Eastern Pacific Grey Whale Population "in Trouble"

[n2doc]

Pacific whale decline 'a mystery'
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website


Whales have been arriving off the Mexican coast malnourished
Grey whales in the eastern Pacific appear to be in some trouble, with the cause far from clear, scientists say.

Researchers with the conservation group Earthwatch found that whales are arriving in their breeding grounds off the Mexican coast malnourished.

The same thing happened just after the 1997/8 El Nino event, which warmed the waters and depleted food stocks.

Scientists are not sure whether the current decline is climate related or part of a natural predator-prey cycle.

"We're not really sure what is going on now," said William Megill, a member of the Earthwatch team who also holds posts at Bath University in the UK and the University of British Columbia in Canada.

"We certainly saw in Mexico this winter a very large number of starving whales," he told the BBC News website. "There is currently an El Nino building, and this is a worry."

more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6599805.stm

[YankeyMCC]

1. This was actually mentioned in the science forum too just fyi

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=228&topic_id=29924&mesg_id=29924