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The Years of the North Atlantic Humpback (YoNAH) project is an international
collaboration to study North Atlantic humpback whales across most of their known
range. It was conceived to address large-scale issues, such as the size and
structure of the population, vital rates, migratory movement and the structure
of the mating system.
The project involved two intensive years of field research. During the summers
of 1992 and 1993, intensive photographic and genetic sampling was performed
concurrently in five high-latitude feeding grounds: the Gulf of Maine (U.S.),
Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Norway. During the winter months, field work was
performed in the West Indies, a shared, low-latitude breeding ground. Sampling
techniques were standardized within and between areas to ensure data
comparability and to minimize sampling bias. A central archive was established
for all photographs, tissue samples and data to facilitate analysis and to
provide a valuable legacy for future investigators.
The YoNAH Research Team
The Center for Coastal Studies is primarily responsible for work performed in
two areas: the Gulf of Maine feeding ground and the West Indies breeding ground.
The following is a full list of primary YoNAH participants (in alphabetical
order):
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Research Institution |
Country |
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Center for Coastal Studies |
USA |
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College of the Atlantic |
USA |
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Greenland Institute for Natural Resources |
Greenland |
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Institute of Marine Research |
Norway |
|
Marine Research Institute |
Iceland |
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Memorial University of Newfoundland |
Canada |
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National Marine Fisheries Service, NEFSC |
USA |
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Sea Mammal Research Unit |
United Kingdom |
|
University of Copenhagen |
Denmark |
Summary of Major YoNAH Findings
Thanks to the large volume of data collected, YoNAH analyses are still on-going.
Major findings to date are summarized below.
Population Estimate
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Known feeding and breeding grounds of the North
Atlantic humpback
whale. Lines indicate exchange
between areas, not actual migration
routes. |
The YoNAH project produced the first estimate of the size of the entire North
Atlantic population--approximately 10,600 animals. Population estimates are
important to the management and conservation of endangered species like the
humpback whale. The YoNAH estimate will serve as a baseline against which to
evaluate whether the population is increasing or decreasing over time.
Population Structure
YoNAH also provided detailed information on exchange between high-latitude
feeding grounds and low latitude breeding grounds (see image, right). For
example, prior to this study it was assumed that whales from Norway mated and
gave birth in the eastern North Atlantic (the Cape Verde Islands). We now know
that at least some of these whales mingle with whales from the western North
Atlantic on the Caribbean breeding grounds. Individuals were tracked between
Norway and the Caribbean both by photographs of natural marks (see Stevick et
al. 1998, below) and "genetic tags."
Known feeding and breeding grounds of the North Atlantic humpback whale. Lines
indicate exchange between areas, not actual migration routes.
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