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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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 |
container_start_page |
e0162019 |
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1766168188236595200 |