Marine Mammals
Seal Facts
What are they? Seals are pinnipeds, a group of animals with three separate families—phocidae (eared seals), otaridae (non-eared seals), and…
Read MoreFrom the humpback to the Antarctic blue: why do whales sing?
Groups of Pilot Whales Have Their Own Dialects
In humans, different social groups, cities, or regions often have distinct accents and dialects. Those vocal traits are not unique to us, however. A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has found that short-finned pilot whales living off the coast of Hawai’i have their own sorts of vocal dialects, a discovery that may help researchers understand the whales’ complex social structure.
Read MoreHearing Tests on Wild Whales
Scientists published the first hearing tests on a wild population of healthy marine mammals. The tests on beluga whales in Bristol Bay, AK, revealed that the whales have sensitive auditory systems and showed less age-related hearing loss than is expected.
Read MoreThe Future of Lobstering May Mean Fishing by Computer
quotes Mark Baumgartner
Scientists study how marine mammals survive at great depths
quotes Michael Moore
Mystery of how deep-diving whales avoid the bends may have been solved
quotes Michael Moore
How Do Marine Mammals Avoid the Bends?
Deep-diving whales and other marine mammals can get the bends – the same painful and potentially life-threatening decompression sickness that strikes scuba divers who surface too quickly. A new study offers a hypothesis of how marine mammals generally avoid getting the bends and how they can succumb under stressful conditions.
Read MoreMission to untangle female right whale highlights species’ precarious plight
quotes Mark Baumgartner
Fate of the Lobster Fishery May Depend on Fate of the Right Whale
quotes Michael Moore and Mark Baumgartner
As whales fade, movement they spawned tries to keep up hope
quotes Mark Baumgartner
Tech to the rescue: The race to save the right whales
quotes Mark Baumgartner
Spying on Whales to Save Them
quotes Mark Baumgartner
Sturgis Students to Demonstrate New Dolphin Carrier in Yarmouth
mentions the cart was fabricated at WHOI and quotes Michael Moore
Plan To Save Endangered Whales Faces Pushback From Lobster Industry
features Mark Baumgartner
Crab fishermen to test ropeless fishing to help save endangered whales
quotes Mark Baumgartner
Special Report: North Atlantic right whales in crisis
quotes Mark Baumgartner and Michael Moore
After year of record deaths, right whales produce no new calves, which could be catastrophic
quotes Michael Moore
To protect right whales, scientists propose major changes for lobstermen
quotes Mark Baumgartner and Michael Moore
Monitoring Bacteria on Whale Skin
Just like with humans, the skin on marine mammals serves as an important line of defense against pathogens in their environment. A new study sheds light on the skin microbiome – a group of microorganisms that live on skin – in healthy humpback whales, which could aid in future efforts to monitor their health.
Read MoreYear’s first dead right whale a young female well-known in Cape waters
mentions WHOI
Right whale death off Virginia coast adds to concern about species’ demise
mentions WHOI
Fishing Gear Deaths, Low Birth Rate Tell Grave Tale for Right Whales Sara Brown
quotes Mark Baumgartner
On the Trail of Sea Life with an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
quotes Amy Kukulya, Kara Dodge
