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Nazario EC, Cade DE, Bierlich K, Czapanskiy MF, Goldbogen JA, Kahane-Rapport SR, van der Hoop JM, San Luis MT, Friedlaender AS. Baleen whale inhalation variability revealed using animal-borne video tags. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13724. [PMID: 35880219 PMCID: PMC9308462 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Empirical metabolic rate and oxygen consumption estimates for free-ranging whales have been limited to counting respiratory events at the surface. Because these observations were limited and generally viewed from afar, variability in respiratory properties was unknown and oxygen consumption estimates assumed constant breath-to-breath tidal volume and oxygen uptake. However, evidence suggests that cetaceans in human care vary tidal volume and breathing frequency to meet aerobic demand, which would significantly impact energetic estimates if the findings held in free-ranging species. In this study, we used suction cup-attached video tags positioned posterior to the nares of two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and four Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) to measure inhalation duration, relative nares expansion, and maximum nares expansion. Inhalation duration and nares expansion varied between and within initial, middle, and terminal breaths of surface sequences between dives. The initial and middle breaths exhibited the least variability and had the shortest durations and smallest nares expansions. In contrast, terminal breaths were highly variable, with the longest inhalation durations and the largest nares expansions. Our results demonstrate breath-to-breath variability in duration and nares expansion, suggesting differential oxygen exchange in each breath during the surface interval. With future validation, inhalation duration or nares area could be used alongside respiratory frequency to improve oxygen consumption estimates by accounting for breath-to-breath variation in wild whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Nazario
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - David E. Cade
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - K.C. Bierlich
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States of America
| | - Max F. Czapanskiy
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - Jeremy A. Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States of America
| | - Shirel R. Kahane-Rapport
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Merceline T. San Luis
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Ari S. Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
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Moore MJ, Rowles TK, Fauquier DA, Baker JD, Biedron I, Durban JW, Hamilton PK, Henry AG, Knowlton AR, McLellan WA, Miller CA, Pace RM, Pettis HM, Raverty S, Rolland RM, Schick RS, Sharp SM, Smith CR, Thomas L, der Hoop JMV, Ziccardi MH. REVIEW: Assessing North Atlantic right whale health: threats, and development of tools critical for conservation of the species. Dis Aquat Organ 2021; 143:205-226. [PMID: 33629663 DOI: 10.3354/dao03578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Whaling has decimated North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis (NARW) since the 11th century and southern right whales E. australis (SRW) since the 19th century. Today, NARWs are Critically Endangered and decreasing, whereas SRWs are recovering. We review NARW health assessment literature, NARW Consortium databases, and efforts and limitations to monitor individual and species health, survival, and fecundity. Photographs are used to track individual movement and external signs of health such as evidence of vessel and entanglement trauma. Post-mortem examinations establish cause of death and determine organ pathology. Photogrammetry is used to assess growth rates and body condition. Samples of blow, skin, blubber, baleen and feces quantify hormones that provide information on stress, reproduction, and nutrition, identify microbiome changes, and assess evidence of infection. We also discuss models of the population consequences of multiple stressors, including the connection between human activities (e.g. entanglement) and health. Lethal and sublethal vessel and entanglement trauma have been identified as major threats to the species. There is a clear and immediate need for expanding trauma reduction measures. Beyond these major concerns, further study is needed to evaluate the impact of other stressors, such as pathogens, microbiome changes, and algal and industrial toxins, on NARW reproductive success and health. Current and new health assessment tools should be developed and used to monitor the effectiveness of management measures and will help determine whether they are sufficient for a substantive species recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Moore
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA 02543, USA Co-authors' addresses given in a supplement; www.int-res.com/articles/suppl/d143p205_supp.pdf
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van der Hoop JM, Byron ML, Ozolina K, Miller DL, Johansen JL, Domenici P, Steffensen JF. Turbulent flow reduces oxygen consumption in the labriform swimming shiner perch, Cymatogaster aggregata. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.168773. [PMID: 29615520 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.168773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Fish swimming energetics are often measured in laboratory environments which attempt to minimize turbulence, though turbulent flows are common in the natural environment. To test whether the swimming energetics and kinematics of shiner perch, Cymatogaster aggregata (a labriform swimmer), were affected by turbulence, two flow conditions were constructed in a swim-tunnel respirometer. A low-turbulence flow was created using a common swim-tunnel respirometry setup with a flow straightener and fine-mesh grid to minimize velocity fluctuations. A high-turbulence flow condition was created by allowing large velocity fluctuations to persist without a flow straightener or fine grid. The two conditions were tested with particle image velocimetry to confirm significantly different turbulence properties throughout a range of mean flow speeds. Oxygen consumption rate of the swimming fish increased with swimming speed and pectoral fin beat frequency in both flow conditions. Higher turbulence also caused a greater positional variability in swimming individuals (versus low-turbulence flow) at medium and high speeds. Surprisingly, fish used less oxygen in high-turbulence compared with low-turbulence flow at medium and high swimming speeds. Simultaneous measurements of swimming kinematics indicated that these reductions in oxygen consumption could not be explained by specific known flow-adaptive behaviours such as Kármán gaiting or entraining. Therefore, fish in high-turbulence flow may take advantage of the high variability in turbulent energy through time. These results suggest that swimming behaviour and energetics measured in the lab in straightened flow, typical of standard swimming respirometers, might differ from that of more turbulent, semi-natural flow conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M van der Hoop
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Margaret L Byron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Karlina Ozolina
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
| | - David L Miller
- Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling and School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Jacob L Johansen
- Marine Biology Laboratory, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Paolo Domenici
- CNR - IAMC, Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, Località Sa Mardini, 09072 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - John F Steffensen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
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van der Hoop JM, Corkeron P, Henry AG, Knowlton AR, Moore MJ. Predicting lethal entanglements as a consequence of drag from fishing gear. Mar Pollut Bull 2017; 115:91-104. [PMID: 27923466 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Large whales are frequently entangled in fishing gear and sometimes swim while carrying gear for days to years. Entangled whales are subject to additional drag forces requiring increased thrust power and energy expenditure over time. To classify entanglement cases and aid potential disentanglement efforts, it is useful to know how long an entangled whale might survive, given the unique configurations of the gear they are towing. This study establishes an approach to predict drag forces on fishing gear that entangles whales, and applies this method to ten North Atlantic right whale cases to estimate the resulting increase in energy expenditure and the critical entanglement duration that could lead to death. Estimated gear drag ranged 11-275N. Most entanglements were resolved before critical entanglement durations (mean±SD 216±260days) were reached. These estimates can assist real-time development of disentanglement action plans and U.S. Federal Serious Injury assessments required for protected species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M van der Hoop
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography and Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
| | - Peter Corkeron
- NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Allison G Henry
- NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Amy R Knowlton
- New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
| | - Michael J Moore
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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van der Hoop JM, Vanderlaan ASM, Cole TVN, Henry AG, Hall L, Mase-Guthrie B, Wimmer T, Moore MJ. Erratum to “Vessel Strikes to Large Whales Before and After the 2008 Ship Strike Rule”. Conserv Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Allison G. Henry
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service; NEFSC; Woods Hole MA 02543 USA
| | - Lanni Hall
- NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office; Gloucester MA 01930 USA
| | | | - Tonya Wimmer
- Maritime Marine Animal Response Network, Marine Animal Response Society; Nova Scotia Museum; Halifax Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada
| | - Michael J. Moore
- Biology Department; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole MA 02543 USA
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van der Hoop JM, Vanderlaan ASM, Cole TVN, Henry AG, Hall L, Mase-Guthrie B, Wimmer T, Moore MJ. Vessel Strikes to Large Whales Before and After the 2008 Ship Strike Rule. Conserv Lett 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Allison G. Henry
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service; NEFSC; Woods Hole MA 02543 USA
| | - Lanni Hall
- NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office; Gloucester MA 01930 USA
| | | | - Tonya Wimmer
- Maritime Marine Animal Response Network; Marine Animal Response Society; Nova Scotia Museum; Halifax Nova Scotia B3H 4J1 Canada
| | - Michael J. Moore
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole MA 02543 USA
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van der Hoop JM, Fahlman A, Hurst T, Rocho-Levine J, Shorter KA, Petrov V, Moore MJ. Bottlenose dolphins modify behavior to reduce metabolic effect of tag attachment. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:4229-36. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.108225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Attaching bio-telemetry or -logging devices ('tags') to marine animals for research and monitoring adds drag to streamlined bodies, affecting posture, swimming gaits and energy balance. These costs have never been measured in free-swimming cetaceans. To examine the effect of drag from a tag on metabolic rate, cost of transport, and swimming behavior, four captive male dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were trained to swim a set course, either non-instrumented (n = 7) or instrumented with a tag (DTAG2; n = 12), and surface exclusively in a flow-through respirometer where oxygen consumption (V̇O2) and carbon dioxide production (V̇CO2; mL kg-1 min-1) rates were measured and respiratory exchange ratio (V̇O2/V̇CO2) was calculated. Tags did not significantly affect individual mass-specific oxygen consumption, Physical Activity Ratios (exercise V̇O2/resting V̇O2), total or net cost of transport (COT, J m-1 kg-1) or locomotor costs during swimming or two-minute recovery phases. However, individuals swam significantly slower when tagged (by ~11%; mean±s.d. 3.31±0.35 m s-1) compared to when non-instrumented (3.73±0.41 m s-1). A combined theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model estimating drag forces and power exertion during swimming suggests drag loading and energy consumption are reduced at lower swimming speeds. Bottlenose dolphins in the specific swimming task in this experiment slowed to the point where the tag yielded no increases in drag or power, while showing no difference in metabolic parameters when instrumented with a DTAG2. These results, and our observations, suggest that animals modify their behavior to maintain metabolic output and energy expenditure when faced with tag-induced drag.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Hurst
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States
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van der Hoop JM, Vanderlaan ASM, Taggart CT. Absolute probability estimates of lethal vessel strikes to North Atlantic right whales in Roseway Basin, Scotian Shelf. Ecol Appl 2012; 22:2021-33. [PMID: 23210317 DOI: 10.1890/11-1841.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Vessel strikes are the primary source of known mortality for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Multi-institutional efforts to reduce mortality associated with vessel strikes include vessel-routing amendments such as the International Maritime Organization voluntary "area to be avoided" (ATBA) in the Roseway Basin right whale feeding habitat on the southwestern Scotian Shelf. Though relative probabilities of lethal vessel strikes have been estimated and published, absolute probabilities remain unknown. We used a modeling approach to determine the regional effect of the ATBA, by estimating reductions in the expected number of lethal vessel strikes. This analysis differs from others in that it explicitly includes a spatiotemporal analysis of real-time transits of vessels through a population of simulated, swimming right whales. Combining automatic identification system (AIS) vessel navigation data and an observationally based whale movement model allowed us to determine the spatial and temporal intersection of vessels and whales, from which various probability estimates of lethal vessel strikes are derived. We estimate one lethal vessel strike every 0.775-2.07 years prior to ATBA implementation, consistent with and more constrained than previous estimates of every 2-16 years. Following implementation, a lethal vessel strike is expected every 41 years. When whale abundance is held constant across years, we estimate that voluntary vessel compliance with the ATBA results in an 82% reduction in the per capita rate of lethal strikes; very similar to a previously published estimate of 82% reduction in the relative risk of a lethal vessel strike. The models we developed can inform decision-making and policy design, based on their ability to provide absolute, population-corrected, time-varying estimates of lethal vessel strikes, and they are easily transported to other regions and situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M van der Hoop
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 Canada.
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