Journal of Zoology (2016)
In this study, the nasal asymmetry of odontocetes (toothed whales) was analyzed morphometrically by placing landmarks on photographed nasofacial skulls from 12 different species and genera that belong to four…
Ultra-high foraging rates of harbor porpoises make them vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance
Wisniewska, Danuta Maria; Johnson, Mark; Teilmann, Jonas; Rojano-Doñate, Laia; Shearer, Jeanne; Sveegaard, Signe; Miller, Lee A.; Siebert, Ursula; Madsen, Peter Teglberg
Current Biology (2016)
The question of how individuals acquire and allocate resources to maximize fitness is central in evolutionary ecology. Basic information on prey selection, search effort, and capture rates are critical for…
Pile driving playback sounds and temporary threshold shift in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): Effect of exposure duration
Kastelein, Ronald A.; Helder-Hoek, Lean; Covi, Jennifer; Gransier, Robin
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2016)
High intensity underwater sounds may cause temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTSs) in harbor porpoises, the magnitude of which may depend on the exposure duration. After exposure to playbacks of pile…
Species diversity and distribution pattern of marine mammals of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman – Iranian waters
Owfi, F.; Braulik, G. T.; Rabbaniha, M.
Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences (2016)
A total of 98 marine mammal records from Iranian coastal waters of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman were compiled of which 66 are previously unpublished new records. Seventy-nine…
Saving the Yangtze finless porpoise: Time is rapidly running out
Huang, Shiang-Lin; Mei, Zhigang; Hao, Yujiang; Zheng, Jinsong; Wang, Kexiong; Wang, Ding
Biological Conservation (2016)
The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is the world's only freshwater porpoise and is endemic to the Yangtze River. However, it is now Critically Endangered, with its long-term survival…
Toxoplasma gondii in stranded marine mammals from the North Sea and Eastern Atlantic Ocean: findings and diagnostic difficulties
van de Velde, Norbert; Devleesschauwer, Brecht; Leopold, Mardik; Begeman, Lineke; IJsseldijk, Lonneke; Hiemstra, Sjoukje; IJzer, Jooske; Brownlow, Andrew; Davison, Nicholas; Jauniaux, Thierry; Siebert, Ursula; Dorny, Pierre; De Craeye, Stéphane
Veterinary Parasitology (2016)
The occurrence of the zoonotic protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii in marine mammals remains a poorly understood phenomenon. In this study, samples from 631 marine mammal species and 34 European otters…
ASCOBANS Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises – Jastarnia Plan (2016 Revision)
(2016)
This is the ASCOBANS species action plan for what is called Baltic harbour porpoise population primarily inhabiting the Baltic Proper. The population’s abundance has recently been estimated at only 497…
Trends of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) density in the southern North Sea
Peschko, Verena; Ronnenberg, Katrin; Siebert, Ursula; Gilles, Anita
Ecological Indicators (2016)
In the southern North Sea, harbour porpoise occurrence increased in recent years after a phase of low abundances during earlier decades. Only very few studies on porpoise presence in the…
Central nervous system disease and genital disease in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are associated with different herpesviruses
van Elk, Cornelis; van de Bildt, Marco; van Run, Peter; de Jong, Anton; Getu, Sarah; Verjans, Georges; Osterhaus, Albert; Kuiken, Thijs
Veterinary Research (2016)
Herpesvirus infection causes disease of variable severity in many species, including cetaceans. However, little is known about herpesvirus infection in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), despite being widespread in temperate coastal…
Seventh Meeting of the Comité Internacional para la Recuperación de la Vaquita
CIRVA
(2016)
EXTINCTION IS IMMINENT CIRVA reviewed the 2015 population survey results, which showed that only about 60 vaquitas remained at the beginning of the emergency 2-year partial gillnet ban. CIRVA also…