#whale migration

Excerpt from this story from Smithsonian Magazine:

An ambitious humpback whale is making waves in the marine biology community after researchers discovered he undertook an incredible 8,106-mile swim across the globe, likely to be the longest distance traveled for the species on record.

This odyssey was “truly impressive and unusual, even for this highly migratory species,” Ekaterina Kalashnikova, a whale researcher at the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies and lead author of a study published Wednesday in Royal Society Open Science that tracked the whale’s movements, tells Helen Briggs of the BBC.

Humpback whales are by no means sedentary. According to the study, they “undertake one of the longest known seasonal migrations of all mammals.” However, their migration routes tend to go “between latitudes,” traversing north and south to seek out feeding grounds in colder climates and breeding grounds near the tropics. Rarely do groups of humpback whales go from east to west, preventing them from encroaching on other whales’ territories.

That made it all the more surprising when Kalashnikova and her fellow researchers determined that the same humpback whale was spotted off the Pacific coast of Colombia in 2013 and 2017 before reaching Zanzibar, in the Indian Ocean, in 2022. The whale’s exact route between these endpoints is unknown, but he might have dipped south to Antarctica before tracking back up Africa’s eastern coast, which would extend his route even longer than 8,106 miles.

The oceans teem with an astonishing array of life, from the microscopic plankton that form the base of marine food webs to the colossal whales that roam the deep. Ensuring marine life protection is not merely an environmental concern; it is fundamental to the health of our planet and the sustainability of human societies. Our oceans are facing unprecedented threats, and concerted efforts are needed to safeguard the diverse species and delicate ecosystems that inhabit them.

Why Marine Life Protection is Crucial

Marine life plays an indispensable role in maintaining the ecological balance of our planet. Marine life protection is vital for several reasons:

Ecological Stability:

Food Webs: Every species, no matter how small, is part of a complex food web. The decline of one species can have cascading effects throughout the ecosystem.

Habitat Maintenance: Organisms like corals and kelp create essential habitats for countless other species, supporting biodiversity.

Nutrient Cycling: Marine organisms are involved in critical nutrient cycles that sustain life both in the ocean and on land.

Economic and Societal Benefits:

Fisheries: Healthy fish populations are a vital food source and support global economies and livelihoods.

Tourism: Vibrant marine ecosystems attract tourism, providing economic benefits to coastal communities.

Biotechnology: Marine organisms are a source of novel compounds with potential applications in medicine and industry.

Major Threats to Marine Life

Numerous human-induced pressures are endangering marine species and their habitats. Effective marine life protection strategies must address these key threats:

Pollution: Plastic debris is a significant hazard, causing entanglement and ingestion. Chemical pollutants, oil spills, and agricultural runoff also degrade marine environments and harm wildlife.

Overfishing and Destructive Fishing Practices: Unsustainable fishing depletes fish stocks, leading to ecosystem imbalance. Practices like bottom trawling destroy essential seafloor habitats.

Climate Change: Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching, alter species distribution, and disrupt breeding cycles. Ocean acidification threatens shell-forming organisms.

Habitat Destruction: Coastal development, dredging, and pollution lead to the loss of critical habitats like mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.

Invasive Species: The introduction of non-native species, often through shipping, can outcompete native wildlife and disrupt ecosystems.

Noise Pollution: Underwater noise from shipping, sonar, and industrial activities interferes with marine animals’ ability to communicate, navigate, and find food.

Strategies for Effective Marine Life Protection

Protecting marine biodiversity requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach:

Establishing and Enforcing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs):

MPAs serve as sanctuaries where marine life can thrive, free from harmful human activities. Expanding and effectively managing these areas is crucial for species recovery and ecosystem resilience.

Sustainable Fisheries Management:

Implementing science-based fishing quotas, reducing bycatch through improved gear, and combating illegal fishing are essential for maintaining healthy fish populations and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Combating Pollution:

Reducing plastic waste, controlling industrial and agricultural runoff, and developing cleaner energy sources are vital steps. Community cleanups and advocating for stronger waste management policies also play a significant role.

Mitigating Climate Change Impacts:

Addressing the root causes of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions is paramount. Supporting renewable energy and conservation efforts helps build resilience in marine ecosystems.

Research and Monitoring:

Continued scientific research is necessary to understand marine ecosystems, track population trends, and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures. Citizen science initiatives can also contribute valuable data.

Public Awareness and Education:

Educating the public about the importance of marine life and the threats it faces is key to fostering support for conservation efforts and encouraging responsible behavior.

Your Role in Marine Life Protection

Every individual can contribute to marine life protection. Simple actions, when multiplied across communities, have a profound impact:

Reduce your consumption of single-use plastics.

Choose sustainable seafood options.

Dispose of waste properly.

Support organizations dedicated to marine conservation.

Participate in local beach cleanups.

As I reflect on this year, one of the things I’m most proud of is this!

July saw the publication of my first scientific paper, co-written with the fantastic @marinebiologylife : FIRST EVER match of a UK Humpback Whale to Arctic feeding grounds (Scotland - Svalbard, Norway). Emily & Daniel are a fab science duo and old friends of mine from University, and together we produced some great research that has been published in the journal Marine Biodiversity Records and is freely available online, just click here!

You may have seen our work covered by Em on Sky News, alongside some of the images I took of the Forth whales.  The article was also picked up by a number of newspaper, and I managed to kick my anxiety in the pants and give a radio interview for BBC Scotland's Newsdrive.

Our research suggests that UK seas act as a service station for migrating humpback whales, offering these magnificent ocean giants a place to rest and feed on the long journey from their Arctic feeding grounds to their tropical breeding grounds. This publication is the result of 16 months of hard work by the 3 of us but also builds on the countless hours of dedication by the volunteer whale watchers that contributed the sightings and photos that informed this research. Without them, this publication would not have been possible. Thank you to each and every one of you 👏

UK seas are full of wildlife, so keep an eye on the waves next time you're at the coast and be sure to report any sightings to your local wildlife organisation... it might just lead to a new discovery! _ For more information, please give our paper a read… and feel free to share it around!

Even for the world’s largest animals, “when you gotta go, you gotta go.” Whale’s volcanic poop offers up a treasure trove of biological information and nutrients for the ocean. Not to be left out, their urine also plays a critical role in a healthy ocean–and planet. Whale urine moves nutrients thousands of miles across entire ocean basins. Some new research found that great whales—including right whales, gray whales, and humpbacks—transport roughly 4,000 tons of nitrogen to low-nutrient coastal areas in the tropics and subtropics every single year. This “great whale pee funnel” is detailed in a study published March 10 in the journal Nature Communications.

Excerpt from this story from Smithsonian:

Right now, tens of thousands of beluga whales are congregating in the ice-free waters of Canada’s Churchill River and Hudson Bay. The social, bulbous-headed creatures migrate south from the Arctic each summer—and you can watch from the comfort of your home, thanks to online “beluga cams.”

The nonprofit conservation group Polar Bears International is once again launching its beluga live streams, which have aired every summer since 2014 in a bid to raise awareness about global warming and its devastating effect on sea ice.

Belugas—like many other animals—rely on sea ice to survive. Since they don’t have dorsal fins on their backs, the whales can easily escape from predators, such as fast-swimming orcas, by ducking just under the ice. Orcas cannot follow them without risking their dorsal fins getting caught on the ice’s underside.

In addition, sea ice supports a strong and healthy Arctic food chain. Algae grows on the ice, which helps feed microorganisms. Those microorganisms, in turn, feed fish, which serve as a primary source of sustenance for belugas. Polar Bears International likens sea ice to an “ocean garden.”

Polar bears also depend on the ice as a platform for hunting seals, as well as for reaching snow drift-covered land to give birth to their cubs. Plus, ice’s white surface reflects sunlight, cooling the Earth and keeping heat out of the oceans.

The war is over – and another whale experience

A dingo (Australia’s wild dog) trots along the beach at K’gari (Fraser Island). More about that below. The ‘war’ in Afghanistan has finally coming to its predictable, shambolic close. The scenes at Kabul’s airport are reminiscent of those at the US embassy in Saigon forty-six years ago. And like most of us, my heart bleeds for the women and girls who will once again be subjected to medieval…