THE GREAT NARWHAL RESCUE

Between 2010 and 2018, scientists tested the hypothesis that noise pollution is disturbing narwhals, a keystone species.

Although narwhals aren’t considered endangered, a pod that summers in Scoresby Sound, near East Greenland, seemed to be shrinking in number. Was increased noise in those waters to blame? To find out, scientists from Greenland and Denmark monitored the captured whales using instruments that measured their reactions to the sounds humans have inflicted upon the increasingly accessible Arctic Ocean. In her customary clear prose, Markle weaves details of their investigation into a larger account of the lives and unique adaptations of the narwhals, as well as factors that affect these marine mammals’ migratory patterns: warming waters, the opening of the Northwest Passage to ships, and underwater drilling for resources. This research project showed that these whales were sensitive even to faraway engine noises; scientists concluded that we need to take steps to make the ocean quieter. The informatively captioned photographs that fill the pages depict the ships that now make their way through a once ice-bound ocean, the scientists at work, and the narwhals themselves. Helpful maps are included, along with information on protecting narwhals. Titled to match some of her previous books, this is more precisely an account of an experiment that could help accomplish a rescue.

Another cogently explained example of environmental work from a master nonfiction writer.