North Atlantic Right Whales Are Dying Out Faster Than We Thought

North Atlantic Right Whales are dying out, and at a faster rate than we thought.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some 366 whales remain with about 94 reproductive females, despite decades of conservation efforts. These numbers represent an eleven percent drop from the previous estimate.
So we wondered: why is the whale so close to extinction, and what do we lose if the North Atlantic Right Whale goes the way of the dodo, and so many other lost species?
We ask Peter Corkeron, the senior scientist and chair of the marine mammal conservation program at the New England Aquarium.