balaenoptera physalus
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2022 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-96
Author(s):  
Raúl E. Díaz-Gamboa ◽  
Carlos Tamayo-Millán ◽  
Gaspar Poot-López ◽  
Carlos González-Salas ◽  
Harold Villegas-Hernández ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 966
Author(s):  
Laura Pintore ◽  
Virginia Sciacca ◽  
Salvatore Viola ◽  
Cristina Giacoma ◽  
Elena Papale ◽  
...  

The patterns of movement of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Mediterranean Sea are still a matter of debate. Feeding aggregations are well known in the Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin from July to September, but little is known for the autumn and winter seasons. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was implemented in the Ligurian Sea to overcome this gap and to investigate the temporal and spatial variation of fin whale acoustic presence. From July to December 2011, five autonomous recorders were deployed at between 700 and 900 m depths. Fin whale calls were automatically detected almost every day, with higher vocalization rates in October, November, and December. Furthermore, daily vocalization rates were higher during light hours, and closer to the coast. These outcomes suggest that not all the individuals migrate, staying in the area also during autumn for feeding or breeding purposes. The dial cycle of vocalization might be related to feeding activities and zooplankton vertical migration, whereas the proximity to the coast can be explained by the morphology of the area that promotes the upwelling system. Although this work only represents a six-month period, certainly it suggests the need for a larger spatial and temporal PAM effort, crucial for species management and for mitigating possible impact of anthropogenic activities at the basin level.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256815
Author(s):  
Eric M. Keen ◽  
James Pilkington ◽  
Éadin O’Mahony ◽  
Kim-Ly Thompson ◽  
Benjamin Hendricks ◽  
...  

Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are widely considered an offshore and oceanic species, but certain populations also use coastal areas and semi-enclosed seas. Based upon fifteen years of study, we report that Canadian Pacific fin whales (B. p. velifera) have returned to the Kitimat Fjord System (KFS) in the Great Bear Rainforest, and have established a seasonally resident population in its intracoastal waters. This is the only fjord system along this coast or elsewhere in which fin whales are known to occur regularly with strong site fidelity. The KFS was also the only Canadian Pacific fjord system in which fin whales were commonly found and killed during commercial whaling, pointing to its long-term importance. Traditional knowledge, whaling records, and citizen science databases suggest that fin whales were extirpated from this area prior to their return in 2005–2006. Visual surveys and mark-recapture analysis documented their repopulation of the area, with 100–120 whales using the fjord system in recent years, as well as the establishment of a seasonally resident population with annual return rates higher than 70%. Line transect surveys identified the central and outer channels of the KFS as the primary fin whale habitat, with the greatest densities occurring in Squally Channel and Caamaño Sound. Fin whales were observed in the KFS in most months of the year. Vessel- and shore-based surveys (27,311 km and 6,572 hours of effort, respectively) indicated regular fin whale presence (2,542 detections), including mother-calf pairs, from June to October and peak abundance in late August–early September. Seasonal patterns were variable year-to-year, and several lines of evidence indicated that fin whales arrived and departed from the KFS repeatedly throughout the summer and fall. Additionally, we report on the population’s social network and morphometrics. These findings offer insights into the dynamics of population recovery in an area where several marine shipping projects are proposed. The fin whales of the Great Bear Rainforest represent a rare exception to general patterns in this species’ natural history, and we highlight the importance of their conservation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Georgia Stephens ◽  
Aylin Akkaya Bas ◽  
Joseph Hardy ◽  
Nilüfer Araç ◽  
Patrick Lyne

Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are the most commonly observed mysticetes within the Mediterranean Sea, however their status remains vulnerable (VU) and their population in decline mainly due to increasing anthropogenic activities. Sightings of fin whales in the eastern Mediterranean are negligible relative to the central and western basins which eludes to the impression that the eastern Mediterranean provides a less favourable habitat for these cetaceans. This study outlines the sighting and stranding reports of fin whales in the Levantine Basin, the latest of which (an opportunistic sighting of four sub-adults off the coast of Anamur, Turkey in March, 2019) demonstrates the continued presence of this species in the eastern Mediterranean. The current report highlights the need for increased targeted survey effort and collaborative research between neighboring waters to enhance our understanding of the population status of this vulnerable species and aid in the implementation of the necessary conservation actions that are long-missing.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mukhlis Kamal ◽  
Nurlisa A Butet ◽  
Endah Sri Rahayu ◽  
Agus Alim Hakim

Paus sperma (Physeter macrocephalus) merupakan salah satu mamalia laut yang dikategorikan dalam status vulnerable pada IUCN dan status Appendix I pada CITES. Identitas asli dari paus sperma secara molekuler dapat ditelusuri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi karakteristik molekuler paus sperma (P. macrocephalus) berdasarkan gen 16s rRNA parsial. Tiga contoh jaringan paus sperma yang dianalisis berasal dari perairan Laut Sawu, Nusa Tenggara Timur. Hasil identifikasi berdasarkan sekuen basa nukleotida gen parsial 16S rRNA menunjukkan bahwa ketiga contoh memiliki kemiripan dengan Physeter catodon sebesar 99%, dimana P. catodon merupakan sinonim dari P. macrocephalus. Pensejajaran sekuen nukleotida dengan outgroup (Balaenoptera physalus dan Balaena mysticetus) didapatkan nilai jarak genetik ketiga contoh dengan outgroup berkisar antara 0,0093–0,0726. Selain itu, didapatkan 25 nukleotida spesifik P. macrocephalus yang mampu membedakan dari spesies outgroup.  Penelitian ini mampu memvalidasi spesies P. macrocephalus berdasarkan gen 16S rRNA dan dapat dijadikan sebagai marka molekuler yang kuat untuk identifikasi P. macrocephalus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1954) ◽  
pp. 20211156
Author(s):  
Miriam Romagosa ◽  
Sergi Pérez-Jorge ◽  
Irma Cascão ◽  
Helena Mouriño ◽  
Patrick Lehodey ◽  
...  

Animals use varied acoustic signals that play critical roles in their lives. Understanding the function of these signals may inform about key life-history processes relevant for conservation. In the case of fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus ), that produce different call types associated with different behaviours, several hypotheses have emerged regarding call function, but the topic still remains in its infancy. Here, we investigate the potential function of two fin whale vocalizations, the song-forming 20-Hz call and the 40-Hz call, by examining their production in relation to season, year and prey biomass. Our results showed that the production of 20-Hz calls was strongly influenced by season, with a clear peak during the breeding months, and secondarily by year, likely due to changes in whale abundance. These results support the reproductive function of the 20-Hz song used as an acoustic display. Conversely, season and year had no effect on variation in 40-Hz calling rates, but prey biomass did. This is the first study linking 40-Hz call activity to prey biomass, supporting the previously suggested food-associated function of this call. Understanding the functions of animal signals can help identifying functional habitats and predict the negative effects of human activities with important implications for conservation.


Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. San Martín ◽  
M. N. Paso Viola ◽  
L. Riccialdelli ◽  
M. A. Torres ◽  
N. A. Dellabianca

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