Saturday, September 19, 2009

Bay of Fundy right whale numbers rebound

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Record number of calves born this year  
Friday, September 18, 2009 | 7:06 PM AT Comments30 CBC News
Conservation efforts in the Bay of Fundy appear to be paying off for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, with a record 39 calves being born this year.Conservation efforts in the Bay of Fundy appear to be paying off for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, with a record 39 calves being born this year. (CBC)

Thirty years of conservation efforts in the Bay of Fundy appear to be paying off for the North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest large mammals on earth, scientists say.

The species, once headed for extinction, is experiencing a baby boom, with 39 calves born this year, and 37 of them surviving.

That's the largest number documented since researchers from Boston's New England Aquarium started monitoring the whales in the Bay, off the basin of Grand Manan, N.B. The previous record was 31, set in 2001.

"I'd like to think we're moving towards a success story, of right whales being a success story in conservation," said Dr. Moira Brown, a Canadian biologist, who is leading the research team.
The goal is to help keep the right whales safe by documenting how many there are using photographs and an online database, tracking their habits and movements.

Read entire article here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/09/18/nb-right-whales.html

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