Sentences with phrase «of humpback whale populations»

A massive genetic study of humpback whale populations will help inform ongoing conservation reassessments of humpback whale populations, and reaffirms the highly distinct nature of a small, non-migratory population of humpback whales living in the Arabian Sea in need on continued protection.

«After 50 years of international protection, a number of humpback whale populations are beginning to recover in the Southern Hemisphere and other regions,» said Dr. Howard Rosenbaum of WCS's Ocean Giants Program.

The first comprehensive genetic study of humpback whale populations in the North Pacific Ocean has identified five distinct populations — at the same time a proposal to designate North Pacific humpbacks as a single «distinct population segment» is being considered under the Endangered Species Act.

Not exact matches

Killing whales for commercial purposes had driven Australian whale populations, especially those of sperm and humpback whales, frighteningly close to the edge of extinction.

«Though humpback whales are found in all oceans of the world, the North Pacific humpback whales should probably be considered a sub-species at an ocean - basin level — based on genetic isolation of these populations on an evolutionary time scale,» said Scott Baker, associate director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center and lead author on the paper.

Overall, the study's data from mitochondrial DNA — different from nuclear DNA in that it helps scientists trace maternal lineages — reveal that population structure in humpback whales is largely driven by female whales that return annually to the same breeding grounds and by the early experience of calves that accompany their mothers on their first round - trip migration to the feeding grounds.

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers used mitochondrial DNA microsatellites from skin samples gathered from more than 3,000 individual humpback whales across the Southern Hemisphere and the Arabian Sea to examine how whale populations are related to one another, a question that is difficult to answer with direct observations of whales in their oceanic environment.

The research results build on previous regional studies of genetic diversity and will help scientists to better understand how humpback whale populations evolve over time and how to best advise international management authorities.

Scientists conducting the first circum - global assessment of mitochondrial DNA variation in the Southern Hemisphere's humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have found that whales faithfully returning to calving grounds year after year play a major role in how populations form, according to WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), the American Museum of Natural History, and a number of other contributing organizations.

«In light of our finding, current populations of humpback or fin whales are far from harvestable,» he says.

Researchers determined the whales» current population numbers by comparing photographic shots of humpbacks in their North Pacific feeding grounds (around the Pacific Rim from California to Kamchatka) to images taken of the whales in their southern, tropical breeding areas — some as far as 3000 miles away.

The whales were counted during a special 3 - year project, known as Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks (SPLASH), which was launched in 2004.

Further, the findings of the new study confirm the unique nature of Arabian Sea humpback whales, which recently was listed as «Endangered» under the US Endangered Species Act by evaluating extinction risk of this discrete population.

«Future challenges in Australia will be to protect a marine environment that contains growing humpback whale populations and to develop alternative approaches to ecological sustainability,» said Dr. David Johnston of Duke University USA, co-author of the study.

Paul Hodda, chairman of the Australian Whale Watch Society, believes that an all - white humpback could be a sign that the southern population is evolving into a subspecies.

Furthermore, we must understand how changes in sea ice cover affect the feeding ecology of humpback whales and their competitors in the short - term and the dynamics of krill populations over the longer term, particularly given the increasing pressure from commercial krill harvests [36].

Every year at the start of Fall more than 60 % of the North Pacific Humpback Whale population will begin their migration from Alaska to Hawaii, with many of them choosing to stay in the waters off of Maui during their visit.

One third of British Columbia's Steller sea lion population calls Haida Gwaii home and humpback whales may be seen throughout the area.

A rebounding population of humpback whales in the San Juan Islands usually reaches its peak in September as schools of juvenile herring attract them.

About 60 percent of the North Pacific humpback whale population migrates to Hawaiian waters where they mate, give birth to and nurse their young.

The North Island Kayak Four Day Orcas and the Humpbacks Sea Kayaking Adventure concentrates on the areas known to be the primary summer range of Northern Resident Orca (killer whale) population and the summer feeding grounds of an ever increasing number of Humpback Whales.

Cascadia Research senior biologist John Calambokidis discussed his work examining the trends of populations of blue, fin, humpback, and gray whales in southern California during the July From Shore to Sea lecture.

Research biologist, John Calambokidis, discused his work tracking the movements and estimating the populations of blue and humpback whales in the North Pacific at the May «From Shore to Sea» lecture.

It provides breeding and feeding grounds for at least twenty - five endangered or threatened species; thirty - six marine mammal species, including blue, gray, and humpback whales, harbor seals, elephant seals, Pacific white - sided dolphins, and one of the southernmost U.S. populations of threatened Steller sea lions; over a quarter - million breeding seabirds; and one of the most significant white shark populations on the planet.

Frederick Sound harbors the largest summer population of humpback whales in the world, up to 500 individuals, so our chances of seeing these massive animals is excellent.

These areas contain populations of endangered blue, humpback and fin whales that are federally protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1538 et seq.), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.).

«The unique location of the Sheraton Maui's Moana building, situated on top of the Black Rock, provides an unrivaled view of the Humpback Whales across the Maui Nui Basin where their population is amongst the highest,» continues Yamazaki.

Each winter, the East Australian humpback whale population migrate north from the Antarctic waters, along the eastern coastline of Australia to mate and give birth in the warmer waters of North Queensland.

En route we keep our eyes peeled for dolphins and whales — Antarctic and Arctic populations of humpback whales visit these shores to calf a mate each year!

This is probably the world's only sedentary population of Humpback Whales, as over the last 70,000 years it separated from the rest of the Indian Ocean population and settled in Oman's waters.

Compared with other bodies of water its size, the Sea of Cortez supports the largest and most varied population of whales in the world: humpback, Bryde's, minke, orca, and sperm whales also live there.

It was not until the 1990's that people realized Humpback and Blue Whale populations were moving up and down California coast at other times of the year (summer season).

Diving highlights are undoubtedly the opportunity to see the resident population of humpback whales but also includes encounters with manta rays and sperm whales.

A clarification: although there are discrepancies about the populations of humpback whales, they are indeed on the federal endangered species list.

North Pacific humpback whales came particularly close to extinction, with an estimated population of just 1,500 before the whaling ban took place.

We also ask that Japan immediately cease the killing of both humpback and fin whales, and only employ non-lethal techniques for studying these populations.

A. Several whale populations are indisputably endangered, including western gray whales (eastern gray whales, which are the population of gray whales found on the Pacific coast of North America, are no longer considered endangered), eastern bowhead whales, North Atlantic and Pacific right whales, blue whales, and most humpback whales.

The authors note that minke whale populations are roughly similar, if anything smaller, to what they were prior to early 20th century industrial whaling of larger species such as blue, humpback, sei, and fin whales.

On behalf of five ENGO's (environmental non-governmental organizations), Ecojustice challenged the admitted failure of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of the Environment to prepare recovery strategies for four species until many years after the statutory deadlines: the White Sturgeon, Nechako River population; the Humpback Whale, North Pacific population; the Marbled Murrelet; and the Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain population.