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Introduction
Publications
Publications (77)
Glucocorticoids are regularly used as biomarkers of relative health for individuals and populations. Around the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), baleen whales have and continue to experience threats, including commercial harvest, prey limitations and habitat change driven by rapid warming, and increased human presence via ecotourism. Here, we mea...
Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis, AMW) are an abundant, ice-dependent species susceptible to rapid climatic changes occurring in parts of the Antarctic. Here, we used remote biopsy samples and estimates of length derived from unoccupied aircraft system (UAS) to characterize for the first time the sex ratio, maturity, and pregnancy r...
https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/native-animals/marine-mammals/maui-hectors-dolphins/maui-abundance/maui-dolphin-abundance-2021.pdf
We analyzed 114 DNA samples collected in different locations within the stock G breeding grounds, including Ecuador and the northern and southern Pacific of Colombia. We genotyped 15 microsatellite loci, sexed all samples, and performed genotype comparisons. Genotype comparisons were done using a DNA register of previously genotyped individuals fro...
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) differences between humpback whales on different feeding grounds can reflect the cultural transmission of migration destinations over generations, and therefore represent one of the very few cases of gene-culture coevolution identified in the animal kingdom. In Russian Pacific waters, photo-identification (photo-ID) studie...
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) differences between humpback whales on different feeding grounds can reflect the cultural transmission of migration destinations over generations, and therefore represent one of the very few cases of gene-culture coevolution identified in the animal kingdom. In Russian Pacific waters, photo-identification (photo-ID) studie...
Antarctic humpback whales are recovering from near extirpation from commercial whaling. To understand the dynamics of this recovery and establish a baseline to monitor impacts of a rapidly changing environment, we investigated sex ratios and pregnancy rates of females within the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) feeding population. DNA profiling of...
Species conservation depends on robust population assessment. Data on population abundance, distribution, and connectivity are critical for effective management, especially as baseline information for newly documented populations. We describe a pygmy blue whale Balaen - optera musculus brevicauda population in New Zealand waters with year-round pre...
Genetic sampling for identification of species, subspecies or stock of whales, dolphins and porpoises at sea remains challenging. Most samples have been collected with some form of a biopsy dart requiring a close approach of a vessel while the individual is at the surface. Here we have adopted droplet digital (dd)PCR technology for detection and sp...
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) congregate to breed during the austral winter near tropical islands of the South Pacific (Oceania). It has long been assumed that humpback whales from Oceania migrate primarily to Antarctic feeding grounds directly south (International Whaling Commission Management Areas V and VI); however, there are few rec...
Southern Hemisphere humpback whales breed in tropical waters and migrate to Antarctica to forage. While the breeding grounds are well defined, the population structure on Antarctic feeding grounds is poorly described. The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is of particular interest, where rapidly changing environmental conditions could alter prey di...
A blue whale foraging ground was recently documented in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) region of New Zealand (NZ), yet blue whales remain listed as ‘Migrant’ under the NZ threat classification system due to minimal knowledge of their ecology and population. We collected relevant data to fill pressing knowledge gaps, leading us to hypothesize that b...
Understanding reproductive rates of wild animal populations is crucially important for management and conservation. Assessing pregnancy status of free-ranging cetaceans has historically been difficult; however, recent advances in analytical techniques have allowed the diagnosis of pregnancy from small samples of blubber tissue. The primary objectiv...
Humpback whales wintering in tropical waters along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the South American continent are thought to represent distinct populations or “stocks.” Here we present the first analysis of genetic differentiation and estimates of gene flow between these breeding stocks, based on both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region s...
Understanding reproductive rates of wild animal populations is crucially important for management and conservation. Assessing pregnancy status of free-ranging cetaceans has historically been difficult; however, recent advances in analytical techniques have allowed the diagnosis of pregnancy from small samples of blubber tissue. The primary objectiv...
We provide new information on the scale at which fidelity and recruitment underlie observed increases in humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae populations. We used photoidentification records and DNA profiles from whales in Glacier Bay and Icy Strait (GBIS), southeastern Alaska (SEAK) to investigate 3 sources of population increase over 33 yr (1973...
Here we review the published records of mtDNA control region sequences of southern hemisphere humpback whales as a first step in developing a validated register of haplotypes for future analyses of interest to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission. We restricted our initial review to sequences submitted to GenBank as 'pop...
The interplay of natural selection and genetic drift, influenced by geographic isolation, mating systems, and population size, determines patterns of genetic diversity within species. The sperm whale provides an interesting example of a long-lived species with few geographic barriers to dispersal. Worldwide mtDNA diversity is relatively low, but hi...
Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) are distributed discontinuously around the South Island of New Zealand, with genetically differentiated regional populations along the east, west and south coasts. Fine-scale assessments of local population structure are needed to better understand the role of corridors and local dispersal on the...
The fiords of southwestern New Zealand may promote the existence of genetically divergent populations as a result of geological and ecological isolation. The ophiuroid Astrobrachion constrictum lives on black coral in these fiords, and is thought to have a relatively short pelagic larval duration that may limit dispersal among populations. Samples...
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) annually undertake the longest migrations between seasonal feeding and breeding grounds of any mammal. Despite this dispersal potential, discontinuous seasonal distributions and migratory patterns suggest that humpbacks form discrete regional populations within each ocean. To better understand the worldwide...
To improve understanding of population structure, ecosystem relationships and predictive models of human impact in cetaceans and other marine megafauna, we developed geneGIS, a suite of GIS tools and a customized Arc Marine data model to facilitate visual exploration and spatial analyses of individual-based records from DNA profiles and photo-ident...
Understanding the dynamics of population recovery is particularly complex when an organism has multiple, remote breeding and feeding grounds separated by one of the longest known migration routes. This study reports on the most comprehensive assessment of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) movements between remote Antarctic waters south of New...
We present genetic and morphological evidence supporting the recognition of a previously synonymized species of Mesoplodon beaked whale in the tropical Indo-Pacific, Mesoplodon hotaula. Although the new species is closely-related to the rare ginkgo-toothed beaked whale M. ginkgodens, we show that these two lineages can be differentiated by maternal...
Humpback whales undertake long-distance seasonal migrations between low latitude winter breeding grounds and high latitude summer feeding grounds. We report the first in-depth population genetic study of the humpback whales that migrate to separate winter breeding grounds along the northwestern and northeastern coasts of Australia, but overlap on s...
In understanding the impact of commercial whaling, it is important to estimate the mixing of low latitude breeding populations on Antarctic feeding grounds, particularly the endangered humpback whale populations of Oceania. This paper estimates the degree of genetic differentiation among the putative populations of Oceania (New Caledonia, Tonga, th...
We quantified the relative influence of maternal fidelity to feeding grounds and natal fidelity to breeding grounds on the population structure of humpback whales Megaptera novae -angliae based on an ocean-wide survey of mitochondrial (mt) DNA diversity in the North Pacific. For 2193 biopsy samples collected from whales in 10 feeding regions and 8...
Superpopulation capture-recapture models are useful for estimating the abundance of long-lived, migratory species because they are able to account for the fluid nature of annual residency at migratory destinations. Here we extend the superpopulation POPAN model to explicitly account for heterogeneity in capture probability linked to reproductive cy...
The New Zealand endemic Maui’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) is considered ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as a result of decline due, in part, to fisheries-related mortalities. To estimate the abundance and trends of this subspecies, we used open-population capture–recapture models based o...
Historically, the range of the southern right whale (SRW) included winter calving grounds around the North and South Islands (mainland) of New Zealand (NZ) and in the NZ subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands. Due to extensive whaling in the 19th and 20th centuries, no SRW was seen around mainland NZ for nearly four decades (1928–1963). Here we...
Large population sizes and global distributions generally associate with high mitochondrial DNA control region (CR) diversity. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is an exception, showing low CR diversity relative to other cetaceans, however diversity levels throughout the remainder of the sperm whale mitogenome are unknown. We sequenced 20 mi...
The identification and characterization of reproductively isolated subpopulations or 'stocks' are essential for effective conservation and management decisions. This can be difficult in vagile marine species like marine mammals. We used paternity assignment and 'gametic recapture' to examine the reproductive autonomy of southern right whales (Eubal...
Estimating the abundance of long-lived, migratory animals is challenging but essential for managing populations. We provide the first abundance estimates of endangered humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae from their breeding grounds in Oceania, South Pacific. Using fluke photo-identification (1999−2004, n = 660 individuals) and microsatellite gen...
Estimating the abundance of long-lived, migratory animals is challenging but essential for managing populations. We provide the first abundance estimates of endangered humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae from their breeding grounds in Oceania, South Pacific. Using fluke photo-identification (1999−2004, n = 660 individuals) and microsatellite gen...
We present genetic and morphological data supporting the recognition of a previously described but unrecognised Mesoplodon beaked whale in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Currently known from at least seven specimens (Sri Lanka [1], Kiribati [1+], Hawai’i [3], Maldives [1], Seychelles [1]), this beaked whale is the sister-taxon to M. ginkgodens proper....
Humpbacks breeding in east Australia (E1) and Oceania (New Caledonia E2, Tonga E3 and
French Polynesia F2) in the South Pacific are thought to be demographically independent, due
to significant differentiation of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes between regions, and notable
differences in the trend and pattern of recovery across the South Pacific. Matc...
A small, resident population of bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland, New Zealand, was recently classified as ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN. This population is estimated to number less than 205 and thought to be isolated from the other two coastal populations in New Zealand. Here, we investigated differentiation among the three bottlenose dolphin...
Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae have been studied in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) since the late 1960s, but information about whales foraging offshore is limited. A large-scale collaborative project (SPLASH) provided opportunities to study humpback whales in both inshore and offshore habitats. Using identification photograp...
During the last 2 centuries, southern right whales Eubalaena australis were hunted to near extinction, and an estimated 150 000 were killed by pre-industrial whaling in the 19th century and illegal Soviet whaling in the 20th century. Here we focus on the coastal calving grounds of Australia and New Zealand (NZ), where previous work suggests 2 genet...
Despite extensive research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)) in parts of the North Pacific, little research has focused on the whales feeding in coastal waters west of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. To extend research westward in the North Pacific, small-boat surveys were conducted near the Shumagin Islands during t...
Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae are seasonal migrants that mate and calve at low latitudes and feed at mid- to high latitudes. Connections between most Southern Hemisphere breeding and feeding areas are not well understood, but are critical for assessing stock structure and human impacts. Photo-identification was performed to identify the fe...
Here we present new records of humpback whale migratory connections between Antarctic Area V and migratory corridors of Australia and the South Pacific based on genotype matching (up to 10 microsatellite loci, with sex and mitochondrial DNA). A total of n = 64 skin biopsy samples were collected by the Australia/New Zealand Antarctic Whale Expeditio...
Recent mitochondrial DNA analyses have determined Eastern Australian humpback whales to be one of 3 distinct sub-stockswithin IWC BS-E. Using microsatellite genotypes (up to 12 microsatellite loci, mtDNA sequence data and molecular sex identification) from Eastern Australia (n=734 unique individuals), South Pacific Islands (Oceania, n=1086 unique i...
It remains uncertain as to whether the NZ subantarctic and Mainland NZ represent two relatively isolated stocks with different histories of exploitation and recovery or a single stock with a poorly understood pattern of migratory habitat use. A third hypothesis, that the Mainland NZ population was extirpated and subsequently recolonised by a range...
We report on genetic identification of 'whale meat' purchased in sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, CA (USA) in October 2009 and in Seoul, South Korea in June and September 2009. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA cytochrome b sequences confirmed that the products included three species of whale currently killed in the controversial scientific whaling p...
Recent mitochondrial DNA analyses have determined Eastern Australian humpback whales to be one of 3 distinct sub-stocks within IWC BS-E. Using microsatellite genotypes (up to 12 microsatellite loci, mtDNA sequence data and molecular sex identification) from Eastern Australia (n=734 unique individuals), South Pacific Islands (Oceania, n=1086 unique...
The abundance of humpback whales on breeding grounds from Oceania (New Caledonia to French Polynesia), was estimated using individual identification photographs collected between 1999 and 2004 and microsatellite genotypes collected between 1999 and 2005. Both datasets were reviewed for quality control, resulting in a total photo-ID catalogue of 660...
Recent mitochondrial DNA analyses have determined Eastern Australian humpback whales to be one of 3 distinct sub-stocks within IWC BS-E. Using microsatellite genotypes (up to 12 microsatellite loci, mtDNA sequence data and molecular sex identification) from Eastern Australia (n=734 unique individuals), South Pacific Islands (Oceania, n=1086 unique...
Baleen whales are the largest animals that have ever lived. To develop an improved estimation of substitution rate for nuclear and mitochondrial DNA for this taxon, we implemented a relaxed-clock phylogenetic approach using three fossil calibration dates: the divergence between odontocetes and mysticetes approximately 34 million years ago (Ma), bet...
Genetic data are often critical for defining populations for management purposes (e.g., identifying geographic boundaries
or diagnostic characters for genetically discrete subunits) but can be called into question by both scientific and legal review.
This can result in reversed or delayed implementation of management actions. We discuss methods for...
Pilot whales (Globicephala spp.) provide an interesting example of recently diverged oceanic species with a complex evolutionary history. The two species have wide but largely non-overlapping ranges. Globicephala melas (long-finned pilot whale; LFPW) has an antitropical distribution and is found in the cold-temperate waters of the North Atlantic an...
We report on species identification of whale-meat products purchased directly and via the Internet from commercial markets of Japan from early July 2008 to early April 2009. The total of 59 products included six species of baleen whales, humpback (n=1), fin (n=27), Bryde's (n=1), sei (n=3), North Pacific minke (n=18) and Antarctic minke whales (n=6...
With 14 species currently recognized, the beaked whale genus Mesoplodon (family Ziphiidae) is the most speciose in the order Cetacea. Beaked whales are widely distributed but are rarely seen at sea due to their oceanic distribution, deep-diving capacity, and apparent low abundance. Morphological differentiation among Mesoplodon species is relativel...
We present mixed-stock analyses of mtDNA haplotypes for allocation of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from three Antarctic feeding areas to low-latitude breeding grounds. These breeding grounds include New Caledonia, Tonga, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Colombia and Western Australia. Migratory allocation was estimated using the program...
Gray's spinner dolphins Stenella longirostris longirostris are found in apparently relatively small and discrete communities around many islands throughout the Pacific. However, the boundaries of these communities, on the scale of a dolphin's lifespan or across generations, are unknown. Here we report a combined demographic and genetic approach to...