Biologists gain new insights into surface, acoustic behaviour of endangered right whales.

In response to the dwindling number of North Atlantic right whales, researchers have conducted a major study of the surface and acoustic behaviour of right whale mother-calf pairs. The team discovered that the near-surface resting behaviour of mother-calf pairs dominates the first five months of the calves' lives.

Susan Parks, associate professor of biology, is the senior author of the study, whose findings appear in Animal Conservation.Parks says the publication is timely, noting the right whales' declining fertility and rising mortality, exacerbated by a breeding season without any new births all of which raise concerns about their increased risk of extinction.

North Atlantic right whales are prone to accidental death or injury from vessels strikes and fishing gear entanglement, says Parks, who studies the acoustic signaling of marine and terrestrial animals. On top of this, their calving rates have dropped dramatically since 2010. We must improve the protection measures for these animals or risk their demise. The team discovered that the near-surface resting behaviour of mother-calf pairs dominates the first five months of the calves' lives.These behaviour place the mother-calf pair at increased risk of a ship strike, which may partially explain why the mortality rate is high, says Parks, adding that mariners often have trouble spotting right whales at sea.