Save New Whale Species from Extinction

  • by: Care2 member
  • recipient: Secretary of Commerce at National Marine Fisheries Service

"A new species or subspecies of whale has been discovered in the Gulf of Mexico, but there are only about 50 left. A genetically distinct group of Bryde’s whales, which appear to be a new subspecies or possibly an entirely new species, is disappearing due to habitat loss caused by human threats such as oil exploration. The Bryde’s whale is the only baleen whale known to the Gulf.  Scientists would like to know more about this species, but time is quickly running out to save it.

The only known habitat of the new type of Bryde’s whale is the DeSoto Canyon, which is alarmingly close to the location of the disastrous 2010 BP oil spill. The oil industry is expected to expand in this region, and the whales have been known to be struck by the busy traffic of cargo ships in the area, putting their numbers at even greater risk.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list this species under the Endangered Species Act before it is too late for them. The Bryde’s whale needs to be added to the federal endangered species list in order to preserve its unique evolutionary lineage. Sign the petition below to urge the NMFS to approve the petition and move forward to conserve this new group of Bryde’s whales."

Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.