Ecology
Feasting whales fuel ocean ecosystems
Baleen whales eat a lot. Can their appetites help marine ecosystems recover from overfishing?
Tag: whale
Paleontology
New species of ancient whale discovered in Egypt
Forty-three million years ago, ancient semi-aquatic whales roamed coastal seas which have since transformed into the deserts of present-day Egypt.…
Conservation
North Atlantic right whales are getting smaller
With fewer than 400 individuals left on the planet, the situation for North Atlantic right whales is dire. Beyond the…
Sea Ice
Narwhal Tusks Indicate Changing Mercury Levels in Arctic Waters
By analyzing growth rings in the tusks of narwhals, scientists uncover trends in mercury pollution in the Canadian Arctic and…
Behavior
Sperm whales learned from each other to avoid 19th century whalers
Is it possible to learn about how whales behaved 200 years ago? A combination of whaling logbooks and mathematical models…
Behavior
There and back again: Uncovering the mysteries of gray whale migration
Gray whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any animal, swimming 12,000 miles round-trip between their northern feeding grounds…
Human impacts
Are marine mammals susceptible to COVID-19?
Humans aren't the only ones susceptible to COVID-19 and as the virus continues to spread, concern for wildlife is growing.
Physiology
How to Stay Alive without Oxygen: Marine Mammals, Diving, and COVID-19
The unique deep diving ability of marine mammals may give researchers a clue into the damaging effects of COVID-19 on…
Behavior
Surprising fin whale songs in Hawaii
After sifting through thousands of hours of recordings, a team of naval researchers is bringing the previously hidden complexities of…
Behavior
Surf’s Up: Suckerfish Have a Whale of a Time
Remoras use the powerful suctioning organ on their heads to attach to different animals. For the first time scientists reveal…
Behavior
Is Noise Pollution Causing Marine Mammals to Starve?
Noise surrounds our daily lives, and the oceans are no exception. Sonar is used by the Navy and oil industry,…
Behavior
Bowhead Whales Threatened by a ‘Killer’
The Arctic is experiencing dramatic changes in sea ice. How will this warming affect the marine life? Scientists find there…
Behavior
The view from a sperm whale’s nose
What happens if you place a microphone on the tip of a sperm whale’s nose? Putting anything on the nose…
Paleontology
An ancient dolphin gives a glimpse of the past
What can fossilized dolphin skeletons tell us about how whales transitioned from land to sea millions of years ago? New…
Behavior
Minke Boings: A 50-year mystery and the science of listening in the ocean
Whale sounds are weird and fascinating, but for a long time scientists weren't even sure that whales made sounds. The…
Biology
Tagging the deepest diving mammal: the Cuvier’s beaked whale
A few years ago, the Cuvier’s beaked whale set the record as the deepest diving mammal. At the time, not…
deep sea
Zombie worms in whale bones
Looking for a cool Halloween costume? Dress up as a zombie worm that lives under the sea and injects acid…
Behavior
Humpback Whales Harmonize with Changing Environments
A recent study explores how the occurrence of humpback whale song is associated with shifts in their environment, including the…
Ecology Sharkbites Saturday
There’s No Such Thing as Free Lunch: Observing the Foraging Behavior of Sharks Feeding on a Sperm Whale Carcass
All species in the animal kingdom must find food to survive. For some species, finding food can be difficult and…
Behavior Biology Conservation deep sea Ecology Methodology Physiology Trophic Ecology
The Biological Big Bang: Testing the hypothesis that sperm whales use auditory bursts to stun prey and other proposed feeding strategies.
Article Fais, A., Johnson, M., Wilson, M., Soto, N. A., & Madsen, P. T. (2016). Sperm whale predator-prey interactions involve…