Aquarium scientists wrap up successful annual field work season in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence

BOSTON, MASS. (October 3, 2024) – Over the course of three months of vessel-based field work in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL), scientists from the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, in partnership with Canadian Whale Institute (CWI), photographed 62 individual North Atlantic right whales, reported 19 lost sets of fishing gear, obtained 23 blow samples, and collected three fecal samples which are used to analyze the critically endangered species’ hormone levels and other aspects of their health.

**PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE WITH CREDIT TO NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM**

The field work in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is becoming increasingly significant to researching the whales’ changing migration patterns as their food sources shift and the Gulf of Maine increases in temperature. North Atlantic right whales used to congregate in the Bay of Fundy near Lubec Maine, south of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but in recent years, they have been seen farther north. A large number of North Atlantic right whales were also spotted off Long Island, NY this summer, an unusual feeding area for the species which indicates another sign of changing migration trends and behaviors.

“This is a good reminder that while we think we have a handle on the movement patterns of North Atlantic right whales, they are always responding and adapting to changing ocean conditions,” said Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist with the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center.

This season, for the first time, the team (which included two Anderson Cabot Center scientists) conducted surveys in the month of June, from June 17 to July 1. This work consisted of day trips on a small boat to the Shediac Valley, which is part of the GSL to the east of the Acadian Peninsula and north of Prince Edward Island. The goals were to identify whales based on the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog (which in turn informs all sorts of research including life history, health, and scarring), when possible collect skin and blubber biopsies and fecal samples to help study genetics as well as health through hormone analysis, and report lost fishing gear that poses life-threatening entanglement risks to all whales.

During the five days out on the water, the team photographed 35 North Atlantic right whales including “Shelagh” (Catalog #4510), “Boomerang” (Catalog #2503), and two mother-calf pairs: “Wolf”(Catalog #1703) and “Halo” (Catalog #3546), with their respective calves of the year. Shelagh, who was seen entangled in May this year and then seen gear-free in mid-June having presumably shed the entangling lines, had numerous wounds and moved sluggishly through the water. During this June stint, the team also collected three poop samples and reported six sets of lost gear to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for removal.

On June 22, the team documented a yearling born to “War” (Catalog #1812) in 2023 with a new entanglement. The scientists were able to attach a satellite telemetry buoy to the trailing gear and followed her movements by satellite for five days before the tag stopped working. The yearling was luckily spotted over a week later by a DFO plane, and the team was able to attach a second telemetry buoy. A partially successful disentanglement effort happened the following day, but it was not until July 10 when the Canadian Whale Rescue Team (CWRT) successfully removed the majority of the fishing gear. All that remains is a small bit of line through her mouth, which scientist believe she should be able to shed on her own.

In July, a team of Anderson Cabot Center and CWI scientists conducted research aboard a larger crab fishing vessel for 10 days from July 8 to 18. The mission added on to the June scientific priorities by including the use of drones for blow sample collection and photogrammetric measurements. Given they were on a larger boat, permission was granted by DFO for the crew to collect the lost, abandoned, or discarded fishing gear rather than just report it.

This research survey remained primarily in Shediac Valley. During the ten days at sea, the team saw 49 individual right whales (many identifications overlapped with the June surveys), as well as the same two mother-calf pairs and recently entangled Shelagh. She was observed moving a little better than when the team saw her in June, but still not as quickly or as “normal” as the other whales around her.

During this outing, the team implemented a pilot program using drones to see if they could gather genetic material via blow samples, as opposed to the more invasive biopsy method. They plan to use these blow samples for continued hormone research in the Anderson Cabot Center’s Wildlife and Ocean Health (WHO) lab. Using a specialized drone, the pilot would fly the drone over the head of the whale, wait for the final blow, then fly through the cloud and collect the sample. This effort resulted in 23 blow samples, including one sample from the injured Shelagh. The team also used drones to collect photogrammetry, or measurements of the whales, for the first time and gathered data from at least 30 whales. With the appropriate permit and the equipment needed to pick up lost fishing gear, the team hauled in four sets.

In August, two Anderson Cabot Center scientists, along with three from CWI, went out for one final research survey of the season—from August 3 to 15. They were once again aboard the same crab fishing vessel with the same focus as the June surveys, but with the added ability to haul lost fishing gear.

As an example of the impact and advantages for the team to get out onto the water to see the whales up close, the Anderson Cabot Center scientists found right whale “Neptune” (Catalog #3301) with a new entanglement on their very first day at sea in June. They followed the whale, which was moving at a fast clip, for seven hours through northern Shediac Valley. The team stayed with Neptune until dark, but they were unable to attach a telemetry buoy due to his speed and the team’s inability to assess the situation. Aerial surveillance flights went out the next day to try and relocate the whale, without any luck, and he has not been seen since.

Given the team had traveled far offshore following Neptune, they decided to survey through western Bradelle Valley, which is farther offshore and an area that had not been surveyed by boat yet this season and not frequently by plane. Only a couple of right whales were spotted out there, but multiple sets of lost fishing gear were sighted and removed from the water column (nine in total across the entire cruise). Once the team returned to Shediac Valley, they documented many of the same whales from the previous surveys, totaling 42 individual right whales for the month of August. This tally included a few new faces for the season, including “Fenway” (Catalog #2791) and her calf of the year.

MEDIA CONTACT: Hannah Boutiette, 413-717-7759, hannah@teakmedia.com