North Atlantic Right Whales Produce Highest Number of Births This Calving Season Since 2009
United States, which runs from mid-November until mid-April, produced 23 mother-calf pairs, the fourth-highest count ever. It’s positive news for the critically endangered species with an estimated population of about 380.Scientists with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium have been tracking the season closely and were pleased to see shorter intervals between calving for the majority of the whale moms. “While a healthy right whale can give birth every three to four years, we had been seeing nearly 10 years between calves for some females. Many
Blue Institute Reveals New BX6 Blue Excelerator Cohort
, aquaculture systems, and zero-emission sail freight.The program is designed to help emerging blue economy ventures strengthen commercialization strategies, advance pilot opportunities, and connect with partners across a North Atlantic innovation network that includes organizations from across New England. Participants also gain access to more than 100 mentors and speakers with expertise spanning engineering, venture development, manufacturing, communications, and finance. The organization has served as a Connector in the U.S. Department of Energy’s American-Made Network since 2022.Across
Researchers Improving Collaboration Between Divers and AUVs
by the U.S. Navy, with the goal of facilitating technology transition. Beyond sonar and optical sensors, the payload features an acoustic modem for ranging to the diver and several data processing and compute boards.Miller's team has tested the sensor-equipped AUV and algorithms around coastal New England — including in the open ocean near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with the University of New Hampshire's (UNH) Gulf Surveyor and Gulf Challenger coastal research vessels as diver surrogates, and on the Boston-area Charles River, with an MIT Sailing Pavilion skiff as the surrogate."The
MRECo Develops Two Marine Energy Test Sites in Massachusetts
The Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative of New England (MRECo) is developing and improving two ocean testing sites in Massachusetts: the Bourne Tidal Test Site (BTTS) in the Cape Cod Canal and the Cuttyhunk Test Range (CTR) off Cuttyhunk Island.Together, these sites give innovators a safe, affordable, and permitted way to deploy new ocean technologies in the water, bridging the gap between lab experiments and real-world use.The Bourne Tidal Test Site, located in the Cape Cod Canal, is a platform built specifically for testing tidal energy devices and marine sensors in fast-moving water. The site
URI Hosts Global Ocean Technology Conference
ultimately resulted in the country’s first offshore wind farm, the Block Island Wind Farm.Rhode Island Sea Grant partnered with Marine Technology Society to bring the conference to URI and sponsored it as the 20th Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Science Symposium.The Marine Technology Society has a New England chapter for industry experts and researchers and a student chapter at URI for any student interested in developing skills and connections that will lead to a career in the marine technology or ocean engineering space.Rhode Island Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Sea Grant College
New Study Shows Connection Between Whale Health and Respiratory Microbes
whale health, opens the door to effective ways to monitor and protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, whose population has dwindled to fewer than 400 individuals.Between 2016 and 2024, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), University of St Andrews, New England Aquarium, SR³, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation collected 103 respiratory samples from 85 North Atlantic right whales using drones. The researchers found that the microbial matter whales exhale through their blowholes carries valuable information about their health, including distinct,
Scientists Unveil New Names for 18 North Atlantic Right Whales
Scientists at the New England Aquarium are unveiling a new slate of named North Atlantic right whales, an annual tradition that helps researchers in the field identify the critically endangered animals in real time.Every right whale in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog has a number assigned to them, and many of these whales have also been given names that help scientists more easily recognize the whales when they see them during field work. Even for a small population of around 380 individuals, remembering numbers for each whale can be daunting, so names can make it easier. This year
NUWC Division Newport Shares Strategic Vision at Defense Innovation Days
Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport Technical Director Marie Bussiere unveiled the command’s 10-year strategic vision and outlined industry’s role in that initiative during a panel discussion at Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA) Defense Innovation Days held Aug. 25-27 at the Newport Marriott. The strategic vision, “Mastery of the Seas at All Depths 2035,” aims to expand the battlespace from the seabed to space, drive the integration of technology, and strengthen partnerships with industry to accelerate the delivery of systems
Navy’s NUWC Newport Honors 42 Training Program Graduates
in mission-related disciplines, that support the division’s technical and business capabilities.This year’s graduates attended 22 schools including the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, the University of Rhode Island, Stevens Institute of Technology, Roger Williams University, and New England Institute of Technology.Five of the graduates received a doctorate, 29 received a master’s degree, eight received a bachelor’s degree, one received an associate degree, and one received a graduate certificate.“Just a few weeks ago, I introduced our command’s new strategic
February 2026
