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Demography and ecology of southern right whales Eubalaena australis wintering at sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, New Zealand

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Abstract

Since the decimation of the southern right whale Eubalaena australis population in New Zealand by whaling, research on its recovery has focused on the wintering ground at the Auckland Islands, neglecting potentially important wintering habitat at Campbell Island. For the first time in 20 years we conducted an expedition to sub-Antarctic Campbell Island to document and describe E. australis occupying this wintering habitat. We used a variety of methods including photo-identification, genetic and stable isotope analyses of tissue samples, and visual surveys of abundance and distribution, to provide details on the demography, population connectivity and ecology of E. australis wintering at Campbell Island. Our primary findings include (1) a lack of calves observed at Campbell Island, (2) an age-class bias toward sub-adults encountered at Campbell Island, (3) nine photo-identification matches between individuals observed at Campbell Island and previously documented elsewhere in New Zealand, (4) no genetic differentiation between E. australis at Campbell Island and the broader New Zealand population, (5) increased abundance estimates of E. australis at Campbell Island over the last 20 years, and (6) indications that E. australis forage within the sub-Antarctic region based on stable isotope analyses. Our results confirm that the Auckland Islands are currently the only significant calving area for E. australis in New Zealand, and therefore previous abundance estimates based on demographic data from the Auckland Islands are applicable to the entire New Zealand population of E. australis. However, future periodic surveys to Campbell Island are recommended to monitor population recovery and expansion.

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Notes

  1. Resamples matched at 13 loci and had probability of identities of 4.28E−23 and 2.67E−22.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was supported by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Ltd. (NIWA), and the New Zealand Department of Conservation. We are grateful to R. Constantine for assistance and equipment related to biopsy sample collection, to T. Webster for confirming photo-ID matches, and to S. Childerhouse for the incorporation of genetic data collected at the Auckland Islands. Thanks to D. Steel and A. Sremba for help with genetic analyses at Oregon State University, USA. Stable isotope analyses were conducted at the NIWA stable isotope laboratory in Wellington, New Zealand by A. Kilimnik and J. Brown. We also thank Henk Haazen (captain) and Keith Jacob (crew) of the RV Tiama for safe transport and assistance with data collection and logistics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, 2030 Southeast Marine Science Dr., Newport, OR, 97365, USA

    Leigh G. Torres & C. Scott Baker

  2. Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Will Rayment

  3. P.O. Box 422, Nelson, 7040, New Zealand

    Carlos Olavarría

  4. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd., 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington, 6021, New Zealand

    David R. Thompson, Brittany Graham & Sarah Jane Bury

  5. Collégial International Sainte-Anne, Lachine, QC, Canada

    Nathalie Patenaude

  6. New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand

    Laura Boren

  7. Parker Conservation, 126 Maryhill Terrace, Maryhill, Dunedin, 9010, New Zealand

    Graham Parker

  8. Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, UK

    Emma L. Carroll

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  1. Leigh G. Torres
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Correspondence to Leigh G. Torres.

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Torres, L.G., Rayment, W., Olavarría, C. et al. Demography and ecology of southern right whales Eubalaena australis wintering at sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, New Zealand. Polar Biol 40, 95–106 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1926-x

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