Eubalaena glacialis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
North Atlantic right whales face an extinction crisis driven primarily by ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, which together account for over 85% of known mortalities. The species' coastal feeding and migration routes overlap extensively with major shipping lanes and dense fishing areas along the eastern North American seaboard. Climate-driven shifts in prey distribution have forced whales into new areas with less protection, increasing exposure to these anthropogenic threats. With fewer than 340 individuals remaining, every preventable death significantly impacts the population's viability.
Habitat
North Atlantic right whales inhabit coastal and continental shelf waters of the western North Atlantic, migrating seasonally between feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, and Scotian Shelf, and calving areas off the southeastern United States. They prefer areas with high concentrations of copepod prey, particularly in upwelling zones and areas of strong tidal mixing.
