Blue whales are mysteriously going silent, sparking concern among scientists.
According to GB News, scientists were left seriously concerned after thousands of blue whales “went
Quiet” off the American coast, the South Pacific and parts of the Southern Ocean.
Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California, after tracking the songs of the blue, fin and humpback whales over the past six years, have revealed that blue whale singing has been reduced by 40%.
The scientist tracked the auditory songs of the blue whales in the North Pacific Ocean in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE).
The researchers noted that major heatwaves triggered by the climate change impacted the region and triggered toxic algae to bloom, which led to a decline in the whales' food supply.
A study co-author and Monterey Bay Aquarium marine biologist Kelly Benoit-Bird told National Geographic, “There are whole ecosystem consequences of these marine heat waves. If they can’t find food, and they can traverse the entire West Coast of North America, that is a really large-scale consequence.”
The blue whales were forced to search for food in a bigger area in 2019 because there wasn't enough krill where they usually hunt.
Scientists noted that “The Blob”, a big heatwave in the ocean, did not affect the number of fish like anchovies and sardines that humpbacks eat, and they even heard more humpback whale songs as compared to blue and fin whales.
Another ecologist, Dawn Barlow, told the outlet, “The Blob really highlighted how long-term these consequences can be. Science shows that climate change is impacting the oceans. Listening and learning from these places is essential to our future. Now more than ever, it’s important to listen.”
Furthermore, the scientists are worried about the “quiet” blue whales and are trying to figure out the big problems caused by 'The Blob' and other weird ocean changes that have happened three times more often since the 1940s.
