Endangered

The extinction vortex of a species can best be defined as a pattern in which a population falls below a certain size just may decreased even more in size and eventually ends in wiping out the entire species. This is the path that endangered North Atlantic Right Whale's will be heading if researchers cannot figure out what exactly is going on with the mothers. To date, there are only about 300 whales left as a result of the high mortality rates that are faced by almost all of its female population. The declination of mothers is a very serious issue, if all mothers were to die out, it will only be a matter of time until the rest of the surviving members of the species do so as well. Through studies and research, the species is expected to become extinct within about the next 200 years unless prevention measures can be discovered and acted out. Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution narrowed down the causes of death in the population to: (1) entanglement in fishing gear; (2) ship collisions; and (3) limited food sources due to climate change. If changes within fishing systems, locations and a limit on what kinds of fish and how many are caught were to be enforced, it can make a considerable difference. These will make it possible to protect the North Atlantic Right whales from extinction or at least stabilize the current population. It is still unsure why female whales are dying in such ways. Some researchers have said that after giving birth, they reside in shallow waters where it is very likely that they come in contact with a ship or fisherman and do not realize what exactly it is or what they are doing until the last minute. This endangered species deserves to live just as much as every other species. We need to step up and work to fix these issues, for it seems the whales cannot do it on their own.

Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and the environment in which they live in. Organisms come in all shapes and sizes, as well as with different backgrounds. The North Atlantic Right whales are organisms that fall under the category of an endangered species. This is a very serious topic for researchers work to figure out what exactly is causing populations of species that were once abundant and flourishing to decline at rapid rates. So far, it has been discovered that part of the reason as to why these whales are lowering in numbers is that they have been colliding with humans. If humans were not around in the areas in which the whales inhabit, it's said that they would not be suffering such a drastic loss. They would not be on the endangered species list and they would be multiplying and surviving, rather than reproducing, and the mother dying off a short time later.

This is such a sad issue that I'm pretty interested in. I find it fascinating that a species that at one time had a surplus of individuals and decades later, they are dying off. It's almost a mystery. The problem is species falling under the category of being endangered and we need to figure out why this is happening. It's sad that because of human interactions with the environment that we are causing the lives of sea creatures to come to an end. I believe that we need to become more vocal and be strict about where and when fisherman can be with their ships and gear, for if it weren't for their activities, these whales would not be in such a dilemma.