A new study led by McGill University researchers indicates that humpback whales in the southeastern Pacific combine real-time environmental cues with their memories of conditions in their Antarctic feeding grounds to determine when to embark on their annual 10,000-kilometer journey. With climate change accelerating, the researchers warn this strategy may become less effective amid shifting ocean conditions. A new study led by McGill University researchers indicates that humpback whales in the southeastern Pacific combine real-time environmental cues with their memories of conditions in their Antarctic feeding grounds to determine when to embark on their annual 10,000-kilometer journey. With climate change accelerating, the researchers warn this strategy may become less effective amid shifting ocean conditions. Plants & Animals Ecology Phys.org – latest science and technology news stories
Humpback whales’ use of memory to time their migration could prove less effective amid climate change
