2023 HMSC Lavern Weber Visiting Scientist

Speaker: Dr. Andrew Read, Stephen Toth Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology at Duke University and the Director of the Duke University Marine Laboratory (DUML), in Beaufort, NC, USA.

Topic: Disentangling science, politics, and conservation: North Atlantic right whales in crisis

Fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales remain, and the population has been declining since 2010. The two primary threats to the species are entanglement in pot and trap fisheries and collisions with large vessels. Efforts to conserve this species have become increasingly contentious in recent years. The Omnibus spending bill passed in December 2022 contained a clause preventing any additional conservation measures designed to reduce the risk of entanglement in Maine lobster gear for a period of six years. And a proposed rule to increase protective measures designed to reduce the risk of ship strikes has encountered significant political opposition. In this talk, Read will lay out a way forward for the conservation of this iconic species.