Using Oceanography to Help North Atlantic Right Whales
Off the coast of South Jersey, lucky whale watchers may sometimes glimpse a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Despite protections in the United States (US) from whaling since 19351, this baleen whale species has struggled to recover, with only about 340 individuals remaining in the world2 . Although most right whales summer…
Are Recent North Atlantic Right Whale Deaths a Sign of Certain Extinction?
Six North Atlantic Right Whales have been found dead in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada this month. Could this mean a tragic and short future for the entire species? The North Atlantic Right whale is one of the most endangered large whale species in the world, with less than 450 individuals left. They are a baleen whale species that live off the coast of North America, feeding on zooplankton and copepods in Canada and New England during spring to fall months. Migrating to the warm waters of South Carolina and Georgia to give birth during the winter (NOAA). This 1000 mile journey through unprotected waters makes them extremely vulnerable. Breaching North Atlantic Right Whale The frightfully small population size is due to being hunted to near extinction during the 19th and early 20th century. In fact, they were…