Oregon gray whales are shrinking in size

Researchers consider the changes in size a possible “warning sign” of population decline.

For four summers in a row, Oregon State University faculty research assistant Todd Chandler could be found on a small boat off the coast of Oregon piloting a drone over the unsuspecting backs of gray whales piercing the surface of the ocean.

A study published on Friday that used images from Chandler’s drone, as well as almost 1,500 others taken by additional researchers, reached a surprising conclusion — the average size of Oregon’s whales is getting smaller.

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Source: Oregon gray whales are shrinking in size – oregonlive.com