Right Whale Migration

Sea Temperatures

Try This!

Animation of Monthly Sea Surface Temperature

NOAA's Interactive Data Access and Retrieval System

Click on the map on the right. It will take you to an animation on the NOAA website. The maps show where sea temperatures have departed from normal every month during the past 18 years--since 1982!

Find the part of the world where Right Whales live, along the Atlantic Coast off the U.S. and Canada.
Each time the month changes, tally whether the coastal waters were: Colder, Warmer or Normal
Do you see any trends in northern waters that might have caused the whales to move south?
Can you see how difficult it is for scientists to draw conclusions!?