<
https://theconversation.com/southern-right-whales-are-having-babies-less-often-but-why-275442>
"For decades, southern right whales have been celebrated as one of
conservation’s success stories.
Once driven to the brink of extinction by commercial whaling, southern right
whales slowly returned to Australian coastlines through the late 20th century.
Their recovery reflected the power of international protection, marine
sanctuaries and long-term science working together.
But our new research shows this success story is changing. We drew on more than
30 years of continuous shore-based monitoring of southern right whales in the
Great Australian Bight, from within the Yalata Indigenous Protected Area in
South Australia. We found clear evidence whales are having calves less often,
with the average calving interval increasing for 3 to 4 years. This means the
number of calves being born has slowed over the past decade.
This decline appears closely linked to climate-driven changes in the Southern
Ocean — similar patterns are now being observed across the southern
hemisphere."
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
