Nearly 2 dozen whales found dead around San Francisco Bay Area, alarming marine experts
According to staff at the California Academy of Sciences and The Marine Mammal Center, 19 gray whales, two baleen whales and one minke whale have been discovered dead so far across the Bay Area since the start of 2025.
The figure is the highest since 2021, when what was designated to be an UME was underway.
According to NOAA Fisheries, from 2019 to 2023, the population experienced a decline of roughly 45%, which was investigated by biologists.
A research team determined that ecosystem changes in the whales' feeding areas ultimately led to changes in food availability, malnutrition and a decrease in birthing rates.
Alarming Number Of Whale Deaths Reported Around San Francisco Bay Area
Simultaneously, staff with the Center's Cetacean Conservation Biology Team reported an unprecedented number of live gray whale sightings inside the Bay, with more than 30 individual whales confirmed since January.
The figure is a sharp increase from last year, when only six were sighted during the same time period.
"Roughly one-third of these whales have stayed in the bay for at least 20 days, and their overall body condition has ranged from normal to emaciated. The reason or potential reasons behind the massive spike in sightings this year are still being investigated," researchers stated.
The reason behind the surge in sightings is still unclear, but marine scientists expect many of these whales to depart the bay within the next one to two weeks as they resume their northern migration toward Arctic feeding grounds.
Researchers in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. are said to be actively monitoring the population and have also reported low calf counts.
The long-term health outlook for eastern North Pacific gray whales remains uncertain following what NOAA estimated was a 45% decline in population from 2019 to 2023.
The drop was attributed to changes in feeding zones, leading to impacts such as malnutrition and a reduction in calving rates.
Spectators Gather As Killer Whale Washes Ashore Florida Coast
The amount of marine life recently spotted in San Francisco Bay has experts urging boaters to remain aware.
"Gray whales often have a very low profile in the water that can make them difficult to sight, unlike other coastal whales like humpback whales," Marine Mammal Center staff stated.
Biologists are said to be working closely with the San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee and the U.S. Coast Guard to explore the possibility of enforcing vessel slow-downs, ferry route adjustments and marine alerts during the period of increased whale activity.Original article source: Nearly 2 dozen whales found dead around San Francisco Bay Area, alarming marine experts
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How many giraffe species are in Africa? New scientific analysis quadruples the count
Giraffes-Conservation WASHINGTON (AP) — Giraffes are a majestic sight in Africa with their long necks and distinctive spots. Now it turns out there are four different giraffe species on the continent, according to a new scientific analysis released Thursday. Researchers previously considered all giraffes across Africa to belong to a single species. New data and genetic studies have led a task force of the International Union for Conservation of Nature to split the tallest mammal on land into four groups — Northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes and Southern giraffes. Key studies have emerged in the past decade highlighting significant differences between the four species, said the IUCN's Michael Brown, a researcher in Windhoek, Namibia, who led the assessment. Naming different giraffes matters because 'each species has different population sizes, threats and conservation needs,' he said. 'When you lump giraffes all together, it muddies the narrative.' Northern giraffes — whose range includes parts of Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic – face threats from political instability and poaching. Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania face pressure from habitat loss, as open savannas are converted to cattle pastures and fields. Considering four giraffe species 'is absolutely the right decision, and it's long overdue,' said Stuart Pimm, a Duke University ecologist who wasn't involved in the analysis. While in the past researchers scrutinized giraffes' spots, the new categories made use of newer methods including extensive analysis of genetic data and studies highlighting key anatomical differences, such as skull shape. What appear like horns sticking up from the foreheads of giraffes are actually permanent bony protrusions from the skull, different from deer antlers that are shed annually. Over the past 20 years, scientists have also gathered genetic samples from more than 2,000 giraffes across Africa to study the differences, said Stephanie Fennessy at the nonprofit Giraffe Conservation Foundation, who helped in the research. It used to cost tens of thousands of dollars to sequence each genome, but advances in technology have brought the cost down to about $100, making it more accessible to nonprofit and conservation groups, she said. According to population estimates from the foundation, the most endangered giraffe is the Northern giraffe, with only about 7,000 individuals left in the wild. 'It's one of the most threatened large mammals in the world,' said Fennessy. Southern giraffes are the most populous species, with around 69,000 individuals. There are around 21,000 reticulated giraffes left in the wild, and 44,000 Masai giraffes, according to the foundation. 'If not all giraffes are the same, then we have to protect them individually,' said Fennessy. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How many giraffe species are in Africa? New scientific analysis quadruples the count
Giraffes-Conservation WASHINGTON (AP) — Giraffes are a majestic sight in Africa with their long necks and distinctive spots. Now it turns out there are four different giraffe species on the continent, according to a new scientific analysis released Thursday. Researchers previously considered all giraffes across Africa to belong to a single species. New data and genetic studies have led a task force of the International Union for Conservation of Nature to split the tallest mammal on land into four groups — Northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes and Southern giraffes. Key studies have emerged in the past decade highlighting significant differences between the four species, said the IUCN's Michael Brown, a researcher in Windhoek, Namibia, who led the assessment. Naming different giraffes matters because 'each species has different population sizes, threats and conservation needs,' he said. 'When you lump giraffes all together, it muddies the narrative.' Northern giraffes — whose range includes parts of Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic – face threats from political instability and poaching. Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania face pressure from habitat loss, as open savannas are converted to cattle pastures and fields. Considering four giraffe species 'is absolutely the right decision, and it's long overdue,' said Stuart Pimm, a Duke University ecologist who wasn't involved in the analysis. While in the past researchers scrutinized giraffes' spots, the new categories made use of newer methods including extensive analysis of genetic data and studies highlighting key anatomical differences, such as skull shape. What appear like horns sticking up from the foreheads of giraffes are actually permanent bony protrusions from the skull, different from deer antlers that are shed annually. Over the past 20 years, scientists have also gathered genetic samples from more than 2,000 giraffes across Africa to study the differences, said Stephanie Fennessy at the nonprofit Giraffe Conservation Foundation, who helped in the research. It used to cost tens of thousands of dollars to sequence each genome, but advances in technology have brought the cost down to about $100, making it more accessible to nonprofit and conservation groups, she said. According to population estimates from the foundation, the most endangered giraffe is the Northern giraffe, with only about 7,000 individuals left in the wild. 'It's one of the most threatened large mammals in the world,' said Fennessy. Southern giraffes are the most populous species, with around 69,000 individuals. There are around 21,000 reticulated giraffes left in the wild, and 44,000 Masai giraffes, according to the foundation. 'If not all giraffes are the same, then we have to protect them individually,' said Fennessy. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Solve the daily Crossword
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
New App Boosts Smoking Cessation in Low-Income Adults
TOPLINE: Adults from low-income populations who used a smartphone application that delivered tailored, real-time content quit smoking at much higher rates after about 6 months than those who received standard digital support; they also used the application more frequently and found it more helpful. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a randomized trial to examine whether a smartphone-based intervention that gave personalized, real-time support could help adults with low incomes quit smoking. They included 454 adults (mean age, 52 years; 73.3% women) with household incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, who exhaled a carbon monoxide level of ≥ 7 ppm and were ready to quit smoking within 1 week. Participants were randomly assigned to either use Smart-T or the National Cancer Institute (NCI) QuitGuide intervention; both groups received nicotine replacement therapy. The Smart-T application sent tailored, real-time messages providing motivation, general advice on smoking cessation, coping strategies, and reinforcement of abstinence; it also included a one-tap 'call counselor' feature. The QuitGuide application delivered standard, guideline-based advice on smoking cessation. The primary outcome was 7-day abstinence at 26 weeks after the date of quitting, defined as self-reported no-smoking in the past 7 days and a carbon monoxide reading of ≤ 6 ppm. TAKEAWAY: At 26 weeks, Smart-T users were 1.81 times more likely to abstain from smoking in the past 7 days than QuitGuide users (95% CI, 1.03-3.18); however, 30-day quit rates were not significantly different. At least one on-demand quit tip was accessed by 92.9% of Smart-T users and 81.3% used the call counselor feature. Smart-T users requested nicotine replacement therapy more frequently than QuitGuide users (mean number of requests, 2.51 vs 1.71; P < .001). Compared with QuitGuide users, Smart-T users felt more aware of their thoughts and behaviors, found the intervention useful, and were more likely to recommend the application to others (P < .05 for all). IN PRACTICE: 'These findings suggest that the Smart-T intervention shows promise as a low-cost, accessible tool for smoking cessation among adults with low SES [socioeconomic status] and may help overcome barriers limiting traditional cessation programs,' the authors of the study wrote. 'Given the ubiquity of smartphones, interventions like Smart-T could play a key role in reducing smoking-related health disparities and improving public health,' they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Emily T. Hébert, DrPH, of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences in Oklahoma City. It was published online on August 14, 2025, in JAMA Network Open. LIMITATIONS: Participants were required to set a quit date exactly 7 days after enrollment, limiting generalizability to those less prepared to quit smoking. Smart-T was only available on Android devices during the trial. Recruitment through digital platforms and a cessation program may have limited participation from individuals with lower digital literacy or those not actively seeking to quit. DISCLOSURES: This study received support from the NCI and used resources partially funded by NCI. Additional funding came from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources through an Institutional Development Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. One author reported receiving royalties from Insight Mobile Health Platform (used for data management in this study) and personal fees from Qnovia. Two other authors reported owning patents with royalties paid from the Insight Platform, while another author reported having a patent application for a device to verify recent smoking status. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
