Changing ocean conditions making whale prey scarce are causing the mammals to stop singing, a recent study has found.

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Cascadia Research Collective and other national institutions spent six years monitoring the acoustic sounds of blue, fin and humpback whales off the California coast from July 2015 to June 2021, according to a study published in February .

Researchers set out to determine whether the frequency of whale songs changed seasonally and whether that frequency was indicative of changes within marine ecosystems.

As a result, scientists found the levels of whale songs among different species correlated with their ability to locate and consume prey.

More time hunting, less time singing

Marine biologists began the

See Full Page