Alarming Consequences: Pacific Coast Gray Whales Are Shrinking

A study from Oregon State University shows that gray whales off the Pacific Northwest have shrunk significantly since 2000, indicating potential broader environmental issues and underscoring the urgent need for further research into the factors affecting their decline.

A recent study by Oregon State University has revealed that gray whales, which feed in the shallow coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest during the summer, have experienced a notable reduction in body length since approximately the year 2000.

The smaller size could have major consequences for the health and reproductive success of the affected whales, and also raises alarm bells about the state of the food web in which they coexist, researchers say.