Life is about to become much more perilous for the North Atlantic right whales.

The U.S. Navy plans to build an Undersea Warfare Training Range next to the only known right whale calving grounds in the world -- potentially pushing this critically endangered species over the brink toward extinction.

The Navy's planned warfare training range would

NOAA has consistently identified ship strikes and entanglement as the two gravest threats to the right whale, yet is allowing the Navy to bring these threats directly into the critical calving habitat.

With fewer than 400 right whales remaining, these majestic creatures already face enough challenges to their survival.

Earth Justice attorneys are preparing to go to court before the end of the year to ensure that the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Navy implement meaningful safeguards to protect right whales and other endangered species.