Narwhals become quieter as the Arctic Ocean grows louder

Increasing shipping traffic is interfering with the whales’ ability to hunt and communicate.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/02/narwhals-become-quieter-as-the-arctic-ocean-grows-louder/#cetaceans #climate-change #conservation #narwhals #science #shipping #syndication #whales

Narwhals in ice break, Baffin Island, Nunavut, #Canada. Noise from ships can disrupt the animals’ ability to communicate and find food. The research, carried out in 2023 and published this year, adds to mounting evidence that underwater radiated noise – sound energy that ships emit through their hulls, propellers and machinery – is disrupting marine life.

Photograph: Minden Pictures/Alamy

#photography
#narwhals
#noise

🦄🌊 Researchers at #Hokkaido University recorded 247 incidents of #narwhals hitting #underwater microphones placed 190-400 meters deep in #Greenland fjords, with the animals making foraging buzzes and rubbing sounds.

Scientists believe the narwhals may confuse the recording equipment with cod prey or use them as scratching posts, raising questions about whether "non-invasive" #research actually changes animal behavior.

👉 https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/narwhal-interactions-with-recording-devices

#arctic #whales #ocean #science #wildlife #mystery

So, when is geopolars coming?
maybe I want geonarwhals?

 #pandas #polars #narwhals #python #geopandas #geodata

Genetics Reveals Warming Seas May Drive Narwhals Into Extinction

"A recent study of the genetic history of narwhals reveals these medium-sized Arctic-dwelling whales face an uncertain future, thanks to climate change"

#SciComm by @grrlscientist

#ClimateCrisis #WarmingSeas #Whales #Narwhals #genetics #extinction #conservation #Arctic https://medium.com/grrlscientist/genetics-reveals-warming-seas-may-drive-narwhals-into-extinction-4d0d872390f2