Recent data indicates a slowdown in the population decline of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. However, the species still faces multiple human-generated threats along the United States’ East Coast.
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium has reported an estimate of 364 North Atlantic right whales in 2021 and 356 in 2022. These estimates come with a margin of error, given the challenges of tracking every whale in the vast ocean. However, the population change from 2021 to 2022 appears relatively small compared to the steep decline in previous years. Scientists say the downward trend is showing signs of slowing.
While a steadier population count brings a glimmer of optimism to conservation efforts, experts say that North Atlantic right whales continue to be threatened.
“The ‘flattening’ of the population estimate indicates that human activities are killing as many whales as are being born into the population,” Heather Pettis, a research scientist at the New England Aquarium and the executive administrator for the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, said in a statement on the aquarium’s website.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are several threats to North Atlantic right whales, including entanglement with fishing gear, vessel strikes, the impacts of climate change, and the detrimental effects of ocean noise.
Straight Arrow News has reported thoroughly on concerns that offshore wind development is producing ocean noise that could affect the North Atlantic right whale’s migration.
Efforts to conserve the North Atlantic right whale persist. The Inflation Reduction Act has allocated $82 million to NOAA for the tracking and protection of these magnificent creatures, with funding received by the agency in September.
