Scott Kraus, director of research at the New England Aquarium, discusses why right whale survival is directly linked to our ability to manage conflicts with shipping and fishing. He argues that, while there are signs of progress on these problems, much remains to be done. New England Aquarium researchers have been studying the North Atlantic right whale for 25 years. Early work focused on biology of this mostly unknown species, but as studies progressed, findings indicated that human activities were negatively influencing this whale's survival. In the 1990s, it became clear this population also was suffering a decline in reproduction, and the search began for the causes. Now, although right whales are among the best-studied whales, there still remain astonishing gaps in our understanding of their biology.