Southern right whale breeding cycles stretch from three years to five

Fifty years of tracking shows the breeding cycle is extending from every three years to every five. Fewer whales breed each season as a result. Scientists link this to warming oceans, which reduce the food whales need to breed.

Why it mattersA population that breeds less often struggles to recover. Long-term data helps scientists understand and protect the species.

AustraliaSouthern right whales depend on Australian coastal waters for breeding. Slower reproduction threatens the recovery of an endangered species that migrates along Australia's south coast each winter.

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