//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/dolphins_and_whales/ Whales and dolphins. Whale songs, beaching, endangered status -- current research news on all cetaceans. en-us Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:52:52 EDT Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:52:52 EDT 60 //www.koonmotors.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/dolphins_and_whales/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831142901.htm An international team of marine scientists has studied the DNA of family groups from four different whale species to estimate their mutation rates. Using the newly determined rates, the group found that the number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic before whaling was 86 percent lower than earlier studies suggested. Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:29:01 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831142901.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230810180115.htm 微小的塑料粒子中发现了the fats and lungs of two-thirds of the marine mammals in a graduate student's study of ocean microplastics. The presence of polymer particles and fibers in these animals suggests that microplastics can travel out of the digestive tract and lodge in the tissues. Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:01:15 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230810180115.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230809164707.htm Gray whales that spend their summers feeding off the coast of Oregon are shorter than their counterparts who travel north to the Arctic for food, new research shows. Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:47:07 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230809164707.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230808110928.htm 来自中国的一个了不起的新化石揭示的first time that a group of reptiles were already using whale-like filter feeding 250 million years ago. Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:09:28 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230808110928.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230731110729.htm The smallest member of the filter-feeding family is one of the only whale species not to embark on seasonal migrations, new research finds. Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:07:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230731110729.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720124857.htm Female killer whales live up to ninety years in the wild, and most live an average of twenty-two years after menopause. Scientists have long wondered why humans and some whale species spend a significant portion of their life not reproducing. Previous studies show that, even after having their last calf, killer whale mothers take care of their families by sharing the fish they catch. Now, researchers note that these mothers can also provide social support to their sons by protecting them from being injured by other orcas. Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:48:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720124857.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230710180527.htm Researchers have finally settled a decades-long dispute about the evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale. Mon, 10 Jul 2023 18:05:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230710180527.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230706124603.htm We humans can be a scary acquaintance for whales in the wild. This includes marine biologists tagging them with measuring devices to understand them better. These experiences can make whales behave erratically for a while. Such behaviour can affect research quality and highlights an animal ethics dilemma. Now, researchers have figured out how to solve the problems with math. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:46:03 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230706124603.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133021.htm Amazon river dolphins are under threat from fishing and proposed new dams and dredging, research shows. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:30:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133021.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133018.htm Increasing opportunities for up-close encounters with sharks and other animals are making wildlife tourism one of the fastest growing tourism sectors -- leading ecology experts to venture to one of the world's main sites to investigate the effects of tourism on endangered whale sharks. At Oslob in the Philippines, Flinders University's Southern Shark Ecology Group and Global Ecology Lab joined local Filipino researchers to measure how the daily feeding regimes for resident whale shark population might have affected their behaviour and physiology by assessing their activity and metabolic requirements. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:30:18 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133018.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230628201430.htm Using unoccupied aerial system, or drone, photographs, researchers are now able to determine the age-structure of free-ranging dolphin groups. This work will aid monitoring the health of dolphin populations and inform timely conservation efforts. Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:14:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230628201430.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230626164158.htm 研究人员估计,灰色的鲸鱼喂养the Oregon Coast consume up to 21 million microparticles per day, a finding informed in part by feces from the whales. Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:41:58 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230626164158.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181347.htm Do whales increase the removal of carbon from the atmosphere? Despite some hope that this would be the case, a new study has found the amount of potential carbon capture by whales is too little to meaningfully alter the course of climate change. The team found the amount potentially sequestered by the whales was too minimal to make significant impact on the trajectory of climate change. Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:13:47 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181347.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230511164629.htm A new study has found humpback whales sing louder when the wind is noisy, but don't have the same reaction to boat engines. Thu, 11 May 2023 16:46:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230511164629.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230511164611.htm In the autumn, when right whales swim towards the coasts of South Africa, they ought to be fat and stuffed full. But in recent years, they have become thinner because their food is disappearing with the melting sea ice. Thu, 11 May 2023 16:46:11 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230511164611.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230421092157.htm A new Griffith University study has found that humpback whales will use sandy, shallow bay areas to 'roll' around in sandy substrates to remove dead skin cells on their return journeys south to cooler waters. Using data and footage collected from the tags, whales were observed performing full and side rolls in up to 49m water depth on the sea floor that was lined with fine sand or rubble. Fri, 21 Apr 2023 09:21:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230421092157.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230329091933.htm A group of researchers discovered that the rhodopsin -- a protein in the eye that detects light -- of whale sharks has changed to efficiently detect blue light, which penetrates deep-sea water easily. The amino acid substitutions -- one of which is counterintuitively associated with congenital stationary night blindness in humans -- aid in detecting the low levels of light in the deep-sea. Although these changes make the whale shark rhodopsin less thermally stable the deep-sea temperature, allows their rhodopsin to keep working. This suggests that the unique adaptation evolved to function in the low-light low-temperature environment where whale sharks live. Wed, 29 Mar 2023 09:19:33 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230329091933.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230320143735.htm The small size and isolation of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have led to high levels of inbreeding. This inbreeding has contributed to their decline, which has continued as surrounding killer whale populations expand, according to new research. Mon, 20 Mar 2023 14:37:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230320143735.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230320143728.htm New research is beginning to unravel the times of year and locations where whales are at greatest danger of entanglement in fishing gear on the Oregon Coast. Mon, 20 Mar 2023 14:37:28 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230320143728.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230313120942.htm A new study of Antarctic minke whales reveals a minimum size limit for whales employing the highly efficient 'lunge-feeding' strategy that enabled the blue whale to become the largest animal on Earth. Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:09:42 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230313120942.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230303105342.htm Toothed whales, such as dolphins, killer whales and sperm whales communicate and catch food exclusively with sound. Now researchers have for the first time found they evolved a new sound source in their nose that is functionally the same as the human larynx. Fri, 03 Mar 2023 10:53:42 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230303105342.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230228205235.htm Centuries-old whaling records show how southern right whales are altering their feeding habits. Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:52:35 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230228205235.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230228154516.htm A new study of New Zealand blue whales' vocalizations indicates the whales are present year-round in the South Taranaki Bight and their behavior is influenced by environmental conditions in the region. Tue, 28 Feb 2023 15:45:16 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230228154516.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230228154458.htm 2011年,科学家recorded a previously unknown feeding strategy in whales around the world. Now, researchers in Australia think they may have found evidence of this behaviour being described in ancient accounts of sea creatures, recorded more than 2,000 years ago. They believe that misunderstandings of these descriptions contributed to myths about medieval sea monsters. Whales are known lunge at their prey when feeding, but recently whales have been spotted at the surface of the water with their jaws open at right angles, waiting for shoals of fish to swim into their mouths. A clip of this strategy was captured in 2021 and went viral on Instagram. This strategy seems to work for the whales because the fish think they have found a place to shelter from predators, not realising they are swimming into danger. It's not known why this strategy has only recently been identified, but scientists speculate that it's a result of changing environmental conditions -- or that whales are being more closely monitored than ever before by drones and other modern technologies. Tue, 28 Feb 2023 15:44:58 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230228154458.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230222141138.htm As sea ice declines in the Arctic, bowhead whales are staying north of the Bering Strait more frequently, a shift that could affect the long-term health of the bowhead population and impact the Indigenous communities that rely on the whales, a new study shows. Wed, 22 Feb 2023 14:11:38 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230222141138.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230217152315.htm Not all Chinook salmon are created equal, and this has a major impact on the energetics for southern resident killer whales. A recent study quantified the lipid content in Fraser River Chinook salmon -- the southern resident's preferred meal -- and found that spring-run Chinook salmon, the earliest to arrive to the Salish Sea are lipid-rich and energy dense; a critical factor for the killer whales who prey on them. Fraser River Chinook salmon that come later in the season have lower energy density. Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:23:15 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230217152315.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230216161506.htm Male whales along Australia's eastern seaboard are giving up singing to attract a mate, switching instead to fighting their male competition. Thu, 16 Feb 2023 16:15:06 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230216161506.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230214154029.htm Seabed mining could soon begin in the deep ocean -- but the potential impact on animals including whales is unknown, researchers have warned. Tue, 14 Feb 2023 15:40:29 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230214154029.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230208124422.htm It's not unusual for parents and especially mothers to sacrifice their own future success for the sake of their offspring. Now a new study shows that killer whale mothers take this to a surprising extreme. They sacrifice their own reproductive success to care for their sons, even after those sons are full-fledged adults. Wed, 08 Feb 2023 12:44:22 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230208124422.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230205081321.htm Something you maybe never thought of -- dolphins get kidney stones just like people! Now a researcher is reporting a new method to control the growth of ammonium urate crystals, the substance known to cause kidney stones in dolphins and the findings may not only help dolphins but may also have implications for the pharmaceutical industry. 太阳,05年2月2023 08:13:21 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230205081321.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230123151535.htm 科学家展示磷虾供应减少导致一些er pregnancies in humpback whales -- a finding that could have major implications for industrial krill fishing. Data from Antarctica show more humpback whales get pregnant after years with abundant krill than after years when krill were less plentiful. Mon, 23 Jan 2023 15:15:35 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230123151535.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230112134725.htm A chemical used in the production of toilet paper and 'forever chemicals' have been found in the bodies of orcas in B.C. , including the endangered southern resident killer whales. Scientists analyzed tissue samples from six southern resident killer whales and six Bigg's whales stranded along the coast of B.C. from 2006 to 2018, according to a recent study. They discovered that chemical pollutants are prevalent in killer whales, with a chemical often found in toilet paper one of the most prevalent in the samples studied, accounting for 46 per cent of the total pollutants identified. Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:47:25 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230112134725.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230112113208.htm Dolphins are social, intelligent animals who rely on whistles and echolocation to hunt and reproduce. This means that noise generated from human activity such as drilling and shipping has the potential to negatively impact the health of wild dolphin populations. A study demonstrates that dolphins 'shout' when trying to work together in response to increasing underwater noise levels. Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:32:08 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230112113208.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/12/221222123109.htm Just like a smartwatch can tell its wearer how many calories they consume during exercise, data from dolphin wearables can now be used to estimate how much energy dolphins use when they swim. Thu, 22 Dec 2022 12:31:09 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/12/221222123109.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/12/221215120727.htm Nature-based solutions to fight climate change take a holistic approach that promotes biodiversity and ecosystem preservation. While many efforts have focused on planting trees or restoring wetlands, researchers now also advocate for the importance of understanding the carbon sequestration potential of the planet's largest animals -- whales. Researchers explore how these marine giants can influence the amount of carbon in our air and waters and potentially contribute to the overall reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Thu, 15 Dec 2022 12:07:27 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/12/221215120727.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221010115409.htm Gray whales that migrate along the West Coast of North America continued to decline in number over the last 2 years, according to a new assessment. The population is now down 38 percent from its peak in 2015 and 2016, as researchers probe the underlying reasons. Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:54:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221010115409.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221005132942.htm Tracking blue whales by their booming vocalizations, researchers have revealed how these ocean giants find dense aggregations of food. Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:29:42 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221005132942.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221004175814.htm A new article presents direct evidence of orcas killing white sharks in South Africa. Tue, 04 Oct 2022 17:58:14 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221004175814.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221003164513.htm Researchers have developed a new satellite tag that allows them to better track whales' behavior, including previously unobservable feeding events during dives. Mon, 03 Oct 2022 16:45:13 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221003164513.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220926114932.htm The structure of family groups gives animals an incentive to help or harm their social group as they age, new research shows. Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:49:32 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220926114932.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220923090856.htm Special blood vessels in whale brains may protect them from pulses, caused by swimming, in their blood that would damage the brain, new research has suggested. Fri, 23 Sep 2022 09:08:56 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220923090856.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220902103255.htm Did the first ancestors of whales pick up where the mosasaurs left off 66 million years ago, after the extinction of all the large predatory marine reptiles? A study has looked into the possible convergences in morphology and behavior that may exist between these two groups of large marine predatory animals. Fri, 02 Sep 2022 10:32:55 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220902103255.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220829153233.htm Male bottlenose dolphins form the largest known multi-level alliance network outside humans, researchers have shown. These cooperative relationships between groups increase male access to a contested resource. Mon, 29 Aug 2022 15:32:33 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220829153233.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220824152316.htm Fossils of a giant killer mosasaur have been discovered, along with the fossilized remains of its prey. Wed, 24 Aug 2022 15:23:16 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220824152316.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220818122426.htm Scientists have confirmed their previous observations that rising temperatures increase the sound of snapping shrimp, a tiny crustacean found in temperate and tropical coastal marine environments around the world. Thu, 18 Aug 2022 12:24:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220818122426.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220812114016.htm Social media posts helped scientists to monitor one of New Zealand's rarest whale species, the infrequently sighted southern right whale. Fri, 12 Aug 2022 11:40:16 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220812114016.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220808162214.htm New research sheds light on how climate change will impact the distribution of great whales in New Zealand waters. Researchers used a complex modelling approach to project the regional range shift of blue and sperm whales by the year 2100, under different climate change scenarios. Mon, 08 Aug 2022 16:22:14 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220808162214.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220727110711.htm Fossils of small plesiosaurs, long-necked marine reptiles from the age of dinosaurs, have been found in a 100-million year old river system that is now Morocco's Sahara Desert. This discovery suggests some species of plesiosaur, traditionally thought to be sea creatures, may have lived in freshwater. Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:07:11 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220727110711.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220725105658.htm Whale sharks are filter feeders and have long been observed eating krill at Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef. But when researchers analysed biopsy samples from whale sharks at the reef, they discovered the animals were actually eating a lot of plant material. The finding makes whale sharks -- which have been reported up to 18m long -- the world's largest omnivore. Mon, 25 Jul 2022 10:56:58 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220725105658.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220712102655.htm The first widespread census of the genetic diversity of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) populations living along 3000km of Australia's southern coastline has raised key pointers for future conservation efforts. The comprehensive study calls for more conservation and policy efforts to preserve adaptive DNA diversity and assist connectivity between these dolphin groups. This will support long-term gene flow and adaptation during ongoing habitat changes -- including oceanic conditions affected by climate change and human enterprises. Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:26:55 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220712102655.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220711111850.htm The good news is, pygmy blue whales appear to be thriving in the Indian Ocean. But not-so-good is that climate change may be threatening their food sources. Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:18:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220711111850.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220707141847.htm After blue whales, fin whales are the largest whales in the world -- and human beings have hunted both species to near-extinction. After the ban on commercial whaling in 1976, the stocks of these long-lived, but slow-growing creatures are rebounding: researchers have witnessed large groups of up to 150 southern fin whales in their historical feeding areas -- more than has ever been documented before using modern methods. Given these whales' key role in nutrient recycling, other species in the Antarctic ecosystem, like the krill, could also benefit from their rebounding numbers. Thu, 07 Jul 2022 14:18:47 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220707141847.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220705090712.htm Earth's oceans are crisscrossed with roughly 1.2 million km of fiber optic telecommunication cables. Researchers have now succeeded in using a fiber in a submarine cable as a passive listening system, enabling them to listen to and monitor whales. Tue, 05 Jul 2022 09:07:12 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220705090712.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220704094235.htm Satellite-tracking of the largest fish in the ocean offered insight into their migratory and feeding behavior, but their breeding grounds are still a mystery. Mon, 04 Jul 2022 09:42:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220704094235.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220701102751.htm A new study has found humpback whales can learn incredibly complex songs from whales from other regions. Fri, 01 Jul 2022 10:27:51 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220701102751.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220627165934.htm The endangered southern resident killer whale population isn't getting enough to eat, and hasn't been since 2018, a new study has determined. The animals have been in an energy deficit, averaged across spring, summer and fall, for six of the last 40 years -- meaning the energy they get from food is less than what they expend. Three of those six years came in the most recent years of the study, 2018 to 2020. The average difference in energy is 28,716 calories, or about 17 per cent of the daily required energy for an average adult killer whale, the authors say. Mon, 27 Jun 2022 16:59:34 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220627165934.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220614164429.htm While researchers have speculated that the up to 50-foot-long whales choose shallow, coastal locations for lack of predators and warmer and calmer waters, a team of biologists recently uncovered a new potential motive. Tue, 14 Jun 2022 16:44:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220614164429.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220614122730.htm Most North Atlantic right whales that are severely injured in fishing gear entanglements die within three years, a study finds. Severely injured whales were up to eight times more likely to die than those with minor injuries, and only 44% of males and 33% of females with severe injuries survived longer than 36 months. Females that did survive had low birth rates and longer intervals between calving. Tue, 14 Jun 2022 12:27:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220614122730.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220609100056.htm New research finds climate change is having an impact on how large whale species, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, use habitats in the warming Gulf of Maine, showing that right whales' use of Cape Cod Bay has shifted significantly over the last 20 years. Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:00:56 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220609100056.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220602132305.htm They click. They whistle. They love seafood. They are New York City's nearshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that return to feed in local waters from spring to fall each year, and a team of scientists is tracking them. Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:23:05 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/06/220602132305.htm