Conservation Of Mammals Research Articles

From beach users to first responders: The role of civil society in response actions to marine mammal stranding events

Beach users play a fundamental role in responses to marine mammal strandings (RMMS), as they are usually the first to detect and report strandings. Informed beach users facilitate effective responses, increasing the odds of rescuing live animals and obtaining data on the stranding events. This information allows for the causes of stranding events to be related with climatic, anthropogenic, or oceanographic phenomena. The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether beach users in Bahía Todos Santos are currently capable of acting as first responders and to propose strategies for the dissemination of information regarding RMMS. The results of our surveys highlighted the importance of informing beach users about marine mammals, the actions to take during a stranding event, and the health risks of zoonotic diseases. The actions of a first responder include detecting the stranding, reporting the stranding to authorities and competent actors, and providing key information to the recipients of the report. These actions will help authorities activate the local RMMS network to ensure timely responses. We propose the use of signage on beaches and social media campaigns to disseminate information aimed at informing first responders. Finally, we consider it is important to involve the public in these activities to raise awareness regarding the conservation of marine mammals and their environment.

Assessment of medium and large-sized mammals and their behavioral response toward anthropogenic activities in Jorgo-Wato Protected Forest, Western Ethiopia.

Medium and large‐sized mammals of Jorgo‐Wato Protected Forest have not yet been documented though the forest established before four decades. Hence, this study aims to document medium and large mammals and the behavioral responses of selected mammals toward anthropogenic activities in the study area. The study was conducted from February 2015 to June 2016, encompassing the wet and dry seasons. Data were collected mainly through camera traps, indirect and direct evidence. The study revealed about 23 medium and large‐sized mammals that belong to seven orders namely Bovidae, Carnivora, Primates, Rodentia, Tubulidentata, Lagomorpha, and Hyracoidea. Papio anubis, C. guereza, and C. aethiops were the most abundant large mammals in JWPF. Because of high anthropogenic activities, African buffalo shifted its activity period from diurnal into crepuscular and nocturnal. African buffalo traveled longer distances during the wet season (mean = 14.33 km, SD = 1.25 km) than during the dry season (mean = 9.00 km, SD = 2.16 km). This could be due to the fact that the local people were less likely to go to the forest for resource exploitation during the wet season as they are fully engaged in agricultural activities. However, low agricultural activities during the dry season allow the local people to extract resources and involve in bushmeat hunting which could limit the movement of mammals to their refugia. African buffalo preferred to rest on and adjacent to a gravel road (22.1%) in the forest, followed by on open rocky hilltops (14.7%) at night time, but rest in the bottomland thicket vegetation during the dry daytime. Regardless of high human pressure in the area, this study has revealed a good number of medium and large‐sized mammals that could be used as baseline information to design a sound conservation and management action plan of large mammals and their habitat in Jorgo‐Wato Protected Forest.

Ancient introgression underlying the unusual mito‐nuclear discordance and coat phenotypic variation in the Moupin pika

AbstractAimThe mechanisms by which global biodiversity hotspots harbour and conserve high genetic and morphological diversity of endemic species remain unexplored. Relic species of ochotonids in the genus Ochotona are confined to alpine habitats and highly sensitive to environmental changes. We studied the genomic and ecological mechanisms underlying the divergence and adaptive evolution of the Moupin pika (O. thibetana) and its closely related species to infer its diversification, adaptive evolution and demographic history in response to historical and recent environmental changes.LocationHengduan Mountain Region, China.MethodsWe integrated morphological, genomic and ecological data to interpret the phylogeographic structure, adaptive evolution, demographic history and range shift of O. thibetana. Phylogenetic reconstruction was based on Cytochrome b (CYTB), the mitochondrial genome and single‐copy orthologues of the whole genome. Gene flow among extant lineages, as well as from extinct species, was inferred by multiple algorithms. Demographic history was inferred using the pairwise sequential Markovian coalescent and high‐resolution analysis of linkage disequilibrium. We also predicted the range shift of this species by using ecological niche modelling.ResultsPhylogenetic reconstruction revealed an unusual mitochondrial lineage of O. thibetana from the western Sichuan Basin, which was named O. qionglaiensis in previous studies. Extensive gene flow was detected among genetic lineages of O. thibetana, which has distinct phenotypic variation in hair thickness and colouration, as well as notable morphological differentiation in external and craniodental measurements. Multiple members of the keratin gene family were identified as introgressed loci from some ancient species to O. thibetana. The Moupin pika underwent dramatic population shrinkage in the late Quaternary, with a clear trend of population growth in approximately the last 70 generations. The potential distribution range of O. thibetana showed a clear trend of expansion in the future.Main conclusionsThe unusual mitochondrial phylogenetic pattern of O. thibetana resulted from “extended ghost introgression,” a new evolutionary model proposed in the present study, and thus rejected the validity of O. qionglaiensis as an independent species. Ancient introgression of keratin genes likely underlies the prominent coat phenotypic variation among genetic lineages. Clear population growth and range expansion of the Moupin pika in recent generations probably benefitted from recent global warming and vegetation recovery, which not only contributed to the conservation of large mammals but was also beneficial to small mammals endemic to alpine habitats.

LRFN5 locus structure is associated with autism and influenced by the sex of the individual and locus conversions.

LRFN5 is a regulator of synaptic development and the only gene in a 5.4 Mb mammalian‐specific conserved topologically associating domain (TAD); the LRFN5 locus. An association between locus structural changes and developmental delay (DD) and/or autism was suggested by several cases in DECIPHER and own records. More significantly, we found that maternal inheritance of a specific LRFN5 locus haplotype segregated with an identical type of autism in distantly related males. This autism‐susceptibility haplotype had a specific TAD pattern. We also found a male/female quantitative difference in the amount histone‐3‐lysine‐9‐associated chromatin around the LRFN5 gene itself (p < 0.01), possibly related to the male‐restricted autism susceptibility. To better understand locus behavior, the prevalence of a 60 kb deletion polymorphism was investigated. Surprisingly, in three cohorts of individuals with DD (n = 8757), the number of deletion heterozygotes was 20%–26% lower than expected from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. This suggests allelic interaction, also because the conversions from heterozygosity to wild‐type or deletion homozygosity were of equal magnitudes. Remarkably, in a control group of medical students (n = 1416), such conversions were three times more common (p = 0.00001), suggesting a regulatory role of this allelic interaction. Taken together, LRFN5 regulation appears unusually complex, and LRFN5 dysregulation could be an epigenetic cause of autism.Lay SummaryLRFN5 is involved with communication between brain cells. The gene sits alone in a huge genomic niche, called the LRFN5 locus, of complex structure and high mammalian conservation. We have found that a specific locus structure increases autism susceptibility in males, but we do not yet know how common this epigenetic cause of autism is. It is, however, a cause that potentially could explain why higher‐functioning autism is more common in males than females.

Contribution of wildlife management units to the conservation of terrestrial mammals in southeastern Mexico

Contribution of wildlife management units to the conservation of terrestrial mammals in southeastern Mexico

Identification of functional tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter variants associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in the Sudanese population: Computational approach.

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a ubiquitous bacterium that affects nearly half of the world’s population with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Polymorphisms within the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-A) promoter region are considered a possible genetic basis for this disease.AIMTo functionally characterize the genetic variations in the TNF-A 5’-region (-584 to +107) of Sudanese patients infected with H. pylori using in silico tools.METHODSAn observational study was carried out in major public and private hospitals in Khartoum state. A total of 122 gastric biopsies were taken from patients who had been referred for endoscopy. Genomic DNA was extracted. Genotyping of the TNF-A-1030 polymorphism was performed using PCR with confronting two-pair primer to investigate its association with the susceptibility to H. pylori infection in the Sudanese population. Furthermore, Sanger sequencing was applied to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 5’-region (-584 to +107) of TNF-A in H. pylori-infected patients. Bioinformatics analyses were used to predict whether these mutations would alter transcription factor binding sites or composite regulatory elements in this region. A comparative profiling analysis was conducted in 11 species using the ECR browser and multiple-sequence local alignment and visualization search engine to investigate the possible conservation. Also, a multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to estimate odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for the association between TNF-A-1030, sociodemographic characteristics and H. pylori infection. Differences were statistically significant if P < 0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata version 11 software.RESULTSA total of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were observed in the TNF-A 5’-region of Sudanese patients infected with H. pylori. Only one of them (T > A, -76) was located at the in silico-predicted promoter region (-146 to +10), and it was predicted to alter transcription factor binding sites and composite regulatory elements. A novel mutation (A > T, +27) was detected in the 5’ untranslated region, and it could affect the post-transcriptional regulatory pathways. Genotyping of TNF-A-1030 showed a lack of significant association between -1030T and susceptibility to H. pylori and gastric cancer in the studied population (P = 0.1756) and (P = 0.8116), respectively. However, a significant association was detected between T/C genotype and H. pylori infection (39.34% vs 19.67%, odds ratio = 2.69, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-6.17, P = 0.020). Mammalian conservation was observed for the (-146 to +10) region in chimpanzee (99.4%), rhesus monkey (95.6%), cow (91.8%), domesticated dog (89.3%), mouse (84.3%), rat (82.4%) and opossum (78%).CONCLUSIONComputational analysis was a valuable method for understanding TNF-A gene expression patterns and guiding further in vitro and in vivo experimental validation.

Productivity correlates positively with mammalian diversity independently of the species’ feeding guild, body mass, or the vertical strata explored by the species

AbstractMammals can influence ecosystem functioning through essential ecological processes. In patchy landscapes, mammalian diversity can be correlated with ecosystem productivity through its effect on resource availability. However, mammals comprise species with contrasting habitat use and requirements, and it is unknown whether the diversity–productivity relationship changes as a function of the mammal species’ traits.We use meta‐analytical techniques to quantify the effect and assess whether mammal species richness and abundance correlates positively with productivity. Further, we assess whether the diversity–productivity relationship is influenced by the species’ body mass (&lt;1 kg: small, and &gt;1 kg: large, and mixed small and large), the vertical strata explored by the species (terrestrial, arboreal, and mixed terrestrial and arboreal species), and the species’ feeding guild (herbivore, omnivore, insectivore, and mixed feeding guilds).In total, 53 studies fitted the eligibility criteria worldwide, comprising 285 different effect sizes representing the magnitude of the mammal diversity–productivity relationship in six biogeographical realms. Ecosystem productivity was quantified with various surrogate variables, such as soil nutrients, annual rainfall, above‐ground production, evapotranspiration, net primary production, plant cover, and elevation.The relationships between productivity measures and both mammal species richness and abundance were significant and positive. Mammal diversity correlated positively with ecosystem productivity, for mammal species differing in body mass, the vertical strata explored by species (except arboreal mammals), and feeding guilds (except insectivorous mammals). Overall, this result supports the view that diversity in the entire mammal community is positively related to increasing productivity.Sites with greater ecosystem productivity are usually associated with more resources and higher ecosystem carrying capacity, which provide greater resilience to human disturbance than less productive sites. Thus, quantifying productivity can help researchers to identify critical areas for restoration and to propose effective guidelines for mammal conservation.

Urbanization influences small mammal composition, but not species richness in forest fragments in Accra, Ghana.

The Accra Plain of Ghana is experiencing rapid urbanization, but there is scant information on its impact on local biodiversity. We assessed the changes in land use/land cover of the Accra Plain since 1991 and evaluated how the observed changes have influenced local small mammals in forest fragments. We applied supervised classification and intensity analysis time-series Landsat imagery data to assess land use/land cover changes between 1991 and 2017. Small mammals were surveyed in two forest fragments, the Pinkwae and Adumanya forests from June 2019 to January 2020, using capture-mark-recapture technique. We compared our data with baseline data gathered in 1991-1992, when large areas of the city remained mostly undeveloped. Our data revealed that the urban area has increased by 832%, while the forest area declined by 85% between 1991 and 2017. The Pinkwae and Adumanya forests, which covered 120 and 1.5ha, respectively, in 1991 have each been reduced to < 1ha. We found changes in the small mammal species composition in the forest fragments, but not species richness due to species turnover. Grammomys poensis and Dephomys defua are first records for the Accra Plain. Our data suggested that small forest fragments within the urbanizing landscape are important for maintaining the local small mammal species. For the conservation of local small mammals in urbanizing landscapes, it is important to maintain the greatest possible number of small forest fragments and establish policies that prevent forest remnants from being further depleted.

Exploring faunal conservation in carbon projects through Map of Life: A case study

AbstractWith the onset of global change, forest species diversity has declined in recent decades as pristine habitat in biological hotspots rapidly diminishes. Many carbon mitigation efforts directed at decreasing emissions from forest degradation and destruction assume that faunal biodiversity will benefit from such efforts. Yet, conservation of faunal biodiversity is rarely considered in carbon mitigation plans. Despite this, forest preservation and reforestation through greenhouse gas frameworks such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation may provide means to conserve and enhance species richness while also sequestering carbon stocks simply through the establishment of large forest preserves. In this case study, students assess the disparities and synergies between management priorities focused on carbon sequestration and faunal conservation of amphibians, birds, and mammals. Future conservation practitioners need to gain experience balancing multiple, potentially competing, project goals especially within the context of climate change and habitat loss. Students using this case study examine the application of species data from Map of Life and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List to assess real differences between 86 Verified Carbon Standard carbon mitigation projects based on location, certifications for additional priorities, and size of forest preserve.

The fungal rat race: mycophagy among rodent communities in eastern Australia

Context Rodents in many parts of the world perform an important ecosystem function as dispersers of mycorrhizal fungal spores. These fungi are vital to nutrient uptake in plant communities, but many of the fungal taxa that form these associations have fruiting bodies that are reliant on animals for their spore dispersal. Aims Numerous studies have focused on the ecological importance of Australian marsupials (especially members of the Potoroidae) for the dispersal of these ecologically important fungi. We chose to focus this study on the role of murid rodents in the dispersal of these fungi in eastern Australia. Methods To compare fungal taxa in murid diets, we trapped rodents in three regions of eastern Australia; our study sites spanned over 2000 km from temperate eucalypt forests to tropical eucalypt and tropical rainforest habitats. We performed microanalysis on all scats to determine whether fungi were consumed and which taxa were being eaten. Statistical analysis was conducted to investigate trends in levels of mycophagy among species and habitats. Key results We examined 10 rodent species, and all were shown to ingest mycorrhizal fungi to varying degrees. The diversity, abundance and specific fungal taxa consumed varied depending on the site and forest type. In drier forests dominated by Eucalyptus spp., the fungal taxa consumed and dispersed were primarily ectomycorrhizal; in wetter rainforest habitats, the fungal diversity consumed was far lower and included primarily vesicular arbuscular fungi. We provide the first evidence of mycophagy by grassland melomys (Melomys burtoni) and Cape York melomys (Melomys capensis). Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of rodents as dispersers of mycorrhizal fungi across a variety of habitats from temperate to tropical forests of eastern Australia. Implications This study increases the existing knowledge of rodent diets and habitat requirements. It also provides a new angle for mammal conservation efforts, given the vital nature of the ecosystem service provided by these small and frequently overlooked mammals.

Marine mammal conservation in the 21st century: A plea for a paradigm shift towards mindful conservation.

Marine mammals are regarded in high esteem by the general public, and are recognized as flagship species for conservation, while at the same time they suffer from anthropogenic impacts on a global scale, and often in extreme ways. It seems there is a huge discrepancy between how we humans think about our fellow creatures in the sea, and how we behave to impact and/or conserve them. Here, I examine why the purely scientific and thus intellectual approach to marine mammal conservation has had limited success over the past decades. While there are some obvious success stories in cetacean conservation, the situation today is, for many species and populations, more dire than it has ever been. The idea of 'we need to know more'-a credo of the scientific community-often is politically misrepresented to postpone necessary conservation decisions. To adapt our path towards more profound and, importantly, more effective marine conservation, as conservationists we need to go deeper and change the narrative of separation, i.e., the concept of humans being set apart from the rest of nature. Instead, there is a need to create a narrative of connectedness, i.e., the consciousness of humans being an integral part of the planetary system. Rather than telling horror stories about the plight of marine mammals, conservationists also need to trigger positive emotions about them in ourselves. More holistic aspects of conservation need to be incorporated in our future efforts, including the fuller integration of traditional knowledge and indigenous wisdom, recognizing ecosystem functions of marine life and protecting the processes they sustain, respecting 'holiness' of nature while focusing on the animals' individuality, personhood and the cultural identity of distinct communities. Effective marine mammal conservation will be possible only on the basis of a profound change of our own values and a fundamental change of the societal system we are living in.

한국 자연생태계의 일원이 된 야생동물: 자연환경보전정책의 등장과 보전 조류학 연구, 1956-1999

This paper examines the history of wildlife management and its relationship with biological research in South Korea. By the mid-1970s, while national wildlife management focused mainly on hunting regulations, ornithological research was being conducted to rationalize the conservation of wild birds and mammals in the context of forestry management and protecting natural monuments. It was only after the 1990s, when Korean nature conservation policy was institutionalized, that conserving wildlife began to be considered an aspect of conserving nature in Korean. This paper argues that ornithological research has played a significant role in providing a rationale for conserving wildlife in Korea. In this paper, ornithological research in the context of governing nature is referred to as conservation ornithology, which differs from broader academic ornithological research. This paper also explores the institutionalization of nature conservation, which began in the 1990s and has led the Ministry of the Environment to collect statistics about Korean natural ecosystems in order to better conserve and manage them. Korean ornithologists are the biologists who have actively supported the Natural Environmental Survey with their expertise. This paper attempts to shed light on intersection of the history of Korean ornithology with the history of governing nature.

Evaluating Strategies for Managing Anthropogenic Mortality on Marine Mammals: An R Implementation With the Package RLA

Bycatch, the undesirable and non-intentional catch of non-target species in marine fisheries, is one of the main causes of mortality of marine mammals worldwide. When quantitative conservation objectives and management goals are clearly defined, computer-based procedures can be used to explore likely population dynamics under different management scenarios and estimate the levels of anthropogenic removals, including bycatch, that marine mammal populations may withstand. Two control rules for setting removal limits are the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) established under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Removals Limit Algorithm (RLA) inspired from the Catch Limit Algorithm (CLA) developed under the Revised Management Procedure of the International Whaling Commission. The PBR and RLA control rules were tested in a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework. A key feature of PBR and RLA is to ensure conservation objectives are met in the face of the multiple uncertainties or biases that plague real-world data on marine mammals. We built a package named RLA in the R software to carry out MSE of control rules to set removal limits in marine mammal conservation. The package functionalities are illustrated by two case studies carried out under the auspices of the Oslo and Paris convention (OSPAR) (the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) Marine Mammal Expert Group (OMMEG) in the context of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The first case study sought to tune the PBR control rule to the conservation objective of restoring, with a probability of 0.8, a cetacean population to 80% of carrying capacity after 100 years. The second case study sought to further develop a RLA to set removals limit on harbor porpoises in the North Sea with the same conservation objective as in the first case study. Estimation of the removals limit under the RLA control rule was carried out within the Bayesian paradigm. Outputs from the functions implemented in the package RLA allows the assessment of user-defined performance metrics, such as time to reach a given fraction of carrying capacity under a given level of removals compared to the time needed given no removals.

Protected Area Downsizing; Challenges and Ecological Implications on Large Mammal and Biodiversity Conservation in Chirisa Safari Area (CSA)

Protected area (PA) downsizing has been documented worldwide, but associated challenges on biodiversity and large mammal conservation in Chirisa Safari Area (CSA) are poorly understood. This study assesses the challenges associated with CSA downsizing on large mammals and biodiversity conservation. Field observations and face-to-face interviews were done with park management of CSA and SWRI from the 28th May 2021 to 10th June 2021. Analysis of station records on illegal activities, human-wildlife conflict (HWC) reports and land cover changes from 2010 to 2020 was also done. Poaching, encroachment by local people and veld fires, habitat fragmentation and HWC were sighted as major threats to large mammal biodiversity conservation in CSA. Analysed land cover and land use changes show evidence of the expansion of cultivation land and human settlements into areas that previously served as wildlife habitats. These changes have implications on large mammal and biodiversity conservation in CSA related to species migration, population decline, habitat loss and conflicts. We recommend that further research be undertaken in other areas affected by downsizing in Zimbabwe to aid knowledge in explaining its effect on large mammals and biodiversity conservation in adjacent PAs.

Международно-правовая охрана тюленей

The article gives a brief description of the various species of seals. In the city of Arkhangelsk there is a monument to a seal. Two species of seals live in the coastal waters of Russia: the Steinger seal and the European seal. They are listed in the Red Book.&#x0D; The article analyzes the conventions and agreements on the protection of seals: Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals 1972, the Agreement on the cooperation in research, conservation and management of marine mammals in the North Atlantic 1992, the Agreement between the Government of the USSR and the Government of Norway on Measures to regulate fishing, sealing and protection of seal stocks in the Northeast Atlantic 1957. The decisions of the 51st session of the Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission are analyzed. The article ends with an outline of the contribution of the Russian Federation to the rational seal fishery.

Best Practices for Assessing and Managing Bycatch of Marine Mammals

Bycatch in marine fisheries is the leading source of human-caused mortality for marine mammals, has contributed to substantial declines of many marine mammal populations and species, and the extinction of at least one. Schemes for evaluating marine mammal bycatch largely rely on estimates of abundance and bycatch, which are needed for calculating biological reference points and for determining conservation status. However, obtaining these estimates is resource intensive and takes careful long-term planning. The need for assessments of marine mammal bycatch in fisheries is expected to increase worldwide due to the recently implemented Import Provisions of the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act. Managers and other stakeholders need reliable, standardized methods for collecting data to estimate abundance and bycatch rates. In some cases, managers will be starting with little or no data and no system in place to collect data. We outline a comprehensive framework for managing bycatch of marine mammals. We describe and provide guidance on (1) planning for an assessment of bycatch, (2) collecting appropriate data (e.g., abundance and bycatch estimates), (3) assessing bycatch and calculating reference points, and (4) using the results of the assessment to guide marine mammal bycatch reduction. We also provide a brief overview of available mitigation techniques to reduce marine mammal bycatch in various fisheries. This paper provides information for scientists and resource managers in the hope that it will lead to new or improved programs for assessing marine mammal bycatch, establishing best practices, and enhancing marine mammal conservation globally.

Conservation hotspots of insular endemic mammalian diversity at risk of extinction across a multidimensional approach

AbstractAimIslands are one of the most threatened worldwide biotas. Based on their taxonomic diversity, some insular regions have been identified as key areas of conservation. Recently, systematic conservation planning has advocated for the use of multiple biodiversity facets to protect unique evolutionary and functional processes. Here, we identified priority areas for threatened insular endemic mammals across three key dimensions of biodiversity (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional), as well as their protection level and threats affecting them.LocationWorldwide.MethodsWe applied diversity–area relationships to identify insular regions that harbored a disproportionately high rate of threatened endemic mammal diversity (whether taxonomic, phylogenetic, or functional) given their area for 1,799 islands across 19 insular regions. We also assessed the level of protection and the threats affecting biodiversity within each insular region.ResultsWe showed a fairly good congruence between top‐ranked insular regions based on taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Specifically, we identified four hotspots for endemic mammalian conservation through the three diversity facets: Indo‐Burma, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, Mesoamerica and Galápagos Islands, and Wallacea. Except for Mesoamerica and Galápagos Islands, the protected areas coverage is low (&lt;8%) within the hotspots. We also showed that most of the mammal species occurring in the hotspots was prone to either direct threats that affect their mortality or indirect threats that only alter their habitat, while mixed threats such as biological invasions or climate change were less represented in those regions.Main conclusionsOur findings reinforce the importance of investigating the multiple diversity facets in a conservation concern and to link with the associated threats to ensure an effective conservation strategy.

Introduction to the special edition on overabundant macropods

Introduction to the special edition on overabundant macropods

Estimating minke whale relative abundance in the North Atlantic using passive acoustic sensors.

Estimates of abundance and their changes through time are key elements of marine mammal conservation and management. Absolute marine mammal abundance in a region of the open ocean is often difficult to attain. However, methods of estimating their abundance based on passive acoustic recordings are becoming increasingly employed. This study shows that passive acoustic monitoring of North Atlantic minke whales with a single hydrophone provides sufficient information to estimate relative population abundance. An automated detector was developed for minke whale pulse trains and an approach for converting its output into a relative abundance index is proposed by accounting for detectability as well as false positives and negatives. To demonstrate this technique, a 2 y dataset from the seven sites of the Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network project on the U.S. east coast was analyzed. Resulting relative abundance indices confirm pulse train-calling minke whale presence in the deep waters of the outer continental shelf. The minkes are present December through April annually with the highest abundance near the site offshore of Savannah, Georgia.

Challenges and opportunities for the conservation of marine mammals in the Southeast Pacific with the entry into force of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act

With the entry into force of the Fish and Fish Products Import Provisions of the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), countries that export such products to the U.S. market could face significant challenges. Provisions include that fish and fish products exported to the U.S. must come from fisheries with a regulatory program comparable in effectiveness to the U.S. standard. Using three countries in the Southeast Pacific (Chile, Ecuador and Peru) as a case study, the potential economic impacts of the MMPA were analyzed. As a reference, in 2019, this region exported 389 thousand tons valued at US $3.2 billion to the U.S. in fish and aquaculture products, of which ca. 69% could become subject to commercial restrictions related to the MMPA. In the case of Chile, most exported fish products come from aquaculture, but in Ecuador and Peru they come from small-scale fisheries. Because of the associated costs that countries may incur to comply with MMPA requirements, moving in stages is recommended, first issuing regulatory reforms related to marine mammals protection, and then estimating bycatch rates for each species/population by fishery. Simultaneously, but as a medium-term goal, population estimates to define limits of biological removal should be conducted. Despite the progress in fishing management made by these three countries, with Chile at the forefront, it may still be a challenge for the export fisheries to achieve comparability findings under the MMPA. However, efforts and incentives offer new opportunities for conservation by reducing current levels of marine mammal mortality in fisheries and is already having benefits that could be enhanced if countries address with responsibility the impacts from fisheries on marine mammals populations in the region.