The home of this Whale is the wide blue of the Northern Atlantic Ocean, but it likes to travel, live and play along the coastlines. In the past, Atlantic Right Whales were a favourite target of the whaling industry. Even though many countries have banned whaling, the population has not recovered and the North Atlantic Right Whale remains one of the most endangered big whales (WWF). Collisions with vessels or entanglement in fishing gear remain a major threat to this animal. In addition, increasing noise from shipping or other industrial activities underwater disrupt their communication and disturb their social networks. Also, food availability decreases because of higher water temperatures caused by climate change (WWF). 

While life is getting very tough underwater, whales are also part of the solution. Great whales are important actors in the fight to combat climate change. By feeding on plankton, they store thousands of tons of carbon over their lifetimes. After they pass away, they sink down to the bottom of the ocean, which makes their bodies one of the longest-lasting carbon sinks (National Geographic). Furthermore, the North Atlantic Right Whale and its relatives also feed in deeper waters but come up to the surface for breathing… and pooping. This releases gigantic clouds of nutrients that are transferred from the dark ocean floor to water layers flooded by light, which is where plankton can grow. This “nutrient pump” accelerates growth and increases carbon uptake of plankton (National Geographic). What a genius circle! 

There are many committed supporters of the North Atlantic Right Whale. Fishermen in Nova Scotia have changed their fishing methods and work with shorter ropes to decrease the risk of entanglement (WWF). Other people are working weeks or even months, following entangled whales around in order to free them from fisher nets. In some cases, shipping lanes have been changed in order to decrease the risk of vessel-whale collisions (WWF). There should be enough space for everyone, especially if we consider whales as our allies in fighting global warming.  

Write up by Charlotte Walter

WWF, https://wwf.ca/2011/01/19/untangling-the-north-atlantic-right-whale/
and https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/north-atlantic-right-whale
National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/how-much-is-a-whale-worth/