NEWPORT, Ore. – Researchers can now determine the age and sex of living beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet thanks to a new DNA-based technique that uses information from small samples of skin tissue. Accurate age estimates are vital to conservation efforts for Cook Inlet belugas, which were listed as endangered following a significant population decline in […]
Scientists partnered with tech industry experts to develop the first machine learning application for acoustic monitoring of Alaskan beluga whales. An innovative machine learning application will help scientists collect information essential to protect and recover the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population. In 1979, the Cook Inlet beluga population began a rapid decline. Despite being protected as an […]
The first continuous multiyear acoustic monitoring effort across Cook Inlet provides the most comprehensive description of beluga whale seasonal distribution and feeding behavior to date. This knowledge is critical for understanding and managing potential threats impeding recovery of this endangered population. “Cook Inlet belugas were listed as endangered in 2008. Despite protective measures, the population continued to decline,” […]
Whale Population Plummeting in Project Area, New Federal Data Show ANCHORAGE, Alaska— Conservation groups Friday threatened to sue the Trump administration for approving oil exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet after new federal data found a dramatic decline in the area’s population of endangered beluga whales. The formal notice of intent to file an Endangered Species Act lawsuit […]