Press Release: 4/25/2025

Massachusetts Celebrates 3rd Annual Right Whale Day at the New England Aquarium

 

Partners highlight leading efforts to conserve critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, Massachusetts’ official state marine mammal 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

4/24/2025

MEDIA CONTACT

Danielle Burney, Deputy Communications Director

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Call Danielle Burney, Deputy Communications Director at (857) 303-7286

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Email Danielle Burney, Deputy Communications Director at Danielle.Burney@mass.gov

BOSTON — In an effort to promote conservation of North Atlantic right whales, Governor Maura Healey declared April 24th as Massachusetts Right Whale Day. The Healey-Driscoll Administration partnered with the New England Aquarium to commemorate the day, highlight expansive research efforts and continued partnership to conserve the species, and share how the public can support these efforts.

“Each Earth Week, we are reminded that our actions can make a real difference for endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “As we celebrate the third annual Right Whale Day, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is dedicated to strengthening our commitment to protecting this species. Through continued partnership and innovation, Massachusetts is leading the way in giving right whales the best chance to survive and thrive while they migrate through our waters.”

“The fact that almost half of the right whale population is in Cape Cod Bay at the moment, including 7 of the 11 new calves, shows the importance of this habitat and underscores the need to both celebrate and protect them while they are in Massachusetts waters and beyond,” said Heather Pettis, Research Scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

North Atlantic right whales are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). With over two-thirds of the estimated remaining population of 372 whales visiting inshore waters each year, Massachusetts has the most stringent state regulations in the nation to protect the species. This includes seasonal, three-month, dynamically managed fishing closures and vessel speed limits when right whales are present, mandatory use of weak buoy lines, and other strategies to reduce risks of entanglements and ship strikes. Through strong partnerships, Massachusetts advances leading research and monitoring programs, coordinates disentanglement efforts, and promotes adoption of alternative gear solutions like ropeless or on-demand technology. 

Because of its leadership, the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game’s (DFG) Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) received the NOAA Fisheries “Partner in the Spotlight” Award in 2023. In 2023, DMF was awarded $4.6 million from a congressional appropriation through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to expand their efforts. This funding, and an additional $475,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), is being used to support increased research and monitoring, bolster development of innovative fishing gear technologies, and provide fishing gear to lobster industry participants. As part of a 5-year program, DMF anticipates receiving more than $23 million from NOAA Fisheries between now and the end of 2028, subject to annual Congressional appropriations.  

“As our state’s official marine mammal and one of the most imperiled species in the world, we have a special responsibility to protect North Atlantic right whales. While great progress has been made in Massachusetts, human impacts and climate change continue to threaten the survival of this species,” said DFG Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “This is a critical moment for action—that’s why we are proud to partner with conservation organizations and our lobster industry to strengthen our existing efforts and deliver real solutions to give this awe-inspiring species the best chance at recovery.”

In 2025, DMF launched a coastwide, passive acoustic monitoring program to better understand North Atlantic right whale presence in Massachusetts waters, inform dynamic management of seasonal fisheries closures and vessel speed limits, and support future conservation efforts. Developed in partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), the acoustic monitoring network consists of two near-real-time acoustic monitoring buoys in Cape Cod Bay and off Cape Ann and 17 archival listening devices on the seafloor that listen for the sounds of baleen whales, including North Atlantic right whales, humpback whales, and fin whales. Building upon the long-standing aerial surveillance program conducted in partnership with the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) since 1998, which is supported by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET), the new acoustic monitoring data will further enhance understanding of right whale migration and behavior.

“For nearly three decades, our critical research in partnership with CCS and MET has allowed us to monitor right whale populations in Massachusetts. Because of this strong backbone of science, we’re able to uphold incredible protections for this species through dynamic seasonal fishing closures and speed restrictions that dramatically reduce risks, without overburdening the industry,” said DMF Director Daniel McKiernan. “Thanks to generous support from NOAA Fisheries, we are excited to launch our new passive acoustic monitoring program to further our understanding of right whale movements and behavior and continue to innovate practical solutions in partnership with our lobster industry to conserve this important species.”

"Now more than ever, we need good science, we need a strong community, and we need the right whales to contribute to a productive marine system, to inspire wonder, and awe, and to give us hope for a future with a healthy ocean," said CCS Executive Director Anne-Marie Runfola.

The two near-real-time acoustic monitoring buoys deployed in Massachusetts fit into a larger network across the East Coast, with 11 devices from Maine to Florida. Developed by WHOI, the devices listen, detect, classify, and report vocalization of whales in near real-time, with data transmitted to shore every two hours. Acoustic analysts review the data, and alert mariners to the presence of whales, with data from the buoys publicly available on Robots4Whales. These acoustic technologies are part of a suite of solutions supported by WHOI researchers, including on-demand fishing gear, and ship-mounted thermal imaging systems.

“The network of acoustic monitoring systems developed at WHOI are providing critical data to improve awareness of right whales and support important dynamic management measures to reduce risks to this highly endangered species,” said WHOI Senior Scientist Dr. Mark Baumgartner. “We are thrilled by the addition of the new DMF systems off Cape Ann and Cape Cod Bay, adding to the network of 11 monitoring buoys along the East Coast.  This region is an important feeding area for migrating right whales, as evidenced by the sightings this spring, and these new buoys are already providing much needed information.”

Over the last 30 years, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) has awarded more than $28 million to 800 projects that have supported the protection of endangered marine animals and restoration of critical aquatic ecosystems. Through the sale of specialty license plates like the Right Whale/Roseate Tern license plate, the Trust leverages public support and concern for these causes to support non-profits and state agencies in advancing solutions. Early funding supported a groundbreaking study that demonstrated the effectiveness of aerial surveys to better understand right whale populations and movements. Today, MET continues to fund right whale research and recovery—including supporting at-sea disentanglements and rescues, continued research to better understand population abundance and distribution, and collaboration with federal, state, non-profit, and private partners to devise innovative solutions to conserve this important species.  

“The Trust is proud to have led the way in leveraging public support for conservation to respond to some of our greatest environmental challenges of our time—biodiversity loss and pollution of our waters,” said MET Board & Chair RJ Lyman. “Over the last three decades, our beloved specialty plates have funded hundreds of projects that have had immense benefits to both wildlife and people. No work is more important to the Trust’s mission than our right whale research and recovery work—we are proud to be here today with our many partners to highlight the progress we’ve made, and the critical need for continued action.” 

Additionally, in partnership with the state legislature, conservation organizations, and lobster industry, Massachusetts recently modernized state law to allow efficient and timely removal of lost, abandoned, or derelict fishing gear from our coasts. Otherwise known as “ghost fishing gear” because it continues to catch fish despite its abandonment, this gear creates safety hazards for mariners and poses entanglement risks for North Atlantic right whales. Previously, antiquated state law dating back to the time of salvageable wooden traps prohibited the cleanup of lost or abandoned fishing gear, as it was considered private property. While DMF has always collaborated with Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) to clean up this lost gear and ensure compliance with state regulations, the new law will allow DMF to permit local leaders, community organizations, and other partners to conduct coastal cleanups of lost or abandoned fishing gear.

“The Massachusetts Environmental Police are proud to be a key partner in a comprehensive network focused on the protection of right whales. Safeguarding these whales is fundamental to our mission of preserving species and natural resources,” said MEP Colonel Chris Mason. “Right whales play a vital role in our ecosystem, and we remain committed to monitoring and surveillance, enforcing regulations, and educating Massachusetts boaters about their importance.”

"The vast majority of the remaining right whales in the world can be in Massachusetts waters in the winter and spring, and that creates a special obligation for us to take effective actions to protect those that remain and increase their numbers for the future. We achieved a major victory last November when legislation to authorize DMF and MEP to remove abandoned fishing gear from our waters, addressing a major threat for whale entanglement and environmental degradation. I was pleased to sponsor that legislation, working in partnership with DMF, with the co-sponsorship of Senators Montigny, Lovely, and O'Connor, and the unanimous support of my colleagues in the legislature. The plight of the North Atlantic right whale calls us to action, and we are working together to answer that call,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R—Gloucester).

“I have been proud to work closely with DMF, with the New England Aquarium, and with my colleagues on the Coastal Caucus to protect the right whale and clean up the Commonwealth's waters to make a better home for the right whale and for all the species who call our waters home,” said State Representative Kathleen LaNatra (D—Plymouth). “Our coasts and waters benefit the Commonwealth in so many ways, and it is crucial that we protect and conserve this valuable and indispensable resource to benefit generations to come. Thank you to all who helped to celebrate the Third Annual Right Whale Day and to all of those who dedicate themselves to protecting our whales and our oceans.”