Latest news with #Accordion
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
11 new right whale calves born this season, New England Aquarium reports
Apr. 23—At least 11 North Atlantic right whales were born this calving season — fewer than researchers studying the critically endangered species had hoped, the New England Aquarium reported. There are only about 370 right whales left, and the remaining population is threatened by human activities, including fishing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 2017, right whales have been in what NOAA considers an "unusual mortality event." Researchers spotted the 11th mother-calf pair in Cape Cod Bay last week, at the tail end of calving season, which spans November to mid-April, the aquarium said. "With past calf counts ranging from 39 to zero, we never know how any calving season will unfold," Philip Hamilton, senior scientist at the aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center, said in a written statement. Despite low overall numbers, Hamilton noted that this season's count included births by four new mothers: "Accordion," "Check Mark," "Caterpillar," and an unnamed fourth whale, known by its catalogue number, 4540. Three of them were named for prominent scars caused by obvious vessel strikes, said Amy Warren, the aquarium's scientific program officer. Over the past 25 years, there have been an average of 17 new whales born each calving season, Warren said. "Honestly, we have a hard time really saying if it's a good year or a bad year because it's all very relative," she said. "Ideally, we would love to see 20-plus calves every year." But she noted that there are only about 70 breeding females in the population, and right whales have a calf every four to 10 years. "If you start crunching numbers on that, you're going to start running out of whales," Warren said. The whales have been at the center of a conflict over fishing regulations in the Gulf of Maine because they can become entangled in the vertical lines lobstermen use to haul their traps. Officials directly linked the death of a whale to a Maine lobsterman's gear for the first time in October. For several years, scientists have warned entanglements in fishing gear and boat strikes are the most common causes of premature right whale deaths, but they could not prove any of the problematic gear belonged to Maine fishermen until the fall. Lobstermen have leaned on the absence of data when calling out how regulations meant to protect the whales come at a great cost to them and threaten to put them out of business. Though there have been fewer recorded right whale deaths this season than in years past, it can be difficult to track each death since the whales live far from human researchers, Warren said. Only about a third of right whale deaths end up being documented, according to NOAA. "We start seeing whales just disappear, for lack of a better word," Warren said. Warren cautioned against getting caught up in specific counts and encouraged people to take a holistic view of the threats facing right whales when considering how best to protect the population. "It doesn't matter if its 360 or 400 — that's such a low number," Warren said. "And we know that human causes are killing them." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers baffled by rare animal behavior spotted along popular coast: 'Super unusual'
An exciting but concerning wildlife sighting off the Jersey Shore has puzzled experts. A mother North Atlantic right whale and her calf were spotted February 3 near the northernmost coast of New Jersey, TAPinto Neptune reported. The animals feed in northeast New England and Canada but travel to Florida every winter to calve. "Scientists are perplexed as to why this pair of whales are away from their normal swimming grounds," the outlet stated. Nora Ives, a marine scientist with the Oceana North Atlantic right whale campaign, called it "super unusual." The mammals were nearly extinct in the 1890s, and there are only about 70 reproductive females. North Atlantic right whales are giving birth later in life, and as many as 10 years are elapsing between births by one female, Ives said. They're dying off even though they can live 130 years. The adult right whale in question is known as Accordion because of the propeller scars on her back. She is a first-time mother and is 14 to 17 years old. The calf was 3 to 4 weeks old at the time, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries report about the sighting. There are only a few hundred right whales remaining. In 2012, for the first time in over a decade, estimated deaths of the animal exceeded documented births, according to a NOAA Fisheries graphic shared by TAPinto Neptune. Since 2017, there has been an "unusual mortality event," with deaths far exceeding births from 2014 to 2019. The figures seemingly rebalanced in 2020, perhaps because the COVID-19 pandemic helped reduce vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements, the primary threats to the magnificent creatures, which have lost about one-fifth of their population over the last decade. "They're really hard to see because they are dark and they don't have a dorsal fin," Ives told TAPinto Neptune. "And they swim slowly, close to the surface of the ocean. So, that's a big part of the reason they're critically endangered, because the two main threats are vessel strikes, again because we can't see them, and they can't move fast enough to get away, and fishing gear." It is illegal to approach the species, but Ives said people should take a photograph if they think they see one. Even if it's far away or blurry, it can help scientists understand the whales better. Because the whales remain close to the coast and must traverse busy shipping lanes, mariners are encouraged to slow down. This doesn't always make a difference, however, especially to mothers and calves, as they stay near the surface. Should taxpayers help pay to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? We should pay for all of it We should pay some but not all Corporations should foot the bill Charities should pay for it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Off the coast of Massachusetts, vertical buoy lines have been banned to protect right whales. You can help by donating money to conservation efforts and talking about the animals' circumstances with family and friends. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Right whale mom and calf spotted in NY/NJ shipping lanes; NOAA urges boats to go slow
There was both excitement and concern expressed after a North Atlantic right whale mother and calf were spotted Monday close to the busy shipping lanes at the entrance to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which monitors right whales closely through aerial surveys, said the adult female has already been struck once before by a boat. In fact, the agency nicknamed her "Accordion" because the propeller scars on her back resemble the musical instrument. The agency, environmentalists and whale watching companies are reminding vessel operators to go slow to avoid hitting the mother and calf. "We are absolutely thrilled to hear of any births. They are critically endangered and there's only about 370 North Atlantic right whales left, of which we estimate only 70 are reproductively active females. (It's) so very exciting to get a birth," said Nora Ives, a scientist with OCEANA, the world's largest ocean conservation nonprofit. Whale watching: Whales recorded in large numbers off New Jersey coast While Ives said they're thrilled about the birth, their also concerned for the safety of the mom and baby calf crossing one of the busiest ports in the world. "That is extremely worrying. These whales are super hard to see. They're dark, they're slow, they swim near the surface, they don't have a dorsal fin. That's why it is extremely important to go slow for whales below," Ives said. Accordion and her calf were spotted within a Seasonal Management Area where by law vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less. NOAA proposed an amendment to expand the size of the SMAs and include boats 35 feet and bigger in 2022, but withdrew it in January after 90,000 public comments, many of which sought alternative solutions. Thar she blows! Whale watchers get rare look at blue whale off New Jersey coast Accordion is at least 14 years old and was first seen in 2011 as a juvenile. NOAA said she's never been seen in the traditional Southeast calving grounds, which stretches from southern North Carolina through northern Florida. NOAA said this is her first known calf and they're not sure where or when the calf was born. The agency said it's unusual to find such a young calf so far north at this time of year. However, it is common to find other right whales in this area. Fishing business: Judge tosses suit claiming menhaden fish processor off NJ coast defrauded US Right whales were depleted by the commercial whaling and, despite protection from commercial harvest since 1935, have not recovered. They took their name from being the "right" whale to hunt, because they're curious by nature but also spend a lot of time on the surface. With so few of these whales left, NOAA and its several partners closely monitor the Southeast for new offspring during the annual right whale calving season, which lasts from mid-November to mid-April. Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of America? How a name change works, and what would make it stick So far this season, NOAA has recorded 10 calves that have been born. That is below what NOAA said would be a productive mating season, but there are still two months left. According to NOAA ,with the current number of females and the necessary resting time between births, 20 newborns in a calving season would be considered a relatively productive year. However, right whales need to produce 50 or more calves per year for many years to stop their decline and allow for recovery. The main threat to right whales continues to be human activity, whether it be vessel strikes or entanglements with fishing gear, according to NOAA. When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; dradel@ This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Right whale mom and calf spotted in NY/NJ shipping lanes
