Dear colleagues,
On behalf of my co-authors, I would like to share our most recent publication:
Ferreira, R., Dinis, A., Badenas, A., Sambolino, A., Marrero-Pérez, J., Crespo, A., Alves, F. (2021). Bryde's whales in the North-East Atlantic: New insights on site fidelity and connectivity between oceanic archipelagos.
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.
https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3665
Abstract
1. The conservation of marine megafauna presents numerous
difficulties owing to their high mobility over difficult-to-access
oceanic areas that impairs the collection of basic, but essential,
biological information.
2. The Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is one of
the most elusive species of baleen whales, and although it is known to
be a seasonal visitor to several archipelagos in Macaronesia (the
Azores, Madeira, and Canaries), there are no studies regarding its
occurrence or geographical connectivity in this area of the Atlantic.
3. A 14-year photographic database was used to determine
short-term (intra-seasonal) and long-term (inter-annual) Bryde's whale
site fidelity and to estimate individual residency times in Madeira,
whereas photographic catalogues from Madeira and the Canaries were
compared in order to assess large-scale movements (i.e. on the scale of
hundreds of kilometres).
4. In Madeira, 59 individuals were identified, 27 (45.8%)
of which were recaptured. Of these, 10 individuals (37.0%) presented
short-term site fidelity and 17 individuals (63.0%) presented long-term
site fidelity, with a maximum recapture interval of 12 years. Lagged
identification rates showed that five individuals (SE = 2) remained in
the area for 32 days (SE = 108 days) before leaving and not returning
during the same year. Seven individuals were seen both in Madeira and
the Canaries (catalogue comprising 51 individuals), three of which were
identified multiple times in both archipelagos, with a minimum of
43 days between consecutive sightings.
5. This information combined with the fact that this
species is commonly sighted accompanied by calves and feeding in both
archipelagos highlights the ecological importance of this area for
Bryde's whales. This should be taken into consideration by policymakers
when implementing conservation measures, where coordination of effort
among countries is needed. This study also reinforces the value of using
data from platforms of opportunity and of making photographic data open
access.
Best wishes,