1. Unexpected Discovery Baleen whales, like this right whale
mother and calf, communicate using low-frequency acoustic
signals. Underwater noise from large ships overlaps
communication sounds used by whales, and these noise levels have
significantly increased, leading to concerns about effects on
whales. This study shows that reduced ship traffic in the Bay of
Fundy after September 11, 2001, resulted in a significant
decrease in underwater noise. Reduced noise was associated with
decreased levels of faecal stress hormones in right whales.
(Here’s how the researchers get those faecal samples.) This is
the first evidence that exposure to ship noise is associated
with chronic stress in whales, and has implications for baleen
whales in heavy ship traffic areas.