2018

Entanglement scarring rates in three species of rorqual whales from the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Entanglement scarring rates in three species of rorqual whales from the Gulf of St. Lawrence   David Gaspard, Christian Ramp, Julien Delarue, Scott Landry, Richard Sears   Abstract:Lethal and sub-lethal effects of entanglement are a serious threat to survival and recovery of cetacean populations. However, it has been considered that rorqual whales, due to their size and strength more easily break free of fishing...

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Declining reproductive success of humpback and fin whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from 2005 to 2016

Declining reproductive success of humpback and fin whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from 2005 to 2016 Rachel Sullivan-Lord, Christian Ramp, Julien Delarue, Richard Sears, Martine Berube, Per J. Palsbøll Abstract: Female humpback and fin whales show strong site fidelity to North Atlantic feeding grounds, returning with their calves each summer. We have conducted long-term photo identification and biopsy sampling for species in the...

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Behavioral responses of rorqual whales (Balaenopteridae) to experimental fishing gear in a coastal environment

Behavioral responses of rorqual whales (Balaenopteridae) to experimental fishing gear in a coastal environment   Abstract: Whale entanglement in fishing gear is a global problem yet limited information exists about causal mechanisms of the entanglements.  Most knowledge about causes of mysticete whale entanglements stems from long-term research on North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), rope scarring studies on humpback whales...

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Blue whale survival and abundance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence - no encouraging signs for the population

Blue whale survival and abundance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence - no encouraging signs for the population   Miranda Unger, Christian Ramp, Richard Sears, Per J. Palsbøll, Philip Hammond Abstract: The Northwest Atlantic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) population is endangered and low recruitment, declining numbers of sightings and ongoing anthropogenic pressures, including entanglements and ship strikes, have raised doubts about the recovery of...

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Sex-biased summer association patterns in fin whales: An indication of male mate competition?

Sex-biased summer association patterns in fin whales: An indication of male mate competition?   Christian Ramp, Julien Delarue, Anna Schleimer, Richard Sears, Per J. Palsbøll, Martine Berube   Abstract: Baleen whales’ social behavior remains poorly studied, particularly outside the breeding season. We analysed 4,915 summer sightings of 2,608 groups involving 292 photo-identified fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (2004-2010).  Skin biopsies...

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Fin whales on the decrease in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: A mark-recapture study from 1990 to 2016

Fin whales on the decrease in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: A mark-recapture study from 1990 to 2016   Anna Schleimer, Julien Delarue, Christian Ramp, Martine Berube, Richard Sears, Per J. Palsbøll, Philip Hammond   Abstract: Following the exploitation of North Atlantic stocks by commercial whaling in the 20thcentury, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) received protection through national and international legislations, aiming to promote the recovery of...

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Population genetic structure of North Atlantic minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Population genetic structure of North Atlantic minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata   Xênia Moreira Lopes, Martine Berube, Simon Berrow, Finn Larsen, Tore Haug,  Jeroen Hoekendijk, Rus Hoelzel, Brian Kot, Nils Øien, Tom Oosting, Christophe Pampoulie, Christian Ramp, Jooke Robbins, Conor Ryan, Richard Sears, Malene Simon, Hans Julius Skaug, Yvonne Verkuil, Gisli Vikingsson, Lars Witting, Jurjan van der Zee, Per J. Palsbøll   Abstract: Previous genetic studies attempting to resolve North Atlantic minke whale population structure  have mostly resulted in...

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North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 2015 and 2016: Dedicated surveys find unprecedented numbers

North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 2015 and 2016: Dedicated surveys find unprecedented numbers   Philip Hamilton. Timothy Cole, Peter Duley, Christian Ramp, Richard Sears, Moira Brown   Abstract: Since 2010, the well-studied population of North Atlantic right whales has shifted their habitat use patterns away from three of their four primary feeding habitats. There have been sporadic sightings of right...

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Are the “Bastards” coming back? Molecular identification of live blue and fin whale hybrids in the North Atlantic Ocean

Are the “Bastards” coming back? Molecular identification of live blue and fin whale hybrids in the North Atlantic Ocean   Martine Berube, Tom Oosting, Alex Aguilar, Simon Berrow, Pauline Gauffier, Wensi Hao, Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, Kit M. Kovacs, Scott Landry, Finn Larsen, Christian Lydersen, Vidal Martin, Nils Øien, Simone Panigada, Rui Prieto, Christian Ramp, Jooke Robbins. Conor Ryan, Richard Sears, Monica Silva, Gisli Vikingsson, Per J. Palsbøll   Abstract: Hybridization among cetaceans is rarely reported in the wild, which may be...

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