Additional details of data collection, exploration and analysis from Decreasing body size is associated with reduced calving probability in critically endangered North Atlantic right whales ...

• Main Authors: Pirotta, Enrico, Tyack, Peter L., Durban, John W., Fearnbach, Holly, Hamilton, Philip K., Harris, Catriona M., Knowlton, Amy R., Kraus, Scott D., Miller, Carolyn A., Moore, Michael J., Pettis, Heather M., Photopoulou, Theoni, Rolland, Rosalind M., Schick, Rob S., Thomas, Len
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: The Royal Society 2024
• Subjects: Ecology not elsewhere classified; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25224340.v2; https://rs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Additional_details_of_data_collection_exploration_and_analysis_from_Decreasing_body_size_is_associated_with_reduced_calving_probability_in_critically_endangered_North_Atlantic_right_whales/25224340/2

Body size is key to many life-history processes, including reproduction. Across species, climate change and other stressors have caused reductions in the body size to which animals can grow, called asymptotic size, with consequences for demography. A reduction in mean asymptotic length was documented for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, in parallel with declines in health and vital rates resulting from human activities and environmental changes. Here, we tested whether smaller body size was associated with lower reproductive output, using a state-space model for individual health, survival and reproduction that quantifies the mechanistic links between these processes. Body size (as represented by the cube of length) was strongly associated with a female's calving probability at each reproductive opportunity. This relationship explained 62% of the variation in calving among reproductive females, along with their decreasing health (20%). The effects of decreasing mean body size on ...