Latest news with #NorthAtlanticRightWhales
Globe and Mail
12 hours ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
The tides of change for endangered whales
With a population of 372, North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered. Although whaling is no longer a threat, human interactions still pose the greatest risks to the species. Recovering this population requires measures to mitigate fishing-gear entanglements, vessel strikes, ocean noise pollution and climate change. Success hinges on co-ordinated actions across the Canada-U.S. border. Here's a high-level timeline of critical policy and management measures taken by both countries, over the past century, along with the continuing challenges and achievements in protecting the species. The Globe and Mail will continue to update this timeline for the duration of the Entangled series. This reporting was produced for The Globe and Mail's Entangled series in partnership with the Pulitzer Center's Ocean Reporting are more instalments from the series. Shifts in habitat make North Atlantic right whales harder to track – and to save from extinction To keep eyes on North Atlantic right whales, scientists must first tackle perennial issues of plane safety Can motherhood help North Atlantic right whales to rise again?
CBC
29-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Researchers hope tracking zooplankton from space will help endangered whales
Researchers are hoping a technique that identifies zooplankton from space will eventually help them track the movement of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine. Scientists at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine are using NASA satellite data to attempt to identify Calanus finmarchicus, the tiny zooplankton that are the main food source of North Atlantic right whales. The zooplankton, which are smaller than a grain of rice, contain a reddish pigment — the same pigment that makes salmon look pink. When large quantities of the creatures congregate at the water's surface, that pigment affects the spectrum of sunlight that is absorbed and reflected, and the satellite can detect the resulting colour shift. The researchers hope that by tracking the presence of zooplankton, they will someday be able to predict the movement of North Atlantic right whales, and hone attempts to protect them. "The Gulf of Maine conditions have been changing. They've been rapidly warming. And we believe that means their main food source has moved to a different location," says Catherine Mitchell, a senior research scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory and co-author of a new study about the ocean colour technique. "So if we know where the whales are, it could help inform the conversation around their conservation." North Atlantic right whales are nearing extinction, with only about 370 remaining, and only about 70 breeding females. After 17 dead whales were identified in Canada and the United States in 2017, Canada implemented restrictions on fishing and ship speeds in certain areas of the Atlantic region to prevent further deaths due to vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear. Knowing where the whales are, and where they might go, could help governments more efficiently use fishing closures or vessel speed restrictions to protect them. Seeing red The Bigelow Laboratory researchers got the idea of using the satellite data to try to find Calanus finmarchicus from a previous study that was done off Norway. But when they started reviewing the data from the Gulf of Maine dating back to 2003, they noticed something unusual. "We were detecting patterns out of the season when we would expect to see Calanus finmarchicus, which made us realize that we were seeing other things too," Mitchell said. The model was picking up not just Calanus finmarchicus, but other zooplankton that contain the same red pigment. Mitchell and Rebekah Shunmugapandi, lead author and post-doctoral scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory, are now trying to refine their method to try to pinpoint the North Atlantic right whale's favourite food species. Shunmugapandi is working to validate some of the satellite data with in-the-water observations from researchers in the Gulf of Maine as well as actual right whale sightings. "They move along with their prey, right?" Shunmugapandi said. "So with all those in situ Calunus and the right whale sighting data set … it's kind of a reverse study that I'm doing." New satellite, new possibilities One potential solution to differentiating Calanus finmarchicus from other red-pigmented zooplankton could be orbiting the Earth right now. The researchers have so far relied on data from NASA's Aqua satellite, but the instrument used to capture the light spectrum, MODIS, is nearing the end of its lifespan. However, NASA's newer PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite, which was launched last year, could vastly improve scientists' abilities to analyze ocean colour. Aqua's light-detecting instrument identifies 10 wavelengths of light. The researchers used only three of its wavelengths for their study. The new instrument aboard PACE, called the Ocean Color Instrument, can detect 280 wavelengths. Shunmugapandi says researchers would need to develop a new computer model to analyze a wider spectrum of light. "The hope is that with much more wavelengths, we might be able to tease out some more things, particularly things actually like the different species," Mitchell says. '1 piece of the puzzle' Currently, zooplankton researchers attempt to identify and track species by collecting them in nets to examine, using video cameras that function as underwater microscopes, and studying acoustics in the water. Catherine Johnson is a research scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada who specializes in zooplankton ecology. She says quantifying and identifying zooplankton is difficult because the ocean is so vast and their distribution is variable over space and time. Most sampling techniques work best when they're focused in a specific area or time frame. Johnson, who was not involved in the new study, says remote sensing of zooplankton could be a tool in the toolbox of scientists. "It has the potential to provide good coverage over space and time if you're looking for exceptionally dense and large aggregations that are right near the surface," she said. "It's one piece of the puzzle, and I think that the study is a proof of concept to try to apply these methods in an area where they haven't been applied before." Mitchell and Shunmugapandi agree there's lots more work to be done. "Science is a process and we're not saying that this satellite product we've made is the be-all and end-all answer to understanding where right whales are," says Mitchell. "We are just trying to provide an extra piece of information that could be useful to the story and helpful to people."
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Swim advisory issued for Dog River, Fowl River and areas of Mobile Bay
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Residents are being warned not to swim in parts of Dog and Fowl Rivers and Mobile Bay because of elevated bacteria levels, a Mobile County Health Department release said. 19 Baldwin County restaurants claiming imported shrimp is locally sourced: report The release said the quality of swimming water on Dog River near the Alba Fishing and Hunting Club and on Fowl River near Highway 193 at the Pelican Reef Marina is poor. Additionally, Mobile Bay at MayDay Park, Volanta Avenue, Fairhope Public Beach and Orange Street Pier and Weeks Bay at Camp Beckwith were deemed to have poor swimming water quality. 'Swimming in these areas might lead to an increased risk of illness,' the release said. The Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management are responsible for monitoring water quality and notifying residents through the bacteriological water quality monitoring and notification program, the release said. 'This program involves the routine collection of water samples from a total of 25 coastal recreational sites in Mobile and Baldwin counties,' the release said. Unaccompanied 9-year-old found in Baldwin County home with 3 Guatemalan citizens: FBI During the summer, when use of those areas is higher, water samples are taken twice a week at the most visited sites and biweekly at the other sites, the release said. During cooler months, all sites are tested monthly, the release said. According to the release, water is analyzed for enterococci bacteria, a bacteria found in the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals. 'High counts (of the bacteria) indicate the possibility that other disease-causing germs could be present in the water,' the release said. 'Bacterial concentrations in recreational waters can increase during and immediately following rainstorms due to overflowing sewage collection and treatment facilities, stormwater run-off, malfunctioning septic systems and agricultural run-off. No known sewage spills have occurred,' the release said. The release said when monitoring results exceed EPA standards, the affected site is immediately retested. If the second test also shows higher amounts of the bacteria, then an advisory is issued, the release said. 2 endangered North Atlantic Right Whales spotted off of Navarre Pier The locations will be tested again in the coming days, the release said. According to the release, the areas will continue to be monitored and the advisory will be lifted once bacteria values fall below the EPA's threshold of 104 enterococcus organisms per 100 milliliters of marine water. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2 endangered North Atlantic Right Whales spotted off of Navarre Pier
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — A rare sighting along the Gulf Coast on Saturday as two endangered North Atlantic Right Whales were spotted and reported to Oceana. This is only the fifth time since 2000 that North Atlantic Right Whales have been in the Gulf. Pensacola unveils design plans for Hollice T. Williams Park Oceana North Atlantic Whale Marine Scientist Nora Ives warns boaters in the area to be extra cautious, as these mammals are hard to see. 'They're dark in color, they don't have a dorsal fin, and they like to swim close to the surface,' said Ives. An estimated 370 North Atlantic Right Whales are left in the wild today. Of those, only around 70 are females, making reproduction chances slim for the species. These two whales have been named Koala and Curlew, ages 16 and 14. 'Even though Koala and Curlew are mature, neither of them has calved before, so they could be pregnant. We don't know,' said Ives. 'We have not seen them with calves so far and typically, the calving season is winding down right now.' Ives believes the whales traveled over 2,000 miles to the panhandle from the coast of Jacksonville, where they are most typically found. 'All the other moms and calves have started their migration back to the Northeast, which is their feeding ground,' said Ives. Gulf Coast Whale Festival organizers release event lineup Pay extra attention if the whales are spotted, staying back 500 yards. With that being said, if spotted, please report the whale's location immediately to 877-whale-help with Oceana. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
