Study: Whales in Ice-Free Arctic Face Emerging Threat from Ships – gCaptain
▻http://gcaptain.com/study-whales-in-ice-free-arctic-face-emerging-threat-from-ships
As climate change brings a longer ice-free season and more commercial ships to the Arctic, a new study is recommending that precautionary measures be put in place to minimize the negative impacts of increased vessel traffic on marine mammals, namely from threats including noise and ship strikes.
In the Arctic, mammals such as belugas and bowhead whales rely on a quiet environment to communicate and forage. But as Arctic sea ice shrinks and shipping traffic increases, vessel disturbance could very likely impact their social behaviors, distribution and long-term survival, according to the new study led by University of Victoria marine biologist Lauren McWhinnie.
