CONSERVATION The accumulative effects generated by human activity have contributed to degradation of coastal marine habitats along the eastern seaboard. The historical impact of early whaling off the east coast decimated the population of right whales, and recently collision with commercial and recreational boats, entanglement with fishing gear and degradation of water have clearly affected the vitality of this population to sustain itself. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) established the National Right Whale Recovery Team to identify the human-induced risks to the species. In decreasing order of severity the team identified the following risks: 1. collisions with ships, 2. entanglement in certain types of fishing gear, 3. habitat degradation and 4. disturbance from vessels. Northern right whales swim slowly, spending a considerable amount of time at the surface, skim feeding and resting, which makes them susceptible to collision with vessels. Since 1970, 29% of the documented right whale mortalities have been due to ship collisions. An additional 11% show propeller scars. Although data on the effects of vessel disturbance are not conclusive, cows with calves appear to be sensitive to sound, and have been observed avoiding boats. Unfortunately, these whales move slowly and are often unable to avoid collisions. Although collisions with ships remain a constant threat, entanglement in fishing gear looms as an ever-present hazard. The Gulf of Maine has traditionally served as a major fishing ground. Draggers, trawlers, scallopers, gillnetters, long-liners, clammers, and others have set their nets and gear in areas frequented by whales. Inevitably, some of that gear traps whales, including right whales. A whale disentanglement team, led by the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Mass, has successfully freed several whales over the years. One such rescue is documented in the Center's video production "Sanctuaries: Stories of Stellwagen Bank." The Southeast United States Implementation Team for the Recovery of the Northern Right Whale is charged with coordinating right whale recovery activities throughout the Southeast. The team is made up of representatives from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Port Authorities. The Implementation Team has also developed an early warning system to help reduce the number of vessel collisions. The New England Aquarium makes daily flights over the calving grounds from December to March, and forwards the location of right whales to ships passing through the area. These surveys are funded by the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Navy. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection sponsor workshops in which they share information on how to best alert mariners to the location of whales and on the best way mariners can respond. One way individuals can help in the fight to save the northern right whale is by sponsoring a whale. There are three right whale sponsorship programs in North America. The New England Aquarium, the primary research organization working to save the northern right whale, has a national sponsorship program which raises funds to partially support this research effort. The Aquarium's work is augmented by two organizations. The Ocean Society in Atlanta, Georgia and East Coast Ecosystems in Freeport, Nova Scotia; both have adoption programs in place. All three programs are well coordinated and share information. Photographs and sightings histories for all the programs come out of the research database which is housed at the Aquarium. These three programs all have a slightly different focus but their overall goal is the same--to benefit the species through research, education and conservation. A brief description of the three is listed below. The Right Whale Research Project New England Aquarium Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110 (617) 973-6582 The Aquarium's sponsorship program focuses primarily on the research being conducted on this vulnerable and poorly run species. It is a small, no-frills program run by the researchers themselves and the funds collected go directly to defray the cost of future field work. Your contribution could go towards the purchase of film for our photographic database or to get one of the researchers to an injured animal. The packet you receive includes a 3X5 photo taken by a member of the research team, a thorough sighting history of that animal and background information on right whale research. Our published catalog of individual right whales and our project T-shirts are also available. Our team studies these animals during more than half the year in areas ranging from their calving ground along the southeastern U. S. to nursery and feeding areas off Maine and Nova Scotia. First hand reports on this ongoing research effort and updates on individual whale sightings are the focus of our biannual newsletter published in the late fall and early spring of each year. The Ocean Society 441 Ridgewater Drive Marietta, GA 30068 770-977-1838 In Georgia, the Ocean Society, in cooperation with the New England Aquarium, sponsors an adopt-a-whale and marine education program. David Mattingly, a commercial airline pilot, founded this Atlanta-based conservation organization. Mattingly had previously helped gather the data that established the southeast coast as a right whale calving area. The Ocean Society continues his commitment to saving endangered whales by contributing to right whale research and education. East Coast Ecosystems P. O. Box 36 Freeport, Nova Scotia, Canada BOV 1B0 (902) 839-2962 East Coast Ecosystems is a Canadian organization involved with right whale research, education and advocacy programs. Since 1968, East Coast Ecosystems has been conducting shipboard surveys in collaboration with the New England Aquarium. These surveys, which take place in the Bay of Fundy and on the southern Scotian shelf, enable researchers to study the seasonal distribution, abundance, and behavior of the right whale. In Canada, funds from this whale adoption program help promote awareness among mariners to the presence of right whales as well as introducing these rare animals into the classrooms of thousands of Canadian school children every year. East Coast Ecosystems works with Fundy Vessel Traffic Control of the Canadian Coast Guard, providing them with assistance in alerting ships transiting the Bay of Fundy to locations of right whales in an attempt to reduce the number of ship collisions involving whales. It is difficult to get a good look at right whales, since they often are barely visible above the surface. However, the V-shaped blow of the right whale is easy to recognize. If you are one of the few that happens to spot a right whale, record latitude and longitude, LORAN coordinates, or position in regard to buoys, then move away from the whale. Report right whale sightings by calling 1-800-2-save-me, in Georgia, or 1-800-dial-fmp, in Florida. If you are interested in whale watching, avoid the calving area, off the coast of southern Georgia and northern Florida from December through March. This is the most vulnerable time in the entire life of a right whale. Any disturbance could affect the calving, nursing or other behaviors critical to the survival of the species. This courtesy will increase the chances of seeing these endangered whales in their spring and summer feeding and breeding grounds. If you want to see whales off the southeast coast in winter, look for a smaller cetacean, the bottlenose dolphin, which can lift your spirits with joyful wonder, disproportionate to their size. For the most recent information concerning the northern right whale, you can subscribe to Right Whale News. Call Hans Neuhauser (706) 546-7507, for subscription information.