{"elementGlobalId":792042,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":1,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"1 - Strong","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"1 - Fuerte","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"1 – Forte"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":{"id":3,"iucnDescEn":"Critically endangered","iucnDescEs":"En peligro crítico","iucnDescFr":"Gravement menacée d’extinction","iucnCode":"CR"},"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":{"id":4,"rankMethodUsedDescEn":"Expertise without calculation","rankMethodUsedDescEs":null,"rankMethodUsedDescFr":null,"rankMethodUsedExternalDescEn":"Ranked by inspection","rankMethodUsedExternalDescEs":null,"rankMethodUsedExternalDescFr":null},"formattedScientificName":"<i>Eubalaena glacialis</i>","scientificName":"Eubalaena glacialis","scientificNameAuthor":"(Müller, 1776)","primaryCommonName":"North Atlantic Right Whale","relatedItisNames":"<i>Eubalaena glacialis</i> (Müller, 1776) (TSN 180537)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.792042","elcode":"AMAGJ02010","conceptRefFullCitation":"Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]","conceptName":"<i>Eubalaena glacialis</i>","taxonomicComments":"Bowhead whales and right whales often have been included in the same genus (<i>Balaena</i>) (e.g., Rice 1998), but most recent classifications recognize them as distinct genera (<i>Balaena </i>for bowhead whale, <i>Eubalaena </i>for right whales) (e.g., Baker et al. 2003; Mead and Brownell, in Wilson and Reeder 2005). MtDNA data are consistent with recognition of <i>Balaena </i>and <i>Eubalaena </i>as distinct genera (Rosenbaum et al. 2000).<br/><br/>A strong consensus does not exist regarding the taxonomic status of the various populations of right whales. Based on mtDNA data, Rosenbaum et al. (2000) proposed that the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Southern Hemisphere populations could be recognized as distinct species (<i>E. glacialis</i>, <i>E. japonica</i>, and <i>E. australis</i>, respectively). Baker et al. (2003) argued against this proposal, noting among other things that no other consistent differences have been found among the three populations. The recovery plan for this species and Mead and Brownell (in Wilson and Reeder 1993) regarded the southern right whale (<i>E. australis</i>) as a distinct species, but Rice (1998) and Baker et al. (2003) included <i>australis</i> in <i>Eubalaena </i>(or <i>Balaena</i>)<i> glacialis.</i> The American Society of Mammalogists (Wilson and Reeder 2005, ASM 2025) recognize <i>E. glacialis</i>, <i>E. australis</i>, and <i>E. japonica</i> as distinct species.<br/><br/>Sighting and mtDNA data indicate that western North Atlantic right whales segregate between separate nursery areas but probably represent a single breeding population (Schaeff et al. 1993).","roundedGRank":"G1","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2011-04-05","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":"Hammerson, G.","primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":792051,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"N1","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":1384248,"subnation":{"id":37,"nameEn":"New Hampshire","nameEs":"New 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populations occur in the North Atlantic; extremely low numbers; populations have failed to increase significantly even with protection; threats include collisions with boats, entanglement in fishing gear, disturbance by human activity, and general marine environmental deterioration.","grank":"G1","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":792042,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":null,"intrinsicVulnerability":{"id":1,"intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEn":"Highly vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEs":"Altamente vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescFr":"Très vulnérable"},"longTermTrend":{"id":1,"longTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of >90%","longTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución de >90%.","longTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de >90 %"},"numberEos":{"id":1,"numberEosDescEn":"1 - 5","numberEosDescEs":"De 1 a 5","numberEosDescFr":"De 1 à 5"},"numberGoodEos":{"id":1,"numberGoodEosDescEn":"None (zero)","numberGoodEosDescEs":"Ninguno (Cero)","numberGoodEosDescFr":"Aucun (Zéro)"},"numberProtEos":{"id":14,"numberProtEosDescEn":"Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed","numberProtEosDescEs":"De varios a muchos casos (13 a >40) adecuadamente protegidos y controlados","numberProtEosDescFr":"De plusieurs à beaucoup d’occurrences (de 13 à >40) protégées et contrôlées convenablement"},"popSize":{"id":16,"popSizeDescEn":"250 - 1000 individuals","popSizeDescEs":"De 250 a 1.000 individuos","popSizeDescFr":"De 250 à 1 000 individus"},"rangeExtent":{"id":31,"rangeExtentDescEn":"20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)","rangeExtentDescEs":"De 20.000 a 2.500.000 kilómetros cuadrados (aproximadamente 8.000 a 1.000.000 de millas cuadradas)","rangeExtentDescFr":"De 20 000 à 2 500 000 km carrés (de 8 000 à 1 000 000 miles carrés approximativement)"},"shortTermTrend":{"id":36,"shortTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of 10-30%","shortTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución del 10 al 30%.","shortTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de 10 à 30 %"},"threatImpactAssigned":{"id":2,"threatImpactAssignedDescEn":"Very high - high","threatImpactAssignedDescEs":"Muy alto - alto","threatImpactAssignedDescFr":"Très élevé — élevé"},"rangeExtentComments":"North Atlantic right whales primarily occur in Atlantic coastal waters on the continental shelf, although they also are known to travel far offshore, over deep water. They migrate seasonally. In the spring, summer, and into fall, they can be found in waters off New England and further north into Canadian waters, where they feed and mate, and in the fall, some travel more than 1,000 miles from these feeding grounds to the shallow, coastal waters of their calving grounds off of South Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Florida, though migration patterns vary (NOAA Fisheries, accessed July 2025). NOAA Fisheries has designated two areas as critical habitat for North Atlantic right whales. These areas provide important feeding, nursery, and calving habitat: Off the coast of New England (foraging area) Off the southeast U.S. coast from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to below Cape Canaveral, Florida (calving area) Vagrant sightings in Gulf of Mexico near Texas (Ward et al. 2011, ASM 2025).","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":"Probably fewer than five nursery areas; only three or four populations.","popSizeComments":"Total population is estimated at 200-350 in the North Atlantic (NMFS 1987, Right Whale Recovery Team 1990, Mayo and Marx 1990). North Atlantic population produced 8-13 calves per year in the 1980s (Matthews and Moseley 1990).","viabilityComments":"Remaining populations are very small, and nursery areas of eastern North Atlantic population conflict with shipping lanes.","threatImpactComments":"Initial large decline due primarily to hunting that occurred through the mid-1930s. Lack of population recovery has been attributed to mortality caused by collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear, degradation of feeding habitat (e.g., through effects of pollution on zooplankton), human disturbance (ships) (Right Whale Recovery Team 1990). Fujiwara and Caswell's (2001) analysis points to mortality of adult females caused by collisions as the primary factor in the decline. In fact, they suggest that reducing the death rate by only two adult females per year would reverse the decline. MtDNA data, in conjunction with behavioral and population data that indicate that the North Atlantic population may be suffering from reduced fertility, fecundity, and juvenile survivorship, support the hypothesis that inbreeding depression is also a cause of the lack of recovery (Schaeff et al. 1997). However, the data analysis and modelling of Fujiwara and Caswell (2001) do not support this hypothesis.","shortTermTrendComments":null,"longTermTrendComments":"Formerly abundant, but hunted to near-extinction. North Atlantic population thought to have increased somewhat after the cessation of whaling, but apparently began declining once more after about 1990 (Caswell et al. 1999, Fugiwara and Caswell 2001).","inventoryNeeds":"Determine important areas for feeding and reproduction.","numberProtEosComments":"Species has had almost complete protection since 1937; but needs more protected habitat. NMFS (Federal Register, 3 June 1994, p. 28793) designated Critical Habitat as follows: portions of Cape Cod Bay and Stellwagen Bank, and Great South Channel (off coast of Massachusetts) and waters adjacent to the coast of Georgia and the east coast of Florida.","protectionNeeds":"Continue to protect from hunting; protect habitat; promote and enforce regulations that reduce collisions with vessels. See recovery plan (1990).","otherConsiderations":"Low reproductive rate; lack of recovery despite full protection. NOAA Fisheries has designated two areas as critical habitat: off the coast of New England (foraging area) and off the southeast U.S. coast from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to below Cape Canaveral, Florida (calving area) (NOAA, accessed July 2025).","intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":"Slow to mature, reproduces infrequently.","enviromentalSpecificityComments":null},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":792042,"majorHabitat":{"id":1,"majorHabitatDescEn":"Marine","majorHabitatDescEs":"Marino","majorHabitatDescFr":"Marine"},"nonMigrant":false,"localMigrant":false,"longDistanceMigrant":true,"mobilityMigrationComments":"Migrates seasonally between high latitudes (summer) and lower latitudes (winter), though migrations are less regular and coherent than those of humpback or gray whale (Leatherwood and Reeves 1983). <br><br>North Atlantic: generally most spend early summer off the coast of New England, move to waters off southern Canada (lower Bay of Fundy or area between Browns and Baccaro banks) in late summer and fall; some remain in northern waters in winter but most leave (beginning as early as October); pregnant females move south to winter calving areas off Georgia and Florida; wintering area for the rest of the population is unknown; northward movement occurs in late winter and early spring; perhaps most of the population moves through the Cape Cod-Massachusetts Bay area and Great South Channel March-May (Right Whale Recovery Team 1990). Females usually and males commonly return to their natal area in subsequent summers (Schaeff et al. 1993). <br><br>North Pacific: may be nomadic in summer, movements depending on where food resources are abundant; winter range is largely unknown (Right Whale Recovery Team 1990).","foodHabitsComments":"Diet mainly calanoid copepods and juvenile euphausiids. Feeds by skimming--swims with mouth open usually below the surface, sometimes at the surface. Depends on concentrations of zooplankton. In Bay of Fundy, appeared to exploit patches of copepods at densities greater than about 820 per cubic m (Murison and Gaskin 1989). In Cape Cod Bay, rarely fed where total zooplankton density was less than 1000 organisms per cubic meter (Mayo and Marx 1990). In the southeastern Bering Sea, fed primarily on later copepodite stages of the calanoid copepod CALANUS MARSHALLAE. Historically (1940s-1960s), this population had concentrated on the oceanic copepod NEOCALANUS CRISTATUS in deeper waters (Tynan et al. 2001).","animalPhenologyComments":"Active day/night.","colonialBreeder":false,"length":1400,"width":null,"weight":23000000,"animalPhenologies":[{"animalCagPhenologyId":103380,"animalPhenology":{"id":2,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Circadian","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Circadiano","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Circadien","displayOrder":2},"adult":true,"immature":true}],"animalFoodHabits":[{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":106293,"foodHabits":{"id":3,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Invertivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Invertívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Invertivore","displayOrder":3},"adult":true,"immature":true}]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":155968,"locationUseClass":{"id":3,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Nonbreeding","locationUseClassDescEs":"No reproducción","locationUseClassDescFr":"Non-reproduction","displayOrder":3},"eoSpecGroupName":null,"subtypes":"Foraging area","inferredExtentDistance":null,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"A marine area that  is occupied consistently or recurrently by foraging whales that are neither migrating, calving nor nursing. Minimally, at least two and preferably several years of observation should be used to reliably identify significant, recurrent occurrences.","mappingGuidance":"All known sightings over a period of time in an area should be collectively mapped as a single polygon feature, or multiple polygons if there are separate feeding areas separated by more than 5 km. Individual sightings could also be mapped as source feature points within this principal EO, although this may be impractical over time.  If useful, year-to-year variation in areas could be mapped as separate source feature polygons within a larger multi-year principal EO.","separationBarriers":"None.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":60.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":150.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Separation distance is arbitrary. Occurrences defined primarily on the basis of areas supporting foraging whales, rather than on the basis of distinct whale populations. Appropriate food patches 25 to 50 km apart could support the same group of whales moving between food patches. Broad areas of unsuitable habitat (marine regions unable to support production of appropriate food organisms due to oceanographic and physiographic conditions) can be used to separate different foraging groups.","versionDate":"2002-01-30","versionAuthor":"Cannings, S., K. Bredin, L. Master","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:34:47.910067Z"},{"eoSpecsDetailId":155965,"locationUseClass":{"id":5,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Migratory corridor","locationUseClassDescEs":"Corredor migratorio","locationUseClassDescFr":"Corridors migratoires","displayOrder":6},"eoSpecGroupName":null,"subtypes":"Migration corridor","inferredExtentDistance":null,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"A marine area that  is used recurrently by migrating whales. Minimally, at least two and preferably several years of observation should be used to reliably identify recurrent corridors that include at least 10% of the regional population.","mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":"None.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":60.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":150.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Separation distance is arbitrary; based on that assigned for occurrences outside the migratory period.","versionDate":"2002-01-30","versionAuthor":"Cannings, S.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:34:47.910067Z"},{"eoSpecsDetailId":155967,"locationUseClass":{"id":18,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Calving area","locationUseClassDescEs":"Zona de parto","locationUseClassDescFr":"Aire de mise bas","displayOrder":18},"eoSpecGroupName":null,"subtypes":"Calving area","inferredExtentDistance":null,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"A marine area to which migratory females return in order to give birth. Minimally, at least two and preferably several years of observation should be used to reliably identify persistent occurrences.","mappingGuidance":"All known sightings over a period of time in an area should be collectively mapped as a single polygon feature, or multiple polygons if there are separate feeding areas separated by more than 5 km. Individual sightings could also be mapped as source feature points within this principal EO, although this may be impractical over time.  If useful, year-to-year variation in areas could be mapped as separate source feature polygons within a larger multi-year principal EO.","separationBarriers":"None.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":60.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":150.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Separation distance is somewhate arbitrary; based on that given to nonbreeding and nursery foraging areas.","versionDate":"2002-01-30","versionAuthor":"Cannings, S.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-02-25T19:34:47.910067Z"},{"eoSpecsDetailId":155966,"locationUseClass":{"id":19,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Nursery area","locationUseClassDescEs":"Zona de crianza","locationUseClassDescFr":"Zone de reproduction","displayOrder":19},"eoSpecGroupName":null,"subtypes":"Nursery area","inferredExtentDistance":null,"inferredExtentNotes":"Not applicable.","minimumEoCriteria":"A marine area that  is, or was, occupied by a recurring population made up primarily of feeding females and their nursing young. Minimally, at least two and preferably several years of observation should be used to reliably identify significant, persistent occurrences.","mappingGuidance":"All known sightings over a period of time in an area should be collectively mapped as a single polygon feature, or multiple polygons if there are separate feeding areas separated by more than 5 km. Individual sightings could also be mapped as source feature points within this principal EO, although this may be impractical over time.  If useful, year-to-year variation in feeding areas could be mapped as separate source feature polygons within a larger multi-year principal EO.","separationBarriers":"None.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":60.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":150.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Separation distance is arbitrary. Occurrences defined primarily on the basis of areas supporting foraging whales, rather than on the basis of distinct whale populations. 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