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…


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…


Genetic footprint of population fragmentation and contemporary collapse in a freshwater cetacean

Chen, Minmin; Fontaine, Michael C.; Ben Chehida, Yacine; Zheng, Jinsong; Labbé, Frédéric; Mei, Zhigang; Hao, Yujiang; Wang, Kexiong; Wu, Min; Zhao, Qingzhong; Wang, Ding
Scientific Reports (2017)

Understanding demographic trends and patterns of gene flow in an endangered species is crucial for devising conservation strategies. Here, we examined the extent of population structure and recent evolution of…


Where is the risk? Integrating a spatial distribution model and a risk assessment to identify areas of cetacean interaction with fisheries in the northeast Atlantic

Breen, Patricia; Brown, Susie; Reid, David; Rogan, Emer
Ocean & Coastal Management (2017)

Throughout their range, marine mammals are vulnerable to incidental capture in fishing gear. Bycatch is a particularly important issue for cetaceans, which generally have lower potential rates of population growth…


Coming of age: Do female harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the North Sea and Baltic Sea have sufficient time to reproduce in a human influenced environment?

Kesselring, Tina; Viquerat, Sacha; Brehm, Ralph; Siebert, Ursula
PLOS ONE (2017)

The harbour porpoise is the only cetacean species native to German waters. Since human pressures are suggested to shorten their reproductive lifespan, basic knowledge on reproduction is strongly required. One…


Assessment of beach-cast cetaceans in Pakistan: Implications for conservation and management

Gore, M. A.; Culloch, R. M.; Gray, H. W. I.; Hoelzel, R.; Lockyer, C.; Kiani, M. S.; Waqas, U.; Hussain, B.; Rahim, A.; Shah, A.; Ormond, R. F. G.
Journal of Cetacean Research and Management (2017)

Until recently, little was known about the distribution and species occurrence of marine cetaceans in Pakistani waters, an area which needed to be addressed exigently given its inclusion in the…