NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — Over 2,000 gray whales have been found dead off the Pacific coast, and researchers are now attributing these mass die-off events to climate change.
These deaths have occurred in three separate events since 1986 when gray whale populations had made a significant recovery from the brink of extinction after the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling.
The recent research indicates that these ‘unusual mortality events’ may be linked to the dwindling Arctic ice, which has resulted in reduced stocks of the gray whales’ preferred food—coastal crustaceans such as shrimp and scuds.
It is believed that thousands of gray whales have essentially starved to death as their ecosystem changes due to the vanishing Arctic ice and the subsequent loss of their primary food sources.
These events are marked by extreme population swings, which were not anticipated in a large, long-lived species like the gray whales. The die-offs had already reduced the gray whale population by 15% to 25% during each event.
The most recent die-off event began in 2019 and is still ongoing as of September 2023, with 688 whales and counting having lost their lives. It is a much longer event than the previous two and is a growing concern among researchers.
Two earlier die-offs were linked to the seasonal growth of Arctic sea ice, which blocked the whales from their feeding grounds.
However, the most recent and protracted die-off is associated with the melting of Arctic sea ice. The melting has disrupted the gray whales’ food chain, as it has led to a decline in coastal crustaceans that serve as the main food source for these marine mammals.
One key factor contributing to this decline is the loss of green algae that grows on the undersea face of the Arctic ice. This algae supports the coastal crustaceans that the gray whales rely on.
Researchers have correlated the timing of disappearing Arctic ice with the decline in crustacean populations.
As a result of these changes, the gray whale population, which once reached around 25,000 individuals at the height of their recovery, is now at approximately 14,500 and continuing to decline.
Although the complete extinction of gray whales is considered to be a low risk, it is crucial to critically consider the implications of these environmental changes for the future.
Gray whales have a long evolutionary history and have adapted to various environmental challenges over the course of hundreds of thousands of years.
Their resilience suggests that they are not at immediate risk of extinction due to climate change.
However, researchers emphasize the importance of understanding the potential long-term consequences of these changes for gray whales and their ecosystem.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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