Long baleen whale mothers are more likely to have female calves than males, according to a new study led by the University of Washington. The findings contradict a popular evolutionary theory postulating that strong mammals benefit more from birthing males. In 1973, Robert Trivers and Dan Willard proposed that fit female mammals can improve their odds for […]
Advanced technology can give us more complete data on the health of endangered whale populations, which helps us figure out how to most effectively support their recovery NOAA Fisheries hosted a workshop in June 2024 to accelerate the development of advanced technologies used to assess the health of marine mammals in the wild. The workshop […]
Continued low calf count indicates that reproduction remains depressed. The eastern North Pacific population of gray whales that migrates along the West Coast of the United States has continued to decline, with reproduction remaining very low. Two new Technical Memorandums from NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center report the estimated population size and calf productivity in 2025. The initial […]
A new study in the journal Science aims to improve marine conservation efforts by identifying the busiest migration corridors and critical habitats of the oceans’ largest species. Whales, porpoises, polar bears, seabirds and seals are among the megafauna who play crucial roles in Arctic waters and those beyond, supporting fragile food webs, diverse ecosystems and subsistence lifeways. […]