Southern Whales Threatened By Melting Antarctic Ice
Posted on: Friday, 20 June 2008, 08:32 CDT
According to a recent report, endangered migratory whales will have reduced feeding areas due to the shrinkage of Antarctic sea ice from global warming.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said this could threaten the species. The report, “Ice Breaker – Pushing the boundaries for Whales” says whales will soon have to travel up to 310 miles further south in search of food because the ice will retreat up to 30 percent in some areas.
The study also says the whales’ food supply will be further reduced because of the balance between cold sea ice and warmer sea water which causes an up swelling of nutrients that could further contract.
WWF officer Heather Sohl said, "Essentially, what we are seeing is that ice-associated whales such as the Antarctic minke whale will face dramatic changes to their habitat over little more than the lifespan of an individual whale."
The release of the report is timed to coincide with next weeks 60th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Santiago, Chile.
Brazil is expected to propose the adoption of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary.
Especially at risk from the lessening Antarctic sea ice are the Blue Whale, the world’s largest living creature, and the Humpback Whale.
The report says the longer migration paths will reduce the length of the feedings season, as well as increase the energy needed for the whales to reach the feeding grounds.
Scientists predict global average temperatures will rise by 1.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius this century. They blame the increase on fossil fuels used for transportation and power.
The WWF predictions are based on the hypothesis that average temperatures will rise by 2.0 degrees Celsius by 2042.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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User Comments (2)
| 2. |
Posted by Pico on 06/20/2008, 11:34 The continuing focus and foment of WWF on the state of thier mascots the whales reveals thier naievity. The crisis in the world today is NOT more or less CO2, we've already added sufficient to the air to mortally acidify the oceans. The rate at which CO2 is taken up by the oceans is measured in centuries. NO amount of 'feel good' politically correct finger wagging and pimping of their mascots plight by WWF will address this as even if not one single additional molecule of CO2 is added to the lethal concentration already in the air. The ocean is doomed to centuries of acidfication. By all accounts within 50 years acidification will have locked in extinction of the calcifying organisms, the base of the ocean food chain. There is one single hope and that is to restore the ocean green plants, the phytoplankton, to former levels. Only the power of photosynthesis can begin to fix and remove our excess CO2. Such photosynthesis is dramatically down by as much as 20%-50% in oceans of the world. It can be revived through the concerted intelligent action of restoring the vital ocean mineral micronutrients. |
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Posted by David on 06/20/2008, 11:15 Someone needs to inform the WWF that Antarctic sea ice hit a record last year going back to 1979: http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/current.area.south.jpg And it is well above average so far this year: http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/current.anom.south.jpg |
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