GINR has also been conducting a large-scale project on narwhal ecology and biology in Scoresby Sound, East Greenland.

a b "For a dentist, the narwhal's smile is a mystery of evolution". Smithsonian Insider. 18 April 2012 . Retrieved 6 September 2016. Gjertz, I. (1991). The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, in the Norwegian High Arctic. Marine Mammal Science, 7, 402-408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1991.tb00115.xMonodon monoceros". Fisheries and Aquaculture Department: Species Fact Sheets. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012 . Retrieved 20 November 2007. Assessment of sustainable catch levels for West Greenland were provided in JCNB/NAMMCO JWG report 2021 . In 2019, the Greenland Climate Research Centre began a pilot study to monitor narwhals and glacier fronts with automated cameras ( National Progress Report Greenland 2019). Current projects In management area 1 – Ittoqqortormiit, Scoresby Sound and Blosseville Coast south to 68°30’N – the population assessment model estimated a small and depleted aggregation (down to only 18% of the historical population estimate). With an annual growth rate estimate close to zero, it was deemed unlikely that the aggregation could sustain any current removals (NAMMCO 2019a,b).

As with many animals, narwhals’ conservation status is not straightforward. There are international, multinational and national systems that determine the conservation status of different wildlife species. The points of analysis vary, though they do overlap. a b Lowry, L.; Laidre, K.; Reeves, R. (2017). " Monodon monoceros". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T13704A50367651. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T13704A50367651.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021. B reed, GA., C.J. D. Matthews, M. Marcoux, J.W. Higdon, B. LeBlanc, S. D. Petersen, J. Orr, N.R. Reinhart and SH. Ferguson. (2017). Sustained disruption of narwhal habitat use and behavior in the presence of Arctic killer whales. PNAS 114: 2628–2633 Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). (2008). Total Allowable Harvest recommendations for Nunavut narwhal and beluga populations. DFO Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2008/035. http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/Publications/SAR-AS/2008/2008_035-eng.htm Better drilling technology and a warming climate have increased interest in northern areas previously inaccessible to oil and gas exploration. It has been estimated that more than 20 million barrels of undiscovered oil and still greater quantities of natural gas might exist on the continental shelf of East and West Greenland, with still more in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Gautier et al. 2009). Seismic exploration, which involves the discharge of airguns that create very loud low-frequency sounds underwater, have been conducted off West Greenland since 2007, and is expected to begin soon off East Greenland. Recently, Heide Jørgensen et al. (2013c) reviewed the potential effects of these activities on narwhals and other Arctic marine mammals.Best, R.C. (1981). "The tusk of the narwhal ( Monodon monoceros L.): interpretation of its function (Mammalia: Cetacea)". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 59 (12): 2386–2393. doi: 10.1139/z81-319. An approximate estimate of global abundance is 85,000 – 100,000 animals (NAMMCO 2017). Distribution Melville Bay was last surveyed in 2019 and the fully corrected estimate was 4,755 animals (CV=0.77) (Hansen et al., unpublished). Previous surveys resulted in abundance estimates of 1,834 (CV=0.92, 95% CI: 396–8,500) in 2007, 915 (CV=0.44, 95% CI: 431–2,141) in 2012, and 1,768 (CV=0.39, 95% CI: 864–3,709) in 2014. Although there is a suggestion of increase in abundance since 2012, this trend is not significantly different from zero. Additionally, the distribution of sightings has remarkably changed. Where in 2007 narwhals were detected in all four surveyed strata, in 2012 narwhals were sighted in 3 out of 4 strata, in 2014 in 2 out of 4 strata, and in 2019 only in the central stratum. This decline in area usage in the coastal part of Melville Bay could be an indication of a decline in the population (Hansen et al., unpublished).

Fontanella, Janet E.; Fish, Frank E.; Rybczynski, Natalia; Nweeia, Martin T.; Ketten, Darlene R. (2010). "Three-dimensional geometry of the narwhal ( Monodon monoceros) flukes in relation to hydrodynamics". Marine Mammal Science. 27 (4): 889–898. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00439.x. hdl: 1912/4924. Finley, K. J.; Gibb, E. J. (1 December 1982). "Summer diet of the narwhal ( Monodon monoceros) in Pond Inlet, northern Baffin Island". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 60 (12): 3353–3363. doi: 10.1139/z82-424. ISSN 0008-4301. Narwhals are medium-sized whales and are around the same size as beluga whales. Total length in both sexes, excluding the tusk of the male, can range from 3.95 to 5.5m (13 to 18ft). [15] Males, at an average length of 4.1m (13.5ft), are slightly larger than females, with an average length of 3.5m (11.5ft). Typical adult body weight ranges from 800 to 1,600kg (1,760 to 3,530lb). [15] Male narwhals attain sexual maturity at 11 to 13 years of age, when they are about 3.9m (12.8ft) long. Females become sexually mature at a younger age, between 5 and 8 years old, when they are around 3.4m (11.2ft) long. [15] The narwhal has been hunted by the Inuit for many thousands of years. Almost every part of the narwhal is used. The blubber and oil are good for lighting and cooking. The meat provides an excellent source of vitamin C that is otherwise difficult to obtain in the Arctic. And the tusks are used to fashion spears and harpoons. The practice is still maintained in many parts of the Arctic.

Kelley, T.C.; Stewart, R.E.A.; Yurkowski, D.J.; Ryan, A.; Ferguson, S.H. (2014). "Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros) as estimated by reproductive tract metrics". Marine Mammal Science. 31 (2): 479–500. doi: 10.1111/mms.12165. These whales, known for their long, spiraled tusks and ability to dive to great depths, inhabit the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean and surrounding regions. However, as with many other species, the question of their status in the wild has come to the forefront of conservation efforts. a b c Waddell, Dave (16 May 2017). "Drone-shot video may have just solved 400-year debate over what narwhal tusks are used for". National Post . Retrieved 17 May 2017. Narwhals are usually found in groups of 15 to 20, but herds of several thousand have been seen. Newborn narwhal calves are about 1.6 metres (5.2 feet) long. Calves are weaned after a year or more; females reach sexual maturity at about six years and males at eight. Female narwhals experience menopause, and a significant portion of their life is spent in a post-reproductive phase. The longest-lived narwhals are likely between 105 and 125 years old. Narwhals feed primarily on fish and squid throughout their range. Both the diet and the intensity of feeding vary seasonally.