April 25, 2022 — Local researchers are studying why North Atlantic right whales are migrating out of our area into more northern waters in Canada.
Some believe rapidly warming waters in the Gulf of Maine could be playing a role, but they’re just not sure how.
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most critically endangered animals on the planet.
Researchers from the New England Aquarium are studying these majestic creatures and they think some of the answers might lie in their poop.
Dr. Elizabeth Burgess is a research scientist with the aquarium that studies hormone changes in right whales. Unfortunately, the easiest way to collect hormones is through their feces.
“So nutritional stress is of really great concern for this species, as is the reproductive viability as well. So all of these things we can, we’re using hormones to better understand what’s happening,” said Burgess.