Hi MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication: 2026: Currie, J.J., Stirling, B., Olson, G., van Aswegen, M., Evans, L., Stack, S.H., Kobayashi, N., Ueda, K., Higa, S., Gough, W., Vivier, F., McPherson, L., Fertitta, K., and Bejder, L. Body condition differs among social clusters and across years in endangered false killer whales in Hawai‘i. Endangered Species Research. 60: esr01505. Please find our open access article at: https://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/articles/esr01505 Abstract: Body condition is a critical indicator of health and nutritional status in cetaceans, particularly for small, endangered populations facing ecological stressors. We used aerial photogrammetry to evaluate body size and condition of the endangered false killer whale Pseudorca crassidens population resident in the main Hawaiian Islands. From 2019 to 2025, 68 individuals were assessed across 142 photogrammetric measurements. Relative body width declined with age class, particularly across the mid-body region, indicating early-life lipid accumulation followed by increased energetic demands in adulthood. Photogrammetric volume estimates were validated against 3D-scanned individuals, providing estimates within 3% of scanned volumes. Standardized major axis regression revealed significant differences in the body length–volume relationship across social clusters. Body condition index (BCI) varied across years, with the lowest values in 2020, coinciding with the largest single-year population decline and record sea surface temperatures from a marine heatwave, suggesting that environmental stressors may have contributed to reduced body condition during this period. Individual-level trajectories further highlighted substantial fluctuations in BCI, including one case of 28% estimated body mass loss over a 2.5 mo period, and pronounced variability within one cluster, potentially reflecting higher energetic costs and nutritional stress associated with broader ranging behavior. These findings underscore the influence of spatial ecology and local prey availability on the health of this declining population, while providing a foundation for long-term monitoring of the energetic stressors shaping their viability. Sincerely, Jens Jens Currie (he/him) Chief Scientist Pacific Whale Foundation 300 Ma‘alaea Road Ste 211, Wailuku, HI 96793 Cell: +1 808-990-5544 Office: +1 808-856-8338 Fax: +1 808-856-8363 PacificWhale.org<http://www.pacificwhale.org/> [cid:mkt_donation_email_sig_r3_500px_59742678-0de9-40fc-ac98-07ce516adf52.png]<https://secure.pacificwhale.org/forms/emailsignature>
