Arabian Sea humpbacks may be a unique subspecies at risk of extinction

A genetic analysis led by Rita Amaral of the Wildlife Conservation Society finds that humpback whales living year-round in the Arabian Sea, unlike migratory humpbacks elsewhere, likely represent a distinct subspecies that split off from other populations between roughly 43,000 and 113,000 years ago. Researchers compared mitochondrial DNA from 2,285 whales worldwide, including animals off Oman, and found the Arabian Sea group has the lowest genetic diversity of any ocean basin population studied.

The IUCN already lists this population as endangered, with no sign of growth over two decades. Two-thirds of whales photographed off Oman show scars consistent with fishing gear entanglement, and expanding shipping traffic adds risks from vessel strikes and underwater noise.

The International Whaling Commission has endorsed a regional Conservation Management Plan meant to coordinate protections across the nations bordering the whales' range, according to co-author Gianna Minton.

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