Ocean warming threatens southern right whale population recovery

A significant increase in southern right whale mortality rates following El Niño events has been identified, posing a threat to the recovery of their population at Península Valdés, Argentina. Modeling suggests that more frequent and intense El Niño events could hinder population growth or even lead to decline, potentially disrupting food-web interactions in the Southern Ocean (SO) and weakening its role in global climate change mitigation. The study analyzed photo-identified whales, linking ocean warming and El Niño intensity to adverse impacts on whale survival.

Agrelo, M., Daura-Jorge, F. G., Rowntree, V. J., Sironi, M., Hammond, P. S., Ingram, S. N., Marón, C. F., Vilches, F. O., Seger, J., Payne, R., & Simões-Lopes, P. C. (2021). Ocean warming threatens southern right whale population recovery. Science Advances, 7(42). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh2823