Dear all, my co-authors and I would like to share with you our recent paper
Herr H, Viquerat S, Naujocks T, Gregory B, Lees A, Devas F (2022) Skin condition of fin whales at Antarctic feeding grounds reveals little evidence for anthropogenic impacts and high prevalence of cookiecutter shark bite lesions published as a note in Marine Mammal Science, 2022, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12966 We collected high-resolution video imagery of fin whales at an Antarctic feeding ground during a dedicated abundance survey, using helicopter and drone supported cameras, and used the imagery for an assessment of the skin condition. We analyzed individual fin whales, looking for conspicuous features, including injuries, abnormal coloration, scars, and parasites as indicators for exposure to natural and anthropogenic impacts. We hypothesized that typical signs for environmental and anthropogenic impacts would be evident in the animals if they had been exposed to these effects during some part of their life history. Such information would be critical with regard to management and conservation of this recovering population, to identify and to mitigate pressures. Furthermore, it could provide insights on migratory origins and habitat during the breeding season. We found little evidence for human impacts and a high prevalence of scars from cookiecutter sharks (49.5% of all fin whales). Our results provide indication that fin whales feeding at the Antarctic Peninsula likely migrate to an offshore habitat with comparably little human impact within the distributional range of cookiecutter sharks in sub-tropical to tropical waters. The paper is open access and can be downloaded at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12966 Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. Kind regards, Helena --- Dr. Helena Herr Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science (IMF) Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN) University of Hamburg Große Elbstraße 133 22767 Hamburg, Germany Tel +49 (0)40 42838 6677 Email helena.h...@uni-hamburg.de<mailto:helena.h...@uni-hamburg.de> and Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) Section Polar Biological Oceanography AG Ecophysiology of Pelagic Key Species Am Handelshafen 12 / Building E, Room 2390 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany helena.h...@awi.de
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