Act to save the last 411 North Atlantic right whales
Just 411 North Atlantic right whales remain on the planet — and that’s the best estimate.1 And the Trump administration just further jeopardized their future.
The Threat to North Atlantic Right Whales
North Atlantic right whales are hanging onto existence by a thread and seismic blasting for offshore oil and gas deposits is a threat they may not be able to survive.
The administration has approved requests from five oil companies to use seismic airgun blasting in the North Atlantic Ocean.2 The deafening sound of these airguns is one of the major threats to the dwindling population of North Atlantic right whales.3
Seismic blasting uses airguns that are deafeningly loud. Exposure to these sounds can disrupt the whales’ foraging patterns or even halt migration as the whales seek to avoid the noise. It’s also associated with elevated stress levels, which can make a whale struggle to reproduce.4
And if the Interior Department greenlights this plan, North Atlantic right whales will be exposed to even more of these deafening, life-altering noises.
How You Can Help
We have precious few North Atlantic right whales left to lose. But we have a chance to stop it before the permits are finalized, by convincing the Interior Department to stop these permits in their tracks.
The North Atlantic right whale is already one of the world’s most endangered species on the planet — and the population is dwindling every day. And at a time when solar and wind power are cheaper than oil, risking the lives of these creatures for a bit more oil is absurd.
1. Fred Bever, “It’s Likely There Aren’t More Than 411 Right Whales Left, New Estimate Finds,” wbur, Nov. 15, 2018.
2. Peter Stubley, “Trump administration approves seismic blasting for oil in Atlantic despite fears for marine life,” Independent, Dec. 5, 2018.
3. “Seismic Surveys Pose Threat to Atlantic’s Marine Life,” New England Aquarium, December 6, 2018.
4. Miriam Wasser, “As Right Whale Population Plummets, Focus Turns To Their Falling Birth Rates,” WBUR, Aug. 21, 2018.