{"id":573236,"date":"2026-03-31T16:30:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T16:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/573236\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T16:30:12","slug":"the-rare-rices-whale-at-risk-from-trump-plans-for-more-gulf-drilling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/573236\/","title":{"rendered":"The rare Rice’s whale at risk from Trump plans for more Gulf drilling"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the world\u2019s rarest whales lives in only one place: the Gulf of Mexico, where the Trump administration wants to expand oil<\/a> and gas drilling that scientists fear could push the giant mammal to extinction.<\/p>\n

Endangered Rice\u2019s whales live their entire lives in the gulf, where they\u2019re vulnerable to vessel strikes, noise pollution, oil spills and climate change \u2014 all of which could increase with more drilling, scientists said. Other animals, including threatened manatees and endangered sea turtles, also could be put at risk, experts said.<\/p>\n

As the Iran war<\/a> pushes energy prices sharply higher<\/a>, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked national security in seeking an exemption from<\/a> endangered species laws, which make it illegal to harm or kill species on a protected list. The seldom-used Endangered Species Committee granted that request<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

What is known about the Rice\u2019s whale?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

In this 2024 image provided by NOAA Fisheries, a Rice\u2019s whale is visible from onboard the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft off the coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. (Paul Nagelkirk\/NOAA Fisheries (Permit #21938) via AP)<\/p>\n

In this 2024 image provided by NOAA Fisheries, a Rice\u2019s whale is visible from onboard the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft off the coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. (Paul Nagelkirk\/NOAA Fisheries (Permit #21938) via AP)<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s the only whale species that lives year-round in the Gulf of Mexico, where there are fewer than 100 \u2014 and possibly fewer than 50 \u2014 left, scientists said. <\/p>\n

Recognized as a distinct species in 2021, the Rice\u2019s whale is usually found in a narrow area in the northeastern part of the Gulf, in waters 100 to 400 meters (328 to 1,312 feet) deep.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re fairly picky eaters, diving to the gulf floor for fatty fish \u2014 mainly silver-rag driftfish \u2014 during the day and then resting close to the surface at night, meaning they are \u201cquite living on the edge,\u201d said Jeremy Kiszka, a biological sciences professor at Florida International University. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s because they undertake strenuous dives for a specific kind of food that also might be affected by more drilling and other changes in the gulf, and they\u2019re vulnerable to vessel strikes at night, Kiszka said.<\/p>\n

How else could oil and gas drilling put them at risk?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Oil<\/p>\n

Oil platforms are visible through the haze near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo\/LM Otero, File)<\/p>\n

Oil platforms are visible through the haze near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo\/LM Otero, File)<\/p>\n

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Noise could disrupt the whales\u2019 foraging behavior, while increased global warming \u2014 tied to the burning of fossil fuels, including oil and gas \u2014 could change where their prey fish live, Kiszka said. The whales also are susceptible to pollution, with a significant portion of an already small population believed to have been killed by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we see today is just a species \u2026 that is unlucky in many ways: small home, specialized diet and living in a place that is not easy in the first place,\u201d because of human impacts, Kiszka said.<\/p>\n

Many climate change impacts are \u201cbaked in,\u201d meaning they will persist even if fossil fuels were eliminated today, said Letise LaFeir, chief of conservation and stewardship at the New England Aquarium.<\/p>\n

But the Trump administration proposal \u201cis just compounding the immediate risks locally and the longer-term risks,\u201d LaFeir said.<\/p>\n

What about other species?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Bleached<\/p>\n

Bleached coral sits next to healthy coral during a scuba dive at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo\/LM Otero, File)<\/p>\n

Bleached coral sits next to healthy coral during a scuba dive at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo\/LM Otero, File)<\/p>\n

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Although a government filing specifically mentions Rice\u2019s whales, other threatened and endangered animals also could be harmed by oil spills or other dangers, scientists said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ocean is connected, so when there is this kind of action somewhere else, it does have implications across the waters,\u201d LaFeir said.<\/p>\n

For example, hundreds of sea turtles \u2014 including endangered Kemp\u2019s Ridley and loggerheads \u2014 are rescued and rehabilitated every year before they are released into the Atlantic Ocean and swim for their nesting grounds in the Gulf, she said.<\/p>\n

Michael Jasny, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council\u2019s marine mammal protection project, said consequences could be far-reaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s \u2026 sea turtles, it\u2019s manatees, it\u2019s whooping cranes, it\u2019s various seabirds, it\u2019s Rice\u2019s whales, it\u2019s sperm whales, it is endangered corals,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is every endangered or threatened species in the Gulf of Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the \u2018God Squad?\u2019<\/p>\n

It was established in 1978 as a way to exempt projects from Endangered Species Act protections if a cost-benefit analysis concluded it was the only way to achieve net economic benefits in the national or regional interest.<\/p>\n

The seven-member committee is led by the secretary of the Interior, with five other federal officials and with affected states getting one shared vote. Five votes are required for an exemption.<\/p>\n

Before Tuesday, the committee had only issued exemptions twice. The first was for construction of a dam on a section of the Platte River considered critical habitat for whooping cranes, though a negotiated settlement won significant protections that led to overall ecosystem improvements. The second was for logging in northern spotted owl habitat, but the request was withdrawn after environmental groups sued, arguing that the committee\u2019s decision was political and violated legal procedures.<\/p>\n

Jasny fears the Trump administration wants to eliminate rigorous scrutiny of future exemptions and \u201cturn this \u2026 into a thing that could be invoked at any time, almost for any purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it can be done for drilling in the Gulf, he said, \u201cwhy not California? Why not Alaska?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can declare an emergency to just kill sea turtles and manatees and whales in the Gulf, you know no species is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of the world\u2019s rarest whales lives in only one place: the Gulf of Mexico, where the Trump…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573237,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[23704,1428,2837,45,49,48,2847,1376,18156,9890,295,8638,6388,2841,166148,5897,202944,106720,6385,220334,28306,66,544,20371,2845,16580,883],"class_list":["post-573236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-al-state-wire","tag-alabama","tag-animals","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-climate-and-environment","tag-donald-trump","tag-endangered-species","tag-energy-industry","tag-environment","tag-fl-state-wire","tag-florida","tag-general-news","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-iran","tag-iran-war","tag-la-state-wire","tag-louisiana","tag-michael-jasny","tag-pete-hegseth","tag-science","tag-texas","tag-tx-state-wire","tag-u-s-news","tag-whales","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}