Scientists tracked a young #whale's journey before he vanished. What they learned could help save his species.
#Bishop’s story, from birth to presumed death, shows the extreme danger facing right #whales, which could be extinct in 3 decades if they continue to disappear at the present rate. Bishop’s species is not doomed to #extinction …but time is running out.
That day, off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, FL, scientists tagged #Bishop w/a satellite transmitter. For the next 50 days, he broadcast his location as he migrated over 1k mi up the #EastCoast. It was one of the longest transmissions of a #NorthAtlantic#RightWhale ever recorded.
…Bishop averaged about 50 mi / day for the rest of his northward journey. By March, he had joined other right #whales to search for food south of Nantucket, MA. On March 11, his tag fell off, ending the transmisison.
For much of his migration, #Bishop swam through waters where the lack of #SpeedLimits makes #vessel strikes more likely.
In 2022, the #Biden admin proposed expanding that area & applying speed limits to smaller #vessels….
The proposed expanded boundaries have been embraced by scientists & advocates, who say it could help save #NorthAtlantic#RightWhales from #extinction. But NOAA Fisheries, the agency behind the proposal, has yet to finalize the rule, which is still being reviewed by the WH.