Whale Research Research Articles

Genetic characterization and population genetic structure of the Antarctic minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis in the Indo-Pacific region of the Southern Ocean

The population genetic structure of the Antarctic minke whale in the Antarctic sector corresponding to the Indo-Pacific was investigated using the mitochondrial DNA control region sequence (338 bp) and microsatellite DNA at 12 loci. Whale samples were obtained in JARPAII (Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic—Phase II) surveys performed during the austral summer seasons of 2005/06 to 2010/11. The “Indian Sector” comprised the area between 35° and 130°E, while the “Pacific Sector” was between 165°E and 145°W. The mtDNA/nDNA sample sizes in the Indian and Pacific sectors were 1210/1372 and 795/882 animals, respectively. The level of genetic diversity was high for both genomes, and was similar for the two sectors. In both sectors, the mismatch distribution for whales did not suggest a population at equilibrium. Results of a heterogeneity test showed significant genetic differences between whales in the two sectors, suggesting that different populations inhabit the Pacific and Indian sectors of the Antarctic. Microsatellite DNA analyses showed more dispersal in males than females, and also some degree of annual variation. Significant departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium suggested some geographical overlap of the populations in the feeding grounds. The two populations identified in the Antarctic feeding areas of the Indian and Pacific sectors could be related to the suggested breeding areas in the eastern Indian Ocean and western South Pacific, respectively. The segregation of the populations in the Antarctic feeding grounds could be explained by the fidelity of whales to specific areas with krill concentrations.

Using Long-Term Ecological Research to Promote Sustainable Whale-Watching Practices in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia

Whale watching has experienced rapid growth worldwide while management of the industry has typically lagged behind, assumed an apparent precautionary approach, and lacked an ecological understanding of the species of focus. Considering both socioeconomic and ecological factors in tandem and not as isolated circumstances is important when managing wildlife and related tourism activities, including whale watching. The goal of this article is to address the research gap between social and ecological components in wildlife tourism management using a case study from the University of Victoria Whale Research Lab that has been collecting ecological data surrounding gray whale presence in Clayoquot Sound, Canada for almost 30 years. Results indicate that the boat behavior with respect to whales as well as whale-watching industry pressure depend on the ecological factors that contribute to whale presence. Based on this information, I propose five management recommendations that promote sustainable development and use of the commercial whale-watching industry.

Snatching whale snot from the sky and other adventures in wildlife conservation

Call him Iain Kerr. Some years ago, he met Roger S. Payne, a biologist best known for hunting whales with his ears, rather than harpoons. Prior to about 1970, nearly everything known about whales came from studying their corpses, Kerr says. His meeting with Payne, who helped discover the songs humpback whales use to communicate, left him enamored with the idea that researchers need not kill the leviathans to learn about them. Kerr is now the chief executive officer of the conservation group founded by Payne, Ocean Alliance, and is working to push whale research to its noninvasive limits with the help of flying robots—flying robots called SnotBots that catch what amounts to whale boogers. Within the pages of “Moby-Dick,” Herman Melville speculated that the oily mist spewed from blowholes contained intimate whale secrets. Researchers agree. The pungent spray is a treasure trove of genes, microbes, and hormones, with that

Opposing Lethal Wildlife Research When Nonlethal Methods Exist: Scientific Whaling as a Case Study

Abstract As our understanding of sentience in certain wildlife species grows, and technological advancements promote nonlethal data collection, we believe that we ought to adjust our field methods to incorporate a regime of best practice that prioritizes nonlethal methodologies over inhumane methods of lethal sampling. In addition, progress already made toward nonlethal methodologies in wildlife research needs to be promoted widely. In this paper, we examine whether lethal methods of whale research, using Japanese lethal scientific whaling as a case study, are ethical when the scientific information can be gained from nonlethal methods, and humane methods of killing are not available. As a part of a simple ethical decision-making model, we explore if a requirement for “refinement” of scientific technique, promoted extensively for laboratory-based animal experimentation, has direct applicability to scientific research involving free-living wildlife. We argue that refinement is an appropriate ethical principle in all cases where scientific research involves a choice between nonlethal sampling and the deliberate killing of free-living wildlife for scientific purposes. We conclude that the welfare of individual animals and the conservation of free-living wildlife populations are both worthy of moral consideration and need not be incompatible in humane wildlife research and management.

After Whaling in the Antarctic: Amending Article viii to Fix a Broken Treaty Regime

Since the global decline in commercial whaling, the International Whaling Commission (iwc) has been at the centre of a long-standing debate between pro-whaling industry States and whale preservation States that threatens the collapse of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (icrw) as a treaty regime. This article describes the ongoing treaty regime disagreement that led to the International Court of Justice (icj) Whaling in the Antarctic case and suggests that the icj’s decision highlights further weaknesses in the existing icrw treaty regime. The fissures in the treaty regime have become even more apparent with the iwc Scientific Committee’s request for more data from the Japanese government on the Proposed Research Plan for New Scientific Whale Research Program in the Antarctic Ocean (newrep-a) and Japan’s diplomatic threat to unilaterally resume whaling. The article concludes with a suggestion that States amend Article viii in order to strengthen the existing icrw framework.

Occurrence, distribution and behaviour of Bryde's whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti) off south-east Brazil

Bryde's whales are among the lesser known balaenopterids found in Brazilian waters, as well as globally. At the beginning of this project, only occasional sightings of this species were identified off the coast of São Paulo State. In this paper, we present the results of our investigations into the occurrence and behaviour of Bryde's whales along the São Paulo coast, both inside and outside the Marine State Park of Laje de Santos, as a contribution to biological and behavioural knowledge of Bryde's whales under the conservation scope. Sighting surveys were conducted from January 2003 to July 2005 in coastal and oceanic areas. During the survey, 42 sightings were made, totalling 71 individuals, between the isobaths of 20 and 3000 m. Sightings and individual rates were higher in coastal areas during the summer season. Different kinds of behaviour were observed in coastal and oceanic areas. At the 1200 m isobath, notable social interactions were observed in which four adult individuals performed breaching – the first report of this behavioural pattern for Brazil. Results suggest that Bryde's whales possibly use coastal areas for feeding and may migrate to oceanic areas for breeding, thus providing important aspects that must be considered for the proper management of Marine Protected Areas and for oceanic areas, especially considering the intensive and continuous increase of oil and gas exploitation activities in those areas. Data reported here, therefore, constitute a significant contribution in Bryde's whale research and to cetacean conservation efforts in Brazil.

Exploring the vocal ontogeny of North Atlantic right whales

The vocal ontogeny of species can provide insight into their physical and social development and capacity for social learning. North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are an endangered species with a complex range of vocalizations used in a wide range of social contexts. In this study, we systematically characterize developmental changes in sound production from birth through adulthood. Calls have been recorded as part of ongoing North Atlantic right whale research projects spanning 2001 through 2015, and include data from calves as young as 1 month of age. Data included recordings from single hydrophones, hydrophone arrays, and non-invasive digital acoustic recording tags. Only calls which could be confidently attributed to a specific whale of known age were used in the analysis. Developmental periods consisted of 0–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, and then discrete ages by year. Calls of both male and female calves were included in the analysis. Calls were also classified to age categories u...

Structure and functions of the placenta in common minke (<i>Balaenoptera acutorostrata</i>), Bryde’s (<i>B. brydei</i>) and sei (<i>B. borealis</i>) whales

The structure and functions of placentas were examined in 3 species of rorqual whales, common minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Bryde’s (B. brydei) and sei (B. borealis) whales, with the aim of confirming the structural characteristics of the chorion, including the presence of the areolar part, and clarifying steroidogenic activities and fetomaternal interactions in the placentas of these whales. Placentas were collected from the second phase of the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the North Pacific (JARPN II). Histological and ultrastructural examinations revealed that these whale placentas were epitheliochorial placentas with the interdigitation of chorionic villi lined by monolayer uninucleate cells (trophoblast cells) and endometrial crypts as well as folded placentation by fold-like chorionic villi. Moreover, well-developed pouch-like areolae were observed in the placentas, and active absorption was suggested in the chorionic epithelial cells of the areolar part (areolar trophoblast cells). Berlin blue staining showed the presence of ferric ions (Fe3+) in the uterine glandular epithelial cells and within the stroma of chorionic villi in the areolar part. An immunohistochemical examination revealed tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP; known as uteroferrin in uteri) in the cytoplasm of glandular cells and areolar trophoblast cells. This result suggested that, in cetaceans, uteroferrin is used to supply iron to the fetus. Furthermore, immunoreactivity for P450scc and P450arom was detected in trophoblast cells, but not in areolar trophoblast cells, suggesting that trophoblast cells synthesize estrogen in whale placentas. Therefore, we herein immunohistochemically revealed the localization of aromatase and uteroferrin in cetacean placentas during pregnancy for the first time.

II-1. 南氷洋鯨類調査プログラムによる科学実績

II-1. 南氷洋鯨類調査プログラムによる科学実績

North Atlantic killer whale research; past, present and future

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Whaling, Science, and Trans-Maritime Networks, 1910–1914

This paper addresses whale research by American naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews during and after his expeditions to whaling stations of the Tōyō Hogei company in Japan and Korea. Research literature about Japanese whaling has identified numerous flows of knowledge, personnel, and technology such as ships and harpoon guns from Europe to Japan, suggesting a unidirectional flow in which the Japanese received and adopted Western technology. At the same time, the history of maritime research has, until now, focused mainly on the workings of researchers and various organizations, often neglecting the roles of more subtle yet determining factors in the production of knowledge, such as tools or the subject of study. This investigation of Andrews’ research offers a new perspective on transcultural flows in whaling during the Meiji era by revealing the complexity of global entanglements and showing flows as being multidirectional. It also offers a multi-perspective approach towards writing a history of whale research by incorporating not only the scientist and his multinational aides at the whaling station, but also the less obvious influences on whale research such as the scientist’s tools, (Japanese) colonial subjects at the whaling station, and the interdependencies with the maritime environment including the whales themselves. This study shows why the establishment of modern whaling made the Japanese waters an attractive area of research for Western naturalists. A close reading of the historical traces—correspondence, photographs, and published sources—shows that this research did not only rely on professional naturalists, but also on numerous other actors who influenced each other within a complex network that also involved implicit and explicit cultural hierarchies.

Developmental changes in the skull morphology of common minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata.

We investigated growth-related and sex-related morphological changes in the skulls of 144 North Pacific common minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Measurement was conducted at 39 points on the skull and mandible to extract individual allometric equations relating the length and zygomatic width of the skull. The results revealed no significant differences in skull morphology by sex except for width of occipital bone. The size relative to the skull of the anatomical parts involved in feeding, such as the rostrum and mandible, increased after birth. In contrast, the sensory organs and the anatomical regions involved in neurological function, such as the orbit, tympanic bullae, and foramen magnum, were fully developed at birth, and their relative size reduced over the course of development. This is the first study to investigate developmental changes in the skull morphology using more than 100 baleen whale specimens, and we believe the results of this study will contribute greatly to multiple areas of baleen whale research, including taxonomy and paleontology.

Whale research by Roy Chapman Andrews in Japan and Korea, and Retracing his Footsteps around Japan in 1909-1910

Whale research by Roy Chapman Andrews in Japan and Korea, and Retracing his Footsteps around Japan in 1909-1910

Areolae of the Placenta in the Antarctic Minke Whale (<i>Balaenoptera bonaerensis</i>)

In this study, we examined the existence and structure of areolae and the steroidogenesis of areolar trophoblast cells in the Antarctic minke whale placenta morphologically and immunohistochemically. Placentas were collected from the 15th, 16th and 18th Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic (JARPA) and 1st JARPA II organized by the Institute of Cetacean Research in Tokyo, Japan. The opening and cavity of fetal areolae formed by taller columnar trophoblast cells (areolar trophoblast cells) with long microvilli and a bright cytoplasm, as compared with the trophoblast cells of the chorionic villi interdigitating with the endometrial crypts, were recognized in observations of serial sections. The opening of the areolar cavity was hidden by chorionic villi with areolar trophoblast cells. Furthermore, a closed pouch-like structure lined by tall columnar cells similar to areolar trophoblast cells within the stroma of chorionic villi was noticed and continued to the areolar cavity, with the opening seen on serial sections. In a surface investigation of the chorion and endometrium by SEM, maternal (endometrial) areolae irregularly surrounded by endometrial folds were obvious. Moreover, we distinguished areolar trophoblast cells with long microvilli attached with many blebs from trophoblast cells. In our immunohistochemical observations, a steroidogenic enzyme, cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), was detected with strong immunoreactivity in trophoblast cells. However, areolar trophoblast cells showed weak or no immunoreactivity for P450scc.

Decrease in stomach contents in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean

The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is one of the major krill predators in Antarctic waters. A reported decline in energy storage over almost two decades indicates that food availability for the whales may also have declined recently. To test this hypothesis, catch data from 20 survey years in the Japanese Whale Research Program in the Antarctic (JARPA) and its second phase (JARPA II) (1990/91–2009/10), which covered the longitudinal sector between 35°E and 145°W south of 58°S, were used to investigate whether there was any annual trend in the stomach contents weight of Antarctic minke whales. A linear mixed-effects analysis showed a 31 % (95 % CI 12.6–45.3 %) decrease in the weight of stomach contents over the 20 years since 1990/1991. A similar pattern of decrease was found in both males and females, except in the case of females sampled at higher latitude in the Ross Sea. These results suggest a decrease in the availability of krill for Antarctic minke whales in the lower latitudinal range of the research area. The results are consistent with the decline in energy storage reported previously. The decrease in krill availability could be due to environmental changes or to an increase in the abundance of other krill-feeding predators. The latter appears somewhat more likely, given the recent rapid recovery of humpback whale. Furthermore, humpback whales are not found in the Ross Sea, where both Antarctic krill and ice krill (Euphausia crystallorophias) are available, and where no change in prey availability for Antarctic minke whales is indicated.

Conservation applications of baseline acoustic tag data from right whales

Data collected from archival acoustic tags have dramatically improved our understanding of marine mammal subsurface behavior. Some of the earliest tag deployments were made on the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) to better understand their behavior and to contribute to their conservation. Over the past 15 years, the database of acoustic tag records collected from a diverse cross section of the population has served as a valuable resource for research. Acoustic tag data have provided critical behavioral information including details on individual calling behavior in designated critical habitat feeding grounds, behavioral responses to controlled exposures of acoustic signals including conspecific and man-made signals, acoustic responses to vessel noise, and ground truth data for passive acoustic monitoring efforts. Current studies continue to utilize tag data to shed light on the individual, seasonal, and regional variation in acoustic behavior of right whales, particularly focused on the shallow water coastal habitats of the calving grounds off of Florida and Georgia and in the migration corridor off the Eastern United States. These studies have contributed data that are crucial for targeted conservation efforts and highlight the value of long-term databases of tag data in baleen whale research.

Distribution and abundance of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Nunavut, Canada—an Inuit knowledge survey

Traditional ecological knowledge is being increasingly used in wildlife management in northern regions, and Inuit harvesters in Nunavut, Canada, have extensive knowledge about local wildlife species. We collected Inuit knowledge on killer whales (Orcinus orca) through 105 semi-directed interviews in 11 Nunavut communities from 2007 to 2010. Interviewees provided extensive information on killer whale movements, seasonal presence, distribution and abundance in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Observations from different communities were often complementary, and there was consistency in interview comments both within and among regions. Nearly all participants had seen killer whales at least once, and the whales were present every summer (July–September) in all regions, although movements depended on ice conditions. Relative abundance of killer whales varied by region, and they were reported more often in North Baffin communities than in other regions. Killer whales migrated through Hudson Strait and Lancaster Sound following their marine mammal prey. Estimates of local population sizes were variable, with suggested numbers that varied from tens to the low hundreds. Most interviewees in the Foxe Basin, Hudson Bay and north Baffin regions thought that killer whale presence was increasing. In contrast, half the South Baffin interviewees noted declines in past abundance due to the 1977 harvest of 14 whales that became trapped in a saltwater lake. Interviews provided information at a long temporal and wide spatial record. Inuit are reliable observers and continued killer whale research will be most effective if it integrates modern science approaches with the traditional skills, knowledge and experience of Inuit harvesters.

Effects of stratification and misspecification of covariates on species distribution models for abundance estimation from virtual line transect survey data

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of stratification of the survey region on the performance of species distribution models (SDMs) described by generalized linear models or generalized additive models when estimating school abundance by using a line transect survey. True covariates that define spatial school distribution are not always obtainable explanatory variables. When the true covariates differ from explanatory variables in the model, the explanatory variables are determined to be misspecified. We evaluated the performance of SDMs in abundance estimation with misspecified covariates by using dummy datasets for which the true abundance was known. Simulated replicates of spatial distributions of a whale school and sighting data were generated from possible scenarios motivated by the spatial school distribution of Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis. This distribution was obtained from the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic. Our results showed that the relative bias of the abundance estimators was large when covariates were misspecified and a survey region was stratified. Although stratification of the survey region is intended to produce a conventional line transect estimator with a smaller variance than that of non-stratified survey region, it also acts to increase the bias of the abundance estimate obtained from SDMs.

Structure and Steroidogenesis of the Placenta in the Antarctic Minke Whale (<i>Balaenoptera bonaerensis</i>)

There are few reports describing the structure and function of the whale placenta with the advance of pregnancy. In this study, therefore, the placenta and nonpregnant uterus of the Antarctic minke whale were observed morphologically and immunohistochemically. Placentas and nonpregnant uteri were collected from the 15th, 16th and 18th Japanese Whale Research Programme with Special Permit in the Antarctic (JARPA) and 1st JARPA II organized by the Institute of Cetacean Research in Tokyo, Japan. In the macro- and microscopic observations, the placenta of the Antarctic minke whale was a diffuse and epitheliochorial placenta. The chorion was interdigitated to the endometrium by primary, secondary and tertiary villi, which contained no specialized trophoblast cells such as binucleate cells, and the interdigitation became complicated with the progress of gestation. Furthermore, fetal and maternal blood vessels indented deeply into the trophoblast cells and endometrial epithelium respectively with fetal growth. The minke whale placenta showed a fold-like shape as opposed to a finger-like shape. In both nonpregnant and pregnant uteri, many uterine glands were distributed. The uterine glands in the superficial layer of the pregnant endometrium had a wide lumen and large epithelial cells as compared with those in the deep layer. On the other hand, in the nonpregnant endometrium, the uterine glands had a narrower lumen and smaller epithelial cells than in the pregnant endometrium. In immunohistochemical detection, immunoreactivity for P450scc was detected in most trophoblast cells, but not in nonpregnant uteri, suggesting that trophoblast epithelial cells synthesized and secreted the sex steroid hormones and/or their precursors to maintain the pregnancy in the Antarctic minke whale.

Between‐year synchrony in migratory timing of individual humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae

Marine Mammal ScienceVolume 29, Issue 1 p. 228-235 Between-year synchrony in migratory timing of individual humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae Daniel Burns , Daniel Burns Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author Lyndon Brooks , Lyndon Brooks Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook IslandsSearch for more papers by this author Phil Clapham , Phil Clapham National Marine Mammal Lab, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, Seattle, Washington 98115, U.S.A. and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook IslandsSearch for more papers by this author Peter Harrison , Peter Harrison Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.Search for more papers by this author Daniel Burns , Daniel Burns Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author Lyndon Brooks , Lyndon Brooks Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook IslandsSearch for more papers by this author Phil Clapham , Phil Clapham National Marine Mammal Lab, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, Seattle, Washington 98115, U.S.A. and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook IslandsSearch for more papers by this author Peter Harrison , Peter Harrison Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia and South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.Search for more papers by this author First published: 25 May 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00557.xCitations: 2 Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Citing Literature Volume29, Issue1January 2013Pages 228-235 RelatedInformation