Whale playground offers glimpse into Russia's melting Arctic
By Wendy Heller, July 24, 2008 @ 02:00 AM (EST)
Source: Enn.com
Young whale pokes its melon-shaped head into the cool morning air near this remote island, a sign its herd is thriving despite mounting threats in Russia's melting Arctic.
Cameras and microphones capture the whale's every move as scientists use the species only shore-side breeding ground to see how they are coping as fleets of oil tankers replace melting ice in their traditional feeding grounds.
"Belugas are a bellwether species... what happens to them reflects the effects of pollution and global
warming on the whole ecosystem," said Vsevolod Belkovich, a professor at the Russian Academy of Science who is leading the study.
Scientists have recorded a small drop in the whale population that they attribute in part to human activity in Arctic regions. "As global warming continues, the threats are going to grow dramatically," Belkovich said.
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