Narwhals in the Arctic, Canaries in the Coal Mine

The story

As climate change slowly melts the Arctic environment that is home to the elusive, adorable narwhal, human activity there is increasing.

Scientists have developed novel methods for listening in on the mysterious whales to learn more about their acoustic behavior, and to establish a foundation for understanding any changes they may exhibit as humans increasingly influence their habitat.

Unicorns of the sea

While narwhals are oddly popular – they’ve even inspired a weird, record-setting video – very little is known about them, largely because they live among cracks in the ice in one of the most remote and inhospitable regions in the world.

Previous narwhal recording technology offered researchers limited information: stationary underwater microphones only captured noises made when the animals were close by, and microphones attached to the narwhals themselves tended to fall off after a few hours.

In this latest study, scientists tagged six narwhals with sophisticated microphones that held on for nearly a week. This allowed them to gather extensive recordings of the clicks, whirs, and buzzes the animals use to hunt and communicate.

Why it matters

As human activity such as oil exploration, shipping, and tourism in the Arctic increases with rising temperatures, the researchers hope this initial groundwork will allow them to monitor the narwhals’ possible changes.

The researchers’ concerns have a precedent, as U.S. Navy sonar has been shown to be damaging and even fatal to whale species in other parts of the world.

Ever heard a narwhal?

The researchers made a playlist of narwhal sounds. It’s pretty cool.

What do you think?

Are you concerned about the impact of climate change on narwhals and other species? What, if anything, should our government do about it? Hit Take Action, then share your thoughts below.

—Sara E. Murphy

(Photo Credit: Dr. Kristin Laidre via NOAA/OAR/OER / Public Domain)