of a three-month period during which nearly half the population of approximately 360 can be spotted in Cape Cod Bay.
Ropeless fishing tech could help save rare whale, say scientists
Virtual buoys and time triggered traps reduce risk to endangered North Atlantic right whale, but reactions among fishers in US and Canada are mixed.
Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Experience Highest Birth Rate Since 2015
Endangered North Atlantic right whales gave birth in greater numbers this winter compared to the past six years — a promising sign for a species that’s been driven to the brink of extinction due to human activity.
Cape Cod Researchers To Test New Camera That Could Protect Right Whales From Ships
The technology is a miniaturized version of a system originally designed to protect whales from underwater noises.
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.
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