Latest news with #RebeccaDunlop
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Major change off Aussie coast linked to 'worrying' event thousands of kilometres away
Watching the migration of whales up Australia's east coast, researchers have documented something 'worrying'. Humpbacks are leaving their northern breeding grounds for Antarctica three weeks early. While smaller fluctuations in their departure are normal, researchers from the University of Queensland have observed a 'clear and sustained change' since 2021 and published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. Lead author, Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop, believes there is likely a connection to warming waters around Antarctica, as it causes: A depletion of sea ice Which leads to a reduction in algae And this means less food for krill As a result, krill numbers drop, and there's less food for humpbacks 'Post 2020, there has been a significant decline in sea ice, and it's during that period that they changed their migration,' Dunlop told Yahoo News Australia. "It seems they're returning to those feeding grounds earlier.' Why whales must accumulate huge amounts of blubber To carry out their 10,000km migration, humpbacks need to build up an enormous amount of blubber. Females face an even bigger challenge because they're normally pregnant as they travel to their winter breeding grounds, and then have to give birth and produce milk to sustain the calf. During their time in the tropical north, they generally don't eat except for during the odd temporary stopover, adding pressure on them to return home to Antarctica as their energy runs out. 'If they've got less energy... then obviously that's going to change how they behave and how they migrate,' Dunlop said. If the oceans keep warming and the sea ice keeps declining, then that has massive impacts, not just for whales, but for everything else that lives down Professor Rebecca Dunlop Two separate events could increase pressure on food resources East Antarctic whale numbers plummeted to around 300 individuals in the 1960s, primarily due to hunting by the Soviets. After whaling was banned a decade later, numbers rebounded and in 2025 they're estimated to be close to 40,000. 🥺 Emotional decision looms as ancient site faces extreme storm 📚 Backlash over radical climate change plan for Aussie schools 🪱 Aussies warned as brain worm spike detected following extreme weather event Today, the population is thought to exceed pre-hunting numbers, which were thought to be roughly 30,000. There are concerns that vanishing krill combined with increasing humpback numbers could create a 'perfect storm' of pressure on their food resources. 'You've got this train crash happening where you've got more whales trying to feed on less krill,' Dunlop said. 'We have no idea what the carrying capacity is in the Antarctic, because we don't know what the krill density is. We don't know if the numbers have overshot, or what's going to happen in the future. Numbers might start to decline, or they might absolutely crash.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Subtle change off Aussie coast linked to 'worrying' event thousands of kilometres away
Watching the migration of whales up Australia's east coast, researchers have documented something 'worrying'. Humpbacks are leaving their northern breeding grounds for Antarctica three weeks early. While smaller fluctuations in their departure are normal, researchers from the University of Queensland have observed a 'clear and sustained change' since 2021 and published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. Lead author, Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop, believes there is likely a connection to warming waters around Antarctica, as it causes: A depletion of sea ice Which leads to a reduction in algae And this means less food for krill As a result, krill numbers drop, and there's less food for humpbacks 'Post 2020, there has been a significant decline in sea ice, and it's during that period that they changed their migration,' Dunlop told Yahoo News Australia. "It seems they're returning to those feeding grounds earlier.' Why whales must accumulate huge amounts of blubber To carry out their 10,000km migration, humpbacks need to build up an enormous amount of blubber. Females face an even bigger challenge because they're normally pregnant as they travel to their winter breeding grounds, and then have to give birth and produce milk to sustain the calf. During their time in the tropical north, they generally don't eat except for during the odd temporary stopover, adding pressure on them to return home to Antarctica as their energy runs out. 'If they've got less energy... then obviously that's going to change how they behave and how they migrate,' Dunlop said. If the oceans keep warming and the sea ice keeps declining, then that has massive impacts, not just for whales, but for everything else that lives down Professor Rebecca Dunlop Two separate events could increase pressure on food resources East Antarctic whale numbers plummeted to around 300 individuals in the 1960s, primarily due to hunting by the Soviets. After whaling was banned a decade later, numbers rebounded and in 2025 they're estimated to be close to 40,000. 🥺 Emotional decision looms as ancient site faces extreme storm 📚 Backlash over radical climate change plan for Aussie schools 🪱 Aussies warned as brain worm spike detected following extreme weather event Today, the population is thought to exceed pre-hunting numbers, which were thought to be roughly 30,000. There are concerns that vanishing krill combined with increasing humpback numbers could create a 'perfect storm' of pressure on their food resources. 'You've got this train crash happening where you've got more whales trying to feed on less krill,' Dunlop said. 'We have no idea what the carrying capacity is in the Antarctic, because we don't know what the krill density is. We don't know if the numbers have overshot, or what's going to happen in the future. Numbers might start to decline, or they might absolutely crash.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
