A U.S. study of the North Atlantic right whale, completed after three years of eavesdropping on Canada’s most endangered marine species in its Bay of Fundy summer range, has shed new light on how the loud, low rumbling of cargo ships can threaten the animal’s survival — but also revealed the whale’s unexpected ability to “raise its voice” in noisy environments to communicate with others.

Researchers are comparing the whales’ adaptive response to excessive noise in the ocean to the way humans speak louder in a crowded bar to be heard by potential mates.

Seven male and seven female whales — a significant proportion of the species’ entire population of about 350 individuals — were fitted with suction-cup acoustic sensors designed to capture the animals’ calls and the ambient ocean sounds.

To read the rest of this article, click here.