North Atlantic right whales at greater risk of collision with boats at night: study

North Atlantic right whales—already classified as critically endangered—appear to face heightened collision risk with boats at night, according to a new study from Dalhousie University in Halifax. Researchers documented that right whales feed closer to the ocean’s surface at night, placing them in the same depth range as large vessels and raising the likelihood of being struck. The study’s lead author, Jay Kirkham, said the team tagged 23 whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and combined video from the tags with a machine-learning algorithm to identify nighttime feeding. The paper notes that collisions with vessels and entanglements in fishing gear are the leading causes of death, and estimates the population at about 384 whales. Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans oversee measures including exclusion zones, speed limits, and seasonal fishing closures.