Project

The History of Whale Populations Before Whaling

Project Overview:

Steve Palumbi (Stanford University, CA, USA)

The commercial hunting of whales over the past two centuries significantly depleted the world’s whale populations. However, for many species, the extent of this depletion is unknown, because the size of whale populations before they were hunted is difficult to estimate. This project compares and integrates genetic records with written historical catch records to uncover the population history of whales in order to understand future management targets.

Lenfest Summaries:

Research Series Reports

Lenfest Research Series Report

January, 2010

Lenfest Research Series Report

August, 2007

Publications and Reports:

Published Papers

Ruegg, K.C., E.C. Anderson, C.S. Baker, M. Vant, J. Jackson and S.R. Palumbi. 2010. Are Antarctic minke whales unusually abundant because of 20th century whaling? Molecular Ecology 19:281-291.

Molecular Ecology paper

January, 2010

Alter, S.E., E. Rynes and S.R. Palumbi. 2007. DNA evidence for historic population size and past ecosystem impacts of gray whales. Proceedings of the National Acadamy of Scieneces 104:15162-15167.

Proceedings of the National Acadamy of Sciences paper

September, 2007

Alter, S. and S. Palumbi. 2009. Comparing evolutionary patterns and variability in the mitochondrial control region and cytochrome B in three species of baleen whales. Journal of Molecular Evolution 68(1): 97-111.

Journal of Molecular Evolution paper (subscription needed)

January, 2009

Engel, M. H., N. J. R. Fagundes, et al. 2008. Mitochondrial DNA diversity of the Southwestern Atlantic humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding area off Brazil, and the potential connections to Antarctic feeding areas. Conservation Genetics 9(5): 1253-1262.

Conservation Genetics paper (subscription needed)

October, 2008

Jackson, J., C. Baker, et al. 2009. Big and Slow: Phylogenetic estimates of molecular evolution in baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). Molecular biology and evolution 26(11): 2427.

Molecular biology and evolution paper

November, 2009

Jackson, J. A., N. J. Patenaude, et al. 2008. How few whales were there after whaling? Inference from contemporary mtDNA diversity. Molecular Ecology 17(1): 236-251.

Molecular Ecology paper

January, 2008

Rosenbaum, H.C., C. Pomilla, M. Mendez, M.S. Leslie, P.B. Best, et al. 2009. Population structure of Humpback Whales from their breeding grounds in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. PLoS ONE 4:e7318.

PLoS ONE paper

October, 2009

Reeves, R. R., T. D. Smith, et al. 2010. Nineteenth-century Ship-based Catches of Gray Whales, Eschrichtius robustus, in the Eastern North Pacific. Marine Fisheries Review 72(1): 39.

Marine Fisheries Review paper

January, 2010

Reeves, R. R. and T. D. Smith. 2010. Commercial Whaling, Especially for Gray Whales, Eschrichtius robustus, and Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, at California and Baja California Shore Stations in the 19th Century (1854–1899)." Marine Fisheries Review 72(1): 25.

Marine Fisheries Review paper

January, 2010

Smith, T. D. and R. R. Reeves. 2010. Historical Catches of Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in the North Atlantic Ocean: Estimates of Landings and Removals. Marine Fisheries Review 72(3): 43.

Marine Fisheries Review paper

April, 2010

Olavarria, C., C. S. Baker, et al. 2007. Population structure of South Pacific humpback whales and the origin of the eastern Polynesian breeding grounds. Marine Ecology-Progress Series 330: 257-268.

Marine Ecology Progress Series paper

January, 2007

Video and Images: