North Atlantic Right Whales in Crisis

Kraus, Scott D.; Brown, Moira W.; Caswell, Hal; Clark, Christopher W.; Fujiwara, Masami; Hamilton, Philip K.; Kenney, Robert D.; Knowlton, Amy R.; Landry, Scott; Mayo, Charles A.; McLellan, William A.; Moore, Michael J.; Nowacek, Douglas P.; Pabst, D. Ann; Read, Andrew J.; Rolland, Rosalind M.

doi:10.1126/science.1111200

Cited by 265 publications

(219 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Southern right whales Eubalaena australis, in contrast, are listed as Least Concern (IUCN 2008) and are growing at substantially greater rates: 6.8% during 1971-1998 for the South African population (Best et al 2001(Best et al ) and 6.9% during 1971(Best et al -1990 for the Argentinian population (Cooke et al 2001). Survival rates for E. glacialis were lower in the 1990s than in the 1980s (International Whaling Commission 2001), and the continuing mortalities from vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements , Kraus et al 2005) are a source of concern (International Whaling Commission 2006). Furthermore, a low reproductive rate and high variability in reproduction also contribute to the endangered status of the species (Kraus et al , 2005(Kraus et al , 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blubber thickness in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and Eubalaena australis related with reproduction, life history status and prey abundance

Miller¹,

Reeb²,

Best³

et al. 2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

114

190

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The high variability in reproductive performance of North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis compared to southern right whales Eubalaena australis may reflect differences in lipid reserves. Amplitude-mode ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of right whale integument (epidermis and blubber, herein referred to as blubber thickness) in E. glacialis in the Bay of Fundy, Canada for 5 summer seasons and in E. australis off the South African coast for 2 austral winter seasons. E. glacialis had significantly thinner blubber layers (mean ±1 SD = 12.23 ± 2.16 cm, n = 172) than E. australis (16.13 ± 3.88 cm, n = 117), suggesting differing levels of nutrition between the 2 species. Blubber was thickest in females measured 3 to 6 mo prior to the start of pregnancy (E. glacialis), thinner during lactation (E. glacialis, E. australis) and then thicker with time after weaning (E. glacialis). These results suggest that lipids in blubber are used as energetic support for reproduction in female right whales. Blubber thickness increased in calves during suckling (E. glacialis, E. australis) but subsequently decreased after weaning (E. glacialis). Juvenile and adult male E. glacialis blubber thicknesses were compared between years of differing prey Calanus finmarchicus abundances (data from Pershing et al. 2005; ICES J Mar Sci 62:1511-1523; during a year of low prey abundance whales had significantly thinner blubber than during years of greater prey abundance. Taken together, these results suggest that blubber thickness is indicative of right whale energy balance and that the marked fluctuations in North Atlantic right whale reproduction have a nutritional component.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blubber thickness in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and Eubalaena australis related with reproduction, life history status and prey abundance

Miller¹,

Reeb²,

Best³

et al. 2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

114

190

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Its population is presently estimated at about 400 individual whales. The main causes of right whale mortality are collisions with ships and entanglements in fishing gear [Kraus et al, 2005]. However, these whales also have an underlying reproductive problem, which may be either caused by or exacerbated by exposure to environmental contaminants [Kraus et al, 2001].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate hexavalent chromium is cytotoxic and genotoxic to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) lung and skin fibroblasts

Chen

Wise

Kraus

et al. 2009

Environ and Mol Mutagen

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Hexavalent chromium compounds are present in the atmosphere and oceans and are established mutagens and carcinogens in human and terrestrial mammals. However, the adverse effects of these toxicants in marine mammals are uncertain. Previously, we reported that North Atlantic right whales, one of the most endangered great whales, have tissue chromium levels that are high, levels that may pose a risk to the whale's health. Furthermore, the study suggested that inhalation may be an important exposure route. Exposure to chromium through inhalation is mainly because of particulate compounds. However, the toxicity of particulate chromium compounds in marine mammal cells is unknown. Accordingly, in this study, we tested the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of particulate hexavalent chromium in primary cultured lung and skin fibroblasts from the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Cytotoxicity was measured by clonogenic survival assay, and genotoxicity was measured as production of chromosome aberrations. Particulate hexavalent chromium induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in a concentration‐dependent manner in both right whale lung and skin fibroblasts. Lung fibroblasts were more resistant to chromium cytotoxicity, but presented with more chromosome damage than skin fibroblasts. These data further support the hypothesis that chromium may be a health concern for the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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“…the early and late 1990's (Caswell et al 1999, Fujiwara and Caswell 2001, Kraus et al 2005), but we have shown that population health has declined over the period of the analysis. Specifically, we have documented stable health of the population in the 1980's, decline in the 1990's, to a stable, but lower, health in the 2000's ( Figure 7).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical Tools for Fitting Models of the Population Consequences of Acoustic Disturbance to Data from Marine Mammal Populations (PCAD Tools II)

Thomas

Harwood²,

Harris³

et al. 2012

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To build an ecological modeling framework that facilitates understanding of the at-sea condition and health of various species of marine mammals. This project will develop statistical tools to allow mathematical models of the population consequences of acoustic disturbance to be fitted to data from marine mammal populations. We will work closely with Phase II of the ONR PCAD Working Group, and will provide statistical support to that group. OBJECTIVESOur scientific objectives are to build a statistical framework for understanding the at-sea health of (initially) three species of marine mammals: southern and northern elephant seals, and northern right whales. Should the Working Group decide that we should address additional species, e.g. bottlenose dolphins, we will take those up in turn.For elephant seals our objective is to build a hierarchical Bayesian model that provides daily estimates of lipid status, as lipid status of the mother is directly linked to pup survival (McMahon et al. 2000). This model will use the drift dive behavior of elephant seals (Crocker et al. 1997) as the link to the underlying true, yet immeasurable, lipid state.For right whales, our objective is to build a model that provides spatially and temporally explicit estimates of individual health, movement, and survival. The model builds upon some of the ideas from the elephant seal project, but as the photo-identification of individual right whales is the core of the data, the model also includes many ideas concerning mark/recapture from .

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North Atlantic Right Whales in Crisis

Cited by 265 publications

References 6 publications

Blubber thickness in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and Eubalaena australis related with reproduction, life history status and prey abundance

Blubber thickness in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and Eubalaena australis related with reproduction, life history status and prey abundance

Particulate hexavalent chromium is cytotoxic and genotoxic to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) lung and skin fibroblasts

Statistical Tools for Fitting Models of the Population Consequences of Acoustic Disturbance to Data from Marine Mammal Populations (PCAD Tools II)

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