Threats Of Humpback Whales

Humpback whales experience great threats from human interference such as by-catch, oil and gas expansion. They also are experiencing environmental changes that can potentially hurt their breeding and feeding aggregations such as climate change. By studying their feeding ecology we can learn about any trophic level shifts that may have occurred due to these threats and observe their successfulness. Previous studies in other areas, such as the Gulf of Maine and the North Pacific Ocean, classify humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) as generalists-feeding on nekton and plankton species. In the Gulf of Alaska, scientists have observed the humpbacks feeding exclusively on one type of food source at a time, but it is unclear if these whales remain