Estimated Abundances of Cetacean Species in the Northeast Atlantic from Norwegian Shipboard Surveys Conducted in 2014–2018
Keywords:North Atlantic, cetacean, abundance, line-transect, fin whales, humpback whales, sperm whales, killer whales, harbour porpoises, dolphins, northern bottlenose whales
A ship-based mosaic survey of Northeast Atlantic cetaceans was conducted over a 5-year period between 2014–2018. The area surveyed extends from the North Sea in the south (southern boundary at 53oN), to the ice edge of the Barents Sea and the Greenland Sea. Survey vessels were equipped with 2 independent observer platforms that detected whales in passing mode and applied tracking procedures for the target species, common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata acutorostrata). Here we present abundance estimates for all non-target species for which there were sufficient sightings. We estimate the abundance of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) to be 11,387 (CV=0.17, 95% CI: 8,072–16,063), of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to be 10,708 (CV=0.38, 95% CI: 4,906–23,370), of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) to be 5,704 (CV=0.26, 95% CI: 3,374–9,643), of killer whales (Orcinus orca) to be 15,056 (CV=0.29, 95% CI: 8,423–26,914), of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) to be 255,929 (CV=0.20, 95% CI: 172,742–379,175), dolphins of genus Lagenorhynchus to be 192,767 (CV=0.25, 95% CI: 114,033–325,863), and finally of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) to be 7,800 (CV=0.28, 95% CI: 4,373–13,913). Additionally, our survey effort in the Norwegian Sea in 2015 contributed to the 6th North Atlantic Sightings Survey (NASS) and the survey was extended into the waters north and east of Iceland around Jan Mayen island. This NASS extension, along with our Norwegian Sea survey in 2015, was used to estimate the abundance of fin whales, humpback whales, and sperm whales. All estimates presented used mark-recapture distance sampling techniques and were thus corrected for perception bias. Our estimates do not account for additional variance due to distributional shifts between years or biases due to availability or responsive movement.
Barlow, J. (1988). Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, abundance estimation for California, Oregon and Washington. Ship surveys. Fishery Bulletin (US), 86, 417– 432.
Benjaminsen, T., & Christensen, I. (1979). The natural history of the bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster). In H. E. Winn & B. L. Olla (eds.), Behavior of Marine Animals: Current Perspectives in Research, 143-164. Boston, MA: Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2985-5_5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2985-5_5
Buckland, S. T., Anderson, D. R., Burnham, K. P., Laake, J. L., Borchers, D. L., & Thomas, L. (2001). Introduction to Distance Sampling. London: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01737.x
Bøthun, G., Skaug, H. J., & Øien, N. (2009). Abundance of minke whales in the Northeast Atlantic based on survey data collected over the period 2002-2007. Unpublished manuscript (Document SC/61/RMP2 for the IWC Scientific Committee).
Christensen, I., Haug, T., & Øien, N. (1992). Seasonal distribution, exploitation and present abundance of stocks of large baleen whales (Mysticeti) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in Norwegian and adjacent waters. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 49(3), 341-355. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/49.3.341 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/49.3.341
Drouot, V., Gannier, A., & Goold, J. C. (2004). Diving and feeding behaviour of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Aquatic mammals, 30(3), 419-426. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.30.3.2004.419 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.30.3.2004.419
Fewster, R. M., Buckland, S. T., Burnham, K. P., Borchers, D. L., Jupp, P. E., Laake, J. L., & Thomas, L. (2009). Estimating the Encounter Rate Variance in Distance Sampling. Biometrics, 65, 225-236. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0420.2008.01018.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0420.2008.01018.x
Foote, A. D., Vıkingsson, G., Øien, N., Bloch, D., Davis, C. G., Dunn, T. E., ... & Thompson, P. M. (2007). Distribution and abundance of killer whales in the North East Atlantic. IWC/SC/59/SM, 5(10).
Gjøsæter, H., Bogstad, B., & Tjelmeland, S. (2009). Ecosystem effects of the three capelin stock collapses in the Barents Sea. Marine Biology Research, 5, 40-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000802454866 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000802454866
Hammond, P. S., Berggren, P., Benke, H., Borchers, D. L., Collet, A., Heide-Jørgensen, M. P., … & Øien, N. (2002). Abundance of harbour porpoise and other cetaceans in the North Sea and adjacent waters. Journal of Applied Ecology, 39, 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.2002.00713.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.2002.00713.x
Hammond, P. S., Lacey, C., Gilles, A., Viquerat, S., Börjesson, P., Herr, H., … & Øien, N. (2017). Estimates of cetacean abundance in European Atlantic waters in summer 2016 from the SCANS-III aerial and shipboard surveys. SCANS-III project report 1, 39pp. Retrieved from https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/scans3/files/2017/05/SCANS-III-design-based-estimates-2017-05-12-final-revised.pdf
Hammond, P.S., Macleod, K., Berggren, P., Borchers, D.L., Burt, L., Cañadas, A., … & Gordon, J. (2013). Cetacean abundance and distribution in European Atlantic shelf waters to inform conservation and management. Biological Conservation, 164, 107-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.04.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.04.010
Hooker, S. K., & Baird, R. W. (1999). Deep-diving behaviour of the northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus (Cetacea: Ziphiidae). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 266(1420), 671-676. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1999.0688 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1999.0688
International Whaling Commission (IWC). (1994). Report of the Scientific Committee. Annex K. Area definitions for RMP implementations. Report of the International Whaling Commission, 44, 175-176.
International Whaling Commission (IWC). (2004). Report of the Scientific Committee. Annex D, Appendix 14. Report of the working group on North Atlantic minke whales RMP Implementation Review. Journal of Cetacean Resource Management, 6(Supplement), 171-183.
Jourdain, E., Ugarte, F., Víkingsson, G. A., Samarra, F. I., Ferguson, S. H., Lawson, J., ... & Desportes, G. (2019). North Atlantic killer whale Orcinus orca populations: a review of current knowledge and threats to conservation. Mammal Review, 49(4), 384-400. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12168 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12168
Laake, J. L., & Borchers, D. L. (2004). Methods for incomplete detection at distance zero. In S. T. Buckland, D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, J. L. Laake, D. L. Borchers & L. Thomas. (eds.), Advanced Distance Sampling, 108-189. London: Oxford University Press.
Leaper, R., Burt, L., Gillespie, D., & Macleod, K. (2010). Comparisons of measured and estimated distances and angles from sightings surveys. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 11, 229–237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v11i3.602
Leonard, D. M., & Øien, N. (2020). Estimated abundances of cetacean species in the Northeast Atlantic from shipboard surveys conducted between 2002-2013. NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 11. https://doi.org/ 10.7557/3.4695 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7557/3.4695
North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO). (2019). Report of the Abundance Estimates Working Group, October 2019, Tromsø, Norway. Retrieved from https://nammco.no/topics/abundance_estimates_reports/
Nøttestad, L., Krafft, B. A., Anthonypillai, V., Bernasconi, M., Langård, L., Mørk, H. L., & Fernö, A. (2015). Recent changes in distribution and relative abundance of cetaceans in the Norwegian Sea and their relationship with potential prey. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 83. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2014.00083 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2014.00083
Pike, D. G., Gunnlaugsson, T., Mikkelsen, B., Halldórsson, S. D., & Víkingsson, G. A. (2019). Estimates of the abundance of cetaceans in the central North Atlantic based on the NASS Icelandic and Faroese shipboard surveys conducted in 2015. NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 11. https://doi.org/10.7557/3.4941 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7557/3.4941
Schweder, T., Skaug, H. J., Dimakos, X. K., Langaas, M., & Øien, N. (1997). Abundance of northeastern Atlantic minke whales, estimates for 1989 and 1995. Report of the International Whaling Commission, 47, 453-483.
Skaug, H.J., Øien, N., Schweder, T., & Bøthun, G. (2004). Abundance of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the Northeastern Atlantic. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, 61(6), 870-886. https://doi.org/10.1139/f04-020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/f04-020
Solvang, H. K., Skaug, H. J., & Øien, N. I. (2015). Abundance estimates of common minke whales in the Northeast Atlantic based on survey data collected over the period 2008-2013. Unpublished manuscript (Document SC/66a/RMP8 for the IWC Scientific Committee).
Reeves, R. R., Mitchell, E., & Whitehead, H. (1993). Status of the northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa, 16pp.
Rogan, E., Cañadas, A., Macleod, K., Santos, M. B., Mikkelsen, B., Uriarte, A., ... & Hammond, P. S. (2017). Distribution, abundance and habitat use of deep diving cetaceans in the North-East Atlantic. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 141, 8-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.03.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.03.015
Smith, T. D., Allen, J., Clapham, P. J., Hammond, P. S., Katona, S., Larsen, F., ... & Øien, N. (1999). An ocean basin wide mark recapture study of the north Atlantic humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Marine Mammal Science, 15(1), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1999.tb00779.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1999.tb00779.x
Thomas, L., Buckland, S.T., Rexstad, E.A., Laake, J. L., Strindberg, S., Hedley, S. L., … & Burnham, K. P. (2010). Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling surveys for estimating population size. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47(1), 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01737.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01737.x
Øien, N. (1990). Sighting surveys in the Northeast Atlantic in July 1988: Distribution and abundance of cetaceans. Report of the International Whaling Commission, 40, 499-511.
Øien, N. (1995). Norwegian Independent Line Transect Survey 1995. Interne notat, nr. 8 – 1995, Institute of Marine Research.
Øien, N. (1996). Lagenorhynchus species in Norwegian waters as revealed from incidental observations and recent sighting surveys. Unpublished manuscript (Document SC/48/SM 15 for the IWC Scientific Committee).
Øien, N. (2009). Distribution and abundance of large whales in Norwegian and adjacent waters based on ship surveys 1995-2001. NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 7, 31-47. https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2704 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2704
Øien, N., & Schweder, T. (1996). Planning of sighting surveys to cover the Northeast Atlantic over a six-year period. Unpublished manuscript (Document SC/48/NA4 for the IWC Scientific Committee).
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2020 Deanna Leonard, Nils Øien
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).