Researchers identify cause of decline in blue whale vocalizations

• A study revealed that blue whale vocalizations have decreased by approximately 40 percent over six years, raising concerns among scientists.
• This reduction in singing is attributed to the disappearance of their main food source, krill, caused by a marine heatwave dubbed 'The Blob'.
• Originating in 2013, 'The Blob' was a dense pool of warm water that significantly raised Pacific Ocean temperatures, in some places by over 4.5 Fahrenheit.
• The elevated temperatures fostered toxic algae blooms, which decimated krill populations and other marine life.
• Scientists suggest blue whales ceased singing due to the immense stress of spending all their energy searching for food, a situation exacerbated by climate change.

IN FULL

Blue whales have gone silent. Why that has scientists worried about Earth’s biggest animals ... and the ocean