Steady Increase in Right Whale Population
The 2023 North Atlantic right whale population estimate found the number of whales increased slightly, to 372 whales, showing a slow increase over the last three years from 358 in 2020, according to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. The estimate was the product of a collaboration between the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and includes a margin of error of about 12. At least nine right whales have died so far in 2024, four of which were calves, the highest mortality count since 2019. The consortium said those deaths could lower the population count released next year.
UMaine photo.
Lobsters Finding New Homes
A University of Maine study has found that lobsters in shallow waters (~30 feet) along Maine’s coast have moved to new habitats as the population has grown older. Typically, most adult lobsters lived in the shelter formed by boulders on the seafloor. Maine researchers, however, discovered that from 1995-2021, the number of lobsters using boulder habitat fell by 60%. Lobsters residing in “sediment or featureless ledge habitats, both of which have little to no geological features to use as shelters, increased 633% and 280%, respectively,” they reported. Lobster population density across all habitat types has fallen as well, meaning that lobsters are more spread out over greater areas. The report suggested increased water temperatures during the period as a reason for the habitat shift.
Cobscook Bay Tidal Power Dam, Reprised
The federal government has granted a preliminary permit to developers for construction of a controversial tidal power dam in Cobscook Bay. Pembroke Tidal Power Project LLC, a subsidiary of a company known as Nestar Energy, said the dam could eventually generate 87,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year. But the project faces opposition from more than 60 Pembroke residents and the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, who filed formal complaints and motions to intervene. The National Marine Fisheries Service and Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife also filed intervention notices.
New Technology Might Reduce Ship Strikes
A new AI detection system may be able to help the shipping industry prevent collisions with whales. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) believe that ship strikes could decline drastically using a whale detection camera system on large commercial vessels. The cameras are mounted on a ship’s deck and use thermal imaging to detect a whale’s body or spout, providing real-time information on distance and bearing from a vessel. The aim is to provide the crew with enough warning to change course or speed. The system, which uses thermal infrared cameras and is linked to an artificial intelligence algorithm, could be used on commercial ships, cruise ships, and fishing vessels.
Federal Money Awarded to Help Train Young Fishermen
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) and Eastern Maine Skippers Program (EMSP) were awarded a combined $2,067,434 in grant funding aimed at supporting the training and workforce development for the next generation of Maine fishermen and women. The EMSP will provide targeted career development opportunities in Maine through workshops, vessel-based activities, and mentorship. MCFA will create three microlearning videos focused on physical and mental health and career resilience for young fishers. The grants were awarded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Young Fishermen’s Development Program, per an announcement by the Maine Congressional delegation.
Australia to Resume Exporting Lobster to China
China will resume importing Australian live lobsters by the end of this year, removing the final major obstacle to bilateral trade that once cost Australian exporters more than 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year, Australia’s prime minister said in mid-October. China ended trade with Australia in 2020 on a range of commodities including lobster, coal, wine, barley, beef, and wood as the two countries’ diplomatic relations became estranged. Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison had angered Beijing that year by demanding an independent investigation into the origins of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.