Have whales returned to a historical hotspot of industrial whaling? The pattern of southern right whale Eubalaena australis recovery at South Georgia

dc.contributor.authorJackson, Jennifer A.
dc.contributor.authorKennedy, Amy S.
dc.contributor.authorMoore, Michael
dc.contributor.authorAndriolo, Artur
dc.contributor.authorBamford, Connor C.G.
dc.contributor.authorCalderan, Susannah
dc.contributor.authorCheeseman, Ted
dc.contributor.authorGittins, George
dc.contributor.authorGroch, Karina
dc.contributor.authorKelly, Natalie
dc.contributor.authorLeaper, Russell
dc.contributor.authorLeslie, Matthew S.
dc.contributor.authorLurcock, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorMiller, Brian S.
dc.contributor.authorRichardson, Jessica
dc.contributor.authorRowntree, Vicky
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Patrick
dc.contributor.authorStepien, Emilie
dc.contributor.authorStowasser, Gabriele
dc.contributor.authorTrathan, Phil
dc.contributor.authorVermeulen, Els
dc.contributor.authorZerbini, Alexandre N.
dc.contributor.authorCarroll, Emma L.
dc.date.accessioned2021-04-01T11:59:06Z
dc.date.available2021-04-01T11:59:06Z
dc.date.issued2020-11
dc.descriptionThis study forms part of the Ecosystems component of the British Antarctic Survey Polar Science for Planet Earth Programme, funded by The Natural Environment Research Council.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAround 176 500 whales were killed in the sub-Antarctic waters off South Georgia (South Atlantic) between 1904 and 1965. In recent decades, whales have once again become summer visitors, with the southern right whale (SRW) the most commonly reported species until 2011. Here, we assess the distribution, temporal pattern, health status and likely prey of SRWs in these waters, combining observations from a summertime vessel-based expedition to South Georgia, stable isotope data collected from SRWs and putative prey and sightings reports collated by the South Georgia Museum. The expedition used directional acoustics and visual surveys to localise whales and collected skin biopsies and photo-IDs. During 76 h of visual observation effort over 19 expedition days, SRWs were encountered 15 times (~31 individuals). Photo-IDs, combined with publicly contributed images from commercial vessels, were reconciled and quality-controlled to form a catalogue of 6 fully (i.e. both sides) identified SRWs and 26 SRWs identified by either left or right sides. No photo-ID matches were found with lower-latitude calving grounds, but 3 whales had gull lesions supporting a direct link with Península Valdés, Argentina. The isotopic position of SRWs in the South Georgia food web suggests feeding on a combination of copepod and krill species. Opportunistic reports of SRW sightings and associated group sizes remain steady over time, while humpback whales provide a strong contrast, with increased sighting rates and group sizes seen since 2013. These data suggest a plateau in SRWs and an increasing humpback whale presence in South Georgia waters following the cessation of whaling.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianpm2021en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipEU BEST 2.0 Medium Grant 1594, a DARWIN PLUS award DPLUS057 and the World Wildlife Fund.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-homeen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationJackson, J.A. Kennedy, A. Moore, M. et al. 2020, 'Have whales returned to a historical hotspot of industrial whaling? The pattern of southern right whale Eubalaena australis recovery at South Georgia', Endangered Species Research, vol. 43, pp. 323-339.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1863-5407 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1613-4796 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.3354/esr01072
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/79160
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherInter Researchen_ZA
dc.rights© The authors and the British Antarctic Survey 2020. Open Access under Creative Commons by Attribution Licence.en_ZA
dc.subjectWhaleen_ZA
dc.subjectWhalingen_ZA
dc.subjectAntarcticen_ZA
dc.subjectRecoveryen_ZA
dc.subjectHabitat useen_ZA
dc.subjectSouthern right whale (Eubalaena australis)en_ZA
dc.titleHave whales returned to a historical hotspot of industrial whaling? The pattern of southern right whale Eubalaena australis recovery at South Georgiaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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