The number of North Atlantic right whales increased slightly last year, offering a glimmer of positive news for the critically endangered population.
There were 372 right whales counted, according to new data from the New England Aquarium and the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.
Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist with the aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center, said the increase from 2023 reflects the birth of 12 whales. But it's not a complete picture.
"The news for 2024 is much more sobering, with nine deaths, 13 injuries," Hamilton said.
One right whale died from an entanglement in Maine fishing gear; three others were struck by boats. Another died from an unknown cause. And though 20 calves were born this year, a handful have already disappeared.
Hamilton cautioned that about two-thirds of right whale mortalities go undetected.
Entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes are leading causes of death and injury to right whales.
Hamilton said large aggregations of right whales were seen this year near busy maritime shipping lanes off New York, where there are fewer speed restrictions for vessels.
In addition, more right whales returned to the Bay of Fundy and the Roseway Basin just southeast of Nova Scotia. Both were historically important feeding grounds for right whales in about 2019, as more individuals began using the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
"We're not doing as well as this little bump would indicate, given what we've seen happen in 2024 — and both what we know has happened and what the potential impact of using other habitats more than they have recently," Hamilton said.
The new data will be reviewed by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, which is holding its annual meeting in Providence later this week.
