As North Atlantic right whales migrate north for summer feeding, pandemic restrictions may hamper critical research—but they might also help keep them alive
Wolverine, a right whale known to researchers by the boat-propeller scars on his back, was found dead and pulled ashore for study in June 2019
It’s an especially grim task when the necropsy is on a North Atlantic right whale. Now numbering around 400, these animals are being struck by ships and getting tangled in fishing ropes faster than they can reproduce. Necropsies provide scientists with critical information, says Wimmer, such as blubber thickness and hormone levels, which helps them understand more about the health of the population. They also reveal the cause of death, which is almost always related to human industry.
As right whales migrate north to their summer feeding grounds, Wimmer’s group is preparing for potential mortalities. Coronavirus measures will make necropsies difficult, but not impossible. Team members can maintain physical distance while manoeuvring around a 60-foot whale, and they already use copious personal protective equipment. “If we have the means to do it and it can be done safely, then we need to do it,” says Wimmer.
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