Animal-borne electronic instruments (tags) are valuable tools for collecting information on cetacean physiology, behaviour and ecology, and forenhancing conservation and management policies for cetacean populations. Tags allow researchers to track the movement patterns, habitat use andother aspects of the behaviour of animals that are otherwise difficult to observe. They can even be used to monitor the physiology of a taggedanimal within its changing environment. Such tags are ideal for identifying and predicting responses to anthropogenic threats, thus facilitating thedevelopment of robust mitigation measures. With the increasing need for data best provided by tagging and the increasing availability of tags, suchresearch is becoming more common. Tagging can, however, pose risks to the health and welfare of cetaceans and to personnel involved in taggingoperations. Here we provide â€˜best practiceâ€™ recommendations for cetacean tag design, deployment and follow-up assessment of tagged individuals,compiled by biologists and veterinarians with significant experience in cetacean tagging. This paper is intended to serve as a resource to assist tagusers, veterinarians, ethics committees and regulatory agency staff in the implementation of high standards of practice, and to promote the trainingof specialists in this area. Standardised terminology for describing tag design and illustrations of tag types and attachment sites are provided, alongwith protocols for tag testing and deployment (both remote and through capture-release), including training of operators. The recommendationsemphasise the importance of ensuring that tagging is ethically and scientifically justified for a particular project and that tagging only be used toaddress bona fide research or conservation questions that are best addressed with tagging, as supported by an exploration of alternative methods.Recommendations are provided for minimising effects on individual animals (e.g. through careful selection of the individual, tag design and implantsterilisation) and for improving knowledge of tagging effects on cetaceans through increased post-tagging monitoring.

/pdf/best-practice-guidelines-for-cetacean-tagging-5besxd9jxw.pdf

Best practice guidelines for cetacean tagging

Evolutionary explanations for mammalian sociality typically center on inclusive-fitness benefits of associating and cooperating with close kin, or close maternal kin as in some whale societies, including killer and sperm whales. Their matrilineal structure has strongly influenced the thinking about social structure in less well-studied cetaceans, including beluga whales. In a cross-sectional study of group structure and kinship we found that belugas formed a limited number of distinct group types, consistently observed across populations and habitats. Certain behaviours were associated with group type, but group membership was often dynamic. MtDNA-microsatellite profiling combined with relatedness and network analysis revealed, contrary to predictions, that most social groupings were not predominantly organized around close maternal relatives. They comprised both kin and non-kin, many group members were paternal rather than maternal relatives, and unrelated adult males often traveled together. The evolutionary mechanisms that shape beluga societies are likely complex; fitness benefits may be achieved through reciprocity, mutualism and kin selection. At the largest scales these societies are communities comprising all ages and both sexes where multiple social learning pathways involving kin and non-kin can foster the emergence of cultures. We explore the implications of these findings for species management and the evolution of menopause.

/pdf/group-structure-and-kinship-in-beluga-whale-societies-4lvao02ked.pdf

Group structure and kinship in beluga whale societies

A twenty-one year temporal trend of persistent organic pollutants in St. Lawrence Estuary beluga, Canada.

The parental behavior of beluga whales observed in a summer reproductive gathering (near Solovetsky Island, Onega Bay, White Sea) is described, including the parturition process. A tight association between the female and its newborn infant has been traced by the case study of a stillborn calf. Individual behavioral patterns of a mother and calves observable only in natural habitats are detailed.

Parental behavior of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in natural environment

Identification of key foraging habitats of aquatic top predators is essential for designing effective management and conservation strategies The Baltic ringed seal (Phoca hispida botnica) interacts with anthropogenic activities and knowledge of its spatial ecology is needed for planning population management and mitigating interactions with coastal fisheries We investigated habitat use and foraging habitats of ringed seals (n = 26) with satellite telemetry in the northern Baltic Sea during autumn, which is important time for foraging for ringed seals We used first passage time (FPT) approach to identify the areas of high residency corresponding to foraging areas Tracked seals showed considerable movement; mean (±SD) home ranges (95 % adaptive local nearest-neighbour convex hull, a-LoCoH) were 8030 ± 4796 km2 Two seals moved randomly and foraging areas could not be identified for them The majority (24/26) of the studied seals occupied 1–6 main foraging areas, where they spent 47 ± 22 % of their total time Typically the foraging areas of individuals had a mean distance of 254 ± 194 km Most of the seals (n = 17) were “long-range foragers” which occupied several spatially remote foraging areas (mean distance 328 ± 180 km) or, in the case of two individuals, did not concentrate foraging to any particular area The other seals (n = 9) were “local foragers” having only one foraging area or the mean distance between several areas was shorter (67 ± 26 km) Foraging areas of all seals were characterised by shallow bathymetry (median ± SD: 13 ± 49 m) and proximity to the mainland (10 ± 14 km), partly overlapping with protected areas and coastal fisheries Our results indicate that in general the ringed seals range over large areas and concentrate feeding to different—often remote—areas during the open water season Therefore, removal of individuals near the fishing gear may not be a locally effective method to mitigate seal depredation Overlap of foraging areas with protected areas indicate that management of key foraging and resting habitats could to some extent be implemented within the existing network of marine protected areas

/pdf/identifying-foraging-habitats-of-baltic-ringed-seals-using-1odd4v3ck4.pdf

Identifying foraging habitats of Baltic ringed seals using movement data

The development of high-performance tracking and analytical tools has greatly facili- tated the study of animal movements, which, in turn, are increasingly employed to study habitat use. However, data on individual movements are rarely available at both broad spatial and temporal scales, limiting their utility for the study of habitat use at population levels. In this study, we propose a novel approach to investigate habitat profitability and population residency patterns by combining the analysis of fine-scale tracking data from individual animals with coarser, short- term movement patterns of herds. We used this approach to identify areas of high residency (AHR) for the St. Lawrence beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas, a population classified as 'threatened' under the Canadian Species At Risk Act. We used radio telemetry and a first passage time approach to study the fine-scale daily movements of 30 belugas. Information obtained from these animals on variation of search effort during displacements, scales at which area-restricted search (ARS) oc- curred, and associated swimming speeds was used to grid our study area and define a criterion for high residency of beluga herds. The beluga herd database used to identify AHR was composed of 772 visual 'herd follows' covering a large portion of the beluga population summer distribution. Thirty-three ARS zones were identified at 2 different spatial scales (~500 m and ~1500 m). Using these scales and the swimming speeds associated with ARS to study the residency of herds resulted in the identification of 28 AHRs used by beluga within their summer distribution.

/pdf/identifying-high-residency-areas-of-the-threatened-st-3lzme1lvwn.pdf

Identifying high residency areas of the threatened St. Lawrence beluga whale from fine-scale movements of individuals and coarse-scale movements of herds

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Identifying high residency areas of the threatened St. Lawrence beluga whale from fine-scale movements of individuals and coarse-scale movements of herds