Cold Water Signals Along West Coast Could Help Assess Whale Entanglement Risk
Fisheries scientists at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries) see a connection between the West Coast's cool, highly productive water upwelling and an increased risk of humpback whales becoming entangled in fishing gear.
The wind-driven upwelling of cold, deep-ocean water fuels the area’s rich coastal ecosystem. It attracts marine life, which draws whales to abundant prey and to higher rates of entanglement in fishing gear.
The scientists measured changes in the corridor of cold thermal waters along the coast with what they call...
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