Isolated from other beluga populations, Cook Inlet beluga whales are particularly vulnerable to population loss.
January brought some disappointing news for Cook Inlet belugas when scientists from NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center announced the 2011 estimate for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population. The estimate numbered only 284 animals, almost 20 percent lower than last year’s estimate of 340 whales. The number is the second-lowest since NOAA’s surveys began in 1993; the lowest was in 2005, when the estimate was 278 whales.
Cook Inlet belugas represent one of Alaska’s five beluga populations. Separated from the others by the Alaska Peninsula, the geographic barrier makes the Cook Inlet belugas genetically distinct from the state’s other beluga whales, and therefore particularly vulnerable to population loss. The whale was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2008, and last April, the Obama administration designated critical habitat for the species. But despite these protections, the Cook Inlet population has failed to recover, and a 20 percent loss of the population could be a devastating blow.
The low numbers are alarming. And since these whales live in one of the most populated–and fastest growing–regions in Alaska, survival won’t get any easier.
Scientists aren’t convinced the low estimate is entirely accurate. The count is taken from a small airplane that flies above the inlet, with live sightings compared to video footage taken at the same time. Different sighting or survey conditions, weather, or changes in beluga behavior or distribution from year to year can affect the survey results.
Defenders' Karla Dutton serves on the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Team
Still, the low numbers are alarming. And since these whales live in one of the most populated–and fastest growing–regions in Alaska, survival won’t get any easier. Defenders is committed to helping Cook Inlet beluga whales recover. We garnered record support for the whale’s endangered listing and critical habitat designation, and Alaska director Karla Dutton currently serves on the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Team for the National Marine Fisheries Service, working on a recovery plan for this unique “canary of the sea.”
You can help Cook Inlet beluga whales too! Click here for more information on how to become a trained citizen scientist for the Anchorage Coastal Beluga Survey.
Manatees are known to aggregate in warm-water outfalls at power plants on cold winter days, and those in the area didn’t waste any time in flocking to this site—check out some amazing footage below of the gathering. (Hint: watch until 0:47 to see some synchronized sea cow swimming!)
Loss of warm-water habitat now poses the greatest long-term threat to manatee survival. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported last week that a cold-related die-off of manatees in early 2011 contributed to the high numbers of deaths for the species for the year. Scientists predict cold weather will continue to be a problem for the manatee population over the next few decades when aging electric power plants will be shutting down. The FPL plant itself was demolished last year, but the power company is required to warm the water when it falls below 65 degrees until it completes construction of its new natural gas facility in 2014.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working on an emergency rule to expand protected areas for Florida manatees, creating a refuge that includes all of Kings Bay in Crystal River. The rules will ensure the sea cows will have greater access to critical warm water areas during the winter months and address public concerns associated with local, wintertime manatee viewing activities. Learn more about the Kings Bay proposed rule.
A 847-mile long transmission line could deliver wind energy generated off the East Coast to cities up and down the eastern seaboard.
WASHINGTON—The Interior Department announced plans yesterday to review a proposal for an 847-mile long transmission line capable of delivering some 7,000 megawatts of wind energy generated off the Atlantic coast to the grid.
The proposed Offshore Atlantic Wind Connection transmission line would link up to offshore wind energy areas off Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. Interior will announce the locations of these wind energy areas next month.
Defenders of Wildlife advocates for “Smart from the Start” clean energy development, where projects and transmission lines are guided to low-conflict areas and avoid and effectively mitigate unavoidable impacts to wildlife.
Defenders will be reviewing the plan to ensure that it protects key habitat for the endangered right whale, important flyways for migratory birds and habitat for other sensitive wildlife.
The following is a statement from Jim Lyons, Defenders of Wildlife’s senior director for renewable energy:
“Defenders of Wildlife supports renewable energy that is ‘Smart from the Start’ and is part of a comprehensive strategy for offshore wind energy, which includes transmission.
“The Atlantic coast offers significant clean energy potential that can help shift our nation away from dangerous and dirty fossil fuels and offshore drilling. But the key to wind energy’s success is developing wind projects and transmission lines in low-conflict areas and operating them to avoid harming sensitive wildlife and habitat.
Right whales are critically endangered.
“Some of these offshore waters are critically important to endangered right whales and other important wildlife species. We will be reviewing the proposed route to determine if the project can be permitted efficiently and with greater certainty for developers, investors, and conservationists by avoiding and effectively mitigating unavoidable impacts on right whales and other imperiled wildlife.”
These Arctic heavyweights use their massive bow-shaped heads to crash through sea ice—and they also smash a couple of records. Weighing in at up to 60 tons, bowhead whales hold the record for the biggest mouth of any living animal and they have the densest blubber, measuring up to 2-feet thick.
In a whale’s world it’s a bonus to be big, and that means bowheads have few natural predators. Even so, by the early 20th century, whalers had nearly pushed the population into the abyss, relentlessly hunting bowheads for their bones and blubber—key ingredients in household products of the day like corsets and oil.
Today many countries including the United States have strict laws prohibiting commercial whaling, but threats persist. Scientists say that new plans to drill for oil off Alaska’s northern coast could harm these graceful goliaths. If they’re right, being “hardheaded” may not be enough for bowheads to hang on.
Manatee Awareness Month is underway! And this week, the gentle giants begin their annual migration to warmer waters, where they’ll spend the winter months. Highly sensitive to cold, these marine mammals head for the heat once the thermometer drops below 50 degrees (68 degrees below the surface).
Florida manatees aren’t the only ones enjoying the south seas, and fast-moving boats continue to be a major threat to these endangered animals. 2010 was a deadly year for manatees, with a total of 83 killed in collisions with watercraft. This year promises to be equally unlucky, and by November 4, at least 77 of the animals had met a similar fate.
Fortunately, with manatee season comes safety measures. From now until March 31, when manatees return to their summer habitat, wintering hot spots such as those in Kings Bay, Florida (popular due to its naturally occurring warm water springs) are designated “manatee sanctuaries.” In these areas, many waterborne activities are prohibited, making them safer for the hundreds of manatees gathering there. Soon, these much-needed protections may get a boost — a rule being considered by the Fish and Wildlife Service would allow for national wildlife refuge managers to increase the size of the protected areas to accommodate manatees if need be, and make all of Kings Bay a manatee refuge.
To kick off manatee season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others are hosting a public open house at Three Sisters Springs this Saturday. Three Sisters is one of seven manatee sanctuaries in Kings Bay, and the only place in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge to view manatees from the land. Participants will have the chance to watch gathering manatees from the new boardwalk while hearing about what the future holds for Three Sisters Springs. (For Floridians looking for more information about the event, contact Ivan Vicente, US Fish and Wildlife Service, at 352-563-2088, ext. 211.)
In the meantime, there are lots of ways to reduce the risk of collisions with manatees. Boaters and personal watercraft operators should scan the water near or in front of their vessels and look for the signs that manatees are close by, including swirls resembling a large footprint, a repetitive line of half-moon swirls, a mud trail, or a snout or tail breaking the water’s surface. Remember to keep vessels in marked channels and wear polarized sunglasses for better viewing. Most importantly, always obey posted boat speed zones. Moving slow gives boaters and manatees alike more time to avoid one another, and may save one of these slow-moving mammal’s lives.
Learn more:
See manatees moving gracefully through their watery home! Watch video footage provided by our friends at the Save the Manatee Club.
Any scuba diver will tell you that the world’s coral reefs today are a far cry from what they once were. Climate change is leaving a permanent mark on these underwater jungles, a problem that only promises to get worse with time. Warmer water temperatures cause coral bleaching, a sudden death that occurs when corals expel the algae that normally live inside them, providing them with food and bright coloration. Warmer oceans also make corals more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infection, such as black band disease and purple blotch disease.
Rising temperatures aren’t the only threat facing reefs today. Overfishing, the explosion of invasive species, and an unsustainable aquarium trade all threaten the survival of these biological marvels, as well as the economies that rely on them. With the odds stacked against them, is there anything we can do to save coral reefs before it’s too late?
Wildlife biologist and Defenders’ board member Jeff Corwin, along with the Georgia Aquarium, is determined to find out. Watch a sneak preview of his show, “Ocean Mysteries“ below and join Jeff as he explores one of the world’s majestic reefs, and what hope they have for the future.
Defenders is working with other conservation and humane advocates to make sure the international trade in coral reef animals is done is a safe, sustainable way. Stay tuned for more on our efforts to protect the world’s reefs and the array of wildlife who call them home.
It’s been a chilly new year for Florida manatees, bad news for the temperature-sensitive marine mammals. Fortunately, 
Manatee Awareness Month
In the meantime, there are lots of ways to 
Defenders of Wildlife leads the pack when it comes to protecting wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
