Analyzes North Atlantic Right Whale Extinction Risk
NOAA Fisheries has just released a comprehensive population viability analysis for endangered North Atlantic right whales. Results show that both vessel strikes and entanglement of these whales need to be considerably reduced for the species to continue to exist.
This new analytical tool does not estimate or predict actual risk reduction likely for a specific management measure, but does project long-term population response if a risk posed by a specific threat is reduced by a target amount. For example, the researchers asked what happens to the population trajectory within 100 years if entanglement risk alone is reduced by 25%, if vessel strike risk alone is reduced by 25%, or if both of those things happened?
NOAA Fisheries will continue to develop this tool to improve, adapt, and extend it as new data, new methods, and new questions arise.
NOAA Fisheries and our partners are dedicated to conserving and rebuilding the endangered North Atlantic right whale population. The North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery describes NOAA Fisheries’ efforts recover the species.
|
