Abstract: Historical records demonstrate that the most numerous, per capita, ocean-goingvessel strikes recorded among large-whale species accrue to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). As vessel speed restrictions are being considered to reduce the likelihood and severity of vessel collisions with right whales, we present an analysis of the published historical records of vessels striking large whales. We examine the influence of vessel speed in contributing to either a lethal injury (defined as killed or severely injured) or a nonlethal injury (defined as minor or no apparent injury) to a large whale when struck. A logistic regression model fitted to the observations, and consistent with a bootstrap model, demonstrates that the greatest rate of change in the probability of a lethal injury (Plethal) to a large whale occurs between vessel speeds of 8.6 and 15 knots where Plethal increases from 0.21 to 0.79. The probability of a lethal injury drops below 0.5 at 11.8 knots. Above 15 knots, Plethal asymptotically approaches 1. The uncertainties in the logistic regression estimates are relatively large at relatively low speeds (e.g., at 8 knots the probability is 0.17 with a 95% CI of 0.03‐0.6). The results we provide can be used to assess the utility of vessel speed limits that are being considered to reduce the lethality of vessels striking the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and other large whales that are frequent victims of vessel strikes.

Abstract: Although the Ziphiidae are the second-most speciose family of cetaceans, information on beaked whale species and populations has been limited by the difficulties in finding and approaching free-ranging individuals. Site fidelity, patterns of association, and movements of two species, Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville’s (Mesoplodon densirostris) beaked whales, were assessed using a 21-yr photographic data set from the west coast of the island of Hawai‘i. Resightings of individuals of both species spanned 15 yr, suggesting long-term site fidelity to the area. Long-term resightings were documented primarily from adult females of both species. Group sizes for both species were small and most groups had only a single adult male present. For Blainville’s beaked whales, repeated associations between adult females and adult males were documented for all resightings of adult males over periods from 1 to 154 d. Among adult females, although repeated associations occurred up to 9 yr apart, individuals were seen separately in intervening years. Individuals

Abstract: The short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, is abundant in both neritic and oceanic habitats. These two domains differ largely in terms of the nature of forage organisms and their availability to surface-bound top predators, which suggests that the common dolphin should show extensive variability in foraging strategies as a response to these different habitats. However, although its diet is well known over continental shelves, so far, mostly because of sampling issues, nothing has been published on its diet in oceanic habitats. In this study, the diet of sixty-three common dolphins bycaught in the French albacore tuna driftnet fishery in the summers of 1992–1993 in the oceanic Bay of Biscay was determined from their stomach contents and compared to neritic studies. The diet was dominated by fish (90% by number [N] and 53% by mass of total diet [M]). Cephalopods were also important in the total diet (9%N, 46%M) but were a prey of secondary importance in the fresh fraction (3%N, 10%M), presumably due to longer retention of cephalopod remains in the stomach. Crustaceans were of minor importance. At the species level, the myctophid fish (Notoscopelus kroeyeri) largely dominated the diet. Prey size ranged from 1 to 68 cm, but the majority of preys were from 2 to 30 cm. The prey characteristics and their state of digestion suggest that the common dolphin forages preferentially on small schooling, vertically migrating mesopelagic fauna in the surface layer at dusk and early night. The diet is taxonomically distinct from results obtained in neritic studies but is similar in terms of prey type and the corresponding feeding behavior.

Abstract: A year-long acoustic survey for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales was conducted at two sites on the central and western Scotian Shelf Autonomous hydrophones recorded sound continuously from July 2004 to August 2005 Right whale contact calls (upcalls) were identified using automatic recognition software, and the resulting detections were checked manually Substantial numbers of hours with upcalls were observed at both sites, with approximately four times as many hours with calls at the western site as the central one Calls occurred mainly from August through October, with the earliest calls in late June and the latest at the end of December at both sites In addition to this seasonal trend, there was a significant diel pattern in calling at the central site but not at the more westerly site Results are analyzed in light of feeding ecology and broad-scale movements of right whales

Abstract: Photo-identification using natural markings has been used for pilot whale (Globicephala melas) studies However, none of these studies investigated the reliability of the marks used To identify which mark types are reliable and which could improve the method, fifteen mark types, and their distribution within the population, were described The rates of gain and loss of each mark type were calculated and the variability in visibility was investigated Although the mark types associated with the current photo-identification method, the notch and the protruding piece, appear to be permanent, they allowed us to identify only 33% of our sample The prevalence of all but two mark types is independent of the identifiability of a photograph One of these is already used in the current photo-identification method This independence indicates that the proportion of the population that is currently identifiable does not differ from the rest of the population in its susceptibility to factors causing marks, such as predation, and thus appears to be representative of the whole population Using saddle patches in combination with the current photo-identification method would double the percentage of the identifiable individuals However, due to limitations of matching software, the current method is easier to use

Abstract: Limited data exist on swimming speeds of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and none on swimming speeds of singing whales during migration. We tracked humpback whales visually and acoustically during migration from the breeding grounds past our study site on the east coast of Australia (latitude 26°28'S). The mean swimming speed for whales while singing was 2.5 km/h, significantly less than for non-singing whales with a mean of 4.0 km/h but significantly greater than the mean of 1.6 km/h observed for singing whales on the Hawaiian breeding grounds. Between song sessions, there was no significant difference in speeds between whales that had been singing and other whales. Migration speeds were less for whales while singing but increased during the season. Although humpback whales can swim rapidly while singing (maximum observed 15.6 km/h), they generally do not do so, even during migration. Slower migration by singers would delay their return to the polar feeding areas and may be costly, but may be a strategy to provide access to more females.

Abstract: We determined the blubber fatty acid (FA) composition of 281 ringed seals (Phoca hispida) across the Canadian Arctic to make inferences about spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns of foraging. Seals were sampled in nine locations between 1992 and 2004. Regional differences in FA signatures were related to the distance between groups, with the greatest similarity occurring among seals sampled in three locations within the Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf. Seals in the western and southeastern portions of Hudson Bay also had similar FA signatures. Discriminant analysis on seventeen FAs classified ringed seals to their correct geographic region with 95% accuracy. Although location accounted for most of the variability in FA signatures, adult and juvenile ringed seals in Frobisher Bay-Labrador Sea and Jones Sound showed significant FA differences, as did male and female ringed seals in Jones Sound and Qaanaaq. Demographic differences were not detected among ringed seals in the Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf or in western Hudson Bay. Seals off the coast of Labrador showed significant seasonal variability in FA signatures. Overall, seasonal, regional, and demographic patterns in FA signatures were consistent with differences in ringed seal diets, as inferred from stomach content and stable isotope analyses.

Abstract: The hypothesis that commercial whaling caused a sequential megafaunal collapse in the North Pacific Ocean by forcing killer whales to eat progressively smaller species of marine mammals is not supported by what is known about the biology of large whales, the ecology of killer whales, and the patterns of ecosystem change that took place in Alaska, British Columbia, and elsewhere in the world following whaling. A comparative analysis shows that populations of seals, sea lions, and sea otters increased in British Columbia following commercial whaling, unlike the declines noted in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. The declines of seals and sea lions that began in western Alaska around 1977 were mirrored by increases in numbers of these species in British Columbia. A more likely explanation is that the seal and sea lion declines and other ecosystem changes in Alaska stem from a major oceanic regime shift that occurred in 1977. Killer whales are unquestionably a significant predator of seals, sea lions, and sea otters—but not because of commercial whaling.

Abstract: Springer et al. (2003) contend that sequential declines occurred in North Pacific populations of harbor and fur seals, Steller sea lions, and sea otters. They hypothesize that these were due to increased predation by killer whales, when industrial whaling's removal of large whales as a supposed primary food source precipitated a prey switch. Using a regional approach, we reexamined whale catch data, killer whale predation observations, and the current biomass and trends of potential prey, and found little support for the prey-switching hypothesis. Large whale biomass in the Bering Sea did not decline as much as suggested by Springer et al., and much of the reduction occurred 50–100 yr ago, well before the declines of pinnipeds and sea otters began; thus, the need to switch prey starting in the 1970s is doubtful. With the sole exception that the sea otter decline followed the decline of pinnipeds, the reported declines were not in fact sequential. Given this, it is unlikely that a sequential megafaunal collapse from whales to sea otters occurred. The spatial and temporal patterns of pinniped and sea otter population trends are more complex than Springer et al. suggest, and are often inconsistent with their hypothesis. Populations remained stable or increased in many areas, despite extensive historical whaling and high killer whale abundance. Furthermore, observed killer whale predation has largely involved pinnipeds and small cetaceans; there is little evidence that large whales were ever a major prey item in high latitudes. Small cetaceans (ignored by Springer et al.) were likely abundant throughout the period. Overall, we suggest that the Springer et al. hypothesis represents a misleading and simplistic view of events and trophic relationships within this complex marine ecosystem.

Abstract: Pup production on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, has been increasing exponentially since the early 1960s and by 1997 Sable Island was the largest gray seal colony worldwide. Using an aerial photographic survey, as in previous years, we estimated pup production in January 2004 to determine if this exponential rate of increase had continued. A total of 33,268 pups was counted on the color positives. When corrected for the proportion pups missed on the imagery (1.106 for the 12th; 1.527 on the 13th), the proportion of pups that died prior to the survey (0.031), and the proportion of pups born before the survey (east colony 0.966, west colony 0.962), estimated total pup production was 41,500 with SE = 4,381. The 2004 estimate indicates that pup production on Sable Island has continued to increase, but suggests that the rate of increase (r) may have declined (0.070 compared to previous 0.128). Females from the 1998‐2000 cohorts were about 16 times less likely to give birth for the first time at age 4 yr and more than twice as likely at age 6 yr compared to those in the mid-late 1980s. The new estimate of pup production and observed changes in age of primiparity provide the first indication of changes in vital rates of this population. However, additional estimates of pup production and vital rates are needed to confirm this conclusion and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Abstract: Tuna purse-seiners in the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) capture yellowfin tuna by chasing and encircling herds of associated dolphins. This fishery has caused mortality in 14 dolphin species (20 stocks) and has led to significant depletions of at least three stocks. Although observed dolphin mortality is currently low, set frequency remains high and dolphin stocks are not recovering at expected rates. Mortality of nursing calves permanently separated from their mothers during fishery operations may be an important factor in the lack of population recovery, based on the recent discovery that calves do not accompany 75%‐95% of lactating females killed in the purse-seine nets. We assessed age-specific potential for mother‐calf separations and subsequent mortality of calves by reviewing and synthesizing published data on physiological and behavioral development in delphinids from birth through 3 yr postpartum. Results indicate that evasive behavior of mothers, coupled with the developmental state of calves, provides a plausible mechanism for set-related mother‐calf separations and subsequent mortality of calves. Potential for set-related separation and subsequent mortality is highest for 0‐12-mo-old dolphins and becomes progressively lower with age as immature dolphins approach adult stamina and attain independence.

Abstract: Although the Bering and Chukchi seas are commonly cited as the principal summer feeding grounds of Eastern North Pacific (ENP) gray whales (e.g., Highsmith et al. in press, Swartz et al. 2006), records indicate that this population actually feeds opportunistically throughout its range from the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico, to Alaskan waters (Nerini 1984). Specifically, recent reports suggest that whales may routinely feed in the Gulf of California (Sanchez-Pacheco et al. 2001) and Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur (Caraveo-Patino and Soto 2005), whereas Clapham et al. (1997) noted that feeding gray whales occurred offshore California even in the 1920s when population numbers were very low. The dynamic nature of foraging in this population is best described from coastal study sites along the southeastern shore of Vancouver Island, Canada, where whales shift among pelagic, epi-benthic, and benthic prey within and between years (Darling et al. 1998; Dunham and Duffus 2001, 2002). In the 1980s the southern Chukchi Sea and the Chirikov Basin in the northern Bering Sea were considered the primary feeding grounds for ENP gray whales, based on reported high densities of both whales (Braham 1984, Kim and Oliver 1989, Moore et al. 2000) and their ampelicid amphipod prey (Grebmeier et al. 1989, Highsmith and Coyle 1990). However, by 2002, benthic productivity in the Chirikov Basin had declined precipitously, due to either whale foraging (Highsmith et al. 2006), ecosystem change (Grebmeier et al. 2006), or both, and only the southern Chukchi Sea supported dense aggregations of gray whales (Moore et al. 2003). Indeed, the

Abstract: Watercraft-related mortality represents 1,253 (24.9%) of 5,033 Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) deaths recorded between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 2004. Wound patterns generated by collisions with watercraft are diagnostic. Sets of cuts and scrapes that are roughly equidistant and perpendicular to the direction of vessel travel are consistent with lacerations made by propeller blades. From these lesions, estimates of propeller diameter, pitch, rotation, and direction of travel may be obtained. Considerable overlap of propeller sizes and pitches on different size vessels, common use of counter rotation propellers, and numerous other complicating factors may confound efforts to accurately predict vessel size and type from propeller wounds. Of the more than one million watercraft registered in Florida, 98% are ≤12.2 m (40 ft), yet watercraft 5.3–36.6 m (17.5–120 ft) are known to have killed manatees. Analysis of a 5-yr subset of mortality data suggests that a disproportionate number of propeller-caused watercraft-related mortalities could be attributed to propeller diameters ≥43.2 cm (17 in.), inferring that these were caused by watercraft ≥12.2 m (40 ft).

Abstract: The behavioral and predatory patterns of Gulf of Alaska (GOA) transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) were studied between 2000 and 2005 using remote video and vessel-based observations near the Chiswell Island Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) rookery and in the broader Kenai Fjords (KF) region of the northern GOA. GOA transient killer whales were observed on 118 d over the 6-yr period; the median group size was two (range: 1‐9). Nine predation events were observed from vessels and an additional sixteen were inferred from remote video studies; all involved Steller sea lions. Estimates from field observations suggest that fifty-nine sea lions were consumed over the summer seasons of 2002‐2005; whereas estimates based on published caloric requirements of transient killer whales would suggest a loss of 103 sea lions over the same time period. GOA transients spent a large proportion (43%) of their time resting which may be a strategy for conserving energy. Predation

Abstract: DNA sequence data enable not only the inference of evolutionary relationships and population histories but also represent a powerful tool for uncovering hidden biodiversity, an approach that has become known as \"DNA taxonomy\" (Dalebout eta/. 2002, Meegasku.mhura.eta/. 2002, Hebert eta/. 2004). The application of DNA taxonomy to beaked whales (Ziphiidae), the least known of all cetacean families, has led to some significant discoveries in recent years. These include the description of a new species from the North Pacific {Mesop/odon perrini; Dalebout et a/. 2002), the

Abstract: Female humpback whales in southeastern Alaska have never been observed with their first calf at ages 5 to 7 years, the documented age at first reproduction in the Gulf of Maine humpback whale population. Long-term sighting histories of 10 individually identified females of known age in southeastern Alaska were used to address this issue. These females were sighted with their first calf at ages 8-16 (mean 11.8) years, significantly older than observed in the Gulf of Maine where 5.91 years is the mean age at first calving. We summarize potential sources of bias and other factors that likely contributed to the difference in age at first calving. Despite their limitations, these are the only available data to assess the age at first calving in North Pacific humpback whales. Figure 1. Stable markings on the ventral tail flukes of humpback whales, like this one photographed in Glacier Bay, Alaska, allow individuals to be identified over many years. Christine M. Gabriele and others 159 1 Glacier Bay National Park, P.O. Box 140, Gustavus, AK 99826 2 University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus, 1332 Seward Ave.,

Abstract: The relationship between blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) visual and acoustic encounter rates was quantitatively evaluated using hourly counts of detected whales during shipboard surveys off southern California. Encounter rates were estimated using temporal, geographic, and weather variables within a generalized additive model framework. Visual encounters (2.06 animals/h, CV = 0.10) varied with subregion, Julian day, time of day, and year. Acoustic encounters of whales producing pulsed A and tonal B call sequences (song; 0.65 animals/h, CV = 0.06) varied by Julian day, survey mode (transit or stationary), and subregion, and encounters of whales producing downswept (D) calls (0.41 animals/h, CV = 0.09) varied by Julian day and the number of animals seen. Inclusion of Julian day in all models reflects the seasonal occurrence of blue whales off southern California; however, the seasonal peak in visual encounters and acoustic encounters of D calling whales (July‐August) was offset from the peak in acoustic encounters of singing whales (August‐September). The relationship between visual and acoustic encounter rates varied regionally, with

Abstract: The Mediterranean monk seal gives birth almost exclusively in coastal caves. Given its critical conservation status, the identification and protection of such sites is important for the survival of the species. From 1990 to 2004 we collected data on physical and environmental variables and monitored pupping events in thirty-four coastal caves in Greece. We modeled the probability of cave occupancy as a function of the properties of each cave. Model selection and model averaging enabled us to rank the variables that influenced use of potential pupping sites. Environmental variables related to cave seclusion, substrate, and degree of protection from wind and wave action were the most important among them. The relative importance and directions of these relationships confirm the long-standing assumption that Mediterranean monk seals require sheltered pupping sites, far from sources of human disturbance and thus are progressively limited to isolated parts of the country's coastline. We used cross-validation to examine the predictive ability of our analysis and quantified the sensitivity of our predictions to the degree of extrapolation. We conclude that, although more data are required, the model is capable of predicting occupancy for caves close to the middle of the environmental space examined in this study.

Abstract: Two species of bottlenose dolphins are currently recognized by most cetologists: the pan-tropical and temperate Tursiops truncatus and the endemic Indo-Pacific T. aduncus. The latter was described from a specimen from the Red Sea, with nothing in the description that would allow referral of the specimen to one or the other of the two species. Because both species occur in the northern Indian Ocean, it was possible that the holotype specimen was actually a common bottlenose dolphin, not of the Indo-Pacific species. The holotype skull was thought lost but has been found in the Berlin Museum. We describe the skull and examine its affinities through comparison of a partial mtDNA control-region sequence with sequences from South Africa and through application of classification functions from a discriminant analysis of the two putative species from Taiwan. The mtDNA sequence is identical to that of South African specimens referred to the Indo-Pacific species, and the multivariate likelihood assignment associates the skull with Taiwanese specimens referred to that species. These results ensure the correctness of use of the name T. aduncus for the species.

Abstract: Studies of health, survival, and development of juvenile Alaskan Steller sea lions (Eametopias jubatus, SSL) require accurate estimates of age for wild-captured animals. However, the value and accuracy of several potential predictors of age have not been assessed with data from known-age free-ranging animals. During 2001-2005, forty-six individual SSL originally branded or tagged at ≤6 mo of age were recaptured by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG followed by DSL, DIAS, and WHIS (r 2 = 0.70, 0.56, and 0.45, respectively). The inclusion of a single sample from a 44-mo-old sea lion suggested quadratic relationships between age and all predictors for older animals. Only models including CTL predicted age to within 6 mo of known age. The equation Age = (-3.0112 + [0.6726 * CTL] + [0.4965 * DIAS]) allows for accurate age estimates of SSL ≤23 mo for both sexes.

Abstract: Marine mammal social interactions are poorly understood primarily because of the difficulty of observing these behaviors in the wild. Observations of copulations in North Atlantic right whale surface active groups (SAGs) have led to the hypothesis that the function of these groups is for conception. The occurrence and composition of SAGs sighted from 1992 to 2001 were investigated on the basis of age, sex, and reproductive status of individuals. A total of 918 SAG events were documented. SAGs were observed in all habitat areas and in all months in which right whales were sighted. Group compositions revealed both potentially conceptive groups and nonconceptive groups. Of right whales whose age was known, 93% were first sighted in SAGs as juveniles, and more than half of all observed groups contained at least one juvenile whale. The group composition and timing of occurrence of SAGs do not support the hypothesis that all groups serve a purely conceptive function. Their functional role is likely much broader. Other potential functions include play, mating practice, or maintenance of social bonds.

Abstract: Among the priority actions identified for saving the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal are gaining basic biological information on movements and behavior, and rescuing and rehabilitating wounded, stranded, and orphaned pups. On 22 May 2004 a rehabilitated monk seal juvenile was fitted with a satellite tag, released in the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades, Greece, and monitored for 167 d. Postrelease, the seal remained close to the islands of the park and within the 200-m isobath. Throughout the monitoring period, the seal reduced time hauled out, while 95-percentile dive duration and depth gradually increased. The overall maximum depth of 123 m recorded in this study is the greatest depth ever recorded for the species. These results confirm the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program carried out on the particular animal and provide additional support for the continuation of the rehabilitation program as a conservation measure for the species. We demonstrate that satellite tracking of rehabilitated seals is a valuable research and conservation tool, even for a species that commonly uses shoreline caves for resting, molting, and parturition.

Abstract: We evaluated reproductive patterns of the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) using a combination of fitted age-specific reproductive curves and analysis of reproductive patterns of individual females. We review the difficulties inherent in the acquisition and modeling of reproductive data with emphasis on the significance of reproductive senescence to populations with dissimilar age/sex compositions. Validation of the fitted reproductive parameters was accomplished by Monte Carlo sampling of parameter distributions to compare the expected number of pups with the observed production. Although the fitted reproductive functions appear to provide an acceptable fit to the raw reproductive data, we found that the fitted curves did a poor job of predicting the actual pup production in individual years because of high variability among years. To further verify, and elaborate on, the patterns in the pooled (multi-seal, and multi-year) rates, we examined attributes of the reproductive performance of individual seals. The attributes included age of primiparity, reproductive rates computed over several age ranges, and the relationship between reproductive performance and seal longevity. Analysis of individual seal patterns reinforced the conclusion that reproductive senescence is operative in monk seal populations.

Abstract: This study is the first to describe quantitatively the apparent suckling behavior of sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), calves using observations from both above and below the surface. Peduncle dives are short (mean 14 s) dives made by sperm whale calves beside the peduncle of an adult female, which were previously assumed to be indicative of suckling. Photo-identification and focal calf-follows were used to collect data during 177 peduncle dive bouts from 22 different calves (11 calves from the Caribbean Sea, 11 from the Sargasso Sea), one of which was followed on forty different days. We found that peduncle diving in sperm whale calves is laterally asymmetrical with a bias to the left side of the escorting adult (69.8% of peduncle dives) and that calves generally do not switch sides during a bout of peduncle dives (switches occurred in only 10.8% of bouts). Further subsurface observations gave insight into potential alternative functions of peduncle diving. These alternative hypotheses, including nasal suckling, and the existing supporting evidence for each are discussed. It is likely that peduncle diving is related to suckling but that the exact function of the dives and manner in which sperm whale calves ingest milk remains unclear.