North Atlantic right whale “Snow Cone” (Catalog #3560) spotted south of Nantucket on Sept. 21, 2022, dragging heavy fishing gear and in poor health. CREDIT: New England Aquarium, taken under NOAA permit #25739
BOSTON – A new study by two universities and the New England Aquarium has revealed that fewer females North Atlantic right whales are capable of reproducing.
The whales are one of the most critically endangered species on the planet. It’s estimated that there are less than 350 of the mammals remaining, with less than 150 being female and only 72 capable of breeding.
Researchers add that the whales are also calving later, with their reproductive maturity being around 10 years of age.
Human interaction is believed to be the main cause of the stress to North Atlantic right whales. They are vulnerable to factors such as vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear.
