The Gulf of Mexico is home to the endangered Rice's whales, a species on the brink of extinction.

A recent proposal by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to lower knot speed to 10 in their "core" habitat area to protect them against dangerous vessel strikes has sparked a debate between protection of the animals and of economic impacts.

According to NOAA, this change is crucial for the recovery of the whale population, which for the past 25 years have only been found in the northeastern waters of the Gulf between 100 and 400 meters deep. The Rice's whale is one of the few types of baleen whales that prefers warmer tropical waters and does not make long-distance migrations. They remain in the Gulf year-round.

NOAA Fisheries listed it as an endangered species in 2019 when it was renamed to be its own species rather than a subspecies of the Byrde's whale. The Endangered Species Act review found there were likely less than 100 remaining, with 50 or fewer being mature individuals. That was in 2016.

Mackenzie Russell, Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network Stranding Coordinator, emphasized the significance of the Rice's whales as the only resident baleen whale species in the Gulf of Mexico.

"There are estimated to be fewer than 100 individuals remaining," Russell said.
They can grow up to 60,000 pounds and 41 feet, and once was spotted about 35 miles southeast of Orange Beach in June.

Vessel strikes have been identified as the primary threat to these endangered mammals.

"Some Rice's whales have been observed spending most of their time within 50 feet of the water's surface, putting them at a high risk of being hit by vessels," Russell said.

Russell said a female Rice's whale was found dead from a vessel strike near Tampa Bay, Florida, in 2009. Russell believes reducing vessel speeds in areas where these whales are known to live and feed will reduce the potential for injury and death.

The proposed changes to the current speed rule aim to address two critical issues affecting the recovery of the Rice's whales. NOAA stated there is a misalignment between areas and times of high vessel strike risk and the current Seasonal Management Areas spatial and temporal boundaries. Additionally, there is a lack of mandatory speed restrictions on vessels between 35 and 65 feet, which pose a lethal threat to these endangered whales.

Other threats to the whale include ocean noise — a variety of human activity in the Gulf that produces underwater noise — such as shipping traffic and energy exploration and development activities, fisheries and aquaculture interactions and ocean debris. While the Deepwater Horizon platform was outside the whale's habitat, NOAA estimates nearly half of the oil spill's footprint overlapped with it and that it decreased their population by 22%.

Those who are hesitant of the proposed knot speed reduction say it will negatively impact the Gulf economy.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said it would place an unnecessary burden on the American people.

"We all care deeply about protecting our environment and natural resources, but we need to ensure a balance when issuing government regulations so they do not unnecessarily burden the American people," he said.

He said there is a lack of sufficient data on the number and location of Rice's whales and the effectiveness of reducing boat speeds to 10 knots in protecting the species. Tuberville said three is a need for comprehensive research and data gathering before implementing significant speed reductions across the Gulf, as it could negatively impact supply chains and the economy of Alabama.

The public had the opportunity to comment on the proposed regulations until July 6, and over 5,000 comments were published on regulations.gov. The comments reflected a divide, with some strongly in favor of reducing the knot speed to protect the engendered species and others vehemently opposing the measure.

The Port of Pensacola participated in the public comment period and conveyed concerns regarding the speed reduction.

"We stand for protecting the environment and wildlife conservation, but this proposed rule does not do that. This rule will have a devastating effect on the economy far greater than any insignificant effect on wildlife conservation," the comment said.

The current vessel speed restriction, as stated on the NOAA website, requires all vessels 65 feet or longer to travel at 10 knots or less within specific Seasonal Management Areas along the U.S. east coast during certain times of the year. Additionally, NOAA Fisheries encourages vessels under 65 feet in length to slow down to 10 knots or less within active SMAs to help protect right whales, emphasizing that vessels of all sizes can pose a danger to these whales.