Posts Tagged ‘North atlantic right whale’
I signed a petition…now what?
More than ever before, critically endangered North Atlantic right whales have really stolen my heart this year. I felt it deeply when I heard about of Derecha’s calf being hit by a vessel and even more when it was repeated this year with Infinity and her newborn calf. So when WDC put together a petition…
Read MoreFeds Sued to Force Them to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales From Vessel Strikes
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups sued the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to respond to two rulemaking petitions to protect critically endangered right whales from being run over and killed by ships and boats in U.S. waters. The groups are calling for more speed limits to reduce the number of vessel strikes. Just over half…
Read MoreNew North Atlantic Right Whale Names Unveiled for 2020
PHOTO COURTESY: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit #20556 BOSTON, MASS. (December 3, 2020) – Researchers have named 18 North Atlantic right whales this year, continuing a tradition that allows scientists in the field to quickly recognize the critically endangered individuals. New England Aquarium researchers who manage the North Atlantic Right Whale…
Read MoreA Sliver of Hope from a Sad Start to Right Whale Calving Season
Each year, the start of the calving season for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales kicks off on November 15th. From there, our office anxiously waits every day as reports come from the latest aerial survey flown over the calving area. These surveys fly over the southeast US to count the number of North Atlantic…
Read MoreDid I see my last right whale? Not yet.
For the first time in nearly 30 years, I haven’t seen a right whale this year… not yet anyway. The pandemic and weather didn’t often align for me so I spent little time on the water compared to years past. I just checked the forecast and this week doesn’t look possible either. Even during weeks…
Read MoreHow many right whales are left?
This week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the population estimate (aka number alive) for North Atlantic right whales is 366 whales as of January 2019. The previous population estimate from January 2018 was 412 whales. With a difference of 46 whales between estimates, I had some questions about how all of…
Read MoreVessel Speed Limits Sought to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales
“What we are asking for are essentially school zones along our coast, areas where vessels have to slow down to keep boaters and whales safe without stopping traffic,” -Regina Asmutis-Silvia, Executive Director of WDC’s North American office WASHINGTON— Conservation groups filed a rulemaking petition today seeking additional ship-speed limits along the Atlantic coast to protect…
Read MoreWe were SO close.
We were so close. Because of the past couple of years, June makes me incredibly nervous. In June of 2019, I heard the news of two right whale deaths in one day, only to find out about another soon after. June seems to be prime time for right whales to be accidentally killed by passing…
Read MoreHow do you thank someone who has changed your life?
*This is the third part of a three-part blog series. You can read the first part of the blog here and the second part of the blog here.* Ever wondered the best way to thank someone for changing your life? Write a blog about them of course! Flash back to spring of 2019 and the…
Read MoreDipping my toes into the policy pool
*This is the second part of a three-part blog series. You can read the first part of the blog here. * Just a few short months after I packed everything I owned and drove from California to Massachusetts, I found myself completely overwhelmed and completely fascinated by marine mammal policy work. I know that might…
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