News article:

Image copyright UWNews Image caption A blue whale estimated to be around 20m long, swimming off Baja California 
  
 Researchers believe that California blue whales have recovered in numbers and the population has returned to sustainable levels. 
  
 Scientists say this is the only population of blue whales to have rebounded from the ravages of whaling. 
  
 The research team estimate that there are now 2,200 of these giant creatures on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean. 
  
 But concerns remain about their vulnerability to being struck by ships. 
  
 At up to 33m in length and weighing in at up to 190 tonnes, blue whales are the largest animals on the planet. 
  
 The California variety is often seen feeding close to the coast of the state, but they are found all the way from the Gulf of Alaska down to Costa Rica. 
  
 Soviet secrecy 
  
 Writing in the journal, Marine Mammal Science, researchers from the University of Washington say the California blue whales are now at 97% of their historical levels. 
  
 The real key finding here is that they are close to recovery which is a bit of a surprise Dr Tevor Branch, University of Washington 
  
 Working out that this species is now back at its traditional numbers required some dogged scientific sleuthing. 
  
 Whaling nations concentrated their hunting efforts on the colder waters of the Antarctic and until the practice was banned in 1966 some 346,000 of the animals were killed by harpoon. 
  
 The numbers of blue whales caught in the Pacific was much lower, approximately 3,400 between 1905 and 1971. 
  
 Much of this hunting was carried out by Russian fleets. 
  
 However most of the data on the catches was kept secret under the Soviet regime. Scientists have only recently been able to get access to this information in the archives. 
  
 However the location and size of the catches didn't give any clues to the types of blue whales that had been caught. There are two distinct populations, the California group and others that live near Japan and Russia. 
  
 To figure out which whales were which, the scientists turned to song. 
  
 "We were trying to separate the catches into east and west, but we didn't know the boundary between the two," said Dr Trevor Branch from the University of Washington. 
  
 Image copyright UWNEWS Image caption A cow and calf in the waters off the California Channel Islands 
  
 "So we used the current locations of where they sing to figure out the dividing line. Their repetitive calls are different." 
  
 By being able to accurately work out the numbers lost to whaling, the research team was able to calculate a historic population. 
  
 Now back at 97% of their past numbers, the team believes that a rise in population has slowed down as these whales have reached the capacity of what the ocean system can support. 
  
 One concern for the scientists at present are ship strikes. 
  
 Most of these happen off the coast of California, and so worried are the authorities that they are now paying merchant shipping to slow down. 
  
 "Our perspective is that we'd rather there were no ship strikes at all, and they are over the legal limit," said Dr Branch. 
  
 "They have to do something to stop it, but 11 per year is so much lower than historic catches." 
  
 This new data suggests that there could be an 11-fold increase in ships before there is a 50% chance that the population will drop below what is considered "depleted" by regulators. 
  
 "My impression is that they are fairly robust," said Cole Monnahan, also from the University of Washington and the lead author on the paper. 
  
 "If you can whale them pretty extensively for 50-70 years and they are able to recover I think that says a lot about moving forward. 
  
 "In terms of things like climate change, it is hard to predict but I don't think we would expect a precipitous drop off." 
  
 While applauding the success of the conservation efforts in the California region, the scientists are well aware that not all whale populations have managed to rebound. In Antarctica, blue whales are at approximately 1% of their historic numbers. 
  
 "California blue whales are recovering because we took actions to stop catches and start monitoring," said Cole Monnahan, 
  
 "If we hadn't, the population might have been pushed to near extinction - an unfortunate fate suffered by other blue whale populations." 
  
 Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc. ||||| Much has been made about efforts to reduce the number of endangered whales killed by collisions with ships off the California coast. While those efforts are commendable, a new report says, such ship strikes do not immediately threaten the recovery of the California blue whale, the largest animal on Earth. University of Washington researchers say the California blue whale population, which had been decimated by decades of hunting, has rebounded to near historical levels. The whales number about 2,200 today, up from a low of 951 in 1931, according to Trevor Branch, UW assistant professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. “Whaling caused the drop, and was then banned in 1966. Illegal Soviet whaling continued until 1971 when all whaling ceased" for blue whales, Branch told NBC News via email. "Since then the population has been recovering steadily.” 
  
 Other groups have estimated that at least 11 blue whales are struck a year along the U.S. West Coast. The UW researchers calculate that there could be an eleven-fold increase in vessels before there is a 50 percent chance that the blue whale population will drop below what is considered "depleted" by regulators. "The recovery of California blue whales from whaling demonstrates the ability of blue whale populations to rebuild under careful management and conservation measures," Cole Monnahan, a UW doctoral student in quantitative ecology and resource management, said in a statement. 
  
 Cole is the lead author of the paper published online Friday by the journal Marine Mammal Science. Branch and André Punt, a UW professor of aquatic and fisheries sciences, are co-authors. 
  
 IN-DEPTH 
  
 SOCIAL 
  
 A blue whale calf already weighs around 3 tons at birth and can drink about 100 gallons of milk per day. pic.twitter.com/iGffK8ToQ8 — Factual Animal Facts (@CredibleCritter) August 31, 2014 
  
 — James Eng |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?
– After decades of deadly whaling, the California blue whale population has come back with a vengeance. A study in the Marine Mammal Science journal says that the once-endangered mammal, which can be found from Alaska all the way down to Costa Rica, has bounced back to "sustainable levels," with around 2,200 of the creatures now swimming in the Pacific surf right off the West Coast, reports the BBC. That growth spurt is due to meticulous conservation efforts—but also because the Russians aren't harpooning enormous numbers of them anymore. An estimated 346,000 California blue whales were harpooned before the practice was banned in 1966; between 1905 and 1971, about 3,400 were killed in the Pacific, mostly by Russian whalers. Despite the ban, Russians kept at it illegally until 1971—and as soon as they stopped, "the population has been recovering steadily," a University of Washington researcher tells NBC News via email. One major issue that still plagues blue whales: They keep getting smashed by ships, especially near California. Some groups estimate about 11 are hit each year, although scientists believe there would have to be an "elevenfold increase in vessels" before there's even a chance of the blue-whale population dipping to dangerously low levels. Meanwhile, they remain the largest animals on Earth, notes National Geographic. (Sorry, Dreadnoughtus.) Read how many calories a blue whale consumes in one gulp.
News article: Image copyright UWNews Bildtext En blåval som uppskattas vara runt 20m lång, simmar utanför Baja California Forskare tror att Kaliforniens blåvalar har återhämtat sig i antal och befolkningen har återgått till hållbara nivåer. Forskare säger att detta är den enda populationen av blåvalar som har återhämtat sig från valfångstens härjningar. Forskarlaget uppskattar att det nu finns 2.200 av dessa jättevarelser på östra sidan av Stilla havet. Men oron kvarstår över deras sårbarhet för att bli slagna av fartyg. Med en längd på upp till 33 meter och en vikt på upp till 190 ton är blåvalen de största djuren på planeten. Californiavarianten ses ofta födosöka nära delstatens kust, men de hittas ända från Alaskabukten ner till Costa Rica. Sovjetisk hemlighetsfullhet Att skriva i tidskriften Marine Mammal Science, forskare från University of Washington säger att Kaliforniens blåvalar nu är på 97% av sina historiska nivåer. Det verkliga avgörande fyndet här är att de är nära att återhämta sig vilket är lite av en överraskning Dr Tevor Branch, University of Washington Att räkna ut att denna art nu är tillbaka på sina traditionella nummer kräver några envisa vetenskapliga sleutthing. Valfångstnationer koncentrerade sina jaktinsatser på Antarktis kallare vatten och fram till dess att bruket förbjöds 1966 dödades omkring 346000 av djuren av harpun. Antalet blåvalar som fångades i Stilla havet var mycket lägre, cirka 3 400 mellan 1905 och 1971. Mycket av denna jakt utfördes av ryska flottor. De flesta uppgifterna om fångsterna hölls dock hemliga under den sovjetiska regimen. Vetenskapsmännen har först på senare tid kunnat få tillgång till denna information i arkiven. Dock gav fångstens placering och storlek inga ledtrådar till de typer av blåvalar som hade fångats. Det finns två distinkta populationer, Kaliforniengruppen och andra som lever nära Japan och Ryssland. För att ta reda på vilka valar som var vilka, vände sig forskarna till sång. "Vi försökte separera fångsterna i öst och väst, men vi visste inte gränsen mellan de två," sade Dr Trevor Branch från University of Washington. Image copyright UWNEWS Bildtext En ko och kalv i vattnen utanför California Channel Islands "Så vi använde de nuvarande platserna där de sjunger för att räkna ut skiljelinjen. Deras upprepade samtal är annorlunda." Genom att noggrant kunna räkna ut de antal som gått förlorade i valfångsten kunde forskargruppen beräkna en historisk befolkning. Nu tillbaka på 97% av deras tidigare antal, tror laget att en ökning av befolkningen har saktat ner när dessa valar har nått kapaciteten av vad oceansystemet kan stödja. En oro för forskarna för närvarande är fartygsstrejker. De flesta av dessa inträffar utanför Kaliforniens kust, och myndigheterna är så oroade att de nu betalar handelssjöfarten för att sakta ner. "Vårt perspektiv är att vi hellre skulle det inte bli några fartygsstrejker alls, och de är över den lagliga gränsen", sade Dr Branch. "De måste göra något för att stoppa det, men 11 per år är så mycket lägre än historiska fångster." Dessa nya uppgifter tyder på att det kan bli en 11-faldig ökning av fartygen innan det finns en 50-procentig risk för att befolkningen kommer att sjunka under vad som anses vara "uttömt" av regleringsmyndigheterna. "Mitt intryck är att de är ganska robusta", sade Cole Monnahan, också från University of Washington och huvudförfattaren på tidningen. "Om man kan valsa dem ganska mycket i 50-70 år och de kan återhämta sig tror jag att det säger mycket om att gå framåt. "När det gäller saker som klimatförändringar är det svårt att förutse, men jag tror inte att vi skulle förvänta oss en plötslig avlämning." Samtidigt som forskarna applåderar framgångarna med bevarandeinsatserna i Kalifornienregionen, är de väl medvetna om att inte alla valpopulationer har lyckats återhämta sig. I Antarktis är blåvalen ungefär 1 % av deras historiska antal. "Kalifornien blåvalar återhämtar sig eftersom vi vidtog åtgärder för att stoppa fångster och börja övervaka", sade Cole Monnahan, "Om vi inte hade gjort det, kunde populationen ha drivits till nära utrotning - ett olyckligt öde som andra blåvalspopulationer drabbades av." Följ Matt på Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc. Mycket har gjorts åt ansträngningarna att minska antalet utrotningshotade valar som dödats vid kollisioner med fartyg utanför Kaliforniens kust. Även om dessa ansträngningar är lovvärda, sägs det i en ny rapport, att sådana fartygsstrejker inte omedelbart hotar återhämtningen av den kaliforniska blåvalen, det största djuret på jorden. Forskare vid University of Washington säger att den kaliforniska blåvalspopulationen, som hade decimerats av årtionden av jakt, har återhämtat sig till nära historiska nivåer. Valarna uppgår i dag till omkring 2.200, en ökning från en låg nivå på 951 år 1931, enligt Trevor Branch, UW:s biträdande professor i akvatiska vetenskaper och fiskevetenskaper. – Att valsa orsakade fallet, och förbjöds sedan 1966. Olaglig sovjetisk valfångst fortsatte fram till 1971 då all valfångst upphörde" för blåvalar, Branch berättade NBC News via e-post. "Sedan dess har populationen återhämtat sig stadigt." Andra grupper har uppskattat att minst 11 blåvalar slås ett år längs den amerikanska västkusten. UW-forskarna beräknar att det kan bli en elvafaldig ökning av fartyg innan det finns en 50-procentig chans att blåvalspopulationen kommer att sjunka under vad som anses vara "uttömt" av regulatorer. "Återhämtningen av Kalifornien blåvalar från valfångst visar på förmågan hos blåvalspopulationer att återuppbygga under noggrann förvaltning och bevarande åtgärder," Cole Monnahan, en UW doktorand i kvantitativ ekologi och resursförvaltning, sade i ett uttalande. Cole är huvudförfattare till tidningen som publiceras på nätet fredag av tidskriften Marine Mammal Science. Gren och André Punt, professor i vatten- och fiskevetenskap vid UW, är medförfattare. IN-DEPTH SOCIAL En blåvalskalv väger redan vid födseln omkring 3 ton och kan dricka cirka 100 gallon mjölk per dag. pic.twitter.com/iGffK8ToQ8 — Fakta om djur (@CredibleCritter) 31 augusti 2014 — James Eng ------------- Vad är en kortare version av ovanstående artikel?
News article: Image copyright UWNews Caption A blue whale estimated to be around 20m long, swimming off Baja California Scientists believe California's blue whales have recovered in number and the population has returned to sustainable levels. Scientists say this is the only population of blue whales that have recovered from the ravages of whaling. The team estimates that there are now 2,200 of these giant creatures on the east side of the Pacific. But concerns remain over their vulnerability to being beaten by ships. With a length of up to 33 meters and a weight of up to 190 tons, the blue whale is the largest animals on the planet. The California variant is often seen foraging near the state coast, but they are found all the way from the Gulf of Alaska down to Costa Rica. Soviet Secretion Writing in Marine Mammal Science magazine, researchers from the University of Washington say California's blue whales are now at 97% of their historical levels. The real crucial finding here is that they are close to recovering which is a bit of a surprise Dr. Tevor Branch, University of Washington To figure out that this species is now back on its traditional numbers requires some stubborn scientific sleutthing. Whaling nations concentrated their hunting efforts in Antarctic colder waters and until the mill was banned in 1966, some 346,000 of the animals were killed by harpoon. The number of blue whales caught in the Pacific was much lower, about 3,400 between 1905 and 1971. Much of this hunt was carried out by Russian fleets. However, most of the data on the catches were kept secret under the Soviet regime. Scientists have only recently been able to access this information in the archives. However, the location and size of the catch provided no clues to the types of blue whales that had been caught. There are two distinct populations, the California group and others living near Japan and Russia. To find out which whales were who, the researchers turned to singing. "We tried to separate catches in the East and West, but we didn't know the boundary between the two," said Dr Trevor Branch of the University of Washington. Image copyright UWNEWS Caption A cow and calf in the waters off California Channel Islands "So we used the current locations where they sing to figure out the dividing line. Their repeated conversations are different." By accurately calculating the numbers lost in whaling, the research group was able to calculate a historical population. Now back at 97% of their previous numbers, the team believes an increase in population has slowed down as these whales have reached the capacity of what the ocean system can support. A concern for scientists at present is ship strikes. Most of these occur off the California coast, and authorities are so concerned that they now pay merchant shipping to slow down. "Our perspective is that we'd rather not be any ship strikes at all, and they're above the legal limit," said Dr. Branch. "They have to do something to stop it, but 11 per year is so much lower than historical catches." These new data suggest that there may be an 11-fold increase in ships before there is a 50% risk that the population will fall below what is considered to be "exhausted" by regulators. "My impression is that they are quite robust," said Cole Monnahan, also from the University of Washington and the lead writer at the newspaper. "If you can waltz them pretty much for 50-70 years and they can recover, I think it says a lot about moving forward. "When it comes to things like climate change, it's hard to predict, but I don't think we'd expect a sudden drop." While applauding the success of conservation efforts in the California region, scientists are well aware that not all electoral populations have managed to recover. In Antarctica, the blue whale is about 1% of their historical number. "California blue whales recover because we took steps to stop catches and start monitoring," said Cole Monnahan, "If we hadn't done so, the population could have been driven to near extinction - an unfortunate fate suffered by other blue whale populations." Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc. Much has been done to reduce the number of endangered whales killed in collisions with ships off the California coast. Although these efforts are commendable, a new report says that such ship strikes do not immediately threaten the recovery of the California blue whale, the largest animal on earth. Researchers at the University of Washington say that the California blue-rolling population, which had been decimated by decades of hunting, has recovered to near historical levels. The whales today amount to about 2,200, an increase from a low level of 951 in 1931, according to Trevor Branch, UW's assistant professor of aquatic and fishing sciences. – Rolling caused the case, and was banned since 1966. Illegal Soviet whaling continued until 1971 when all whaling ceased" for blue whales, Branch told NBC News via email. "Since then, the population has recovered steadily." Other groups have estimated that at least 11 blue whales are struck a year along the American west coast. The UW scientists estimate that there may be an elevenfold increase in ships before there is a 50% chance that the blue roller population will sink below what is considered to be "exhausted" by regulators. "The recovery of California blue whales from whaling demonstrates the ability of blue whale populations to rebuild under careful management and conservation measures," Cole Monnahan, a UW graduate student in quantitative ecology and resource management, said in a statement. Cole is the lead author of the magazine published online Friday by Marine Mammal Science magazine. Gren and André Punt, professor of water and fishing science at UW, are co-authors. IN-DEPTH SOCIAL A blue whale quake already weighs about 3 tons at birth and can drink about 100 gallons of milk per day. pic.twitter.com/iGffK8ToQ8 — Facts about Animals (@CredibleCritter) August 31, 2014 — James Eng -<unk> What is a shorter version of the above article?
– Efter årtionden av dödlig valfångst har den kaliforniska blåvalspopulationen kommit tillbaka med hämnd. En studie i Marine Mammal Science journal säger att det en gång utrotningshotade däggdjuret, som finns från Alaska ända ner till Costa Rica, har studsat tillbaka till "hållbara nivåer", med runt 2.200 av de varelser som nu simmar i Stilla havet surfar direkt utanför västkusten, rapporterar BBC. Denna tillväxtspurt beror på minutiösa bevarandeinsatser – men också på att ryssarna inte harpunerar enorma mängder av dem längre. Uppskattningsvis 346 000 kaliforniska blåvalar harpunerades innan bruket förbjöds 1966; mellan 1905 och 1971 dödades omkring 3 400 i Stilla havet, mestadels av ryska valfångare. Trots förbudet höll ryssar på det illegalt till 1971-och så fort de slutade, "befolkningen har återhämtat sig stadigt," en University of Washington forskare berättar NBC News via e-post. En viktig fråga som fortfarande plågar blåvalar: De blir ständigt slagna av fartyg, särskilt i närheten av Kalifornien. Vissa grupper uppskattar att cirka 11 träffas varje år, även om forskarna tror att det måste bli en "eventuell ökning av fartyg" innan det ens finns en chans att den blåvalspopulationen doppar till farligt låga nivåer. Under tiden förblir de de största djuren på jorden, konstaterar National Geographic. (Förlåt, Dreadnoughtus.) Läs om hur många kalorier en blåval förbrukar i en och samma klyfta.
“After decades of deadly whaling, the Californian blue-whale population has come back with revenge. A study in the Marine Mammal Science journal says that the once endangered mammal, found from Alaska all the way down to Costa Rica, has bounced back to "sustainable levels", with around 2,200 of the creatures now swimming in the Pacific surfing directly off the west coast, reports the BBC. This growth spurt is due to meticulous conservation efforts – but also to the fact that the Russians no longer harpoon huge amounts of them. An estimated 346,000 Californian blue whales were harpooned before the mill was banned in 1966; between 1905 and 1971 about 3,400 were killed in the Pacific Ocean, mostly by Russian whalers. Despite the ban, Russians held on to it illegally until 1971-and as soon as they quit, "the population has recovered steadily," a University of Washington researcher tells NBC News via email. An important issue that still plagues blue whales: They are constantly beaten by ships, especially near California. Some groups estimate that about 11 meet each year, although scientists believe there must be a "possibly increase in ships" before there is even a chance that the blue-rolling population dips to dangerously low levels. Meanwhile, they remain the largest animals on earth, notes National Geographic. (Sorry, Dreadnoughtus.) Learn how many calories a blue whale consumes in one gap.