State–space mark–recapture estimates reveal a recent decline in abundance of North Atlantic right whales

Pace, Richard M.; Corkeron, Peter J.; Kraus, Scott D.

doi:10.1002/ece3.3406

Cited by 162 publications

(235 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Right whales have been occurring at unexpected times and places, and Dynamic Management Areas (DMAs) were implemented to address this issue by establishing protective zones around aggregations of right whales outside of SMAs (NMFS, ). With the right whale population at a critically low level (Pace, Corkeron, & Kraus, ), there is a need for additional real‐time tools that provide information on whale occurrences (e.g., Whale Alert, : http://www.whalealert.org/), estimate occupancy probability in known habitats, characterize phenological trends, and identify new areas where right whales may be likely to occur (Meyer‐Gutbrod & Greene, ).…”

Section: Implications Of Changing Phenologymentioning

confidence: 99%

It’s about time: A synthesis of changing phenology in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem

Staudinger

Mills

Stamieszkin

et al. 2019

Fisheries Oceanography

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The timing of recurring biological and seasonal environmental events is changing on a global scale relative to temperature and other climate drivers. This study considers the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, a region of high social and ecological importance in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and synthesizes current knowledge of (a) key seasonal processes, patterns, and events; (b) direct evidence for shifts in timing; (c) implications of phenological responses for linked ecological‐human systems; and (d) potential phenology‐focused adaptation strategies and actions. Twenty studies demonstrated shifts in timing of regional marine organisms and seasonal environmental events. The most common response was earlier timing, observed in spring onset, spring and winter hydrology, zooplankton abundance, occurrence of several larval fishes, and diadromous fish migrations. Later timing was documented for fall onset, reproduction and fledging in Atlantic puffins, spring and fall phytoplankton blooms, and occurrence of additional larval fishes. Changes in event duration generally increased and were detected in zooplankton peak abundance, early life history periods of macro‐invertebrates, and lobster fishery landings. Reduced duration was observed in winter–spring ice‐affected stream flows. Two studies projected phenological changes, both finding diapause duration would decrease in zooplankton under future climate scenarios. Phenological responses were species‐specific and varied depending on the environmental driver, spatial, and temporal scales evaluated. Overall, a wide range of baseline phenology and relevant modeling studies exist, yet surprisingly few document long‐term shifts. Results reveal a need for increased emphasis on phenological shifts in the Gulf of Maine and identify opportunities for future research and consideration of phenological changes in adaptation efforts.

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Section: Implications Of Changing Phenologymentioning

confidence: 99%

It’s about time: A synthesis of changing phenology in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem

Staudinger

Mills

Stamieszkin

et al. 2019

Fisheries Oceanography

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“…Although the North Atlantic right whale population grew during the 2000s, the population size of fewer than 500 animals is still alarmingly low, and a combination of stressors could easily push the species to extinction , Pace et al 2017. In addition to anthropogenic threats, climate change is particularly worrisome for right whales because of their reliance on very few prey species.…”

Section: Threats and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…North Atlantic right whales are seriously endangered, with an estimated 458 animals remaining alive in 2015 (Pace et al 2017). Commercial whaling between the 12 th and 18 th centuries decimated the population, leading to the first attempts at international protection in 1935.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North Atlantic right whale foraging ecology and its role in human-caused mortality

Baumgartner¹,

Wenzel²,

Lysiak³

et al. 2017

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Endangered North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis suffer from unacceptably high rates of ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements, but little is known of the role that diving and foraging behavior plays in mediating human-caused mortality. We conducted a study of right whale foraging ecology by attaching tags to whales for short periods of time (hours), tracking their movements during daytime, and repeatedly sampling oceanographic conditions and prey distribution along the whales' tracks. Right whales were tagged from late winter to late fall in 6 regions of the Gulf of Maine and southwestern Scotian Shelf from 2000 to 2010. The diving behavior of the tagged whales was governed by the vertical distribution of their primary prey, the copepod Calanus finmarchicus. On average, right whales tagged during spring spent 72% of their time in the upper 10 m (within the draft of most large commercial vessels), indicating the need for expanded ship speed restrictions in western Gulf of Maine springtime habitats. One out of every 4 whales dove to within 5 m of the sea floor during the short time they were tagged, spending as much as 45% of their total tagged time in this depth stratum. Right whales dove to the sea floor in each habitat studied except for one (where only 1 whale was tagged). This relatively high incidence of near-bottom diving raises serious concerns about the continued use of floating ground lines in pot and trap gear in coastal Maine and Canadian waters.

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“…), with a recent estimated population size of 458 and a declining population trajectory (Pace et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying risk of whale–vessel collisions across space, time, and management policies

et al. 2019

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Transportation industries can negatively impact wildlife populations, including through increased risk of mortality. To mitigate this risk successfully, managers and conservationists must estimate risk across space, time, and alternative management policies. Evaluating this risk at fine spatial and temporal scales can be challenging, especially in systems where wildlife–vehicle collisions are rare or imperfectly detected. The sizes and behaviors of wildlife and vehicles influence collision risk, as well as how much they co‐occur in space and time. We applied a modeling framework based on encounter theory to quantify the risk of lethal collisions between endangered North Atlantic right whales and vessels. Using Automatic Identification System vessel traffic data and spatially explicit estimates of right whale abundance that account for imperfect detection, we modeled risk at fine spatiotemporal scales before and after implementation of a vessel speed rule in the southeastern United States. The expected seasonal mortality rates of right whales decreased by 22% on average after the speed rule was implemented, indicating that the rule is effective at reducing lethal collisions. The rule's effect on risk was greatest where right whales were abundant and vessel traffic was heavy, and its effect varied considerably across time and space. Our framework is spatiotemporally flexible, process‐oriented, computationally efficient and accounts for uncertainty, making it an ideal approach for evaluating many wildlife management policies, including those regarding collisions between wildlife and vehicles and cases in which wildlife may encounter other dangerous features such as wind farms, seismic surveys, or fishing gear.

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State–space mark–recapture estimates reveal a recent decline in abundance of North Atlantic right whales

Cited by 162 publications

References 45 publications

It’s about time: A synthesis of changing phenology in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem

It’s about time: A synthesis of changing phenology in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem

North Atlantic right whale foraging ecology and its role in human-caused mortality

Quantifying risk of whale–vessel collisions across space, time, and management policies

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