Abstract

Right whale conservation efforts in the Southeast U.S. have steadily increased and evolved since nearly 30 years ago when the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) calving area was re-discovered off Georgia and Florida. Initial conservation goals were to investigate calf production, life history, habitat use, and threats to right whales in the Southeast U.S. while mitigating the threat to right whales from vessel collisions. Methods included aerial surveys, photo-identification, stranding response, and education and outreach. Today, conservation goals in the Southeast U.S. have expanded to include population monitoring (demography), monitoring management plan effectiveness (adaptive management), and mitigating another human-related threat to right whales: entanglement in commercial fishing gear. Methods to achieve these goals have expanded and evolved accordingly and now include biopsy sampling, directed rescue/disentanglement efforts, passive acoustic sampling, geographic information systems (GIS) analysis, predictive modeling, and regulatory and voluntary measures to mitigate fishing and shipping impacts. In this presentation, we examine the history of right whale conservation in the Southeast U.S. We also review selected case studies of individuals that exemplify the challenges faced by right whales and how conservation efforts have evolved to meet changing conservation challenges. Finally, we stress the importance of strong partnerships within the conservation community as a means of meeting current and emerging conservation challenges.

Acknowledgements

Wildlife conservation is a collaborative effort. We are pleased to present information on right whale conservation in the Southeast United States on behalf of our many partners: New England Aquarium, Coastwise Consulting, Provincetown Center of Coastal Studies, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, U.S. Geological Survey, Marineland of Florida, Sea to Shore Alliance, the North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan Southeast U.S. Implementation Team, and many others.