Dead useful; methods for quantifying baseline variability in stranding rates to improve the ecological value of the strandings record as a monitoring tool

ten Doeschate, Mariel T. I.; Brownlow, Andrew C.; Davison, Nicholas J.; Thompson, Paul M.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2017)

The ecological value of the stranding record is often challenged due to the complexity in quantifying the biases associated with multiple components of the stranding process. There are biological, physical…


Biosonar signal propagation in the harbor porpoise’s (Phocoena phocoena) head: The role of various structures in the formation of the vertical beam

Wei, Chong; Au, Whitlow W. L.; Ketten, Darlene R.; Song, Zhongchang; Zhang, Yu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2017)

Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) use narrow band echolocation signals for detecting and locating prey and for spatial orientation. In this study, acoustic impedance values of tissues in the porpoise's head…


Last call: Passive acoustic monitoring shows continued rapid decline of critically endangered vaquita

Thomas, Len; Jaramillo-Legorreta, Armando; Cardenas-Hinojosa, Gustavo; Nieto-Garcia, Edwyna; Rojas-Bracho, Lorenzo; Ver Hoef, Jay M.; Moore, Jeffrey; Taylor, Barbara; Barlow, Jay; Tregenza, Nicholas
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2017)

The vaquita is a critically endangered species of porpoise. It produces echolocation clicks, making it a good candidate for passive acoustic monitoring. A systematic grid of sensors has been deployed…


Group characteristics, site fidelity, and photo-identification of harbor porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, in Burrows Pass, Fidalgo Island, Washington

Elliser, Cindy R.; MacIver, Katrina H.; Green, Michelle
Marine Mammal Science (2017)

Little is known about harbor porpoises at the individual level or local group structure. Group characteristics, site fidelity, and photo‐identification of harbor porpoises were investigated off Fidalgo Island, Washington State.…


Evaluating morphometric and metabolic markers of body condition in a small cetacean, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Kershaw, Joanna L.; Sherrill, Meredith; Davison, Nicholas J.; Brownlow, Andrew; Hall, Ailsa J.
Ecology and Evolution (2017)

Mammalian body condition is an important individual fitness metric as it affects both survival and reproductive success. The ability to accurately measure condition has key implications for predicting individual and…


Mixing of porpoise ecotypes in southwestern UK waters revealed by genetic profiling

Fontaine, Michaël C.; Thatcher, Oliver; Ray, Nicolas; Piry, Sylvain; Brownlow, Andrew; Davison, Nicholas J.; Jepson, Paul; Deaville, Rob; Goodman, Simon J.
Royal Society Open Science (2017)

Contact zones between ecotypes are windows for understanding how species may react to climate changes. Here, we analysed the fine-scale genetic and morphological variation in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) around…