Rice's Whale Collaborative Science Workshop

The first Rice's Whale  Collaborative Science Workshop was held on October 29-30, 2024 at FIU's International Center for Tropical Botany in Miami. This workshop aimed to bring together experts in the field and establish a coordinated research network for Rice's Whale research and management. The group comprised researchers and resource managers from a range of organizations and institutes, and I got to attend to represent the DEEPEND program, which studies many of the kinds of organisms that Rice's whales are believed to feed on.

Rice's Whale (Balaenoptera ricei). Image from NOAA Fisheries https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale

If you've never heard of Rice's Whales, you're not alone! Rice's whales are closely related to Bryde's Whale, were recognized as a new species in 2021 thanks to novel genetic analyses. The species is only found in the Gulf of Mexico, where it forms a small resident population that tends to concentrate over the continental shelf break (over ~100 - 400 m water). There are estimated to be fewer than 100 individuals remaining, and so conservation and management efforts are aimed at reducing mortality from the many anthropogenic impacts that occur in the Gulf (e.g., ship strikes, underwater noise, chemical pollution, entanglement, etc.).

The aim of the workshop then was to bring together experts with experience in marine mammal ecology, conservation, management, and other relevant fields of research (like DEEPEND and the Deep-Sea Benefits programs) to discuss strategies for managing this endangered whale and ensuring that the best scientific data are available for use by those managers. We ended the workshop with a commitment to continue to build the network, which will hopefully allow us to continue to develop these partnerships as we move forward.

For more information about Rice's Whales, check out NOAA's excellent info page here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale