With more than a dozen dead Right Whales turning up off the Atlantic coast of Canada and the USA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is declaring an “Unusual Mortality Event.”
Branch chief of the Protected Species Monitoring Program for NOAA Dave Gouveia says that triggers a more focused investigation, and brings more resources and expertise to bear.
“To develop recommendations for future responses, sampling and data collection efforts, and data analysis,” says Gouveia. “Right Whale stranding events will continue to be closely monitored and prioritized for response efforts throughout their range in Eastern Canada, and in the United States waters from Maine to Florida.”
Teri Rowles, coordinator of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Program for NOAA says this new level of investigatio has essentially two branches, including a “response mode.”
“Making sure that we can get to and appropriately handle dead strandings, collect the samples and information that’s needed, and assist in any live animals that are impacted, like live strandings,” says Rowles.
She goes on to stay the second secction invovles taking the data, collecting all that information on the individuals and bringing it to a panel of experts to look at the cause of death and contributing factors of each of the mortalities, and then look at it together as a whole.
“That includes looking at environmental data, fisheries, and prey based habitat use,” adds Rowles.
Gouveia says this is a collaborative effort between NOAA, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as outside organizations.
