History, Natural History & the Arts
Artificial light at night has a profound effect land-based life – from birds to fireflies to humans. But a new study suggests we need to widen our view to include light pollution‘s effect on coastal marine ecosystems, impacting everything from whales to fish, coral to plankton.
This new synthesis of marine light pollution science is published in the journal Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. [Read more…] about Study: Light Pollution Threatens Coastal Marine Systems
Whales were always part of Hudson River life (they were spotted at Albany in 1647), and whaling was a major industry in New York, especially on the Hudson River, for over 60 years. It helped to shape the region’s economy and culture, and it left a lasting legacy. Today, there are several historical markers and museums in the Hudson Valley that commemorate the region’s whaling past and the Great Seal of the City of Hudson still includes a whale. [Read more…] about Hudson River Whaling Industry History
The book Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Ocean (Rizzoli, 2022) by Gaelin Rosenwaks with Foreward by Carl Safina tells the story of sperm whale families through photography and film. [Read more…] about Sperm Whales: Gentle Goliaths
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the State of the Ocean 2023 that provides an overview of actions taken to advance the New York Ocean Action Plan (OAP). The report highlights partnerships and achievements from the first five years of the OAP, including enhancing ecological integrity, promoting sustainable growth, adapting to change, and empowering public stewardship. [Read more…] about State of the Ocean 2023 Report Released
Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are an endangered large whale species that live primarily in deep offshore waters at the continental shelf break. The New York Bight (NYB), an ecologically rich region off the U.S. Atlantic coast between New Jersey and Long Island, provides habitat for the species throughout most of the year. [Read more…] about New York Bight Sperm Whale Behavior
Two marine mammals recently washed-up dead on Long Island beaches.
On Sunday, January 29, New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Della Rocco, Vandenbos, and Zullo responded to a complaint of a deceased dolphin that had washed up on Egypt Beach in Easthampton, Suffolk County. [Read more…] about Dead Humpback Whale, Dolphin Wash Ashore On Long Island Beaches
New Yorkers along coastal shores are reminded to keep a safe distance from marine mammals and resist the urge to intervene when an animal comes ashore. Marine mammals, which include whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals, are protected by federal and state laws to ensure they are not harmed and to keep people at a safe distance. [Read more…] about Avoid Close Encounters with Marine Mammals
New York’s ocean waters are home to various kinds of marine life, including large whales and dolphins.
Whales and dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and boaters must remain at a distance from marine life for everyone’s safety. [Read more…] about Watch for Marine Life in New York’s Waters
North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are one the most endangered marine animals, with fewer than 400 estimated remaining. These whales are found throughout the U.S. East Coast.
Threats to whales include entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, and impacts from climate change that change the ocean habitat, their migratory patterns, and location and availability of their prey. NOAA Fisheries’ North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery describes efforts to halt the current population decline and recover the species. [Read more…] about Protecting Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales
Researchers have published the results of their multi-year aerial study investigating six large whale species in the New York Bight, a triangular area of coastal ocean waters between Long Island and New Jersey.
These results provide data on the year-round occurrence of large whales and is expected to help guide conservation efforts to mitigate impacts from anthropogenic threats. [Read more…] about A New Survey of Whales in the New York Bight