Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic
ABSTRACT. One of the longest-living mammals, the Greenland whale or bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) is specialized to filter small crustaceans, especially Calanus copepods, from barren Arctic seas. Brought to near extinction by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic ‘meta-population ’ remains at less t...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.500.2600 2023-05-15T14:19:48+02:00 Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic K. J. Finley The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2000 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.500.2600 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic54-1-55.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.500.2600 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic54-1-55.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic54-1-55.pdf Key words Greenland whale bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus biology conservation management traditional knowledge text 2000 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T09:05:15Z ABSTRACT. One of the longest-living mammals, the Greenland whale or bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) is specialized to filter small crustaceans, especially Calanus copepods, from barren Arctic seas. Brought to near extinction by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic ‘meta-population ’ remains at less than 5 % of its former abundance, and none of its three constituent stocks has shown demonstrable recovery during the last century. Two of these stocks, the Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay populations, occur in coastal waters of the Eastern Canadian Arctic during summer. Each of these two stocks numbers in the low hundreds and exists in isolated groups segregated by age and sex, showing strong fidelity to essential habitats. A skewed age distribution, predation by killer whales (Orcinus orca), hunting, net entanglement, tourism, climate change, habitat loss, and inbreeding suppression are some of the factors that may affect the bowhead’s recovery. We need local and historical knowledge to understand the bowhead’s natural history. Together with scientific data, such knowledge is also useful in evaluating the status of the species and prescribing a management plan. A recovery plan must employ the precautionary principle, both within the international ‘meta-population’ context and at the sub-population level; it must take a historical view and seek to protect abandoned habitats. Canada has conducted whaling activities that violate international agreements and diminish the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission. Text Arctic Arctic Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Climate change Greenland Hudson Bay North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic Orca Orcinus orca Copepods Unknown Arctic Baffin Bay Canada Greenland Hudson Hudson Bay |
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English |
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Key words Greenland whale bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus biology conservation management traditional knowledge |
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Key words Greenland whale bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus biology conservation management traditional knowledge K. J. Finley Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic |
topic_facet |
Key words Greenland whale bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus biology conservation management traditional knowledge |
description |
ABSTRACT. One of the longest-living mammals, the Greenland whale or bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) is specialized to filter small crustaceans, especially Calanus copepods, from barren Arctic seas. Brought to near extinction by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic ‘meta-population ’ remains at less than 5 % of its former abundance, and none of its three constituent stocks has shown demonstrable recovery during the last century. Two of these stocks, the Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay populations, occur in coastal waters of the Eastern Canadian Arctic during summer. Each of these two stocks numbers in the low hundreds and exists in isolated groups segregated by age and sex, showing strong fidelity to essential habitats. A skewed age distribution, predation by killer whales (Orcinus orca), hunting, net entanglement, tourism, climate change, habitat loss, and inbreeding suppression are some of the factors that may affect the bowhead’s recovery. We need local and historical knowledge to understand the bowhead’s natural history. Together with scientific data, such knowledge is also useful in evaluating the status of the species and prescribing a management plan. A recovery plan must employ the precautionary principle, both within the international ‘meta-population’ context and at the sub-population level; it must take a historical view and seek to protect abandoned habitats. Canada has conducted whaling activities that violate international agreements and diminish the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
K. J. Finley |
author_facet |
K. J. Finley |
author_sort |
K. J. Finley |
title |
Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic |
title_short |
Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic |
title_full |
Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic |
title_fullStr |
Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Natural History and Conservation of the Greenland Whale, or Bowhead, in the Northwest Atlantic |
title_sort |
natural history and conservation of the greenland whale, or bowhead, in the northwest atlantic |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.500.2600 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic54-1-55.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic Baffin Bay Canada Greenland Hudson Hudson Bay |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Baffin Bay Canada Greenland Hudson Hudson Bay |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Climate change Greenland Hudson Bay North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic Orca Orcinus orca Copepods |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Climate change Greenland Hudson Bay North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic Orca Orcinus orca Copepods |
op_source |
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic54-1-55.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.500.2600 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic54-1-55.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
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1766291528758591488 |