Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Fatally Poisoned by Dinoflagellate Toxin

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1895-1898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph R. Geraci ◽  
Donald M. Anderson ◽  
Ralph J. Timperi ◽  
David J. St. Aubin ◽  
Gregory A. Early ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Cape Cod ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Atlantic Mackerel ◽  
Cape Cod Bay

During a 5–wk period beginning in late November, 1987, 14 humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, died in Cape Cod Bay after eating Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus, containing saxitoxin (STX), a dinoflagellate neurotoxin responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans. We propose a line of evidence to explain how whales, by virtue of their diving adaptations, may be particularly vulnerable to this systemic neurotoxin. Absence of STX in New England waters and shellfish during the episode suggests that the mackerel, representing the northern stock which spawns in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, accumulated the toxin there and delivered it to the Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod Bay in the fall of 1987. These findings challenge common perceptions of the manner in which planktonic toxins move through the food chain, and offer new insights into natural mortality and standings of marine mammals. It seems appropriate to search for STX and other phytotoxins when investigating marine mammal mortalities.

scholarly journals Lady Crabs, Ovalipes ocellatus, in the Gulf of Maine

2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
J. C. A. Burchsted ◽  
Fred Burchsted
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Cape Cod ◽  
Massachusetts Bay ◽  
North Shore ◽  
The North ◽  
Cape Cod Bay ◽  
Continuous Range ◽  
Local Habitat

The Lady Crab (Ovalipes ocellatus), mainly found south of Cape Cod and in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, is reported from an ocean beach on the north shore of Massachusetts Bay (42°28'60"N, 70°46'20"W) in the Gulf of Maine. All previously known Gulf of Maine populations north of Cape Cod Bay are estuarine and thought to be relicts of a continuous range during the Hypsithermal. The population reported here is likely a recent local habitat expansion.

scholarly journals Ring-shaped morphological features and interpreted small seamounts between southern Quebec (Canada) and the New England seamounts (USA) and their possible association with the New England hotspot track

2018 ◽  
pp. 223-265
Author(s):  
Ronald T. Marple ◽  
James D. Hurd, Jr. ◽  
Robert J. Altamura
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Continental Slope ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Cape Cod ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Igneous Province ◽  
Seamount Chain ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Digital Elevation Model Data

 Enhancements of recently available high-resolution multibeam echosounder data from the western Gulf of Maine and Atlantic continental margin and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and digital elevation model data from southeastern Quebec (Canada) and the northeastern United States have revealed numerous ring-shaped morphological features and interpreted small seamounts between the Monteregian Hills igneous province and the New England seamounts. The morphological features onshore are mainly ring-shaped depressions, several of which surround mapped igneous intrusions in the Monteregian Hills igneous province and White Mountain magma series. Most of the rings offshore are also depressions, although a few rings are curved ridges above the seafloor. The largest ring in the western Gulf of Maine is the 30-km-diameter Tillies ring that lies 20 km east of Cape Ann, MA. Several small (<3 km in diameter) round, flat-topped submerged hills that we interpret to be volcanic necks are also present beneath the western Gulf of Maine. The rings between Cape Cod and the continental slope are more subtle because of thicker sediments and poorer spatial resolution of the sonar data in this area. The southernmost ring-shaped features are located on the continental slope and upper continental rise and coincide with the northwestern end of the New England seamount chain. The concentration of these features between the Monteregian Hills igneous province and the New England seamounts suggests that they are igneous features that may be associated with the New England hotspot track. 

scholarly journals Understanding interannual, decadal level variability in paralytic shellfish poisoning toxicity in the Gulf of Maine: The HAB Index

2014 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
pp. 264-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald M. Anderson ◽  
Darcie A. Couture ◽  
Judith L. Kleindinst ◽  
Bruce A. Keafer ◽  
Dennis J. McGillicuddy, Jr. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish

Local and migratory movements of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) satellite-tracked in the North Atlantic Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Kennedy ◽  
A.N. Zerbini ◽  
O.V. Vásquez ◽  
N. Gandilhon ◽  
P.J. Clapham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
North Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
The North ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Multiple Feeding ◽  
Feeding Grounds

North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)) migrate from high-latitude summer feeding grounds to low-latitude winter breeding grounds along the Antillean Island chain. In the winters and springs of 2008 through 2012, satellite tags were deployed on humpback whales on Silver Bank (Dominican Republic) and in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) breeding areas. Whales were monitored, on average, for 26 days (range = 4–90 days). Some animals remained near their tagging location for multiple days before beginning their northerly migration, yet some visited habitats along the northwestern coast of the Dominican Republic, northern Haiti, the Turks and Caicos islands, and off Anguilla. Individuals monitored during migration headed towards feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine (USA), Canada, and the eastern North Atlantic (Iceland or Norway). One individual traveled near Bermuda during the migration. This study provides the first detailed description of routes used by North Atlantic humpback whales towards multiple feeding destinations. Additionally, it corroborates previous research showing that individuals from multiple feeding grounds migrate to the Antilles for the breeding season. This study indicates that North Atlantic humpbacks use an area broader than the existing boundaries of marine mammal sanctuaries, which should provide justification for their expansion.

Patterns of Intoxication of Shellfish in the Gulf of Maine Coastal Waters

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Hurst ◽  
Clarice M. Yentsch
Keyword(s):  
Mytilus Edulis ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Red Tide ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Sampling Location ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
Shellfish Toxin ◽  
Low Probability

There is considerable variability of intoxication in Mytilus edulis leading to Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) along the Gulf of Maine coast. When samples from the same sampling location are collected and analyzed on a sufficiently frequent basis, patterns are evident. The patterns are (1) There are areas of high and low probability of shellfish toxin on the Maine coast. (2) Within the high probability areas, the timing at different stations is similar although there is intraannual variability. (3) Toxin rise can occur any time during vernal warning, the most probable timing being spring or late summer. (4) Toxin levels at offshore stations (e.g. Monhegan Island) are frequently much higher than toxin levels at nearshore and inshore stations. These patterns are useful as tracers of bloom dynamics.Key words: Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, PSP; shellfish toxins, dinoflagellates, bloom dynamics, red tide, Gonyaulax tamarensis var. excavata, Mytilus edulis

Stable social associations among humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 3012-3019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mason T. Weinrich
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Feeding Styles ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Stable Association ◽  
Social Associations ◽  
Stable Pairs ◽  
Net Energy Gain

Groups of humpack whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were observed from 1980 to 1987 on their feeding grounds in the southern Gulf of Maine. Although most groups were together for only brief periods, two types of stable association were found: 'continuous' (individual whales associated for at least 7 consecutive days; n = 30) or 'recurring' (individuals associated at least five times in a 6-week period; n = 21). Thirty-seven stable pairs and 3 stable trios involving 56 individual whales were recorded; 11 stable pairs re-associated during more than 1 year. Continuous associations lasted up to 79 days (mean 29.65). Thirty of the 40 associations (75.0%) contained only adults. Females were present in 22 adult associations (73.3%), whereas males were present in only 8 (26.6%). Females sighted with a calf the following year, and therefore pregnant, were members of 6 of the 11 (54.5%) associations that reformed. It is hypothesized that stable associations allow adult females to maximize their net energy gain through cooperative feeding, and may be comprised of closely related animals or individuals with compatible feeding styles.

Distribution of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Caribbean Determined by a Rapid Acoustic Method

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1150-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coleman Levenson ◽  
William T. Leapley
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Distribution Density ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Acoustic Method ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Acoustic Detection ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Almost All

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) distribution in the eastern Caribbean Sea was studied by means of solitary sonobuoys deployed from an oceanographic aircraft. Humpback whale sounds were detected on 33 of 82 sonobuoys deployed. It is estimated that 62 whales were detected in an area of 22 140 km2 by this method with whale density calculated at 2.8 × 10−3 whales/km2. For further experiments in selected areas we used a colinear array to obtain accurate counts of humpbacks. A total of 18 humpbacks were detected in this manner with a mean of 2.6 whales per array deployment. Combined acoustic and visual detections indicate a minimum of 119 humpbacks in the area surveyed. This rapid acoustic method could also be applied to detection of almost all odontocete cetaceans and to other marine mammals with distinctive vocal patterns. Key words: cetaceans, whales, acoustic detection, distribution, density, humpbacks, aircraft detectors, sonobuoys

Seasonal occurrence and annual return of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in the southern Gulf of Maine

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 440-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip J. Clapham ◽  
Lisa S. Baraff ◽  
Carole A. Carlson ◽  
Margaret A. Christian ◽  
David K. Mattila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Rate Of Return ◽  
Seasonal Occurrence ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
The Mean

A study of 518 individually identified humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine between 1979 and 1988 showed high rates of both within-season occurrence and annual return. On average, 77.3% of whales were resighted on more than 1 day during the year (maximum 83 days), with occupancies ranging from 1 to 324 days (mean 88.1 days). The mean rate of return of individuals in consecutive years was 73.2% (range 59.1–87.4%), and the majority of whales were still being resighted up to 10 years later. Only 13 humpbacks were recorded during 50 midwinter surveys. Variation in the occurrence of individuals appears to be related to variability in the abundance of prey and perhaps to regional preferences.

scholarly journals The Influence of Maternal Lineages on Social Affiliations among Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on Their Feeding Grounds in the Southern Gulf of Maine

2006 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 226-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mason T. Weinrich ◽  
Howard Rosenbaum ◽  
C Scott Baker ◽  
Alexis L. Blackmer ◽  
Hal Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Social Affiliations ◽  
Feeding Grounds
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