"Marine Heatwave Devastates North Pacific Humpback Whale Population"

A new study using artificial intelligence and thousands of photos of whales taken over a 20-year period found that a mass of warm water, known as "The Blob," contributed to the deaths of thousands of humpback whales in the North Pacific, roughly 20% of the population, between 2012 and 2021. The humpback whale population had recovered from commercial whaling, but the warm water event led to a significant decline, suggesting that the ocean suddenly couldn't support the population due to loss of prey resources. Climate change is considered a major threat to whales, with warming oceans impacting their foraging behavior, reproduction, and migration.