Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present
Spatiotemporal information is crucial for cetacean research and conservation, particularly for wide-ranging and migratory species. Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are distributed worldwide in deep oceans; however, little is known about the species in the western margin of the Pacific Ocean. He...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:ce4b1d0bd26d421fb2c19bd5ba32a292 2023-07-23T04:21:25+02:00 Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present Mingming Liu Mingli Lin Songhai Li 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100133 https://doaj.org/article/ce4b1d0bd26d421fb2c19bd5ba32a292 EN eng KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772735122001731 https://doaj.org/toc/2772-7351 2772-7351 doi:10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100133 https://doaj.org/article/ce4b1d0bd26d421fb2c19bd5ba32a292 Water Biology and Security, Vol 2, Iss 3, Pp 100133- (2023) Sperm whales Occurrence Distribution Deep waters Bohai Sea Yellow Sea Environmental sciences GE1-350 Biology (General) QH301-705.5 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100133 2023-07-02T00:36:29Z Spatiotemporal information is crucial for cetacean research and conservation, particularly for wide-ranging and migratory species. Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are distributed worldwide in deep oceans; however, little is known about the species in the western margin of the Pacific Ocean. Here, we examined the available information related to the occurrence, distribution, and potential habitats of sperm whales in the waters off China. Historical whaling information (18th–20th century) indicates that sperm whales have been captured in the East China Sea (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS). Furthermore, sporadic strandings have been recorded since the 1910s, and more frequently from 1990 onwards. Since 1990, accidental sightings have been documented in the eastern ECS, northeastern and southern SCS, and their adjacent waters. More recently (2019–2022), field encounters have been reported in dedicated ship-based investigations in the Xisha and Nansha waters, providing robust evidence of the regular existence and potential residency of sperm whales in the northwestern and central areas of the SCS. Female nursery groups suggest that the Xisha waters might be an important nursing ground for sperm whales. Satellite tracking data from four adults showed that sperm whales in the SCS might display both fine-scale and long-distance movements. Taken together, it appears that sperm whales are currently active in the waters off China, and that deep waters (depth >200 m) in the ECS and SCS may provide the species with critical habitats. This review provides crucial baseline information on sperm whales in the waters off China, which may help to facilitate future research efforts and conservation initiatives for the species at national and cross-regional scales. More field investigations and other monitoring approaches including acoustic monitoring, biologging, photo-identification, and genetics are required to reveal the distribution, movement, and habitat use patterns of sperm whales in these waters. Article in Journal/Newspaper Physeter macrocephalus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Pacific Water Biology and Security 2 3 100133 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Sperm whales Occurrence Distribution Deep waters Bohai Sea Yellow Sea Environmental sciences GE1-350 Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
spellingShingle |
Sperm whales Occurrence Distribution Deep waters Bohai Sea Yellow Sea Environmental sciences GE1-350 Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Mingming Liu Mingli Lin Songhai Li Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present |
topic_facet |
Sperm whales Occurrence Distribution Deep waters Bohai Sea Yellow Sea Environmental sciences GE1-350 Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
description |
Spatiotemporal information is crucial for cetacean research and conservation, particularly for wide-ranging and migratory species. Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are distributed worldwide in deep oceans; however, little is known about the species in the western margin of the Pacific Ocean. Here, we examined the available information related to the occurrence, distribution, and potential habitats of sperm whales in the waters off China. Historical whaling information (18th–20th century) indicates that sperm whales have been captured in the East China Sea (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS). Furthermore, sporadic strandings have been recorded since the 1910s, and more frequently from 1990 onwards. Since 1990, accidental sightings have been documented in the eastern ECS, northeastern and southern SCS, and their adjacent waters. More recently (2019–2022), field encounters have been reported in dedicated ship-based investigations in the Xisha and Nansha waters, providing robust evidence of the regular existence and potential residency of sperm whales in the northwestern and central areas of the SCS. Female nursery groups suggest that the Xisha waters might be an important nursing ground for sperm whales. Satellite tracking data from four adults showed that sperm whales in the SCS might display both fine-scale and long-distance movements. Taken together, it appears that sperm whales are currently active in the waters off China, and that deep waters (depth >200 m) in the ECS and SCS may provide the species with critical habitats. This review provides crucial baseline information on sperm whales in the waters off China, which may help to facilitate future research efforts and conservation initiatives for the species at national and cross-regional scales. More field investigations and other monitoring approaches including acoustic monitoring, biologging, photo-identification, and genetics are required to reveal the distribution, movement, and habitat use patterns of sperm whales in these waters. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mingming Liu Mingli Lin Songhai Li |
author_facet |
Mingming Liu Mingli Lin Songhai Li |
author_sort |
Mingming Liu |
title |
Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present |
title_short |
Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present |
title_full |
Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present |
title_fullStr |
Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sperm whales in the waters off China: A glimpse of the past and present |
title_sort |
sperm whales in the waters off china: a glimpse of the past and present |
publisher |
KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100133 https://doaj.org/article/ce4b1d0bd26d421fb2c19bd5ba32a292 |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Physeter macrocephalus |
genre_facet |
Physeter macrocephalus |
op_source |
Water Biology and Security, Vol 2, Iss 3, Pp 100133- (2023) |
op_relation |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772735122001731 https://doaj.org/toc/2772-7351 2772-7351 doi:10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100133 https://doaj.org/article/ce4b1d0bd26d421fb2c19bd5ba32a292 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2022.100133 |
container_title |
Water Biology and Security |
container_volume |
2 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
100133 |
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1772186945962639360 |