Today, NOAA Fisheries announced an updated abundance estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. Scientists estimated that the population size is between 290 and 386, with a median best estimate of 331. In 2018, scientists estimated that the population size was between 250 and 317, with a median estimate of 279.
Given the overlap in the range estimates, scientists cannot definitively say that the population increased from 2018 to 2022. However, an analysis of population trends for the most recent 10-year period suggests that the population may have increased slightly (0.2 percent per year). (The analysis looked at 2012–2022, excluding 2020 when the survey was canceled due to COVID and 2021 when survey coverage was limited due to poor weather.)
“While this is certainly encouraging news, it is important to recognize that abundance estimates can vary from year to year due to a number of factors,” said Kim Goetz, marine mammal biologist, Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
Read More: NOAA
Photo Credit: NOAA