Vulnerability and Conservation of Nearshore Cetaceans to Increasing Vessel Traffic:The Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin in the South China Sea

A comprehensive risk assessment to evaluate the vulnerability of the nearshore cetaceans to increasing marine traffic is lacking.In this study,the risk to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins(Sousa chinensis)in the main habitats in China was assessed based on a semiquantitative spatial vulnerability analysis.85%of the(sub)population which overlapped with the lanes of ferries and/or cargo vessels,with exposure scores of 1.23±0.31(calculated based on the proportion of sea routes that overlap the dolphin’s range).A combination of high exposure to the sea routes and sensitivity to marine traffic would render the(sub)populations to be highly vulnerable(EPRE:5.21 and XM:4.47).A low frequency of vessels and an awareness of the ecology assures a low vulnerability(SH:2.43,EZ:2.73).Uncertainty scores were commonly lower for the higher vulnerable populations,and higher for the lower vulnerable populations,suggesting additional field data and more monitoring are necessary.Six years of field data have been used to analyze the influences of various types of marine traffic on humpback dolphin behavior.Fishing and non-fishing vessels were significantly different(χ^(2)=65.19,p<0.01).The humpback dolphins were attracted by fishing vessels(83.1%)but avoided non-fishing vessels(95.2%).We recommend a management with seasonal and geographical constraints,to balance economic development and environmental conservation.

Anthropogenic footprints are invading global habitats of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins

As ecologically fragile areas,coastal zones are affected by both anthropogenic activities and climate change.However,the impacts of these factors on large nearshore mammals,such as Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins(IPHDs,Sousa chinensis),are poorly understood.Here,modeling revealed that the suitable habitats of IPHDs are affected mainly by the sea surface temperature(SST),and the habitat suitability decreases as the distance to the nearest coastline increases.In addition,anthropogenic activities involving demersal fishing,contamination and shipping have narrowed IPHD habitats and reduced the habitat suitability.We found that climate change will further narrow suitable habitats located farther than 7 km from coastlines and trigger habitat losses in the eastern Taiwan Strait by 2090-2100 under the Representative Concentration Pathway(RCP)8.5 scenario.The projected decreases in habitat suitability and area emphasize the urgency of establishing connected marine protected areas(MPAs)while considering climate change,intergovernmental cooperation,and public involvement.

Considerable increase in bowhead,blue,humpback and fin whales numbers in the Greenland Sea and Fram Strait between 1979 and 2014

In the frame of our long-term study of cetacean abundance and distribution in polar marine ecosystems begun in 1979, a drastic increase in the bowbead Balaena mysticetus North Atlantic ＂stock＂ was observed from 2005 on, by a factor 30 and more： from 0.0002 per count between 1979 and 2003 （one individual, n=5430 cotmts） to 0.06 per count from 2005 to 2014 （34 individuals, n=6000 counts）; the most significant part of the increase occurred from 2007 on. Other large whale species （Mysticeti） showed a similar pattern, mainly blue Balaenoptera musculus, humpback Megaptera novaeangliae and fin whales Balaenoptera physalus. This large and abrupt increase cannot logically be due to population growth, nor to survival of a hidden ＂relic＂ population, nor to a changing geographical distribution within the European Arctic, taking into account the importance of the coverage during this study. Our interpretation is that individuals passed through the Northwest and/or Northeast Passages from the larger Pacific stock into the almost depleted North Atlantic populations coinciding with a period of very low ice coverage -- at the time the lowest ever recorded. In contrast, no clear evolution was detected neither for sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus nor for Minke whale Balaenoptera acusrostrata.

Utilizing Occupancy Models and Platforms-of-Opportunity to Assess Area Use of Mother-Calf Humpback Whales

The Hawaiian Islands, and particularly the Maui 4-island region, are a critical breeding and calving habitat for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) belonging to the Hawaii distinct population segment. Our aims were to test the use of platforms-of-opportunity to determine trends in mother-calf pod use of the region and to present opportunistic platforms as an alternative method of long-term, cross-seasonal monitoring. Data were collected from whale watching vessels over a 4-year period and analyzed using occupancy models to determine the probability of habitat use of pods with calves and pods without calves within the study area. Detection probability was influenced by survey effort and month for all pod types with detection of adult only pods further influenced by year. Pods with a calf showed a preference for shallow (<100 meters) low latitude waters (<20.7°N), while pods without a calf preferred deeper waters (>75 meters). Results presented here align with previous work, both in Hawaii and in other breeding grounds, which show a distinct segregation of mothers with a calf from other age-classes of humpback whales. The need for long-term continuous monitoring of cetacean populations is crucial to ensure species conservation. Data collected aboard platforms-of-opportunity, as presented here, provide important insight on humpback whale spatial and temporal distribution, which are essential for species protection and management.

Approximating home ranges of humpback and fin whales in Drake Passage and Antarctica

Identifying home ranges—those areas traversed by individuals in their normal foraging,mating,and parenting activities—is an important aspect of cetacean study.Understanding these ranges facilitates identification of resource use and conservation.Fin and humpback whales occur in Antarctica during the austral summer,but information regarding their home ranges is limited.Using opportunistically collected whale sighting data from eight consecutive summer seasons spanning 2010–2017,we approximate the home ranges of humpback and fin whales around Drake Passage(DRA),West of Antarctic Peninsula(WAP),South Shetland Islands(SSI),an area northwest of the Weddell Sea(WED),and around the South Orkney Islands(SOI).Approximate home ranges are identified using Kernel Density Estimation(KDE).Most fin whales occurred north and northwest of the SOI,which suggests that waters near these islands support concentrations of this species.Most humpback whales were observed around the SSI,but unlike fin whales,their distributions were highly variable in other areas.KDE suggests spatial segregation in areas where both species exist such as SOI,SSI,and WPA.Partial redundancy analysis(pRDA)suggests that the distributions of these species are more affected by spatial variables(latitude,longitude)than by local scale variables such as sea surface temperature and depth.This study presents a visual approximation of the home ranges of fin and humpback whales,and identifies variation in the effects of space and environmental variables on the distributions of these whales at different spatial scales.

Transmission of Avian Influenza Virus by Humpback Whale and Its Stranding along the Atlantic Coast with CO₂Emissions

Humpback whales are migratory, spending summers in cooler, high-latitude waters and mating and calving in tropical and subtropical waters in 14 identified district population segments. It may be possible that the coastal areas are infected with low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) during the release of infected humpback whale feces. Therefore, humpback whales can be an effective reservoir of the avian influenza virus (AIV) from the Poles to the Continents to spread AIV to coastal animals. Strong ultraviolet (UV) exposure amidst CO2 emission increase and minimal sunspot number might cause mutations of aquatic virus and humpback whale in the Antarctic and the Arctic. LPAI or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is expressed in the Continents under appropriate environmental factors. Since penguins are birds while humpback whales are marine mammals, the humpback whales infected by the mutant virus might cause interspecies transmission to a new host with evolutionary changes. The migration pattern is seasonally similar between migratory bird and humpback whale except: 1) different species of bird versus whale, 2) different landing area of land versus coast, 3) similar infection means of bird feces versus humpback whale feces. The contribution of AIV transmission by whales was several times larger than that by migratory birds. Therefore, the routes of humpback whales should be considered to prevent AIV outbreaks in addition to the flyways of migratory birds. Humpback whale stranding (y) along the Atlantic Coast of the USA was correlated with CO2 emissions (x) to have y = 0.3515x + 18.595 (R2 = 0.4069) during 1992-2016 while y = 0.0652x + 4.5847, (R2 = 0.6128) during 2016-2018. AIV outbreak in 2010 (y) along the Atlantic Coast was also correlated with humpback whale stranding (2016-2018) (x) as y = 0.1387x + 6.8184 (R2 = 0.3966). Since AIV outbreak was linearly (R2 = 0.9967) correlated with the minimum sunspot number, it was postulated that the unusual mortality events of humpback whale stranding might be caused by an infected mutant virus in the Arctic. Consequently, the humpback whales were stranded along major CO2 producing Atlantic Coast States toward the winter habitat of the West Indies during the CO2 emissions and the minimal sunspot number with strong UV radiation. The stranded dead whales should be burned as soon as possible to prevent further deadly viral interspecies transmission of AIV by the coastal animals. Since CO2 emissions were increased in 2017 and the sunspot number was minimal at the end of 2018, serious numbers of whales are expected to be stranded at the Gulf of Maine, States of North Carolina, New York, and Virginia from November 2018 till April 2019. To save humpback whales from the unusual mortality event along the Atlantic Coast, the reduction of CO2 emissions is suggested by replacement of fossil fuels combustion plants with nuclear power plants along the Atlantic Coast of the USA.

Peak Mating and Breeding Period of the Humpback Whale —(Megaptera novaeangliae) in Okinawa Island, Japan

Although detailed knowledge on breeding ecology of humpback whales is required for developing effective and sustainable whale watching programs in breeding areas, the breeding ecology of this species is still poorly understood. Hence, we examine the migratory timing of humpback whales in Okinawa that is one of their breeding ground, distinguishing the reproductive status (male, female, or female with a calf), group compositions (singleton, pair, or whales more than three) and group types (singer or competitive group) in order to assess the peak period of breeding activities. A total of 1192 days of photo-identification surveys were conducted from 1991 to 2012 and a total of 7366 humpback whales were sighted during the surveys. Among them, 1284 whales were sex-determined (848 males, 147 females and 289 females with a calf), 1138 singletons, 1416 pairs and 710 groups of more than three whales were observed. Females without calves tended to occur from late January to late February, which was the beginning of the breeding season and male-female pairs were observed most frequently during this period. The peak occurrence of competitive group which was considered a mating-related behavior group, formed by females and males, was also observed during this period. These results indicated that humpback whales peak mating period in Okinawa occurred between late January and late February. Females with a calf tended to increase from mid-February toward the end of the breeding season maintaining a high sighting per unit effort (SPUE) value in late March. We, therefore, suggested that the peak time of birthing and newborn care was probably that period in Okinawa. These findings extended our knowledge on the reproductive ecology of humpback whales in Okinawan waters.

Humpback"Wins Wide Acclaim

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Multilocus DNA metabarcoding diet analyses of small cetaceans:a case study on highly vulnerable humpback dolphins and finless porpoises from the Pearl River Estuary,China

Accurate diet identification of top predators is crucial to fully understand their ecological roles.Compared to terrestrial animals,gathering dietary information from cetaceans is notoriously difficult.Here,we applied a multilocus metabarcoding approach to investigate the diet of vulnerable Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and Indo-Pacificfinless porpoises from the Pearl River Estuary(PRE),China.Our analyses identified 21 preyfish species from the 42 humpback dolphin stomachs,as well as 10 species offish and 1 species of cephalopod from the 13finless porpoise stomachs.All of the taxa were assigned to the species level,highlighting that the multimarker approach could facilitate species identification.Most of the prey species were small-and medium-sizedfishes that primarily fed on zooplankton.The calculated similarity index revealed a moderated dietary overlap between the 2 cetaceans,presumably due to the feeding of the 2 predators in association withfishing vessels in the PRE.A more diverse diet was observed in humpback dolphins in the closedfishing season compared to thefishing season,implying the influence on the dolphin diet due to the availability of commercialfishery resources.However,according to the results of species rarefaction curves,ourfindings on the feeding habits of the 2 cetaceans are still limited by insufficient sample size and therefore should be interpreted with caution.This study represents afirst attempt to apply the multilocus DNA metabarcoding technique in the diet analysis of small cetaceans,although more efforts are needed to improve this type of analysis.

Distribution and conservation of the Indo–Pacific humpback dolphin in China

The Indo–Pacific humpback dolphin(Sousa chinensis Osbeck,1765)is a threatened species inhabiting the waters of China.Despite being of conservation concern,the distribution and abundance of this species has not been comprehensively evaluated.From 1994 to 2008 we performed over 14000 km of line-transect surveys and adminis-tered over 700 questionnaires to collect basic information on the geographic range and likely abundance of Indo–Pacific humpback dolphins along the southern and eastern coasts of China.Through our study we were able to establish a reporting network of stranding and incidental catches for this species.Our quantitative data suggests that only 76 animals remain around Xiamen,39 in the Hepu Nature Reserve and 114 in the estuary of the Dafengjiang River.Qualitative data from local fishing people and government officials suggests that dolphins may exist year-round in waters off Ningde and Shantou.We found that wild populations of Sousa chinensis in this important region are clearly being affected by human disturbance and habitat deterioration,including underwater blasting,vessel collision,fishing,aquaculture and water pollution.Although some protected areas have been established and this species is protected under Chinese law,there remains virtually no protection for this animal.

The intestinal microbiome of an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin(Sousa chinensis)stranded near the Pearl River Estuary,China

The mammalian intestinal microbiome is critical for host health and disease resistance.However,the cetacean intestinal microbiota remains relatively unexplored.By using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing,we analyzed intestinal bacterial samples from an Indo-pacific humpback dolphin(Sousa chinensis)stranded near the Pearl River Estuary in China.The samples included 3 anatomical regions(foregut,midgut,and rectum)and 2 anatomical locations(content and mucus).Our analyses revealed that the dolphin intestinal bacteria contained 139 operational taxonomic units(OTUs),dominated at the phyla level by Firmicutes(47.05%in the content;94.77%in the mucus),followed by Bacteroidetes(23.63%in the content;1.58%in the mucus)and Gammaproteobacteria(14.82%in the content;2.05%in the mucus).The intestinal bacteria had a small core community(15 OTUs,accounting for 99.74%of the reads),some of which could be potentially pathogenic to both human and dolphins.As an alternative to sampling the dolphin intestinal bacteria,fecal sampling could be used.Additionally,function potentials such as,xenobiotics biodegradation,beta-lactam resistance,and human disease-related pathways,were detected in the dolphin intestinal bacteria.These findings provide the first baseline knowledge of the intestinal microbiome of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin,which may offer new insights into cetacean conservation by using microbial surveillance.

The biogeography of group sizes in humpback dolphins(Sousa spp.)

Humpback dolphins(Sousa spp.)are obligate shallow-water and resident species,and they typically live in fission–fusion societies composed of small-sized groups with changeable membership.However,we have scant knowledge of their behavioral ecology,starting with potential factors influencing inter-population variability of their group sizes.Here,we compiled a new global dataset of humpback dolphin group sizes based on 150 published records.Our data indicated an inter-specific consistency of group-living strategy among the 4 species in the Sousa genus,as these species preferred living in small-sized groups with a mean size of mostly no more than 10,a minimum size of single individual or small pairs,and a maximum size of several tens or≈100.In addition,we clearly showed the geographic variations in group sizes of humpback dolphins at a global scale.We found that the geographic variations in humpback dolphin group sizes were primarily associated with the latitude,sea surface temperature,and abundance.To conclude,our findings provide insights into social dynamics and socioecological trade-offs of humpback dolphins,and help better understand how these resident animals adapted to their shallow-water habitats from the perspectives of biogeography and socioecology.

Whistle signal variations among three Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin populations in the South China Sea:a combined effect of the Qiongzhou Strait’s geographical barrier function and local ambient noise?

Geographic variations in the dolphin whistles could be useful in assessing association and isolation among populations.Whistle of free-ranging Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins(Sousa chinensis)among the Pearl River Estuary(PRE),Leizhou Bei(LZB)and Sanniang Bay(SNB)populations were investigated.A total of 2850 whistles with legible fundamental contour were extracted and 15 acoustic parameters were measured.Contrary to SNB,PRE and LZB had the same relative proportion of tonal type compositions with flat and sine representing the most frequent types.The generalized linear model analysis showed significant acoustic difference among populations and tonal types.All frequency parameters in SNB were significantly higher than those in PRE and LZB,where no significant variation was observed in most of the parameters either at the population level or within each tonal type.Canonical discriminant functions analysis showed a smaller difference between PRE and LZB than between PRE and SNB and between LZB and SNB.Compared with previous recordings,recent recordings demonstrated a consistent pattern of becoming higher in whistle frequency parameters in both LZB and SNB populations,suggesting that noise pollution in LZB and SNB increasing with time according to the acoustic niche hypothesis.Dolphin whistle’s geographic variations could be shaped by the combined function of the geographical barrier function of the Qiongzhou strait and local ambient noise.Considering the isolated condition and the relatively smaller population size of the humpback dolphin in the SNB,more effective and proactive conservation actions should be taken to prevent the extinction of small populations.

Aerodynamic performance of a low-Reynolds UAV with leading-edge protuberances inspired by humpback whale flippers

The aerodynamic forces and flowfield on a delta-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)with specific airfoil are studied here.The leading-edge protuberances inspired from the flippers of the humpback whale is introduced in present work to watch its effect on stall delaying and drag reduction.Two installing factors,which are amplitude and wavelength of the protuberances,are considered to study the interaction of leading-edge variation and de-tached vortex.Three changes in both amplitude and wavelength are investigated herein.Generally,the modified models have larger stall angle of attack than that of the baseline model;the difference exists in the attainable lift coefficient and drag reduction.

仿驼背鲸改进减摇鳍的升力系数数值计算及分析

由于海洋的环境复杂且气候多变,因此船舶在航行过程中,会因为洋流的影响而导致船舶的航行受到一定影响,进而产生多自由度运动。而横摇运动作为影响最大的一种运动方式,对船舶的安全航行造成极大的隐患。因此伴随着仿生学的发展,仿驼背鲸改进减摇鳍的出现,可以协助船舶在应对横摇的过程中起到降低运动幅度的作用。为了更好地应用仿驼背鲸改进减摇鳍,发挥其在抵抗海洋环境干扰的作用,本文从升力系数数值计算入手,对其展开深入分析,完善其鳍角升力系数变化量,为船舶的安全航行提供更为丰富的理论依据。

珠江西部河口中华白海豚分布与环境因子的关系

2012年采用船基截线法在珠江口西部河口进行了中华白海豚(Sousa chinensis)调查,并同步对渔业资源和渔业环境要素进行了现场采样测定,以分析该水域中华白海豚空间分布与环境因子的关系。利用广义加性模型(GAM)分析了中华白海豚目击率与海况、水深、底层水温、盐度、pH值、溶解氧、游泳生物密度、捕食种密度和离岸距离等的关系。GAM模型对中华白海豚目击率分布的总偏差解释率为64.7%,游泳生物密度、水深、捕食种密度、离岸距离、底层水温等对中华白海豚的栖息地选择有较大的影响。模型分析结果显示:中华白海豚的活动与捕食种密度密切相关,但当捕食种密度达到一定程度时对海豚目击率的影响减弱,推测可能与食物较多时海豚逗留捕食时间减少有关;中华白海豚较为喜欢的水深在10m左右,这一模拟结果与以前的统计结果基本一致;中华白海豚对底层水温似乎有一定的选择性,当底层水温大于19.5℃时目击率明显下降,推测底层水温可能影响了捕食种鱼类的分布,进而影响海豚的活动;离岸距离3km范围内是中华白海豚较为喜欢的水域,因此对这一水域范围应给予重点保护管理。

北部湾儒艮现状的调查兼记印度洋白海豚

为了解北部湾中国水域儒艮的现状 ,于 2 0 0 0年 9月 15日至 11月 17日在广东、海南、广西三省区的沿岸海域进行了 36次舟船考察。调查结果表明 ,在北部湾的部分海域仍有儒艮存在 ,但数量比 2 0世纪 80年代已显著减少。建议把海南省西海岸近海的儒艮及其栖息地的保护作为最优先的海兽保护项目。另外在 11月 3日和 4日在广西壮族自治区北海市大风江口 (2 1°36′N ,10 8°5 4′E)的舟船考察中 ,还分别观察到约 7头和 4头印度洋白海豚的小群 ,它们属于在中国海域已知的唯一印度洋白海豚种群 ,建议广西合浦国家级儒艮自然保护区把印度洋白海豚也作为其重点保护对象之一。

中华白海豚3个MHC基因座位遗传变异的初步分析(英文)

主要组织相容性复合体(Major histocompatibility complex,MHC)基因是由一组紧密连锁的基因组成,是哺乳动物免疫系统中最重要的组成部分。本文选择3个MHC基因座位的第二外元,即:MHC-I类基因和II类基因的DRA和DQB座位,初步调查濒危物种中华白海豚的遗传变异。共鉴定了2个DRA、2个DQB和7个MHC-I等位基因。DRA座位遗传变异非常低,而DQB和MHC-I座位具有相对较高水平的遗传变异。并且,在DQB和MHC-I基因座位的假定的抗原结合位点(Antigen binding sites,ABS),非同义替代明显大于同义替代,提示平衡选择(Balancing selection)维持这两个座位的多态性,而在DRA座位上,并没有检测到平衡选择。系统发生分析表明中华白海豚的MHC等位基因没有聚在一起,而是和其他的物种聚在一起,符合MHC跨种进化(Transspecies evolution)的模式。

北部湾沙田水域中华白海豚和江豚的同域分布格局及时空变化

北部湾是中华白海豚和江豚的重要分布区,但是对该水域两物种的分布格局及时空变化的研究却比较少,也不清楚这两个物种分布区是否有重叠。2003～2004年与2011～2012年期间,我们在北部湾沙田水域进行了船只调查,总计航程4876.8km,收集了两个物种空间分布的数据。结果表明,2003～2004年仅发现中华白海豚,2011～2012年则同时发现了中华白海豚和江豚。与2003～2004年4～5月相比,中华白海豚在2011年4～5月份的遇见率明显增加(0.152vs0.028头次/km)。中华白海豚的MCP、95%FK家域和50%FK核心域面积分别为162.6km2、271.35km2和56.78km2,2011～2012年50%FK核心家域有所扩大且东移。江豚的MCP、95%FK家域和50%FK核心域面积分别为97.21km2、318.72km2和38.18km2。江豚主要分布于中华白海豚的外围远岸水域,同时两个物种的分布区有小部分重叠。基于多种因素的分析,我们推测,江豚可能存在季节性迁移以及中华白海豚对河口区有明显的偏好,可能是造成它们分布格局不同的原因。

小攻角下驼背鲸减摇鳍的理论计算

通过应用仿驼背鲸前缘突起来提高船用翼的水动力特性已是目前非常热门的话题,为验证前缘突起的高度和突起个数与升力的关系,选用哈尔滨工程大学船舶控制工程教育部工程研究中心在船模水池实验室所做的减摇鳍动态水动力性能实验用的标准NACA0015 4号矩形鳍为研究对象,对其前缘进行正弦波变形,建立数学模型,并应用普朗特升力线性理论和切比雪夫数值逼近法,得出了前缘突起个数对升力的影响不大而突起幅值对升力有显著的决定性作用的结论。