Humpback whales move north as scientists believe warm oceans are the cause
'This has never happened before,' says environmental geochemist
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Humpback whales are steadily moving north, and warmer seas and melting ice may be the reason.
The whales, which move between the Antarctic and the southern tips of three continents, will be the focus of a six-year, $5m (£3.9m) study into their migration routes by eight research institutions across South America, South Africa and Australia.
"Their migratory behaviour is changing, they are going further and further north," said Alakendra Roychoudhury, an environmental geochemist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. "If the physical and chemical conditions of the oceans change, what will happen to the whales?"
The study will involve multiple cruises to the whales' feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica and the coastlines of the three continents where they breed. It will combine historical migration and whale-sighting data with the new research to determine the impact of both warmer oceans and melting ice, which may change the chemical nature of the ocean, Mr Roychoudhury said by phone on Tuesday.
In South Africa, the humpbacks, which eat phytoplankton and krill, have been seen in large numbers, known as super groups, further and further up the west coast toward Namibia.
"This has never happened before," Mr Roychoudhury said. "Off the Australian coast they are seeing similar kinds of things."
Mr Roychoudhury conceptualised the study together with Brendan Mackey, director of the Griffith Climate Change Response Programme at Griffith University in Australia. Researchers from Chile, Brazil, Ecuador and Panama will also participate. The project will have 16 full-time researchers.
The Washington Post
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments