Comment from Anonymous

There is a large body of evidence that this species is unique including hard, research-centered, peer-reviewed scientific data on morphology, genetics, and more, which all come to the same conclusion- this whale, “America’s whale” is a clearly defined species. This whale is thought to once have been abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and now is confined to a small corner of it’s once big world. The threats that make residents of the Gulf states feel unsafe are the same threats that are at risk of harming these animals. Events like climate change, oil spills, seismic surveys and others puts this species in deadly harm. I urge that the Secretary maintain the listing status of Endangered for this special species, “America’s whale.” In the last 5 years since the Rosel et al. 2021 paper identified beyond a doubt that the Rice’s whale is a species (not a subspecies), dozens of peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published on the unique behavior, genetics, and ecology of the whale. These papers have summarized their specialized diet including their predilection for a fatty, small schooling fish called the silver-rag driftfish (Kiszka et al., 2023), the suspected diel diving pattern of spending the daytime at depth diving for prey and staying within 50m of the surface at night. In 2024, 7 Rice’s whales were tagged with suction cup tags, which will elucidate more information about the whales behavior, dive patterns, and movements between habitats. The uniqueness of the Rice’s whale puts it at risk for many dangers that may threaten the remaining 51 whales. Their unique, specific diet of driftfish can make them susceptible to starvation if the fishery fails due to climate change and warming oceans. Their unique behavior to spend nighttime near the surface puts them at risk of ship strikes. The potential for development of oil and gas within their core habitat puts them at risk for decreased water quality and dangerous noise. “America’s whale” is a species to celebrate, to study, and to protect. Background The Rice’s whale is the only whale that solely resides in American waters- gaining its nickname “America’s whale.” Their core population exists in a small, restricted area over the continental shelf break near the De Soto Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico (Rosel et al., 2021) and they maintain a shallow distribution near the surface of the Gulf, primarily existing between 100m to 400m depth (Soldevilla et al., 2017). The habitat and movements of Rice’s whales continue to be studied, with additional work being conducted along Peninsular Florida, the northern Gulf coast, and into Texas, with additional study methods expanding to include passive acoustic monitoring and tagging (Rosel et al., 2021). Rice’s whales are consistently seen on surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, including both aerial and ship-based observations. In contrast, there continue to be no at-sea observations of Bryde’s-like whales (Rice’s whales included) in the western Atlantic Ocean, even with greater aerial, ship-based, and acoustic efforts in that area. There is little to no scientific support that this species, which is consistently seen inhabiting U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is also seen in other areas of the world’s oceans.