Thousands of gray whales have died over the past decade, prompting environmental groups to consider legal action against the Trump administration for its handling of the crisis. A two-day conference in Newport, Oregon, brought together scientists, government officials, and environmentalists to address the decline of the gray whale population along the U.S. West Coast, which has dropped by half in the last ten years. The main theory for this decline is that climate change has reduced the availability of the whales' primary food sources in the Arctic. This summer alone, 187 gray whales were found dead on beaches across the region. The Trump administration has been criticized for not addressing the issue adequately, according to some reports. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which participated in the conference, missed a legal deadline to respond to a petition to relist gray whales under the Endangered Species Act. Three conservation groups have filed a notice of intent to sue if the administration does not respond to the petition within two months. Conference attendees, many of whom were government scientists or relied on federal funding, were cautious about discussing policy issues, according to one participant. Since taking office, the Trump administration has significantly cut staff and funding at NOAA, aligning with its political agenda. It has also proposed eliminating the Marine Mammal Commission and rolled back habitat protections under the Endangered Species Act, creating a backlog of 400 species awaiting a federal listing decision. NOAA has been slow in releasing the count of gray whale births this year, according to some reports. Gray whales, once driven to historic lows by commercial whaling in the 19th century, saw their population recover significantly after whaling bans and federal protections in the 1970s. However, the population of Eastern gray whales, those along the U.S. West Coast, has declined again. These whales feed on small crustaceans in Arctic waters near Alaska during the summer and migrate to Mexico to give birth in the winter. Climate change is causing Arctic ice to melt at a rate four times faster than the rest of the planet, leading to a sharp decline in their prey. Scientists believe this has caused gray whales to begin their migration with insufficient energy reserves, leading to fewer births and more deaths. Richard Steiner, a marine conservation biologist, stated that the science on the decline of gray whales is clear, linking it to the decline of Arctic sea ice. He warned that continued greenhouse gas emissions could have "apocalyptic" consequences for gray whales and other species. Gray whales on the other side of the Pacific are also struggling, with only a few hundred remaining. The Atlantic gray whale population disappeared centuries ago, likely due to whaling, marking the only known extinction of a whale in human history. Malnutrition may be making gray whales more vulnerable to threats along their migration routes, such as collisions with ships or entanglement in fishing gear. Some whales are foraging in dangerous areas, like the San Francisco Bay, where scientists have tracked an increased number of strandings in recent years. At least one fifth of gray whales entering the San Francisco Bay are killed by ships, with 13 discovered dead this summer, though many more may have died uncounted. U.S. government scientists estimate that the eastern gray whale population peaked at 25,000 to 30,000 in 2016 but has since dropped to about half that number, with estimates ranging from 11,700 to 17,000. Normally, 1,000 calves are born each year, but scientists estimated only 85 births last year, a record low. Relisting gray whales as an endangered species could lead to federal funding for monitoring, research, and habitat protection, according to Miyoko Sakashita of the Center for Biological Diversity, who is leading a potential lawsuit against the Trump administration. NOAA has released estimates suggesting a rebound of about 5,000 whales in the last year, but some scientists, including Mark Palmer of the Earth Island Institute, are skeptical of these numbers, given the low number of calves born last year. Efforts to protect gray whales continue, including initiatives to ask ships to slow down near whale hotspots, which can increase the chances of a whale surviving a collision. Projects like Whale Safe and Blue Whales Blue Skies have been working with shipping companies to encourage slower speeds, though some vessels, such as cruise ships, continue to speed through these areas.