In the summer of 2017, a stunning 15 North Atlantic right whales were found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence or along the U.S. east coast. It has been called an “unusual mortality event.” That’s accurate, but it doesn’t reflect the urgency of what’s going

Moira Brown and Philip Hamilton are two of the many scientists and researchers dedicated to learning more about North Atlantic right whales, documenting their lives and trying to save the species.

Fisherman Joe Howlett, the co-founder of the Campobello Whale Rescue team, made it his mission to save entangled whales. In July, he was whisked off to another whale entanglement in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It would turn out to be his last rescue.

Whenever a dead North Atlantic right whale washes ashore, scientists are dispatched to the location to immediately begin necropsies. The giant whales are studied from head to tail, as scientists try to understand how they died.

After a deadly summer for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, the federal government has been trying to find ways to keep these gentle giants alive. Some steps were taken, such as ending the snow crab season early. What will happen next?

Researchers say the North American right whale is “teetering on the brink of extinction." So what can be done to prevent another deadly year for the right whales and what is being done to understand the more complex problems threatening its existence?