Article
Acoustics
Susanna B. Blackwell, Aaron M. Thode, Alexander S. Conrad, Megan C. Ferguson, Catherine L. Berchok, Kathleen M. Stafford, Tiago A. Marques, Katherine H. Kim
Summary: The study estimated the mean cue rate of individual bowhead whales during their fall migration in the Beaufort Sea using eight years of passive acoustic data from 2007 to 2014. Various assumptions were used to convert call density into animal cue rates, resulting in up to 351 cue rate estimates. The results showed a median of 1.3 calls per whale per hour and an interquartile range of 0.5-5.4 calls per whale per hour.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
David Boertmann, Katrine Raundrup, Josephine Nymand, Janne Fritt-Rasmussen, Kasper L. Johansen
Summary: At least six bowhead whales were observed in July 2022 in the Uummannaq Fjord system of west Greenland, where they are typically absent during the summer months.
Article
Ecology
Outi M. Tervo, Marie Louis, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen, Rikke G. Hansen
Summary: This study reports the observation of two bowhead whale calves in the Scoresby Sund polynya in East Greenland on 2 and 4 May 2022, suggesting possible signs of recovery of the population. This is the first observation of its kind in this area since the early 1900s.
Article
Ecology
Jared R. Towers, James F. Pilkington, Ernest A. Mason, Ernest Mason
Summary: This article reports the first and only documentation of a bowhead whale in the eastern North Pacific. The sighting occurred in the southeastern waters of Canada.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Morgan J. Martin, William D. Halliday, John J. Citta, Lori Quakenbush, Lois Harwood, Ellen V. Lea, Francis Juanes, Jackie Dawson, Adrian Nicoll, Stephen J. Insley
Summary: Arctic marine mammals, such as the bowhead whale, are facing challenges from climate change and increasing anthropogenic noise from vessel traffic. The study found spatial and temporal overlap between tagged bowhead whales and vessels in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort (BCB) region. However, quantitative analysis showed no observable changes in swim speed of bowhead whales within 8-50 km of vessels.
Article
Fisheries
Raphaela Stimmelmayr, David S. Rotstein, Gay Sheffield, John Craig George
Summary: This case series describes encapsulated fat necrosis in 7 subsistence-harvested bowhead whales, which is a rare finding and warrants further research into its pathogenesis.
DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jeremy Wilkinson, Gaelle Veyssiere, Nick Hughes, Matthew Ayre, Maribeth Murray, Robert Headland, Ryan Charles
Summary: Researchers have established a database of over 11,000 records of British whaling voyages between 1725 and 1913, providing important information about bowhead whale populations in the Arctic. Using conversion algorithms, they were able to derive statistically robust data on the length of the bowheads caught. The study also revealed the impact of changing whaling grounds on the length distribution of the whales.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joshua M. Jones, John A. Hildebrand, Bruce J. Thayre, Ellen Jameson, Robert J. Small, Sean M. Wiggins
Summary: Bowhead whales in the Arctic face threats from diminishing sea ice and increasing human activities. Passive acoustic monitoring is an effective method for monitoring their distribution and population trends, but it is affected by the sound propagation environment and ambient noise levels. This study found that call detection probability for bowhead whales is lower during ice-covered conditions and decreases with the retreat of sea ice. These results highlight the importance of considering the effects of the environment on ambient noise and acoustic propagation when interpreting passive acoustic monitoring results.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. J. Insley, W. D. Halliday, X. Mouy, N. Diogou
Summary: The bowhead whale is uniquely adapted to the Arctic environment, living near the polar ice edge for much of the year. Recent observations of bowheads overwintering in their usual summer foraging grounds in the Amundsen Gulf and eastern Beaufort Sea raise questions about potential shifts in migratory behavior due to climate change.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
F. Erbs, M. van der Schaar, J. Weissenberger, S. Zaugg, M. Andre
Summary: Studies have shown that bowhead whales exhibit variability in their singing behavior, with some song groups sharing similar hierarchical structure and units. Unlike humpback whales, bowhead whales do not share songs at a population level, but instead exhibit song sharing within clusters of animals in specific areas. This variability in singing behavior highlights the importance of considering variability in song analysis to better understand the behavioral ecology of this endangered species. Additionally, shifting focus towards units or phrase-based analysis may help in identifying and tracking similarities in songs over different scales for population monitoring.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Megan C. Ferguson, Sandor F. Toth, Janet T. Clarke, Amy L. Willoughby, Amelia A. Brower, Timothy P. White
Summary: Place-based approaches to marine conservation identify crucial areas for populations, species, communities, or ecosystems, and propose special management actions. This study presents a spatial optimization approach to refine the delineation process of Biologically Important Areas (BIAs), providing an objective and reproducible method for conservation planners and decision makers. A case study on feeding bowhead whales in the western Beaufort Sea illustrates the mechanics and benefits of the optimization model.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
N. S. J. Lysiak, S. H. Ferguson, C. A. Hornby, M. P. Heide-Jorgensen, C. J. D. Matthews
Summary: Serial measurements of hormone concentrations along baleen plates were conducted to reconstruct reproductive histories of bowhead whales. The study assessed gestation and calving interval in 10 females from the eastern Canada-west Greenland population using progesterone, oestradiol, corticosterone, and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. The findings revealed variations in progesterone concentrations among immature and mature females, indicating the presence of pregnancies and suggesting potential modification of gestation definition.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brooke A. Biddlecombe, Steven H. Ferguson, Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen, Darren M. Gillis, Cortney A. Watt
Summary: Using genetic mark recapture analyses, the total abundance of the Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowhead whale population was estimated to be 5173 individuals from 2012 to 2021. This suggests that the population may be plateauing well below the pre-commercial whaling carrying capacity estimate. The population estimate is important for updating conservation efforts.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathleen M. Stafford, John J. Citta, Stephen R. Okkonen, Jinlun Zhang
Summary: The study analyzed bowhead and beluga whale vocalizations in the western Beaufort Sea to examine inter-annual variability in DBO Region 6. It was found that bowhead whale migration times were significantly later in fall from 2008-2018, and beluga whale presence was related to zooplankton biomass near the mooring. The environmental triggers that drive the migratory phenology of these Arctic cetacean species likely originate from the Bering Sea transport of heat, nutrients, and plankton through the Chukchi and into the Beaufort Sea.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Emily K. Bowers, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Alicia Hendrix, Kathi A. Lefebvre
Summary: Harmful algal blooms producing paralytic shellfish toxins (STX) have become more frequent in Alaska, USA, posing risks to Pacific Arctic and subarctic communities and wildlife. This study investigates the stability of STX in marine mammal gastrointestinal (GI) matrices and suggests that long-term frozen storage of raw fecal samples and analysis of extracts within 8 weeks of extraction in 50% MeOH is sufficient for accurate STX quantifications without significant degradation.
