In recent years, steps have been taken to safeguard the North Atlantic right whale population, such as enforcing reduced ship speeds in whale zones and promoting the use of ropeless fishing gear to prevent entanglements. However, shifts in the whales’ congregating areas have posed challenges to these efforts.
Researchers from the University of Maine and the New England Aquarium are collaborating to enhance their modeling techniques for predicting the whales’ whereabouts. Camille Ross, an associate research scientist at the New England Aquarium, emphasized the complexity of monitoring these whales due to their vast ocean habitat, underscoring the importance of predictive models in filling observational gaps.
Ross led a study titled “Incorporating prey fields into North Atlantic right whale density surface models,” published in the Endangered Species Research journal. According to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, only around 370 of these endangered whales remain globally, with approximately 70 being reproductive-age females.
The whales’ shifting movements in response to ocean changes necessitate predictive models that can identify new feeding grounds. By tracking zooplankton, specifically calanoid copepods, the research team aims to predict whale movements based on prey availability. Utilizing decades of zooplankton data and statistical algorithms, they create comprehensive images of prey distribution in the Northwest Atlantic.
Ross highlighted the ongoing need for data refinement and model updates as new studies emerge. She emphasized the importance of field observations to enhance model accuracy, especially amid climate shifts that may alter the whales’ behavior patterns.
Matt Abbott, Fundy Baykeeper and Marine Program Director at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, commended the research’s significance in informing decision-makers to mitigate human impacts on right whales. He stressed the critical status of the whale population, particularly the breeding females, and the importance of collaborative efforts across industries to protect these marine mammals.
Abbott noted a decrease in right whale sightings in the Bay of Fundy over the past 15 years, attributing this shift to ecological changes that have compelled the whales to seek food sources elsewhere.