Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Annabel Westell, Taiki Sakai, Robert Valtierra, Sofie M. Van Parijs, Danielle Cholewiak, Annamaria DeAngelis
Summary: Sperm whales are an ideal species for studying with passive acoustic technology, and using acoustic line transect data can improve abundance estimation and provide population-level insights into their foraging ecology.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tor Knutsen, Espen Strand, Thor A. Klevjer, Anne Gro Vea Salvanes, Cecilie Broms, Synne Myhre Sunde, Dag Lorents Aksnes, Eva Garcia-Seoane, Webjorn Melle
Summary: The glacier lanternfish Benthosema glaciale is a myctophid species with strong vertical migration capacity and potential to move between surface waters and mesopelagic depths. The feeding ecology of B. glaciale was investigated in different basins, revealing variability in diet composition and selection of calanoid copepods. The condition factor and liver indices of Benthosema in the Iceland Sea were unexpectedly high, contradicting the light environment exclusion hypothesis. Improved classification of prey through stomach analyses is suggested to enhance our understanding of myctophid success across habitats.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Darren A. Whitehead, Joel Gayford
Summary: This study presents the first direct evidence of bottom-feeding behavior in whale sharks and offers potential explanations for their foraging strategy. The findings suggest that whale sharks actively feed on benthic prey in deepwater environments or where such prey is more abundant than planktonic food sources. The study also highlights the importance of ecotourism and citizen science projects in enhancing our understanding of marine megafauna behavioral ecology.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dafne Eerkes-Medrano, David C. Aldridge, Arnoldous S. Blix
Summary: Isotopic analyses of baleen in Mysticeti have been used to study their feeding and movement patterns, revealing differences in diet between whales caught at different locations and suggesting that whales primarily prey on fish, switching to zooplankton during the spring bloom. However, the data did not confirm whether the whales migrate over long distances.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Boris Sauterey, Ben A. Ward
Summary: The stoichiometric coupling between carbon and limiting nutrients in marine phytoplankton is controlled by nitrogen availability and temperature, with different biological mechanisms involved depending on the region and spatiotemporal scale. Nitrogen availability below 40 degrees N predominantly drives phytoplankton C:N stoichiometry, while temperature and grazing pressure dominate at higher latitudes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
K. A. Sorochan, S. Plourde, C. L. Johnson
Summary: In August 2019, variations in depth-integrated abundance and vertical distribution of Calanus spp. were quantified in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. While C. finmarchicus was the most abundant, the larger C. hyperboreus was prominent in the Shediac Valley, contributing a median of 55% estimated depth-integrated biomass of Calanus spp. Near-bottom aggregations of Calanus spp. occurred primarily at depths ranging from 70 to 90 m, likely due to ontogenetic and diel vertical migrations.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ross C. Nichols, David E. Cade, Shirel Kahane-Rapport, Jeremy Goldbogen, Alison Stimpert, Douglas Nowacek, Andrew J. Read, David W. Johnston, Ari Friedlaender
Summary: This study used animal movement modelling and biologging tags to investigate the seasonal foraging behavior of Antarctic humpback whales. The results showed that humpback whales have high feeding rates at the beginning of the feeding season, but the feeding rates decrease and foraging primarily occurs at night as the season progresses.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Fisheries
K. A. Sorochan, S. Plourde, M. F. Baumgartner, C. L. Johnson
Summary: The study reviews the factors that promote suitable foraging habitat for the North Atlantic right whale, emphasizing the importance of prey depth, supply, and aggregation for facilitating suitable foraging habitat. It also highlights information gaps that hinder rapid and dynamic prediction of suitable foraging habitat.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Erin L. Meyer-Gutbrod, Kimberley T. A. Davies, Catherine L. Johnson, Stephane Plourde, Kevin A. Sorochan, Robert D. Kenney, Christian Ramp, Jean-Francois Gosselin, Jack W. Lawson, Charles H. Greene
Summary: Changes in physical oceanography in the Northwest Atlantic have impacted the foraging ecology and distribution of North Atlantic right whales. The study analyzed right whale sightings from 1990 to 2018 and found significant differences in foraging habitats over three decades. The analysis also revealed that changes in foraging habitats were driven by a decline in prey in traditional habitats, rather than an increase in prey in new habitats.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Eve Jourdain, Tiffany Goh, Sanna Kuningas, Tiu Simila, Dag Vongraven, Richard Karoliussen, Anna Bisther, Philip S. Hammond
Summary: This study examined the survival and abundance of killer whales in Norway from 1988 to 2019 using capture-recapture models, revealing differences between two time periods. The findings suggest that killer whales have adapted their distribution in response to shifts in key prey resources, which highlights their potential to adjust to rapidly changing marine ecosystems. The study also indicates variations in the proportion of killer whales within undefined populations in a larger geographical region.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emmaline Marotte, Andrew J. Wright, Heather Breeze, Jessica Wingfield, Leanna P. Matthews, Denise Risch, Nathan D. Merchant, David Barclay, Clair Evers, Jack Lawson, Veronique Lesage, Hilary Moors-Murphy, Veronique Nolet, James A. Theriault
Summary: Anthropogenic underwater noise poses a serious threat to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, and there is currently insufficient understanding of the specific noise sources impacting them in their Canadian habitat. This study provides recommended metrics to better characterize the types of noise of greatest concern for conservation efforts and sets the stage for more targeted research and effective management and protection of the species.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eleni Nikouli, Konstantinos Ar. Kormas, Yang Jin, Yngvar Olsen, Ingrid Bakke, Olav Vadstein
Summary: The study evaluated the influence of two different lipid sources (fish oil and vegetable oil) in the diet on the intestinal microbiota of early life stages of Atlantic salmon, finding that the fish growth did not significantly differ between the two diets. Additionally, it was observed that the gut microbiota composition changed with age.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alyson Fleming, Briana Pobiner, Savannah Maynor, David Webster, Nicholas D. Pyenson
Summary: This article reports the discovery of an incomplete skeleton of a Holocene grey whale in North Carolina, USA, which is the most complete North Atlantic grey whale specimen found so far. The provenance of the specimen is consistent with previous research in the southeastern USA, suggesting human exploitation of the grey whale may have started around 500 years prior to its extinction in the North Atlantic.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Michael J. Moore
Summary: With only 340 North Atlantic right whales left, they are close to extinction as three animals die for every calf born. It is crucial to reduce mortality and enhance reproduction through conservation measures, especially focusing on reducing sub-lethal trauma such as entanglement. Consumers should demand broader protections from legislators, endangered species managers, and suppliers to ensure the recovery of these whales.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Anais Remili, Rune Dietz, Christian Sonne, Filipa I. P. Samarra, Audun H. Rikardsen, Lisa E. Kettemer, Steven H. Ferguson, Cortney A. Watt, Cory J. D. Matthews, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Eve Jourdain, Katrine Borga, Anders Ruus, Sandra M. Granquist, Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid, Melissa A. McKinney
Summary: This study used a new quantitative fatty acid signature analysis approach to model the diet of nearly 200 killer whales and over 900 potential prey across the North Atlantic. The results showed that killer whales mainly consume other whales in the western North Atlantic, seals in the mid-North Atlantic, and fish in the eastern North Atlantic, with significant variation among individuals within each region. These findings provide valuable insights into the trophic ecology of killer whales and their impacts on marine ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
R. Esteban, P. Verborgh, P. Gauffier, J. Gimenez, A. D. Foote, R. de Stephanis
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ruth Esteban, Philippe Verborgh, Pauline Gauffier, Joan Gimenez, Vidal Martin, Monica Perez-Gil, Marisa Tejedor, Javier Almunia, Paul D. Jepson, Susana Garcia-Tiscar, Lance G. Barrett-Lennard, Christophe Guinet, Andrew D. Foote, Renaud de Stephanis
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2016)
Letter
Ecology
A. D. Foote, P. A. Morin
Article
Ecology
A. D. Foote, P. A. Morin
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Phillip A. Morin, Andrew D. Foote, Charles Scott Baker, Brittany L. Hancock-Hanser, Kristin Kaschner, Bruce R. Mate, Sarah L. Mesnick, Victoria L. Pease, Patricia E. Rosel, Alana Alexander
Review
Ecology
Andrew D. Foote
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca Hooper, Jaelle C. Brealey, Tom van der Valk, Antton Alberdi, John W. Durban, Holly Fearnbach, Kelly M. Robertson, Robin W. Baird, M. Bradley Hanson, Paul Wade, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Phillip A. Morin, Jochen B. W. Wolf, Andrew D. Foote, Katerina Guschanski
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrew D. Foote, Michael D. Martin, Marie Louis, George Pacheco, Kelly M. Robertson, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Ana R. Amaral, Robin W. Baird, Charles Scott Baker, Lisa Ballance, Jay Barlow, Andrew Brownlow, Tim Collins, Rochelle Constantine, Willy Dabin, Luciano Dalla Rosa, Nicholas J. Davison, John W. Durban, Ruth Esteban, Steven H. Ferguson, Tim Gerrodette, Christophe Guinet, M. Bradley Hanson, Wayne Hoggard, Cory J. D. Matthews, Filipa I. P. Samarra, Renaud de Stephanis, Sara B. Tavares, Paul Tixier, John A. Totterdell, Paul Wade, Laurent Excoffier, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Jochen B. W. Wolf, Phillip A. Morin
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Milaja Nykanen, Kristin Kaschner, Willy Dabin, Andrew Brownlow, Nicholas J. Davison, Rob Deaville, Cristina Garilao, Kathleen Kesner-Reyes, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Rod Penrose, Valentina Islas-Villanueva, Nathan Wales, Simon N. Ingram, Emer Rogan, Marie Louis, Andrew D. Foote
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura L. Dean, Isabel S. Magalhaes, Andrew Foote, Daniele D'Agostino, Suzanne McGowan, Andrew D. C. MacColl
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Letter
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Phillip A. Morin, Alana Alexander, Mark Blaxter, Susana Caballero, Olivier Fedrigo, Michael C. Fontaine, Andrew D. Foote, Shigehiro Kuraku, Brigid Maloney, Morgan L. McCarthy, Michael R. McGowen, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Mariana F. Nery, Morten Tange Olsen, Patricia E. Rosel, Erich D. Jarvis
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrew D. Foote, Rebecca Hooper, Alana Alexander, Robin W. Baird, Charles Scott Baker, Lisa Ballance, Jay Barlow, Andrew Brownlow, Tim Collins, Rochelle Constantine, Luciano Dalla Rosa, Nicholas J. Davison, John W. Durban, Ruth Esteban, Laurent Excoffier, Sarah L. Fordyce Martin, Karin A. Forney, Tim Gerrodette, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Christophe Guinet, M. Bradley Hanson, Songhai Li, Michael D. Martin, Kelly M. Robertson, Filipa I. P. Samarra, Renaud de Stephanis, Sara B. Tavares, Paul Tixier, John A. Totterdell, Paul Wade, Jochen B. W. Wolf, Guangyi Fan, Yaolei Zhang, Phillip A. Morin
Summary: Runs of homozygosity (ROH) reflect population history in killer whales, with shorter ROH indicating high relatedness between populations due to ancestral declines in effective population size, while longer and younger ROH mainly found in low latitude populations and those of known conservation concern. This suggests a potential link between demographic history, inbreeding depression, and the fate of certain killer whale populations.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca S. Taylor, Evelyn L. Jensen, David W. Coltman, Andrew D. Foote, Sangeet Lamichhaney
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Andrew D. Foote
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Andrew D. Foote, Alana Alexander, Lisa T. Ballance, Rochelle Constantine, Barbara Galletti Vernazzani Munoz, Christophe Guinet, Kelly M. Robertson, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Mariano Sironi, Paul Tixier, John Totterdell, Jared R. Towers, Rebecca Wellard, Robert L. Pitman, Phillip A. Morin
Summary: Genomic characterization of type D killer whales reveals the severe inbreeding and low recombination rate in this distinct eco/morphotype. Comparison with historical and modern genomes suggests a shared demographic history among geographically dispersed social groups. This study provides insights into the effects of inbreeding on genetic diversity and population health.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)