Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Our sole field project in 2006 involved the tagging of 11 blue whales and one fin whale off the southern coast of California in September. As in 2005, some blue whales traveled north; one as far as Vancouver Island, B.C. Others were tracked on their migration south; two of them reaching the Costa Rica Dome, an area of upwelling several hundred miles off Costa Rica. Another of the 2006 blue whales spent the winter in the Sea of Cortez. The fin whale tagged in California in 2006 behaved quite differently than the blue whales. It traveled north to Queen Charlotte Island, B.C., spent the winter months in the Gulf of Alaska, then traveled south, and was last heard approximately 1,100 km off the central Baja coast. In 2006 we were still receiving data from some of the blue whales tagged off California in 2005. Migration to the Costa Rica Dome region was documented for two blue whales, each following a distinctly different route. One of these animals traveled within 350 km
from shore, while the other ranged as far as 2,000 km offshore during its southward migration. The former animal was also tracked during part of its northward migration, and was last heard from off the central Baja coast. A third blue whale tracked during its south-bound migration was last heard from in the Sea of Cortez. Humpback whales were tagged off central California in August 2005. These animals showed wide-ranging movements along the entire California coast, differing from humpbacks tagged in 2004, the majority of whose movements were concentrated along the central California coast. Two humpback whales that were tracked on their migration south showed markedly different routes than the blue whales, with both of the former animals traveling very close to shore. One of these humpbacks was last heard from along the Mexican mainland near Bahia Banderas, where it spent considerable time and was resighted by local researchers, who we had alerted to its presence. There was no sign of
adverse tag effects. The other animal was tracked to the Guatemalan coast. Sperm whales were tagged in June 2005 in the Gulf of Mexico, and some were still providing data in 2006. These animals were tagged in the northwestern portion of the Gulf, which differed from efforts in previous years when tagging took place mainly off the Mississippi River Delta and Mississippi Canyon regions in the north-central Gulf. The majority of the tagged whales from 2005 remained in the western Gulf, with only two ranging east to the Mississippi Canyon. All animals remained over Continental Slope waters during their tracking periods. Home range and core area analyses over the past five years show that females have high site affinity for specific locations within the Gulf of Mexico.
Impacts
Because of their charisma, the large whale species we study (blue, fin, humpback, right, sperm and gray whales) are a source of fascination and interest to the public, who are generally concerned that these animals survive and thrive into future generations more for their own sake than for the sake of any commercial value. But in today's world of heavy human competition for marine space and resources, ensuring such survival requires understanding which areas of the oceans and continental shelves are most important to these animals. We are now learning that individual whale populations may have critical habitats specific to themselves (such as the eastern gray whales, which is the only whale population to utilize the Baja California lagoons for breeding), as well as habitats that are shared by several populations (such as the Channel Islands, home to a food resource that attracts multiple species of baleen whales). Defining these habitats and the species that use them
is a long-term goal of this and several other research programs. Our ability to learn where whales go translates into a better ability to assist their survival, by sharing data with governments and regulatory agencies with the power to protect the habitats and thence, the whales.
Publications
- Etnoyer, P.; Canny, D.; Mate, B.; Morgan, L.; Ortega-Ortiz, J., and W. Nichols. 2006. Sea-surface temperature gradients across blue whale and sea turtle foraging trajectories off the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Deep-Sea Research II. 43(2006):340-358.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 09/30/06
Outputs
No new information to report.
Impacts
No new information to report.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
In 2005 we received and analyzed a significant amount of data from the 2004 research seasons (Chilean blue whales, Gulf of Mexico sperm whales, and blue, fin and humpback whales from the central California coast). In addition, in March we tagged gray whales in Scammons Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico, and tracked them to their feeding grounds in the Bering Sea and off the Aleutian Chain. Several of these tags are still transmitting as of this writing. In June we returned to the Gulf of Mexico to tag sperm whales, and in October we collaborated with French researcher Christophe Guinet to conduct a second study of fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea. Results from the 2004 data analysis are as follows: The Chilean blue whales stayed in the feeding areas longer than was expected, hugging the nearshore areas for the most part but making occasional forays into the open ocean. Two animals went north and offshore to the Nazca Ridge, an area where colliding tectonic plates
are building up an underwater ridge, which produces an upwelling which usually means good food resources. The 2004 sperm whale data supported the data collected in 2002 and 2003. After compiling data from the three-year study, we submitted our results to the synthesis report which went to Minerals Management Service, the sponsoring agency. We also presented our findings at an Informational Transfer Meeting in January 2005. Among other findings, we learned that Gulf of Mexico sperm whales do not limit their range to the Gulf. One of our tagged animals traveled out into the Atlantic Ocean, venturing as far as Charleston, South Carolina before turning back as it ran into the edges of Hurricane Isabel. We also saw two very different types of movements among tagged whales: some stayed relatively close to the shelf, while others ventured into deeper water and ranged over much of the Gulf. The June 2005 sperm whale cruise focused on the western Gulf, a different area than that covered by
prior cruises. It also tagged offshore whales in addition to nearshore animals; based on prior data, we expect the two groups to display different behaviors. It is possible that these groups are sub-populations. Our final field season in 2004 was part of the TOPP program (Tagging of Pacific Pelagics). In four weeks we tagged 29 animals, eight of them with our new depth tags. Within two months of tagging, the blue whales were ranging from the north end of Vancouver Island, Canada, to Magdalena Bay, Mexico, a range of over 2,000 miles. Of the 12 blue whales carrying location tags, four were briefly clustered in a five-mile area of water off Coos Bay, Oregon. Overall, the blue whales showed a strong affinity for the outer edge of cold, upwelled water (also known as salmon water), where they feed on krill. In mid-April 2005, Bruce Mate presented the 2003 data from our Mediterranean fin whale study to the European Cetacean Society at its meeting in France, where it was excitedly received.
Among the findings from those data was the first proof that not all the fin whales in this population stay resident to the Mediterranean Sea all year round.
Impacts
Because of their charisma, the large whale species we study (blue, fin, humpback, right, sperm and gray whales) are a source of fascination and interest to the public, who are generally concerned that these animals survive and thrive into future generations more for their own sake than for the sake of any commercial value. But in today's world of heavy human competition for marine space and resources, ensuring such survival requires understanding which areas of the oceans and continental shelves are most important to these animals. We are now learning that individual whale populations may have critical habitats specific to themselves (such as the eastern gray whales, which is the only whale population to utilize the Baja California lagoons for breeding), as well as habitats that are shared by several populations (such as the Channel Islands, home to a food resource that attracts multiple species of baleen whales). Defining these habitats and the species which use them
is a long-term goal of this and several other research programs. Our ability to learn where whales go translates into a better ability to assist their survival, by sharing data with governments and regulatory agencies with the power to protect the habitats and thence, the whales.
Publications
- Mate, B.R., P. Duley, B.A. Lagerquist, F. Wenzel, A. Stimpert, and P. Clapham. 2005. Observations of a female North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in simultaneous copulation with two males: supporting evidence for sperm competition. Aquatic Mammals, 31(2):157-160.
- Baumgartner, M.F. and B.R. Mate. 2005. Summer and fall habitat of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) inferred from satellite telemetry. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, 62:527-543.
- Mate, B.R., B.A. Lagerquist, M. Winsor, J. Geraci, and J.H. Prescott. 2005. Movements and dive habits of a satellite-monitored longfinned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) in the Northwest Atlantic. Marine Mammal Science, 21(1):136-144.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
In the 2004 calendar year, we placed satellite-monitored radio tags on whales during three separate research seasons: tagging blue whales off the coast of southern Chile, sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, and both blue and humpback whales off the coast of California. In January/February we tagged a total of 5 blue whales off Chile; the longest transmission length was 203 days. Of the 5 whales, two spent the length of their tracked time in and around the same fjords in which they were initially tagged. The other three tagged animals went far offshore. One went southwest nearly 800 miles and then turned north, the other two went northwest and ended up over 600 miles from shore. The in-shore feeding area where we tagged these animals was typical of areas where whalers would concentrate their activities; the fact that less than half of the animals in our tagged group stayed in those areas represents an individuality in feeding and migration movements that very likely
kept this population from being harvested to extinction. We suspect the breeding and calving areas are far offshore. In June we took part in a 25-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico for the Sperm Whale Seismic Survey (SWSS). This was the third year of a 3-year project designed to determine the feeding and migration movements of Gulf of Mexico sperm whales and determine whether or not the acoustic bursts from oil and gas exploration ships causes the tagged animals to alter their behavior. We tagged 8 sperm whales and resighted 2 tagged animals from 2003. (The tags on the resighted animals were still in place, and the tissues at the tag site showed no swelling or damage.) Data analysis has shown that, contrary to all prior scientific belief, Gulf of Mexico sperm whales may not travel in family groups. The males and females did not stay together, and showed gender differences in their movements, with males ranging farther and deeper into the Gulf, while the females tended to stay in the
upper Gulf regions. No behavioral changes were observed from airgun influence, but the final analysis on that aspect of the study is not yet complete. In July/August we tagged 20 blue whales, 8 humpbacks and 1 fin whale off California as part of the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) program. In addition, this study was significant because it was our first deployment of a new generation of tags, designed to transmit not only location data but also data on dive behavior, divided into 6-hour increments and 50-meter depth changes. The data are still coming in on this study, but already we can see a clear difference between day and night dive behaviors of all of the tagged animals, which is most likely related to the upward vertical migration of their prey during nighttime hours. The animals showed very different movements after tagging. As an example, two blue whales went in opposite directions, with one making a fairly straight line for an area off Magdalena Bay, Mexico (900 miles south
of where it was tagged) and the second ending up (so far) over 1,000 miles north off Vancouver Island, Canada.
Impacts
Because of their charisma, the large whale species we study (blue, fin, humpback, right, sperm and gray whales) are a source of fascination and interest to the public, who are generally concerned that these animals survive and thrive into future generations more for their own sake than for the sake of any commercial value. But in today's world of heavy human competition for marine space and resources, ensuring such survival requires understanding which areas of the oceans and continental shelves are most important to these animals. We are now learning that individual whale populations may have critical habitats specific to themselves (such as the eastern gray whales, which is the only whale population to utilize the Baja California lagoons for breeding), as well as habitats that are shared by several populations (such as the Channel Islands, home to a food resource that attracts multiple species of baleen whales). Defining these habitats and the species which use them
is a long-term goal of this and several other research programs. Our ability to learn where whales go translates into a better ability to assist their survival, by sharing data with governments and regulatory agencies with the power to protect the habitats and thence, the whales.
Publications
- Etnoyer, P., Canny, D., Mate, B., and L. Morgan. 2004. Persistent pelagic habitats in the Baja California to Bering Sea (B2B) ecoregion. Oceanography. 17(1):90-101.
- Urban R., J., Flores de Sahagun, V., Jones, M.L., Swartz, S.L., Mate, B., Gomez-Gallardo, A., and M. Guerrero-Ruiz. 2004. Gray whales with loss of flukes adapt and survive. Marine Mammal Science. 20(2):335-338.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
In February 2003, our research team tagged 11 humpback whales off Socorro Island, Mexico. There are three known humpback reproductive populations in Mexico: one off the coast of mainland Mexico, one off the tip of Baja California Sur, and a third around the Revillagigedo Archipelago. The first two populations are better studied than the third, and many of the animals from these areas have been characterized as feeding off Oregon and California during the summer feeding season. A percentage of these animals go to unknown locations, however, and in photographic identification studies, no link has been found between these two populations and Socorro Island. The summering areas of the Socorro Island humpbacks has not been discovered until this study. The data from this study revealed three important findings: 1) Some of the tagged whales visited Bahia Banderas (mainland Mexico) and the waters off Cabo San Lucas (Baja California Sur), linking Socorro Island whales to the
other two reproducing populations for the first time. 2) As the whales moved north for their spring migration to summer feeding areas, they have remained offshore. The closest any whale came to the Oregon coast was 30 miles; others ranged up to 600 miles offshore. This means that these animals are unlikely to be photographed in route, making photo identification difficult to impossible. 3) When the whales arrived at their summer feeding destinations, they were still too far offshore for coast-oriented researchers to photograph them. It is well known that some humpbacks wintering off the Hawaiian Islands migrate to British Columbia and Southeast Alaska for the summer, but until now it was not known that some animals from the Socorro Island population go to the same places. This study, made possible by funding from the NOAA Ocean Explorer program, represents the first time that Socorro Island humpbacks have been definitively tracked from their reproductive area and the first time that
their summer feeding destinations have been identified. In June 2003, the research team went to the Gulf of Mexico to tag sperm whales, the second year of a three-year project. (Four of the tags from 2002 are still transmitting more than 17 months after placement, a new record in tag longevity.) We successfully tagged 15 sperm whales, and the data from these whales are so far showing very interesting gender-specific movements. Our location data also proved that these sperm whales are not residents to the Gulf, since one animal moved out into the Atlantic (and ran right into Hurricane Luis -- it then headed south again, apparently avoiding the hurricane). In August 2003 the team tagged 11 fin whales in the Mediterranean, in a collaborative project with French scientists. Data analysis is not yet complete, but one objective was quickly accomplished when we proved that these fin whales are not residents in the Mediterranean. One tagged animal moved out into the North Atlantic and
subsequently visited two former whaling grounds.
Impacts
Hard data regarding whale movements and migrations had a major conservation impact this year. In June 2003, Canada shifted its Bay of Fundy shipping lanes 4 miles to the east in order to reduce ship collisions with right whales. This shift, the first time shipping lanes have ever been altered for an endangered species, was accomplished in part because of our location data -- which showed exactly how often right whales were moving across the shipping lanes. The impact of our research is that our ability to learn where whales go translates into a better ability to protect them.
Publications
- Mate, B.R. and J. Urban-Ramirez. 2003. A note on the route and speed of a gray whale on its northern migration from Mexico to central California, tracked by satellite-monitored radio tag. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 5(2).
- B.R. Mate, B.A. Lagerquist, and J. Urban-Ramirez. 2003. A note on using satellite telemetry to document the use of San Ignacio Lagoon by gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) during their reproductive season. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 5(2).
- Baumgartner, M.F. and B.R. Mate. 2003. Summertime foraging ecology of North Atlantic right whales. Marine Ecological Progress Series (MEPS).
- Baumgartner,M.F.; Cole, T.V.N.; Clapham, P.J. and B.R. Mate. 2003. North Atlantic right whale habitat in the lower Bay of Fundy and on the Southwestern Scotian Shelf during 1999-2001. Marine Ecological Progress Series (MEPS).
- Baumgartner, M.F.; Cole, T.V.N.; Campbell, R.G.; Teegarden, G.J. and E.G. Durbin. 2003. Associations between North Atlantic right whales and their prey, Calanus finmarchicus, over diel and tidal time scales. Marine Ecological Progress Series (MEPS).
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Progress 07/01/01 to 06/30/02
Outputs
In September 2001 we tagged 21 right whales off South Africa: in Witsand (Indian Ocean) and Saldanha Bay (South Atlantic). Of the 21 tags applied, 18 sent telemetry, with four of the tags lasting longer than 100 days and one transmitting for 161 days-a record for this species. Initially, five of the whales moved in nearly parallel pathways, going in the same direction but not traveling together. As the study went on, four animals went to or near the edge of Antarctic sea ice. Three animals moved north into an area associated with old whaling grounds, linking whale movements of many years past with those of the present. When the whales' tracklines were overlaid with seafloor topography, we found evidence that the whales may home in on certain seafloor features, either for navigation or because they cause upwellings which promote growth of food sources. One remarkable association occurred when three different whales crossed over the exact same underwater ridge at
separate times, and ridges appeared frequently along the tracklines of several whales. It is not yet clear whether they know about these ridges and purposely move over them, or whether they are simply there because a good food source is also there. Two things that the study was able to prove immediately were: 1) the animals from Saldanha Bay and Witsand are not different stocks (some of the tagged animals moved from one tagging area to the other); and 2) some animals never left the coastal area, staying throughout the summer feeding season. This means that South Africa is now the first known location for studying feeding right whales in the southern hemisphere, and is also an example of animals moving back into an area where they were once abundant before everyone thought that whaling had eliminated the summer feeding population. In July 2001, we were able to tag a single sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico. This had never before been done successfully. The whale moved back and forth
along the 1000-meter contour near the Mississippi Canyon for three months, then headed east and south, traveling in a counterclockwise path around the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Campeche. There the tag ceased transmitting after 137 days and 5,116 miles, due to battery exhaustion. Since we were able to prove the technological feasibility of tracking a sperm whale's daily movements, Minerals Management Service agreed to fund a three-year project designed to determine whether sperm whales alter their behavior due to acoustic seismic exploration. In August 2001 we attempted to tag humpback whales off the Oregon coast as part of a GLOBEC and NOAA project. Weather and whale density combined to prevent the team from tagging a single whale. In September 2001 the team traveled to Gabon to tag southern hemisphere humpbacks. This work, funded partially by the Wildlife Conservation Society and partially by the Marine Mammal Program Endowment, will discover for the first time where African
humpbacks go during their spring migration and summer feeding season. We successfully tagged 15 animals. Data from these tags came in through December 2002, and analysis is still underway.
Impacts
Southern hemisphere right whale and humpback whale research will reveal, for the first time, where these animals go during their summer feeding seasons. Armed with this information, we are far better equipped to protect and conserve the feeding grounds of these stocks. Sperm whale research will help to resolve the current controversy over whether or not these animals (and, by extrapolation, other toothed cetaceans) are detrimentally affected by the underwater acoustic bursts used for oil and gas exploration.
Publications
- Durbin, E., G. Teegarden, R. Campbell, A. Cembella, M.F. Baumgartner, B.R. Mate. 2002. North Atlantic right whales exposed to paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins via a zooplankton vector, Calanus finmarchicus. Harmful Algae 1:243-251.
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Satellite-monitored radio tag has been developed and refined. Refinements include increasing battery life, solving a breakage problem with the antenna and saltwater switch, and coating the tag with long-dispersant antibiotic to prevent any possible localized infection. Current generation of tags transmit location data only, thereby extending their battery life; some tags have transmitted longer than exptected battery life. In 2001, tags were applied to fin whales and blue whales in the Sea of Cortez, sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, and southern right whales off the coast of South Africa. All studies revealed movement data that were previously unknown. It was not known whether fin whales were endemic to the Sea of Cortez or were migratory visitors; during tag transmissions totalling 11,185 miles and lasting up to five months, none of the fin whales in the study left the Sea of Cortez. A female blue whale with a calf was tagged in the Sea of Cortez and tracked for
213 days and 7,305 miles. She did not migrate to the known summer feeding area off California as was expected, but instead spent the summer feeding west of Baja California and in particular off Punta Eugenia. Since it was thought that the Eastern North Pacific stock of blue whales spent the summer feeding season off California, this discovery may mean that the population and calving rates of this stock, which is counted by ship and aerial surveys off the California coast, have been underestimated. One tagged Gulf of Mexico sperm whale was tracked for 137 days and 5,116 miles, showing that the animal stayed near the 1,000-meter contour and remained in the area around the mouth of the Mississippi River for many weeks. Toward the end of the study it migrated counterclockwise around the Gulf of Mexico, and was in the Gulf of Campeche when transmission ceased. The long-term data were noticed by oil and gas industry representatives, who have an interest in tracking marine mammal movements
to determine whether they are affected by acoustic oil and gas exploration. Consequently, the industry is participating in a collaborative sperm whale tracking study in 2002. 21 southern right whales were tagged off South Africa in September; they were tracked up to 137 days, with the longest track being 4,632 miles. Before this study began, the only record of a southern right whale anywhere other than the coast of South Africa was a single photograph taken near Bouvet Island in 2000. Now we have detailed tracklines showing southerly migratory movements of five of the whales in parallel corridors away from South Africa. Four animals appeared to go to the edge of Antarctic sea ice; three went north to an area associated with old whaling grounds. Juxtaposition of tracklines over seafloor topography revealed that the whales are moving over undersea ridges and that three of the whales crossed the exact same ridge at different times.
Impacts
Satellite-monitored radio tags have proven effective in allowing us to "follow" whales on their feeding and migratory movements. By tracking their movements and linking them with feeding and reproductive seasons, we can determine which habitats are the most critical to endangered whale species. With this knowledge, resource managers can make informed management decisions that minimize human impact on these critical habitats and aid these species in their recovery.
Publications
- Baumgartner, M.F., K.D. Mullin, L.N. May and T.D. Leming. 2001. Cetacean habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fishery Bulletin 99:219-239.
- Lagerquist, B.A. and B.R. Mate. Surfacing rate comparisons for satellite-monitored blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) tracked in the Eastern North Pacific during periods of non-migratory and migratory travel. The Society of Marine Mammalogy 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals; Vancouver, British Columbia. November 29-December 3, 2001.
- Baumgartner, M.F. 2001. The utility of GIS in characterizing marine mammal distribution and habitat from survey data. Workshop on the Use of Geomatic Technologies for Marine Mammal Scientists. The Society for Marine Mammalogy 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals; Vancouver, British Columbia. November 28, 2001.
- Baumgartner, M.F., R.G. Campbell, G.J. Teegarden and T.V.N. Cole. 2001. Right whale nighttime feeding behavior in the lower Bay of Fundy: Inferences from a study of Calanus finmarchicus diel vertical migration. Right Whale Consortium Meeting. Boston, MA. October 25-26, 2001.
- Baumgartner, M.F. and B.R. Mate. Understanding the relationship between North Atlantic right whale movements and habitat characteristics from satellite-monitored radio tag data: a novel approach. The Society for Marine Mammalogy 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals; Vancouver, British Columbia. November 29-December 3, 2001. Also presented at the Right Whale Consortium meeting, October 2001.
- Krutzikowsky, G.K. and B.R. Mate. Tag retention and loss, and tissue healing in humpback whales. The Society of Marine Mammalogy 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals; Vancouver, British Columbia. November 29-December 3, 2001.
- Mate, B.R. The development of tracking large cetaceans with satellite-monitored radio tags. Invited speaker to the Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia. November 1, 2001.
- Mate, B.R. Movements of blue whales in the Eastern North Pacific. The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES); Victoria, British Columbia. October 2001.
- Mate, B.R. A review of satellite-monitored radio tracking of large cetaceans. Invited presentation to the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics Dive Data Workshop; University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California. December 5-6, 2001.
- Mate, B.R. Tracking the blue whale: satellites, sensors and ships. Invited presentation to the National Institute of Standards and Technology; Gaithersburg, Maryland. November 2, 2001.
- Mate, B.R. and M.F. Baumgartner. Summer feeding season movements and fall migration of North Atlantic right whales from satellite-monitored tags. The Society of Marine Mammalogy 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals; Vancouver, British Columbia. November 29-December 3, 2001. Also presented at the Right Whale Consortium meeting; Boston, Massachusetts. October 25-26, 2001.
- Palacios, D.M. Cetacean abundance off the Galapagos Islands for the line-transect survey GalCet2K, 5-19 April 2000. Presentation at Society for Marine Mammalogy 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals; Vancouver, British Columbia. November 29-December 3, 2001.
- Palacios, D.M., K.A. Forney, and G.C. Feldman. 2001. Featured contribution in "The Ocean Color Spectrum." Backscatter (Alliance for Marine Remote Sensing), 12(1):31-33.
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