MAINE PUBLIC • October 12, 2022
A new study by researchers from the New England Aquarium, Macquarie University, and Ursinus College, published in the journal Frontiers, shows that there are fewer breeding female right whales than previously thought. Looking at numbers from 2018, researchers calculated that of 142 female right whales, only 72 could bear young. According to data from the Aquarium, more than 86% of right whales are entangled in fishing gear at least once. Reducing entanglements and collisions with ships will allow more young females to survive to breeding age.