Impact of climate change on whales

Warmer ocean temperatures and melting sea ice in the polar regions may jeopardise the ecology of the Arctic and Antarctic feeding grounds of many large whales.

The bowhead, narwhal, and beluga, which live in Arctic waters year-round, are in particular danger. Climate change may also impact the areas of the oceans in which whales live, including migration patterns.

Climate change, depletion in the ozone layer and the related rise in UV radiation may also lead to a fall in the population of krill, a primary food source for many marine species.