"Newly discovered, exceedingly rare whale might be harmed by oil-seeking air guns"
"Environmental groups sued the federal government Thursday over the Trump administration's easing of rules that had limited use of deep-penetration seismic blasts to search for oil and gas deposits at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
The petroleum industry credits the technology with detecting vast reserves of oil and gas. But the 250-decibel blasts, which are louder than the detonation of a pound of dynamite, can disorient, injure or kill marine animals, from the largest – including whales and dolphins – to the krill and other tiny critters that serve as the foundation of the Gulf’s food web, scientists say.
Of particular concern is a newly discovered but almost extinct species of whale that lives only in the Gulf. The Rice’s whale, found to be a distinct species only a few months ago, likely has a population of fewer than 50."
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