Right Whales Active in New York

The diveristy and abundance of aquatic species in the nearby Atlantic ocean never ceases to amaze me. Earlier today the National Oceangraphic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (which is a great resource for wind and wave information) reported the following report of Right Whale activity off the New York coast. Despite years of degradation many species continue to inhabit the marine waters located adjacent to the highly urbanized shores of the Harbor Estuary. And with the assistance of conservation and management efforts from environmental organizations, businesses, and the general public we may one day see these aquatic animals thrive again. JB

NOAA NDBC Website Report:
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44025

Caution: Right whales are active off NY. NOAA recommends vessels reduce speeds below 12 knots, when consistent with safe navigation. For further info go to: http://rwhalesightings.nefsc.noaa.gov/

Human activities, principally ship strikes and fishery gear entanglements, account for approximately one-third of all known Western North Atlantic right whale mortalities. In an effort to reduce ship collisions with the critically endangered right whale, The Northeast Right Whale Early Warning System (EWS), presently called Right Whale Sighting Advisory System, was developed in late 1996. The System provides real-time right whale sighting information to the commercial shipping industry and other marine traffic from aerial and shipboard surveys conducted by several agencies and organizations and from verified opportunistic sightings. In 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Center for Coastal Studies, the MA Division of Marine Fisheries, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution , the International Wildlife Coalition, the Whale Center of New England, several whale watch companies, and a high speed ferry company, contributed sightings reports to the NE Right Whale SAS. In the years since it's inception, there has been a wide variety of reporting sources due to the expanding awareness of the plight of the right whale and their vulnerability to collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear.

NOAA Website

More on Right Whales...

http://whale.wheelock.edu/whalenet-stuff/reportsRW_NE/

http://www.rightwhales.org/

http://www.omplace.com/omsites/discover/RIGHT/