▁to ▁increased ▁overlap ▁and ▁potential ▁hy brid ization ▁with ▁their ▁long - f inned ▁c ous ins . ▁ ▁The ▁distribution ▁limit ▁of ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁in ▁the ▁N ortheast ▁Atlantic ▁has ▁already ▁shift ed ▁ 3 ° ▁latitude ▁in ▁only ▁two ▁dec ades , ▁and ▁evidence ▁for ▁intro gress ive ▁hy brid ization ▁( i . e . ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁a ▁gen es ▁from ▁one ▁species ▁into ▁the ▁gene ▁pool ▁of ▁another ) ▁with ▁long - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁is ▁appearing ▁in ▁DNA ▁samples ▁from ▁the ▁N ortheast ▁Atlantic . ▁Like ▁many ▁other ▁species , ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁are ▁also ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁affected ▁by ▁changes ▁in ▁pre y ▁distribution ▁and ▁abund ance , ▁habitat ▁de grad ation , ▁and ▁other ▁secondary ▁effects ▁of ▁climate ▁change , ▁couple d ▁with ▁human - medi ated ▁stress ors ▁such ▁as ▁marine ▁traffic ▁and ▁poll ution , ▁which ▁could ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁global ▁decl ine , ▁or ▁even ▁loss , ▁of ▁this ▁species . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁The ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ale ▁was ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁IU CN ▁Red ▁List ▁as ▁Data ▁Def ic ient ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁remains ▁data - po or ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁range , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Southern ▁Hem is phere ▁and ▁in ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁tropical ▁and ▁warm ▁temper ate ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁The ▁short - f inned ▁pilot ▁wh ale ▁is ▁covered ▁by ▁the ▁Ag re ement ▁on ▁the ▁Conserv