Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2021

Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V26

Photo-identification of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) in the Northeast Atlantic

Höfundar / Authors: Barbara K Neubarth (1,2), Patrick JO Miller (3), Tom Grove (4,5), Jörundur Svavarsson (1), Paul J Wensveen (1)

Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1) Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 2) University Centre of the Westfjords, 3) School of Biology, University of St Andrews, 4) Whale Wise, 5) University of Iceland's Research Centre in Húsavík

Kynnir / Presenter: Barbara K Neubarth

Migration patterns, site fidelity, and life history of the northern bottlenose whale (andarnefja in Icelandic) are poorly understood. Lack of long-term data and the difficulties associated with studying such an elusive and long-lived species make population monitoring and conservation extremely challenging. In this study, we present the first version of a northern bottlenose whale photo-ID catalog for the Northeast Atlantic, spanning the region Iceland-Faroe Islands-Norway. Photographs from 2008-2020 contributed by researchers, naturalists, and citizen scientists were analysed. Photographs of the dorsal fin area were first sorted in left and right sides, and quality rated following an established scale. Different individuals were then identified based on their markings, including dorsal notches, back indentations, and scars. The catalog currently holds a total of 296 left sides (177 high distinctiveness; 119 low distinctiveness) and 327 right sides (148 high distinctiveness; 179 low distinctiveness). Only 24 individuals were resighted (>12 h between photographs) within the same area and year, with a maximum interval of 16 days. No photographic matches were made between years or areas. These findings reflect the poor distinctiveness of individuals and highlight the challenges associated with their identification. Comparisons with photo-ID catalogs for other regions and an in-depth analysis of markings are recommended to effectively inform future conservation measures.