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 Norton Sound winter commercial crab fish is on hold for lack of buyers, and an area fishery group is calling for the closure of the fishery for 2020 for conservation purposes. The board of the Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. (NSEDC) on Monday, Feb. 10, urged the Alaska Department of Fish and Game […]
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 […]
Today, NOAA Fisheries released its biennial abundance estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. Scientists estimated that the population size is between 250 and 317, with a median estimate of 279. The population is estimated to be smaller and declining more quickly than previously thought. Abundance estimates can vary from year to year due to a […]