Critical Habitat Designated for Northern Right Whales in Alaska

7/05/06

Juneau, Alaska

NOAA Fisheries is designating approximately 36,750 square miles of the North Pacific Ocean as critical habitat for the northern right whale. Two specific areas are being designated - one in the Gulf of Alaska and another in the Bering Sea. Agency scientists identified the critical habitat based on the locations of right whale sightings since they were listed as endangered in 1973. Four species of plankton were identified as important food sources within the critical habitats that are now designated essential to the conservation and recovery of these whales.

The current abundance of right whales in the western North Pacific is unknown, but biologists guess that the number of animals is probably in the low to mid-hundreds. There is no official estimate of abundance for the eastern North Pacific (Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska), but sightings are rare and most biologists believe the current population is unlikely to exceed one hundred individuals.

The rule designating the areas has been filed with the Federal Register and is expected to publish this week. The final rule, maps, and other materials will be available at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/.

For more information, read the press release or contact Brad Smith at (907) 271-3023.

For more information, contact Becky.Carls@noaa.gov.