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Marine Ecology Progress Series

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MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

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Volume contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 493:275-289 (2013)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10506

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Unexplained recurring high mortality of southern right whale Eubalaena australis calves at Penïnsula Valdïs, Argentina

ABSTRACT: Hundreds of southern right whale calves Eubalaena australis died on their calving ground at Penïnsula Valdïs, Argentina from 2003 through 2011. During this period, the number of dead calves increased at a much greater rate than that of living calves over the preceding 32 yr, and with greater inter-annual variation. High mortality events occurred late in the calving seasons of 2005 and 2007, early in the seasons of 2008 and 2009, and were equally divided between early and late in 2010 and 2011. Calves that died late in the seasons of 2005 and 2007 were at least a meter longer (mean 7.3 m) than newborns, indicating that they had grown and presumably were healthy before dying. An unusual number of large calves (>6 m) died early in the seasons of 2008 and 2009, suggesting that a population-wide process (e.g. nutritional stress) affected many mothers including older, larger mothers that tend to give birth to larger calves early in the season. Many tissue samples have been collected and analyzed, but no consistent lesions, pathologic processes or elevated levels of algal biotoxins have been identified to explain these recent mortality events. Here, we document the high mortality events, place them in historical context and describe ongoing efforts to identify their causes. As of 2010, the southern right whale sub-population that calves off Penïnsula Valdïs was estimated to be less than 20% of its initial size before whaling; the ongoing high mortality of calves will significantly affect its recovery.

KEYWORDS

Right whale Mortality Eubalaena australis Strandings Patagonia

Victoria J. Rowntree (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
  • Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
  • Whale Conservation Institute/Ocean Alliance, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930, USA
  • Instituto de Conservaciön de Ballenas, Ing.Maschwitz, (1623), Prov. De Buenos Aires, Argentina

Marcela M. Uhart (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
  • One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA

Mariano Sironi (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
  • Instituto de Conservaciön de Ballenas, Ing.Maschwitz, (1623), Prov. De Buenos Aires, Argentina

Andrea Chirife (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Matías Di Martino (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Luciano La Sala (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Luciana Musmeci (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
  • CONICET, Centro Nacional Patagönico, Chubut, Argentina
  • Fundacion Patagonia Natural, (9120), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Nadia Mohamed (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Julian Andrejuk (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Denise McAloose (Co-author)

  • Global Health Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York 10460, USA

Juan Emilio Sala (Co-author)

  • Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, (1920) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
  • CONICET, Centro Nacional Patagönico, Chubut, Argentina

Alejandro Carribero (Co-author)

  • Ecocentro, (9120), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Heather Rally (Co-author)

  • Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pomona, California 91766, USA

Marcelo Franco (Co-author)

  • Cuerpo de Guardafaunas, Subsecretarïa de Turismo y Äreas Protegidas, Rawson (9103) Chubut, Argentina

Frederick R. Adler (Co-author)

  • Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA

Robert. L. Brownell Jr. (Co-author)

  • Southwest Fisheries Center, NMFS, NOAA, Pacific Grove, California 93950, USA

Jon Seger (Co-author)

  • Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA

Teri Rowles (Co-author)

  • NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA

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