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Kelp gulls attack Southern right whales: a conservation concern?

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Abstract

Kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) feed on pieces of skin and blubber they rip from Southern right whales’ (Eubalaena australis) backs in their breeding areas at Península Valdés, Argentina, producing injuries. This behavior has increased since the first record in 1972, and some authors have suggested that constant gull harassment could have a negative effect on right whale population. The main goal of this study is to assess the variables that most affect the gull attacks. We analyzed 5359 whale-watching sightings made during trips from Puerto Pirámides (42º34′S, 64º16′W) along the whale breeding seasons (June–December) 2005 to 2007. The most important factors affecting the attacks include the presence of a mother–calf pair, the time within the season, the distance to the coast and the wind velocity. There is also concern of possible transmission of infectious diseases in the attacks since increasing number of whales with different patterns of skin lesions have been observed.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Administración del Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés, Dirección de Fauna y Flora Silvestre de Chubut and Dirección General de Conservación de Áreas Protegidas (DGCAP) for the permits to work in the protected area. This work was supported by the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, DGCAP, United Nations Development Programme—Global Environment Facility/Argentina 02/018 and the Wild Earth Foundation. We thank for logistic support of the whale-watching agencies Hydrosport, Whales Argentina and Tito Bottazzi. We thank for valuable help during field, statistical and translation work Dr. Josetxo Aguirre and Dra. Eva Banda, Lic. Inés Arhex, Lic. Andrea Marino, Lic. María Belén Argüelles, Lic. Pamela Quiroga, Lic. Sofía Alderete, Lic. Jimena Pereyra Marqués, Msc., Patricia Dell’Arciprete, Dr. David Galván, Lic. Gabriela Escati Peñaloza, Dr. Leonardo Venerus, Dr. Julio L. Lancelotti, Lic. Nuria Vázquez, Lic. Soledad Zabala, Lic. Federico Márquez, Med. Vet., María Pía Biondini, Med. Vet., Alejandra Varisco, Med. Vet., Jesús Lemus, park-rangers Diego and Roxana Conchillo, park-ranger Jorge Di Pascuale, Mirna Pohorylow, Lic. Alejandro Fernández Ajó, Lic. Clara Rosas, Vanina Rodríguez and Viviana Bellifemine. We really appreciate the suggestions of the reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACF, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Ana Fazio, Marcelo Bertellotti & Cecilia Villanueva

  2. Wild Earth Foundation, Avenida de las Ballenas, Puerto Pirámides, Chubut, Argentina

    Marcelo Bertellotti

Authors
  1. Ana Fazio
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  2. Marcelo Bertellotti
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  3. Cecilia Villanueva
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Correspondence to Ana Fazio.

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Communicated by U. Siebert.

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Fazio, A., Bertellotti, M. & Villanueva, C. Kelp gulls attack Southern right whales: a conservation concern?. Mar Biol 159, 1981–1990 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1985-7

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