whales – Professional Mariner

22 Dec

Tackling the fishing gear problem

Professional Mariner StaffResearch Vessel, Trends and Currentsentanglement, fishing gear, New England Aquarium and the Center for Coastal Studies, whales, WHOI, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Beyond collisions with ships, whales inhabiting the waters of North America are vulnerable to injury or death from another human-related threat: fishing gear entanglement. Research conducted by the New England Aquarium and the Center for Coastal Studies showed that scars found on 83 percent of endangered North Atlantic right whales and about half of endangered humpbacks between Cape Cod and…

22 Dec

New technology aims to help mariners save the whales

Professional Mariner StaffResearch Vessel, Trends and CurrentsBenioff Ocean Initiative, Santa Barbara Channel, Ship Speed Watch, vessel collision, Whale Safe, whales, whaling

While humans once stood in awe of the size and strength of whales, the roles have been nearly reversed since the mid-20th century as increasing ship traffic has added insult to the injury done by the era of whaling. To reverse the trend, marine scientists, environmental advocates and sympathizers in the nautical community are trying to harness technology to protect…