Aligning the seasonal migration of North Atlantic Right Whales with oceanic features

While baleen whales have been migrating through the oceans for millions of years, more recent human activity has heavily impacted their populations. The population of North Atlantic right whales (NARW) has been in rapid decline compared to other baleen whale species. To counteract this, there has been a recent push in science and conservation to understand how the ocean environment influences the behaviors of whales. The purpose of this study is to see how oceanic features factor in the migratory patterns North Atlantic right whales off the coast of New Jersey. The study was conducted in an offshore wind lease area off the south coast of New Jersey as part of the ECO-PAM Project. Autonomous vehicles equipped with oceanographic and ecological sensors simultaneously mapped whale detections in the context of physical ocean features. Results indicate that the presence of NARW begins near the New Jersey coast in late fall, transitions offshore in the winter, with no detections between mid-spring through mid-fall. Our findings indicate that there was no significant difference in observed temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration, density and chlorophyll in regions with and without NARWs. NARWs were found more often in the vicinity of strong cceanic fronts delineating regions of large gradients in ocean temperature and color. Analysis from the gliders, acoustics, and satellites highlights the potential for oceanic feature mapping to better understand NARW migration pathways and conduct mitigation strategies. This research serves as an example of the new insight gained when integrating concurrent oceanic and ecological data, and demonstrates how dynamic mapping through autonomous systems could support whale-friendly maritime activity in and around planned offshore wind lease areas in the Mid Atlantic Bight.