Blue whales are going eerily silent–and scientists say it's a warning sign
18 days ago
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- #marine-conservation
- #whale-research
- Blue whales are becoming eerily silent due to marine heat waves and noise pollution, signaling ecosystem distress.
- A six-year study off California’s coast used hydrophones to record whale songs, revealing impacts of climate change.
- Marine heatwaves like 'The Blob' disrupted krill populations, leading to a 40% drop in blue whale vocalizations.
- Blue whales and fin whales, which rely heavily on krill, struggled to find food, reducing their singing and reproductive efforts.
- Underwater sound recordings show whales spending more energy searching for food than singing during heatwaves.
- Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, with durations tripling since the 1940s.
- Blue whales in New Zealand also showed reduced feeding and mating calls during warm water events.
- Scientists view blue whales as sentinels of ocean health, with their silence indicating broader ecosystem shifts.
- The COVID-19 pandemic provided a brief natural experiment, showing how reduced human noise affects marine life.
- Long-term acoustic monitoring is essential for conservation, but more data is needed to link sounds to environmental changes.