|
|
This diagram shows the extent of rope entanglement a whale can experience.
"The general degradation of coastal marine habitats may ultimately be the most important
factor affecting recovery of the Northern Right Whale."5 9Alarmingly, several municipalities in
the Northern Right Whale habitat locations have proposed plans to have designated dump sites in
the Cape Cod Bay area and Stellwagen Bank. Thus far, there have been no concerted efforts on
the municipalities' part to conduct studies on the damaging effects to the Northern Right Whale
or the marine environment. Furthermore, extensive dredging occurs in areas that are the only
known calving grounds for Northern Right Whales.60Of course, the effects have not been
studied. Another reason for population decline could be contamination from their method of food
consumption; that is, every time the whale feeds by skimming zooplankton from the surface, the
whale may be contaminated by the pollution, oil, and other toxic substances that lay on the ocean
|
|
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
