Right whales are smaller than they used to be, in part due to commercial fishing and changing oceans, study says
CNN
Scientists have found that, even though right whales are protected from direct catch, they are significantly shorter compared to 40 years ago due in part to commercial fishing, according to a new study.
The study -- written by Joshua Stewart of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and his colleagues at the New England Aquarium, Oregon State University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution -- documents the challenges faced by right whales as indicated by changes in their life history characteristics, including size, according to a news release. "On average, a whale born today is expected to reach a total length about a meter shorter than a whale born in 1980," Stewart said. "That represents an average decline in length of about 7%. But that's just the average -- there are also some extreme cases where young whales are several meters shorter than expected."
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