Washington-Sana
A new US study has revealed that North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered.
The study, published in the journal Current Biology, showed that the size of the younger generation of these whales is about three feet one meter shorter than it was 20 years ago due to human behavior, as entanglement with fishing gear, collision with ships and climate change that moves their food supply north are factors that have combined together to stress these Large whales are shrinking in size.
The study indicated that the size of these whales was up to 14 meters on average, but the size of the younger generation is only 13 meters, indicating that the decrease in size poses a threat to the survival of the species because the size of these whales is not large enough to breastfeed their young, not even to carry.
Today, there are only 356 North Atlantic right whales left in the North Atlantic, down from 500 in 2010, said study co-author Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium.
"Whales suffer from a physiological problem that can lead to tragedy, so it must be recognized and treated to save the lives of these whales and their entire species," said Regina Asmotis Silvia, executive director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Organization of North America.
