Mysterious bio-duck sound attributed to the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)

For decades, the bio-duck sound has been recorded in the Southern Ocean, but the animal producing it has remained a mystery. Heard mainly during austral winter in the Southern Ocean, this ubiquitous sound has been recorded in Antarctic waters and contemporaneously off the Australian west coast. Here, we present conclusive evidence that the bio-duck sound is produced by Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). We analysed data from multi-sensor acoustic recording tags that included intense bio-duck sounds as well as singular downsweeps that have previously been attributed to this species. This finding allows the interpretation of a wealth of long-term acoustic recordings for this previously acoustically concealed species, which will improve our understanding of the distribution, abundance and behaviour of Antarctic minke whales. This is critical information for a species that inhabits a difficult to access sea-ice environment that is changing rapidly in some regions and has been the subject of contentious lethal sampling efforts and ongoing international legal action.     

Characterization of tetranucleotide microsatellite loci and development and validation of multiplex reactions for the study of right whale species (genus Eubalaena)

A North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) genomic library was developed and screened with a (GATA)₈ probe to identify tetranucleotide microsatellite loci. Sixteen characterized loci were polymorphic in North Atlantic and/or South Atlantic (Eubalaena australis) right whales, 12 being polymorphic in E. glacialis, and 15 in E. australis. Fourteen of these were combined with 21 other previously identified loci for a suite of 35 loci which can be used to increase resolution of genetic analyses of these species. Multiplex reactions were developed for genotyping samples at these loci, providing a method that is rapid, reliable and cost‐effective.     

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MORPHOLOGICAL STATUS, STEROID HORMONES, AND POST-THAWING VIABILITY OF FROZEN SPERMATOZOA OF MALE MINKE WHALES (BALAENOPTERA ACUTOROSTRATA)

Spermatozoa from 21 mature minke whales ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata ) taken in the Antarctic Ocean for Japanese research were recovered from vasa deferentia, diluted 1:9 in a Tris-based diluent, and frozen at - 80°C on board the vessel. After a period ranging from 45 to 125 d, the samples were transferred to liquid nitrogen and transported to the laboratory. After thawing at 37°C the motility (percentage of motile spermatozoa), vitality (proportion of live spermatozoa), and sperm concentration were determined for each sample. These values were tested for correlations with morphological measurements (body size, body weight, testis weight) and serum concentrations of progesterone (Pd), estradiol-17β (E2), and testosterone (T). Ten of 21 samples had motile spermatozoa (2%-40%). Although no motile spermatozoa were observed in 1.1 samples, all sperm samples were examined by eosinnigrosin staining and showed vitality levels of 3%44%. It was found that the motility (Y = 0.54) and vitality (r = 0.53) of the spermatozoa were significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with the E₂ levels (8.50 ± 1.80 pg/ml). Serum T levels (0.07 ± 0.02 ngml) were significantly correlated with the E₂ levels (r = 0.58, P < 0.01>, but sperm concentrations were not correlated with either Ea or T levels. The present study demonstrates that spermatozoa of minke whales can be successfully cryopreserved.     

A surplus no more? Variation in krill availability impacts reproductive rates of Antarctic baleen whales

The krill surplus hypothesis of unlimited prey resources available for Antarctic predators due to commercial whaling in the 20th century has remained largely untested since the 1970s. Rapid warming of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the past 50 years has resulted in decreased seasonal ice cover and a reduction of krill. The latter is being exacerbated by a commercial krill fishery in the region. Despite this, humpback whale populations have increased but may be at a threshold for growth based on these human-induced changes. Understanding how climate-mediated variation in prey availability influences humpback whale population dynamics is critical for focused management and conservation actions. Using an 8-year dataset (2013–2020), we show that inter-annual humpback whale pregnancy rates, as determined from skin-blubber biopsy samples (n = 616), are positively correlated with krill availability and fluctuations in ice cover in the previous year. Pregnancy rates showed significant inter-annual variability, between 29% and 86%. Our results indicate that krill availability is in fact limiting and affecting reproductive rates, in contrast to the krill surplus hypothesis. This suggests that this population of humpback whales may be at a threshold for population growth due to prey limitations. As a result, continued warming and increased fishing along the WAP, which continue to reduce krill stocks, will likely impact this humpback whale population and other krill predators in the region. Humpback whales are sentinel species of ecosystem health, and changes in pregnancy rates can provide quantifiable signals of the impact of environmental change at the population level. Our findings must be considered paramount in developing new and more restrictive conservation and management plans for the Antarctic marine ecosystem and minimizing the negative impacts of human activities in the region.     

Geographic differences in Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) echolocation clicks

Aim

Understanding cetacean species' distributions and population structure over space and time is necessary for effective conservation and management. Geographic differences in acoustic signals may provide a line of evidence for population-level discrimination in some cetacean species. We use acoustic recordings collected over broad spatial and temporal scales to investigate whether global variability in echolocation click peak frequency could elucidate population structure in Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), a cryptic species well-studied acoustically.

Location

North Pacific, Western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

Time period

2004–2021.

Major taxa studied

Blainville's beaked whale.

Methods

Passive acoustic data were collected at 76 sites and 150 cumulative years of data were analysed to extract beaked whale echolocation clicks. Using an automated detector and subsequent weighted network clustering on spectral content and interclick interval of clicks, we determined the properties of a primary cluster of clicks with similar characteristics per site. These were compared within regions and across ocean basins and evaluated for suitability as population-level indicators.

Results

Spectral averages obtained from primary clusters of echolocation clicks identified at each site were similar in overall shape but varied in peak frequency by up to 8 kHz. We identified a latitudinal cline, with higher peak frequencies occurring in lower latitudes.

Main conclusions

It may be possible to acoustically delineate populations of Blainville's beaked whales. The documented negative correlation between signal peak frequency and latitude could relate to body size. Body size has been shown to influence signal frequency, with lower frequencies produced by larger animals, which are subsequently more common in higher latitudes for some species, although data are lacking to adequately investigate this for beaked whales. Prey size and depth may shape frequency content of echolocation signals, and larger prey items may occur in higher latitudes, resulting in lower signal frequencies of their predators.     

PHD2基因在鲸类低氧信号通路中的功能

为研究鲸类低氧适应的分子机制,文章克隆了不同低氧耐受能力的3个鲸类物种,抹香鲸(Physeter macrocephalus)、白鲸(Delphinapterus leucas)和长江江豚(Neophocaena phocaenoids asiaeorientalis)的脯氨酸羟化酶2(PHD2)。通过对其序列进行分析,发现3个物种PHD2的氨基酸序列非常保守。通过对这3个物种的PHD2的功能进行探究发现:3个物种的PHD2在常氧情况下均可以降解3个物种的HIF-α(包括HIF-1α和HIF-2α)蛋白,而在低氧(O₂浓度小于2%)情况下,PHD2则无法明显降解HIF-α蛋白。在常氧下,鲸类的PHD2降解HIF-α是依赖于识别鲸类的HIF-1α上LTLLAP和LEMLAP,HIF-2α的LAQLAP和LETLAP氨基酸片段,推测PHD2是通过对HIF-α序列中的脯氨酸位点进行羟基化修饰后,被VHL-E3泛素连接酶复合体所识别,发生泛素化降解。而在低氧条件下,PHD2的活性受到抑制HIF-α不能被VHL-E3泛素连接酶复合体识别,发生降解。研究对3种不同低氧耐受能力...     

AN ASSESSMENT OF CHANGES WITH TIME IN THE MARKING PATTERNS USED FOR PHOTOIDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL SPERM WHALES, PHYSETER MACROCEPHALUS

We observed changes with time in the patterns of characteristic fluke markings used to identify sperm whales. Changes were categorized as minor, moderate, or major based on their severity. These change types were found to occur at rates of 0.9%, 11.8%, and 1.3% per individual per year, respectively. Gain and loss rates for each of seven different mark types were also calculated. The highest estimated rate was the gain of small nicks at 0.08 per individual per year. Most individuals identified by us possess at least a few characteristic marks and, therefore, changes of the type observed in this study are unlikely to severely affect their recognizability. For all but one mark type, gain rates were higher than loss rates, indicating that individuals may be accumulating marks with age. Over long periods this could eventually make individuals unrecognizable, with the result that population sizes calculated from these data may be overestimated. As long as photoidentification studies are conducted sufficiently often, and these changes are as gradual as they appear to be, this problem should be minimal.     

DENSITY DEPENDENT GROWTH IN NORTH PACIFIC SPERM WHALES

Data from the North Pacific sperm whale (Physeter catodon Linnaeus, 1758) fishery were examined for a possible density dependent change in growth during 40 yr harvesting after World War II. Early in this period males from the eastern stock were 16.8 m or less in length. By the early 1970s the largest males in the catch exceeded 16.8 m in length and reached 18.9 m in the late 1970s. The proportion of males measuring over 16.8 m, among sexually mature males (≥14.0 m), increased from 0 to >20% during the 1970s. Increases in the maximum size of males were possibly preceded by a change in the frequency distribution of body lengths in the middle 1960s when only 10% of the postwar catch had been taken. Testis weights suggested an increase in body length at sexual maturity. Two of the three putative North Pacific stocks showed similar growth changes. Adult males taken in the Bering Sea did not show such changes during the exploitation which ended in 1972 because of overfishing. Females showed no detectable change in body size. It is concluded that: (1) density dependent effects on male growth are greater before sexual maturity than after it, (2) males may show density dependent changes even at a population level above 90% of the carrying capacity, (3) polygynous males acquire more mates and realize higher reproductive success because of increased body size, and (4) females appear to maximize production by maturing earlier and shortening calving intervals in response to density change.     

Exploring movement patterns and changing distributions of baleen whales in the western North Atlantic using a decade of passive acoustic data

Six baleen whale species are found in the temperate western North Atlantic Ocean, with limited information existing on the distribution and movement patterns for most. There is mounting evidence of distributional shifts in many species, including marine mammals, likely because of climate‐driven changes in ocean temperature and circulation. Previous acoustic studies examined the occurrence of minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and North Atlantic right whales (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis). This study assesses the acoustic presence of humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), sei (B. borealis), fin (B. physalus), and blue whales (B. musculus) over a decade, based on daily detections of their vocalizations. Data collected from 2004 to 2014 on 281 bottom‐mounted recorders, totaling 35,033 days, were processed using automated detection software and screened for each species' presence. A published study on NARW acoustics revealed significant changes in occurrence patterns between the periods of 2004–2010 and 2011–2014; therefore, these same time periods were examined here. All four species were present from the Southeast United States to Greenland; humpback whales were also present in the Caribbean. All species occurred throughout all regions in the winter, suggesting that baleen whales are widely distributed during these months. Each of the species showed significant changes in acoustic occurrence after 2010. Similar to NARWs, sei whales had higher acoustic occurrence in mid‐Atlantic regions after 2010. Fin, blue, and sei whales were more frequently detected in the northern latitudes of the study area after 2010. Despite this general northward shift, all four species were detected less on the Scotian Shelf area after 2010, matching documented shifts in prey availability in this region. A decade of acoustic observations have shown important distributional changes over the range of baleen whales, mirroring known climatic shifts and identifying new habitats that will require further protection from anthropogenic threats like fixed fishing gear, shipping, and noise pollution.     

Stejneger's beaked whale strandings in Alaska, 1995–2020

Presented here is the first comprehensive and updated compilation of history, distribution, and findings of Stejneger's beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) in Alaska. Stejneger's beaked whales are a poorly understood, elusive, deep-diving cetacean species found in the North Pacific Ocean. Since Stejneger's beaked whale strandings data in Alaska through 1994 were last published, 35 additional strandings have been documented. Twenty-seven animals stranded in the Aleutian Islands, seven stranded in Southcentral Alaska, and one animal stranded on St. Lawrence Island. Twenty-two carcasses were necropsied, but only four were fresh. Seventeen of the 22 died during mass stranding events and cause of death could not be definitively determined. Barotrauma was suspected in three cases and infectious disease possibly complicated by barotrauma occurred in two cases. We documented an expansion of strandings into the northern Bering Sea, characterized a sex bias, examined stomach contents that included macroplastic, and identified parasites not previously associated with Stejneger's beaked whales. Also included are data on the largest known mass stranding of Stejneger's beaked whales, which occurred on Adak Island in 2018. The history, distribution, and findings presented here are central to further our understanding of this species.