Melting Sea Ice Linked to Alarming Rise in Gray Whale Deaths
Since 2019, gray whales have been dying off at an alarming rate. A study conducted by scientists at Oregon State University suggests that the deaths are caused by the melting sea ice in the Arctic. The researchers found that the decrease in sea ice leads to a decrease in the crustaceans that the gray whales rely on for food. This ongoing die-off has resulted in a significant decline in the North Pacific gray whale population. While extinction is not currently a risk for gray whales, this situation highlights the broad impacts of the climate crisis and the vulnerability of even highly resilient species.