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Sampling the Preferred Plankton of Right Whales to Better Understand Their Diet

http://www.pulse.unh.edu/index.html
Zooplankton Calanus, the favorite food of Right Whales in Cape Cod Bay.

Winter may seem like a dormant season in our region, especially in local waters, but there can be a lot going on that’s not easily seen. This is the time of year that Right Whales typically begin to show up in Cape Cod Bay, and as best we understand, they come for the food – the plankton that will soon be starting to bloom.

Christy Hudak is a researcher with the Center for Coastal Studies’ Right Whale Ecology program, studying the plankton in Cape Cod Bay.  She speaks with Steve Junker about the favorite type of plankton of Right Whales, and about the time that a human senator, visiting the lab, sampled some of that plankton on a cracker.

Audio of the interview is posted above - give it a listen.

 

Steve is Managing Editor of News. He came to WCAI in 2007. He also hosts the weekly News Roundup on Friday mornings and produces The Fishing News.