Robert Baldwin

Five Oceans Environmental Services · Marine Unit

Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are the largest living animal and, like other baleen whales, became endangered due to whaling. Here, we used population genomics to infer the number, distribution and other characteristics of subspecies and populations. We used the largest DNA dataset in blue whales, both in terms of genomic markers (16,661 SNPs...

Arabian Sea humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae; ASHW) are listed as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The long-term presence and increased prevalence of tattoo skin disease-like (TSD-L) dermatopathy is a concern for this small non-migratory population. Characterized by irregular or rounded, light gray...

The Arabian Sea Whale Network (ASWN) is an informal collaboration of researchers and conservation bodies interested in the conservation of whale populations throughout the Northern Indian Ocean

The sub‐population of humpback whales inhabiting the Arabian Sea is a small and genetically distinct population that remains in low latitudes year‐round. Designated as Endangered on the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species, the sub‐population faces a number of threats throughout its range, including entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, diseas...

Local adaptation and adaptive radiations are typically associated with phenotypic variation suited to alternative environments. In the marine environment, the nature of relevant ecological or environmental transitions is poorly understood, especially for highly mobile species. Here we compare three genetic lineages in the genus Tursiops (bottlenose...

adaptation - divergence - Indian Ocean - morphology - speciation

Coastal habitat mapping is a potentially powerful enabling tool to inform the design of strategies and actions in coastal zone planning and management, biodiversity conservation and more recently for blue carbon accounting. Habitat mapping is typically carried out by experts in remote sensing and geographical information systems, and rarely integra...

There is limited information on postnesting dispersal of green turtles Chelonia mydas from nesting sites in the Arabian region. Understanding habitat connectivity can promote effective conservation programs across a wider range of critical sea turtle habitats. We present postnesting migration data for 9 green turtles departing from Ras Al Hadd in O...

The marine mammal fauna found in the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula includes 24 species belonging to two Orders: Cetartiodactyla (Bryde’s whale, blue whale, Omura’s whale, humpback whale, sperm whale, dwarf and possibly pygmy sperm whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, Indo-Pacific common dolphin, pygmy killer whale, short-finned pilot whale, Ris...

Blue whales Balaenoptera musculus in the Indian Ocean (IO) are currently thought to represent 2 or 3 subspecies ( B. m. intermedia, B. m. brevicauda , B. m. indica ), and believed to be structured into 4 populations, each with a diagnostic song-type. Here we describe a previously unreported song-type that implies the probable existence of a populat...

Speciation is a fundamental process in evolution and crucial to the formation of biodiversity. It is a continuous and complex process, which can involve multiple interacting barriers leading to heterogeneous genomic landscapes with various peaks of divergence among populations. In this study, we used a population genomics approach to gain insights...

Nest count surveys provide an important means for tracking trends in marine turtle populations. In 2015 the IUCN Red List global status review changed the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) from Endangered to Vulnerable status, and, with a revised regional management unit (RMU) assessment system in place, concluded that the Northwest Indian Ocean...

During the May 2019-May 2020 period, the Arabian Sea Whale Network (ASWN) has maintained communication between members and with external organisations through a website and an email group. Many ASWN members helped to identify Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) by writing proposals and participating in the IMMA workshop held in Oman in March 2019...

Arabian Sea humpback whales have been a subject of conservation concern in the IWC since 1997. Research conducted primarily off the coast of Oman has contributed to understanding the population’s distribution, abundance, and conservation status, whilst information on the population’s health and specific threats is more limited. This study examines...

Phylogeographic inference has provided extensive insight into the relative roles of geographical isolation and ecological processes during evolutionary radiations. However, the importance of cross-lineage admixture in facilitating adaptive radiations is increasingly being recognised, and suggested as a main cause of phylogenetic uncertainty. In thi...

In order for investments to be made in an asset class that asset class, in this case natural blue capital, must be defined, the financial framework set out, and benefits and indicators identified. This report is a first attempt to provide a positive impact framework for investments in blue natural capital which it is hoped will facilitate the flow...

SWOT Report XIV features an up-to-date, comprehensive map of sea turtle distribution in the Mediterranean, a picture of loggerhead movements in the Atlantic, and expert answers to the most frequently asked questions about sea turtles. Other articles explore the effects of red tides on turtles, best practices for transporting stranded turtles, and...

The Sultanate of Oman hosts the largest Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) rookery in the Indian Ocean and was historically estimated as a third of the global stocks of the species. Early population estimates for the major rookery of Masirah Island in the Sultanate of Oman used track count surveys adjusted by an extrapolation of four nests per fem...

Phylogeography can provide insight into the potential for speciation and identify geographic regions and evolutionary processes associated with species richness and evolutionary endemism. In the marine environment, highly mobile species sometimes show structured patterns of diversity, but the processes isolating populations and promoting differenti...

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Sousa plumbea. 2017

The description of genetic population structure over a species’ geographic range can provide insights into its evolutionary history and also support effective management efforts. Assessments for globally distributed species are rare, however, requiring significant international coordination and collaboration. The global distribution of demographica...

Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) are obligate shallow-water dolphins that occur exclusively in the near-shore waters of the Indian Ocean, from South Africa to the Bay of Bengal. They have a narrow habitat preference, restricted distribution and do not appear very abundant across any part of their range. There is no estimate of total s...

(Received 26 August 2014; accepted 21 November 2014) The presence of tattoo-like skin disease is reported in an endangered, non-migratory subpopulation of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Oman. We examined 522 images taken during small-boat surveys in the Gulf of Masirah and in Dhofar in 2000-2006 and in 2010-2011. Tattoo-like lesions...

A clear understanding of population structure is essential for assessing conservation status and implementing management strategies. A small, non-migratory population of humpback whales in the Arabian Sea is classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, an assessment constrained by a lack of data, including limited understa...

We present the first data on hawksbill turtle post-nesting migrations and behaviour in the Arabian region. Tracks from 90 post-nesting turtles (65 in the Gulf and 25 from Oman) revealed that hawksbills in the Arabian region may nest up to 6 times in a season with an average of 3 nests per turtle. Turtles from Qatar, Iran and the UAE generally migra...

We present a previously unrecorded short-term behavioural response by hawksbill sea turtles to elevated sea surface temperatures in the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Surface waters typically exceed 30 °C for sustained periods during the summer, and can be likened to a natural living laboratory for understanding thermoregulatory behaviour by marine species...

The conservation of humpback dolphins, distributed in coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific and eastern Atlantic Oceans, has been hindered by a lack of understanding about the number of species in the genus (Sousa) and their population structure. To address this issue, we present a combined analysis of genetic and morphologic data collected from...

Both historic whaling data and recent field research confirm the presence of a resident sub-population of humpback whales in the western Arabian Sea (Breeding Stock X). This endangered population is geographically, demographically and genetically isolated and is thought to have been greatly reduced in size by Soviet whaling in 1966; it likely remai...

The Finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) of the Arabian Gulf, Iran and Pakistan regions is reviewed using the available literature and new records are provided for Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. These records indicate a fragmented, discontinuous distribution that may be indicative of the species current s...

The 2010 report of the Scientific Committee (IWC/62/Rep 1) expressed grave concern for the resident ‘Arabian Sea humpback whale population’. The Committee made strong recommendations for additional research to monitor the status of this Endangered population which has a restricted range, is reproductively isolated, has a very small population size...

Accurate identification of units for conservation is particularly challenging for marine species as obvious barriers to gene flow are generally lacking. Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera spp.) are subject to multiple human-mediated stressors, including fisheries bycatch, ship strikes, and scientific whaling by Japan. For effective management, a clear un...

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This study examined the stomach contents of 11 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), five Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) and two spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) that were found stranded along the Omani coastline. Across the three species examined, a total of 4796 fish otoliths and 214 cephalopod beaks were found, representi...

There is a distinct population of blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus, in the northern Indian Ocean. The taxonomie status of these animals has long been uncertain, with debate over whether this population represents a distinct subspecies, and if so which name should apply. They have most frequently been assigned to B. musculus brevicauda, but are cu...

Habitat models are tools for understanding the relationship between cetaceans and their environment, from which patterns of the animals space use can be inferred and management strate- gies developed. Can working with space use alone be sufficient for management, when habitat can- not be modeled? Here, we analyzed cetacean sightings data collected...

Genetic analyses of population structure can be placed in explicit environmental contexts if appropriate environmental data are available. Here, we use high-coverage and high-resolution oceanographic and genetic sequence data to assess population structure patterns and their potential environmental influences for humpback dolphins in the Western In...

Previously published data on the occurrence of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Arabian Sea suggests that the region hosts a non-migratory population that adheres to a Northern Hemisphere breeding cycle. In order to investigate the distribution and abundance of this population, twelve small boat surveys were conducted in three main l...

Small boat surveys were conducted between 2000 and 2003 in three main regions of Oman's coastal waters: Muscat, the Gulf of Masirah and Dhofar. Survey data were analysed to calculate relative abundances of the seven most frequently encountered species in these areas. These include (in order of frequency) bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), long-bea...

The photo-identification catalogue of humpback whale tail flukes from Oman was compared with those from Antongil Bay, Madagascar and study sites in South Africa and Mozambique collectively termed the 'East African Mainland'. No matches were found, supporting other lines of evidence that the humpback whales studied off the coast of Oman form part of...

Records of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin sightings, strandings, and museum specimens in the Arabian region were compiled and used to review the distribution and status of this species. Nominal usage of Sousa chinensis (Osbeck, 1765) has been retained as a pragmatic measure, although the species present in the region resembles Sousa plumbea (Cuvier,...

This paper presents a synthesis of mainly published information relating to the cetaceans of the Indian Ocean Sanctuary (IOS). It highlights a number of new studies and other initiatives linked to the Sanctuary and reviews the current understanding of the biology of the Sanctuary’s cetaceans. Cetaceans in the IOS are exposed to a range of threats,...

Data are presented on beach cast cetaceans recorded in central and southern Oman between January 1999 and February 2000 during systematic beach surveys. Crude encounter rates of cetacean specimens are comparable with previous published data and indicate relatively high levels of mortality of Tursiops sp. and Sousa plumbea. Over two-thirds of specim...

The morphology of three tropical delphinids from the Sultanate of Oman and their occurrence in the Arabian Sea are discussed. Body lengths of four physically mature spinner dolphins (three males) ranged from 154-178.3cm (median 164.5cm), i.e. smaller than any known stock of spinner dolphins, except the dwarf forms from Thailand and Australia. Two c...

A rapid assessment survey of the coral reefs of the Sultanate of Oman was conducted by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment during the first half of 1996. The survey revealed new information on the distribution pattern of corals in Oman and identified impacts, threats and potential threats to coral communities for the purpose of...

Available data on small cetacean species in coastal and offshore waters off peninsula Arabia are reviewed. Species accounts are presented for a total of 16 small cetaceans, including information on the date and source of first records in the region, distribution, stock identity, abundance, external appearance, migrations or local movements, status,...

We applied the stage-class matrix model to published data to investigate the population growth rate of Oman female green turtles (Chelonia mydas) under different simulated biological and fishery conditions. Juveniles dominated the stable stage-class population vector. Juveniles and adults contributed most to the potential reproductive output. The p...

Humpback whales in the Arabian Sea present a possibly unique exception to the seasonal migrations typical of this species. Early sightings were thought to be Southern Hemisphere whales extending their migration north of the equator. Several sources of evidence have questioned this hypothesis, suggesting that at least some whales may be year-round r...