For many species of oceanic dolphins, photo-identification and genetic data indicate that these island-associated populations are demographically isolated from pelagic populations and that island-associated populations exhibit very different patterns of movement and habitat use. Melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) are generally considered a pelagic dolphin, but have been documented around oceanic...
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) shows some of the most derived characteristics of any mammal: a large body size, large brain, complex social organization and a capacity for deep foraging dives that few other marine mammals can match. Despite a history of exploitation that removed hundreds of thousands of individuals,...
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae, Borowski 1781) in the North Pacific migrate from mid- to high- latitude summer feeding grounds along the Pacific Rim, including areas off the coasts of the U.S., Canada, Russia and eastern Asia, to tropical breeding grounds each winter along Pacific coasts of Mexico and Central America...
South Pacific humpback whales were devastated by commercial whaling in their Antarctic feeding areas during the 20th century. Understanding migratory connections and current abundance of these isolated breeding stocks is crucial for the allocation of historical Antarctic catches in population dynamic models used to assess current recovery. However, only a...
The critically endangered Maui's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) and the endangered Hector's dolphin (C. h. hectori) are endemic to the coastal waters of New Zealand, where their primary threat is fisheries-related mortality. The Maui's dolphin is among the most critically endangered cetaceans in the world, with its remnant population primarily...