<
https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/11/23718523/whale-beachings-east-coast-offshore-wind-shipping>
"Beaches have become makeshift necropsy labs along the shores of New York and
New Jersey. An alarming number of whales are washing up along the east coast of
the US. And when they do, a team of researchers arrives at the scene to hunt
for clues pointing to a cause of death.
They start by examining the outside of the body. Are there teeth marks from an
attack? Or are there telltale signs of an accident with a ship: gashes from
propellers, rust that has rubbed off from the vessel, broken bones or flesh
that’s been pushed in from the impact?
“I can certainly tell you from my experience, I’ve seen a lot of ship-struck
whales,” says Joy Reidenberg, who’s typically on call for such investigations.
The victims have become posthumous poster children for opponents of offshore
wind energy — despite a lack of any evidence that wind farms are to blame. That
distracts from very real risks shipping vessels pose to whales navigating US
shorelines, experts say.
More than 30 dead whales have washed ashore on the east coast since December
31st, many of them in New Jersey and New York. It can be incredibly difficult
to figure out a cause of death — a grim task scientists often volunteer to help
out with on their own time. And while they’re not always able to find the
answers they’re looking for, what they see time and again is evidence of
run-ins with ships."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
