The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has conducted shore-based counts of the Eastern North Pacific stock of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) 26 years from 1967 to 2008 at Granite Canyon (or nearby at Yankee Point), 13 km south of Carmel, in central California. Convenient access to the Granite Canyon research station (owned by NOAA but operated by the State of California Department o...

Blue whale genotypes, haplotypes and sexThe excel file contain data from Antarctic and South east Pacific blue whales. The first column corresponds to the sample name, second column to the area in which the whale was sampled (described in the article), third column has information about the coordinates of the sample (for SCh blue whales, all of them have the same coordinates because were taken in an small area). The fourth column corresponds to the date when the biopsy was taken. From the fifth to the 18th column corresponds to 7 micro satellites loci separated for each allele. The column 19 corresponds to the sex of each whale, the 20th to the haplotype name cited in (LeDuc et al. 2007, Sremba et al. 2012 & Torres-Florez et al. 2014) and column 20th corresponds to the Genbank accession number of each haplotype.Torres-Florez et al._2014_Dryad.xlsxinfile MicrosatsMigrate infile for microsats datainfile mtDNAInfile mtDNA for Migrate analysisParmfile Migrate (microsats)Migrate parmfile...

Most baleen whale populations are increasing after the end of industrial whaling, but their recovery patterns challenge long-standing assumptions about density dependence. It has long been assumed that population growth rates will decline with recovery, until reaching equilibrium (“carrying capacity†, K). Indeed, the International Whaling Commission assumes that growth rates will slow long before K is reached, with maximum productivity at 0.6K. This 0.6K population level is used as an international benchmark that forms the basis of whaling regulations and decisions about whether baleen whale populations are declared depleted. We fit models to four long-term datasets for baleen whales with multiple abundance estimates that span the range from low to high abundance, finding strong evidence that increase rates remain at near-maximal levels across a wide range of abundance levels, and only decline as the population nears K. As a result, maximum productivity occurs at 0.69–0.87 of K across t..., , , # Density dependence only affects increase rates in baleen whale populations at high abundance levels

Overview of files hosted on Dryad

Each file contains a time series of catch records by species/population and location, with two columns: 1. year, and 2. catch number.

Models

"StanSimulation0.stan" (Stan code for the logistic model with fixed z =2.39)

"StanSimulation.stan" (Stan code for the logistic model with estimating z value)

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Overview of files hosted on Zenodo

Abundance time-series

"Abund.Bowhead.csv" (Abundance data for bowhead whales)

"Abund.GR.csv" (Abundance data for gray whales)

"Abund.Hbk.csv" (Abundance data for USWC humpback whales)

"Abund.HbkAusNoad2019.csv" (Abundance data for EAUS humpback whales)

"Abund.HbkAusSpueBb.csv" (Relative abundance data for EAUS humpback whales)

"Abund.HbkAusSpueppc.csv" (Relative abundance data for EAUS humpback whales)

"Abund.HbkAusSpuesol.csv" (Relative abundance data for EAUS humpback whales)

Descrip...

This is a parent record for data collected from AAS project 4102. Project 4102 also follows on from ASAC project 2683, "Passive acoustic monitoring of antarctic marine mammals" (see the related metadata record at the provided URL).

Public Summary:

Half a century ago the Antarctic blue whale was perilously close to extinction. Over 350,000 were killed before the remaining few were fully protected. A decade ago this elusive and poorly understood species was estimated to be less than 5% of its pre-whaling abundance. This multi-national, circumpolar project will develop and apply powerful new techniques to survey these rare whales and gain an insight into their recovery and ecology. The project is the flagship of the Southern Ocean Research Partnership - an International Whaling Commission endorsed collaborative program.

The Southern Resident killer whale (SRKW) population is threatened by a number of identified risk factors including prey availability, contaminants, vessel noise and disturbance, and small population size. However, the population may also be subject to internal factors that limit population growth. Continued assessment of the discreetness of this population through morphological and genetic ch...

The North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Survey is a NOAA Fisheries program conducted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, which conducts aerial surveys to locate and record the seasonal distribution of North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis) off the northeastern coast of the United States. The purpose of these North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) aerial surveys is to monitor the population, track injury rates, and identify areas of entanglement and vessel collision risks. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) mandates the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to evaluate the status of the NARW population and reduce mortality below the population's Potential Biological Removal (PBR) in order for the species to recover. A major component of the surveys is photo identification of individual right whales to estimate the population and its annual rate of mortality. Distance sampling data is collected for all large whale species during systematic aerial surveys of neritic waters of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Additional aerial surveys are focused in areas of seasonal right whale occurrence. Right whale absolute density (individuals km2) is calculated from spatial, temporal, and environmental covariates, accounting for detectability differences between observation conditions, and corrected for perception and availability biases, whale dive behavior, group composition, and group size. Seasonal densities are calculated using covariate maps. When right whales are encountered, the aircraft breaks from the systematic trackline to circle and collect photographs of natural markings on the whales for individual identification using handheld digital cameras. Estimation of the NARW population is based on a state-space model of the sighting histories of individual whales constructed from the central photo-ID catalog curated at the New England Aquarium. Most of the population is photographically captured each year. The comprehensive capture effort provides small credible intervals to the population estimate, which in turn provides relatively precise estimates of annual mortality. High precision estimates of right whale mortality are critical to meet conservation goals. Photographic captures in specific areas over shorter periods can provide estimates of both local abundance and seasonal residency of individuals.

Historical exploitation, and a combination of current anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and habitat degradation, impact the population dynamics of marine mammalian megafauna. Right whales (Eubalaena spp.) are large cetaceans recovering from hunting, whose reproductive and population growth rate appear to be impacted by climate change. We apply noninvasive genetic methods to monitor southern right whale (E. australis, SRW) and test the application of noninvasive genetics to minimise the observer effects on the population. Our aim is to describe population structure, and interdecadal and interannual changes to assess species status in the Great Acceleration period of Anthropocene. As a basis for population genetic analyses, we collected samples from sloughed skin during post-migration epidermal moult. Considering the exploration-exploitation dilemma, we collaborated with whale-watching companies, as part of a citizen science approach and to reduce ad hoc logistic operations and biopsy equipment. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite data and population genetic tools. We report for the first time the genetic composition and differentiation of the Namibian portion of the range. Population genetic parameters suggest that South Africa hosts the largest population. This corresponds with higher estimates of current gene flow from Africa compared to older samples. We have observed considerable interannual variation in population density at the breeding ground and an interdecadal shift in genetic variability, evidenced by an increase in the point estimate inbreeding. Clustering analyses confirmed differentiation between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, presumably originating during the ice ages. We show that population monitoring of large whales, essential for their conservation management, is feasible using noninvasive sampling within non-scientific platforms. Observed patterns are concurrent to changes of movement ecology and decline in reproductive success of the South African population, probably reflecting a large-scale restructuring of pelagic marine food webs. Methods The majority of samples used in this study were obtained noninvasively by collecting sloughed skin from whale watching boats conducting commercial trips during the austral winters of 2016 – 2018 in the area of Gansbaai and Walker Bay, South Africa. Pieces of skin were spotted in the water, picked up by a dip net and transferred with sterile tweezers to a tube containing 96% ethanol. Additional samples were collected from a research boat by remote biopsy using a crossbow and Cetadart darts (Lambertsen, 1987). All samples were stored at − 18 °C. Another 32 biopsy samples were available in archive held by University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit. These samples were collected in two different regions, South Africa and Namibia, between 2003 and 2013. Tissue was pulverised in liquid nitrogen and DNA was extracted using either the QIAGEN DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit or the GENEAID Genomic DNA Mini Kit. Seventeen microsatellite loci were grouped into multiplexes and amplified in 10 μl PCR reactions (Carroll et al., 2015). Multi-locus microsatellite genotyping was done according to sample type. For noninvasive samples, a multi-tube approach (Taberlet et al., 1996) was attempted, with each DNA extraction being amplified at all loci up to three times. For biopsy samples, all loci were amplified once. Sex was determined by amplification of the male specific SRY gene, multiplexed with an amplification of the ZFY/ZRX region as a positive control (Aasen and Medrano, 1990, Gilson et al., 1998). An approximately 550 base pair fragment of the left hypervariable domain of mtDNA control region adjacent to the Pro-tRNA gene was amplified according to Baker et al. (1999). The resulting PCR product was purified by either QIAGEN QIAquick PCR Purification Kit or GENEAID GenepHlow PCR Cleanup Kit and sequenced using BigDye chemistry on a 3130 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Chromatograms were visualized and edited in Geneious Prime v2020.2.4 (© Biomatters Ltd.). For the microsatellite data, quality filtering, allele calling and binning was performed in the program Genemapper 5 (Applied Biosystems). For samples where loci were run more than once, the final genotype was constructed by choosing the highest quality allele calls for each locus, as determined by the quality score in Genemapper. Any samples where the allele calls disagreed between runs were removed from the dataset. Genotypes that failed to amplify for seven or more loci were considered poor quality and were removed from the dataset. Genotype error rates were calculated per allele (Pompanon et al., 2005) using the internal control samples amplified in every PCR and replicate samples. We report the completeness of the final dataset in terms of number of loci per sample. First, genotypes within a year were reconciled to identify the number of unique whales sampled per austral winter season. Then, unique genotypes across years were compared to understand between year recaptures and the total number of whales sampled over the survey period. Cervus 3.0.7 was used to identify these within and between years genotype matches (Kalinowski et al., 2007) with the minimum number of matching loci set to at least eight. Pairs of genotypes that matched at eight loci but mismatched at up to three loci were reviewed and repeated if necessary to verify the individual’s identity or difference (Constantine et al., 2012).

One aim of the Antarctic blue whale voyage was to attempt to deploy satellite tags on Antarctic blue whales in order to describe their movement and behaviour. This was the first time satellite tags had ever been deployed on Antarctic blue whales. Antarctic blue whale movement has been described using static location information such as that derived from the retrieval of a discovery-tagged whales, photo identification or acoustic data. These techniques however are unable to provide a continuous record of actual movements instead inferring movement from two (or more) known locations at two (or more) separate points in time. Actual movements of the whale between these points in time are not known. As such, detailed information such as large scale migratory movement between breeding and feeding grounds or even fine scale movement within a feeding ground remain poorly understood.

The blue whale is an endangered and globally distributed species of baleen whale with multiple described subspecies assignments, including the morphologically and molecularly distinct pygmy blue whale, among others. North Atlantic and North Pacific populations, however, are currently regarded as a single subspecies despite being separated by continental land masses and differences in their acoustic communication. To determine the degree of isolation among the Northern Hemisphere populations, fourteen North Pacific and six Western Australian blue whale nuclear and mitochondrial genomes were sequenced and analyzed combinedly with eleven publicly available North Atlantic blue whale genomes. This allowed to contrast the genetic differentiation and genetic exchange among Northern Hemisphere populations to the Western Australian pygmy blue whale subspecies. Population genomic analyses revealed distinctly differentiated clusters and limited exchange among all three populations, indicating a hi..., We sequenced the genomes from 20 blue whale specimens gathered from the North Pacific blue whale and West-Australian pygmy blue whale populations and analyze the data together with 12 publicly available genomes of other blue whales, including those of the North-Atlantic blue whales (Jossey et al., 2024). This sampling is further complemented by three genomes of the closely related sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), of which one is sequenced in this study. All Illumina paired-end libraries were prepared by Novogene, Cambridge, United Kingdom using the NEBNEXT DNA LIBRARY PREP kit with a read length of 150 base pairs (bp) and an insert size of 350 bp. Illumina sequencing was performed on a NovaSeq 6000 platform targeting ~20x coverage per individual. A comprehensive pipeline used to process the data and perform many of the here presented downstream analyses can be found on GitHub: mag-wolf/RESEQ-to-Popanalyses/. Short read data were trimmed for quality and adapter sequences using FASTP V0..., Usage Notes: All variance sets are contained in zipped vcf files and might be viewed and altered with BCFTOOLS (Danecek et al., 2021). While the genome wide set only contains SNPs, the haploid mitochondrial and sex-chromosomal data contain also conserved sites!, # Supporting Data for: Ocean-wide conservation genomics of blue whales suggest new Northern Hemisphere subspecies

[Access this dataset on Dryad: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.47d7wm3jz]

We sequenced the genomes from 20 blue whale specimens gathered from the North Pacific blue whale and West-Australian pygmy blue whale populations and analyze the data together with 12 publicly available genomes of other blue whales, including those of the North-Atlantic blue whales (Jossey et al., 2024). The data was used for SNP calling of genomic, mitogenomic, mt_Marker region, and y-chromosomal data. The SNPs were subsequently used for population genetic analyses regarding gene flow, genetic divergence, phylogenetic reconstruction and genetic viability.

Description of the data and file structure

In this data repository, we provide filtered, high-quality SNPs called from our genomic resequencing and subsequent mapping to the blue whale reference genome...

Following the near collapse of several whale populations in the Southern Ocean, some baleen whale stocks are on the rise again. Combined with the recent increase in fishery of Antarctic Krill (Euphausiia superba) around the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) there is a growing need to quantify several aspects of some of these whale species in this area. In this study we use data collected from tourist vessels performing several trips during the Austral summer to quantify the beginning of the foraging season for Antarctic Humpback whales, estimate abundance, as well as use predictive habitat model to identify potential areas for interaction between this species and fishing vessels.

The following dataset includes the GPS track of both vessels and all marine mammal and seabird observations collected on two ships between late November 2019 and mid-January 2020. These data were gathered following standard Distance Sampling protocols, recorded in Logger2010 software (http://www.marineconservationresearch.co.uk/downloads/logger-2000-rainbowclick-software-downloads/), stored in MS Access database files and subset in .RData files for analysis.

This dataset contains a collection of known point locations of Cuvier's beaked whales identified through direct human observation via shipborne and aerial surveys. This can be useful for assessing species abundance, population structure, habitat use, and behavior. This collection is aggregated from multiple data sources and survey periods listed below. Each data point contains attributes for further information about the time and source of the observation. This dataset was compiled by the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) and may be updated in the future if additional data sources are acquired. Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) has been undertaking shipborne surveys for odontocetes in Hawaiian waters since 2000. Photo-identification and satellite-tagging indicate a small resident population of Cuvier's beaked whales off of Hawaii Island. Less is known about this species around the other Hawaiian islands. In addition, Dr. Joseph Mobley of the Marine Mammal Research Consultants (MMRC) led aerial surveys for cetaceans in Hawaiian waters from 1993-2003. For further information, please see: http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaiian-cetacean-studies/beaked-whales-hawaii

Satellite tags were deployed on 48 east Australian humpback whales (breeding stock E1) in 2008, 2009 and 2010 on their southward migration, northward migration and feeding grounds in order to identify and describe migratory pathways, feeding grounds and possible calving areas. At the time, these movements were not well understood and calving grounds not clearly identified. To the best of our knowledge, this dataset details all long-term tag deployments that have occurred to date on breeding stock E1.

Satellite tags were deployed on whales in the following locations: • Eden, southern NSW (Australia), October 2008: whales were tagged off Eden during their southern migration. • Evans Head, northern NSW (Australia), June and July 2009: whales were tagged off Evans Head during their northern migration. • East Antarctica, February 2010: whales were tagged on their feeding grounds within IWC Management Area V. • Sunshine Coast, QLD (Australia), October 2010: whales were tagged off the Sunshine Coast during their southern migration.

The various files in the download are: Argos locations generated by tagging of East Australian (breeding stock E1) humpback whale

This file contains all Argos locations generated by satellite tags deployed on humpback whales. Deployment details can be found separately (dataset title: 'Summary of satellite tag deployments on breeding stock E1 humpback whales'). Locations were calculated by Argos using a least-squares analysis. Columns are: Argos PTT: The unique satellite tag identification number. GMT: The date and time (dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm) of each Argos location in UTC. Argos location class: The location class retrieved from Argos, Argos diagnostic data. Classes are based on the type of location (Argos Doppler Shift) and the number of messages received during the satellite pass. Location classes in order of decreasing accuracy are 3, 2, 1, 0, A, B and Z (definition from Argos User's Manual V1.6.6, 2016). Longitude: The longitude of the Argos location estimate. Units: decimal degrees, WGS84 reference system. Latitude: The latitude of the Argos location estimate. Units: decimal degrees, WGS84 reference system.

Speed-distance-angle filter applied to Argos locations generated by tagging of East Australian (breeding stock E1) humpback whale.

This file contains all Argos locations generated by satellite tags deployed on humpback whales. Deployment details can be found separately (dataset title: 'Summary of satellite tag deployments on breeding stock E1 humpback whales'). Locations were calculated by Argos using a least-squares analysis. Additionally, this file contains a column detailing the outcome of the application of the sdafilter - an algorithm based on swimming speed, distance between successive locations, and turning angles to remove unlikely position estimates (speed of 10 ms , spike angles of 15° and 25°, spike lengths of 2500m and 5000m; Freitas et al. 2008). Freitas C, Lydersen C, Fedak M, Kovacs K (2008) A simple new algorithm for filtering marine mammal Argos locations. Marine Mammal Science 24 (2): 315‑325. Columns are: Argos PTT: The unique satellite tag identification number. GMT: The date and time (dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm) of each Argos location in UTC. Argos location class: The location class retrieved from Argos, Argos diagnostic data. Classes are based on the type of location (Argos Doppler Shift) and the number of messages received during the satellite pass. Location classes in order of decreasing accuracy are 3, 2, 1, 0, A, B and Z (definition from Argos User's Manual V1.6.6, 2016). Longitude: The longitude of the Argos location estimate. Units: decimal degrees, WGS84 reference system. Latitude: The latitude of the Argos location estimate. Units: decimal degrees, WGS84 reference system. Argosfilter outcome: The result of the Argos sdafilter - "removed" (location removed by the filter), "not" (location not removed) and "end_location" (location at the end of the track where the algorithm could not be applied).

State-space model location estimates of satellite tagged East Australian (breeding stock E1) humpback whales.

Using the raw Argos tracking data set (Dataset name: Argos locations generated by tagging of East Australian (breeding stock E1) humpback whale), we accounted for the spatial error associated with Argos locations by fitting a correlated random walk state-space model to generate a location estimate at each observed location time. Within this state-space model, we applied the sdafilter to remove unlikely position estimates (speed of 10 ms, spike angles of 15° and 25°, spike lengths of 2500m and 5000m). See: Jonsen ID, Grecian WJ, Phillips L, Carroll G, McMahon C, Harcourt RG, Hindell MA, Patterson TA (2023) aniMotum, an R package for animal movement data: Rapid quality control, behavioural estimation and simulation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14(3): 806‑816. This dataset contains the state-space modelled location estimates of tagged east Australian humpback whales. Associated tag deployment details can be found separately (dataset title: 'Summary of satellite tag deployments on breeding stock E1 humpback whales'). The columns are: Argos PTT: The unique satellite tag identification number. GMT: The date and time (dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm) of each state-space model location estimate in UTC. Longitude: The longitude of the state-space model location estimate. Units: decimal degrees, WGS84 reference system. Latitude: The latitude of the state-space model location estimate. Units: decimal degrees, WGS84 reference system.

Summary of satellite tag deployments on breeding stock E1 humpback whales

A summary of satellite tag deployments on breeding stock E1 humpback whales. Argos PTT = the unique tag identification number; Deploy year = year of deployment; Deploy date = date of deployment; End date = date of final transmitted location; Tracking duration = duration of tag deployment from tag deployment date to last location date; Deploy location = broad geographic location where satellite tag was deployed; Deploy latitude = tag deployment latitude; Deploy longitude = tag deployment longitude; Stage of annual cycle upon deployment = migration direction or feeding grounds; Sex = determined genetically where a biopsy sample was collection; Maturity = an estimate of maturity relative to body size and behaviour; Initial activity = whale behaviour at tagging; Number of locations = the number of Argos locations transmitted; Tag programming = duty cycle applied to tag on and off time as a strategy to extend battery life; Retained for SSM = whether the state space model was applied to the Argos locations generated to account for Argos location error; SSM derived track distance estimate = the length of the satellite track from the state space modelled location estimates in kilometres; Movement captured = the types of movement and behaviour detailed in each satellite track.

Time–area closures have been widely used in fisheries management to prevent overfishing and reduce the bycatch of protected species. Due to quota overages and concerns about entanglement of federally protected North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis, the commercial harvest of Black Sea Bass Centropristis striata using pot gear has been prohibited in the southeastern United States in winter since 2009. Following the rebuilding of the Black Sea Bass stock and a change to the start date of the fishing year, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) increased the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) and is considering twelve alternatives to the pot gear closure that would revise the timing and/or spatial extent of the closure. Changes to this closure could affect the annual catch of Black Sea Bass and increase the risk of right whale entanglement in pot gear. Using historical fishing effort, landings, and right whale sightings data, we projected Black Sea Bass landings and the relative risk of right whale entanglement for each closure alternative, expressed in relative risk units (RRU). We predict that the ACL would be caught, resulting in an in-season closure for most of the proposed SAFMC closure alternatives. The relative risk of entanglement, estimated from the spatial and temporal overlap of Black Sea Bass pot gear fishing effort and right whale relative abundance, was lower for some alternatives than for others, and the relative differences between alternatives were consistent among uncertainty scenarios. The SAFMC’s preferred alternative is projected to result in a relatively low increase in risk to North Atlantic right whales (3–15 RRU off North Carolina and 1–12 RRU off Florida–South Carolina). This framework demonstrates the use of temporally dynamic spatial overlays in assessing the impacts of time–area closures with multiple objectives. Received April 23, 2015; accepted January 15, 2016

A spreadsheet detailing the analysis of humpback whale biopsy samples including the field: Sample ID Duplicate (notes field) Location sample was taken Collection date (UTC) Collection latitude and longitude Sex Haplotype DLOOP sequence Microsatellite sequence Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers

Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in the Western Pacific are critically endangered whereas in the Eastern Pacific they are relatively common. Holocene environmental changes and commercial whaling reduced their numbers, but gray whales in the Eastern Pacific now outnumber their Western counterparts by more than 100-fold. Herein, we investigate the genetic diversity and population structure within the species using a panel of genic SNPs. Results indicate the gray whale gene pool is differentiated into two substocks containing similar levels of genetic diversity, and that both our Eastern and Western geographic samples represent mixed-stock aggregations. Ongoing or future gene flow between the stocks may conserve genetic diversity overall but admixture has implications for conservation of the critically endangered Western gray whale.

ACT_sequence_all individualsSequence data in Fasta file format for Actin locus.ACT.txtCAT_sequence_all_indivdiualsCAT.txtESD_sequence_all_indivdiualsESD.txtFGG_sequence_all_individualsFGG.TXTGBA_sequence_all_individualsGBA.txtLAC_sequence_all_individualsLAC.txtPLP_sequence_all_individualsPLP.txtPLP_sequence_all_individualsPLP.txtPTH_sequence_all_individualsPTH.txtRHO_sequence_all_individualsRHO.txt

Photo-identification methods depend on markings that are stable over time. Using a large dataset of photographs taken over a 31-year period, we evaluate the reliability, rate of change and demographic trends in different mark types on northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) in the Endangered Scotian Shelf population, and assess the prevalence and severity of anthropogenically caused markings. Only fin notches and back indentations were stable over long timescales, leading to 48% of the overall population being assessed as reliably marked. Males and mature males were found to have higher incidence of most mark types compared to females and juveniles. The proportion of reliably marked individuals increased over time, a trend that should be accounted for in any temporal analysis of population size using mark-recapture methods. An overall increase in marked individuals may reflect the accumulation of scars on an aging population post whaling. Anthropogenic markings, including probable entanglement and propeller-vessel strike scars, occurred at a steady rate over the study period and were observed on 6.6% of the population. The annual gain rate for all injuries associated with anthropogenic interactions was over 5 times the annual potential biological removal (PBR) calculated for the endangered population. As entanglement incidents and propeller-vessel strike injuries are typically undetected in offshore areas, we provide the first minimum estimate of harmful human interactions for northern bottlenose whales. With low observer effort for fisheries across the Canadian Atlantic, photo-identification offers an important line of evidence of the risks faced by this Endangered whale population.

Original provider: Cascadia Research Collective

Dataset credits: Robin W. Baird, Cascadia Research Collective

Abstract: Eighteen species of odontocetes have been documented in Hawaiian waters. Prior to 2000, most research focused on spinner dolphins. Since February 2000, we have been undertaking research on cetaceans in Hawaiian waters (under the authorization of National Marine Fisheries Service permits), focusing on the less well-studied species of odontocetes, examining stock structure, site fidelity, population size, behavior and ecology.

This research is being coordinated by Dr. Robin Baird, but involves collaborations with researchers from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska SeaLife Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Portland State University, and Hawai'i Pacific University. Primary funding for this work has come from the U.S. Navy, National Marine Fisheries Service and the Wild Whale Research Foundation.

These studies have covered areas around all the main Hawaiian islands, from the island of Hawai'i in the east to Kaua'i and Ni'ihau in the west, and focus on a number of species, including false killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, rough-toothed dolphins, melon-headed whales, pygmy killer whales, pan-tropical spotted dolphins, Blainville's beaked whales, and Cuvier's beaked whales. More information on this research is available online.

Purpose: This research addresses three broad areas: 1. Odontocete stock structure. This involves examination of residency and inter-island movements of individuals using photo-identification and satellite- and VHF-radio tagging, and population structure using genetic markers (from skin biopsies). We have photo-identification catalogs of 11 species: bottlenose dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins, spinner dolphins, false killer whales, killer whales, melon-headed whales, short-finned pilot whales, pygmy killer whales, Cuvier's beaked whales, Blainville's beaked whales, and dwarf sperm whales, and have added photographs taken over the last 20 years of individuals of a number of species off the island of Hawai'i, collected by Dan McSweeney of the Wild Whale Research Foundation. Photographs of sperm whales are also contributed to a catalog at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. In April 2006, we began deployments of long-term VHF and satellite tags (based on a tag design of Dr. Russ Andrews of the University of Alaska Fairbanks) on short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, melon-headed whales, Cuvier's beaked whales and Blainville's beaked whales, to examine movements around the islands. For molecular studies, to date (March 2012) we have collected over 1,200 genetic samples from 10 different species, and have more field work planned. These samples are being analysed by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, California, and by a graduate student at Oregon State University.

1. Odontocete population assessment. Population estimation is undertaken using mark-recapture analyses of individual photo-identification data. To date, data from bottlenose dolphins, false killer whales, rough-toothed dolphins, Cuvier's beaked whales and Blainville's beaked whales have been analyzed, and catalogs for other species are available for such analyses. Some of this work (e.g., false killer whales) is being done in collaboration with other researchers (Dan Salden of the Hawai'i Whale Research Foundation, John Durban of the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, and Mark Deakos of the Hawai'i Association for Marine Education and Research).

2. Diving behavior and ecology. These studies involve using suction-cup attached tags, analyses of habitat use, and studies of trophic ecology. Habitat use is being examined looking at distribution in relation to depth and slope using ArcGIS. Studies of trophic ecology involve stable isotope and fatty acid analyses of skin samples, in collaboration with Dr. Jason Turner of the University of Hawai'i, Hilo. Tagging studies have involved deployments of time-depth recorders on short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, pantropical spotted dolphins, Cuvier's beaked whales, Blainville's beaked whales, melon-headed whales, and humpback whales, as well as deployments of the National Geographic Crittercam system on short-finned pilot whales and false killer whales.

Supplemental information: [UPDATE] The dataset was updated on 2013-09-18 with new records added and the existing records collected from a Navy monitoring program moved to a new dataset.

Effort data available in original publications. One record did not have group size information and was filled with 1 to be conservative and noted in the [Notes] field.

The difficulties associated with detecting population boundaries have long constrained the conservation and management of highly mobile marine species, especially for wide-ranging cetaceans such as killer whales (Orcinus orca). In this study, we use molecular genetic data to test a priori hypotheses about population subdivisions generated from a decade of killer whale surveys across the northern North Pacific. A total of 462 skin biopsies were collected from free-swimming killer whales from 1990 to 2010 between the northern Gulf of Alaska in the east and the Sea of Okhotsk in the west, representing both the piscivorous resident and the mammal-eating Biggs (or transient) killer whales. Geographic patterns of genetic differentiation were supported by significant regions of genetic discontinuity providing evidence of population structuring within both lineages, and corroborating direct observations of restricted movements of individual whales. In the Aleutian Islands (Alaska), population strata were largely delimited by major oceanographic boundaries for resident killer whales. In contrast, subdivisions among Biggs killer whales indicated multiple genetic clusters in the Eastern Aleutians and Bering Sea. The presence of sympatric genetic clusters within Biggs whales suggests the presence of isolating mechanisms other than geographic distance within this highly mobile top predator.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has conducted aerial counts of Cook Inlet beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from 1993 to 2022 (excluding 2013). Nearly all counts were conducted during the month of June. The routine nature of these counts and the consistency in research protocol lend themselves to inter-annual trend analyses. Beginning in 2005, an aerial survey was added during the month of August to document calving groups within the upper Inlet (north of East and West Foreland). Research protocol has been based on paired observers on the shoreward side of the aircraft and a single observer and computer operator on the offshore side independently searching for marine mammals. Data on environmental conditions, time, location, species, and inclinometer angle were collected for each sighting. The counting protocol included multiple passes near each beluga group while simultaneously collecting video footage. The counting system and observer performance has been tested through paired, independent observational effort. Aerial observer counts are used to calculate median counts for each beluga group to provide a daily index for the population prior to calculating the abundance estimate. Video has been used to count the number of animals in the group to correct for missed animals in the observer counts (perception bias). One video camera had a lens set at a wide angle to view the entire beluga group while the second video camera was zoomed to approximately 10x to magnify a subsample of individual whales in the group. The zoomed video has been used to examine color ratios of white adults relative to smaller and darker juveniles and calves and correct for those individuals missed due to their size or coloration. Aerial counts and video footage of beluga whales provide the fundamental data used to calculate the abundance of and a calving index for the Cook Inlet population. The abundance estimates are applied to trends analyses to determine the status of the stock. Three datasets are included here that contain basic survey data such as latitude, longitude and sightings, as well as the counts of beluga whale groups made by the aerial observers and the results from video analysis from data collected on surveys.