My colleagues
and I are pleased to share our new publication, "Specimens of
opportunity provide vital information for research and conservation
regarding elusive whale species."
Summary: Elusive species are challenging to study and conserve because basic
elements of their biology may be unknown. Specimens of opportunity
provide a means of collecting information on these species and may be
critical for elusive species’ conservation. We used snowball sampling to
identify Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens)
specimens in museums and research institutions. Snowball sampling
proved highly effective: we located 180 specimens from 24 institutions
in North America and Europe, 62 of which were not listed in online
collections databases, resulting in the largest collated dataset for
this species. Analysis of these data resulted in several new findings
for this species, including significant morphological variation between
specimens from different collection regions, suggesting the presence of
previously unidentified population structuring in this species. These
data provide critical information regarding this species and demonstrate
the effectiveness of specimens of opportunity for elusive species
research and conservation. We recommend other researchers consider
snowball sampling when designing research projects utilizing specimens
of opportunity. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of snowball
sampling and specimens of opportunity to elusive species research and
conservation, and the methods of our study can be readily adapted for
other species.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions!
Cheers,
Kerri