Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) populations were expected to rebuild following the end of commercial whaling. We document the decline of the population in the eastern Caribbean by tracing demographic changes of well-studied social units. We address hypotheses that, over a ten-year period of ded...

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Published in:PLOS ONE
Main Authors: Gero, Shane, Whitehead, Hal
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/critical-decline-of-the-eastern-caribbean-sperm-whale-population(87e0abd4-8a23-40c0-8b3c-1f1ab43c26ba).html
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019
id ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/87e0abd4-8a23-40c0-8b3c-1f1ab43c26ba
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spelling ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/87e0abd4-8a23-40c0-8b3c-1f1ab43c26ba 2023-05-15T17:59:23+02:00 Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population Gero, Shane Whitehead, Hal 2016 https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/critical-decline-of-the-eastern-caribbean-sperm-whale-population(87e0abd4-8a23-40c0-8b3c-1f1ab43c26ba).html https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Gero , S & Whitehead , H 2016 , ' Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population ' , PLOS ONE , vol. 11 , no. 10 , pp. e0162019 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019 article 2016 ftuniaarhuspubl https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019 2022-04-27T22:51:07Z Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) populations were expected to rebuild following the end of commercial whaling. We document the decline of the population in the eastern Caribbean by tracing demographic changes of well-studied social units. We address hypotheses that, over a ten-year period of dedicated effort (2005-2015), unit size, numbers of calves and/or calving rates have each declined. Across 16 units, the number of adults decreased in 12 units, increased in two, and showed no change in two. The number of adults per unit decreased at -0.195 individuals/yr (95% CI: -0.080 to -0.310; P = 0.001). The number of calves also declined, but the decline was not significant. This negative trend of -4.5% per year in unit size started in about 2010, with numbers being fairly stable until then. There are several natural and anthropogenic threats, but no well-substantiated cause for the decline. Article in Journal/Newspaper Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale Aarhus University: Research PLOS ONE 11 10 e0162019
institution Open Polar
collection Aarhus University: Research
op_collection_id ftuniaarhuspubl
language English
description Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) populations were expected to rebuild following the end of commercial whaling. We document the decline of the population in the eastern Caribbean by tracing demographic changes of well-studied social units. We address hypotheses that, over a ten-year period of dedicated effort (2005-2015), unit size, numbers of calves and/or calving rates have each declined. Across 16 units, the number of adults decreased in 12 units, increased in two, and showed no change in two. The number of adults per unit decreased at -0.195 individuals/yr (95% CI: -0.080 to -0.310; P = 0.001). The number of calves also declined, but the decline was not significant. This negative trend of -4.5% per year in unit size started in about 2010, with numbers being fairly stable until then. There are several natural and anthropogenic threats, but no well-substantiated cause for the decline.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Gero, Shane
Whitehead, Hal
spellingShingle Gero, Shane
Whitehead, Hal
Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population
author_facet Gero, Shane
Whitehead, Hal
author_sort Gero, Shane
title Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population
title_short Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population
title_full Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population
title_fullStr Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population
title_full_unstemmed Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population
title_sort critical decline of the eastern caribbean sperm whale population
publishDate 2016
url https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/critical-decline-of-the-eastern-caribbean-sperm-whale-population(87e0abd4-8a23-40c0-8b3c-1f1ab43c26ba).html
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019
genre Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm whale
genre_facet Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm whale
op_source Gero , S & Whitehead , H 2016 , ' Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population ' , PLOS ONE , vol. 11 , no. 10 , pp. e0162019 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162019
container_title PLOS ONE
container_volume 11
container_issue 10
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