Dear Marmam,
My colleagues and I are pleased to announce the publication of our short note in Aquatic Mammals:
Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena vomerina) Catching and Handling Large Fish on the U.S. West Coast
Elliser, C.R., Hessing, S., MacIver, K.H., Webber, M.A., Keener, W. 2020. Short Note: Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena vomerina) Catching and Handling Large Fish on the U.S. West Coast. Aquatic Mammals 46(2), 191-199. DOI 10.1578/AM.46.2.2020.191
Summary
This short note documents the catching and handling of American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) and salmon sp. (including coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) salmon) by harbor porpoises along the U.S. West Coast including the Salish Sea (inland waters of Washington State and Canada), San Francisco Bay, California and Cook Inlet Alaska. These species have not previously been reported as prey for harbor porpoises in this region, and are larger in length and mass than the majority of prey species known to be consumed by harbor porpoises. This note provides unique insights into previously undocumented harbor porpoise behavior and diet. Wild harbor porpoise behavior remains poorly understood, and reports such as this are important to improve our knowledge of this difficult to observe species and highlight the need for further research and monitoring to fully understand their behavioral repertoire and ecological relationships.
The article can be found at: https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2003:harbor-porpoises-phocoena-phocoena-vomerina-catching-and-handling-large-fish-on-the-u-s-west-coast&catid=186&Itemid=326
Please feel free to contact me with any questions at cindy.elliser@pacmam.org!
Best,
Cindy R. Elliser, PhD
Research Director
Pacific Mammal Research
360-202-2860