Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase subscribers, Apologies to those of you who will receive duplicate emails due to cross-posting. The following are abstracts from the most recent issue (Volume 12, issue 1, 2012) of the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) publishes The Journal of Cetacean Research and Management thrice yearly (Spring, Autumn, and Winter), with at least one supplement that will contain the full report of the IWC Scientific Committee. The following is posted on behalf of the IWC and the journal editor. Further information can be found at: http://www.iwcoffice.org/publications/JCRM.htm. A guide for authors is included in the first volume of each issue and on the IWC website: http://www.iwcoffice.org/publications/authorsguide.htm. Contact information is provided for the corresponding author for each article. Please do not contact the listserve editors or me for pdfs or copies of the articles. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal and abstract postings. With regards, Dagmar Fertl ************************************* Heide-Jørgensen, M.P.*, K.L. Laidre, R.G. Hansen, M.L. Burt, M. Simon, D.L. Borchers, J. Hansen, K. Harding, M. Rasmussen, R. Dietz, and J. Teilmann. 2012. Rate of increase and current abundance of humpback whales in West Greenland. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):1-14. *Contact e-mail: mhj@ghsdk.dk Aerial line transect surveys of the density of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) conducted off West Greenland eight times between 1984 and 2007 were used to estimate the rate of increase on the summer feeding ground. Only surveys in 1993, 2005 and 2007 had enough sightings to construct independent density estimates, whereas the surveys in 1984–85 and 1987–89 had to be merged and treated as two surveys. The annual rate of increase was 9.4% yr–1 (SE = 0.01) between 1984 and 2007. This rate of increase is higher than the increase estimated at the breeding grounds in the West Indies, but is of the same magnitude as the observed rate of increase at other feeding grounds in the North Atlantic. A matrix model based on observed life history parameters revealed that the theoretical growth rate of a humpback whale population ranged between 1 and 11%. This confirms that the observed growth in West Greenland is within the plausible values. The survey in 2007 was used to make a fully corrected abundance estimate including corrections for whales that were submerged during the passage of the survey plane. The line transect estimate for 2007 was 1,020 (CV = 0.35). When the estimate was corrected for perception bias with mark-recapture distance sampling (MRDS) methods, the abundance increased to 1,505 (0.49). A correction for availability bias was developed based on time-depth-recorder information on the time spent at the surface (0–4m). However, used directly this correction leads to a positively-biased abundance estimate and instead a correction was developed for the non-instantaneous visual sighting process in an aircraft. The resulting estimate for 2007 was 3,272 (CV = 0.50) for the MRDS analysis. An alternative strip census estimate deploying a strip width of 300m resulted in 995 (0.33) whales. Correction for perception bias resulted in 991 (0.35) whales and corrected for the same availability bias as for the MRDS method resulted in a fully corrected estimate of 2,154 (0.36) humpback whales in West Greenland in 2007. ************************ Punt, A. E.*, and P.R. Wade. 2012. Population status of the eastern North Pacific stock of gray whales in 2009. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1): 15-28. *Contact e-mail: aepunt@u.washington.edu An age- and sex-structured population dynamics model is fitted using Bayesian methods to data on the catches and abundance estimates for the Eastern North Pacific (ENP) stock of gray whales. The prior distributions used for these analyses incorporate revised estimates of abundance for ENP gray whales and account explicitly for the drop in abundance caused by the 1999–2000 mortality event. A series of analyses are conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of the results to different assumptions. The model fits the available data adequately, but, as in previous assessments, the measures of uncertainty associated with the survey-based abundance estimates are found to be negatively biased. The data support the inclusion of the 1999–2000 mortality event in the model, and accounting for this event leads to greater uncertainty regarding the current status of the resource. The baseline analysis estimates the ENP gray whale population to be above the maximum sustainable yield level (MSYL) with high probability (0.884). The posterior mean for the ratio of 2009 (1+) abundance to MSYL is 1.29 (with a posterior median of 1.37 and a 90% probability interval of 0.68–1.51). These results are consistent across all the model runs conducted. The baseline model also estimates the 2009 ENP gray whale population size (posterior mean of 20,366) to be at 85% of its carrying capacity (posterior mean of 25,808), and this is also consistent across all the model runs. The baseline model estimate of the maximum rate of increase, λmax, is 1.062 which, while high, is nevertheless within the range of estimates obtained for other baleen whales. ******************************* Salgado Kent, C., C. Jenner, M. Jenner, P. Bouchet, and E. Rexstad. 2012. Southern Hemisphere Breeding Stock D humpback whale population estimates from North West Cape, Western Australia. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):29-38. *Contact e-mail: c.salgado@cmst.curtin.edu.au Estimates of the abundance of Breeding Stock D humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are key to the conservation and management of what is thought to be one of the largest populations of the species. Five years (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2008) of aerial surveys carried out over an eight-year period at North West Cape (Western Australia) using line transect methodology allowed trends in whale numbers to be investigated, and provided a base for comparison with estimates made approximately 400km south at Shark Bay (Western Australia). A total of 3,127 whale detections were made during 74 surveys of the 7,043km2 study area west of NWC. Pod abundance for each flight was computed using a Horvitz-Thompson like estimator and converted to an absolute measure of abundance after corrections were made for estimated mean cluster size, unsurveyed time, swimming speed and animal availability. Resulting estimates from the migration model of best fit with the most credible assumptions were 7,276 (CI = 4,993–10,167) for 2000, 12,280 (CI = 6,830–49,434) for 2001, 18,692 (CI = 12,980–24,477) for 2006, 20,044 (CI =13,815–31,646) for 2007, and 26,100 (CI = 20,152–33,272) for 2008. Based on these data, the trend model with the greatest r2 was exponential with an annual increase rate of 13% (CI = 5.6%–18.1%). While this value is above the species’ estimated maximum plausible growth rate of 11.8%, it is reasonably close to previous reports of between 10–12%. The coefficient of variation, however, was too large for a reliable trend estimate. Perception bias was also not accounted for in these calculations. Based on a crude appraisal which yielded an estimated p(0) of 0.783 (from independent observer effort, CV = 0.973), the 2008 humpback population size may be as large as 33,300. In conclusion, the work here provides evidence of an increasing Breeding Stock D population, but further surveys are necessary to confirm whether the population is indeed increasing at its maximum rate. ********** Ferguson, M.C. 2012. Quantifying spatial characteristics of the Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project (BWASP) survey design. Journal of Cetacean Research Management 12(1):39-44. Contact e-mail: Megan.Ferguson@noaa.gov The Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project (BWASP) has been conducted annually since 19769 in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea to monitor the distribution and relative abundance of the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort (BCB) stock of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) during their autumn migration. BWASP was created to specifically address broad-scale research and management questions related to bowhead whale ecology, with particular interest in the potential effects of oil and natural gas exploration, development and production activities on the BCB bowhead whales. With elevated concerns about climate change, increasing oil and gas activities and the forecasted increase in vessel traffic, it is expected that interest in the BWASP dataset will also increase in order to evaluate effects of these anthropogenic activities on BCB bowhead whales and indigenous whaling. The following analysis quantified the spatial characteristics of the BWASP survey design and provided guidelines for the types of investigations that the BWASP data can potentially address. Sampling lags (transect spacing) in the BWASP survey design of approximately 20km along the east/west axis of the study area limit the spatial scale of phenomena that can be detected using data from a single BWASP survey. Therefore, BWASP data are relatively uninformative for studying variability in distribution or relative abundance along the east/west axis over short time scales (one survey) and within small areas measuring less than approximately 20km. In addition, computer simulations showed spatial heterogeneity in the long-term survey coverage probability (the probability that a given location will be included in a survey having an assumed effective search width under the BWASP survey design). Pooled transects created from simulated surveys resulted in a repeating diamond pattern in which coverage probability was low. Analyses incorporating data from many BWASP surveys should account for this spatial heterogeneity, via either the survey coverage probabilities or quantification of survey effort; otherwise estimates of variables such as relative density, density, or habitat use may be biased. The BWASP surveys have increased understanding of the broad-scale patterns of bowhead distribution, relative abundance and behaviour. The utility of this dataset in informing other questions will depend upon the scale of the ecological phenomena under investigation and the analytical scales used to address the questions. *************** Palacios, D.M.*, J.C. Herreira, T. Gerrodette, C. García, G.A. Soler, I.C. Avila, S. Bessudo, S., E. Hernández, F. Trujillo, L. Flórez-González, and I. Kerr. 2012. Cetacean distribution and relative abundance in Colombia's Pacific EEZ from survey cruises and platforms of opportunity. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):45-60. *Contact e-mail: Daniel.Palacios@noaa.gov Cetacean sighting data collected under various programmes in Colombian Pacific waters were collated with the goal of assessing the distribution and abundance patterns of all species occurring in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Distribution maps are presented for 19 species and one genus based on 603 sightings collected between 1986 and 2008. Ordered by sighting frequency, these species were: humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae); striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba); common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus); pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata); common dolphin (Delphinus delphis); Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus); sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus); rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis); short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); mesoplodont whales (Mesoplodon spp.); Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris); melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra); false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens); killer whale (Orcinus orca); spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris); dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima); Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni); pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata); minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Concentrations of sightings were observed in three geographic areas: (1) the continental shelf (depths <200m) and the contiguous continental slope (200–2,000m); (2) over the Malpelo Ridge, an offshore bathymetric feature and (3) the northeast corner of the EEZ between Golfo de Cupica and the border with Panamá, although we do not rule out that these patterns could be an artifact of non-random effort. In inshore waters, the most frequently seen species were pantropical spotted dolphin, common bottlenose dolphin and humpback whale. For several of the data sets we provide encounter rates as indices of relative abundance, but urge caution in their interpretation because of methodological limitations and because several factors that affect sightability could not be accounted for in these estimates. Our results provide useful information for ongoing regional research and conservation initiatives aimed at determining occurrence, population status and connectivity within adjacent EEZs in the eastern tropical Pacific. Suggested research priorities include conducting dedicated surveys designed for estimating abundance and monitoring trends throughout the EEZ and focused studies in areas of special interest like the continental shelf, the Malpelo Ridge and the vicinity of Cupica and Cabo Marzo. More research is also needed in terms of quantifying the sources and impact of anthropogenic mortality on population size. Studies characterising genetic diversity and stock discreteness in coastal species (pantropical spotted dolphin and common bottlenose dolphin) would help inform local management strategies. ******************* Olson, P.A.*, P. Ensor, and S. Kuningas. 2012. Observations of killer whales off East Antarctica, 82°-95°E, in 2009. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):61-64. *Contact e-mail: Paula.Olson@noaa.gov Observations of killer whales (Orcinus orca) during a survey off East Antarctica, 82°-95°E revealed previously undescribed variations in pigmentation and group associations. During the survey 24 killer whale groups were sighted south of 60°S and classified, when possible, to Types A, B, or C based on their external morphology. Sufficient observation was available for nine groups to be classified: 2 groups of Type A; 1 mixed group of Type A and Type B; 3 groups of Type C; and 3 groups with eyepatch pigmentation intermediate in size between Types B and C. These whales may represent an intergrade between Types B and C or a previously unrecognised form. One of the ‘intermediate’ groups was observed feeding in a multi-species aggregation with other cetaceans in deep water. Clearly distinguishable Type A and Type B whales were observed feeding together in a mixed aggregation, the first time that this has been documented. ************** Silva, M. A.*, L. Steiner, I. Cascão, M.J. Cruz, R. Prieto, T. Cole, P.K. Hamilton, and M. Baumgartner. 2012. Winter sighting of a known western North Atlantic right whale in the Azores. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):65-69. *Contact e-mail: monica@uac.pt A right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) from the western North Atlantic population, sighted in the Azores, was subsequently found to have moved back to the northwest Atlantic. The whale was sighted in the Azores on 5 January 2009 travelling in a west-south westerly direction at a constant speed. A photographic match was found to an adult female in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalogue. The whale’s previous last sighting, on 24 September 2008 in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, implies movement to the Azores of at least 3,320km in 101 days. It was subsequently resighted in the Bay of Fundy on 2 September 2009, 237 days after being seen in the Azores. This appears to be the only documented evidence of a western North Atlantic right whale outside its normal range in winter, and provides additional evidence of the potential for interbreeding between western North Atlantic right whales and the remnant eastern population. **** Félix, F.*, S. Caballero, and C. Olavarría. 2012. Genetic diversity and population structure of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Ecuador based on mitochondrial DNA analyses. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):71-77. *Contact e-mail: fefelix90@hotmail.com Information on the genetic characterisation of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) wintering off Ecuador (Breeding Stock G) is presented. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted and sequenced from 230 skin samples collected between 2002 and 2008 to establish the genetic diversity of this population. From 182 usable samples, 41 different haplotypes were found, eight of which were new and unique. Haplotype diversity (h ± SD) was estimated to be 0.922 ± 0.012 and the nucleotide diversity (π ± SD) 0.019 ± 0.009. A comparison with other areas within the Southeast Pacific (Colombia and Magellan Strait) and the Antarctic Peninsula suggested panmixia within Breeding Stock G, even though significant differentiation was found with Magellan Strait (p < 0.0001 in both FST and ΦST). An additional analysis with the exact test of population differentiation showed significant differences in haplotype frequencies between breeding areas in Ecuador and southern Colombia (p < 0.01), suggesting some level of stratification at breeding grounds as supported by photo-identification studies. The Ecuadorian dataset included haplotypes reported in all three Southern Hemisphere ocean basins indicating recent gene flow within the Southern Hemisphere. The population showed a male-biased sex ratio in adult animals of 2.16:1. Further research and a larger number of samples from breeding areas in the north (Panama and Costa Rica) are required to appropriately assess the extent of structure in this population. ********* Gendron, D.,* and A. Ugalde de la Cruz. 2012. A new classification method to simplify blue whale photo-identification technique. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):79-84. *Contact e-mail: dgendron@ipn.mx Individual identification of blue whales is based on unique pigmentation patterns. Historically photo identification has been based on the pigmentation patterns observed on a large portion of the animal’s flanks. The new classification method presented here is based primarily on seven dorsal fin shapes and secondarily on five pigmentation patterns selected from a minor portion of the flank adjacent to the dorsal fin. This classification is then applied to a blue whale catalogue that comprises 621 individuals photo-identified in the waters adjacent to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. The classification system adequately divides the number of individuals per dorsal fin category and pigmentation patterns. It has been useful not only for reducing time and for matching photographs more efficiently but also has facilitated the finding of intra-catalogue photographic recaptures or photo-recaptures and has enhanced the efficiency of the field work. This new classification method should be considered by other blue whale researchers and for future inter-catalogue comparisons. ************ Hardy, T.*, R. Williams, R. Caslake, and N. Tregenza. 2012. An investigation of acoustic deterrent devices to reduce cetacean bycatch in an inshore set net fishery. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):85-90. Contact e-mail: tom.hardy@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk In Europe, problems with the use of pingers on larger fishing vessels have raised the question as to whether pingers would be practical on smaller vessels, which are a large proportion of the European static net fishing fleet. In this study, four netting vessels less than 10m long used AQUAmark pingers on part of their nets off the southwest coast of Britain over a 12 month period. Boat skippers recorded ease of use. Acoustic click detectors were deployed on test and control nets to assess the response of cetaceans to the pingers. No significant practical problems, apart from premature failure of pingers, were encountered. During the study, only one harbour porpoise was bycaught, in an unpingered net. In 650 days of acoustic data from pingered and nonpingered nets, matched by location, date and boat, there was a highly significant reduction in the number of porpoise clicks recorded at nets with pingers to 48% of the number predicted from the number recorded at control nets (range 35–51%). To assess habituation, single, modified pingers that were active for alternate seven hour periods were moored below a click detector at two sites, one of which has strong tides and high levels of associated ambient noise. This study showed a stronger pinger effect at the quiet site and a much reduced effect at the noisy site. There was evidence of a period of exclusion of porpoises following pinger use that could exceed seven hours, and no evidence of habituation. Results suggest that pingers are practical on small vessels, that they reduce harbour porpoise activity around nets and are therefore likely to reduce bycatch. Easier means of detecting pinger failure are needed. Pingers should be considered as a bycatch mitigation method in small vessel fisheries using bottom set nets. ************ McDonald, T. L.*, W.J. Richardson, C.R. Greene, Jr., S.B. Blackwell, C.S. Nations, R.M. Nielson, and B. Streever. 2012. Detecting changes in the distribution of calling bowhead whales exposed to fluctuating anthropogenic sounds. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 12(1):91-106. *Contact e-mail: mcdonald@west-inc.com This paper describes an analysis approach designed to detect the effects of fluctuating anthropogenic underwater sound on the distribution of calling bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) during migration. The anthropogenic sounds in this case were associated with an offshore oil production island (Northstar Island) in the Beaufort Sea northwest of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, but the method has wider applicability. In autumn, bowhead whales migrate westward at varying distances offshore where some are exposed to Northstar sounds. Anthropogenic effects, if present, were hypothesized to be most pronounced in the southern (proximal) part of the migration corridor. Underwater sound levels were measured continuously ca. 500m from Northstar, and locations of calling whales were determined by a seafloor array of directional acoustical recorders. Weighted quantile regression related the 5th quantile of offshore call distance to anthropogenic sounds and other covariates. Case weights were inversely proportional to both probability of detection and location uncertainty. Due to potential dependencies in call locations, block permutation of uncorrelated whale call clusters was used to assign significance levels to coefficients in the quantile regression model. Statistical model selection was used to determine the anthropogenic sound measures most correlated with the 5th quantile of offshore call distances, after allowing for natural within-season variation quantified by day–night changes, distance of the call east or west of Northstar, and date. Data used to illustrate the method were collected over 29 days in September 2003 and included 25,176 bowhead calls. The estimated offshore distance of the 5th quantile call was 0.67km (95% confidence interval 0.31 to 1.05km) farther offshore when tones associated with Northstar were recorded in the 10–450Hz band during the 15 minutes just prior to each call. The method has been applied successfully to similar data collected near Northstar in other years, and may be useful in other studies that simultaneously collect data on animal locations and fluctuating stimuli. **** Litz, J. A.*, C.R. Hughes, L.P. Garrison, L.A. Fieber, and P.A. Rosel. 2012. Genetic structure of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting adjacent South Florida estuaries – Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 12, 107-117. *Contact e-mail: jenny.litz@noaa.gov Coastal common bottlenose dolphins show a variety of migration and residency patterns adding to the difficulty of defining stocks for management purposes. Genetic structure plays an important role in identifying population stocks of dolphins. This study examines genetic differentiation in common bottlenose dolphins both between two social groups occurring in Biscayne Bay, Florida and between Biscayne Bay and an adjacent group of dolphins in Florida Bay. Skin biopsy samples were sequenced at the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and genotyped at microsatellite loci. Significant genetic differentiation was found between bottlenose dolphins in Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay (mtDNA FST = 0.139, p ≤ 0.001; microsatellite FST = 0.042, p ≤ 0.001) supporting independent management stock status for these two populations. Within Biscayne Bay, evidence of weak but significant population differentiation was found between the two social groups using microsatellite markers (FST = 0.0149, p ≤ 0.009); however, differentiation was not evident from the mtDNA-based estimates of FST and φST. The lack of differentiation at mtDNA coupled with field observations indicating overlapping home ranges for these two groups suggests ongoing, though perhaps low, levels of interbreeding. These data are insufficient to warrant splitting the Biscayne Bay management stock at this time. **** Ritter, F. 2012. Collisions of sailing vessels with cetaceans worldwide: First insights into a seemingly growing problem. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1): 119-127. *Contact e-mail: ritter@m-e-e-r.de Vessel-whale collisions are of growing concern worldwide, but information about collisions involving sailing vessels is especially scarce. This study represents the first global quantification of this kind. A total of 111 collisions and 57 near misses were identified, spanning from 1966 until 2010; 75% of cases was reported for the period from 2002–2010, suggesting an increasing trend. Reported collisions and near misses occurred on all oceans, often during ocean races and regattas, and were most frequent in the North Atlantic. Vessel type and speed as well as circumstances of the incident varied widely, but most often monohulls were involved, predominantly sailing at speeds between 5 and 10 knots. Most reports referred to ‘large whales’ as opposed to ‘small whales’ or ‘dolphins’. The species could be identified in 54 cases. Most recognised animals were humpback or sperm whales. Injuries to the whales varied strongly from ‘not visible’ to ‘dead after collision’, but mostly could not be determined. Sailing crew members were hurt in several cases, including collisions occurring at low speeds, and collisions often damaged vessels, including major impairment and seven cases of vessel loss. The findings presented here suggest that elevated vessel speed contributes to a higher risk of collisions. Conversely, the outcome of a collision (e.g. injury to whale or crew, damage to vessel) appears not to be a direct function of vessel speed. Several measures are discussed which potentially can contribute to mitigating the problem, including placing watchposts, an open dialogue with regatta organisers, changes in the design of regattas and ocean races and public outreach initiatives. **** Gibbs, M. 2012. Whale catches from 19th century shore stations in Western Australia. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):129-135. *Contact e-mail: martin.gibbs@sydney.edu.au This paper presents historical data from 19th century shore whaling stations along the Western Australian coast, complementing data already presented in an earlier 1985 analysis. In particular, catch records of the Castle Rock whaling station, Geographe Bay, Western Australia, for the period 1846-53 together with other contemporary records indicate that humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) comprised the majority of the colonial shore whalers’ catch. It is suggested that this could have been a result of a significant presence of American whale ships in the region in the early 1840s, which had presumably already reduced southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) numbers by the time these detailed colonial records were kept. ***** Coughran, D. K.*, I. Stiles, and P.R. Mawson. 2012. Euthanasia of beached humpback whales using explosives. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 12(1):137-144. Contact e-mail: Douglas.Coughran@dec.wa.gov.au A method for the safe and effective euthanasia of large beached humpback whales using explosives is described. Five recent case studies involving live stranded humpback whales measuring 9.1–12.7m are described to show how the method was applied, and the capacity of the method to deal with the varying conditions encountered when dealing with large baleen whales. Issues relating to the wider application of this method to other species of baleen whale and large odontocete species are discussed along with key safety implications for the safe use of this method.