Six North Atlantic Right Whales Have Died So Far This Year

Canadian officials are investigating the deaths and implementing regulations to reduce the number of ships that strike the endangered species or snag them in fishing gear.

Ashley Yeager

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In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, six North Atlantic right whales have died this year, forcing Canadian officials to investigate what is killing the animals, the BBC reports today (June 28). At least four whales have died within a span of only one week, raising concerns about whether or not there will be a high number of right whale deaths in 2019.

At least 17 whales died in 2017, and in 2018, no new baby right whales were born. This year, seven baby right whales were spotted, offering hope that the population of the endangered species, which sits precariously around 411, could climb.

The deaths reported this week now suggest otherwise, especially because at least one of the whales that died was a sexually mature female. “The loss of sexually mature females is biologically a major loss to this species that has seen a precipitous ...

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Meet the Author

Ashley Yeager
Ashley started at The Scientist in 2018. Before joining the staff, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, a writer at the Simons Foundation, and a web producer at Science News, among other positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Ashley edits the Scientist to Watch and Profile sections of the magazine and writes news, features, and other stories for both online and print.
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