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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Blubber thickness in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and Eubalaena australis related with reproduction, life history status and prey abundance
Marine Ecology Progress Series, Volume 438, Year 2011
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Description
The high variability in reproductive performance of North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis compared to southern right whales Eubalaena australis may reflect differences in lipid reserves. Amplitude-mode ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of right whale integument (epidermis and blubber, herein referred to as blubber thickness) in E. glacialis in the Bay of Fundy, Canada for 5 summer seasons and in E. australis off the South African coast for 2 austral winter seasons. E. glacialis had significantly thinner blubber layers (mean ±1 SD = 12.23 ± 2.16 cm, n = 172) than E. australis (16.13 ± 3.88 cm, n = 117), suggesting differing levels of nutrition between the 2 species. Blubber was thickest in females measured 3 to 6 mo prior to the start of pregnancy (E. glacialis), thinner during lactation (E. glacialis, E. australis) and then thicker with time after weaning (E. glacialis). These results suggest that lipids in blubber are used as energetic support for reproduction in female right whales. Blubber thickness increased in calves during suckling (E. glacialis, E. australis) but sub - sequently decreased after weaning (E. glacialis). Juvenile and adult male E. glacialis blubber thicknesses were compared between years of differing prey Calanus finmarchicus abundances (data from Pershing et al. 2005; ICES J Mar Sci 62:1511-1523); during a year of low prey abundance whales had significantly thinner blubber than during years of greater prey abundance. Taken together, these results suggest that blubber thickness is indicative of right whale energy balance and that the marked fluctuations in North Atlantic right whale reproduction have a nutritional component. © Inter-Research 2011.
Authors & Co-Authors
Miller, Carolyn A.
United States, Woods Hole
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Reeb, Desray
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Best, P. B.
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Knowlton, Amy R.
United States, Boston
New England Aquarium
Brown, Moira W.
United States, Boston
New England Aquarium
Moore, Michael J.
United States, Woods Hole
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Statistics
Citations: 6
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.3354/meps09174
Research Areas
Food Security
Maternal And Child Health
Sexual And Reproductive Health
Participants Gender
Male
Female