How can this:

affect this:

Well it can in more ways than you’d think.  The animal pictured above is the Right Whale.  The Right Whale is a species of baleen whales growing up to 18m long and weighing upwards of 100 tons.  The beleaguered creature earned it’s name because whalers thought it was the “right” one to hunt due in large part to the fact that they float when they are killed.  These creatures live in three distinct areas of the world, one of which is the Western North Atlantic ocean, near the East Coast of the US.  In the spring and summer they live up around New York, and in the summer they head to Georgia and Florida – much like many snowbirds.

This annual migration puts them directly in the path of some of the busiest shipping lanes the US has to offer.  In fact, the leading cause of death for a Right Whale is a ship strike.  As you can imagine, hitting a 100 ton animal doesn’t leave the ship feeling too great either.  However, ships can be repaired, whales can’t.  In 2006, several conservation groups sued the NOAA and prompted them in 2008 to impose a cap on ship speeds when they are 23 miles (20nm) from a major US east coast port.  During the whale season (varies by port), the ship captains must maintain a vessel speed less than 10 knots when they are within this 23 mile radius.  January 2009 was the first time when an area was affected by the new regulations.

A typical ship speed for a container vessel would be closer to 25-26 knots.  This reduction in speed means it takes longer to reach our east coast ports.  In the shipping business, time is money and efficiency is everything.  Several of the east coast ports are “river ports” where ships must steam upriver once they reach the coast.  Those steaming speeds are typically closer to 6 knots.  As shipping lines evaluate where to bring their ships, the amount of time it takes to reach each port will certainly be a consideration.  It’s too early to tell, but you would think that the east coast ports, and the river ports specifically, may find themselves at somewhat of a disadvantage.