Some marine mammals, like the blue whale, are in serious trouble, but not, I think, past the point of no return. What's crucial is that we take steps now to protect them from:

• Habitat destruction from coastal development, industrial operations and shipping
  
  
• Climate change, which affects the animals' food supply
  
  
• Toxic pollution from oil spills, stormwater runoff, etc.
  
  
• Noise pollution from geotechnical research, shipping (especially supertankers) and a soon-to-be-deployed navy sonar system
  
  
• Ship strikes by military and commercial vessels
  
  
• Explosions from war games
  
  
• Hunting

Unfortunately, the variety of these threats complicates protection -- it means there's no one solution. Projects with potential impact on marine mammals have to be analyzed individually. It takes constant vigilance, not to mention tougher laws and better enforcement. Still, as the recent recovery of the gray whale illustrates, populations that are protected can and will rebound.

  Published by the Natural Resources Defense Council -- contact us at nrdcinfo@nrdc.org