News

Grey Whale Found Dead in Alaska May Hold Answers To String Of Whale Deaths

Over the course of the last several months, the number of grey whales washing ashore along the West Coast has been staggering. Grey whales typically make their spring to summer migration up and down the coast with minimal casualties, however something seems to have gone horribly wrong this year.

Unfortunately, researchers remain unsure of what is causing the whales’ increased mortality rates. 167 grey whales have been found dead onshore from Alaska to Mexico since January but scientists say that the whales onshore only reflect a small number of the animals that died. Up to 90% of deceased whales will either sink, float offshore, or otherwise go undocumented.

A research wildlife biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in La Jolla, CA, Dave Weller, says, “if we can access a dead whale in time, we can look for evidence of disease, viruses, malnutrition, or human causes such as collisions with ships.” Scientists up and down the coast have been performing as many autopsies as possible which have provided vital information.

Most of the whales show signs of malnutrition. Some whales appeared to have starved to death. Others had eelgrass in their stomach, indicating the desperate consumption of a substance that they normally do not ingest. The whales fill most of their nutritional needs in Alaska, so scientists are searching for clues there. They have noted that it’s possible the population has simply grown larger than their food source, but more information is needed to establish a definitive cause.

News

Two Beluga Whales Transported to Iceland Natural Sanctuary

Little Grey and Little White are two very lucky whales. The pair of 12 year old females have been living in a Shanghai aquarium for entertainment for years, but now they are headed towards retirement. Instead of slowly dying inside their enclosure, they are being transported to a marine sanctuary in Iceland to live out their days.

Each whale weighs around 2,000 pounds and will be flown to Iceland in special containers. The project has been spearheaded by the Sea Life Trust charity. The charity strives to “provide a more natural sub-Arctic environment and wilder habitat for these amazing whales to call home.”

Releasing animals in captivity into the wild is typically not a good idea. Usually captive animals have become dependent on humans for their food. Without the skills to hunt for themselves, they can starve to death in the wild. However, this new concept of marine sanctuaries may be the best possible solution.

The head of Sea Life Trust, Andy Bool, says, “we have been working with Little White and Little Grey for the last 18 months to make sure that they will be prepared and ready for the long journey.” Once in their new pen of 32,000 square meters, the belugas will be cared for to ensure their survival in the semi-wild.

Conservation

North Pacific Right Whale Song Recorded for First Time

Featured Image: us.whales.org

Like their counterparts in the Atlantic, North Pacific right whales are extremely close to extinction. The animals were hunted by whalers for decades, leaving the population permanently damaged. It is extremely rare for scientists to encounter these whales, but one group was able to record the song of the North Pacific right whale through moored acoustic recorders. According to NOAA fisheries marine biologist, Jessica Crance, this is the first time this whale’s song has ever been recorded.

Back in 2010, Crance and other scientists thought they had recorded a North Pacific right whale but were unable to confirm it. Crance says, “We thought it might be a right whale, but we didn’t get visual confirmation.” Seven years of recordings later, the crew was out at sea as a right whale sang over the moored recorders. At that point, the crew was able to get a confirmation of the right whale’s identity. Crance says, “it was great to finally get the confirmation when we were out at sea that yes, it is a right whale, and it’s a male that’s singing.”

The male sings to attract a mate, however with just 30 total whales remaining, it is likely difficult for these animals to find each other.

Conservation

The Maiden Voyage of Boaty McBoatface Leads To A Big Discovery

Featured Image: Cnet.com

Boaty McBoatface is a British research submarine that has recently started making scientific journeys into deep waters. Boaty McBoatface was named by a public competition, which led to its unusual name. On its very first voyage in April of 2017, it recorded temperatures in the ocean that have helped scientists understand the link between Antarctic winds and rising sea temperatures.

The unmanned research submarine collected the vital information on a 112 mile journey underwater through the mountainous, ocean floor region near Antarctica. Along the way, it measured temperature, salinity, and turbulence of the water.

The measurements were then analyzed in relation to surface wind measurements. The analysis led to a better understanding of how strong winds on the ocean surface can cause turbulence at greater depths. The turbulence leads to mixing of the warm and cold waters, which in turn leads to higher ocean water temperatures worldwide.

According to Povl Abrahamsen of the British Antarctic Survey, “This study is a great example of how exciting new technology such as the unmanned submarine ‘Boaty McBoatface’ can be used along with ship-based measurements and cutting-edge ocean models to discover and explain previously unknown processes affecting heat transport within the ocean.”

Conservation

Pacific Northwest Killer Whales Spotted in Monterey

Scientists are able to identify killer whales as individuals based on their markings, but a recent sighting of killer whales by whale watchers in Monterey Bay has everyone confused. Based on their markings, the whales are known to be from the Pacific Northwest. It is unclear what they are doing so far south.

Nancy Black from the Monterey Bay Whale Watch, says, “they’ve never been seen down here, even with all our efforts all these years.” As a marine biologist who has worked in the area for 32 years, she is surprised that these whales have appeared here.

Black says, “Those killer whales have been identified previously, but up in the Puget Sound area. It’s been many years since we’ve had new whales, new families to the catalog so they just showed up one day out of the blue.”

It is possible that these whales are simply traveling and will return to the Pacific Northwest soon, however, it is a rare trip. Possible reasons for their movement could be a social gathering, following food sources, or mating.

For now, scientists will just continue watching the whales to see what happens next.

Conservation

Image Source:https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html

The Gulf Dead Zone Is Growing- Can The Animals Survive It?

Featured Image: serc.carleton.edu

For the past 35 years, the Gulf of Mexico has experienced a growing dead zone each summer. As the Mississippi River drains pollutants from upriver into the Gulf of Mexico, the fertilizers and nutrients in the waters leads to a dead zone that has been consistently growing. Scientists are predicting a larger dead zone than ever before this summer.

A dead zone is a large hypoxic zone in which the oxygen levels are extremely low at the bottom of the water column. Animals living in that level cannot survive the sustained decrease in oxygen levels. This leads to massive die offs that prolong the problem. With an estimated dead zone of around 8,000 square miles, everyone is worried about how the creatures of the Gulf will fare. The dead zone will start to grow in the summer and dissipate towards the fall season.

Of course, there is the chance that the predictions could be wrong. Steve Thur, the director of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, said, “This year’s historic and sustained river flows will test the accuracy of these models in extreme conditions, which are likely to occur more frequently in the future according to the latest National Climate Assessment. The Assessment predicts an increase in the frequency of very heavy precipitation events in the Midwest, Great Plains, and Southeast regions, which would impact nutrient input to the northern Gulf of Mexico and the size of the hypoxic zone.”

Only time will tell if the models are right for this year.

Dolphins

Stranded Dolphins Rescued By Beachgoers Now At SeaWorld Orlando For Rehabilitation

Featured Image: Miami Herald

When vacationers and local residents in the Florida Keys caught sight of two dolphins stranded in shallow water, they rushed to help. The dolphins, discovered near the Fiesta Key RV Resort, were struggling for breath when rescuers got to them. A collective effort was made to right the animals and get them to deeper water, however, people quickly noticed that even in deeper water the dolphins could not stay upright without assistance.

After two unsuccessful release attempts, The National Marine Fisheries Service called in the SeaWorld Rescue Team to transport the dolphins to the SeaWorld Orlando facilities to be rehabilitated.

According to the rescue organization, Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, SeaWorld is the only place in Florida capable of handling dolphin rehabilitation. The nonprofit’s president, Nancy Cooper, stated, “If it wasn’t for SeaWorld, these animals would have been euthanized”.

Thanks to the quick action of bystanders, the story has a happy ending. The dolphins arrived at SeaWorld Orlando and are already able to swim without assistance. The SeaWorld Rescue Team will continue to monitor and treat the animals until they are ready to be released back into the wild.

Orca Conservancy Speaks Out Against The Whale Sanctuary Project’s Plan For A Permanent Sanctuary

After attending a meeting with the Whale Sanctuary Project, Orca Conservancy has spoken out against the Whale Sanctuary Project’s plan for creating a permanent seaside sanctuary.

Orca Conservancy has been a supporter of facilities that recuse, rehabilitate and return whales to their home but are concerned about the value of permanent facilities. Noting that the sanctuary would trade-off increased space for more limited social lives, Orca Conservancy stated that conservation efforts would be better focused on making a difference for wild whales instead of moving a few captive whales into an environment with significant problems.

The WSP’s planned facility would have the capacity for 6-8 whales and would separate males from females. This separation would severely limit non-kin social interaction as well as the family life that is central to the species.

Orca Conservancy notes several other significant issues with the current plan. The facility cannot protect the whales from sewage and oil spills, and the proposed site is likely to have consistent noise levels that will prove stressful to the whales. In terms of disease transmission and escape, Orca Conservancy characterizes WSP’s plan as “naive”. Because of these issues, Orca Conservancy made it clear that they would not support the current WSP plan.

Activists have been vocal about wanting to “save” captive whales but have yet to find a realistic means of doing so. Activists’ plans, like the one proposed by the WSP, center on the use of sea pens, which are essentially cages in the ocean.

Experts agree that the additional space the proposed sea pens claim to offer is negligible in the context of the stress the whales will experience as a result of relocation. Factoring in the issues observed by the Orca Conservancy it’s clear that this solution is not in the best interest of the whales.

Read the Orca Conservancy’s full response here.