Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence
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 Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda popul...
Published in: | Endangered Species Research |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/94065 https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 |
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fttexasamucorpus:oai:tamucc-ir.tdl.org:1969.6/94065 2023-10-25T01:29:14+02:00 Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence Hamner, Rebecca M. Barlow, Dawn Torres, Leigh Hodge, Kristin Steel, Debbie Baker, C. Scott Chandler, Todd Bott, Nadine Constantine, Rochelle Double, Michael Gill, Peter Glasgow, Debra Lilley, Callum Ogle, Mike Olson, Paula Peters, Catherine Stockin, Karen Tessaglia-Hymes, Christopher T. Klinck, Holger 2018-05-17 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/94065 https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 en_US eng Barlow DR, Torres LG, Hodge KB, Steel D and others (2018) Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence. Endang Species Res 36:27-40. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 https://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/94065 https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ blue whales new zealand photo-identification abundence acoustics genetics population connectivity conservation Article 2018 fttexasamucorpus https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 2023-09-25T10:18:49Z 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 Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda population in New Zealand waters with year-round presence that overlaps with industrial activities. This population was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach, including analysis of survey data, sighting records, acoustic data, identification photographs, and genetic samples. Blue whales were reported during every month of the year in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone, with reports concentrated in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) region, where foraging behavior was frequently observed. Five hydrophones in the STB recorded the New Zealand blue whale call type on 99.7% of recording days (January to December 2016). A total of 151 individuals were photo-identified between 2004 and 2017. Nine individuals were resighted across multiple years. No matches were made to individuals identified in Australian or Antarctic waters. Mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies differed significantly between New Zealand (n = 53 individuals) and all other Southern Hemisphere blue whale populations, and haplotype diversity was significantly lower than all other populations. These results suggest a high degree of isolation of this New Zealand population. Using a closed capture-recapture population model, our conservative abundance estimate of blue whales in New Zealand is 718 (SD = 433, 95% CI = 279-1926). Our results fill critical knowledge gaps to improve management of blue whale populations in New Zealand and surrounding regions. Funding for this project was provided by The Aotearoa Foundation, The New Zealand Department of Conservation, The National Geographic Society Waitt Foundation, The Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Cooperative Institute for ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi: DSpace Repository Antarctic New Zealand Endangered Species Research 36 27 40 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi: DSpace Repository |
op_collection_id |
fttexasamucorpus |
language |
English |
topic |
blue whales new zealand photo-identification abundence acoustics genetics population connectivity conservation |
spellingShingle |
blue whales new zealand photo-identification abundence acoustics genetics population connectivity conservation Hamner, Rebecca M. Barlow, Dawn Torres, Leigh Hodge, Kristin Steel, Debbie Baker, C. Scott Chandler, Todd Bott, Nadine Constantine, Rochelle Double, Michael Gill, Peter Glasgow, Debra Lilley, Callum Ogle, Mike Olson, Paula Peters, Catherine Stockin, Karen Tessaglia-Hymes, Christopher T. Klinck, Holger Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
topic_facet |
blue whales new zealand photo-identification abundence acoustics genetics population connectivity conservation |
description |
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 Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda population in New Zealand waters with year-round presence that overlaps with industrial activities. This population was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach, including analysis of survey data, sighting records, acoustic data, identification photographs, and genetic samples. Blue whales were reported during every month of the year in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone, with reports concentrated in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) region, where foraging behavior was frequently observed. Five hydrophones in the STB recorded the New Zealand blue whale call type on 99.7% of recording days (January to December 2016). A total of 151 individuals were photo-identified between 2004 and 2017. Nine individuals were resighted across multiple years. No matches were made to individuals identified in Australian or Antarctic waters. Mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies differed significantly between New Zealand (n = 53 individuals) and all other Southern Hemisphere blue whale populations, and haplotype diversity was significantly lower than all other populations. These results suggest a high degree of isolation of this New Zealand population. Using a closed capture-recapture population model, our conservative abundance estimate of blue whales in New Zealand is 718 (SD = 433, 95% CI = 279-1926). Our results fill critical knowledge gaps to improve management of blue whale populations in New Zealand and surrounding regions. Funding for this project was provided by The Aotearoa Foundation, The New Zealand Department of Conservation, The National Geographic Society Waitt Foundation, The Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Cooperative Institute for ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hamner, Rebecca M. Barlow, Dawn Torres, Leigh Hodge, Kristin Steel, Debbie Baker, C. Scott Chandler, Todd Bott, Nadine Constantine, Rochelle Double, Michael Gill, Peter Glasgow, Debra Lilley, Callum Ogle, Mike Olson, Paula Peters, Catherine Stockin, Karen Tessaglia-Hymes, Christopher T. Klinck, Holger |
author_facet |
Hamner, Rebecca M. Barlow, Dawn Torres, Leigh Hodge, Kristin Steel, Debbie Baker, C. Scott Chandler, Todd Bott, Nadine Constantine, Rochelle Double, Michael Gill, Peter Glasgow, Debra Lilley, Callum Ogle, Mike Olson, Paula Peters, Catherine Stockin, Karen Tessaglia-Hymes, Christopher T. Klinck, Holger |
author_sort |
Hamner, Rebecca M. |
title |
Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
title_short |
Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
title_full |
Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
title_fullStr |
Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
title_full_unstemmed |
Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
title_sort |
documentation of a new zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/94065 https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 |
geographic |
Antarctic New Zealand |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic New Zealand |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale |
op_relation |
Barlow DR, Torres LG, Hodge KB, Steel D and others (2018) Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence. Endang Species Res 36:27-40. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 https://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/94065 https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 |
op_rights |
Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00891 |
container_title |
Endangered Species Research |
container_volume |
36 |
container_start_page |
27 |
op_container_end_page |
40 |
_version_ |
1780731727992324096 |