Right Turnabout

The outlook is grim for the Northern right whale, one of the most endangered animals in the world, but simple measures could bring the species back from the brink of extinction, according to a report released today. The authors of the report, scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, concluded that if just two female right whales escaped needless death per year, the species -- which currently boasts just 300 members -- could survive. The whales migrate from the eastern seaboard of the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico, through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. As a result, they are susceptible to death by collision or entanglement in fishing nets. The scientists said that modest steps such as designing nets from which the whales could break free could help save the species.