Grey whale investigate halted due to COVID-19 concerns

April 14, 2020
Technology

At this time of year, scientists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada would be out on their boats study a grey whale emigration north, though like many other things, their research has been stopped by COVID-19.

Thomas Doniol-Valcroze, a investigate scientist who leads the sovereign government’s cetacean investigate program, says a annual emigration — that occurs each open — is a good window of event to check on a condition of a particular whales.

This year was also an critical one for his organisation since a grey whale race suffered large waste final year, with several — including during slightest eight in B.C. — being found passed or stranded on beaches along a Pacific coast.

“We were all fervent to see this year if they were doing fine, though since of a situation, obviously, [we are limited] to what we can do,” Doniol-Valcroze told horde Kathryn Marlow on CBC’s All Points West.

A passed grey whale is shown cleared adult on a California beach in May 2019. Dozens of grey whales were found passed along a Pacific seashore final year. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Listen to a full talk with researcher Thomas Doniol-Valcroze:

Typically, investigate teams go out together on tiny to medium-sized boats to take photographs and measurements of a whales. But since of earthy enmity measures, all margin work has been dangling until during slightest May 1.

“A vessel is a tiny place and teamwork is a large partial of what we do, so it’s unequivocally tough for us to do this and honour all a discipline for amicable distancing.”

An aerial shot of migrating grey whales. DFO scientist Thomas Doniol-Valcroze says drones competence be a good approach of study a whales if researchers can’t observe them around boats. (Kyle Munson/Shutterstock)

But there are other ways of entertainment engaging data, Doniol-Valcroze says. These embody methods like acoustic mooring, where hydrophones are forsaken underwater in specific locations to record sounds from flitting whales.

And since grey whales quit tighten to a coast, a organisation could potentially work from a shore, using drones to fly over a whales and accumulate measurements.

There is one china backing to all a forced earthy distancing, however.

There are fewer ferries, ships, and whale examination boats — and correspondingly, reduction sea noise.

“And that’s a good thing for these animals,” said Doniol-Valcroze, adding that there have been anecdotal reports of whales swimming closer to seaside in areas where they are not customarily seen, like a organisation of torpedo whales speckled in Indian Arm, nearby Vancouver.

Watch a pod of torpedo whales surface off Barnet Marine Park in Burnaby, B.C.:

But there’s no approach of truly quantifying a effect.

“We can’t unequivocally guard what they’re doing right now, since we can’t be out there for a same reason.”

If we have a COVID-19-related story we should pursue that affects British Columbians, greatfully email us at impact@cbc.ca.

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grey-whale-research-1.5527208?cmp=rss