Heatwave Linked to 20% Decline in Alaska-Hawaii Humpback Whales
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Humpback whales that migrate between Alaska and Hawaii have declined by 20% from 2012-2021, coinciding with a severe marine heatwave called "the blob."
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The study used AI-powered facial recognition software to identify individual whales from photographs of their unique tail markings. This allowed tracking of whale populations.
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Industrial whaling had decimated humpback populations, but they had recovered to around 33,000 whales in the North Pacific by 2012.
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The Alaska-Hawaii group saw a 34% decline, indicating the heatwave severely disrupted the food chain these whales rely on.
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New technology like automated facial recognition of whales can reveal population changes faster, helping track impacts of threats like climate change.