Humpback whales affected by Pacific ocean heatwave
Nicola Ransom
The number of humpback whales in the North Pacific declined by 20% between 2012 and 2021, according to a study that used artificial intelligence to identify individual whales from photographs of their tails.
This decline coincided with a massive ocean heatwave, also known as the blob, that began in 2013 and lasted until 2016. The Blob’s unprecedented intensity was almost certainly the result of global warming.
It said the findings suggest that about 7,000 whales starved to death as a result of the ocean heatwave. Ted Cheeseman At Southern Cross University, Australia. This mass is known to have caused mass die-offs of many other animals, including seabirds.
“This is unlikely to be a one-off event, and unless we quickly curb the causes of climate change around the world, we will see further increases in marine heatwaves and reduced ocean productivity around the world.” “Yes,” Cheeseman said.
“This affects humpback whales and other whale species, but we need to recognize that these whales are indicators of ocean health. It’s gender dependent,” he says.
Whale populations are typically estimated using methods such as ship surveys. This method extrapolates the numbers found in one area to get a rough idea of the overall population. This study is the first to utilize the following data: An international collaborative project called Happywhaleanyone can submit a photo via the website or app along with the time and location of the sighting.
Utilizes AI to identify individuals from photos. In the case of humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae), which is based on the shape and pigment pattern of the caudal fin.
All told, nearly 800,000 photos are currently posted on Happywhale, which Cheeseman co-founded. This has enabled him to identify over 100,000 individual whales worldwide.
“The collaboration enabled by AI-powered image recognition technology allows us to cost-effectively study and monitor species that were previously too difficult to track in detail.”Cheese says Mann.
A large international team analyzed the data to provide the first detailed picture of how humpback whale populations in the North Pacific Ocean have changed over time. Researchers had expected to find that the population was still slowly recovering since whaling largely ended or stabilized. Instead, they found evidence of a sharp decline in the number of people, from about 33,500 in 2012 to 26,500 by 2021.
Although there is great uncertainty in the numbers, the team believes the decline is real. “What were the exact numbers? We don’t know, but we’re pretty sure there will be a significant decline in the humpback whale population in the North Pacific, with significant loss of life,” Cheeseman said. To tell.
“Without this extensive effort, I don’t think we would have ever realized the scale of changes caused by this massive ocean heatwave,” he says.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
